Secrets of the Everfree

by PaisleyPerson

Chapters

Chapter 2: The Hayburger
Chapter 3: Messengers
Chapter 4: Acrylic's Parents
Chapter 5: Father-in-Law
Chapter 6: Settling In
Chapter 7: Wild Flower
Chapter 8: Storm Family Reunion
Chapter 10: Rehearsal
Chapter 11: Thestral Wedding
Chapter 12: Honeymoon
Chapter 13: Lost Lagoon
Chapter 14: The Secret Siren
Chapter 15: Ponynapped
Chapter 16: This Isn't Goodbye
Chapter 17: A Royal Decree
Chapter 18: An Everfree Ruin
Chapter 19: In The Pit
Chapter 20: Who's Who?
Chapter 21: Second Opinion
Chapter 22: Return of the Destrals
Chapter 23: Princess Essence
Chapter 24: Lost Equestrian History 101
Chapter 25: Acrylic's Anxiety
Chapter 26: Apprentice
Chapter 28: The Dazzling Glitter Shine
Chapter 29: Dragon Debt
Chapter 30: Missing Gryphon
Chapter 31: Project Brainstorm
Chapter 32: Showtime
Chapter 33: Rogues
Chapter 34: Gallant Gryphon
Chapter 35: Surprise!
Chapter 36: New Life
Chapter 37: What's in a Name
Chapter 38: Expansion
Chapter 39: Equestria Games
Chapter 40: Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious
Chapter 41: Charcoal Stormwood
Chapter 42: Upgrades
Chapter 43: It Ain't Easy Being Breezies
Chapter 44: Fire Surges
Chapter 46: Compromised Trust
Chapter 47: Tensions Rise
Chapter 48: Me, Myself and I
Chapter 49: Element Keys
Chapter 50: Lord Tirek
Part Two: Chapter 52: Fifteen Years
Chapter 53: Foal Mountain
Chapter 55: Runaway
Chapter 56: Moving Out
Chapter 57: Crash the Party
Chapter 58: Secrets of the Everfree
Chapter 59: The Catacombs
Chapter 60: Rise of the Changelings
Chapter 61: Dragon Country
Chapter 62: The Long Road Home
Chapter 63: Recruitment
Chapter 64: Cloudsdale
Chapter 65: Rescue Mission
Chapter 66: Have Fun Storming the Castle
Chapter 67: Kindling's Mole
Chapter 68: Tall Tale Beach
Chapter 69: King Trident
Chapter 70: Negotiations
Chapter 71: Coral Keep
Chapter 73: King Kindling
Chapter 74: Love Doctor
Chapter 75: TARDIS Conference
Chapter 76: Ponyville Ambush
Chapter 77: Research Project
Chapter 78: Kindling's Apprentice
Chapter 79: March on the Everfree
Chapter 80: Palace Rendezvous
Chapter 81: Prison Break
Chapter 82: The Changeling Queen's Return
Chapter 83: Mission Accomplished
Chapter 84: Quite a Conundrum
Chapter 85: Paralysis
Chapter 87: Radiance
Chapter 88: Letting Go
Epilogue
Part One: Chapter 1: Engaged
Chapter 9: Decisions, Decisions
Chapter 27: A Great and Powerful Crash
Chapter 45: Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic
Chapter 51: Rainbow Power
Chapter 54: The Glass Blower
Chapter 72: Tsunami
Chapter 86: Prince Stormwood

Chapter 2: The Hayburger

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Chapter 3: Messengers

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Chapter 4: Acrylic's Parents

Chapter 4
Acrylic’s Parents

I shrunk back, pressed against what might have been the same tree trunk as before. She was coming for me, and this time, there was no escape. Her breath was hot, and stung my coat like venom. I lashed at her nose with my hooves, but there was no fight left in me. They pinged off like nothing. If anything, she almost seemed amused at my attempt at this point. Looking past her, I noted Rainbow’s crumpled form discarded into the shrubs. She wasn’t moving. So she wasn’t coming to my rescue, and I certainly wasn’t coming to hers. This was it. I shut my eyes again. I didn’t want to watch this.

I didn’t have to. Something hard and hot blasted into the manticore’s side. It was too stunned to make a sound as the force caused it to tumble. Then a pale blur shot out of the shadows, picking up the fight where we left off. I couldn’t recognize our mysterious hero; he moved too fast. But it was obvious he was a thestral by the pale yellow flames he emitted. I didn’t have time to ponder his identity.

While the manticore was distracted, I limped over to Rainbow, and tried shaking her back to consciousness. “Rainbow? Rainbow, get up!” A loud groan told me she was okay. “Dashie, we’ve got to get out of here!”

“Five more minutes,” she moaned.

“You can have all the time you want once we’re back in Ponyville. Get up!” I could only drag her further from the clearing to keep us from getting trampled. Whoever had come to our rescue was making short work of the manticore. Rainbow was finally fully awake, and hunkered down with me to watch. A couple of hedges provided enough cover. I soon realized why my attacks hadn’t had the desired effect: I was untrained. A real thestral guard was prepared and exact, always ready to take on whatever danger they were faced with. I hadn’t lived in the Everfree for years, and let my guard down. My attack was unstrategic and sloppy. This thestral acted with extreme speed and precision.

The pale form attacked in a recurring pattern: kick, spin, fly, repeat. Kick, spin, fly, repeat. This allowed him to elude the manticore with extreme cunning while still planting a few blows here and there. After what seemed like an eternity, the manticore had enough. She bellowed defiance before tramping back into the underbrush. Rainbow and I stepped out from hiding to give our thanks, but the figure still hadn’t turned around. He was pale blue with a short, windblown mane and tail. The outer edges were tinged with white, but the inner hairs were a light blue just slightly more saturated than Rainbow’s coat. I couldn’t tell much else about him with his back to us. He was breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight, looking after the manticore as if he couldn’t believe he’d won.

“Uh... sir?” I called, hoping to attract his attention. He perked up, remembering the foolish fillies he’d just saved. He straightened from his crouched position, revealing his deceptively towering height. He would probably be eye level with Torchwood, but he was much more buff than my fiancé. Strength rippled in his large frame, that much was evident. When he turned, I was faced with kind and familiar blue eyes. I almost choked.

“DAD!”

“Acry-?” He was cut off when I tackled him into a bear hug, teary eyed. He squeezed me right back, wings folded around me in protective embrace. “Don’t you know better than to mess with a fully grown manticore?” he playfully chided.

“I do now,” I answered, burying myself deeper into his arms.

“Where’ve you been all this time?” he pried me away so he could get a good look at my face. “Look at you! You’re all grown up.”

“I was grown up when I left, Dad,” I insisted.

“Of course you were. But you’re different. You look... older.”

“Gee, thanks,” I laughed.

“What’s this?” Something shiny caught his eye, and he fished my engagement ring out of my mane. I thanked Celestia the chain hadn’t broken or come loose in the mayhem. His eyes grew wide with realization. “You’re...”

“I’ve been trying to get ahold of you and Mom,” I said with a nod. “We couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“Honey, we haven’t moved an inch! Where’ve you been looking?”

“So you haven’t heard, then?”

“Heard what?”

“That thestrals are moving back into Equestria. All of them, not just in small groups like I did. The Princesses made it official and everything. There’s been a scramble to get thestrals placed in homes and stuff... I assumed you’d already been relocated.”

“Thestrals are back?”

“For good, this time.”

“That’s...” I wasn’t sure how he was taking the news.

“Dad?”

“That’s wonderful! I didn’t dare believe it when I saw the declaration. I assumed it was some colt’s idea of a prank. But I suppose this is yours, then?” I looked at the parchment he offered, recognizing it instantly as the lost document we’d come to retrieve.

“Uh, yeah,” I admitted, taking the troublesome scroll.

“You did it, then? You brought us back to the light, just like you said you would all those years ago?”

“With some help.” I remembered that Rainbow was probably awkwardly standing in the background, watching our reunion. I looked back to where she was standing, making her presence known and also accrediting her to assisting in our return.

“Hello, there,” Dad said, standing up. I moved out from underneath him to give him room, but still tucked myself under his wing.

“Dad, I’d like you to meet Rainbow Dash. Rainbow, meet my dad.”

“Mr. Wind Storm, it’s so good to finally meet you! Acrylic’s told me so much!” She eagerly shook his hoof when it was extended.

“All good things, I hope?”

“Very, very good things!” she assured. “You’re a really good flyer, right?”

“I like to think so,” he proudly confessed.

“I’d love to put that to the test sometime. If you don’t mind, that is,” she hurriedly added.

“Well, I don’t like to disappoint, but I’m afraid age is getting the best of me.”

“That’s for sure. I barely recognized you!” I playfully batted at a loose strand of white hair. The outer rim of his mane was once a glorious dark blue to match his eyes. Now, it had faded to its current cloudy color. He narrowed his eyes at the remark, taking it all in good humor.

“Well, old age or not, I have a reputation to uphold. It’s a date.”

“YES!”

“Where’s Mom? Back at the camp?”

“Along with a few others. We heard that there was to be a revolution; a thestral uprising, no less! Our numbers are dwindling since the recruitment of soldiers, admittedly, but a few remain.”

“I can’t wait to see Wild Flower again,” I squealed, happily trotting along after him. She was my sister, whom I hadn’t seen in years.

“Wild Flower?”

“She is here, isn’t she?”

“No. Shortly after you moved to Ponyville, Wild Flower decided to find her own way in Equestria too. I’d have thought she’d meet up with you out there.”

“I never saw her in Ponyville,” I shook my head. “Ugh! I tried so hard just to track you down. Now I have to go find her, too?”

“Well, she’s out there somewhere, I’m sure of it. We’ll have her rounded up before your big day. When is it, by the way? Goodness, I don’t even know who you’re engaged to! Is is somepony I know?”

“No, but he’s a thestral, too. His name’s Torchwood, from Midnight Armor Sector Two. He’s a fire dancer, and a good one at that. You’ll just love him!”

“We’ll see about that.” I didn’t like the tone of voice Dad had used.

“Come on, Dad. Just give him a chance.”

“It’s my job to worry about you. I wish you’d at least have introduced us before you decide to marry him!”

“I told you, I couldn’t get ahold of you guys. You never did write, you know.”

“Too risky. We couldn’t smuggle the letters in and out without raising suspicion. I guess that doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“Nope. I’ve even got a dragon friend, now. You can send your letters directly through him. Torchwood says that thestrals can send letters like they can. I tried to write to him once, but there was a magic barrier inhibiting them from being received.”

“A dragon?” Dad seemed surprised. “Where’d you find a dragon in Ponyville?”

“Not in Ponyville. You remember Ignition?”

“Of course I do! How is she?” The color drained from my face, and my expression told him exactly what had become of the dragoness. “Oh. Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”

“Me too. Well, Blaze was her youngest son. I promised to look out for him, so now he lives with me.”

“Doesn’t he have an older brother? Garble, wasn’t it? What’s become of him?”

“He’s ‘too cool’ for ponies. He moved back to the dragon flock.”

“Ah. I see.”

“Oh, I’ve just got so much to tell you and Mom! Hey, are we almost there? I don’t remember the trip taking so long.”

“You aren’t used to coming this way, either. And on hoof, no less. We speed demons used to cross the whole Everfree in five minutes. The trip takes a little longer down on the ground, you know. What do you say to a fly over?”

“I’m in!” Rainbow declared.

“I... can’t...” I sighed. Dad squinted, scrutinizing my frame more closely than before. The bloodied ankle and bent wing must have stood out like complimentary colors.

“Oh, what have you done to yourself?” he sighed, sitting me down before I could aggravate the wound any more.

“It was the manticore,” I indignantly huffed, wincing as he fooled with the gash.

“Your mother will be able to bandage this better than me,” he finally said. “Climb up.”

“What, on your back? No, thanks. I think I prefer to wal-” I was cut off when somepony yanked me off the ground and dropped me on Dad’s back. Rainbow smirked down from above.

“Hang on,” he ordered. I didn’t have much of a choice when his powerful wings lifted the both of us up into the air. I wrapped my hooves around his neck, taking care not to inhibit his flying ability. Rainbow was exhausted, but that didn’t keep her from chasing after us. She’d left the other scrolls wrapped safely in a cloud, so she made a quick detour to retrieve them. Dad was going fast, but not fast enough for Rainbow to take it as a race. I set my head on his, watching the treetops fly by. He didn’t seem to mind.

It wasn’t the same as flying myself, but I shut my eyes as the breeze sifted through my mane. It didn’t look like I’d be up here again any time soon with my wing busted as it was. Even so, I clung for my life. If he banked too hard one way, I’d be sent tumbling back into the trees. Of course, my flying expert knew this, and barely turned at all. In fact, instead of banking into the clearing as we usually did, he just sort of... dropped down. Hence, this wasn’t his most graceful landing. Rainbow came down in the proper manner with one clean swoop. Realizing the unusual circumstances, she made no comment about Dad’s clumsy landing. I hopped off without delay, glad to be back on my own four- er, three- hooves.

Dad wasn’t kidding. The clearing looked, well, clear. Most of the tents had already been taken down. Only a few sparse structures remained, spread throughout the clearing. The central bonfire still remained, currently ablaze with somepony’s deep purple fire. With such an open view, it was easy for me to identify our old tent. Mom’s pottery was still littered around the front. As if on cue, the mare shuffled out from behind the canvas structure with another new creation clutched between her jaws. Thestrals were nocturnal, so she must have been up late. This assumption was reinforced by her droopy eyes.

She wasn’t as tall as Dad, but still stood an inch above me. Her coat was pale yellow, but a shade brighter and just a touch more green than Fluttershy’s. Her mane was kept up in a green and pink swirled beehive with bangs bouncing over her eyes. Her tail was loosely twirled in on itself, but wasn’t really styled in any particular manner. She had beautiful emerald eyes, which were sometimes framed by stylish glasses. It was clear who I’d inherited my curled ears from, though her muzzle was small and petite like most mares unlike my pointed one. Her cutie mark depicted a simple red-clay vase.

“MA!” I called, dashing across the clearing on my three good hooves. Her head snapped around at the sound of my voice, and she dropped her latest creation into the grass. (Luckily, it didn’t break.)

“Acrylic!” She bolted to meet me halfway. Being so much larger than me as she was, she could have easily bowled me over. But I knew better. She was too gentle for that. She slowed down in plenty of time to scoop me into warm embrace. “I’ve missed you,” she sniffled through happy tears.

“I missed you too,” I choked.

“Let me look at you,” she smiled, taking a step back and releasing me from her hold.

“We do need you to take a look at her ankle, specifically,” Dad said, coming forward to greet his wife. Mom returned his nuzzle, peered down at the cut, and scowled at me.

“What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Oh, nothing big. You know... just a little skirmish with a... a manticore...” My voice got quieter and quieter in an attempt to muffle my answer. But there was no fooling Mother.

“A MANTICORE? You faced off with a manticore by yourself? Come, now! Your father drilled more sense into you than that.”

“Well, I wasn’t alone. Rainbow was with me.” I gestured back at my waiting pegasus friend. Luckily, Mom wasn’t fazed whatsoever by the fact that she was with me.

“Ah. I see we have company. Well, come in, come in! What kind of hostess would I be if I kept you all waiting out here? Now, we haven’t got much, but make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Storm, isn’t it?”

“It is, but I prefer Vase. Porcelain Vase. ‘Porcelain Storm’ doesn’t roll off the tongue quite so well, does it?”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Vase.”

“Rainbow Dash, isn’t it?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Well, it’s good to make your acquaintance, Miss Dash.”

“Aww, you can just call me Rainbow.”

“Very well, Miss Rainbow.” Dashie giggled at her formality. “As I said, make yourself at home. I’ll be back shortly. I need to find some bandages for this one here.” Mom gave me a gentle yet reprimanding cuff behind the ear with her wing as she walked by.

“Ow,” I quietly groaned, rubbing my head.

“You are lucky it wasn’t worse,” Dad reminded, setting himself beside me.

“Yeah, I know.”

“So, when do I get to meet this Torchwood of yours, hmm?”

“As soon as he finds us. He came along too, but got paired up with Twilight. She wanted a thestral in both groups in case we encountered... trouble.”

“Sounds logical,” he commented.

“Speaking of which, where are they? I’d have thought that sonic rainboom would have attracted their attention for sure.”

“That was loud enough to rock the whole forest! They must’ve heard it,” Rainbow mused.

“You don’t think they ran into trouble, do you?”

“I can go see if I can find them,” Rainbow offered.

“Perhaps I should go. After all, you raise a good point. If they have encountered some sort of danger, I will know better how to deal with it. And what’s more- not all of us who remain in the Everfree are aware of the peace treaty. If your friends have encountered more stragglers, they may become volatile. In self-defense, of course, but dangerous nonetheless. It would be best if another thestral were there to settle things down,” Dad pointed out.

“Torchwood’s a thestral,” I reminded.

“Yes. Torchwood.” Dad said his name slowly and critically, still wrapping his head around the fact that his little filly was engaged. “Still, better two thestrals than two of the... others.” He glanced at Rainbow Dash. I knew my father well enough to know that this was not a prejudice comment, simply implying fact. Rainbow, on the other hoof, didn’t know him quite so well.

“I can come along too. If you’re as fast as you say you are, we can have the whole forest covered in five minutes flat.”

“Can the race not wait?” Dad sighed. Rainbow now ignored him, determined to tag along and prove herself.

“I’ll cover the East end if you get the West. If you find anypony, just give a signal. How are you with fire displays?”

“Not the best, but not too bad either, I suppose. And you? Don’t tell me you have a flame-thrower on you.”

“I can do another sonic rainboom. Duh.” She took off to start covering the East side as she’d promised. She was a little weary, so I held Dad back another minute.

“Keep an eye on Rainbow. I don’t know if she has another sonic rainboom in her.”

“That I will. Don’t face off any more manticores while I’m gone, hmm?”

“I’ll do my best,” I giggled, giving him another farewell nuzzle. With that, his powerful wings carried him up to the Everfree skies.

This left me with nothing more to do than to curl up on the cushions inside the tent and examine Mom’s newer creations. I had been gone for so long that there wasn’t a single familiar pot in the whole place. That was fine by me. There was a whole new collection to be examined. I got my artistic talent from my mother’s side; we’d bred a long line of artists for generations. Even my sister, Wild Flower, was an artist in her own way. She always loved tending to her plants. I helped arrange her bouquets at first, but she’d come to do it herself over time. I cocked my head in thought. Speaking of which, I could think of no better pony to create the wedding’s floral arrangements than my dear sibling.

Chapter 5: Father-in-Law

Author's Note

A/N: ~~Remember from the first book where underlined scenes mean 3rd person POV? Well, it’s carrying over here, so keep this in mind!~~

EDIT: I got so many complaints about the formatting that I decided to take it down. Shrugs.* You're on your own, now.

Chapter 5: Father-in-Law

Chapter 5
Father-in-Law

“Married?” Wind Storm muttered to himself for the hundredth time. He quietly chuckled to himself as he glided over the treetops. “She’s growing up,” he sighed. “But I don’t want to let her go.”

He was taking the news just as well as could be expected. He’d never heard of this stallion before, much less met him. Wind Storm was willing to give him a chance, considering how much he meant to his daughter. Still, he wasn’t giving his little girl up to just any old bloak. He needed to prove himself to Wind Storm, first. And what of Porcelain? He realized with a start that his wife hadn’t been informed of the wedding. How would she take the news? Of course, she missed very little. Had she noticed the ring around Acrylic’s neck and simply kept quiet? He doubted it. She wouldn’t be so keen on giving up their eldest, either. Would she?

Memories of the little filly they raised flashed before Wind Storm’s eyes. But that little filly wasn’t the same as he remembered. All that she’d been through changed her. She had a certain look of understanding in her eyes that he just couldn’t place. A look so familiar, yet he couldn’t quite put his hoof on it.

“Where are they?” a distant voice called. The echo rang in Wind Storm’s ears, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“The sonic rainboom came from here, I’m sure of it,” a masculine voice answered. Wind Storm set his jaw. Could that voice possibly belong to Torchwood?

“Well, they obviously aren’t here. Is there any way to track them? Oh, why didn’t I think of a way to keep in contact?”

“Maybe Rainbow Dash did. Perhaps she was trying to signal us through the rainboom.”

“You don’t think they ran into trouble, do you?”

“It’s hard to tell. But Acrylic knows this area. It’s very close to her home. I’m sure they’re both fine. They have to be. Because if anything happened to her...” The voice trailed off. Wind Storm was hovering in the general vicinity of their voices, but still failed to identify faces.

“We’ll find them,” the second voice consolingly assured.

“Don’t you know any tracking spells?”

“You could always ask for directions,” Wind Storm pointed out, finally coming down through the tree tops where he thought the voices were coming from. Sure enough, two young ponies about his daughter’s age were standing in the Everfree’s shade, startled by their visitor. Wind Storm carefully scrutinized the brown-coated stallion who was obviously a thestral. He was accompanied by a purple alicorn, which caused him to raise an eyebrow, but he said nothing.

The stallion was about his height with a dark coat, a black and blond mane, though the tail was kept a little longer than Wind Storm approved of. His eyes were like coals, but had a certain amber glow to them. The cutie mark was what gave him away: it was a torch.

“You’re Torchwood?” Wind Storm went on. The stallion narrowed his eyes.

“That’s right. And you are?”

“Apparently, your future father-in-law.” Both the ponies froze.

“That means you’re... Acrylic’s father?”

“Wind Storm,” he proudly nodded.

“I-It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Twilight addressed, caught off guard but making a quick recovery. Torchwood, too, cleared his throat.

“You’ve spoken to Acrylic, then? Is she safe?”

“She is now, though I initially found her facing off with a manticore.”

“A manticore!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Is she alright?” Torchwood hurriedly put in.

“She suffered a few cuts, but she’s still in one piece,” Wind Storm gruffly answered. “Follow me. I’ll take you to her.”

“Thank you, sir,” Torchwood gratefully sighed, spreading his wings for takeoff. Wind Storm nodded a second time. At least the lad was respectful.

“This way,” he grumbled before shooting up into the sky. He had purposefully taken off at full speed, just to see what Torchwood was capable of. He wasn’t really worried about how athletic he was as much as what his character was like. Still, he could have some fun with him.

To his surprise, Torchwood moved quickly. He had by no means caught up to him, but the stallion was still pretty quick. Unfortunately, Twilight was not nearly so spry on her newfound wings. She resorted to teleporting between the treetops to keep pace instead.

It wasn’t until he was directly over the camp that he remembered that he was supposed to be signaling Rainbow Dash. He wasn’t the most skilled at keeping his own flame under control, and definitely didn’t want to make a fool of himself trying to wrangle the fire to his bidding in front of his future son-in-law. Hadn’t Acrylic said that his talent was fire dancing? His mediochre display could never compare to the a flawless technique refined fire dancers had. Then again, he’d never actually seen Torchwood’s displays. That gave him an idea. So long as he was already putting him through a physical, why not test Torchwood’s other abilities? The brown stallion swooped over to the hovering father and stopped alongside him, calling loudly over the loud whooshing of wingbeats.

“Something wrong?”

“Your friend Rainbow Dash is still out there looking for you. I’m supposed to send a signal to reign her in. But Acrylic tells me you’re quite the fire dancer.”

“I earned my special talent in it,” Torchwood proudly admitted, nodding back at the mark on his flank. Wind Storm narrowed his eyes at the boast.

“Well then, perhaps you would rather call her back? I haven’t had the priviledge of witnessing any of your displays.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Torchwood nodded. His eyes shone at the opprotunity. He was better than just a good fire dancer; he was the best. Though a good show wouldn’t be enough to win over his fiancé’s critical father, it could earn him some respect. At once, the fire dancer summoned his flames, causing them to appear out of thin air. Already, Wind Storm was impressed. He was inarguably unskilled in this field, and usually needed a bit of kindling to help his get going. Torchwood went further, growing the suspended blaze until it could have engulfed them both. And that it did, swirling, expanding, spiraling into an orange-and-green vortex. If this didn’t catch Rainbow’s eye, Wind Storm didn’t know what would.

It had indeed attracted attention, and not just from Rainbow. Most of the sparse camp had woken up and gathered just to gaze upon the spectacle. Most had ever seen such a talented fire dancer in their entire lifetime. Twilight didn’t even recieve one odd glance from the gathering thestrals when she landed in their midst. They were all too focused on the show for that. The alicorn looked around for Acrylic in the crowd, but didn’t recognize their missing companion. She was distracted from the search when a loud *CRACK* burst from overhead, a color burst exploding in the sky to announce the grand finale. Torchwood also took it to mean that she got the message, and let the vortex burn itself out. The flames were completely harmless, and he glided right through its bright, flickering wall. Wind Storm followed his lead, and the two thestrals were greeted by the thrilled onlookers. Rainbow Dash made a grand entrance when she slammed to the ground with a colossal thud. She managed to stay on her hooves, but it wasn’t one of her more graceful landings. Despite the breed difference, she was instantly swarmed by fans. They all associated her glorious multi-colored mane with the astounding sonic rainboom they’d just witnessed. She coiled back in shock at first, but then her ego took over, and she soaked up all the attention like a sponge.

Torchwood, on the other hoof, didn’t waste any time on his new admirers. He hustled through the dense cluster after Wind Storm (the ponies instantly parted for the well-respected thestral). They headed right for the pottery-littered tent. Most of the crowd dispersed when they realized he wouldn’t reserve time for them, but a few of the more loyal onlookers trotted after them, curious as to what business he had with the Storm family.

Mom had come back as promised, a small bag of bandages clenched between her teeth. She was probably only carrying them in such a manner so she didn’t contaminate the bandages themselves. While she fashioned a sling for my wing, I explained in more detail what exactly had happened with the manticore. She listened indifferently, focused on her work but nodding every so often to let me know she was still listening. She was a terrific multitasker. She absorbed every word you said, though she looked preoccupied. This came in handy when she was in the middle of a project, especially in her field. Pottery couldn’t always afford to go very long without attention.

After my manticore story, she tenderly moved onto my ankle. There wasn’t much blood, but what little there was had dried and caked around the gash, making it slightly uncomfortable to move. She dabbed at it with a damp cloth to remove the stiff clot before wrapping it in a fresh bind. It wasn’t too tight that it hurt, but kept a good amount of pressure on it.

“So, tell me about Ponyville. Do you like it there?”

