Wind whipped through her mane as Twilight poured on as much speed as she could, using her pegasus magic to push aside the air in front of her just like Rainbow had shown. The difference in speed was immense, the terrain flying below her in a blur of greens, whites, and blues, and yet for all her speed, Rainbow and Fleetfoot kept pace beside her.

It was an impressive sight to behold how much effort the rainbow mare put into her technique, giving the illusion of barely trying even though she could feel the magic humming around her in the air. Fleetfoot was a bit more refined, and though she lacked the raw energy Rainbow possessed, her technique was likewise elegant and graceful.

Ponyville was far behind the trio now, and the empty landscape between it and Canterlot stretched out before them. From the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow grin and share a look with Fleetfoot, a small tremor passing through her body as she realized what she was in for.

Rainbow made the first move, spinning suddenly in the air and sweeping beneath her, one of her soft wings sliding against her belly. Unlike the two Wonderbolts, Twilight wasn't wearing a uniform, leaving her vulnerable to the soft, pleasant touches, and Fleetfoot was quick to join in, mirroring Dash's moves as her wings stroked along her back from mane to tail. Twilight's flight faltered, but she remained airborne, determined to fly through the distraction.

The two pegasi weren't making it easy though, their touches getting more bold by the minute, their flight paths taking them closer and closer to the princess with each pass. Flying close quarters like this was usually quite dangerous, but Twilight knew she was in good hooves and simply focused on keeping herself steady as she was caressed and teased.

Hovering just above her back now, Fleetfoot made her move, bending down and sliding her tongue along Twilight's neck, drawing a gasp from the alicorn, her wings faltering again and her flight failing. Rainbow was ready for her though. Her wings snapped out and her legs opened, catching the princess as she fell, holding her tight while Twilight squeaked in surprise, their flight arcing down towards the ground. Fortunately, even this had been planned, and instead of a hard landing against the grass, Twilight and Rainbow hit a soft cloud bank, the rainbow mare giggling as she held her tight and placed a kiss on her muzzle.

Fleetfoot was only a breath behind, landing gently on Twilight's back, her teeth nibbling at her neck, pinning the alicorn between them as they began to torment and tease her with soft, playful touches, drawing out sweet, small gasps as the flying was forgotten and an entirely new exercise began.

“Not interrupting, am I?”

“Ahhh!” Twilight yelped as the familiar voice cut through the pleasurable haze and startled her. Standing almost casually on the cloud was Luna, her face bearing a small smile as she watched the two pegasi teasing her. Rainbow and Fleetfoot seemed quite unbothered by her presence.

“L-Luna? But that means...” Twilight sighed as the dream faded around her, the scenery and pegasi disappearing from sight while the princess tried not to let her disappointment show.

“Why the forlorn sigh, Twilight? Can you not ask your marefriends to simply perform such acts for you in the waking world?”

Twilight blinked and traced a forehoof on the featureless ground in front of her. “M-maybe,” she mumbled, “But it still feels really awkward...and speaking of awkward, what the hay are you doing here?” she snapped, a bit of indignation entering her voice.

“I do apologize, Twilight, I did not intend to interrupt such a pleasant dream. Indeed, I did not expect you to be having one at all.”

Twilight coughed, her cheeks red. “I couldn't help it. I've never spent a night...well, like this.”

Luna gave her a curious look but before Twilight could respond, the dark mists around her began to part into a hazy image of her lying comfortably in her bed, pressed in between Fleetfoot and Rainbow Dash. “That still doesn't explain what you're doing here though!”

Luna smiled and dissipated the image with a wave of her wing. “Well, it has to do with being your adviser for the future. It is clear to me that I can't compete with Cadance on matters of the heart-”

“You and everypony else...”

“-but I do have a unique talent in helping ponies delve into their subconscious minds. May I give you a demonstration?”

Twilight hesitated but eventually sighed and nodded her head. She had practically invited this after all. Luna smiled and tapped her forehoof on the ground. Suddenly, the world seemed to shake, but the noise was muted, almost non-existent even as a room slowly began to form around them, taking the shape of a long hallway filled with doors of various colors.

“These are vestiges of my subconscious, right?” asked Twilight, fascinated at the sight as she looked over the detail of the hallway and the designs on each of the doors. “How are you able to find anything in here? There's no sense to any of this!”

Luna approached the door Twilight was standing in front of. “'Tis not an easy feat. Yours is among the more organized of minds I have been in, but each vestige of thought represented by these doors has emotions associated with them, and with practice, one can learn to read them.”

“So what do you read from this one?” Twilight asked, trying to see if she could feel anything from the door her hoof was against.

Closing her eyes, the Lunar Princess pressed her hoof against the door. “Feelings of longing, desire, and more than a hint of arousal. This is clearly a lewd fantasy of some sort.”

Twilight's mind was already starting to put the pieces together as she began to pick up the details of the red, slightly worn door. “Maybe we should move on to something else...”

The purple alicorn made to leave but was stopped by Luna's wing. “Do you think that I have never seen a lewd dream before?”

“Well...no, but-”

“Whatever fantasies you entertain are simply that.”

“There is a little thing called privacy too...”

Luna sighed and moved her wing away. “Then you may leave and choose Cadance as your adviser. I cannot help if you do not wish to open up to me.”

Twilight cringed. It wasn't clear if Luna was serious or simply playing her guilt against her, but it was an effective tactic nonetheless. “Fine...but if you breathe a word of this to anypony...”

Without waiting for her response, the purple alicorn pushed open the door. Instead of an image appearing though, the entire world seemed to lurch slightly, the inky blackness around them fading into hues of red and brown, the colors slowly growing more vibrant as the images formed around them. The place was immediately recognizable to Twilight and it only took Luna a second longer.

“This is the barn of your friend Applejack, yes?”

Mutely, Twilight nodded, her face red.

“I believe I am starting to see the full picture now.”

As if in response to Luna's assertion, a sudden muffled yelp came from behind one of the stacks of hay. Almost unbidden, the obstacles seemed to slide out of the way, the young princess covering her eyes with a hoof as the fantasy revealed itself.

“Ah thought ah told you we don't use magic on mah farm, Twilight! You got something ta say for yourself?”

“I said I was sorry!” The reply was almost squeaked out as the bound princess squirmed against the heavy ropes binding her, each one anchored to a solid post and holding her legs spread.

The orange mare sighed and gently lifted Twilight's head, placing a gentle kiss on her muzzle. “Ah know ya mean well Twi, but I've given you all the chances ah can. Yer just not gonna learn anything without a hoof's on approach. You're supposed to be a third earth pony, ain't ya?”

Applejack's hoof struck out and smacked the princess on the flank, drawing out a yelp, the ropes pulling tight as Twilight squirmed against them. “P-Please teach me, Applejack.”

The farm pony smiled and gently slid her tongue along the place she struck. “Aw shucks, Twi, I ain't no teacher, but I can show you a few things...”

Luna spread her wings, her horn glowing as the scene faded from view, the slight sense of vertigo returning as the frame of the door passed over them and shut. Twilight finally pulled the hoof from her eyes as the hallway returned, her look daring Luna to make a comment.

The Lunar Princess simply ignored it. “Twilight, do you see yourself as a submissive?”

“What?”

“Do you prefer your partners to take the dominant role?”

The purple alicorn hesitated. “I...maybe?”

Luna nodded in understanding. “It is nothing to be ashamed of. You are generally inexperienced and the thought of another guiding and teaching you is appealing, is it not?”

Meekly, the smaller alicorn nodded, her cheeks red.

“And you've had these dreams of most your friends?” asked Luna, sweeping her wing towards the other doors. She was met with another nod. “Are any of them about stallions?”

Twilight stopped short. “What?”

“Have you ever dreamed of stallions?”

As if in response to her thoughts, the doors began to fade until they were left alone in the inky blackness.

“I see,” said Luna with a nod. “Though if your preferences lay in that direction, why welcome the Wonderbolt Soarin into your herd?”

“I don't know...” started Twilight, working up the nerve to speak her mind. “I don't know what my preference is!” she snapped, embarrassed. “I didn't even have friends until three years ago, do you think I had time for a special somepony?”