“Oh, Mom, I love it there! I’ve got my own shop, now. And I met the kindest, friendliest ponies you could ever hope for in that town.”

“Do you meet him there?”

“Him?”

“The one,” she clarified. It was still incredibly vague, but I caught on.

“How’d you know?”

“You know me, Acrylic. I never miss anything.” She beamed down at the necklace I wore, ring strung through it. Now, she finally bent in close to examine it closely. “Who is the lucky stallion?” I blushed.

“His name’s Torchwood,” I confessed.

“Torchwood,” she mused, lost deep in thought. “And when do I get to meet the young Torchwood?”

“As soon as Rainbow and Dad get back. They’re supposed to be out looking for them.”

“Them?”

“Twilight Sparkle, one of my other Ponyville friends, is with him.”

“I see. Traveling in pairs, then. That makes sense. One thestral in each group. Quite logical, after recent events.”

“It was Twilight’s idea,” I boasted, puffing out my chest at my friend’s grand idea.

“Good for her. Is she a pegasus too, then?”

“Actually, she’s an alicorn.”

“Really? An alicorn? Royalty in the Everfree?”

“She was recently promoted,” I winked. “She’s taken on the reintegration of thestrals as her own personal project.”

“I see,” Mother slowly nodded, absorbing this new information. “I look forward to making her aquaintance.”

“You’ll love her,” I assured.

“Royalty from Ponyville,” she thought, still unable to get her head around it. “I suppose it never occurred to me that such important ponies would come from such small towns. Though, I suppose this makes two grand ponies from Ponyville, doesn’t it? I should say your dear Torchwood counts, if he makes you that happy.” She beamed at me again, proud of her daughter, now all grown up.

“Well, he’s not really from Ponyville. He’s originally from Midnight Armor Sector Two here in the Everfree, of course, but then he moved to Vanhoover.”

“Vanhoover? What’s a thestral doing in Vanhoover? Ponyville I can see, with it being so close to home, but you can’t get any farther from the Everfree than Vanhoover!”

“Wow, Mom. You’re really up on your Equestria geography.”

“Well, I have forged a little more interest in the rest of the world since my two girls moved there,” she slyly grinned.

“Torchwood said that he originally left with some buddies of his, and I guess they just made their way up there. He found a job, and that was that. Until we met at the Grand Galloping Gala, that is.”

“The Grand Galloping Gala? Isn’t that the biggest event of the year? Oh, how romantic! How in the world did you get invited to such an event?”

“I know Twilight, and Twilight knows the Princess.”

“Uh-huh,” she smirked.

“And Torchwood was working for a very prominent artist at the time, so he got to come along too. It was like love at first sight, if there is such a thing.”

“You make it sound as if he’s switched employment. Has he? Was he fired because he’s a thestral? Of course I’m thrilled that thestrals are returning, as you say, but I’m afraid there’s just no avoiding such prejudice.”

“Well, yes and no. It’s a long story.”

“Well, I have the time. Still, best to give me the condensed version.”

“Alright, I guess. He used to work in Vanhoover as Graphite Sketch’s butler. He’s a very prestigious artist with his own gallery. Graphite found out about his secret a long time ago and kind of used it as blackmail leverage to make him work harder for less pay. He quit over a year ago. But now that the cat’s out of the bag, none of it really matters. In fact, the two are getting along pretty well now. I bet he’d take him back for regular wages, if it came down to it. You know Graphite’s going to be his best colt at the wedding? Anyway, Torchwood actually moved to Ponyville after we first started dating, and I gave him a job there.”

“That is quite a story,” Mom agreed, finally pulling the bandage taught. She’d taken such labors to dress it properly, I was almost afraid to move and ruin her hard work. Even so, she urged me to my hooves to make sure I could stand. “Hmm... I’m no nurse, but I think you should be alright to walk on it. Just keep most of the pressure off, yes? Good.” She didn’t wait for answers to those kinds of questions. Neither did Dad, come to think about it. I wondered if I’d adopt some of Torchwood’s habits once we were living together. Would he adopt some of mine?

Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed through the valley, shaking the ground. I braced my forehooves, catching myself in time. Mom had no trouble keeping her balance, though one of her small creations suffered. It toppled from the one side table, somehow crammed into the tent, and cracked. Mom didn’t even bat an eye at the damaged piece. “What in Equestria?”

“I know that sound.” I almost chuckled at the thought. I’d been becoming very aquainted with that thunderous noise. It was Rainbow’s trademark move. Sonic Rainboom. She’d had it in her after all. “They’re back.”

“I’ll go see about that.” Mother strode dutifully out of the tent to make sure the coast was clear. I appreaciated her concern, but I was already certain that it was my friends whom had arrived. Positive that we weren’t in danger, I gingerly tested out my ankle, and limped to the exit more slowly. I was surprised to find a thick swarm of ponies gathered in the center of the encampment. The place had looked so sparse at first that I wasn’t even aware this many remained. I looked to Mother for answers, wondering what the commotion was about. She shrugged in response. Thinking the pegasus and her rainboom could be the source of all the hubbub, I looked for Rainbow Dash in the crowd, but there were too many thestrals blocking my view. I pouted, about to give up when the crowd rippled. Somepony was parting the waters.

Dad’s pale form emerged, but the familiar dark coat that followed made my heart skip a beat. Torchwood beamed, chest puffed out upon eyeing me. I took one feeble, shaky step forward, cuing him to sprint to my side. I met him halfway on my three good legs. I could feel icy, protective eyes on us, and I knew Dad was watching our reunion. But a reassuring warmth seeping into my mind from the other side also told me that Mom approved. I tried ignoring them both by throwing myself deeper into his strong arms. He was more than willing to keep me there. Dad eventually cleared his throat, rudely interrupting. I glared at him over Torchwood’s shoulder, but he impatiently motioned for us to break up. I reluctantly pulled myself away. I wasn’t sure what came next. Torchwood spared me the trouble of initiating conversation.

“Oh, no! What happened to you?” His troubled eyes rested on the bandages which encased my right wing. He tenderly stroked the sling holding it up.

“A little manticore incident,” I confessed with an embarrassed blush. He knelt down to examine my ankle. I didn’t protest.

“Lay down,” he ordered.

“It doesn’t hurt,” I protested. “I can walk on it just fine. Mom says-”

“Just lie down,” he repeated. “Please?” Baffled, I did as I was told. Dad’s eyes narrowed, and he moved in close to watch. I could tell he was eager to intervene the second Torchwood overstepped his welcome. “Now, stretch out your leg, the injured one, and hold still. This won’t hurt at all.” I moved my bandaged hoof away from my body, and though I hadn’t been told to do so, lifted my injured wing as high as I could without removing the sling or damaging it further. Torchwood moved a few paces away, faced me, and closed his eyes in deep concentration. This could only mean one thing: he was going to use his fire.

“Now, just hold on one minute, young colt,” Dad firmly addressed. He obviously wanted to know what he was up to before he actually tried anything, escpecially on his little filly. Torchwood paid him no mind, and I wasn’t sure whether that was the smart or idiotic thing to do at the moment. Either way, it made no difference. Gentle, flickering flames sparked from the base of his forehooves, and swiftly but quietly made their way over to me. They were much more calm and peaceful than his usual raging pyre. Their warmth enveloped my whole body before Dad could do a thing to stop it. He took a few steps forward, but I watched through the fluttering blaze as Mom held him back. Unlike my uneasy father, she was curious and willing to go along with Torchwood’s judgement.

“It’s okay, Dad,” I assured, a stray tongue of fire flaring up into my mouth as I spoke. I almost contradicted myself by choking on the smoke it produced. Luckily, Mom also nodded for him to continue. I didn’t think that Torchwood had any intentions of stopping in the first place, but nodded back to acknowledge her permission. The fire around me grew higher, more intense. The heat was welcome on this windy day. Thestrals are extremely sensitive to the cold.

There was a vague tingling in my ankle and wing that almost stung, but I was so caught up in trying to identify the unusual sensation that I didn’t notice any pain. The heat grew more and more intense, focused specifically on those areas. The light produced by the flames, too, became more concentrated. It was an extremely curious process, and my eyes were fixated. I only looked away when the light became unbearably bright. The next thing I knew, the bandages were gone. Not even a scar was left in their wake. He’d healed the injuries!

Torchwood smiled down on me, offering me his hoof. I took it, letting him pull me to my hooves. Neither my wing nor my leg felt tender in the slightest.

“How did you...?” Twilight bounded over, thrilled at the thestral magic she’d witnessed.

“A new technique I’ve been working on,” he winked. I beamed.

“Thank you.”

“I can’t have my bride-to-be walking up the aisle in bandages,” he joked.

“You’ve... healed her?” Dad couldn’t quite understand what he’d seen. I held out my wing for him to examine. He was thoroughly impressed, I knew, though he maintained a blank expression. Torchwood bowed his head to affirm Dad’s assumption.

“It doesn’t hurt at all,” I told him, flexing my wing in every possible direction to demonstrate. Finally, Dad turned to Torchwood, who stood at attention. He looked like a soldier that was about to be drilled by the captain of the royal guard. Dad shattered that image when he sidled up close to him and slung a wing around his back as a sign of affection. Knowing Dad, that was the closest thing to a hug anypony but his direct family would ever recieve. Torchwood’s eyes bulged in surprise, not expecting such a reaction.

“Thank you,” Dad said, sucking up his pride. “You’re alright, kid. You’re alright.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” Torchwood stuttered, still in shock.

“I’ll have none of this ‘sir’ business. My name is Wind Storm. It always has been and always will be. Got it?”

“Yes, si- I mean, Mr. Storm.”

“Hmph. Close enough.” I was so thrilled that they were finally getting along that I bounded up between them both and initiated a group hug. Mom followed suit until our whole family was together. Twilight stood a short distance away, smiling giddily as she watched our reunion. The rest of the camp errupted into a clamor of cheers and congratulatory whistles. I was too happy to be embarrassed at this point. “This doesn’t mean that I won’t be watching you closely,” Dad went on.

“Dad!” I groaned.

“You take care of my daughter now, you hear me, son?”

“I will love and cherish her for as long as I live,” he vowed. I nuzzled him to let him know the feeling was mutual.

“Then you have my blessing.”

“And mine,” Mom hummed in an almost sing-song voice.

“Now, young lady,” Dad said in a voice loud enough for the whole camp to hear. At first I thought he was addressing me, but then he turned to Twilight. “I have been led to believe that you are in charge of relocating the thestrals?”

Chapter 6: Settling In

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 7: Wild Flower

Author's Note

A/N: The characters Wild Flower, Cedar, Nova and Honeysuckle all belong to my sister. Used with permission.

Chapter 7: Wild Flower

Chapter 7
Wild Flower

The jangling of a bell woke me up. I blinked my eyes open from sleep, and gave a hearty yawn. I rubbed my eyes, and groggily slid out of the armchair. It wasn’t the most comfortable sleeping arangement, but if it fit all three of us in the house, I was willing to put up with it. I realized that the bells I heard must have meant somepony at the door, and tried to wake myself up enough to look presentable to my customer. Luckily, it was just Spike arriving for his and Blaze’s appointment. My orange dragon friend had, in fact, opened the door.

“Good morning,” I yawned again.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Blaze blushed.

“It’s more a question of why you didn’t wake me up. Look at the time! I was supposed to have opened up half an hour ago!”

“Porcelain did that for you. I helped, too. She went to go visit Fluttershy this morning.” I remembered that the two had hit it off at Applejack’s dinner last night.

“Is Dad still upstairs?”

“No, Rainbow came by and wanted him to help arrange something for the Equestria games. He left with her about an hour ago.”

“Good,” I nodded, drowsily making my way upstairs. That meant I wouldn’t risk waking anypony when I went to feed Heckley in the morning. He’d be cross with me for delivering his breakfast so late as it was.

Indeed, the snake wasn’t on his usual perch, but impatiently waiting on the bed. He hissed indignantly when I finally appeared at the top of the stairwell, and made a few tight circles of irritation on the spot. “Sorry, bub,” I sighed, delivering the food in the usual spot. “Eat quick. We’re late, and I need you to help me get some more paint supplies.” I made my own paint here at Art Life. Typically, I’d buy the materials from the venders around town, but lately I’d been picking the flowers myself. There was a nice spot I liked to get them from in one of the sunnier spots in the Everfree. Those plants produced the most beautifully intense red I’d ever encountered. Heckley decided that the prospect of a field trip made up for the late meal, and scarfed down the insects he preyed on.

I removed my tye-dyed saddlebags from the wardrobe while I was up there, as well as my plaid hat. After nearly losing it the other day, I’d made sure to put it back last night. I adjusted the saddlebags so I didn’t have to fool with them later, and returned downstairs. My stomach was complaining, so I fixed myself a quick breakfast. I gobbled up the muffin, topped off with a daisy and washed it all down with a glass of milk. Heckley was coming down just as I put the dishes in the sink. He moved with extreme grace, even down the stairs.

“You ready?” I was answered with an affirmative nod. I started down the hall, and didn’t even have to stop for him to board. Heckley shot up my foreleg as I passed, winding his way up until he was comfortably situated around my neck. Making sure the boys didn’t need anything, I started to flip the CLOSED sign around.

“What are you doing?” Spike called. They’d started by replenishing the missing inventory out front, and a couple of jars clanked as he set an additional sketchbook beside them. I winced, noticing how close the glass was being pushed to the edge. Was this a good idea after all? Maybe I shouldn’t leave them on their own. Caught up in these thoughts, it took me a moment to realize that he was addressing me.

“I’m just making sure nopony walks in on you,” I assured, flipping the sign over.

“Aw, you don’t have to worry about that, Acrylic,” Spike almost laughed, returning to his work of placing drawing pads.

“We’ll keep the shop open for you,” Blaze agreed, removing the broom from behind the counter.

“Are you boys sure about this?” I stiffened. Blaze had never handled such a large responsibility before. Come to think of it, I didn’t think Spike had either. Spike sometimes watched the library for Twilight, but that didn’t involve any exchange of money. And he didn’t really have to do much more than fill out a check out slip, either.

“Sure thing,” Blaze answered.

“It’ll be a piece of cake,” Spike assured, returning for more merchandise.

“Alright...” I slowly consented, thinking it over. “But in that case, let me give you a quick run-down of how the place works. The prices should already be labeled, but if they aren’t, there’s a catalogue here in the back that lists everything.” I briefly moved around to point out the volume.

“Got it,” Blaze nodded.

“Keep the money in the register, sorted like it’s labeled,” I directed.

“Okay,” Spike said.

“And just in case somepony comes in with an order, the forms are over here.”

“We got it!” Heckley slid off my back and impatiently waited at the door, looking at it pleadingly.

“Well, alright, if you’re sure you can handle it...”

“Easy peasy,” Spike boasted.

“In that case, I guess we’ll be off.”

“Bye!”

“See ya later!”

“Maybe Heckley should stay back with you. He knows the run of the place.” My snake didn’t take to that idea very well, and zipped out the mail slot before I could catch him.

“Don’t worry,” Spike insisted, pushing me out the door.

“Everything’s under control,” Blaze put in.

“Have a good time!”

“Take care!” Spike nudged me over the threshold, and shut the door on me. The CLOSED sign flipped around to read OPEN once more in the window. I sighed, and reluctantly walked down the hill to catch up to Heckley. I wished Torchwood hadn’t been out today. Then they could at least have some adult supervision. Perhaps Mom or Dad would come in early. There wasn’t much else I could do but fret. I shook myself out of it. At some point or another, I’d have to learn to trust him. Blaze was getting older. He could handle it. Spike was even with him. And after all, it was only for an hour. What was the worst that could happen? My heart dropped again as my wild imagination began playing worst case scenarios.

I finally found Heckley at the base of the slope, waiting under a tree not far from the Carousel Boutique. My snake didn’t dare cross the yard on his own, or at least not with the cat Opalescence around. I retrieved him, and we crossed together without incident.

Unlike Blaze, Heckley loved my flying. As a snake, it wasn’t often that he left the ground. He let his upper body stretch out, as though he was trying to stick his head out of an invisible window to catch the air. Occasionally, he’d even let his forked tongue hang out. I laughed at his unintentional antics. Out of all the pets in Equestria, I’d chosen a rather comical one. Perhaps the most ridiculous trait was that he liked to paint. With his tail. Yes, you heard me right. I didn’t even teach him to do that. He picked it up all on his own.

The flight seemed to go quickly, even gliding gently above the white, misty clouds. Their cool moisture tickled the undersides of my wings and dampened my coat. My thick mane frizzed out severely in the humidity, but I brushed it back into submission upon landing. There was a small clearing coming out of nowhere on the Southeast corner of the Everfree forest that looked completely out of place, so it wasn’t hard to find. It reminded me of a slice of swiss cheese with only one hole. It just didn’t look right. Unbalanced, even. Artisitc critique aside, it existed, and housed the plants I’d come looking for.

The last time I was standing here, the final rays of sunlight were washing over the valley as dusk descended. Perhaps the dim lighting had thrown off my perception of the clearing, because I thought I remembered more flowers existing before I arrived. There were just a few of the bushy plants growing on the edges now, instead of the dense swatch I recalled. Had I picked that many last time? I didn’t think such a quantity would even fit in my saddlebags, but I came up with no other explaination. I shrugged. It just meant I’d have to plant a couple of seeds if I wanted to keep using them for paint.

Heckley finally slid off when I came to a stop before one of the plants. It was very bushy with deep red blooms. I almost regretted that I had to grind up the petals for pigment, it was so pretty. I’d have to get a few of these to plant out front. Heckley looked to me, awaiting instruction.

“Alright, Heckley. I want you to start by gathering as many of these blooms as you can. Not the whole plant, but just the blooms. Got it?” He hissed affirmation, and snaked off into the deeper part of the forest where they grew a little more densely. Meanwhile, I hung back to begin uprooting some of the larger, healthier plants. I hadn’t brought any pots with me, so I’d just have to be careful with the roots and hope they lasted the trip. I didn’t know much about plants to know what else I could do for them. I gently placed them in the left saddlebag. Once I decided there were enough, I just went after the blossoms. These were deposited in the right side.

I filled up half of the pouch on my own, but Heckley hadn’t yet returned. I snapped the top closed so the wind couldn’t gather up any of my harvest, and looked around. A snake wouldn’t be too easy to spot in this tall overgrowth, but it would be especially impossible in the shadowy Everfree. He hadn’t gotten lost, had he? This wasn’t a very well known area to me, but I didn’t think there were any Everfree creatures settled this region. Still, that didn’t mean they weren’t out there.

“Heckley?” I took a few uneasy steps towards the trees, but stopped dead in my tracks when memories of my last manticore encounter flashed through my mind. I really, really didn’t want to go through that again. And this time, no pony could come to my rescue. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. But how else was I supposed to find my pet?

“What do you think you’re doing? Shoo! Get away!” An angry voice echoed through the trees. It sounded like a pony. But who would be this far out, in the Everfree, no less? I suddenly forgot about the risk of facing off with monsters. Not many ponies were entirely comfortable around snakes. There was a good chance Heckley could be the cause of the outburst. If so, he could be in real danger.

I trampled any of the brush in my way, sprinting for the source of the voice. As it turned out, I didn’t get far before nearly colliding with a tall, forest green stallion. He had a short, navy mane brushed back and out of the way, streaked with slender waves of lime green. His tail looked even shorter, being as thin as it was. His eyes were blue to match the majority of his hair. His muzzle was more narrow than most stallions, and shaggy hair failed to completely obscure midnight blue hooves. A tree stump with an axe embedded in its side was displayed on his hide. He wore a leather, bark-colored vest with pockets filled with everything and anything he could stuff inside. He jolted at the sight of me, but I even more so at him. Dragon wings caught my eye. Thestrals were popping up everywhere!

“Oh! Excuse me, Ma’am,” he stuttered, backing away to give me space.

“No, you’re fine; it was my fault. I’m sorry.” I knew this stallion hadn’t been the source of the cry, because the voice I heard belonged to a female.

“Get out of here!” the voice shrieked again. Without so much as a glance at the other, we both took off running in the same direction. This time, I really did collide with someone, that someone being Heckley. He was flying out of the bush, somehow propelling himself into the air. He smacked into my throat and sheer momentum curled him around my neck. The sudden impact caused me to jerk, throwing myself off balance and tumbling back down to the ground. I bowled into the stallion’s legs again, but he somehow managed to maintain his footing and nimbly jump to the side. He wasn’t safe yet, as another figure charged from the woods. This flying form didn’t see us in time, and tripped on me, sending the three of us sprawling. Through all of it, the green stallion somehow remained untouched in the end.

I released an audiable groan in perfect sync with Heckley’s pursuer. My world was too fuzzy to make out anything, so I shut my eyes and rubbed my head.

“Are you girls alright?” the stallion wondered. The hoofsteps sounded near, though they were cushioned by the many layers of foliage scattered on the ground.

“Fine, Cedar,” the mare moaned. I finally let my eyes flutter open, and looked around for Heckley. He was fine, aside from being tangled in my forehooves. I brushed him off, and began picking myself up.

“Sis?” my companion gasped. My eyes shot open. I hadn’t yet gotten a good look at the second pony.

“WILD FLOWER!” I brought the both of us right back down to the ground as I tackled her in a hug. She’d been moving to do the same, and we met halfway so one didn’t land on top of the other. My sister had a bright teal coat and a natural chocolate mane. She kept it short and straight, hanging just low enough to brush her shoulders with bangs that bobbed up above her matching brown eyes. Her tail was allowed to become more wispy than a bob, and kept it a little longer. She was just shorter than me. Her cutie mark showed two pinecones, one upright and the other leaning on its side with a bright white daisy planted between them. Like me, she was a thestral.

“What’re you doing out here?”

“Looking for you, Mom and Dad! I heard thestrals were moving back, and couldn’t find you!”

“Mom and Dad are with me in Ponyville! I brought them back yesterday. We were looking for you!”

“How are they?”

“Fine, but worried about you. Where’d you go? I didn’t know you moved away from the encampment until yesterday. What’s the big idea, moving away and not even visiting me?”

“I ended up in Baltimare, but I did look for you. You moved to Appleloosa, didn’t you?”

“No, no, no! Ponyville!”

“But you said it was the closest town to the Everfree.”

“On the north side,” I groaned. “You went south.”

“Oh. That makes more sense.” The stallion with us awkwardly cleared his throat. I’d almost forgotten that he was there. We both turned to him. “Oh, right. Uh, Acrylic, meet Cedar. Cedar, meet my sister, Acrylic.”

“Elder sister, to be exact,” I clarified, stepping up to shake his hoof. “Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he formally nodded.

“YOU!” Wild Flower’s eyes locked onto my back where Heckley was still recovering. She started to lunge, but I interrupted her not only to protect Heckley but also to keep her from bowling me over again. I’d ended up on the ground once too many times as it was.

“Hold it right there, Missy.”

“But it’s-”

“He is my pet.” She froze for a minute, then straightened, nose wrinkled.

“That’s just like you, Acrylic. A cold, slimy snake as a pet?”

“He’s not cold and slimy, he’s cool and smooth. There’s a difference. It’s called texture.”

“Ah, yes. The artist knows all about that, doesn’t she?”

“She does. And what would the fru-fru flower girl choose as a pet, if not a snake?”

“I am not fru-fru! And I just so happen to have a beautiful hummingbird. Hey, where is Honeysuckle? And Nova, for that matter?”

“Is everypony okay? I heard yelling,” a voice wheezed. I looked up to the heavy flapping, and reeled back. She had a dragon companion too?

This youngster was Spike and Blaze’s age, perhaps slightly older. His scales were midnight blue, where a lime green underbelly stuck out like a sore hoof. His slightly rounded spines almost matched Spike’s, though these were colored a far more vibrant green. They were just a little shorter than Spike’s, too, and stretched all the way down to the base of his tail. His ears were blue like the rest of him, ending in three clean points. His tail was fashioned in a similar manner, ending not in a spade but three small, grabby tendrils. Two friendly lemon-lime eyes looked down at me from a branch above. Unlike Blaze, this dragon was already flying. Though they were about the same age, I didn’t realize how much taller this hatchling stood until he straightened up from the crouched position on the branch. He was at least a head higher than either Spike or Blaze, and was much slimmer than either. This contributed to his older appearance, but he still probably wouldn’t reach the height of Torchwood’s knees.

Suddenly, a tiny hummingbird dropped out of the sky beside the dragon. It was a beautiful green and red bird small enough to perch on one of my ears. A long, slender beak reached out from adorable puffy cheeks. It looked at me and chirped in greeting. I cocked my head in reply. In finally flitted down do land on Wild Flower’s head. She didn’t flinch under the weight. The bird was so tiny I doubted she even noticed her presence. I looked back up at the dragon, who was quizzically staring me down.

“Nova, get down here,” Wild Flower called. The blue dragon I assumed must be Nova flapped down and landed neatly. He shambled up to Wild Flower, unintimidated but curious. “Nova, this is my sister.” His eyes widened, and his lips pursed into an ‘O’ shape with realization.

“You’re Acrylic!”

“That’s right. Nova, isn’t it?”

“The one and only!”

“See? You two’ll get along fine. You like dragons, right Acrylic?”

“Of course! I have a little friend of my own, now.”

“You have a dragon companion?” Wild Flower gasped in disbelief.

“Is that so hard to believe?” I sniffed.

“Kinda... yeah.”

“How cool is that?” Nova exclaimed.

“He’s about your age, too,” I added. “His name’s Blaze. And I have a friend who has a dragon assistant, too. His name’s Spike. Goodness! We’re going to have a whole troop of you guys hanging around town!”

“Awesome!”

“Where’d you get a dragon?”

“Blaze is Ignition’s youngest.”

“Ignition! Well, that explains it.” Nova interrupted us.

“Wild Flower told me all about you. You’re a really good artist, by the way. She showed me some pictures you did of her flowers.”

“You kept those?” I grinned, giving her a teasing look.

“Well, what else was I supposed to do with them? Besides, I needed something to decorate the house with. To be honest, I was pretty overwhelmed at first. Those pony cottages sure are bigger than the thestral tents back home.”

“So you really did move. Mom and Dad told me so, but I had a hard time believing it. So Baltimare, eh? You didn’t go too far from home, either. That’s a fairly big city. You’re probably living on the outskirts in the country, am I right?”

“You know me. Nothing will pry me from my flowers. Not even that nuissance you call a pet.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your snake was trying to steal my autumn sage!”

“You mean these red blooms?” I held one up that was still stuck in her mane.

“Yes, those.”

“Well technically, they’re not yours. They were growing wild when I found them. And secondly, don’t blame Heckley. I asked him to help me gather them. They make great paint pigment, you know.”

“You’re grinding them into pigment?!”

“What’s wrong? Are they endangered are something?”

“Well... no... but they’re so pretty! How could you do such a thing?”

“Where else am I supposed to get my pigment, from beets and berries?”

“I’ve seen you do it before.”

“Not for the quality stuff, you knucklehead.” I pulled her into a noogie before it evolved into a hug. I let out a loud sigh. “I missed you.” Finally, she hugged me back.

“I missed you too.” The pony Cedar shifted again.

“Pardon me? I’m very happy for you both, but could we possibly move things along? The silence in the Everfree is making me... uneasy.”

“The quiet bugs you?”

“Have you ever heard the Everfree forest completely devoid of all sound?”

“Good point. Come on, everyone. I’ll take you all to Ponyville.”

Chapter 8: Storm Family Reunion

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 10: Rehearsal

Chapter 10
Rehearsal

The Princess was delighted that we accepted her offer, and promised to be in Ponyville three days prior to the wedding for the rehearsal. The two months since we first received word from them flew by. Everypony’s attire had been completed, Wild Flower promised that the newly grown flowers looked gorgeous, and Applejack had stocked up a surplus of apples that was more than adequate to cover the wedding’s catering needs.

I had been excited for the wedding up until now. It wasn’t dread per say, but nervousness was putting me on edge. Perhaps that was why I looked up at the royal chariot with an emotion close to loathing on the day their highnesses had appointed for their arrival. I was wondering if I could slip back inside my house and pretend I didn’t notice their approach when the horns blew. The royal guardsponies were making sure nopony could ignore this grand entrance. I let out an audible sigh. With Torchwood out with Mr. Cake and Blaze and Spike out with visiting Nova, I was left to shamble down the road myself.

Fortunately, I wasn’t alone. As usual, Twilight was the first to arrive to greet her mentor, and beat me there.

“Princess Celestia!” she cried, practically leaping at the Princess. Celestia accepted her into a warm embrace.

“Princess Twilight, it is so good to see you again!”

“Princess Luna!”

“Greetings, Princess Twilight,” the moon princess thrummed. “It is good to be with you and your friends for this momentous occasion.”

“Where is the bride-to-be?” Celestia questioned. I picked up my pace, the resulting hoofbeats attracting their attention.

“Here, your highness,” I bowed.

“There is no need for such formality,” Celestia chuckled. “It is your special day that brought us here today, after all.” I righted myself at this, looking slightly baffled. I didn’t think our wedding entitled me to special privileges. In fact, it shouldn’t have. Were they still trying to make up for their actions concerning the thestrals?

A crowd of townsponies had formed to greet the Princesses. Torchwood soon pushed his way to the front of the swarm with the three young dragons.

“Your majesty,” he bowed in greeting. “We are so glad you could make it!”

“It is good to be here, Torchwood. Sister and I greatly appreciate being invited to your wedding,” Luna smiled.

“I must say, young Blaze, you have become quite a talented secretary,” Celestia complimented, turning to my young friend.

“Me?” he blushed.

“And you have done an excellent job of teaching him, Spike,” she went on.

“Aw, thanks, Princess!”

“Now, who is this?” Luna moved a few paces forward to stand beside her sister.

“I’m Nova,” the blue dragon introduced.

“He’s my sister’s dragon friend,” I explained.

“I would very much like to make her acquaintance,” Luna commented.

“You will soon enough,” I promised. “She’s my mare of honor.”

“Splendid!”

“Now, where are all your other friends?”

“Right here, your Highnesses!” AJ called, leading the rest of our troop through the gathered swarm.

“And your sister?”

“Back at her house, still preparing the flowers,” I rolled my eyes. “She refuses to even pick them until the day before, insisting that they’ll wilt overnight.”

“She must be very dedicated to her plants.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Well, come on, everypony. We have a wedding to rehearse.” Celestia and Luna took the lead, accompanied by Twilight. I joined up with Torchwood, but we soon scrambled to the front to direct them to the site chosen for the ceremony.

We ended up in Ponyville Park, where Torchwood had taken me out on our first date. The pews had already been arranged, thanks to Big Mac, and the archway and stage had been erected. They still lacked Wild Flower’s trademark blooms, of course. Tall poles lined the outer edge of the pews, each topped with a bowl of kindling we would ignite with our fire before the ceremony. Rarity had taken in upon herself to line the flower boxes and pews with magnificent shimmering, silky ribbon. Some had been left over for the archway, but they would be added later, so long as there was still room after the flowers were installed. Two ‘changing rooms’ had been set up a fair distance from the stage in rather large tents. I had objected to setting up so early until the pegasi promised to reschedule the rainy weather for after the wedding.

“Will your sister not be along for rehearsal?” Luna questioned. I couldn’t help but note her persistence on the subject.

“I thought she was coming. Did she say anything to you, Nova?”

“She was still coming, the last I heard,” the dragon offered.

“Graphite Sketch and Cedar promised to be here, too,” Torchwood added, brow furrowed in worry.

“Wild Flower and Cedar will probably arrive together.”

“We didn’t give anypony a set time. Maybe they’re still on their way?”

“The sun has not even reached its peak. There is still time,” Celestia commented.

“I’m sorry to make you wait, Princess,” Twilight sighed with a slight grumble. “I thought we’d be a bit more organized than this.”

“It is quite alright, Princess Twilight. I hope you do not mind, Acrylic and Torchwood,” Celestia went on, “but we have invited guests of our own. They have not yet arrived, either.”

“Oh?” I stiffened. Torchwood was a little on edge at this, but didn’t let the Princesses know.

“Who?” he politely inquired.

“We’re so sorry for being late,” a rushed voice puffed. I almost jumped. That voice was all too familiar. We all turned to face Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence, as she liked to be called, along with her husband Shining Armor.

“Princess!” Our respectful bows to the High Princesses had been denied the first time, so nopony even tried now. The newcomers received nods of acknowledgement and warm smiles from all around instead.

“Cadence! Shining Armor!” Twilight bounded up to greet her brother and sister-and-law.

“Twily!” Shining Armor grinned, hugging his sister.

“Your Highness,” I nodded, stepping forward with Torch to greet our guests.

“Please, call me Cadence,” she warmly corrected.

“Because Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were also recently married, I thought that perhaps they could provide you with advice, if you so wish,” Celestia spoke up.

“I would be happy to!” Cadence exclaimed.

“Believe me, it’s not as hard as it looks,” Shining Armor chuckled to Torchwood. The way he grinned back told me that they would hit it off well.

“It looks like we’ll have plenty of time before the last of our company arrives,” Celestia noted. “Shall we meet back here at three o’ clock? That should give them plenty of time.”

“As you wish, Princess.” Everypony dispersed, most following the Princesses. Shining Armor headed out with Torch, the girls followed either Celestia or Luna, and even the dragons took it upon themselves to look for our missing members. Finally, Cadence and I were the only two left. She smiled back at me, and I found my cheeks growing hot with embarrassment in the ensuing awkward silence. The last time I saw Cadence was on her wedding day, when Chrysalis tried to take over and I exposed the thestral race. That had been a mess.

“I don’t think I got the chance to congratulate you personally,” she finally spoke up.

“Oh! Thank you, your Highness,” I stuttered, finally blushing. She noticed this, and softly giggled.

“You know, you don’t have to be so formal with me,” she said, turning and walking down the road. I dashed to catch up. “In fact, I’m honored to be able to attend.”

“You are?” I exclaimed. That stopped her in her tracks.

“Of course! Is that so surprising?”

“Well... the last time I was at your wedding, I kind of... crashed it...”

“Don’t be silly! Chrysalis did that all on her own. But you were so brave, to stand up to her the way you did. I was actually quite disappointed when you couldn’t make the real wedding.”

“Even though I’m a thestral?”

“What difference does it make what kind of pony you are?”

“Well... none anymore, I guess...”

“Look, I heard what happened before, with the whole transformation fiasco. For what it’s worth, I vouched for you from the beginning. You couldn’t help what kind of pony breed you were, but you could choose what kind of pony you are inside. I only saw goodness in you. When Princess Celestia passed her sentence, I know she wasn’t passing her sentence on you. All she could see were the evil thestrals she fought in the past, but not you. You did well- even my husband thinks so, and he’s the captain of the royal guard!”

“Thank you, Princess,” I sniffled.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

“No, no, it’s good,” I chuckled through watery eyes. “It’s happy crying.” I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to hug royalty, but it didn’t matter when she wrapped a hoof around me first. I laughed off the tears, taking care not to let any fall onto her coat. It was embarrassing enough to have an emotional breakdown in front of the Princess.

“Wait, where are we going?” I wondered, realizing that we’d stopped in the middle of the road.

“I hoped you knew,” Cadence laughed.

“You took the lead!” I protested with a giggle.

“Well, why don’t you take me back to your house? I’d love to see more of your paintings. If that’s alright with you, of course. I don’t want to impose.”

“I’d be happy to! This way.”

After that, Cadence and I became fast friends. Torchwood and Shining Armor got along splendidly as well. This was much to the Princesses’ delight, of course.

Graphite arrived at Ponyville Inn around noon, but we eventually had to send Rainbow out after Wild Flower. She was the fastest of us all, and I was needed to stay back and clear up last minute details, or I’d have gone out with her. My frazzled sister was finally dragged back, still complaining about how the flowers needed to be misted with water again in half an hour. Cedar, as I had guessed, came with her, still trying to assure her that the blooms would be fine. Otherwise, rehearsal went smoothly. Even I had to admit that it did help to alleviate a few of the knots in my stomach.

Graphite Sketch and Torchwood got to catch up after rehearsal, and Torch dragged Cedar along to introduce everypony. Shining Armor wasn’t about to miss out, and tagged along. As soon as we were finished, Wild Flower zoomed back off to Baltimare, grumbling about how the flowers would surely be wilted by the time she got back. Luna, especially, seemed rather disappointed at her sudden disappearance. I knew there would be no holding my sister back once she had her mind set on something. I did, however, assure the Princess that if she was willing to put up with my sister and possibly be set to work in the greenhouse, she was welcome to follow her. Cadence, on the other hoof, wanted in on helping to plan the bachelorette party, and got together with the rest of the girls.

Since I had been booted out of the party planning group, I decided to accompany Luna to my sister’s house. Perhaps the tension could be lessened that way. Luna was delighted that I would be going with her, and began to prepare her royal chariot. I declined, saying that I’d rather fly myself. At this, she too abandoned the escort and waited for me to take the lead. I was quite apprehensive about taking the Princess to my sister’s house, mostly because I hadn’t yet been myself. With all the wedding planning, I’d only gotten as far as to keep in touch through letters via dragon mail. How embarrassing it would look when I had to ask for the address of my own sister! Fortunately, I didn’t have to.

I knew she would prefer to live on the outskirts of the city, and the greenhouse stuck out like a sore hoof amongst the other empty fields. The vivid flora surrounding the place was breathtaking. I knew my sister had a way with flowers, but in the Everfree, she’d never been able to come close to accomplishing anything like this.

Flying overhead, I noted the L shape of a simple house with two entrances. Like me, she’d build a shop directly into the rest of her home in the last room of the longer part of the L. Glass doors led directly into the flower shop, while a sturdy wooden one sealed the other entrance. I assumed that was her front door. The whole property was encased in a homely wood fence, a modest gate starting the cobblestone path to the front door but an elegant archway announcing the way to the flower shop. A sign that read ‘Wild Gardens’ was posted at the top. Of course, the flowers around the yard were the crown jewel of the place. Flower trellises were set up along the length of the house, where creeping flowers seemed to wind their way up the walls. The smaller flowers were closest to the paths with the larger, fuller plants flaring out further away. There was every color imaginable displayed here, but still maintaining a beautiful balance.

Luna and I trotted up to the glass doors to her shop, as we saw her already working inside. I knocked on the glass to let her know we were here. She looked up from the watering can, and froze. I started pushing the door open, but she zoomed up and held it open for us. Luna followed me inside.

“Hey, Wild Flower. I’d like you to meet-”

“Acrylic, can I talk to you for a second?” I didn’t get the chance to say anything when she caught me in a headlock and dragged me off.

“What was that for?” I gasped when she finally released me. I’d been deposited in one of the back rooms. It looked like the bedroom.

“WHAT DID YOU BRING HER HERE FOR?!” she quietly seethed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Princess Luna. Is in. MY SHOP!”

“So?”

“Royalty is in my shop!”

“Yes, we’ve established that, thanks.”

“What do I say? What do I do? You couldn’t even give me a head’s up?”

“Wild Flower, it’s just Luna, not a health inspector.”

“Don’t call her by her first name! You’ll get us into so much trouble!”

“But... she likes being called Luna,” I protested. Wild Flower nervously whined, dancing on the spot.

“You know how shy I am,” she whimpered.

“You? Shy?” I almost laughed. “You welcomed yourself to my friends just fine.”

“Yeah, because you were there and I was really giddy and excited. Plus, they were really, really nice. But I’m not usually like that!”

“Would you calm down? Luna has been looking forward to meeting you since the wedding rehearsal, but didn’t get a chance because you ran off so fast. She personally requested that we come.”

“No, no, no,” Wild Flower groaned.

“Stop stressing and get back out there. I’ll introduce you.” I practically had to drag my sister out by her tail, but when we came upon the doors, forced her to her hooves for her dignity’s sake. “Luna, I’d like you to meet my sister, Wild Flower. Wild Flower, Luna.”

“Charmed,” Luna greeted. My sister was petrified. I nudged her.

“Say ‘hi,’ Wild Flower.”

“Hi,” she squeaked.

“You have no reason to fear me, Wild Flower,” Luna warmly beamed. “I am no longer Nightmare Moon.”

“You were NIGHTMARE MOON?!” Wild Flower screeched. I face-hoofed.

“Yes...” Luna softly and uneasily admitted. “But no more. The Elements of Harmony... cleansed me, as it were.”

“I see...” Wild Flower mumbled, still wide-eyed.

“Wild Flower? Why don’t you show us around? I hope the wedding flowers didn’t get too wilted in the whole hour you were gone,” I teasingly prompted.

“Oh! Right! Sure! They’re in the back.” We were promptly whisked through yet another back door I hadn’t noticed and into a garden. We strode across a stone walkway to get to a private greenhouse, separate from the rest of the garden. The flowers I requested for the wedding seemed to be all that was growing here! I was overwhelmed by the surplus of orange, blue and white.

“Oh, Wild Flower, they’re perfect!” I exclaimed.

“They are beautiful,” Luna crooned, examining one of the blooms in more detail.

“Thank you, your Highness.”

“Luna,” she reminded.

“Luna,” Wild Flower hastily corrected. “Thank you, Luna. Now, Acrylic? I wanted to run some baby’s breath by you. I know you didn’t request it, but I think it would look really good with some of the arrangements.”

“I, too, have a request to make,” Luna interjected.

“Yes?” Wild Flower and I exchanged glances.

“Sister and I would like to make an announcement at the reception.”

“What kind of announcement?”

“I trust that rumors of a permanent solution to thestrals’ placement have reached Ponyville?”

“Yes,” I admitted, recalling the bit of information relayed to me during one of my conversations with Rarity.

“They are not rumors, but fact.”

“How wonderful!” Wild Flower excitedly squealed, forgetting that she was standing before the moon Princess.

“We would like to announce our plans at your wedding,” she finally concluded.

“How amazing would that be?!” Wild Flower burst. “Everypony would remember your wedding!”

“But they might not remember that it was a wedding,” I pointed out.

“What in Equestria is that supposed to mean? That’s the whole point!”

“I’m just worried that this event is changing from a wedding celebration to a promotional advertisement. First, the Princesses are coming... not that I’m not flattered you could make it. Really, Luna, it’s an honor, but just the fact that you’re attending is attracting attention.”

“I’m afraid I’m not following you,” Luna fretted.

“To put it bluntly, Princess Luna, I want this to be remembered as our wedding, not the Princesses’ big announcement.”

“I see,” Luna coolly stated. As the moon princess, she always spoke in a formal, almost cold tone of voice. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but now her words seemed piercing, almost threatening. As always, her expression remained neutral, providing no other hint as to what she was thinking.

“I do hope you understand,” I timidly added.

“Of course. It is your decision to make,” she nodded. “Although, I hardly believe it is a decision to be made on your own. I do urge you to speak with Torchwood about the matter.”

“I-I will, Princess.”

“Luna,” she corrected yet again with a smile. I shook my head and chided myself.

“Of course, Luna.”

“Are you ready to go?” Princess Cadence called, knocking on the door.

“Just a minute,” I replied. I finished organizing the last of the supplies on the shelf, and opened the door. With a smile, Cadence turned to walk me to the bachelorette party. I shot a tired, crooked grin back.

“Are you alright?” she asked as we headed out.

“Yeah,” I yawned, shaking myself back to alertness. “It’s just all this stress from the wedding. I can’t believe it’s tomorrow! It all happened so fast!”

“I felt the same way with our wedding,” Cadence sighed, recalling the fond memory. Then her brow furrowed. “Of course, until Chrysalis showed up.”

“Right,” I solemnly agreed. Then, Cadence began to laugh.

“Though I’m sure your wedding will go far more smoothly than mine did. Now, cheer up! Tonight, you get to forget about the wedding, and just relax!”

“You make it sound easy,” I chuckled.

“It’ll all fall into place, I promise,” she assured.

“Not everything. I still haven’t gotten used to the idea of royalty attending, and Torch and I still haven’t come to a final decision on Princess Luna’s proposal...”

“Oh? What proposal?” I released a heavy-hearted sigh.

“She wants to make a big announcement at the reception about thestral relocation.”

“How wonderful!” When I didn’t burst into excited clamoring along with her, she added, “It is wonderful, isn’t it?”

“Sure, by itself it’s fantastic news. But I’m not so sure I want it announced at our wedding. I want it to be remembered as a wedding, and not an advertising event, you know?” Cadence’s eyes grew a little wider, seeming to catch on instantly.

“I understand completely.”

“Really?”

“Of course! You’re right, it is a wedding, not a royal conference. You and your husband should be the focus, not some big announcement. I’m sure the Princesses will understand.”

“I’m glad you think so, because when I told that to Luna, she didn’t seem to want to let it go.”

“Well, have you told Princess Celestia?”

“I don’t think I’d have better luck with her, either. We were originally going to have Mayor Mare conduct the ceremony, but Celestia pushed for that, too. Don’t get me wrong; I’m honored they thought of us, but I just feel like they’re planning it for us.”

“They may be royalty, but they can’t take over your wedding for you,” Cadence pointed out. “Why don’t we go clear things up with them tomorrow? I’ll even go with you.”

“Would you, really?”

“Of course! What are friends for?”

“Thank you,” I sighed in relief.

“It’s no problem at all,” she smiled. “Now do you think you can enjoy yourself at the party?”

“It’s possible,” I jokingly winked. It was just in time, for we had already arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, which had been rented out for the event. Cadence held the door open for me, and we both entered the bustling building.

Chapter 11: Thestral Wedding

Chapter 11
A Thestral Wedding

After a long night of partying and forgetting all my cares, morning came with a landslide of painful realization. I was getting married. Today.

My hooves felt heavy, and it was a chore just to drag myself to the bathroom to wash up. Married. The idea itself was a happy, even soothing notion. But the thought of actually going through with the ceremony wracked me to the bone. I loved Torchwood more than anypony. I knew deep down that we were made for each other, and I’d do anything for him- even something as terrifying as this. That didn’t mean I had to like it, though.

Nerves were getting the better of me, and I was trembling all the way to the front door. I was all alone in the house- my parents were too excited to get a wink of sleep, and left early. Blaze had stayed the night at Torchwood’s with Spike, Nova and Cedar so they could all be ready. Twilight offered to host a sleepover at the library, where we had moved to complete the party when Sugar Cube Corner closed up, but I preferred to get a good night’s rest in my own bed. Even so, I hadn’t gotten more than a couple of hours, and it showed on my dishievaled appearance. At least the wedding wasn’t until this evening- Torchwood and I both wanted to close the ceremony with a moonlit kiss. Hmm... on that note, perhaps it couldn’t hurt to catch a few extra winks.

“Hellooooo?” The door squeaked open, and the irratic bouncing of hooves told me that Pinkie was in the lobby. I released a heavy sigh, which only attracted her attention. So much for that idea. Pinkie’s reflection appeared in the mirror, and sure enough, her head poked through the doorway. Our eyes locked, and I hadn’t even opened my mouth to say something when she gave me a mamoth hug and squealed. “Oh! I’m just so so super duper excited for you! I can’t believe you’re actually getting married!” Her tight grip around my neck loosened slightly, and I managed to twist around enough to see her eyes water. “You’re all grown up now,” she sniffled.

“Pinkie, I’ve been grown up,” I irritably reminded, batting her away. I didn’t like to deal with Pinkie’s antics until after noon.

“Oh, I know, silly,” she giggled. “But this is HUGE! Ponies aren’t the same after they get married! You’ll start acting a lot like him, and he’ll act a lot like you to the point where it’s scary! I hope we’ll still be able to tell you apart!”

“Of course you’ll be able to tell us apart. But we are going to be living together,” I pointed out. “It’s only natural for us to start picking up one anothers’ habits.”

“We’ll see.”

“Are you guys ready?” Twilight.

“Ready for what?”

“The spa date we arranged, darling!”

“I guess she’s so excited about the wedding she forgot.”

“It’s six in the morning! The spa isn’t going to be open.”

“It will be for us! I had to pull a few strings, but the place is all ours this morning!”

“Not just yet.”

“Princess Cadence?”

“I think there’s something Acrylic wants to get off her chest before any of that.”

“There is?”

“There is?” I echoed in wonder. I wracked my foggy brain for answers. My pupils shrunk to pinpricks of fear, and my stomach knotted again. I’d almost forgotten about Luna.

“There they are. Go on, now. We’re right behind you.” All my friends had walked me to Ponyville Park, where the Princesses were already consulting with their skeleton crew of escorts about security. This wasn’t something for me to take on alone- Torchwood had met up with us just for this part of the morning. We had time for little else but a nuzzle in greeting before we happened upon the royal sisters. I took a shaky breath to steady myself. Torchwood laid his head over mine.

“Don’t worry,” he comfortingly crooned. “They’ll understand.”

“I know. It’s just the idea of telling the Princesses what they can and can’t do that’s getting to me.”

“Just think. After this, you can relax all day until the ceremony. Then, you’re all mine.”

“I like the sound of that.” He gave me one last peck before the royal sisters noticed us. We were accompanied by our entire train, though they stayed their distance to let us handle it.

“Ah! My dear bride and groom! What brings you here so early? I understood that the wedding is not to be conducted until later in the evening.”

“That’s right, your Highness. We’re here about Luna’s proposal.”

“I see,” the moon princess stepped forward. “So you have both considered my suggestion. And? What have you decided?” Torchwood and I exchanged final glances.

“Respectfully, Princess Luna, no.”

“We want it to stay a wedding,” I spoke up. Though she didn’t seem at all offended, I felt the need to explain myself.

“We want it to be our day, not a day for all thestrals.”

“Normally, I don’t mind sharing, but this... this is something we want to keep to ourselves.”

“I guess what we’re trying to say is, let the announcement be a celebration in itself. So thank you, but no.”

“It’s alright, you needn’t explain yourselves. I completely understand.”

“You do?” There was no hint of the coolness from before, or even disappointment in Luna’s voice. Mine, on the other hoof, reeked of surprise.

“Of course I do. Naturally, you want this to remain a private event. I did not think you would be the type who would accept such formalities, but sister and I agreed we must at least give you the choice.”

“I- I just... thank you, your Highness.”

“Is this so surprising?” Luna almost chuckled.

“I guess... I don’t know. Maybe this sounds foolish, but when you made a request from us...”

“I think what Acrylic’s trying to say,” Torchwood stepped in to help me out. “When such an honor was extended to us- from the royal sisters, no less- there was a good deal of pressure. I suppose that for a while, we forgot the choice was ours.”

“In no way did we mean to press anything on you this special occasion,” Celestia interjected. “I’m sorry. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable in any way. As you have said, this is your celebration. We may be royalty, but we’ve come to your wedding as your friends.” I smiled in relief at the way things were unrolling. “And so, with your consent, I would like to return the honor of conducting the ceremony to Mayor Mare.”

“ME?!” the mayor shrieked from the nearest tent where she was organizing last minute preparations.

“Oh, your Highness, please don’t feel compelled to-”

“I do feel compelled to make sure your wedding goes exactly as you originally wanted. I would not feel comfortable knowing I may have influenced your decision. Now I shall let you decide for yourselves how you want your wedding to be organized.” I looked to Torchwood.

“Do you still want our fairytale wedding?”

“As long as you’re up there with me at the altar, my life is already a fairytale.” He lovingly rubbed noses with me. My heart fluttered.

“Then I hope it is not too much to ask, Mayor Mare, that you take on this responsibility at such late notice?”

“It would be my honor, your Highness!”

“Excellent! Now, my little ponies, we have a wedding to put on!” Our large circle of friends cheered as their majesties looked on, beaming ear-to-ear. I was about ready to melt in my own relief.

“Well, come on! We still have exclusive spa time.”

“And we have plans of our own with Torch.”

“See you at the altar?”

“I’ll be there.” He lightly kissed my lips as we parted. I felt like I was walking on air.

I was pacing in the ‘dressing room’ set up in one of the tents. Rarity had just left to find her seat after fixing my hair- the mangy, unmanageable locks had been subdued by her fashion taste, forced into luscious curls and a beautiful braid. Not one wrinkle was visible on the dress, and even the satin slippers to go with it didn’t seem to have a speck of dirt on them. Of course, if I kept up this pacing, they wouldn’t stay that way for long.

“Don’t worry,” Cadence tried to soothe. “I was in your horseshoes too, not all that long ago. It’ll all be fine.”

“I know,” I repeated for the hundredth time. “But it’s finally happening. I’m about to be married! I’ll be the happiest pony in the world when it’s over with, but I have to get through the ceremony first.”

“Forget about all the other ponies,” Cadence advised. “Just focus on him, and you’ll be fine.”

“Is it really that simple?”

“He’s the only one that matters to you right now. Why bother yourself with the rest of them?”