“Not even after you moved to Ponyville?”

Twilight let out a mirthless chuckle. “I think I've been busier in Ponyville than I ever was as Celestia's student. Then there was that whole promotion to princess thing.”

“So do you believe your attraction to your friends and your preference for gender is a product of your environment?”

“I...don't think I can answer that. My friends are amazing, and they have a lot of attractive qualities that really stand out.”

“Then here is my advice for you, Twilight. Let Soarin take you out on a date the next time he is with you. See for yourself if there is any connection with him. As a member of your herd, he is already committed to you.”

“What if it turns out I don't have any connection?”

“Then it will be on you to tell him so. The sooner you realize your feelings, the weaker the backlash will be.”

Twilight sighed and hung her head. “You know, you actually are kind of good at this.”

“Why, thank you, Twilight, I am most happy to assist you. But let us move on to a more fun subject.”

“Er...okay?”

Luna tapped her hoof on the ground and a new location faded into existence, the lightning turning from black to a dark red, walls draped with thick velvet curtains sliding down from the newly formed ceiling to frame bright red doors leading deeper into the dreamscape.

Twilight looked around, impressed. “Is this some sort of club?”

“Close. It is more akin to a brothel. Beyond those doors you'll be able to experience all manner of fetishes. From there, we can best determine what you enjoy and establish how the members of your herd can best cater to your needs.”

Twilight balked, instinctively backing a step away from the lunar mare. “Um...you know, maybe this isn't the best ti-ahh! Hey!” Twilight's hooves slid against the plush carpet on the ground as Luna's magic gently pulled her forward.

“Time is flexible here, Twilight. I dare say we'll have enough to get through at least half of these doors before the night is out, and you'll have two lovely mares to attend to your needs once you wake. Now then, let's start with some light bondage.”

Twilight awoke with a groan, feelings of arousal, embarrassment, and admiration all swirling inside of her. Luna was a different pony in the realm of dreams, her normal reservations gone and her more playful side on full display. She'd run her through the erotic gauntlet and once she was on the other side, even Twilight had been surprised at exactly what had turned her on.

“One more night like that and I'm actually gonna start wanting a herd,” mumbled Twilight, her cheeks slightly flushed. One thing was certain, though. Any more of Luna's 'help' was going to reveal her plan and send it crashing down in flames. Right now she needed some specific help, somepony disconnected from these events. She needed...

There was a soft moan on her right and suddenly Twilight remembered where she was, just in time to feel Fleetfoot shift and pull a hoof over her barrel, pulling her in closer against her chest, muzzle resting against her cheek. Not to be denied, Rainbow was quick to press against her back, rubbing gently against her flank while letting her warm breath pass over her ear. Worse yet, Luna's gauntlet had already gotten her rather hot and bothered, and if the two pegasi awoke to find her like this...

'Okay Twilight, think. You're stuck between two mares who react more lewdly every time you try to...nnhh...y-yeah, just like that...every time you try to free yourself. How do you escape?'

Twilight swore she could feel some of Luna's influence as the warm hugs and soft touches only seemed to get more persistent. Dash in particular was determined to slip a hind leg in between her own, rubbing insistently and pleasantly against her.

'This is bad, this is bad, this is...nnhh...okay that felt pretty good actually. No! Don't think that, Twilight. Think about how to escape! You just need...oh right, magic.'

Thankful that nopony could see her embarrassment, Twilight carefully built up her magic behind the seal before letting it release, disappearing from between the two pegasi with a soft pop, landing neatly on her hooves beside the bed.

'Okay...shower first, then Zecora. Make that a long shower.

“I need a weeks worth supply of dreamless sleep. The strongest you have.”

Zecora paused in the midst of her breakfast and gave Twilight a curious look. “I would be happy to grant such a boon, but tell me, are you plagued by Nightmare Moon?”

Twilight shook her head. “Worse. Luna.”

The zebra gave her another odd look. “Luna is hardly the type to cause harm, why are her dreams a cause for alarm?”

“It's...complicated,” said Twilight sheepishly. “She's trying to help but at the moment she's just exacerbating a delicate situation and I need some sleep to myself.”

Taking a sip of the foul smelling liquid that Zecora insisted was tea, the zebra reached out with her other hoof and snagged a loose piece of paper from her notes. “I do not mean to pry, but is this flier the reason why?”

Twilight looked at the paper and groaned. “Really? They delivered one to you too?”

“Your mail mares surprise me, I must confess. The one called Derpy found me, I was most impressed.”

“You know, I'm starting to find everypony a little too helpful these days. Just how far have these fliers gone?”

“Zebrica at the very least, I've already heard word from the high shaman priest.”

“How in the name of Celestia did that happen?”

“I confess it remains a mystery, much like your good pony friend Pinkie.”

That simple name explained both everything and nothing. Twilight decided not to question it. “Wait, why would they contact you about this?”

Zecora hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I have some connections as you can see, I brew a few potions for royalty. Your orientation they wished to assess; mare, colt, or herm, whoever you like best.”

Twilight barely resisted the urge to facehoof. “If I tell you, will you give me the potions?”

“Agreed, and I wish you the best of luck, now tell me, which do you like to f-”

“Oh, you were just waiting to use that rhyme, weren't you?”

Zecora smiled. “I confess nothing. Now less talk about this, and more about bucking.”

A half hour later, a bright flash of purple light heralded the princess' return, her bags heavy with a weeks supply of dreamless sleep. “Damn pervert zebra, why are there so many Equestrian words that rhyme with buck anyways?”

Three days. Three blasted days and already this was starting to look like the second coming of the want-it-need-it incident, and yet, despite all of her irritation, waking up in the warm embrace of Fleetfoot and Dash had definitely been a plus.

“There you are, egghead!”

The sudden shout brought Twilight out of her thoughts, her eyes widening as she saw the rainbow mare approaching at mach one. “Wait, I have glass!”

Unable to teleport in time, Twilight could only brace herself, but instead of a crash like she was expecting, Rainbow made a sharp turn and landed on her back instead, the force of her controlled landing only pushing her forward a couple steps.

“You didn't think you'd be getting out of a morning fly rooming with two Wonderbolts, did you?” asked Fleetfoot as she landed in front of her, matching Rainbow's grin.

“Well, no, I was just-eep!”

Rainbow giggled at her squeak and nibbled lightly on her ear again. “Good, 'cause we got a lot of sky to cover. I'll take your bags. Fleet, you get her in the sky.”

“Be careful with those!” cried Twilight as Rainbow left her back with her bags in tow, speeding off towards the library. Looking sheepishly towards Fleetfoot, Twilight hesitantly began to speak. “I don't suppose we could-”

“Nope. Even Celestia makes time for a morning flight and you will too. Now get those wings stretched out!”

Groaning a bit, Twilight did as she was told and joined the pegasus in her morning routine.

The best types of chaos did not happen spontaneously. This was something Discord had come to terms with a long time ago. Sure, a random gag here and there could get the ball rolling, but the absolute best results always came from careful preparation followed by simply letting the pieces fall where they may. Sure, somepony could argue that organization was the antithesis of chaos, but any true follower would be willing to use any tools, including order, to cause the best chaos possible.

And so, Discord was thinking and planning. “Hmm...what to do, what to do. Lilim? No, she's bound by that pesky contract. Bast? Probably can't pull herself away from the war. Slepnir? No, I'd rather not get caught in a time loop again.”

Forming a fist with his clawed hand, the draconequus hit the arm of his chair, a large brown box appearing in the center of the room. A snap of his claws and the entire room spun around, the box now on the ceiling and opening to let a pile of junk tumble out. “I know there's an address book in here somewhere...”

Conjuring a pair of goggles and a flotation ring, Discord dived into the pile and began to dig. Various items began to fly out; a staff with a blue gem, a jagged crown, a red and black uniform, several branches of mistletoe, until finally he emerged, spitting out a mouthful of water as he stared at the object in his hand. “Now why on Equestria did I keep this around? He muttered, looking at the object in his claw.

It was a rock. A very plain, average, and all around boring rock with the only defining feature being the smoothness of the pony-sized stone. Shrugging, Discord tossed it in the air before smacking it with his tail. The stone bounced off each wall, flew out his closed window, skipped several times across his lawn, and flew off the edge of the universe into a bottomless pit where it was promptly forgotten and dismissed from memory.

Once it reached the bottom of the pit, it fell into Equestria. Specifically, a nondescript spot in the Everfree Forest, and slowly, magic began to gather around it.

Sure, the best chaos might be planned, but there was something to be said for improvisation too.

“My wings...are trying...to die...” Twilight groaned as she flew unsteadily between the two Wonderbolts.

Playfully, Fleetfoot nudged her side, causing the alicorn to yelp and nearly tumble out of the air. “Mare up, princess. You've got another five hundred feet.”

“If you saved half of that snark for flying, you'd be home now,” added Rainbow. “Maybe we need to get Spitfire to chase you again.”

Growling slightly, Twilight shifted suddenly and bumped Rainbow with her flank. The mare simply laughed and quickly corrected her course, barely phased. Finally, the library was in sight. Her landing was shaky, but passable. The two Wonderbolts barely looked winded.

Folding her wings, Twilight slowly walked the last stretch to the library. For all her sarcasm, she knew Dash and Fleet were practically bending backwards to accommodate her less than stellar abilities, and she did appreciate them for it.

“So do you sill run the library as well as doing all the princess things?” asked Fleetfoot.

“Honestly? Spike takes care of most of that now. I even have him listed on the payroll as the head librarian, although-”

“Twilight Sparkle! The Great and Powerful Trixie demands your attention!”

“Oh, buck...”

In a flash of smoke accompanied by a pair of fireworks, the blue unicorn appeared, her cape billowing in the wind. One notable difference this time though, was the sudden appearance of Crimson and Stalwart. “Hey! I told you no fireworks were allowed within the city limits!”

“Hmph. Do you take me for some careless filly? Trixie is an expert pyrotechnic. My fireworks only go off when and where Trixie says!”

Twilight blinked. “We have a law about that?”

“Mayor Mare made one after the third time one of the Wonderbolts was shot down by friendly fireworks,” murmured Rainbow.

“And it was me all three times!” snapped Fleetfoot.

“Now, now, let's at at least figure out what she's doing here,” said Twilight, holding back the Wonderbolt with a cautionary wing. Stepping in between her and the arguing guards, Twilight confronted the unicorn. “Well, what are you doing here, Trixie?”

The sky blue mare gave her a small smirk. “Why, to generously help you in your time of need, naturally.”

“My...what?”

“Your title of princess is at stake! And although we've had our differences in the past, the Great and Powerful Trixie shall lend her helping hoof!”

Twilight's face fell. “You're not...”

“I, Trixie, shall become part of Princess Twilight's herd!”

“Yep...she is.”

Another fireworks display accompanied the announcement, one stray rocket streaking out of alignment and heading straight towards Fleetfoot. Fortunately, she was prepared, vacating the ground in a flash, leaving only a black spot behind.

“I knew it! They're like...magnetized towards me or something!” she accused.

“Trixie, what on Equestria is possessing you to do this?” asked Twilight. “You didn't pick up another amulet did you?”

“Ha! This inspiration comes from no mere trinket, but from the Great and Powerful Trixie's noble spirit! Allow me to recount the tale...”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Mmh...the Great and Sleepy Trixie must rest for another spell...”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Throwing off the blindfold she was wearing, Trixie stormed out of her bed. “What is that accursed noise?” she growled. “Some ponies are trying to sleep in here!” she snapped, throwing open her door.

“Sleeping? But it's noon!”

Trixie yelped as her vision was quite suddenly filled with pink. Recovering from her mini heart-attack, the unicorn put a name to the face in front of her. “For your information, Pinkie, Trixie is a night pony and entertainer. Fireworks look dreadful during the day. Now why are you tapping on Trixie's cart?”

“Hmm? Oh, I'm finished, you can go back to sleep.”

“Finished with what? What did you do to Trixie's brand new, almost paid...off...cart?” The unicorn's words trailed off as she saw the tacked on fliers that were now covering her home, each one of them bearing Twilight's image along with phrases such as 'Save Twilight!', 'Twilight for Princess', and 'Mare of Tomorrow'.

“What is the meaning of this?” she snapped, gesturing towards the poster covered cart.

“Oh, that? Well, that's a Supermare reference-”

“I meant generally!”

“Ohh! Well, it's advertising. Twilight needs to get hitched to a bunch of ponies so she can stay a princess!”

Trixie blinked, briefly caught off guard. “That sounds incredibly silly, but supposing I take you at your word, why would Trixie assist her greatest rival in such a fashion?”

“Because rivals are supposed to help each other,” said Pinkie, as though it were obvious.

“Perhaps the definition of 'rival' might have changed while Trixie wasn't looking, but Trixie remembers it as an adversarial relationship,” she said pointedly.

“Well yeah, but your rival is supposed to make you look good, right?”

“I...suppose?” said Trixie uncertainly.

“So who would you rather have as a rival, huh? Bookwork Librarian Twilight, or Super Alicorn Princess Twilight?”

Trixie opened her mouth and then paused. “Humph. The Great and Powerful Trixie will consider lending her support.”

“And you'll keep the posters up?”

“Absolutely not! Remove them at once!”

“Awww...”

Twilight twitched, unsure if she wanted to smack Trixie or Pinkie more at the moment. Fortunately, both ponies were now within reach.

“And that's how I convinced Trixie to come back to Ponyville,” concluded Pinkie.

Crimson yelped as he suddenly noticed the pink pony standing next to him. “When did you get here?”

Trixie blinked. “Did you just take over Trixie's flashback?”

“Necessity,” said Pinkie, unapologetic. “You're an unreliable narrator. Anyways, got a party to plan. Later everypony!”

“When don't you have a party to plan?” muttered Dash, the rest of the group silent as each pony internally resolved the logical conflict that Pinkie's mere presence called.

Trixie was the first to recover. “Anyways, that is why the Great and Powerful Trixie is here to assist you in your time of need.”

“How generous of you.” Twilight's voice was thick with sarcasm.

“Now hold it right there,” interrupted Stalwart. “That's twice now you've used fireworks within the town limits. I'm afraid we're going to have to do a thorough search of your belongings...with your permission of course, Princess.”

“She has more, I can sense them,” said Fleetfoot with a pointed glare.

“That won't be necessary,” interjected Twilight, putting a comforting hoof on Fleetfoot's back. “Just...put her under house arrest for a little while. I'll deal with it later.”

'And for the love of Celestia, please give me at least ten minutes away from this marem nonsense.'

“What? House arrest? You cannot contain the Great and Powerful Trixie! Unhoof me you brutes!”

Twilight sighed softly as she collapsed onto the floor of the library. In the end, it had taken the combined efforts of her guards and the Wonderbolts to drag Trixie off. She wasn't sure how they planned to keep her in her cart, but she was happy to leave that problem to them. “Peace and quiet, I know I scheduled some and by Luna I'm going to get it.”

And she had the perfect book as well. “Alright, Star Sailor, let's see what you know about space and time.” Opening up The Art of Folding Space, Twilight began to read, steadily relaxing as she lost herself in the book and the magic lessons contained therein.

“Twilight?”

“Gah! Oh...hey, Spike,” said Twilight, “When did you get back?”

“I've been back for two hours,” Spike deadpanned.

“Oh...wow. How long was I out of it this time?” she asked sheepishly.

“I figured after you didn't blink for the past half hour it was probably time to wake you up.”

Letting out a cute yawn, the princess set the half-completed book aside. “We're not behind schedule, are we?”

“Nah, I penciled in some 'trance time' for you already.”

Twilight giggled. “I did a good day's work when I hired you, Spike.”

“Good enough for a raise? I'm practically running this library now. Not to mention the place is just gonna get more messy with your new roommates.”

Twilight hesitated. It had been easy to put out of her mind since Spike had been absent the past couple days, but if Rainbow and Fleetfoot were going to make a habit of sleeping here...