“Thanks, Cadence. You’ve been such a big help to me through all this.”

“Don’t mention it. Now, I’d better go find my seat. You’re on in five!” With a final ‘good luck’ wink, she left me.

I glanced at my reflection once more in the mirror. My friends had gone to great pains to make sure I’d look my best for this moment. A long treatment at the spa had been rather rejuvenating, but the steam from the hot tub had caused my mane to frizz up. That led to a painfully long styling appointment. I suppose it’d all been worth it in the end- my hair was finely braided and curled, with flowers woven into it at Wild Flower’s request. Now just a hint of blue eyeliner coated my eyelids, making my sapphire blue eyes stand out. A light coating of makeup had been brushed over my other features, though if they really did anything to enhance my appearance, I couldn’t tell. It sure did itch, though.

“Are you ready?” My father had appeared at the tent’s opening, fitted in a smart tux to receive me.

“Is it time already?” I shakily smiled, slowly making my way up to him.

“It is,” he hummed, wrapping one hoof around mine. I turned to set off for the aisle, but he held me back a moment. I was instantly pulled into one last embrace. “You’re not my little girl anymore,” he softly wept.

“Dad,” I happily sniffled. “I’ll always be your little girl.” He pulled himself away so we could get going.

“I love you,” he smiled. This was the first time I’d ever really seen him cry.

“I love you too.” He looked me over, gently pulling the veil over my eyes.

“Shall we?”

“Yes.”

It was getting late- the sky was purple, signifying that it was dusk. I was led up the hill, where I could see the edge of the red carpet. Once there, we momentarily stopped, giving the flower girls a head start and cuing Octavia to start the music. I felt all their eyes on me, and quietly gulped. Slight movement caught my eye to the left, which turned out to be Cadence waving at me. A reassuring wink reminded me of her advice. I closed my eyes, and with a shaky breath, focused my attention to the stage. She was right; once I locked eyes with Torchwood, I forgot all else. A smile escaped from my lips, and I held my head a little higher. Once Dad parted to find a seat beside Mother, I couldn’t help that I picked up the pace for the last few steps.

My parents sat in the front row to the left, with Torchwood’s to the right. The rest of our friends were scattered throughout the rest of the pews, though Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor all had specially reserved seating even further to the right. My bridesmaids lined the left side, and Torch’s groomscolts backed him from the right. The flower girls filed off to the side, and I noted our ring bearer Blaze hovering between Torch and the Mayor. Torchwood tenderly lifted the veil, revealing my damp, happy eyes.

“Mares and Gentlecolts,” the mayor began. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Acrylic Storm and Torchwood. Against all odds, they found each other in a world where neither should have ever even existed. Yet their love grew and blossomed, and even brought thestral kind back to us. They are undeniably meant for one another, and though their hearts have already merged, tonight’s ceremony authenticates this wonderous union. May we have the rings, please?” Blaze dutifully stepped forward, offering the rings on a cushion. Twilight and Rarity were the only two unicorns on stage, so they split the responsibility of delivering the rings. Again, they hung from silver chains. Mine, surrounded by Twilight’s pink aura, was deposited around my neck, and Torchwood’s, suspended by Rarity’s blue light, dangled around his. “Torchwood, do you take Acrylic Storm as your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Acrylic Storm, take Torchwood to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do.”

“Then it is my great honor to pronounce you mare and colt. You may now kiss the bride.” Our eyes locked, our hooves intertwined, and Torchwood bent over to make his move. His lips touched mine, and our assembly finally burst into a clamoring of celebratory cheers and happy tears. Both of our parents were crying in the front row, but as always, Pinkie could be heard above them all. Amazed ‘oohs and aahs’ filled the park, and Torch and I both turned to the face of the full moon behind us. I smiled my thanks to Luna- it was still a little early, but we got our moonlit kiss after all.

Torch and I walked back down the aisle hoof-in-hoof, being showered with flower petals the whole way. I didn’t think I’d ever stop smiling. Our train followed us out as we headed to the reception further out in the park, where we could use the park’s picnic tables for the event. AJ’s snack bar had already been laid out, and Vinyl Scratch could take over her DJ station. Torchwood escorted me and most of our train to the larger table, but we were missing one. Pinkie bounced to the middle of the picnic space, clipboard in one hoof and a whistle in her mouth. She blew as loudly as she could, attracting a sizable crowd.

“Alright, everypony. Are you ready for the best. Reception. EVER?!” I chuckled while the crowd sounded agreement, and I allowed myself to lie against my husband. His wing curled around mine, and we just sat quietly for a moment, soaking in reality. Our reality.

“You’re finally mine,” he contently sighed.

“All yours,” I agreed, snuggling closer to his chest. Our moment was short lived, for we were soon bombarded with congratulations from our friends.

“Well, well, well, congratulations to you both. Oh, you two are just so adorable!” Discord had gone from vigorously shaking our hooves to pinching our cheeks and finally settled on hovering in the air.

“Discord! I’m so glad you came,” I smiled. “You never responded to the invitation. I wasn’t sure if you could make it.”

“Well, I did have to reschedule some marvelous chaos in order to attend.” I snorted amusement, but Torch narrowed his eyes. He didn’t yet completely trust Discord and his chaos. “You both take care, then.”

“You won’t stay?”

“I think not. You know, places to see, things to do, a bit of chaos to manage.”

“Management and chaos? That’s a contradiction in itself!”

“Well, you know me.”

“Thanks for coming.” I reached over the table to give him a proper hug.

“You’ll take care of this lovely lady, won’t you?”

“For as long as I live,” Torch vowed.

“Then the best of luck to you!” He gave Torchwood a more formal hoofshake before taking off to who-knows-where.

“Hey, Vinyl! Time to hit the music!” Pinkie called out. I saw the unicorn’s electric blue mane bob to tell us she received the message, and got to work picking the perfect tune at her station.

“Um, Ditzy? Could I have this dance?” I heard Time Turner ask the gray pegasus Ditzy Doo.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” she blushed. “The last time I went dancing, I broke the ballroom. How about we get some snacks?”

“Snacks it is, then. Apple fritters?”

“I think I’m more in the mood for pears,” she jeered with a smirk. Time Turner’s face fell.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Well, even if those two won’t dance,” Torch turned to me, “It seems as though everypony else is moving to the dance floor. Shall we?” Indeed, a huge crowd of our friends now swarmed the open space dedicated to said activity.

“Of course.” I was led out to the field where a new song was just about to begin. Vinyl took an extra minute to choose a song, probably realizing that the bride and groom were coming out for their first dance. I expected some sort of high energy dub step, coming from Vinyl Scratch, but to my surprise, a slow love song was put on instead.

“Forever, by Treble Cleff.”

“Huh?”

“That’s the song,” Torchwood explained.

“Oh. I’ve never heard of it.” I paused for a moment to take in the gentle keys of the piano. “But I like it already.”

“Shall we?”

“Anything for you, Torch.” My new husband led us in a waltz in time to the song. Torch was obviously quite familiar with it, because he quietly hummed with the singer.

...

You’re the love of my life,
And we know no strife.
I’ll care for you all of my days.
I just wanna meet your gaze.
I’ll always want you in my life.

...

We’ll never sever.
For you I’ll always endeavor.
It doesn’t matter where we are;
You’re my north star.
And we’ll be together forever.

...

I’m never gonna leave you,
It’ll just be us two
Forever

...

You’re sweeter than morning dew.
I’d do anything to be with you.
I’d travel across the land;
Over mountains so grand,
If you’ll just love me too.

...

We’ll never sever.
For you I’ll always endeavor.
It doesn’t matter where we are;
You’re my north star.
And we’ll be together forever.

...

I’m never gonna leave you,
It’ll just be us two
Forever

...

I can’t offer much
In exchange for your touch,
But my love just might be enough.
And when times get tough,
I’ll be your crutch.

...

So it’ll just be us two
Forever

...

“I love you, Torch.”
“I love you, too.”

Author's Note

So sorry guys. It only took me 11 chapters to get to the actual wedding. I really need an editor. As for the song, I just whipped up a quick poem. Not the greatest love song ever, but I figured that Acrylic and Torchwood’s song needed to be an original instead of some cliché or parody.

Chapter 12: Honeymoon

Chapter 12
Honeymoon

The reception lasted almost all night, which suited us just fine. The next train to Tall Tale Beach wasn’t until morning. That was where Torchwood was taking me for our honeymoon. It was just south of Vanhoover, but he said that there wasn’t a more romantic place in Equestria.

We were there at 5:00 A.M. for the train. The attendants took care of our minimal luggage, which was fine by me. I was almost falling asleep in Torch’s arms as it was. Though thestrals were naturally nocturnal, I’d been on Ponyville time for so long that the late night had taken its toll. If Torch was exhausted as I was, he didn’t show it. There were few other passengers on the train at this hour, so we got a whole car to ourselves. I remember that we spoke on the way there, but I’m not sure exactly what was said. I must’ve fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was stumbling bleary-eyed into our hotel, The Unbridled Inn, which was supposed to be named after a famous ship. I slept late with Torchwood beside me.

Morning found us still in bed, sleeping the day away. It wasn’t until almost noon that I rolled over in my sleep, accidently brushing noses with Torch and waking us both up. He gave a crooked smile that implied he wasn’t quite awake yet. I foolishly mimicked it.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he yawned.

“Hey, hon,” I sighed.

“You’re so cute when you sleep.”

“I would say the same of you, except I’ve got so much sleep in my eyes that I can’t tell.” He chuckled and pecked my nose. I smiled. We were finally married. He was all mine, and I was his. It was a good feeling. Finally, he rolled out of bed.

“Up so soon?” I groaned.

“It is almost noon,” he pointed out.

“Time doesn’t count on our honeymoon.”

“It does to the rest of the world, and that’s what matters if we’re going to make the 2:00 ferry.”

“Ferry?”

“The oceans here are the prettiest in Equestria. I thought we could go sightseeing before dinner this evening, and maybe close off with a walk along the beach?”

“Sounds fine with me,” I agreed, finally motivated enough to get out of bed. “Does the hotel offer lunch?”

“Hungry?” he laughed.

“No, but it won’t take us long to get ready, and we won’t have much to do in the meantime.”

“I think they serve three meals a day, but if not, I know of an excellent Café on the boardwalk.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“It wasn’t too far from my home in Vanhoover. I used to visit quite a lot.”

“I bet that means you already have our whole trip planned out.”

“I do know the best places,” he winked.

“I look forward to it.” With one last kiss, I finally moved onto the bathroom to get ready.

The day had gone by perfectly. We went on the ferry as planned for the most beautiful, romantic boat ride of my life. Then we browsed the boardwalk, ate dinner at a fine seafood restaurant (for seaweed, of course) and finally ended our evening with a walk on the beach. That was where our date got interesting.

“This is nice,” I sighed. The sun was going down, casting a beautiful orange and pink glow out onto the sand. We were all alone, far out on the beach. We’d glided past the hazardous rocks, giving us an exclusive stretch of coast all to ourselves. There wasn’t a pony in sight.

“I wish every night could be like this,” he agreed.

“No you wouldn’t,” I laughed. “Once in a while is nice, but you like the quiet country, not the bustling beach resort.”

“Fair enough.” I turned back for a moment to look back at our hoofprints in the sand. A wave of foaming sea water brushed over it, partially washing out the imprints. Torchwood stopped while I was distracted. We both took a seat on the sand, just watching the sun go down. I loved the smell of the sea water. The rhythmic lapping of water at our hooves was beginning to lull me to sleep. It was relaxing at this time of day.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said for what must’ve been the hundredth time that day. It wasn’t that I couldn’t think of anything more to say, it was just that I’d never before witnessed the majesty of the ocean. As a recluse in the Everfree Forest, I’d never been to the beach. Torch, realizing this, agreed the first time I’d mentioned it, but now gave compliments like, “It’s not as pretty as you,” or “The ocean makes your eyes stand out” just to switch things up a bit. I was expecting a similar comment, but Torch threw me off guard.

“You should have brought your supplies! You could’ve spent the whole day painting it.”

“But that wouldn’t be fair to you,” I argued. “What would you do while I sat around painting all day? And besides, I’d much rather spend our honeymoon with my husband.”

“I like the sound of that,” he grinned. “Besides, we should make the most of our honeymoon. Now that we’ll be living together, we’ll probably get sick of each other,” he joked.

“I’ll never get sick of you,” I assured with a smile. Torchwood moved in to close off our evening with one last kiss, but we were interrupted by a loud splash. There were no swimmers around, and I’d never heard a wave crash like that before.

“What was that?”

“There it is again!” Torchwood finally stood up, trying to get a good look around and pinpoint the source of the noise. Strangely enough, it seemed to be coming from somewhere behind us, but the ocean was ahead. There were only rocks where the noise appeared to be coming from. I resolved that the cliffs must be causing an echo, but Torchwood proved me wrong when he pointed out a small tide pool just a little ways down the beach.

We both started out at a trot, intrigued by the noise, but Torch finally broke into a canter in his curiosity.

“What is it?” I called as he reduced his pace once more. He hadn’t quite yet reached the pool to be able to tell me, so he said nothing. Just before he reached the edge of the pool, a face poked out. He reared in surprise, and even I jumped, still two yards away.

“Sorry!” the quiet voice squeaked. “I didn’t mean to scare you!” Only the mare’s eyes were visible; she was barely poking her head out from the rocks. Either the pool was far deeper than it looked, or she was hiding. From what was visible, though, I gathered that she was a lime green mare with bright eyes of almost the same hue. All the green would have been overwhelming if it hadn’t been for the bright blue spots all over her face. I don’t mean freckles, I mean spots. Even stranger was that I couldn’t make out her mane or ears. Granted, she was positioned at such an angle that if her ears were flipped down, they wouldn’t be seen, but her mane must have been cropped very short- no longer than a buzz cut. Even so, she was quite beautiful.

“Uh... miss? Do you need help?” A long, dragged out silence had ensued up to this point, the both of us staring at the mysterious mare all the while. She had stared right back, not saying a word.

“No!” she answered all too quickly. She seemed to be waiting for us to leave.

“Are you sure?” Torch suspiciously squinted, looking her over once again.

“Yes.”

“What are you doing in a tide pool?” I pressed, closing the extra distance. The face shied further away with each step I took. This did nothing for my curiosity.

“Looking... for someone,” she squeaked, almost invisible once again.

“Who are you looking for in the tide pool?”

“Acrylic, perhaps we should go,” Torch suggested, untrusting of the strange figure. I wasn’t satisfied.

“My pet,” she finally whispered, almost down to Fluttershy’s level, but not quite.

“Oh? What kind of pet? Maybe we could help you find it.”

“Really, it’s not your problem. You should just go home; it’s getting dark.”

“That’s all the more reason you should keep us around. We’re thestrals- well suited for the night.” She peered around at our wings to see if we spoke truth, but wasn’t fazed in the least. This intrigued me even more. Most ponies outside of Ponyville still jumped at first, as thestrals were still relatively new to Equestria.

“I really don’t need help.”

“I do think that you should come out of the pool, Miss,” Torchwood insisted. “You’ll catch a chill.”

“I’m comfortable where I am, thanks.”

“Are you sure?”

“Arf! Arf! Arf!” We all turned to see a young sea lion barking at us from the water.

“Monty!” The mare exclaimed, practically jumping out of the water to get a better look. She realized with a look of horror that we were still here, and desperately tried to duck back down, but I whipped around at her sudden movement. I didn’t believe my eyes at first. She’d successfully submerged again before Torchwood could see anything. I was frozen to the spot, eyes locked on the pool.

“Torch,” I gasped.

“What?” He followed my gaze, and finally took a couple hesatant paces to the pool’s edge. I was close behind, wanting one last look to confirm what I’d seen.

By now, the mare was trembling under the water, creating ripples on the surface. Even the wobbly image I found was undeniable. She was a hippocampus, a mythical merpony only thought to exist in legends.

Torchwood got over his shock much faster than I, and cast a warm smile to the hippocampus below. Since she was underwater, she wouldn’t have been able to make out anything we could have said, so he offered a hoof instead. She shied away at first, but after weighing his friendly smile against her better judgment, let him haul her back up.

“You don’t have to be afraid,” he gently assured. “We won’t harm you. Acrylic, would you go catch her sea lion? Monty, wasn’t it?” The mare quietly nodded, head bowed in fright. I numbly stumbled off, still awestruck. Hippocampi weren’t supposed to exist. Not even the princesses knew about them, or at least not to my knowledge. When Princess Luna had first returned from her imprisonment in the moon, I’d showed her a mural I painted of all the mythical ponies of Equestria. Back then, thestrals were still thought extinct, so I included one of them, too. Luna hadn’t so much as blinked at any of the other ponies, but when I mentioned thestrals, she offered an extensive lecture about their defeat. Either she had an amazing poker face, or the hippocampi had eluded even the royal sisters for eons!

I had obediently gone to fetch the sea lion, but he had other ideas. Before I knew what was going on, I was chasing the silly thing all over the beach. I was still too numb to realize that he was just toying with me. His antics were even arousing giggles from our hippocampus friend. It was putting her more at ease, but I was too frustrated at the time to notice. When he tried escaping into the water, I’d had enough, and spread my wings to glide over the creature and snatch him before he got away.

I wasn’t sure what Torch had said to the mare in my absence, but she no longer appeared fearful when I returned. In fact, she was smiling, and seemed perfectly at ease. She welcomed her pet back with a friendly nuzzle, leaving me to sit back and look on in awe.

“Acrylic, this is Kelpie,” Torch informed, already sitting beside her on the rock. I was left on the sand, finally getting a good look at her. She’d come out of the pool, now poised on top for the world to see. The sun was going down by now, sending rays of light bouncing off her already glistening tail and only adding to her majesty. She truly was a picture of beauty. Her tail was long and muscular, and held a lot of power. Around where her hips would be if she had hind legs, a cutie mark of a bright blue wave behind a strand of kelp was displayed. Her fluke was a little small, being completely opaque and almost forming a round paddle shape with webbed ends. It started as deep blue close to the center, and branched out in small, wispy tendrils before fading back to lush green. Like her back, it was speckled with blue here and there. It wasn’t as limp as it looked, either, because she held it upright to cradle her sea lion pup. Her whole body was the same lime green, speckled blue all the way down her back. However, I could now see that her whole lower jaw and her entire muzzle was blue, almost as though she had set her head down in paint. I was right when I noticed she appeared to have no ears; she had a webbed fin at the back of her jawbone instead, which seemed to hide a set of gills and ear slits. The blue from her jaw ran into the center of this fin, where it finally gave way to the green once more. The fin ended in three simple, straight points. Her mane was indeed buzz-cut length, but it was actually a very stubby fin running down to the nape of her neck instead of hair. This fin was completely edged in the same bright blue as her other spots, speckled a bit in the middle.

“It’s good to meet you,” Kelpie finally prompted when I said nothing. “I’ve never met land-dwellers before.”

“It’s good to meet you too,” I echoed, finally snapping out of my trance. “I’m Acrylic.”

“Yes, I know. Torchwood told me.”

“Ah,” I squeaked, looking between Kelpie and Torch. I didn’t like the way she looked at him. Between her sugary-sweet voice and batting eyelashes, I got the impression that she was trying to flirt. He seemed a little too intrigued by our discovery for my taste, as well.

“Where did you come from?” he asked, still grinning with amazement.

“My pod lives out past the little islands,” she replied. “But... I’m really not supposed to say anything,” she whimpered.

“Your secret is safe with us,” he assured. “Isn’t it, Acrylic?”

“Sure,” I agreed, a little agitated.

“What about you? Where do you live?”

“We live in a small town called Ponyville. It’s pretty far from here- we had to take a train.”

“What’s a train?”

“Well, a train is like...” he failed to find a comparison that she would understand.

“A boat with wheels?” I sarcastically suggested. But then his eyes lit up.

“Yes! A boat for land,” he nodded. “It takes ponies to places that are too far to walk.”

“How does it move? There are no waves to carry it on land.”

“They usually hire a team of very strong ponies to pull our trains, but I’ve also heard of some that run entirely on steam. I’m not quite sure how those work.”

“It must be amazing, living up on the surface!” she exclaimed. “I’d love to see it for myself.”

“Then why don’t you ever come up?”

“Hippocampi aren’t supposed to be seen.”

“Is that why you were hiding?” She nodded.

“I was looking for Monty. He likes to make me chase him, and I knew it was a bad idea, coming up on land, but I was afraid he’d hurt himself in the little tide pool, so I went after him. He’d already ran back to the ocean when I got here. Then I saw you two, so I hid in the tide pool.”

“We don’t bite,” I tried to joke. Only, my voice came out a little more spiteful than I’d meant for it to sound, and Torch cast me a scolding look while Kelpie winced.

“There was a time you and I would have done the same, Acrylic,” Torch reminded. I furrowed my brow, trying to decipher his meaning. Then it hit me. Thestrals used to be ‘mythical’ ponies, too. Was that what this was all about? When he looked at her, did he see a new breed of pony, or somepony in the same situation we used to be in? Now that I thought about it, there wasn’t a lot of difference between us. Hippocampi were probably as secluded as thestrals, if not more so. At least the Princesses remembered us, but they seemed to have no memory of the merponies. I snapped myself out of my silence before they had the chance to continue the conversation without me.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I’m still just getting used to the idea of another pony breed.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Kelpie beamed, perking up instantly. “I was a little scared of you too, at first, because I didn’t know you. But now I do, and you aren’t scary in the least!” I cocked my head, slightly baffled by her reasoning. She barely knew us. Still, the apology seemed to satisfy Torchwood, and he turned his attention back to her.

“How long have hippocampi been isolated?”

“Oh, nopony remembers back that far,” Kelpie casually shrugged. “It’s always been like this.”

“Why didn’t you get along with the other ponies?”

“It’s not that we don’t get along. It’s just that we belong in the water and they belong on land. At least, that’s what they tell us. But I love watching land ponies! They’re so fascinating!”

“Believe me, we feel the same way.”

“Do you sleep underwater?”

“Of course!”

“Do you eat underwater, too? Do you drink saltwater or freshwater?”

“Well, we really don’t need to drink. We filter in enough water through our gills.” She brushed her head fins aside, revealing said gills. “Is it true that there are ponies with magic on the land?”

“Well, sure. There are alicorns and unicorns,” I answered, puzzled. Did they really not know anything about the surface? Surely she’d seen unicorn sailors, at least. Or tourists?

“And thestrals dabble in our own kind of magic,” Torchwood boasted before I could press further.

“You do? Ooh! Would you show me? Please?” Torchwood would never pass up the opportunity to pass up his fire dancing skills, but he didn’t get the chance. In a flash of orange, he was bowled over, and pinned to the ground.

“Go, Kelpie, go!” the newly arrived mare shrieked.

“Hey!” I joined in, shoving her off so Torch had the chance to get up. He was back in the fight instantaneously, summoning up his fire to scare off our attacker. Kelpie saw the first sparks and called him off.

“Wait! Everypony, stop!” I was glaring at our attacker, bent in an impossibly uncomfortable position. We were so entangled in each other that neither of us knew who had been winning. “Tide, stop! These are my friends.”

“You can’t be friends with land ponies! You can’t trust them!” I dropped to the ground like a rock when she let go. She must’ve held the advantage after all. Upon picking myself up, I noticed for the first time that I’d been grappling with another hippocampus. This one was bright orange, with a pale yellow underbelly and blue spots on the top of her head like Kelpie. Her eyes, however, were an even deeper blue than mine, and her mane’s fin was fashioned into a mohawk, reminding me of a swordfish. It started out pale yellow, then graduating to orange and finally ending in blue streaks, just like Kelpie’s. Her head fins, too, were edged in blue. Her cutie mark depicted a red surfboard, stuck upright but a little crooked. Her fluke looked nothing like Kelpie’s. It was much longer and looked more like a fish. It looked a lot like her mane, though unlike the Mohawk it both started and ended with blue, streaked and spotted in an erratic pattern. It was also more on the translucent side, unlike our friend’s which was completely opaque.

“They’re different from other land ponies,” Kelpie whimpered. “They promised not to tell.”

“Oh, they promised, did they?” she sneered. “That’s what they’ll tell you. The next thing you know, they’ll be crawling all over our islands!”

“We’ve kept our fair share of secrets,” Torchwood retorted, back rigid and head held high. He wasn’t going to look weak in front of this mare, but he didn’t look too imposing either. He was standing his ground, but looked almost diplomatic in doing so.

“I doubt you’ve kept a secret as big as this in your whole life. Ponies like you live your own perfect lives up there on the surface. Why can’t you just leave us alone and let us live out our own perfect life?”

“We’ve kept this exact same secret for most of our lives,” I insisted. Her eyes narrowed.

“You’ve known about hippocampi?”

“No, we’ve known about thestrals.”

“Bah! Everypony knows about thestrals. I know about thestrals!”

“You do?”

“Everypony knows the seven pony types. We’re the only ones that know about the eighth. That’s us, the sea ponies.”

“Wait, there are eight?”

“Duh. Unicorns, alicorns, destrals, thestrals, pegasi, earth ponies, hippogryphs and hippocampi.” Torch and I exchanged glances. The orange mare looked unsettled. “What?”

“There are only five ponies,” I slowly corrected. “Alicorns, unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies and thestrals. But I guess hippocampi does make six.”

“What happened to hippogryphs and destrals?”

“Destrals haven’t been seen in eons. They’re extinct. And hippogryphs? They’re just legends.”

“They do too exist!” she insisted.

“Do you really think there could be another pony type we didn’t know about?” Torch breathed. “We were supposed to be extinct, too. And we didn’t know about hippocampi until just now.”

“You’re saying that thestrals were isolated, too?”

“For the last thousand years,” I nodded. She seemed to soften at this. “But we came back. You can, too!”

“NO!” she roared.

“Why not?”

“We’re just too different. We’re not compatible.”

“Aren’t you even a little curious, High Tide?” Kelpie spoke. “This could be our chance to see the land!”

“That’s not our call, Kelp. Let’s just go home. And you should, too.” She jabbed a hoof at us.

“But Tide,” Kelpie whined.

“I said come on.” She started back for the water, curling her tail underneath her to use it like a third leg, almost in the same manner Kelpie’s sea lion did. Kelpie was no match for High Tide, and submissively crawled after her. Monty bounded ahead, racing them back to the ocean. Kelpie paused before ducking under, waving farewell. High Tide looked back at us once Kelpie had disappeared. “You two are alright,” she finally decided. With that, she followed Kelpie to their home under the sea.

Chapter 13: Lost Lagoon

Chapter 13
Lost Lagoon

“Are you still thinking about last night?” I asked, joining my husband at the table. We were at a small café on the boardwalk for lunch. Neither of us had much of an appetite. Last night’s events weighed heavily on both of us.

“I can’t think about anything else,” he admitted. “Did you sleep at all?”

“Not really. You look like you didn’t catch a wink, either.”

“I just don’t understand,” he grumbled. “We gave them the chance to come back to Equestria. To rejoin the rest of their kind! How can they just be content to stay under the water? Hidden forever?”

“Maybe we didn’t talk to the right ponies.”

“What do you mean?”

“The mare High Tide said that it wasn’t their decision to make. Maybe they have a monarchy of their own. Maybe we have to talk to whoever’s in charge down there.”

“They’ll never let us in. Those two were shy enough as it was. If we hadn’t caught Kelpie in the tide pool, we might have never found them at all.”

“So, let’s go find them.”

“Find them?”

“You know you want to. I see it in your eyes.” He smiled a real smile for the first time since our encounter. “Besides, I think we’re on High Tide’s good side. Kelpie will definitely welcome us. Maybe the rest will be okay with us, too.” Torch’s smile turned into a frown.

“I don’t know. You remember how thestrals reacted if even a stray colt or filly wandered too close to our borders.” I shuddered. Any unwelcome visitors were usually chased off by monsters before they ever came close, but if they still didn’t leave, a forest fire gave them a little extra motivation. It was harmless thestral fire, of course, but the terrified faces of those that fled jerked at your heart. It was likely that the hippocampi would take similar measures.

“Well, it’s your call. But I don’t think they’re going to have many fire dancers on hoof to keep us away.” Torch chuckled.

“Let’s do it.”

“I still don’t see anything,” I called. We’d just reached the string of islands past the beach where we found Kelpie, but we were flying at such an altitude that we were disguised amongst the clouds, lest anypony be watching.

“Of course we don’t. Not from up here, anyway. We need to get down there.”

“Down there?”

“They’re sea ponies, Acrylic! They’ll be under the water, or close to shore if we’re lucky. We won’t spot them from all the way up here.” I was uneasy at the thought of flying so close to the choppy waves. I could weave my way through a forest, but if I hit one of these waves, my huge leathery wings would drag me right down. I wasn’t the most talented swimmer to begin with. He nonchalantly nudged me with his wingtip before furling his own appendages and falling into a dive. I tucked in my wings to follow, taking great care to mind my altitude. I was surprised that he wasn’t more concerned. Even he was helpless out here; water would put out even magical fire.

We glided over the salty waves, which seemed to be rising higher. I, in turn, flew higher. I couldn’t see anything but the occasional strand of kelp floating around in the water. Whenever I looked over at Torch, there was a set look of determination on his face. He wanted to find the hippocampi. So, I’d help him.

A head poked out from the waves, a sly grin plastered on her face.

“Jet? Hey, Jet Stream, check this out.”

“Wha?”

“These jokers actually think they can find us.”

“Land ponies?” Jet’s eyes widened. “Land ponies! Land ponies! We’ve gotta tell somepony!”

“Relax,” her companion huffed. “We can take care of this ourselves.”

“We can?”

“Come on, Jet. Let’s have a bit of fun.”

“O-okay,” the uneasy mare stuttered. Jet was all about having fun, but she knew that land ponies were no fun at all. Still, she ducked under the next wave after Whirl Pool. Whirl Pool was a professional. She knew what she was doing. Right?

“Don’t you think we’re cutting it a little close?” I called ahead. The waves were brushing my hooftips, now. We were both already soaked from sea mist, which made flying all the harder. Our wings seemed to be carrying twice as much weight with all the additional water.

“We won’t find them if we don’t take a few risks,” he replied, turning his attention back to the sea. The waves had definitely become more violent since we’d set out, but Torch kept refusing to heed my warnings. I trusted him- he’d never do this if he thought we were in any kind of danger. I narrowly avoided a particularly large wave, swooping over it in just the nick of time.

“Maybe we should take a break,” I pressed.

“Just five more minutes,” he begged. “We’re getting close. I can feel it!”

“You feel the salt water getting to your brain,” I mumbled to myself. The crashing of waves masked my voice, and he remained completely oblivious to my remark. I sighed, and continued on. I loved him, but he wasn’t without his faults. Just a few more minutes, and we could rest on dry land. Sweet, sweet dry land. An extra wing beat brought me side by side with Torch again. He scanned the ocean, and I scanned him. He seemed different. Overly determined, perhaps? I’d never seen him so set to do anything, other than marrying me, perhaps. I tried to ignore it, but I sensed a slight obsession taking hold. His eyes widened, and I followed his gaze.

“FLY!” He screamed, shooting upwards. I tried to follow, but there wasn’t time. The biggest wave I’d ever seen rose up out of nowhere, right in front of us.

I was swallowed up, and about a gallon of sea water was forced down my throat. I kicked and thrashed, trying to surface. Everything was blurry with the water in my eyes. I finally broke through the water, but only long enough to replenish my air supply. I briefly heard Torch calling for me. I opened my mouth to reply just as another wave pounded down, forcing me back under. As I predicted, my wings were hindering my progress. I tried to flap them, and use them to force the water below me like I could with the air. The water pounding down proved too great, however, and it did little for my progress. Next, I tried retracting them so I didn’t have to worry about it at all, but unfortunately, that required flame. As soon as they sparked, the ocean put it out. I tried tucking them in, but I was still getting nowhere.

My head and heart were both pounding, begging for oxygen. I sputtered for air, but the surface was still five feet away. My world was beginning to go dark. I still saw a little light filtering through the water, but it didn’t take long for that to go out. I thought I’d lost consciousness when strong arms lifted me back out. As it turned out, the dark form blotting out the light had only been Torch, swooping in to save his damsel in distress.

“Are you alright?” he shouted over the thunderous waves. I couldn’t answer, as I was still coughing up all the water I swallowed. I was too heavy at the moment for him to lift completely clear of the water, but I desperately clung onto his hovering frame. He flapped even harder, trying to drag me out. My hind legs still dangled in the salty liquid. I was too out of it to remember that I should probably pitch into the effort and flap myself. I suddenly felt a change in the direction of the water. It wasn’t beating against my ankles anymore. It seemed to be hitting from the side, swirling, even. I half-consciously looked back in time to spot the beginning of a whirlpool.

“Torch,” I croaked, trying to warn him. His eyes were shut tight as he fought with all his strength to drag the both of us out of the water. He didn’t hear me. Even worse was the fact that I felt myself slipping. My slippery, wet coat was the cause of this problem. His was just as soaked, and neither of us could keep our grip. There was a moment of hanging in the open air before I splashed back down into the whirling vortex. He tried again to dive after me, but this time, he, too, was dragged down. I fought my way back to the surface, but Torch was on the other side of the swirling water. I couldn’t reach him. My voice was going hoarse from screaming for him over the roaring water, and I was sure that his was, too.

I couldn’t fight the water any longer. I finally let myself go, and it dragged me down. The world turned blue and bleary. I wasn’t sure which way was up. The last thing I saw were two silhouettes paddling towards me.

“Acrylic? ACRYLIC!” My eyes fluttered open into the face of frantic Torchwood. “Are you alright? Say something!”

“Torch?”

“Yes? Acrylic, what is it?”

“This is not how I thought we’d be spending our honeymoon.” I smiled up at his blackened form, nearly silhouetted by the sun. He searched my face for a moment before finally breaking down into a fit of hearty laughter. I chuckled with him, which triggered the excretion of the last of the sea water.

“Honeymoon?” a beautiful sing song voice exclaimed. I recovered from my coughing fit, finally standing and taking in our surroundings. I found the voice to belong to who I at first thought to be Rarity. The hippocampi tail instantly eliminated our unicorn friend as a possibility, however. If I thought that Kelpie was beautiful, then this mare was exquisite. Her coat wasn’t actually white, but the blue tint of sea foam. Her eyes were the rich purple of a sea urchin, outlined in thick black eyelashes that could rival Rarity’s, and her head fins curled into three majestic tips. She waved them around slowly and dramatically as Rarity might bat her eyelashes. She had a cutie mark that looked like a three-tier waterfall, but I later noticed that it was actually formed into the shape of a music note. What was really eye catching, though, was her mane. It was the same deep, rich purple of her eyes, and it was composed of one enormous, flowing fin. It draped over one side of her neck like a curtain, glinting with iridescent colors in the sunlight like a raven’s feather. Her fluke was similarly formed, partially translucent but mostly iridescent purple.

“Oh, how romantic!” she went on. I assumed this was her normal voice, but she seemed to be singing. “I must offer you my congratulations! It’s such a beautiful thing when two ponies come together in marriage. I’m not sure what your land ceremonies are like, but I imagine it was lovely.”

“Um... thank you,” Torch sputtered, standing beside me. His wing was curled protectively around my shivering frame.

“You didn’t tell me that you were married! Congratulations!” Finally, a familiar form bounded up, sea lion fashion. Her little pet bounded up ahead of her, barking in greeting.

“Kelpie!”

“I’m so sorry this happened!” High Tide joined us, and batted Monty down.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Torch assured. “It was mine. I never should have gotten so close. Acrylic could have drowned because of my recklessness. We both could have.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” I crooned. “It wasn’t your fault, either.”

“Indeed, it wasn’t,” the pale blue mare snorted. “But if I get my fins on that Whirlpool...”

“Cascade, please,” Kelpie interrupted.

“Is that some sort of hippocampus expression?” I inquired. “I mean, whirlpools aren’t actually living...”

“Oh, you are hilarious, dear!” Cascade burst, almost toppling off her rock when she doubled over in laughter.

“No, no. She’s talking about the mare Whirlpool, who started the whirlpool,” Kelpie explained.

“My ears are burning!” We were joined by two more forms dragging themselves out of the water. One was a cocky, pale lavender mare, with a long but ragged and torn algae-green fin-mane, streaked with light purple wisps. Her eyes were a shocking bright green, and unlike all the mares we’d seen so far, she had large head fins with four tips instead of three. Her fluke was the same color as the rest of her lavender coat, opaque and thick, until it reached the tips which were the algae-green of her mane. This edge, too, was ragged. After a lot of straining, I made out a swirling vortex as her cutie mark. A whirlpool.

“Whirlpool, what were you thinking?” High Tide shrieked.

“Oh, we were just having a bit of fun.”

“Fun? FUN?! You almost drowned my wife and I, and you think it’s just a joke?”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” I shook my head, still fuzzy from our experience. “You two saved us. Thank you.” I vaguely remembered the light form of Whirlpool, but it was the bright pink pony accompanying her that really gave them away. She was a dull magenta in color, but despite the drab coloring, she looked spunky. Her mane was made up of several individual spiky fins, longer at the front than they were at the back. The first one was baby blue, and the second was purple. It continued in a repeating pattern, blue, purple, blue, purple for every other fin. Her eyes were golden-orange, and her very small head fins actually ended in five points. Her cutie mark consisted of a string of bubbles, one of which formed a hoop. Her fluke followed a similar theme to her mane, consisting of eight spiky fins, all curled to almost form a circle. They, too, started out blue, then purple. With only four on each side, the two in the middle ended up both being purple. She was incredibly slender and lithe. Despite her wild hairdo, she was currently shamefacedly staring at the sand, drawing circles in the ground with her hoof.

“You guys didn’t actually think I was going to drown them, did you?” Whirlpool indignantly snorted. “I just made ‘em a little dizzy, that’s all.”

“Honestly, Whirlpool, I am mortified by you and your antics!” Cascade went on.

“You aren’t much better, Cascade, with you and your siren spell.”

“There is nothing magical about my siren song,” she defended. “It isn’t my fault if sailors throw themselves overboard to hear more. Besides, I always return them to shore, alive and well, as I’m ordered.”

“Don’t they look alive and well?”

“Alright! That’s enough!” High Tide ordered, silencing them all with a single glare. Kelpie cowered under her authority for a moment, but remembering us, bounced right back up.

“Oh! How rude of me! I haven’t properly introduced you to anypony! You already know High Tide, my sister-”

“Your sister?” Now that it had been pointed out, the matching spots made sense.

“Yes. And this is Cascade, our siren. That’s Jet Stream, and this is Whirl Pool. Everypony, this is Acrylic and Torchwood, from Ponyville. There, now you know everypony!”

“They haven’t met Current, yet,” Jet pointed out. Everypony froze, and gave her the most horrified look I’d seen yet. “What?”

“Have you lost your bubbles, Minnow Brain?!” Whirlpool seethed. “Current will throw a fit if she finds out!”

“Finds out about what?” We were finally joined by a sixth hippocampi, and even though she was small, I felt about an inch high. She had an incredibly imposing figure. She was very dark gray, but still not quite dark enough to be called black. She had graceful, perfectly formed four-pointed head fins, and light eye shadow that was evidently waterproof. Her dark teal eyes were as cold as ice, and seemed to pierce everything she looked at. Her cutie mark depicted three ice blue wavy lines, which reminded me of the generally accepted symbol for water. Her tail was completely gray, opaque and beautifully formed, curled into a shape that reminded me of a dolphin. Her mane, however, was stunning. It was almost completely transparent, but what was visible had been stained a stunning neon blue. It was currently partially flopped onto its side, but if she was in the water, it would flow like the Princesses’. Though she was clearly much older than the rest of them, probably in her mid-thirties, her face was wrinkle-free, like it hadn’t seen a smile in years.

Her gaze swept over her fellow hippocampi, and I noticed that they all seemed to shudder. When her eyes fell on us, however, I thought I’d melt from their burning rage.

“No,” was all she managed to gasp.

“Current, it’s not what you think,” Kelpie tried.

“How could you bring land ponies here?!” she roared.

“They’re not like that-”

“No, of course they aren’t. Kelpie, this is the final straw. Your land-watching days are over. When King Trident catches wind of this...”

“Please, no, Current!” Kelpie cried. She looked like she would break down into tears at any moment.

“Save your pleas,” the cold-hearted hippocampus snarled. “This has gone too far. And you two? Get out of here. Never come back, and never breathe a word of this to anypony, or I shall deal with you personally.” She had ducked back under the water before anypony could say anything.

“Whirlpool, get after her,” High Tide ordered.

“I don’t have a death wish!”

“Now.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re the fastest, and this is all your fault. If you hadn’t created those waves or the whirlpool, they wouldn’t even be here right now. None of this would have happened. Now go!”

“Alright, alright. I’m going,” she grumbled, racing back to the water’s edge. High Tide was left to comfortingly cradle her weeping sister.

“Maybe we should go,” I timidly suggested. “We seem to have caused enough trouble already.”

“No! Please stay,” Kelpie begged.

“It isn’t every day that we get to meet land-dwellers,” Cascade agreed. “I must admit, I am intrigued by your culture. You must at least leave us with a story or two. Come, now. Have a seat.” She gestured to the rocks, making herself comfortable on the one she already occupied. Jet Stream had remained silent all this time, but joined Cascade to satisfy her curiosity.

“Yes, please?” Kelpie voiced, wiping the last of her tears away. She eagerly bounded over to the rocks herself, and was soon joined by her sister. In hopes that a story would lift her spirits, I trod over myself, shadowed by Torch.

“Well? What would you like to know?” Torch prompted.

“Tell us how land ponies get their cutie marks!” Kelpie suggested. “Does it work the same way as hippocampi? How’d you get yours? Tell us everything!”

“Please, do tell all,” Cascade agreed.

“Well, we get our cutie marks when we discover our true calling in life,” Torch explained.

“Ooh! Us, too!”

“I got mine when I was just a little colt. I’d been experimenting with my powers for a while, but I finally realized that it was my special talent when I was out with a couple of friends. We were just stupid boys back then, we didn’t know any better. We thought it would be a good laugh to go out and pretend we were on patrol, protecting our borders from Everfree monsters. We didn’t think we’d actually find any, but sure enough, we ran right into a pack of timber wolves. We narrowly managed to get away, but we got ourselves lost. None of us could fly yet, and most of us hadn’t developed night vision, including me.

“Well, it was getting dark, and the Everfree is extremely dangerous at night, even for thestrals. We were trying to find some shelter for the night, but with only two of us really able to see anything, progress was slow. Finally, somepony had the ‘bright’ idea- forgive the pun- to see if we could start a small fire, if just to provide a bit of light to see where we were. I was the only one who could even manage a spark. Somehow, I coaxed it into a roaring fire, which provided us with heat, light and security. I soon found that I could manipulate the flame, even carry it with us and use it like a search light. It was that light that got us back home.”

“How heroic!” Cascade applauded.

“Our parents weren’t happy, of course,” he chuckled, “but had I not gone out that day, I may not have become a fire dancer.”

“What about you, Acrylic? How did you find your calling in life?”

“Well, my talent came around a little later,” I recalled. “I was getting frustrated that I was one of the last ponies my age to earn my cutie mark. I was almost in my teenage years by then, and the ridicule was becoming unbearable. I talked to my parents about it, but they just didn’t seem to understand. They kept assuring me that it just needed time, but I didn’t want to wait. I needed it then and there. My mother was an artist, a sculptor, actually. I thought that maybe a picture to describe what I felt could get through to her. So, I took all my pain and frustration out on a canvas. One half depicted what they thought me to be, a proud, arrogant filly, and the other half showed what I was feeling: a terrified, scared foal. I poured my whole soul into that painting. But when it came time for me to show off my masterpiece, my cutie mark had already appeared.”

“Aww!” Jet cooed.

“My turn!” Cascade declared. She cleared her throat and poised herself that suggested she was about to dive into a real, genuine song. Just like I’d experienced with my friends during one of their impromptu verses, peppy, upbeat music began playing out of nowhere in perfect time to Cascade’s solo.

...

I was just a little girl

When I found this island of mine.

Like an ocean pearl,

I decided it was my time to shine.

...

She jumped of the rock, slithering her way through the underbrush of the tropical forest as quickly as Heckley. Her friends moved to follow, and we soon found ourselves struggling to keep up. It wasn’t long before we broke through to a small clearing. It was a little lagoon, lined with rocks all around, butted up against the cliff face. A gorgeous waterfall flowed in the background, depositing even more water into the pool. A single rock protruded from the water in the center of the pool, which Cascade instantly claimed. Music had been playing all this time, but now she joined back in with the lyrics.

...

So I dove into this little lagoon

Under the bright full moon,

And sang my sorrows away

Into the sea spray.

...

I sang to the sky and the stars and the sea,

Even the fish would agree

That it was a marvelous little ditty

Sung by me.

...

And finally, in a flash so bright

It would scare off the bravest shark.

Under the starlight,

I earned my cutie mark!

...

“Wow, Cascade, that was beautiful,” I complimented. Monty barked agreement upon having caught up to us, and rubbed against my leg for attention. He was so adorable I was more than willing to provide it.

“You’re officially one of us,” Kelpie timidly smiled. “This is our special place. We’re the only ponies that know about it.”

“We’re honored, Kelpie,” I beamed.

“What about you?” Torch inquired. “What’s your special talent, Kelpie?”

“I earned mine watching you land-dwellers,” she confessed. “I’m good at spying on ponies from the kelp beds,” she gestured to the plant on her flank, “but I guess the wave symbolizes the surface, since you all are up there.”

“And me? I’m pretty good at creating some pretty sweet waves,” High Tide boasted. “I’m not too bad at surfing them, either.”

“They all say I have a bubbly personality,” Jet piped up. “But I’m also one of the only ponies who can maneauver through the underwater geysers. The streams are so powerful that it can be dangerous to get through if you don’t know your way. But I did it when I was really little. I still can!”

“And you experienced Whirl Pool’s talent firsthoof.”

“See? Now you know everypony!”

“Not quite everypony. What up with that Current figure?” They all exchanged glances. High Tide finally heaved a heavy, heartfelt sigh.

“That’s a long story.”

Chapter 14: The Secret Siren

Chapter 14
The Secret Siren

“No pony knows for sure what happened to her, but there sure are a lot of stories floating around,” Cascade began.

“Some say she’s a sea witch!” Jet exclaimed.

“She’s not a sea witch,” High Tide silenced. “She’s just had a bad experience with land ponies before, that’s all.”

“What kind of bad experience?”

“They say she fell in love,” Cascade sighed, dramatically staring off into the distance for effect.

“But he broke her heart,” Kelpie finished. High Tide looked me square in the eye before continuing the story.

“Her mother was the best siren in the history of Hippocampi. River Song was her name.” “River’s voice could make grown ponies cry. She wanted Current to follow in her hoofsteps more than anything. So Current did everything in her power to please her mother. She dedicated her life to learning the songs, and she was good, too. One of the best. Even so, she never earned her cutie mark. That only made her more focused, and more determined to become a siren. She practiced harder than ever, but it seemed that it just wasn’t her destiny. Time went on, and she grew up, still a blank flank. Even so, she was assigned a position as a Siren, given her mother’s reputation, and put on guard duty.

“One day, she spotted a ship sailing pretty close to a hippocampus pod. As a siren, it was her job to sing and lure them away. She’d sung before, but this was her first time actually drawing somepony way. Her song worked only too well. He chased after her, and for the first time, she felt like she’d really accomplished something. Like all those tedious hours she’d spent practicing hadn’t been such a waste after all. She still hadn’t earned her cutie mark, but her feelings of accomplishment were already beginning to change. She soon realized that it wasn’t pride she was feeling; she’d fallen in love.

“A siren’s job is to lure the sailors away, and deliver them to shore while another team of hippocampi take their boat back to the harbor. She had to deliver the captain of the ship. Really, he was just a rugged old unicorn sailor, but in her eyes, he looked like a prince. Once she’d dragged him to safety, she should have left, but she wanted to wait for him to wake up. It was love at first sight. Once he finally did regain consciousness, the feeling seemed to be mutual. They courted in secret, coming to see each other on the beach at sunset. This went on for almost a month.

“It was a full moon, and she went to see him, as always. It was their anniversary, and he told her that there was something special he wanted to show her. She was so excited that she didn’t think about what she was doing. He told her it was pretty far out on land, but he could hide her in his wagon during the trip. She agreed to go with him, but he had no intentions of bringing her back. She didn’t realize it until it was too late. He ponynapped her. He was going to try and turn her into a show pony, a freak for the world to see.”

“How’d she escape?” Torch gasped, eyes wide as she held us in suspense. I jumped when his voice pulled me back to reality. We were both too caught up in the story to remember here and now.

“That part’s a little fuzzy,” Tide admitted.

“Some say she tricked him with her siren song!”

“At any rate, after she got away, she became really sullen and holed up. They say that the next time his ship came out onto sea, she was waiting. She was so angry that she kicked up a storm big enough to sink his ship, and she earned her cutie mark doing it.

“No pony saw the survivors, if there were any. But what we do know for sure is that his ship, The Unbridled, is now at the bottom of the ocean. I’ve seen it myself. As far as shipwrecks go, it wasn’t such a bad find.”

“Wait, did you say The Unbridled? The hotel we’re staying at was named after a ship called The Unbridled!”

“What a coincidence,” High Tide muttered, lost in thought.

“That’s a pretty creepy coincidence!” Jet Stream exclaimed.

“What’s the story behind that ship?” Kelpie inquired.

“I’m not sure. We haven’t really thought to ask,” Torchwood confessed.

“We’ll do that, when we get back,” I decided. Torchwood nodded.

“There’s no rush!” Jet chimed.

“Yes, please do stay a little longer,” Cascade invited. “You must have more stories!” How could we say no?

“How do we ask about the history of the hotel without sounding suspicious?” I hissed to Torchwood. We were sitting in the lobby of The Unbridled Inn, staring at the unsuspecting receptionist as we gathered up the courage to pose our question.

“I don’t think we’re going to rouse much suspicion asking about the hotel’s origins. We’re curious tourists, remember? There are hundreds more just like us.” He started for the front desk without me.

“Oh. Right.” I hurried to catch up with him.

“Excuse me, Miss,” he began, “do you have a moment?” The cheerful young mare currently on shift brightly looked up at us, a wide smile plastered on her face. She must have been new, because there would be no way I could still be so perky this time of day.

“Of course, sir! How can I help you?”

“My wife and I are tourists,” he explained. I smiled and nodded as I was mentioned, and the mare nodded back, still smiling. “We heard that the hotel was named after The Unbridled, a ship. Is that right?”

“Yes it is, sir,” she cheerfully confirmed. “It was a cargo ship that was sunk in a tropical storm around fifteen years ago. It was a rather mysterious storm; nopony saw it coming. It was really detrimental to the town, though. The Unbridled was one of our main transport vessels. Anyway, one of the survivors from the wreck eventually founded this hotel in honor of the ship.”

“A survivor?” Torch and I looked to each other.

“Mr. Mark is my manager,” she nodded.

“Was Mr. Mark the captain of The Unbridled?” I asked, wide-eyed.

“No,” she shook her head. “Mr. Water Mark was, however, the son of the captain Buoy Mark. His father always told him stories of merponies, and he was young enough at the time to believe them. He stowed aboard his father’s ship to try and spot one the day of the storm, hiding in one of the ship’s barrels. Out of all the days to sneak aboard, right? Well, when the storm hit, most of the cargo was tossed overboard, including Mr. Mark’s barrel. It was probably the only thing that kept him from sinking with the rest of the ship.”

“Wow,” I dared to breathe. “He sure was lucky.”

“He doesn’t still believe in ‘merponies,’ does he?” Torchwood joked in an attempt to lighten the mood and pry additional information.

“Oh, of course not,” the receptionist laughed. “He grew out of that long ago. Besides, I think he reasons that if there were such things as merponies, they would have stopped the ship from sinking.”

“Sounds logical enough,” Torch nodded, displaying an expert poker face.

“It’s all so fascinating,” I agreed, failing to look or sound quite as convincing as he. “I don’t mean to keep you from your other customers, but maybe you know of a place where we could do some more of our own research?”

“The hotel’s brochure has an article on the whole story,” she informed, gesturing to the fliers laid out on the desk. “Feel free to take one. If you’re really interested, you might also have some luck at the book store.”

“Thank you for your time,” Torchwood smiled. “You were very helpful.”

“You’re welcome!” she exclaimed, looking like the happiest pony in the world. I took one of the indicated fliers on our way back.

“She was definitely new,” Torch whispered once we were safely out of earshot. I just giggled.