“Maybe I can do you one better Spike. How would you like your own room?”

Spike's eyes widened. “You mean you're actually going to clean out the basement?”

Twilight grimaced. “Not if Celestia and Luna begged me. I've got something a little more magical in mind.”

Spike's curiosity was obvious. “Okay, show me.”

In the midst of the Everfree Forest, a casually discarded rock lay still. This in and of itself wasn't unusual. The unusual bit came from everything else that moved around it. Below the solid stone, the grass seemed to sway towards it while black thorny vines reached out and constricted it. Like a large spiral, the immediate surroundings were being pulled in, and if a unicorn were present, they would have sensed the very magic in the air getting pulled in as well.

And it was getting bigger.

From the edge of the trees, a low growl filled the air, a young timberwolf breaking through the foliage, its glowing eyes settling on the rock at the center of the clearing. Curiously, it approached the stone, its wooden muzzle nudging it, only to yip as an oppressive black aura sprang outwards, enveloping the creature's body, the cohesion of its wooden limbs shaking and slowly losing their form before collapsing into a pile of sticks.

Instead of reforming though, the pieces of its body were drawn towards the rock, the twisted magic of the Everfree Forest spiraling around it and forming a crude construct. Two legs gradually appeared, followed by a torso and two arms, bark from the surrounding trees starting to strip away as the spiral grew bigger, slowly forming a bipedal body around the stone at its center.

When the magic finally waned, a wooden construct stood in the place where the stone had once been, sharp wooden claws flexing and shifting as the crude mass of wood and sticks settled into a densely packed body with glowing red eyes, the figure turning its gaze towards the edge of the forest and the town that lay beyond.

Twilight panted as her horn glowed with a near blinding light, the laws of reality bending and twisting around her as she coerced and occasionally forced them into her desired shape. Thankfully, the binding ring wasn't affecting her magic beyond limiting how quickly she could draw upon it, and in this case it was actually helpful considering the delicacy of the task.

“And...done!” said Twilight with a gasp, falling back onto her flank. “Well, Spike, what do you think?”

The young dragon looked over the room with a critical eye. The dimensions were certainly more to his size and the bookshelf she'd grown out of the tree was perfect for storing his numerous comics. Room had even been made for his posters, and a large wooden chest was available for his collection of gems.

Still looking thoughtful, Spike turned back towards her. “Has it been soundproofed?”

Blushing slightly, Twilight nodded. “Then it's perfect. Thanks Twilight, this is awesome!”

The alicorn laughed with relief, wrapping a foreleg around the purple dragon as he gave her a tight hug.

“You're not about to start charging me rent for this, are you?” asked Spike suspiciously.

“Well, you did mention something about a raise...”

“Aww, c'mon!”

The playful argument was interrupted by a tapping on the library door. Curiously, Twilight looked out the window, smiling when she saw the gray mailmare just outside. “Afternoon, Derpy, isn't it a little early for our delivery?”

“Special expedited package!” responded the pegasus, clearly excited at being trusted with such an important task. “They told me to get it to you right away!”

Curiously, Twilight took the package being offered to her, no more than half a foot in length and two inches tall. “Who sent it?”

“Dunno. We already checked it over at the office, so we know it's safe. Oh, and Princess Cadance has offered to take care of all your marem related mail,” she added.

“Bury her in the stuff,” said Twilight almost immediately, signing for the package and giving Derpy a tip.

“You sure you wanna open that, Twi? Last time you got an anonymous package it turned out to be that snake monster from Discord.”

Twilight shivered at the memory but shook her head. “Discord wouldn't use the mail service..” Even so, the princess made sure to hold the package away from her as she opened it, just in case.

The reality, however, was a lot less chaotic than expected. “It's a quill,” said Spike finally, dissolving the tension away.

Peering into the package, Twilight saw it for herself. A bright red feathered quill with an almost needle fine point on the end of it. It took a few moments but eventually her memory handed her the card she needed, eliciting a surprised gasp. “Spike! Do you recognize this type of feather?”

“Er...a red one?”

“Besides that! This is a phoenix feather quill!”

Spike blinked and looked again. “So what's so special about those?”

“They're almost impossible to separate from a phoenix, for one thing. Any part of a phoenix burns up a few minutes after it leaves the body. You'd need some seriously powerful magic to actually keep one intact.”

“So does it do anything besides look cool?” asked Spike skeptically, gingerly taking the quill from its resting place inside the box.

Twilight grinned. “Well if what I've read is correct...grab some paper and try writing on it.”

Spike shrugged and drew some paper from the many emergency stashes Twilight kept around the library. “Ink?”

Twilight smiled and shook her head. “No need.”

Spike stared. “No way.” In disbelief, he drew the tip of the quill across the paper and gasped when a thin black line followed it. “Does...does this mean that I'll never have to buy ink during our shopping trips again?”

“Well, I wouldn't say never again, but maybe not for the next fifty years or so. Maybe longer depending on the phoenix this is from.”

“Oh dear Celestia, thank you!” cried Spike towards the ceiling. “Why didn't you get one of these sooner?”

“That's a good question. My ink budget alone probably would have covered the cost over the past three years.”

“And then some,” agreed Spike.

Ignoring his jibe, Twilight continued. “The obvious answer would be Celestia, but why wouldn't she put her name on it?”

“Maybe it's one of your possible marem hopefuls.”

Twilight hesitated. That did seem rather likely, but she couldn't even begin to think of anypony who could potentially fit that bill. “Unless Celestia is one of my secret admirers, this is way out of anypony's bit budget. Well, except Rarity maybe, but she puts most of her bits back into her business.”

Spike shrugged. “Who cares? It's an awesome quill and for once I'm not dreading your one-hundred and thirty-four point checklist.”

Twilight blinked. “Only one thirty-four? I could have sworn I had at least one seventy-”

“I was kidding!” groaned Spike as he unrolled the titanic list. “Geez, this thing has only gotten heavier since you got wings.”

The alicorn sighed and nodded. “You made sure to put in a box for us to spend some time together, right?”

Spike nodded. “Well yeah, but with this whole marem thing...”

“I'll make time, promise,” assured Twilight. “Now what's on today's agenda?”

Clearing his throat, Spike began to read. “Item one. Meeting with Mayor Mare on the subject of a princess staying in a low class library.”

Twilight groaned. “We are not putting a castle in the middle of Ponyville. Check that one off.”

Spike nodded and slid the quill over the item, leaving a bright red mark. “Item two. Pinkie's 'return of the line' party. Longer, Harder, and Bigger.”

“Oh for the love of...please tell me she's not actually calling it that...”

Grinning wide, Spike nodded.

“Immediate message. Change it. I don't care what,” said Twilight, rubbing a hoof across her forehead. She didn't even bother suggesting trying to stop it. Trying to stop one of Pinkie's parties was like trying to stop Rainbow Dash from flying.

Spike made a note and squinted at the next item on the list. “We have our monthly dinner at Applejack's place this evening.”

Twilight nodded. “Shouldn't be any issue there. Let her know we're both coming.”

“And lastly you have a...random calamity of the week? What's that?”

“Just my attempt to try and find a pattern for all of the crazy events that come to Ponyville,” she explained, waving him off with a wing. “Just so long as they Rose sisters don't-”

“Eeek!”

“Nooo!”

“Oh, the horror!”

The cries of Ponyville's expert over-reactors floated in through the open window. “Well that could just be another stampede of bunnies for all we know,” said Twilight hopefully.

“It just destroyed a house!”

“It's eating everything!”

“Oh, the equinity!”

Twilight groaned. “Alright, that actually sounds like something I need to look at. Do you wanna tag along?”

Spike waved her off, rolling up the list and placing the phoenix quill back in its box. “Just give me a call if you need some dragon fire.”

Giving her assistant a warm smile, Twilight concentrated and vanished in a flash of light. Several moments later, Spike's smile vanished with it.

Letting out a sigh, the young dragon returned to his new room, giving it another look over. It really was the perfect design he'd imagined and yet...

Heading to the door of the library, Spike turned the sign to closed and set out across Ponyville, seeking a particular alicorn.