Once we’d made it back to our hotel room, we crawled onto the bed and opened up the brochure. Of course, it was nothing more than an advertisement, and only a tiny article on the back had been reserved for the history of the hotel. Most of it just boasted of the Inn’s services and prestige. We learned nothing new. In fact, the receptionist had told us more than the article.

“What do you think?” I sighed, closing the brochure. “Should we try the book store she told us about?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” he nodded. But looking over at the clock, his whole body seemed to sink as if the last few days were finally catching up to us. It was only nine thirty, but I was just as exhausted. “They’re probably closed by now. Let’s call it a night and stop by first thing in the morning.”

“I like that idea,” I happily sighed, sinking back into the sheets. Torch switched off the lights, and we were both asleep within minutes.

“This looks promising,” I said, reading the back of one of the books. He turned away from the one in his own hoof and peered over at mine.

“Hippocampi: Ponies of the Sea,” he read. “Isn’t that a bit suspicious?”

“It’s like you said. We’re tourists interested in the culture of Tall Tale Beach. Hippocampi seem to be a popular urban legend. And besides, it’s not illegal to buy books on mythical creatures. They wouldn’t sell them here if it was.”

“Alright, fair enough,” he chuckled. “This one is all about The Unbridled. It looks like it’s mostly statistics and fun facts, but it looks like there are a few promising chapters.”

“Great. Just these, then?”

“Unless you’ve found another that you must have,” he lovingly teased.

“I’m good,” I assured.

“Alright, then. I’ll pay for these if you start getting the food together.”

“You got it,” I agreed, trotting out the store and out to the market. We’d been invited back to the hippocampi lagoon again, and since we’d probably end up spending another full day, we were going to bring our own lunch. We figured the girls would get a kick out of it, too, if we brought enough food for everypony. Of course, since we were staying at a hotel without a handy-dandy refrigerator, we had to buy the food just before we left. Fresher was probably better, anyway.

After I’d gathered enough snacks, I met Torchwood on the beach. There wasn’t a pony in sight.

“Ready?” he asked, wings poised.

“Only if you are.” I took off without waiting for an answer, and it wasn’t long before he was up in the air, playfully chasing after me. I twirled a couple of times before I remembered that I had to mind the food. Even so, now that we had a little extra altitude and knew where we were going, the flight was much shorter than before. We found Cascade waiting in the lagoon with Kelpie. Nopony else had arrived yet.

“Ooh! What’s this?” The ever-curious Kelpie asked as soon as we touched down, scurrying up to investigate the picnic basket.

“We brought lunch,” Torchwood answered.

“Lunch? What’s lunch?”

“It’s... lunch. You know, when you eat food, usually around noon. Don’t you have mealtimes?”

“Mealtimes, of course,” Cascade sang, slithering up to greet us, “but we just eat when we’re hungry. We don’t have set times for when we dine.”

“Can I have some?” Kelpie hopefully inquired.

“Didn’t you hear Mrs. Acrylic, dear? We must wait until noon,” Cascade scolded.

“Why?” the younger one pined.

“Because that’s how the land ponies do it, sweetie. Don’t you want to experience their culture?”

“Oh, alright,” she grouchily consented.

“She can eat now if she wants,” Torch sounded.

“No, no, no! That’s quite alright, Mr. Torchwood. Kelpie must learn patience. If we are to share ‘lunch’ with you, we must do it properly.”

“If you say so,” I chuckled. She was taking lunch far too seriously in my opinion, but perhaps that really was how they saw ‘land culture.’

“I trust you had a fair night’s sleep?”

“We did, thank you. I hope the same is true of you?”

“Yes, it was quite restful.”

“Speak for yourself!” Kelpie exclaimed. “I was too excited to get a wink of sleep!”

“Sorry. I guess that was our fault,” Torch winced. I blushed, too.

“Don’t worry about it. Besides, it was all worth it. I came up with a billion more questions to ask you about land life!” I shook my head in amusement. I couldn’t think of a question she hadn’t already asked.

“Well, ask away, I suppose.”

“Wait! Don’t start without us!” Jet called, crashing clumsily through the trees and tripping in time to flop into the water. I hoped she was more graceful underwater, because on land she was just as much of a klutz as Ditzy.

“Yeah, hold up!” Whirlpool was able to join us today, and sluggishly pushed her way through the brush. Land didn’t seem to be her forte either.

“Where’s High Tide?” Kelpie hopefully asked.

“I think she’s still trying to talk Current down.”

“Yeah. I convinced her to keep her trap shut yesterday, but she still might go back on her word,” Whirlpool sniffed.

“Do ya think we should wait for them?”

“No need,” the familiar voice called. We all turned in the direction of the rustling as High Tide’s face appeared above the undergrowth. She held a bushy fern out of the way as the stern-faced mare I’d come to know as Current crawled out. Even as she sat on the grass, nose turned up, she looked important and regal. Everypony had fallen silent upon her arrival.

“So, you are the land ponies,” she finally sniffed, giving us a critical look-over.

“Yes, we are. My name is Acrylic. It’s good to meet you.” I moved from my seat to offer my hoof to the mare. She shied away from it like it was a snake, wrinkling her nose.

“It’s a land custom, Current,” Kelpie whispered. “When you meet somepony new, you shake hooves.”

“Like this!” Jet Stream and Cascade volunteered to demonstrate from Cascade’s special rock in the center of the lagoon. I warmly stretched out my hoof a little farther to prompt her to try again. She just cast me a disdainful look, ignored my extended hoof, and moved for a more comfortable seat by the water. I released a quiet sigh of defeat, and returned to my husband. Cascade cleared her throat, if just to break the silence. Finally, High Tide spoke up.

“Acrylic, Torchwood? Why don’t you tell us about how you returned thestrals to Equestria?”

“But Tide, we’ve already heard that one,” Kelpie complained.

“Well, I don’t seem to remember it very well. Please, would you tell it again?” I realized by her tone of voice that she really wanted Current to hear it. We all seemed to catch the hint after that.

“It would be my pleasure,” Torch answered. The hippocampi mares all settled in to get comfortable, but Current remained as rigid and unmoving as ever. She barely blinked throughout the entire story, though the others tried to encourage her with enthusiastic ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of their own. Whenever Torch asked for my side of the story, I offered it, not trying to make us sound heroic so much as trustworthy. Mostly, though, he did the speaking, and I used the extra time to carefully study Current’s unchanged expression.

“And so here we are, happy and well,” Torch concluded.

“Great story!” Jet applauded.

“See, Current? They kept their race a secret for years. We can trust them.”

“Yet, now all of Equestria knows of their kind.” Current looked like she was exerting serious effort to keep from snarling in disgust.

“But, don’t you see? It was our time to return. Maybe it’s time hippocampi did, too,” I pressed.

“We will never belong on the surface,” she snapped. Turning our back to us, she managed to regain her composure. “Believe me. I know.”

“Current, just give them a chance,” Kelpie begged.

“I did, once. That was the worst mistake of my life. It’s one I never intend to make again.”

“Current, please, we aren’t like Buoy Mark. We’d never tell.”

“How?” She whirled on me like I’d slapped her. “How dare you speak his name? How did you find out?” Next, she turned on your friends. “What did you tell them? How could you betray my trust like this?!”

“They didn’t say anything! We did some digging around last night,” I cut her off. “We worked it out on our own.”

“The land world knows about me? About what happened?” she angrily cried.

“No! They don’t know about you specifically.”

“What do you mean, ‘me specifically?’”

“There are legends about hippocampi as a species-”

“WHAT?!”

“They’re just legends! There were myths about thestrals too, before now! Nopony actually believes them!”

“Then how did you know about Buoy Mark?”

“We heard a little bit here, and it was enough to piece some stuff together back at the hotel...”

“I told them.” High Tide stepped forward, head held high.

“How could you?” Current’s furious distress seemed even more threatening than her cold, stern face. “Out of everyone here, I trusted you the most. What have you done?”

“I think we can trust them, Current. Don’t you?” Current’s blazing eyes turned on me, then on Torch. I tried to make myself look as earnest as possible.

“No,” she decided. “And I never will.” She began to march away, but her hoof brushed the bag our newly purchased books had been placed in. The disturbance caused them to slide out and into view. The hippocampus on the cover of mine caught her eye, and she froze.

“Where did you get this?”

“I was just curious. It was at the book store and...” I bit my lip, her very presence almost causing me to burst into tears. This was the last straw. She’d finally had it with the incompetent land ponies. In one swift, furious motion, both books were kicked into the lagoon. Cascade hadn’t been quick enough to save them, but now offered the soggy, ruined tomes. They weren’t salvageable; the water had instantly soaked the pages, causing the ink to bleed everywhere. My heart fell.

“Get out,” Current ordered.

“I think we’ve outstayed our welcome,” Torch agreed, coming up to wrap a wing around my crestfallen frame.

“But-” Kelpie began to protest.

“OUT!” Torchwood nodded once more, cuing us both to wave farewell to the rest of them. We finally had to leave our new friends.

Torchwood had done everything in his power to cheer me up. We’d gone to swim with dolphins, which really was a treat, though I required a little more encouragement after my recent, unpleasant experience with water. Even after a rather luxurious dinner, I still felt miserable. The fact that my foul mood was ruining what was supposed to be a happy honeymoon only made me feel worse. I’d blown it. Everything had gone fine when Torchwood was talking to them, but then I had to open my big mouth and ruin all his hard work. He finally decided that maybe another walk on the beach would put me in better spirits. Of course, a walk on the beach at sunset is far more romantic than one on a sunny evening, so we waited a while.

In the meantime, we had nothing better to do than return to the hotel. We remained in the lounge, where we found a small selection of books. It was by no means a library, but we both decided to find something to read and pass the time. Torchwood seemed to have no trouble in settling on a decent mystery.

My hippocampus book had been destroyed, but I found another, smaller volume on them here. Intrigued, I plucked it from the shelf and joined Torchwood in the neighboring armchair. We were close enough to hold hooves as we read, just as a tender way to spend the time together.

“A fascinating read, is it not?” I looked over the top of the page into the face of a young blue stallion. He had sea green eyes, and a brown, matted mane. His beard was short and grizzly, as was his tail. Despite this rugged appearance, he was strangely handsome. And interestingly, his cutie mark was of a buoy floating on the water. He was a unicorn.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“No, we haven’t. I’m Water Mark. I’m the manager of this hotel.”

“Ah. It’s good to meet you, Mr. Mark.” I glanced over at Torchwood to make sure he was listening. A subtle nod on his part told me he was. I allowed him to shake my hoof. “I’m Acrylic, and this is my husband.”

“Torchwood,” he greeted, also shaking hooves with the unicorn as it came his turn.

“It’s good to meet you both. I trust you are enjoying your stay at The Unbridled?”

“The service has been wonderful,” Torch assured. Remembering the last time I opened tried to say something ‘nice,’ I let him do the talking.

“I’m glad to hear it!” he enthusiastically exclaimed. He made no move to leave or continue the conversation, and I instinctively opened my mouth again.

“Would you care to join us, Mr. Mark?” Torchwood cast me a disbelieving look, and I instantly realized what a bad idea that had been. Too late, now.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, welcoming himself to the armchair across from us. He seemed to relax in the plush cushions for a moment, but then the cover of my book, displaying a hippocampus, attracted his eyes like a magnet.

“You know, my father would tell me stories about those.”

“About what?” I asked, playing innocent.

“Hippocampi,” he clarified. Leaning back, his eyes seemed to shine in remembrance of fond memories. “Ponies from the sea. My father was the captain of The Unbridled, a small cargo ship. He’d always tell me, ‘Mark, my boy, they’re out there. You might not see them out under the water, but they’re out there. The prettiest ponies ya ever did see, with even prettier voices.’ Boy, could they sing! He and his crew would sometimes get lucky enough to catch bits and pieces of a siren song out on the water. He taught me one of their songs, once. I only remember one of the verses now. It quite bothers me that I don’t remember the rest. I know it went something like,

“The blackest night, a star-speckled sky-

“Is it so different from pearls shining in the deep?

“Why does it have to be so unreachably high?

“I dream of swimming through the stars when I sleep.

“Sure is a pretty tune, ain’t it?”

“Oh, Mr. Mark, hippocampi are nothing more than legend. Just myths thought up by homesick sailors,” I chuckled.

“Laugh if you will,” he huffed, “but I know they’re out there. You know, there was a time when we thought you thestrals were nothing more than myth. But here you are, in the flesh. Is it so crazy to believe in another pony breed? I’m telling you, hippocampi are as real as you are. And one of these days, I’ll prove it.”

“Acrylic, dear, I think we should go,” Torchwood interrupted.

“Right,” I agreed, standing. “It was very good to meet you, Mr. Mark, but we must be going.” The colt almost seemed offended at our sudden departure.

“We’re on our honeymoon, and I’ve promised the Missus a walk on the beach,” Torch winked. At that, Water Mark eased up a bit.

“Well, I’m honored that you chose to stay at The Unbridled Inn for such a special occasion. I, too, have someplace to be. The best of luck to you, and remember, if you need anything at all, we’re just a call away.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mark.”

“What were you thinking?” Torch hissed once we were out of earshot. “Inviting him to sit with us?”

“I wasn’t,” I admitted. “Just trying to be polite. But as of late, that seems to get me into trouble more often than not.” Torch’s expression softened. Neither of us had needed such a reminder.

“Come on,” he beckoned. “Maybe a walk on the beach will clear our heads.”

I was taken to our own little strip of sand; the one where we’d first found Kelpie. I was unsure about it at first, since I was supposed to be trying to forget about them, but perhaps a stroll here could provide some closure.

“I’ll miss them,” Torch said, finally bringing up the unavoidable topic we’d both been dodging. “But they certainly gave us an unforgettable honeymoon.”

“Yes, I guess there is that,” I agreed. Memories of our brief time together began floating up, giving me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. The encounter had changed our world, and theirs.

“Perhaps they just aren’t ready to come back. Maybe some things just aren’t meant to be found.”

“Maybe,” I doubtfully agreed. “But we made friends with most of them. We were so fascinated by one another, I bet we could have spent the whole week learning about their world and teaching them about ours, and we still wouldn’t get bored.”

“Even so, we must respect their privacy.”

“I know, I know.” It wasn’t their privacy I was meant to respect so much as Current’s. Just because she’d had a bad experience before didn’t make all of us bad. I was tired of being labeled as a criminal. They didn’t know me. I hadn’t done wrong to them. I hated that species had to be such a barrier in friendships. Just because I was a thestral, I had almost lost my Ponyville friends. I didn’t want it to prevent me from making new ones.

“Is that...” Torch muttered aloud, squinting off into the distance. I could make out a dark form off in the distance, but I couldn’t tell quite who it was over the glare of the sun. I shielded my eyes from the light and tried to make out who it was. It was definitely a hippocampus.

“Kelpie?” I guessed, taking a few steps forward to greet our friend.

“No.” Torch held me back. “Look closer.” So I squinted again and watched, waiting for the sun to hit her just right to give me just a hint at her coat color. It wasn’t her coat that sparkled so much as her neon blue mane.

“Current?! But what’s she doing out here? She hates us!”

“I don’t know. Stay down. Let’s get a closer look.”

We scuttled around the boulders at the base of the cliff, using them as cover until we neared the tide pool where she came to rest. No longer was this a stern-faced, arrogant mare, but a soft, broken filly. She climbed into the pool, letting her head and hooves rest on the edge. She gazed at the sand below, sometimes flicking her tail to create a soft splash that would break the silence. I barely dared to breathe.

The first star appeared in the sky, and Current was there to greet it. When Luna raised her moon into the sky, she looked about ready to cry.

“I promised myself I never would,” she quietly wept to herself. I cocked my head. She wasn’t so tough as she looked, but I still didn’t understand why she was out here. She sighed, seeming to lose an argument with herself. Against her better judgment, she poised herself on the rock, turned her face to the moon, and sang.

...

“The blackest night, a star-speckled sky-

“Is it so different from pearls shining in the deep?

“Why does it have to be so unreachably high?

“I dream of swimming through the stars when I sleep.

...

“Are we so different?

“Must we remain apart?

“I’d return to you in an instant

“If you could have just loved me,

“My dear Buoy Mark.”

...

So this really was about a tragic love complex?

Current didn’t get the chance to dive into the next verse before a bright spotlight glared down on her. The bright light temporarily blinded Torch and I, causing us both to press closer to the rock.

“Oh, is that how the song goes?” a strangely familiar voice asked.

“Buoy?” Current breathed, shielding her face from the light. None of us could get a clear look at the approaching figure. “Is that you?”

“I’m afraid not, dearie. But why don’t you come with me? There are some ponies I want you to meet.” Current tried to scurry away from the approaching figure, but the approaching colt proved to be quicker. He bolted to block her path, easily subduing her on land. She was pinned in an instant. “Leaving so soon? What’s the rush, Current? I know my ship ain’t so grand as The Unbridled- you know, the one you sank- but she’s still a beaut.” Torch started to jump to her aid, but I held him back. We needed to know what he was up to first. And, as much as I hated to admit it, there was a tiny voice at the back of my mind that didn’t want to help her.

“Who are you?” she frantically cried.

“The name’s Mark,” he snorted in reply. “Water Mark.” The hotel manager then levitated a cloth sack and a piece of rope that he promptly used to bind the mare. Resistance was futile. With his victim secure, the unicorn casually levitated his whole load into the air behind him.

I was frozen from shock. I’d just witnessed a ponynapping. Current’s ponynapping.

Author's Note

A/N: Yes, another Doctor Who reference. Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Chapter 15: Ponynapped

Chapter 15
Ponynapped

“Thanks for holding me back,” Torch panted, nudging me back to my senses. “That would have been an idiot thing to do. Even I don’t stand a chance against unicorn magic. Now, come on. Let’s go!”

“Where?”

“I’m not sure where he’s taking her. We’ll just have to be quiet about following him. Now let’s go get our friend back.”

We slunk along the beach, but it didn’t take long before we came upon Mark’s ship, a small vessel with the name Rogue printed in neat script along the side. How fitting, I thought to myself. It wasn’t until Mark had disappeared to the helm of his ship that we glided aboard. Torch pressed close to a cluster of barrels at one end while I tried to blend with a tangle of nets opposite him. It was dark, so this wasn’t too hard. I was more concerned about keeping my balance. It was a slippery deck, and I still hadn’t found my sea legs.

“Oh, don’t look so glum, Current dear,” Water Mark rasped. I perked up to eavesdrop. When I craned my neck, I could see her tied to the helm railing, though the cloth bag over her head had been removed. “I’m going to make you famous! You should be thanking me! After all, that’s all my father ever wanted for you. And how did you repay him? You sank his ship,” he pressed close to her face, hissing in a voice like venom. “I’d say this is a very unfair sentence, wouldn’t you? Unfair to my father. He’s dead because of you, but you get off merrily singing your life away. If I had it my way, you’d have joined him by now. But this is what he wanted. Now at least I know I’ve carried out his last wishes.”

Sorrowful weeping was the only response he received. “Come, now. If that’s the only sound you’ll make, you’ll scare the customers away. Why don’t you try a real song? A bit of practice never hurt anypony. And to be honest, I’d like to hear what you can do. My father used to brag about your talent. I’m quite eager to see what he could have possibly seen in a witch like you. Oh, and don’t try anything funny. I’ve spent the past fifteen years perfecting a spell that will make me immune to your charms. Go on,” he prompted. Still, she was uncontrollably sobbing. Even though it was dark, I could tell his face turned a few more shades of red. “SING!” he manically demanded, pounding his hooves into the deck beside her. She flinched so violently she almost fell over. In her terror, she didn’t know any better than to obey.

...

“The blackest night, a star-speckled sky-
“Is it so different from pearls shining in the deep?”
“Why does it have to be so unreachably high?”
“I dream of swimming through the stars when I sleep.

...

“Are we so different?
“Must we remain apart?
“I’d return to you in an instant
“If you could have just loved me,
“My dear Buoy Mark.”
...

“Bah! That’s no good! You must change the ending,” Mark groaned. “It’s so depressing. Nopony will want to listen. Why don’t you think up something happier? Go on. You sirens are supposed to be good at thinking on your hooves. Make me a peppy song, Current dear.”

Just then, a particularly choppy wave knocked us all off balance. Unfortunately, this sent Torchwood careening into the barrels, causing an obnoxious racket. Even Water Mark must know a wave couldn’t raise such a clamor.

“Hello?” he called, using his horn as a searchlight once more. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” He moved a few paces down the helm stairway to search the lower deck. Torchwood could have kept hidden if he’d wanted to. Mark was about to pass him up, in fact, since his coat was the same shade as the wood of the boat. However, Torch decided that now was as good a time as ever to rescue Current, and lunged at the unicorn’s hooves. Mark was sent sprawling onto the deck, horn flickering out like a light. Torch pounced him in an instant.

“Get Current!” he shouted to me, taking another punch from Mark. I scrambled to the helm, where Current was shocked to see me.

“What are you doing?” she gasped, obviously terrified.

“Saving your tail!” I retorted, gripping the rope in my teeth and tugging with all my might. These were sailor knots, and wouldn’t come undone so easily. Okay. Time for Plan B.

With a few powerful flaps of my wings, I was hovering above the ship. Here, I tried to spark even a small flame on the tip of my hoof, the only surface that didn’t seem to be wet. What little moisture there was evaporated momentarily, and I proudly coaxed the flame into existence. I bent over to touch it to the rope, lighting it like wicker. Current screamed at first, thinking that I’d set her on fire. But this was magical thestral fire. It wouldn’t burn her unless I told it to. Rather, I ordered it to melt through the rope. Once she realized that she was free, our eyes locked for a moment. Now, she wasn’t sure what to make of me. Friend or foe? I wasn’t all that sure about her, either.

We were interrupted when Torchwood’s form was hurled into mine, slamming us both against the wall. The wind had nearly been knocked out of us, but I managed to look over in time to see Current scrambling away. She had just a another yard to the railing, and then she was free.

“Oh, no,” Water Mark snarled. “I’ve waited too long to let you go now!” A small streak of fire from Torchwood distracted him long enough for me to get to my hooves. Then I reared, bringing a crushing blow down onto the deck. This thestral trick was originally used in quarries to break off large stones, and the feeble wood of his boat stood no chance against it. The floor splintered, and the whole boat trembled. A loud splash told me that Current was gone. I understood her fear, but now we were left to fight her battle.

“NO!” Mark wailed, realizing a lifetime of work had just gone to waste. His wrath turned onto us in an instant.

“Fly!” I cried, springing up into the air.

“I don’t think so,” he growled, catching me and Torchwood both in levitation bubbles. I furiously kicked, but I wasn’t going anywhere until Mark said so. “If you’re such good friends with the hippocampi, why don’t you join them?” Torch was the first to be hurled into the raging sea, and I followed just a moment after.

I tried twisting around so I could pull up the instant I was freed from his telekinetic grasp, but I was flung with such force that this seemed impossible. I hit the icy water to hard it didn’t feel like water so much as hard rock, but I still started sinking. Luckily for me, there was a stray plank from the wreckage that was floating, so I grabbed on and clung for life.

“TORCH?!” I screamed. I couldn’t see or hear him. I looked wistfully down at the plank, praying that he was okay. I was a very poor swimmer- it was a miracle this plank had been so close, but I doubted he’d been so lucky. Wait, where had this come from? I didn’t remember any wreckage before now. I just had to look up for the answers I sought.

It seemed that between my pounding and Torch’s fire, we’d accomplished something, because the flaming boat was finally going under. The Rogue was sinking, and Water Mark was going down with it. Now that he was alone, his eyes were wide with terror, realizing the weight of the situation.

“No. NO! SOMEPONY HELP ME!” he cried to the air. I couldn’t if I’d wanted to. My wings were so heavy that it would be a struggle to lift myself out of the water, let alone a passenger. And besides, I was far more concerned about Torchwood.

“He’s hit his head. You must hold him,” a voice demanded. I whirled into the face of unconscious Torchwood.

“TORCH!” I screeched, trying to float him on the plank while keeping both our heads above water. I barely had time to turn back and see a neon blue mane whisking back under the waves. “Current?” I watched in dumbfounded amazement when the brave mare returned to the wreckage and dragged her former captor clear. I think he was too crazed from panic to realize what was going on at this point. He kept thrashing and mumbling to himself, pupils still tiny pinpricks of fear. Despite this, Current towed him back to us with her usual, ever-blank expression.

“You came back,” I panted.

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Because even after all those awful things I said, you still came back for me. You both forgave me for what I did. I suppose I must finally let go of the past to do the same,” she gestured to the crazed pony before us, “even if it means sparing this lunatic.” I almost laughed. A groan tore our attention away.

“Torch?” I gently whispered, nudging him back to conciousness. The cold waves lightly slapping his hide were what finally woke him up.

“What happened?” he grunted. Looking up into the face of Water Mark almost made him jerk back off the plank. Then, upon remembering who he was and what he’d done, he tried to scramble over and continue the fight where they left off. I restrained him, and Current pulled Mark a little farther away.

“It’s okay,” I assured, settling him back down. “I don’t think he’s going to be causing any more trouble for a while.”

“I thank you for what you have done for me,” Current said, bowing her head. “I can take Water Mark to shore, but I suggest you fly.”

“We can’t,” I cringed. “The water makes our wings too heavy.”

“Then I will deliver all of you,” she promised, “but I cannot do so with this maniac flailing about.” So Torch and I took Mark and fought to settle him between us on the plank, much to our displeasure. Finally, he quieted down, clinging to the wood like a frightened foal. Current then left us momentarily, but even through the dark water I could see the shadow of her form zipping to and fro beneath us. Her movements eventually accumulated into a gentle current that lazily carried us to shore. All of us except Current were shivering by the time we finally got back to dry land. Mark had fled from the hippocampus the second his hooves touched the sand, finally acknowledging that he was outnumbered. Torch and I, on the other hoof, lingered a moment longer.

We walked a ways out onto dry sand before we each sparked up a small flame, enough to dry ourselves off. Current waited patiently further down on the shore, letting the waves lap at her tail. Only when I was dry and warm did I return to the mare.

“Thank you,” I began. “You saved our lives.”

“On the contrary. It is you who saved me. I should be thanking you.”

“If I may ask...” I started to form a question, but I couldn’t seem to put the rest into words. Unbelievably, she almost laughed at my hesitation.

“You just saved me from being displayed as a circus act. I should think that would give you licence to ask almost anything.”