With a pop, Twilight materialized on top of the town hall at the center of Ponyville, quickly turning in a circle to try and orient herself to the danger. It didn't take long to see it, nor was she surprised to spot Rainbow Dash's trail, with Fleetfoot close behind. Wincing slightly at the sore feeling in her wings, Twilight took off after them.

Fifty meters away, Rainbow finally noticed her. “Twilight! Don't go near it!”

“Don't go near wha-oh sweet Celestia, what the flying buck is that?”

The creature, or rather construct, was massive. Easily twice the size of a minotaur and vaguely resembling the shape of one with long arms that dragged near the ground, tipped with sharp, lethal looking claws.

By far the most bizarre part of it though was the material it was made from. What appeared to be tree bark made up a decent majority, but along the chest and back were pieces of thatched roof and a broken door or two.

“Is that thing wearing a house?” asked Twilight, briefly dumbfounded, watching as it swayed and shambled along, each step it took making the ground tremble.

“Yeah! Crashed right through Berry's place and all the pieces just stuck to it, and each time I approached, I felt my wings getting heavier!”

Twilight's eyes narrowed and her horn glowed, a thin trail of magic reaching out towards the golem. Suddenly, the alicorn felt a sharp tug, as if something had grabbed onto the thread and yanked.

Grunting, Twilight cut the magic off at the source, staggering back slightly. “That thing has some sort of absorption aura,” she gasped out, noticing the golem briefly shimmer with a violet color. “Rainbow! We're in code red! Grab the weather team and start evacuations! Get Crimson and Stalwart to help! If you see Applejack, tell her to set aside a part of her orchard she won't mind losing!”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I need more information so I can work out a plan, now move!”

The two pegasi saluted and vanished in a flash of colors, quickly rallying the pegasi and ponies that had come to see what was going on.

Trusting the Wonderbolts to take care of business, Twilight turned back towards the construct, watching as it approached another house, reaching a fist back before smashing through the roof, bits of plaster and wood sticking to the fist as it retreated. “So it needs to touch to absorb, but the ambient drain seems to extend for about thirty feet,” she mused.

Then she realized which house was being destroyed. “Oh buck. Vinyl!” Her wings were spread and her body was in flight before the words had even left her mouth. Fifty...forty-three...thirty...and suddenly Twilight's wings seemed to lock up, her flight path staggering and sending her to the ground as she entered the aura.

“Okay...maybe not a great idea,” she gasped, folding her wings and charging towards the door of the house. Thankfully, the drain seemed to be quite a bit less when it came to her earth pony magic and it didn't take much to break inside.

A loud crash to her left made her wince, the huge claws of the golem smashing through the wall of the house, it's claws entangling themselves in the highly magical and fragile speakers and turntables that took up most of the room on Vinyl's ground floor. “Stupid nocturnal ponies!” cursed Twilight as she ran up the stairs, sweating as she felt the drain intensify.

Another crash and the stairs began to crack and fracture beneath her hooves as the construct grabbed at the equipment that had been stored beneath. Vaulting from the collapsing stairs to the landing, Twilight dashed to the room at the end of the hall and broke through another door.

As expected, Vinyl was there resting, glasses over her eyes and headphones around her ears, drowning out all the sound around her as she slept, oblivious to the golem who had torn half the house away.

“Hope this part of your home is as shoddy as the rest,” growled Twilight as she dashed to the opposite wall and turned on her forehoof, launching a powerful kick. The wood splintered, and for a brief moment it felt like the bones in her legs did as well. “Ow...ow...how does Applejack make that look easy?”

Concentrating hard, Twilight managed to get just enough magic summoned to move Vinyl's headphones and glasses a few inches, making the white unicorn groan and shift. “Ughh...never drinking Luneshine again,” she groaned.

“Vinyl! Out of bed! Now!”

The unicorn shot awake at the command, red eyes blinking rapidly.

CRASH!

With a yelp, the DJ fell from the bed to the floor as her bedroom suddenly obtained a new door, light streaming in from around the golem. Twilight had a moment to see Vinyl's mouth open in shock before she grabbed her around the neck, pulling her out of the way before the construct's next strike destroyed her bed and the floor beneath it.

Finally, the unicorn's limbs seemed to kick into gear, and the two half-ran, half-stumbled to the opposite hole and tumbled out, the two hitting the ground hard with Twilight on the bottom. Groaning from the impact, Twilight picked herself up and pushed the white unicorn off.

“Woah...hey, Twi, is that thing wearing my base?”

“Move now, talk later!”

Even as she pulled Vinyl along though, she couldn't help but look back and watch as the golem began to shift, electricity arcing along its form as the systems and turntables stuck to its body, the largest of which stuck right out of its chest.

Twilight could feel the magic building up along with seeing the construct's size increase. The general area of its head seemed to become more defined and a pair of strobes now sat in place of its eyes. Standing in the wreckage, the golem's head leaned back and the speakers crackled to life.

“TOOOM!”

The shockwave of sound nearly blew both of them off their hooves again. Twilight groaned but could feel her magic rushing back as she escaped the golem's aura. “Wait...where have I heard that name before?”

Rarity's needle stopped abruptly as the wave of sound passed over her shop, several of the windows developing hairline cracks. Slowly, she removed her glasses and looked outside. “My word, what was that?”

“TOOOM!”

The needle Rarity had carefully been holding with her magic snapped. “Who dares speak that name aloud?” she growled, tossing aside her glasses and rushing outdoors.

“Hey uh, Twi, did that thing just eat my base or did I get waaay more drunk than I thought last night?”

Grumbling under her breath, Twilight concentrated for several seconds in silence, working her way around the limiter before hitting Vinyl with her most powerful sobering spell.

“Gaah! Oh, Luna dammit, the light! Why? Where are my glasses? It burns!”

“Vinyl...”

“Ponies are not meant to sober up this fast...ughh...”

“Vinyl!”

“Right...right...moving now. Thanks for the save and all...ow.”

Letting out a sigh as Vinyl staggered off, Twilight turned her attention back to the golem, breathing heavily as her strength slowly came back. “Okay, so I'm dealing with a magic sponge in a town seeped in magic. Wonderful.”

“Twilight! Are you okay?” Beside her, Rainbow Dash landed, a worried look on her face.

“Yeah, just dizzy. How's Ponyville?”

“Working like a well oiled machine,” said Fleetfoot, landing on her other side. “How many times have you ponies done this?”

“Far more than any town reasonably should,” grumbled Twilight.

“Price you pay for cheap property taxes near the Everfree Forest,” said Rainbow with a shrug. “So, got a plan to deal with it yet?”

“Yeah, I need to find a way to drain the magic from this thing or reverse its aura. Find Applejack yet?”

“Second orchard, but she's not happy.”

“It survived Flutterbat and Discord, it can survive this. Now get that things attention and get it away from Ponyville!” With magical formulas and rituals running through her mind, Twilight vanished in a flash of light.

Rainbow and Fleetfoot shared a look. “How are we supposed to get its attention if we can't even get near it?”

Fleetfoot looked skyward and grinned. “I've got an idea...”

Applejack closed her eyes in time to avoid the bright flash that signaled the arrival of Twilight. “Please tell me yer gonna leave at least half mah orchard standing this time,” she pleaded.

“It's a single section at most,” said Twilight irritably. “I need to create a zone where I can sap and redistribute some chaos magic. Once the monster isn't a problem anymore, I can set things straight. There shouldn't be any permanent damage.”

“Yeah, just tell that to the blue apple orchards...”

“Come on, Applejack, that was one time!”

“Think it's big enough to get his attention?” asked Rainbow with a wide grin, looking proudly at the cart sized thundercloud the weather team had put together.

“Only one way to find out. Cover your ears!”

The surrounding pegasi scattered as Rainbow and Fleetfoot took opposite sides, gaining some distance before shooting towards it. As one, their legs struck the cloud, a shattering boom sounding out as the lightning sprang free, arcing through the sky towards the golem below. The energy hit with the sound of an explosion as the sap within the trees ignited and caught fire, scattering flaming wood over a large distance.

“TOOOM!”

The construct teetered and swayed, falling to its knees as the fire around it grew.

“Ha! Didn't need any magic after all!”

And then the fires began to dim, the charred burnt body crackling with electricity as its voice came distorted through the speakers, the creature rising again as it turned towards the pegasi that had struck it, body arcing with lightning.

“TOOOM!” CRASH! KA-BOOM!

“Look out!”

Twisting through the sky, blue streaks of lightning suddenly shot back at them, slicing through the cloud and detonating the remaining charge within, the two mares just barely managing to get clear of the maelstrom of escaping lightning.

Panting and slightly singed, but otherwise unharmed thanks to Twilight's outfits, Fleetfoot darted over to Rainbow who had fallen on a cloud. “You know, Rainbow, I think I might have miscalled this one...”

“Ya think?” groaned the pegasus as she recovered as well, the tip of her tail slightly blackened.

“TOOOM!”

“Flying time!” Two streaks left the cloud just as another bolt cut through the sky, the newly formed electric golem shambling after them while bright blue bolts danced over its body and across the sky.

“If Twilight asks, it was a fluke tornado from the Everfree!”

“Agreed! At least we got its attention!”

“Shut up and fly, Fleet!”

Thankfully, the construct did not have very good aim. Unfortunately, he made up for it in sheer volume. Lightning danced through the sky as the pegasi weaved and dodged, the two careful not to outpace it lest its attention should get diverted. With all the other ponies evacuated though, Twilight's Wonderbolt outfits were the most potent magical sources around, and it continued to give chase.

“Where the heck are we leading this thing anyways? Applejack's orchard ain't exactly small ya know!”

“Don't worry, if I know Twilight she'll give us a sign...like that!”

Shining brightly even against the rays of the sun, an amethyst star rose into the sky. “Right! Almost there! Just don't fly too close to the trees or the lightning will- hey, what's it doing?”

Just on the edge of town, the golem hesitated and slowly turned away, its eyes moving elsewhere. “Did it pick something up?” asked Fleet. For a moment it seemed to teeter unsteadily before suddenly taking a sharp turn and moving back into town.

“No! Damn it, you stupid rock, get back here!”

“Where's it going?”

Rainbow Dash looked into the distance, her eyes squinting slightly. “Oh crap, Trixie!”

Near the end of the road and covered in chains was a small looking wagon. The key word was 'look' though, as the wagon itself was a product of folded space and hundreds of magical trinkets Trixie used to make her tricks work.

“I don't suppose you've got the key.”

“Nope.”

“...do you think she could get out by herself?”

“Rainbow...”

“Fine!” With a rainbow burst, the pegasus shot forward, forming a wide arc around the golem's path, bracing herself as she headed straight for the reinforced wood. “Don't let me down now, Twilight!”

CRASH!

“Hmph. House arrest. Trixie hasn't suffered such an indignity in all of her career!” Tossing her hat and cape aside, the mare settled on her couch, mentally counting down the minutes until the guards chains would be released. “Well, there was that one time with the diamond dogs...and the other time with Rough Diamond...and it is rather amazing Trixie didn't suffer any punishment for that alicorn amulet incident...perhaps Trixie needs to reevaluate some of her decisions.”

CRASH!

Trixie's eyes widened as the wall in front of her couch shattered, wood splinters flying everywhere as a rainbow maned pegasus suddenly burst through the hole, a brilliantly colored trail behind her.

The unicorn's eyes could barely follow her movement as she swerved in the small space, forehooves outstretched as she headed straight towards her. There wasn't even time to blink before Rainbow closed the distance, slamming into her, twisting her body just enough to crash into the opposite wall with her back. The magically reinforced wood was strong, but Rainbow's and Twilight's magic were stronger.

CRASH!!

“What the buck-”

BOOM!

Trixie watched open mouthed as her cart rapidly shrank, Rainbow taking to the skies as the space folding magic started to disrupt, the contents of her cart spilling from the holes in the sides. And then, it was buried beneath the golem.

“No! Trixie only had two payments left on that cart!”

The magician's stomach lurched as Rainbow turned sharply and set the two of them down on a roof. “Trixie! Real fast! What's the most dangerous thing you have in that cart?”

Trixie hesitated. “Just...several magical items and props I use to put on the show!”

“TOOOM!”

Their attention was drawn back to the construct that was growing and shifting once again, the burnt wood cracking as several pointed red cones burst from beneath.

“Oh, and...several hundred fireworks.”

“What?!”

“Trixie needs them for her show!”

“TOOOM!” F-woosh! F-woosh! F-woosh!

Bright red rockets with red and gold trails streaked through the sky, all of them uncannily aimed towards the house they were on. Ignoring Trixie's cry of protest, Rainbow grabbed her once again and darted away, wincing as she heard the explosions detonate against the house behind her.

This time their landing was on solid ground a fair distance away. “Trixie misses the Ursa Minor...” groaned the unicorn as she wobbled unsteadily on her hooves.

“Quick version. Dangerous thing, absorbs magic. Don't get close. Go to evacuation zone.”

“Wait, where is the-”

But Rainbow was already speeding towards Fleetfoot. Sighing, the magician looked around for some indication before spotting the bright violet star in the sky. “Hmm...Trixie believes that looks promising.”

“Please tell me that thing didn't just shoot fireworks,” groaned Fleet as the construct turned towards them again.

“Plan hasn't changed, it's just gotten harder. Don't tell me you're getting cold hooves!”

“Hey, once you've taken a ball of fireworks to the head, then you can give me crap about it!”

Rainbow grinned. “Alright, fine. I can take him myself, just hang back and try not to go blind from awesome.”

“Oh, you cheeky little-”

“Can't hear ya, Fleet, too busy being awesome!” Rainbow shot off with a grumbling Fleetfoot following a few lengths behind.

“Don't let me down now, Twilight,” she said, patting the shoulder of her outfit. “Heck of a way to field test this thing...”

Lightning sparked across the construct's form and sparks from lit firework fuses began to fly. The screeching of rockets filled the air and suddenly the two pegasi were dodging and weaving for their lives as lightning and fire filled the sky, loud detonations ringing in their ears.

Rainbow could feel the pull of its aura. It had grown bigger. Fighting through it and banking hard to avoid another arc of lightning, Rainbow pumped her wings and finished her arc.

“We've got its attention!” shouted Fleet as they met on the other side.

“I know, keep flying!”

“TOOOOOM!

The houses around Ponyville seemed to shudder as the newly grown Tom began to pick up speed, a torrent of lightning and fireworks shooting at the nimble ponies as they flew towards the shining star in the distance. Thankfully, they were quickly outside of Ponyville. Unfortunately, the intense aura around the golem seemed to wither the trees as it passed, the magic getting torn away from the plants and soil.

“Keep away from the trees!” shouted Rainbow, but her cry went unheard over the noise. Fleetfoot cursed as a lightning bolt streaked overhead, connecting with a rocket, detonating it with an explosion of green sparks. Rolling out of the dive, Fleet flew low to the ground, swerving between the trees.

CRACK! BOOM!

Fleetfoot yelped as one of the lightning bolts struck a nearby tree, detonating it right beside her. Bark and fire burst outwards, the Wonderbolt spinning and crashing across the ground, rolling to a stop several meters away, the golem descending on her fallen form like an avalanche.

Rainbow didn't even notice the explosion behind her as she shot to her aid, scooping her up off the ground, barely registered the feeling of the lightning splashing off her suit, and didn't stop until she was far, far away. “Dammit, Trixie, how many fireworks did you have in that cart?”

The star was in view now, and Rainbow's wings practically blurred as she rode the rainboom to the finish line, the figure of Twilight and two other unicorns rapidly coming into view. Putting the brakes on a rainboom wasn't really an option, but with a sharp bank and a wide loop, a painting Rainbow Dash soon landed next to the concentrating alicorn. “Twi! Fleet's hit!”

“Give her to me dear, Twilight's concentrating,” cut in Rarity, pushing between them, her horn glowing gently.

“What? You know medical magic?” asked Rainbow, bewildered.

“I very quickly learned when Sweetie Bell became a crusader.”