“What really happened with Buoy Mark?” Her face fell, not in the dark and hateful manner that I remembered, but in a sad recollection of memories.

“I was a niave filly,” she finally sighed. Her eyes shone in the moonlight as she looked up at the giant white orb as though it contained the entirety of her past. “My mother wanted more than anything for me to follow in her hoofsteps. She wanted me to be a siren just like her. I was more than willing to at least try, if that made her happy. I devoted my life to the music, and I became quite good at it, but I never earned my mark.” She fondly ran a hoof over the alternative symbol now stamped on her side. “My mother’s reputation and my hard-earned talent landed me a position as a siren watchpony. I was a young adult, but still a blank flank. The other mares would torment me to no end, especially the other sirens. They would tell me I didn’t belong, and in truth I didn’t, but I learned to ignore them. At that point in my life, I was content where I was.

“It was my first night on watch, and I spotted a ship coming a little too close to our settlement. It was my job to lure them off with a song. That I did, and it worked perfectly. The effect of the music left most of the crew asleep, but some had jumped overboard in an attempt to hear more. From there, another team of hippocampi drag the crew back to safety, and return the boat to the harbor so nopony is hurt. I was helping to undo the damage I caused, and brought one of the sailors to a secluded beach on the coast. This very one, in fact.” She paused and fondly glanced over the soft outline of the cove.

“I got worried when he didn’t wake right away, and stayed a while to watch. As I waited, I began to think dangerous thoughts: this colt probably had a family to return to, just like me. What if he didn’t wake up? What if I’d killed him? It didn’t take me long to realize that we weren’t so different as I’d been led to believe. This truth led to a fixation with life on the surface, so when he finally did wake, I couldn’t resist introducing myself.

“He was just as fascinated by me as I was him, and we got along fine at first. We’d meet every night here on the coast, teaching each other about our worlds. I didn’t realize at first that I’d fallen in love, but that I did. It was crazy; I was a hippocampus, and he was a unicorn. I couldn’t understand why we had to remain apart. Like you, Acrylic, I dreamed of uniting our kind so I would be free to carry on with Buoy. But that would never happen.

“One night, he came and said that he had something to show me. He said that it was on the land, but he could smuggle me over in his wagon. We’d only been seeing each other for a short while, and I was estatic. I didn’t even question him, and just hopped right in. He parked the wagon just outside his house when somepony else came out to talk to him. I kept hidden in the back, of course, but I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. They seemed to be arguing about money, or rather, the lack of it. But that wasn’t the issue. It was his wife yelling at him!” She shook her head, withholding fresh tears.

“He never told me he was married, and I felt so betrayed! I crept out of his wagon and hid in some shrubs, hoping to wait until the streets were clear to make my escape. I wept as he kept trying to assure his girl that he had a plan to get them out of debt. He wanted to show me off to Equestria, becoming rich off of the admission of my performances. She didn’t believe him, but I knew I had to get out of there before he realized I was gone. I ran desperately around the city, trying to find my way back to the sea. I spent most of the night in dark alleys, fleeing his very hoofsteps. It wasn’t until dawn that I finally made it back to the sea. I never came back to the surface, and I vowed never to sing again. That was what had caused all my trouble, after all.

“I spent day after day alone in my home, mourning the loss of my ‘lover.’ This must have caused suspicion amongst my neighbors, because it wasn’t long before rumors began flying. Perhaps I was seen on the beach with Buoy on occasion, because they all seemed to know what I’d been up to. When the King caught wind of it, he was enraged. I’m not sure whether he was trying to ensure that we remained hidden or just to teach me a lesson, but the next time The Unbridled set sail on his waters, he caused a storm feriocious enough to sink her, but they all thought I did it. There were no survivors. Even so, I sifted through the wreckage for days in hopes of finding something, anything. I taught myself how to manipulate the water to get the job done more quickly, which was how I finally earned my cutie mark.

“Letting go was the hardest thing I ever did. The only way I knew how to do that was to shut everything, and everypony else out. I spent the rest of my life trying to make sure nopony repeated my same mistake.”

“Is that why you took to Kelpie?” I asked. Despite her cold outward appearance, I sensed a motherly attachment between the two.

“It is,” she admitted. “Kelpie reminds me of myself when I was her age. I just want her to be safe. I hope you are satisfied with your answer?”

“I think we can call this even,” Torch gratefully nodded.

“We are not finished yet. I was too quick to judge you, Acrylic and Torchwood. For that I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

“I already have,” I winked. She also recieved a nod from Torchwood to let her know the feeling was mutual.

“Despite what I said before, I do hope you come back to see us. We may not be ready to reveal ourselves to all of Equestria, but I think that for you, we can make an exception.” For the first time since I’d met her, Current displayed a genuinely warm smile, making her appear even more beautiful.

“It would be an honor.”

“Then perhaps I shall see you tomorrow at the lagoon?”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

When Torch and I stumbled bleary-eyed back into the hotel lobby, Water Mark was waiting for us. I noticed a suspiciously familiar stack of luggage sitting beside him. Upon spotting us, he practically leapt out of the armchair, obviously still on edge.

“I want you out of my hotel,” he ordered.

“What? Just like that?”

“You ruined my life’s work! I never want to see either of your faces around here ever again!”

“If kidnapping an innocent mare was your life’s work, then it was already a waste of time,” Torch snapped back.

“She drowned my father! Life as a showpony would have been merciful punishment!”

“Current loved your father. She’d never have hurt him. It was the hippocampus king who sunk The Unbridled.”

“Their... king?” he seemed to go pale, realizing his mistake.

“Turning Current’s life into a road show won’t fix things,” I went on. “It won’t bring your father back.”

“But... that’s what he wanted. I was just carrying out his legacy. Now I don’t know what to do.”

“Water Mark, you’ve done good things in your father’s name, along with the bad. Just look at this hotel. You founded it in his name, didn’t you? This is his legacy.”

“Come on, Acrylic. Let’s go.” Torch took hold of one suitcase, and I took the other. “We aren’t welcome here anymore.” I expected Water Mark to look defiantly after us, but in his shame, he couldn’t seem to decide whether it was best to look at the floor or us, and so his eyes ended up just darting around. I almost felt bad for the pitiful creature. After all, he thought he’d been doing the right thing by carrying out his father’s last wish. I couldn’t imagine life without either of my parents. If I had been left alone, would I have ended up as crazy and misdirected as Water Mark? Is that how Garble or Blaze would end up now that their birth parents were gone? I shuddered at the thought, and tried to focus solely on the here and now by following after Torchwood.

“Where do we go now?” I asked.

“You know, I’m not really sure,” he admitted. “No place is open at this time of night. It must be two in the morning. Even the motel doesn’t have anypony working this late.”

“Well, I know of one place where we’re still welcome.”

“Where’s that?” he looked genuinely puzzled. I smiled to try and get him to work it out on his own. “You don’t mean...”

“I do.”

“Out in the open? On our honeymoon?”

“Oh, come on, Torch. We’re thestrals, born and raised in the Everfree! You don’t mind spending one more night out in the Great Outdoors, do you?”

“Of course not. I suppose I just envisioned a more romantic honeymoon than this.”

“That makes two of us,” I laughed. “But if it makes you feel better, we packed our own blankets and pillows in the luggage. We won’t have to curl up in a pile of leaves and moss.”

“It is a little comforting,” he joked. Though it was late, I found a new energy, and used the ocean’s thermals to carry me to the island of the hippocampi lagoon. We lighted down beside the pool, where we deposited the luggage, and unpacked the quilt and pillows. Neatly piling the suitcases on the side, we set up a temporary camp beneath one of the trees. Our friends would sure be in for a surprise when they found us here!

“Hello? Are you alright?”

“What are they doing out here so early?”

“And what’s all this stuff?” The sound of a zipper implied that somepony was probably sifting through the suitcases.

“Acrylic? Torchwood?” I groaned before groggily rubbing my eyes. I was met with the wet nose of Kelpie’s sea lion pup. He licked my cheek a couple times before I managed to nudge him away. With a clear view, I could now see four more ponies inquisitively looking down at us: Whirlpool, Cascade, High Tide and Kelpie. Upon looking around, I spotted Jet Stream searching the trinkets in the luggage as predicted.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Did you... spend the night outside?”

“The greater part of it,” I yawned. “We aren’t exactly welcome at The Unbridled Inn anymore. There was nowhere else to go... I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, you poor dears! Spending the night out here on your honeymoon!” Cascade dramatically wailed. Her cries caused Torchwood to start rousing beside me.

“Current told us what happened,” Kelpie spoke.

“How is she?” I asked.

“It’s so odd,” High Tide grinned. “I expected her to get real upset, or try to forget about it, but... well... just look for yourself.” She pointed to the pool behind me, so I turned. On Cascade’s usual perch in the middle of the lagoon sat Current, fiddling with an exotic white flower bloom and humming pleasantly to herself.

...

"The blackest night, a star-speckled sky-
“Is it so different from pearls shining in the deep?
“Why does it have to be so unreachably high?
“I dream of swimming through the stars when I sleep.

...

“Are we so different?
“Must we remain apart?
“I think you’re magnificent
“Different though you are.
“I think from our friendship
“We can form a new start.”

...

“I do not fly and you may not swim,
“But let’s just go out on a limb.
“It might be crazy, but I think this can work.
“I don’t care what they think-
“They can call me berserk!”

...

She found her own verse incredibly amusing, and fell into a fit of childish giggling.

“She’s been like that all morning,” Whirlpool whispered, failing to conceal her own laughter. Torch chuckled beside me.

“That’s certaintly an interesting way to wake up.”

“Good morning,” I greeted with a light kiss.

“Oh, good! You’re awake!” Current exclaimed, slithering out of the pool to join us. “I must admit, I had an ulterior motive when I asked the both of you back. I felt so bad about ruining your books. I’m afraid I cannot replace them, but I hope this comes close.” She pulled out a book of her own, this one made from thin wooden planks bound together with seaweed, the words etched lightly into the wood. It looked like a history book on hippocampi as a nation.

“Current, I... I don’t know what to say! This is better than any book we could’ve gotten up on the surface! Thank you!” Her whole disposition radiated with pleasure.

“But again, keep it to yourself?” Tide prompted, astonished that Current would just give away information just like that.

“It’ll be our little secret,” Torch promised. She nodded approval, and let the subject drop.

“If you were kicked out of the hotel, where are you going to stay tonight?” Kelpie asked, concern peeking through in her voice.

“I’m sure we’ll find someplace,” my husband assured. I nodded.

“There must be one hotel we can get into.”

“But it’s tourist season. They’re usually pretty full around now.” The others looked to the green mare in astonishment on her already extensive knowledge of the land world. “What? I just noticed that it always seems pretty busy this time of year.”

“It is. And that’s the problem.”

“We might not be able to find another hotel that can take us,” I explained.

“We may have to go home.”

“So this might be the last time we see you?”

“But you still have another four days of your honeymoon! You can’t just cut it short!” Cascade exclaimed. “No, this won’t do.”

“It’s okay,” I assured.

“We talked about it last night,” Torch said, “and we decided that even if this is our last day here, it was the best honeymoon a couple could ever hope for.”

“Thanks to you all,” I added.

“Aww!” Jet cooed with a giant smile plastered on her face.

“We’ll all miss you so much!” Kelpie sniffed, moving in to give us a goodbye hug.

“There was so much more we could have learned,” Tide agreed, giving Torch a rough yet fond pat on the back.

“You’re all acting as if they really have to go,” Current cheerily sighed. “We’re all assuming they won’t be able to find someplace.”

“Current’s right. We might be able to stay. I’m just trying to be realistic.”

“I’m saying that you can stay, because we have a place for you.”

“We do?” Whirlpool looked baffled.

“Of course we do! Don’t you remember that cove you girls used to play at before we came inland?”

“That was years ago!” Whirlpool exclaimed, seeming to recall such a place.

“Oh Current, you’re absolutely brilliant!” Cascade squealed. “You could stay there and not have to pay for a hotel! We’d be nearby, and you could still visit the mainland as you please! It’s only a flight away for you, after all.”

“Oh, please say you’ll stay!” Kelpie begged. I turned to Torchwood.

“What do you think?”

“I think we should do it,” he smiled. I wasn’t about to argue.

It was a beautiful cove, redecorated just for us. I wasn’t sure when Whirlpool and Cascade had slipped off to get it ready, but that they did. This exotic paradise couldn’t compare to that dusty old hotel room. Palm trees lined the beach, dancing gently in time to the salty ocean breeze. A small cluster of these were off to the side, between which two hammocks had been strung. Flower petals littered the beach, some of which may have been blown by the wind, but most of them I assumed had been deliberately placed. A washed up log on the sand would serve as an adequate bench for us to watch the sunset together.

“Well?” Current prompted.

“It’s perfect,” Torch hummed, fondly nuzzling me.

“Thank you so much!”

“Come on, girls. Let’s let the two love birds settle in,” Cascade merrily sang. They all slithered happily off back to the water, waving before heading to their own homes. Torch and I waved back, left to the company of one another. So maybe our honeymoon hadn’t gone exactly as planned. It was still perfect. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Author's Note

A/N: Okay, I should be caught up transferring this from fanfiction to fimfiction. From here on out I'll be updating in weekly intervals, usually on Friday.

Chapter 16: This Isn't Goodbye

Chapter 16
This Isn't Goodbye

“Do you really have to go?” Jet pined, miserably watching us gather our few belongings back into the suitcases. Monty whimpered agreement from beside her.

“Of course they do,” Kelpie coolly replied. “They have friends elsewhere. It would be selfish to keep them here with us.”

“Thank you for understanding,” Torchwood gratefully hummed.

“We’ll miss you, but you have to go home.”

“And just because you’re leaving doesn’t mean our friendship has to end here,” Cascade pointed out.

“Never,” I agreed.

“Wait! Before you go, we all got you something.” Whirlpool brought forth a small makeshift pouch of loosely woven seaweed. She dropped it on the ground before us, and the bundle’s contents were revealed.

“Well... more like made you something,” Kelpie corrected. The first thing that caught my eye was a bright pink flower lei, crafted from exotic looking orchids and braided with seaweed and shells. The other wasn’t quite as noticeable; it was a necklace of twine, possibly even trimmed from a fishing net, with a single wooden charm strung on it. It looked hoof-carved into the shape of two hippocampi curled into a hoop as they chased after each other’s tails. Tide wasted no time in sliding the lei over my head, and Kelpie gave the wooden charm to Torchwood.

“I didn’t think you’d wear the flowers,” she blushed.

“It’s perfect,” he smiled. I now recognized that their ‘flirting’ was nothing more than friendly conversation, and smiled back.

“You didn’t have to do that. Your friendship is the best gift of all,” I sniffled. “But thank you. I’ll always keep this.”

“I don’t think it’ll last that long,” Cascade sadly chuckled. “The flowers will wilt.”

“Twilight probably knows a preservation spell,” I countered. I was finally breaking down, and Cascade moved in to give me a farewell hug. We all exchanged our goodbyes, almost everypony but Torch in tears. Even so, my big tough stallion tenderly returned the embraces of all our new friends. Monty pushed through to get in on the action too. Current was perhaps the most disheartened by our leaving.

We could delay our departure no longer if we were going to make our train. Torch carried one suitcase, and took off into the air. I followed with the last of the luggage, and we hovered a moment longer to wave one last time. They all waved back, Kelpie almost frantically so. I felt a good thermal billowing up under my wings, and recognized that it was now or never. I didn’t need to warn Torch; he’d felt it, too. We let the wind effortlessly carry us back to the mainland.

“I’ll miss them,” I sighed.

“They are good friends,” my husband agreed. “But we’ll see them again.”

“You think so?”

“I’ve already started planning our next vacation,” he winked. I found myself beaming.

“I think I like where this is going.”

There wasn’t much more conversation during our flight, mostly due to how short its duration was. When we touched down at the train station, however, we were able to continue. The attendants took our luggage, and due to the bustling noon hour, we struggled to find a private car. We finally managed to get a mostly empty carriage near the back. This forced our conversation onto everyday topics until the couple ahead of us got off. Once they left, I was free to pull out the book gifted to us by Current. Torch looked over my shoulder, and I moved it to where we could read together.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about something Tide said. Do you remember the first time we met? She insisted that there were eight pony types.”

“I remember that,” I nodded. “It was so strange. They hadn’t realized thestrals left in the first place!”

“Right. But what if there was something to what she said? What if there were eight pony types? Thestrals were once thought extinct, and there is no record of hippocampi, either. Who’s to say there really aren’t others?”

“You think that there might be more pony types out there?”

“It’s an intriguing thought, anyway,” he shrugged, looking out the train window. “I just hate the thought of there being others out there, left in the dark. Hippocampi remain hidden by choice, but what if there are others cowering for their lives as we once did?” I cringed in sympathy. I knew how relieved he was that we didn’t have to keep our wings a secret anymore. Once he’d been content to remain isolated amongst our own kind, but after making friends with so many in Ponyville, he just couldn’t be satisfied with the Everfree. Nor could I, for that matter.

“There’s a good chance she was right, though. If hippocampi really have been isolated for that long, they’ve probably done a much better job of keeping their history intact, especially if they haven’t even come ashore to update it. They remembered us, after all, and destrals. Maybe there really are hippogryphs, or at least used to be. Either way, it couldn’t hurt to look into it.”

“You really think so?” His eyes gleamed at the prospect.

“Nopony else really knows of the possibility. Sure, there might be the crazy fanatics out there, but there’s no one to take it seriously.”

“You do know why that is, don’t you? All those ‘crazy fanatics’ are viewed as obsessive nut jobs. That could be us, if word got out we were trying to find mythical creatures.”

“This could be our responsibility. And as for our reputation, no one is going to care. We all have our quirks; that’ll be ours. Just look at Pinkie! She has more friends than anyone I know, and she’s the quirkiest of all! And hey, maybe there are others the hippocampi never knew about. You remember the myths about the aponies?”

“I always thought they were the same thing as breezies,” he cocked his head.

“Some ponies believe they’re one and the same, but I always liked to think they were two separate breeds,” I replied, beginning to speak faster from sheer excitement. “Breezies work with pollen, but I think aponies are more about the flowers themselves.”

“Centaurs? Sleipnir? Flutura? I wonder if the Ice Shetland legends are true? And what about the sand sprites?”

“Who knows?” I giggled. “The possibilities are virtually endless!”

“Every story has its end,” he reminded me, “but I want to discover this ending with my wife.”

“And I with my husband.” He kissed my nose, and I retorted with one to the lips. One of the train attendants walked in just then, and his face turned red upon realizing he’d walked in on two lovers.

“Oh! I... erm... My apologies. Next stop is Ponyville,” he sputtered.

“Are we here already?” I exclaimed, looking out the window. Indeed, familiar terrain was already upon us.

“Thank you, sir,” Torchwood called, finally prying himself away from me. The attendant looked relieved to be out of that situation, and hastily shut the door. I finally had to put the book away, and Torchwood gathered our belongings. The next thing we knew, it was time to exit the train. Even after that amazing honeymoon, it felt great to be home. I breathed in the familiar, comforting small-town air.

“You’re BACK!” I heard somepony screech before I was tackled.

“Yes, we’re back, Pinkie,” I groaned. I didn’t even have to open my eyes to recognize the peppy pink mare. Torchwood nudged her off and lifted me back to my hooves.

“So how’d it go? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“It was amazing,” I breathed.

“An unforgettable honeymoon,” Torch agreed.

“Granted, it wasn’t quite as romantic as I imagined...” I went on.

“And I didn’t get you to myself as often as I hoped...” Pinkie’s face, for once, seemed to blank from confusion, but she still tried to smile through our ramblings.

“...But it was perfect, nevertheless,” I finally concluded.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Well, that’s great!” Pinkie enthusiastically bounced. “We missed you so much! Blaze and Heckley were both going to stay over at the library, but Owlaliscious didn’t get along with Heckley so well, so Fluttershy’s watching Heckley for now.”

“Oh, no! Was everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine! I think he liked it better there anyway. Twilight’s a little skittish around snakes, but Fluttershy gave him special treatment. And Blaze had a good time staying over at Twilight’s, but he’ll be glad to go back home too.”

“He was alright?” I fretted. This was the first time he’d stayed away since I ‘adopted’ him. I was sure he’d done it before back with the dragons, but he was my responsibility now, so I worried.

“Oh, he was fine. He and Spike wanted to try and keep Art Life open for you, but Twilight convinced them she needed extra help at the library.”

“Good,” I breathed relief.

“You’re back!” A stampede of hooves pounded against the wooden boards of the train station, and we turned to greet the rest of our friends. Not only had Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and our dragon friends come to greet us, but Mr. and Mrs. Cake had joined them.

“Acrylic!” Blaze pushed his way to the front and caught me in the biggest ‘welcome back’ hug he could manage. I fondly nuzzled him, and then he scurried around to climb not on my back, but Torchwood’s. I was thrilled that he was finally accepting him.

“It’s good to see you again,” Mr. Cake smiled, more to Torchwood than me.

“You too, Carrot,” Torch grinned, sidling up to his buddy. I refrained from physically jerking- hearing Mr. Cake’s first name aloud caught me off guard. Almost no one but his wife called him Carrot. It took everypony else a moment to catch on, too.

“How was it?”

“Did you have a good time?”

“Whoa, whoa,” I laughed, trying to shush them all.

“You must tell us all about it!”

“Now, Rarity,” Mrs. Cake scolded. “What happened on their honeymoon was their business. It’s a personal affair. Believe me, if they want to let ya in on it, they will.”

“Oh, I suppose,” the disappointed white unicorn sighed. Mrs. Cake didn’t seem to be paying her any mind, caught up in her own thoughts. Then she began to giggle to herself.

“You remember our honeymoon, dearie?”

“How could I forget?” her husband chuckled. I smiled. They shared secrets within those memories. I now shared similar secrets with my husband. It was little things like that which we would always cherish.

“Well, what’re we all still standin’ round here for? I bet y’all wanna get settled in after bein’ gone so long an’ all,” AJ voiced. All our friends hummed agreement. I had to agree that it would be good to be home again. I reached for the luggage, and with Blaze on board, Torch led me back to our home. Our train accompanied us until we got to the base of the hill, chattering the whole way.

“Welcome home!”

“Mom!” It was my mother who came charging down to greet us. My father was a few seconds late, but made up the lost ground in a heartbeat. My parents were moving out to give us newlyweds a chance to settle in together, but still offered to watch the house while we were gone.

“Welcome back, honey,” Dad greeted, smiling as wide as I’d ever seen.

“Hey, Dad,” I beamed, letting him welcome me into a hug.

“Hello, sir,” Torch proudly nodded.

“Ah! What did I tell you about ‘sir?’ We’re family now, Torchwood. No need to be so formal.” He promptly swung a wing around Torch, almost smothering Blaze in the process. My baby dragon batted the wing away to remind my dad that he was still there. “And you, young lad,” Dad smirked, turning to Blaze. “Would you like to show your mother what we’ve been working on?” I froze. Mother? I’d treated him as my son up to this point, but this was the first time it had been spoken aloud. The mere thought made my heart flutter with joy.

“Okay!” Blaze readily agreed, not even noticing the slip of tongue. Most of my friends caught it, and just smiled.

“Honey, why don’t we let them settle back in first? They must be exhausted,” Mom gently suggested.

“Oh, my girl’s got more fight in her than that! And it’ll only take a minute.”

“That’s alright, Mom,” I assured. “We’ve always got time for Blaze.” My little dragon blushed.

“Come on, then. Out here, this way. Come on everypony. That means you too, young ladies.”

“Ooh! Field trip!” Pinkie sang as the rest of them were invited. She happily bounced along ahead of the others. Torch tightened his wing around me just a little, winking as we began to walk. I knew he was referring to the ‘mother’ comment. He was as proud as I.

I looked to Blaze and then to Father in hopes of figuring out where we were being led. Even Mom was wearing her best poker face. I rolled my eyes and gave up with a sigh. I’d find out soon enough.

Our train stopped at the edge of the Everfree, not too far behind the house. Dad parked us a good ways away from the tree line, but continued ahead with Blaze.

“What are they doing?” I wondered aloud, silently begging Mother for answers with the look in my eyes.

“I don’t know,” she fibbed, refusing to meet my gaze and watching them instead. I gave a disappointed huff and did the same. Twilight and even Spike also seemed to know what was going on, but neither said a word. Everypony else was as clueless as I.

Dad returned momentarily, without the hatchling.

“Where’s Blaze?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Just watch.” Dad gestured to the Everfree. I had to squint to make out the speck of orange at the top of the highest visible tree. My eyes bulged.

“Blaze!”

“Wait, just wait,” Dad held me back before I could throw a fit. Blaze couldn’t fly. What if he fell? He could seriously hurt himself!

I didn’t get the chance to even try and intervene before Blaze flung himself from the topmost branch. “BLAZE!” I screamed again. I finally broke free of my father’s grip and zoomed across the ground to catch him. I finally came to my senses when I realized it was taking much longer than usual. When I looked up again, Blaze was peacefully, even happily, soaring above me. “You’re... you’re...” I breathed, still flabbergasted. Then my lips curled into the widest smile I’d managed since the wedding. “You’re gliding! You’re really gliding!”

“Whoo hoo!”

“You go, Blaze!”

“Bravo!”

“Awesome!”

“Yay!”

At this point, we were all running along below, encouraging him. Rainbow even went as far as to join him in the air, providing an extra draft for him to catch and elongating his flight. He was exhausted by the time he landed, but he’d never been so proud. I scooped him up in my forelegs as soon as I caught up. “I’m so proud of you!”

“That was so amazing!” Spike wheezed, catching his breath after our sprint. He curled his claws to give Blaze a fist bump.

“I’m not... quite to... flying yet...” Blaze panted.

“But that was still fantastic!” Torchwood insisted.

“Young owls first learn to fly through a process called branching to help them strengthen their wings,” Twilight recalled. “It’s very similar to what you’ve been practicing recently, Blaze. This is an excellent start, Blaze. You’ll be flying in no time!”

“You really think so?” he hopefully beamed.

“I know so,” I giggled, nuzzling him one more time.

“Don’t you worry,” Dad proudly boasted. “He’ll be up in the air soon enough, if I have anything to say about it.”

“Dad,” I playfully warned. It was great that he wanted to help, but I was worried that his training drills might be a little hard on my little boy. He took the warning lightly and just chuckled.