“Ahh...”

“Trixie would like to know how close Twilight is to being finished. That monster is getting closer!”

Twilight didn't respond, but her horn seemed to glow a bit brighter.

“What the hay you even here for, Trixie? Why ain't you evacuated with everypony else?”

“Trixie has been to this town twice before in her life, how should she know where everypony is running to? Why are you here? Were you planning on running up and kicking the thing?”

“Ah'm here because Twilight said she needed me here. What are you still doing here?”

“Ya know, I don't know a whole lot about magic, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work very well with ponies shouting around you!” snapped Rainbow. Her sharp tone finally seemed to do the trick as Applejack and Trixie settled on glaring at each other instead.

“You should be fine, Fleetfoot,” said Rarity finally. “No concussion, thank Celestia, but it did knock you silly.”

Fleetfoot groaned and slowly got to her hooves, wincing as they heavy footfalls of the golem got closer. “No worries, I've had worse crashes, and damn did this outfit come through. Not a burn mark on me!”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Twilight let the glow from her horn fade. “Circle complete. As soon as it steps inside, the magic vacuum will pull away it's energy. Rarity, you and I are going to pull magic from the circle and feed it into the orchard.”

“Isn't he just gonna pull it back?” asked Fleetfoot, rubbing her head.

“He'll try, but it's gonna be...well, think of it like trying to hold air inside a balloon with a hole in it. This circle is our needle.”

“Trixie believes you are grossly oversimplifying-”

“It's a convenient lie! If you know the spell, step up, otherwise back off!”

Trixie blinked, momentarily stunned. Twilight's eyes widened slightly before she took a breath and rephrased herself. “I'm sorry, Trixie. If you can help, we'd appreciate your assistance.”

“Hmm. Trixie would be delighted to aid her rival in her time of-”

“TOOOOOM!”

“Drain it, now!” Three different horns glowed as the construct barreled into the clearing and right into the center of the blackened circle Twilight had drawn. As if it had taken a hammer to the back of the head, the golem dropped onto all fours, bits of wood and housing falling away as it lost cohesion. The materials around it shuddered as it tried to reabsorb them, but the circle was stronger, ripping away at its magic bit by bit.

“Soon as you see the core, buck it as hard as you can, Applejack! You'll only get one shot!” The farm pony gave a nod and pulled her stetson down just a bit, her legs tensing in preparation to spring.

“TOO...oo...OOO-!” The speakers shorted out and cracked as they began to fall away, the construct shuddering and shaking violently, a few fireworks and bolts of lightning shooting away from its fallen form.

“That's right, you stupid rock! Crumble before me!” shouted Rarity, putting everything she had into the spell.

Suddenly, a large crack sounded throughout the orchard, the back of the wood and rock golem splitting open down the middle, a giant red rocket emerging as more of its body fell away. It was at least the size of a pony.

“Uh...Trixie?”

“Be careful! That is Trixie's Grand Finale!”

“Your what?”

A sizzling sound reached their ears. The rocket had been ignited and was pointing straight at their group. “Twilight?” asked Rarity, a note of panic in her voice.

“Shield spell, now!”

The drain stopped and the defenses went up not a moment too soon. The flash was blinding, the noise deafening, and the explosion of colors made every bone in Twilight's body feel like it was shaking as the shield strained and flared brightly against the blast.

Panicked, Twilight looked around, blinking spots from her eyes, desperate to see if everypony was alright. Thankfully, once her vision cleared, five other ponies were still standing. Rainbow was the first she managed to pick up above the ringing in her ears.

“What bucking trick were you saving that one for?”

“Trixie was experimenting! How could she have possibly known this would happen?”

“Oh yeah, that's a great excuse to be hauling around something like that!”

“Girls? It's getting back up!”

Rarity's shout drew their attention back to the golem. It looked in near shambles, and yet the materials were slowly starting to reform and come together once again. Twilight's eyes went wide. “Everypony get back!”

Her shout came a second too late. With a distorted roar, the aura came back, bigger and stronger than before, almost as though it were compensating for the intense loss it had just suffered. The two Wonderbolts and the three magic users almost immediately fell to the ground, the pegasi barely able to lift their wings. Only Applejack remained standing.

“Twi! Ah can see the core!”

“No! You get close now and you'll be sucked dry!”

“Y'all got a better plan ah'm all ears!”

Twilight forced her mind to work even as the pressure of the golem's drain pulled at her magic. It had grown stronger to compensate for loss, so maybe...

“Reverse it!”

“What?”

“Feed this thing everything you've got!” Her horn glowed and the circle broke. All the magic that had been pulled free suddenly came rushing back, and the aura began to relax.

Forcing herself to her hooves, Twilight's horn glowed intensely. Beside her, Trixie and Rarity got up as well, panting hard but looking just as determined. “Now!”

Three solid beams of magic struck the golem at once, the construct staggering as he was forced to take in the new sources of energy. The aura shrunk further, compensating for the magic, the pegasi taking to the air once more as the drain faded. Rarity was the first to weaken, her stream fading and her legs collapsing.

“Fleet! Pull her back!”

The Wonderbolt didn't even hesitate before doing so, and seconds later Rainbow was doing the same with Trixie, leaving Twilight and Applejack standing alone against the bloated and unsteady golem, the massive gray rock that made up the core glowing brightly with a myriad of colors.

“Ah'm going for it!” Like an arrow loosed from a bow, the farm pony ran straight for the goelm, powerful hooves kicking up patches of ground as she poured on the speed and strength.

Desperately, Twilight tried to switch gears, cutting off the stream of magic and forcing it into the shape of a shield, an intense lightheaded feeling hitting her as she tried to make the switch with the drain still affecting her. “Applejack, wait!”

In slow motion, Twilight watched as Applejack turned perfectly on her forehooves, drawing a massive amount of strength from the earth as her innate magic anchored her to the ground. The sound of the kick was deafening, white hot cracks appearing along the solid gray rock, the sea of magic it had absorbed ready to burst out, with Applejack standing at ground zero.

And then, a blinding blue flash of light appeared in front of her. A blink latter and Twilight was suddenly staring at Cadance, horn lit and wings outstretched as though she'd teleported mid-flight.

BOOM!

The golem burst with an earth-shaking explosion of magic, but Cadance's shield was already up, glowing powerfully while rocks, speakers, lightning, and wood impacted it. On one side, the ground was blackened and the trees were reduced to ash. On the other, Cadance stood strong, and her friends were untouched.

The construct itself was reduced to rubble and ash, with no chunk bigger than a hoofball. The ringing subsided and the spots in Twilight's eyes faded, the alicorn doing a quick headcount to make sure everypony was there. Only when she got to six did she allow herself to collapse, letting out a relieved sigh. “Oh thank Celestia...and thank you too, Cadance,” she murmured. “How did you even know we were here?”

Cadance smiled. “Oh, I learned to detect your magic a long time ago. And there was that giant purple star in the sky.”

“Oh yeah, that thing.” Groaning, the alicorn tried and failed to get up again, glaring at Applejack as she approached. “That was really, really stupid, Applejack. If I wasn't so relieved right now, I'd smack you. All three of you.”

“Sorry, sugarcube, ah was sure you had something to pull my flank outta the fire.”

Twilight looked slightly embarrassed. “I thought I did too, but that was still a...oh wow, I feel really dizzy. Any of the orchard survive?”

Concerned, Cadance approached and began a slow, steady examination of Twilight with her magic. Applejack shook her head. “Not a damn tree for half an acre.”

“Ugh...the Great and Powerful Trixie would very much like to spend a single day in Ponyville without something crazy happening.” Partially supported by an annoyed Rainbow Dash, Trixie staggered back into the clearing.

“I seem to remember somepony mentioning that this was a quiet town some years ago,” added Rarity, one of her hooves wrapped around Fleet's neck.

“I regret nothing,” said Twilight with a light giggle.

“How are you, Twilight?” asked Rarity.

“I feel like I should be collapsing. Just waiting for my magic high to wear off. Ah...there it goes.” Cadance caught her before she hit the ground, her magic gently picking her up and placing her on Applejack's back.

“Food and rest. Nothing serious, but tell Spike not to let her use any magic until she's recovered.”

“I'm not a foal,” grumbled Twilight with a yawn. “I know how to deal with magic fatigue. Just lemme get one last look at that pile of rubble. Make sure the thing's down for good.”

Cadance gave her a look. “You know, that sounds like the opposite of going home and resting...”

“Last thing, I promise!” pleaded Twilight.

“Fine, very well. But no more excuses once you're done.”

“Don't you worry, princess, I'll put her to bed good and proper,” cut in Applejack.

Slowly, the farm pony began to push her way through the rubble, kicking aside various bits of stone and wood while Twilight looked around. Rarity soon joined them, a distasteful look on her face. “I swear on Celestia's rainbow mane I'm going to crush what's left of that rock into dust. I thought I buried that blasted thing.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, you mean the thing we were fighting was that Tom?”

“Trixie is a bit lost. You say you knew this...thing?”

Rarity grumbled something crass under her breath. “Tis a lengthy story I vowed never to speak of aga-eek!”

“TOOOM!”

“It's still alive! Kill it! Kill it with fire!”

Much to the disappointment of Rarity, the other unicorn and alicorn were slow to react, both of them too busy staring in surprise at the six inch humanoid rock figure shaking a fist in the designer's direction.

“Well, at least we know who's responsible now,” grumbled Twilight. “Rarity, let it be.”

The charge on Rarity's horn faded. “But...but-”

“The core is shattered, it can't absorb much of anything anymore. Cadance, could you hold on to Tom until I get a chance to rub Discord's nose in this?”

Placing a calming hoof on Rarity's back, Cadance trapped the miniature golem in a ball of magic. “It almost looks cute like this,” she giggled, watching as it beat against the side of its prison.

“Hmph. It'd be better as a meal for Spike,” grumbled Rarity.

With the last bit of drama and danger dying away, Twilight let out another yawn. “Fleet, do me a favor and get the royal guard up here to do magical containment and cleanup. Gonna need a while before I can do any restoration magic.” The Wonderbolt nodded, taking to the skies to seek out those who had moved to the evacuation area.

“Rainbow? Could you find Fluttershy and see if she can get in touch with Discord and kindly ask him 'what the buck'?” With a salute, Rainbow sped away as well.

“Rarity, are you gonna be okay getting home?”

“I'm quite fine darling, but thank you for your concern. Thankfully my home doesn't need repairs this time.”

Fighting back another yawn, Twilight turned her attention to the final two ponies. “Cadance-”

“Oh, is little Twily giving me orders too?” said the pink alicorn with a grin.

Fighting back a blush, Twilight composed herself. “Could you help Trixie find someplace to stay?”

“Hmph. Trixie does not need cha-mmph!”

“I'd be happy to,” said the Princess of Love sweetly, holding her hoof against Trixie's muzzle. “I need to interview your potential marem member anyways.”

Twilight opened her mouth but decided against saying anything. “Fine, interview away,” she grumbled. “Alright, AJ, I'm ready to collapse now.”

“Rest all ya want Twilight, you ain't exactly a heavyweight,” she teased, setting an easy pace back to the library, making sure not to jostle the alicorn too much. “So why are you so tuckered out when Trix and Rares are walking just fine, anywho?”

Twilight gave an embarrassed chuckle. “I might have used a bit more magic than was strictly safe. I didn't realize how much I'd put into the spell until I couldn't throw up the shield in time.”

It was Applejack's turn to look slightly bashful. “Real sorry for jumping the creek there.”

“I'm just glad you're okay,” murmured Twilight against the earth pony's neck.

Twilight was sure she'd dozed off during the trip, as it seemed like only a matter of seconds before they were at the door to golden oaks.

“Spike, you here?” called out Applejack. There was no response. “Must of evacuated with everypony else.”

“Mmm...might have found something else to do. Library closes in event of monster attacks. Just drop me off at my bed, I'll be fine,” murmured Twilight sleepily.

“Ah think I'll stick around until Spike shows up just to be sure,” countered Applejack as she made her way up the stairs, gently rolling the alicorn from her back to the bed.

“Applejack...”

“Unless you got the magic to throw me outta yer house, this ain't up for debate.”

Twilight let out a resigned sigh. “Fine, but I swear if this has anything to do with the marem...”

“Now Twi, y'all know darn well I'm your friend first.”

“Right, sorry, just been kinda hectic the last couple days...” Twilight's voice faded as Applejack suddenly moved into view, her face just above her own.

“This jus' happens to be one of those times where ah can do both.”

The princess barely had time to let out a 'meep' of surprise before Applejack's muzzle gently pressed against her own, giving her a light kiss and a small caress with her tongue, taking advantage of Twilight's open mouth.

'Apples...she tastes like really...really sweet apples.'

Seconds later the farm pony pulled away from the blushing princess, a warm smile on her face. “Y'all get some rest sugarcube, and gimme a call if you need anything.”

The flustered princess watched until Applejack was out of sight before groaning and falling back onto the bed. “I swear it feels like somepony is planning all this.”

“Our apologies, Master Spike, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza does not appear to be available at the moment.”

“You know, you don't have to keep calling me master. That just sounds weird.”

“But you are the vassal of Princess Twilight Sparkle, yes? It is only befitting to address you as your position demands.”

“I'm not a vassal, I'm an employee. Do you refer to all the royal guards as 'master'?” grumbled the young dragon.

“Nevertheless.”

Spike sighed and let himself drop from the counter and onto the floor. “Ugh, why do we even have a fancy hotel in Ponyville? I thought this place was too far out in the countryside for this kinda stuff.”

“'Tis only natural that a princess would attract such industry. Anypony important seeking Twilight's attention would naturally need a place to stay.”

“Princess Luna!” The young dragon quickly gave her a bow along with the hotel staff.

“I could not help but overhear, nor could I help but notice that you seem distraught. Perhaps I might be of some assistance?”

“Er...” Spike hesitated. Luna was a far cry from Cadance when it came to his particular problem. “Thanks, but I don't think-”

“I am not unskilled in providing counsel of the heart, young one.”

“What? How did you-”

“Why else would you be seeking out Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” asked Luna flatly. “Do you think I am incapable of giving you assistance?”

“I dunno, when was the last time you went on a date or had a special somepony?” asked Spike flatly.

Luna's eyes narrowed. “'Tis been many years and language has changed quite a bit since my imprisonment, but sarcasm and incredulity have changed little. Do you doubt my abilities?”

“Well, considering how the last Nightmare Night went...”

“That one night is hardly representative of us!”

“And there was the whole Nightmare Moon thing...”

“We have improved much since then!”

“In a nutshell...yes, I have some doubts.”

Spike braced himself as he saw the princess take a breath, only to be surprised when she simply let it out. “I see. I admit that my history might not paint me with the finest brush-”

“That's an understatement...”

“-but I am confident of my abilities. Perhaps you would like to make a wager?”

The young dragon hesitated. “Go on.”

“You give me one chance to walk with you in your dreams. If you are not satisfied with my counsel, then you may demand of me any gem you desire. If I do help you though, I will require your recommendation so I might officially take the position of Twilight's marem manager.”

Spike's eyes narrowed slightly, his skepticism plain. “Midnight ruby,” he said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Easily done.”

“Orihalcon.”

“Difficult, but doable.”

“Mithril laced diamond.”

“There's one collecting dust in the royal treasury.”

Spike hesitated, his claws briefly tightening around Twilight's choker. “Fine. One dream.”

Luna smiled in triumph. “Then let us retire to my chambers. I feel we have much to discuss.” Azure magic gently wrapped around the young dragon, placing him on the princess' back.

“But really, when was the last time you went on a date?”

“A princess does not kiss and tell, Spike.”

“So more than a thousand years then?”

“I believe it is time for the sleep spell.”

“Huh? But-” There was a flash of magic and before Spike could even finish his thought, he was gently slumped over Luna's back, sound asleep.

Author's Note

The Explosion Golem, brought to you by Mister Minotorgue, produced by Michael Neigh.

Comments are always appreciated.