“You know what this calls for?” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Don’t you think a party’s a bit overkill?” Rainbow asked.

“I was just going to suggest cupcakes, silly,” the crazy pink mare giggled.

“Even I won’t turn down a cupcake.”

“Hear, hear!”

“I’m buying!” Dad declared.

“No, no, no!” Torch pleaded. “This is your victory, too. You trained Blaze, now let us get the bill.”

“No can do, son,” Dad insisted. Torch wasn’t going to give up so easily. I sighed and let them argue over whom was treating who, and let Blaze climb up onto my back.

“You did good today,” I quietly called back.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to sleep or just recline, but I felt him fashioning my poofy mane into a more comfortable bed. The effort to remain in the air so long must have really drained him.

“Thanks,” he replied, finally settling onto his back. He took care not to let the spines on his neck poke me. “You think Garble will be proud?”

“I’m sure he’ll be impressed,” I nodded.

“Good,” he yawned, a note of satisfaction in his voice. “I need to prove to him that I can be just as much a dragon as he is. And to you, too.”

“Honey, you don’t have to prove anything to me,” I tried. But he was already asleep.

Chapter 17: A Royal Decree

Chapter 17
A Royal Decree

“Honey? Do you want gemstones in your pancakes?”

“Do we have sapphires?”

“No, just emeralds and topaz.”

“I’ll take a few emeralds.”

I was new to the whole ‘cooking’ thing. On occasion I’d fixed meals for Garble, Blaze and I when we were out in exile, but more often than not they ate their gemstones plain and I’d just open up a can of preserved green beans. I could work magic with paint, but not so much with food.

I gingerly sprinkled a couple of the green jewels into the pan, desperately trying to flip the flapjack before it burned. I didn’t think it was supposed to be bubbling like that. I finally gave up with the stove and tried to coax my own flame hot enough to thoroughly cook the food without starting a house fire. At least now I had some control over it.

Torch had been working overtime to find places for all his belongings. We’d finally moved in together after the honeymoon, but due to the small size of the house, it was hard to squeeze even our humble quantity of belongings inside. He wanted an early start on finishing the last of it this morning, and came down just in time to watch me deliver the corrupted meal to the table. We both stared at the blackened pancakes for a moment before meeting each other’s gaze. “I tried?” Thankfully, he started to laugh.

“I think it’s time we pay the Cakes an early morning visit.”

“I’m more than okay with that.”

“What happened down here?” Blaze wrinkled his nose, following the smokey odor of burned food to the kitchen.

“There was a little... incident...” Torchwood mercifully chuckled.

“That’s putting it lightly,” Blaze snorted, trying to wave the foul smell away.

“Oh, you be nice to me,” I playfully scolded. He snapped out of it in an instant.

“I mean... it looks... delicious!”

“I’m only teasing, Blaze,” I laughed, greeting him with a pat on the head. “We’re going to Sugar Cube Corner for breakfast instead. Do you want to come?”

“That’s alright. I smell emeralds.” He helped himself to Torchwood’s usual seat at the table, and holding his nose to block out the burnt smell, began picking the gems out of the singed batter. Torchwood grinned and I shrugged.

“Alright. We’ll see you later, then.”

“Have a good time.”

It was a nice early morning stroll. We were all alone as we trod down the rough country road to our small hometown. The streets were just beginning to wake up, but we found the plaza to be a little more full. Thestrals made up the greater percentage of those we met, as many of them were still reluctant to give up the nocturnal sleeping schedule of our culture. We’d all gotten used to seeing more of them in the early mornings or late evenings than other parts of the day, but it seemed to me that we encountered more than usual. I wasn’t aware of why this was until we were almost to Sugar Cube Corner.

There was a huge cluster of ponies converging on town hall, and most of them were thestrals. Excited chattering swept through the mutlitudes, but never made its way back to me.

“What’s going on?” Nopony answered us. Finally, Torch pushed his way through the crowd to get to the bottom of it. As it turned out, they were swarming to get a glimpse at a poster pinned to the Local News bulletin. I couldn’t see past him, and finally gave up, waiting for him to come back with a summary of the flier’s message. He did better than that, and read aloud to satiate the curiosity of all those waiting.

“To all citizens of Equestria,” he loudly read, hushing the crowd.

“Due to the recent addition of our new friends, the thestrals, overcrowding has become a reason for concern. There have not been enough homes or jobs opened up to accomodate the new arrivals. Their majesties Princess Celestia and Princess Luna hereby decree that there shall be a new colony to be constructed near the White Tail Woods territory. The area is well suited to establish and maintain a thriving logging industry, and with the Running River and Western Sea so close by, it is also a prime location for a bustling seaport.

“The sheer scale of this project is overwhelming, but their Highnesses are sure that Equestria shall step up to the challenge. Volunteers are greatly needed and appreciated. Housing will not be restricted to thestrals, and any are welcome to apply for housing. Please see the local mayor for details.

“Signed, Princess Celestia.”

There was a loud cheering after that. Of course, we’d known this had been coming, but hearing it aloud caused the reality to sink in. It felt so good to know that our parents would finally have a real place to stay. Torchwood had reclaimed his old apartment shortly after returning to Ponyville, which both of our parents were now sharing. It was only large enough to comfortably house two, and four was getting a bit cramped.

I was so relieved and excited that I almost didn’t hear the grumblings behind me.

“It’s taken them long enough,” someone growled.

“And now that they’ve finally got it sorted,” another pessimist agreed, “they want to stick us right back in the woods.”

“Watch your tongue,” I abruptly cut in. “I know for a fact that their Highnesses have been working very hard to accomodate all of you.”

“Easy for you to say,” the third of their company grumbled. “You already have a nice home, a nice life. The rest of us are still stuck in the same old routine, still living in tents. The only difference between now and our days in exile is that we don’t have jobs anymore!”

“Then why didn’t you just stay behind in the Everfree?” Torchwood challenged, returning to support me.

“He’s got a point,” one of them brought out. “Why didn’t we just stay behind?”

“We were satisfied back there,” somepony else agreed. The crowd erupted into a clamor, some for the idea of moving back, and some against it. Torchwood reared to silence them all, but didn’t dare slam his hooves down for fear of causing an earthquake.

“I know that some of you are frightened about what is to come,” he boomed, “but the Princesses have been doing their best to care for us. There is no reason for such outbursts. If you wish to return to the Everfree, then that is up to you, but leave their Highnesses out of it!” The intsigaters of the riot slowly dispersed, grumbling all the while. Even those in favor of the movement had been put in bad spirits after the negative complaints of the others.

“Alright, everypony,” Torch called out, attracting the attention of the remaining group. “Let’s not allow the naysayers to ruin the moment for the rest of us. This is wonderful news, and calls for a celebration!” Most of the others perked up, and a whistle of agreement was heard. Before we knew it, Sugar Cube Corner was being swarmed.

“Whoops,” I voiced, Torchwood joining me. We watched as they all slowly pushed their way into the bakery. “You think we should lend a hoof?”

“It was kind of our fault,” he agreed.

“I thought you handled it really well, though.”

“Thanks.”

By the time we made it into the shop, the Cakes were already flustered trying to find enough seats and keep the orders organized. Mrs. Cake couldn’t keep up with the register, Mr. Cake was flying to seat ponies, and I saw flashes of pink in the back where Pinkie was frantically cooking an an effort to keep up.

“I’ll be right with you,” Mr. Cake called to another round of customers.

“It looks like you could use a hoof,” Torch spoke, startling him.

“Torchwood! Thank Celestia! We’re busier than a beehive at the moment!”

“I’m afraid that’s our fault,” my husband apologized.

“Oh, well that’s no matter. Now that you’re here, I’m sure things will go much more smoothly. Torchwood, could you help me seat tables? And Acrylic, would you mind joining Pinkie in the kitchen?”

“NO!” we both exclaimed. Mr. Cake blanked for a moment before recovering.

“Well... alright then. Maybe you could trade places with Cupcake?”

“Now that I can do.”

“Great!”

Mrs. Cake was just as pleased, and readily set me to work at the cashier. I was used to working with the device at my own shop, but the rate at which I had to punch numbers in was overwhelming. It wasn’t long before Rarity came in hopes of a scone, and she ran off to recruit the rest of our friends. Even Spike and Blaze had been collected. With everypony now set to work, we were able to keep the customers satisfied. Traffic was settling back into a happy medium after an hour or two, and we were all worn out.

“What was that all about?” Twilight panted when the last thestral had left.

“Sorry, everypony,” Torch sheepishly blushed, ears flat.

“It wasn’t your fault,” I insisted. “You just told them all to celebrate. The fact that they all instantly flocked here just means Sugar Cube Corner is undoubtedly the best place to do that.” The owners beamed.

“We are the only bakery to add gemstones to our goods,” Mr. Cake proudly pointed out. Shortly after so many thestrals had moved in, they had updated their selection, and from what I’d heard the gemstone cakes were doing well.

“Ooh! Ooh! What are we celebrating?” Pinkie wondered.

“Princess Celestia finally posted her plan to relocate the rest of the thestrals at Town Hall,” Torch explained.

“That’s right!” Twilight recalled. “Mayor Mare asked me to help keep the applications organized.”

“My, my!”

“That’s great!”

“This really is a reason to celebrate!” Mrs. Cake declared. “Come on, everypony. You all worked so hard, cupcakes are on the house!”

“Yippee!”

“Alright!”

Rarity took the last scone, and I was about to ask for a blueberry muffin when the bells jangled again, alerting us of more customers.

“I’ve got this one,” Mr. Cake declared, returning from the back. “Oh, hello girls. What can I get for you?”

“Ya got any gemstone cupcakes left?” The young voice belonged to none other than Apple Boom.

“What if she doesn’t like cupcakes? Should we try muffins?” the tender Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Everyone likes cupcakes!” Scootaloo piped up.

“Apple Bloom? Girls? What are y’all doin’ here?”

“Hey, sis!” the little filly smiled, waving at the group. I took my muffin and joined them at the large table, and the girls wasted no time in following.

“Sorry, Apple Bloom. We’re fresh out of gemstones,” Mr. Cake reported.

“What in the hay do ya need gemstone cakes for?”

“We met a nice thestral filly this morning!” Sweetie Belle offered.

“She doesn’t have her cutie mark yet, an’ she’s real shy,” Apple Bloom went on.

“We wanted to recruit her to join the CMC.”

“So we thought we’d try and get to know her first. Apple Bloom suggested we invite her to have a snack with us, but her mom said that she wasn’t feeling so good today.”

“So we were going to take her something to make her feel better!” Scootaloo finished.

“That’s awful nice of you girls,” Applejak smiled.

“But I’m not so sure a cupcake is going to make her feel better,” Twilight chuckled.

“Cupcakes always make me feel better,” Pinkie protested. Twi ignored her.

“You could try to bring her a thermos of soup.”

“A simple cup of tea always makes me feel better when I’m ill,” Rarity offered.

“Tea! That’s a great idea, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Well, what are we waitin’ for, y’all? Let’s get to it!” They headed for the door, but Scootaloo stopped.

“Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Can we invite her to that art class you promised us, Acrylic?”

“Art class? Oh! I completely forgot!” The friends exchanged disappointed looks. “I’m so sorry girls. Life’s been crazy. But I promised you class, so a class you’ll get. My sister is visiting tomorrow, and I have to take Blaze to see his brother on Wednsdays, so how about Friday? That’ll give me time to get ready.”

“Sounds good!” Scootaloo piped, buzzing her wings in delight.

“Thanks, Mrs. Acrylic!”

“See you then!” They happily trotted out the door.

“You promised them an art class?” Twilight inquired, eyebrow raised.

“Yeah. They asked if I’d teach them before the wedding, but I’d completely forgotten about it.”

“Well, it’s no wonder. You’ve had a lot on your mind, dear. That’s why I told them to wait until after things settled down. But alas, it seems they didn’t listen,” Rarity huffed.

“Well, it’s a good thing they reminded me. I promised Blaze, too. I hope you don’t mind their friend joining us,” I turned to him. He waved it off.

“The more the merrier, right?”

“That’s the spirit!” Dash encouraged, taking a big bite out of her cupcake.

“Can I come? Please please please?” Pinkie begged.

“Pinkie, I think it’s meant to be a kid’s class,” Twi reprimanded, tasting her own cake.

“Aww,” she pouted.

“I think it’s best to let the kids have their fun,” I gently agreed.

“Alright,” she reluctantly agreed. Then she perked back up again. “Hey! Did you say Wild Flower’s visiting tomorrow?”

“She and Cedar are both coming,” Torch affirmed.

“Awesome!” Dash high-hoofed me.

“You’ll have fun together,” Twilight gave her approval.

“Do you have any plans?” Fluttershy prompted.

“Not really,” I shrugged.

“We’re hoping they had something in mind,” Torch admitted.

“Though, knowing them, they’re hoping we made plans, and we’ll sit around the house for an hour trying to come up with something to do.”

“That’s an hour wasted!” Rainbow argued.

“If you just spend a bit of time figuring it out tonight, you could utilize your time together far more efficiently,” Twilight advised.

“That’s alright. It’s kind of like tradition. We’ll spend that hour chatting and catching up until we figure something out.”

“If you say so.” The rest of the girls shrugged and went back to their dessert.

Chapter 18: An Everfree Ruin

Chapter 18
An Everfree Ruin

I was upstairs, washing the paint off my hooves. I’d been busy trying to catch up with some work all morning, but it was nearly noon by now. Today Wild Flower and Cedar were coming to visit. There was no need to be formal around them, but I needed to be at least a little more presentable. My heart skipped a beat when there was finally a knock at the door.

“I got it!” I called, rushing downstairs. Blaze was closer, and already moving to the door when I zipped past. I accidently unbalanced him in my excitement, but he caught himself on the table. I barely noticed. The teal coat and brown mane of my sister greeted me on the on the other side of the door.

“You’re here!” I joyfully squealed.

“Sis!” We stopped bouncing long enough to hug, but were back to our hyper, happy selves momentarily.

“Hi, Cedar,” I grinned, peering around her.

“Hey.” Her friend grinned foolishly back, probably still laughing at our crazy antics. Kept apart we were more or less sane, but together we could rival Pinkie Pie. “Is Torchwood home?”

“He was trying to do his delivery rounds before you got here, but I guess he wasn’t quick enough. He should be back soon.”

“Got him running your errands, have you?” Wild Flower giggled. I rolled my eyes.

“He technically works for me, but he does so many deliveries he might as well sign up to the postal service.” She laughed, and Cedar’s grin became lopsided.

“Well, if he decides to switch over, I know somepony.” Wild Flower found this exceptionally funny, and almost doubled over laughing. I wasn’t sure why she found it so humorous, but it was contagious, and soon we were all clutching our stomachs. All but Blaze, anyway.

“Where’s Nova?”

“Sorry, Blaze. He couldn’t make it today. Our neighbors are on vacation, and he promised to watch their pets while they’re gone. We didn’t realize he’d be working during our visit.”

“Aw, why didn’t you write?” I whined. “We could have come to you!”

“Well, we figured you’d already made plans.”

“We thought you’d have something in mind!”

“Ugh, here we go again!”

“Well, since nopony made plans after all,” I giggled, silently congratulating myself on a successful prediction, “we could all fly back to Baltimare. Then Blaze and Nova could spend time together, and I’m sure we’ll all find something to do.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure Torch would be alright with it.”

“Alright with what?”

“Hey, hon!” I pressed close in greeting.

“Well, look who it is. It looks like we’ve got guests,” he grinned, giving Cedar a hardy clap on the back.

“It’s good to see you.”

“You too. Now, what will I be alright with?”

“Nova’s stuck in Baltimare petsitting. We thought that since nopony made plans, we could all fly back over there so he and Blaze could hang out.”

“Why wouldn’t I be alright with it? Let’s go!”

“Are you sure you’re up for it? You’ve been delivering all morning.”

“What, that little warm up? Now we can do some serious flying. I bet I can still beat you all there!”

“You’re on!” my competitive sister declared.

“I can’t let you have all the fun!” I agreed.

“You aren’t leaving me here all on my lonesome,” Cedar smirked. I scooped Blaze up so we could head off, and we all raced to the door. We landed in a dog pile when Torchwood abruptly stopped in front of us, causing a collision. When I looked up to see the reason for it, I found a frazzled, panting Twilight blocking the doorway. Spike was on her back. This wasn’t a good sign.

“I hope you didn’t make plans,” she wheezed, “because I’ve got something for you to do.” Before I knew what was going on, we were all galloping along behind her.

“What’s going on, Twilight?” Wild Flower called.

“Oh, hello, Wild Flower, Cedar. It’s good to see you both. I just got a letter from Princess Celestia. She has a special assignment for us.”

“Can we help?” Cedar voiced.

“I’m sure the Princess will appreciate all the help she can get,” Twi answered with an affirmative smile.

“Where’s everypony else?” Torch was answered when Pinkie Pie bounded up, followed by all our friends.

“We came soon as we heard,” our cowgirl called.

“What’s this all about, Twi?”

“Princess Celestia has a special assignment for us,” the alicorn panted.

“How awesome is that?” Rainbow boasted.

“What kind of special assignment?”

“She didn’t say, but we’re supposed to be heading to the Everfree. She said she’d send the details soon.”

“The Everfree?”

“I’m assuming that’s why she specifically requested you two.” She gestured to Torch and I.

“Us?”

“You know the Everfree like the back of your hoof.”

“Did she say where in the Everfree we’re headed?”

“She did better than that. She sent a map.” Twilight levitated the page out of her saddlebags in front of us.

“Hey! That’s not far from my old sector!” Cedar voiced, noting the circled area.

“Can you take us?”

“Sure can. This way.” He instantly took to the sky, forgetting about the three flightless ponies we still had to worry about. Applejack leapt into the air where she was caught by Rainbow, and through their combined effort, AJ was swung up onto her back with practiced precision. Like the gentlecolt he was, Torch took care of Rarity, and Twilight towed Pinkie along in a levitation bubble. Though it required a little extra effort to haul our three flightless friends along, it paid off in the long run, for we’d arrived in less than half the time it would have taken to walk.

“Anypony mind tellin’ us what we’re doin’ here?” AJ called, jumping off Dash and landing neatly back on solid ground.

“The Princess just said that she’d send the details when she could,” Twilight repeated, dropping Pinkie gently back to the ground.

“And when might that be?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do what are we supposed to do? Just wait around here until she sends something?”

“That’s what we were doing before we got here,” I huffed.

“It’s very unlike the Princess to make us wait,” Twi agreed.

“Well, I, for one, am gonna go take a look around and see if I can find anything the Princess might’ve sent us out for,” Rainbow declared.

“I’ll go with ya,” Applejack offered. “It’s not like we got anythin’ better to do.”

“I wanna see if I can find any cool thestral things!” Pinkie said, gesturing to the pile of belongings abandoned by those who left.

“I shall accompany you,” Rarity offered. “I’d like to see if they’ve left behind any gems I could use for my new line of dresses!”

“It might not be a bad idea to set up a perimeter,” Torch spoke, scouting the area. “We don’t want to be caught by surprise by any monsters in the area.”

“I remember an unpleasant pack of timberwolves settled somewhere in these parts,” Cedar agreed.

“T-timber wolves?” Fluttershy quivered. Even her abilities didn’t seem to extend to them.

“I’ll come, too,” I offered. “You up for it, Blaze?” He looked to Spike, who gestured for him to go on.

“Where you go, I go.”

“Well... alright... but everypony be careful!” Twilight directed. I split off with Torchwood, and Wild Flower trotted along behind Cedar. “Looks like it’s you, me and Spike, Fluttershy,” Twilight tried to soothe the frightened mare. She still trembled as Twilight set her to work with some scrolls.

We were supposed to be keeping watch for monsters, but since I was alone with my family, it felt more like a leisurely stroll.

“What do you think the Princesses sent us out here, for?” I asked, trying to spark a conversation.

“I have no idea,” he confessed, holding aside a clump of ferns for me. “But her map didn’t exactly encircle the sector itself. It was trained more around the area southeast of here. Cedar just brought us to the clearing to wait for instructions.”

“You’d think the Princess would send it all at once like she usually does,” Blaze grumbled.

“I’m sure there’s a reason for the delay,” I assured.

“Still, it couldn’t hurt to check it out,” he pressed.

“Right now our job is to check out the perimeter.”

“Oh, I’m sure Wild Flower and Cedar can handle it,” Torch slyly winked.

“You, too?”

“Come on, Acrylic. Aren’t you just the least bit curious?”

“Of course I am!”

“Well, let’s go! Believe me, we’ll be leaving them in good hooves. I’ve seen Cedar single-hoofedly take on a whole pack of timberwolves.”

“Are you sure?”

“How do you think he got his cutie mark?”

“Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt to take a peek...”

“That’s the spirit. Come on!” We didn’t fly for fear of missing whatever it was we were looking for beneath the dense canopy. I chased him through the underbrush instead, letting the leaves and bristles sting my coat. Though most thought the feeling unpleasant, it brought back memories of my youth. Torchwood seemed to be enjoying it as much as I, but Blaze had to shield his eyes. He hunkered down and I fashioned my wings into a protective dome, shielding him from the branches.

We could have been running for a mile, or ten. I was just enjoying the moment. I barely felt Blaze’s weight as we frolicked through the brush of our old home. Torch got into the spirit of things too, and it wasn’t long before we were both bouncing around the forest like five-year-olds. Blaze gripped my mane tighter so he didn’t fall off, but didn’t complain aloud. I finally settled down when I thought I’d lose a good chunk of my mane if I didn’t let up. Torchwood still bounded ahead, but I held back a moment to catch my breath.

“Acrylic! Blaze! Come look at this!” I looked up at Blaze, who was as curious as I. We hurried to catch up with him. We finally hit the edge of the trees, and Torch stopped me from toppling down into the valley below.

“Whoa,” Blaze breathed. I was struck speechless.

“Was this always here?”

“It couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air.”

“I don’t know. We’ve seen stranger.” Situated in the valley was the old ruin of a castle unlike any I’d ever encountered. This definitely wasn’t the Castle of the Two Sisters.

It was huge, with dark spiraling towers and looming columns. Long, narrow windows lined every floor, and it looked to be at least five stories high. Watchtowers were posted at all the prime locations. The queer thing, though, was it was completely overrun by plants. I expected a couple of creepers here and there after so many years of rot and neglect, but it wasn’t like that. It was almost as though the flora had been incorporated into the original structure somehow. Most of the cobblestone walls had been welded into massive trees. In fact, now that I had a better view, some of the towers were trees, hollowed out and perhaps at one point trimmed. Branches and vines served in place of several main supports. The whole castle had been constructed to blend with the rest of the forest.

“I think we found what the Princess sent us out here for.”

“Yep.”

Chapter 19: In The Pit

Chapter 19
In the Pit

“Hey, Dash, AJ!” I called. I spotted their brightly colored coats standing out against the dark forest on the other side of the clearing.

“Acrylic? Torchwood? What are y’all doin’ out here? Ain’t ya supposed to be watchin’ the perimeter or somethin’?” They circled around to join us, and we met them halfway.

“We were tired of waiting,” Torch answered, looking back to the ruin. “So this is what we’re out here for, eh?”

“It must be. She usually calls on Twilight to investigate unusual and mysterious happenings. I don’t remember this place. I’d say that falls under ‘unusual and mysterious.’”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’re saying you don’t remember this being here, even though you grew up in the Everfree? Okay, now I’m a little freaked out.”

“Aw, come on, Dash. You ain’t afraid of an abandoned castle, are ya?” AJ challenged with a smirk.

“Who? Me? No way! Are you?”

“Never!”

“Prove it!”

“Alright, I will! How about a little bravery contest? We’ll both go down in there and find whatever it is the Princess sent us here for.”

“And if one of us leaves before we find it, they lose,” Rainbow finished.

“You’re on!”

“Wait just a minute!” Torch spread his wings wide to obstruct their path.

“We don’t even know why the Princess sent us here. For all we know, we might’ve been sent just to pinpoint the exact location of the castle. She might not be looking for anything particular inside.”

“And don’t you think we should at least let the others know where we are before we go charging into an old ruin?”

“Just look at that thing. Most of those trees have probably rotted by now. It’s unstable!”

“Don’t tell me you’re chicken, Acrylic. You grew up here!”

“I’m trying to not get killed!”

“Let’s at least show Twilight what we’ve found,” Torch intervened. “Then she can decide.”

“But Twilight will never let us go investigate!” Rainbow protested.

“Then how’re we supposed to know who’s the bravest?”

“You’re both very brave,” I interjected. They puffed up with pride. “But not always too sensible. That’s something Twi’s never short on, so let’s let her make this call, alright?”

“Who you callin’ insensible?” the indignant AJ shook a fist. I rolled my eyes.

“No offense.”

“Rainbow, why don’t you go back and collect everypony? I’ll create a fire pillar like last time to mark our place,” Torchwood interrupted before we could start a fight.

“Oh, alright.” She was gone in a rainbow-colored blur, and as promised, Torch swooped over the castle to create a vortex of orange and green fire. There was no way they could miss it.

We were back to waiting around for our friends to catch up, which took longer than I expected since they opted not to fly everypony over this time. When they finally all crashed out through the underbrush, they all took a moment to soak in the scene.

“Any news from the Princess?” I asked Twilight, trying to bring her out of the stupor.

“No,” she breathed. “But this must be it! You say you don’t remember it being here before?”

“I didn’t often come out this way at all,” I admitted, “because I lived in another sector. But I’ve never heard of another ruin in the Everfree.”

“Nor have I,” Torch concurred.

“Most of us steered clear of this area altogether,” Cedar commented. “It’s teeming with more monsters than anywhere else in the Everfree.”

“Say what?” I choked.

“This is the Pit?”

“What’s ‘the Pit’?”

“As foals we were always warned to stay away from here at all costs,” Wild Flower whimpered, cowering at the realization. “It’s infested with hydras, timberwolves, manticores, cragadiles, ursas and more monsters than you could ever imagine.”

“But if this is it, why haven’t we seen them yet?”

“Maybe it isn’t the Pit after all,” Twilight concluded.

“I dunno. That looks like a pit if I ever saw one,” Dash pointed out. The castle was indeed standing at the bottom of a deep gorge.

“They probably weren’t talking about a literal pit, Rainbow.” A snarl from behind silenced her. Those of us brave enough to turn pivoted at a snail’s pace. A hungry looking hydra raised all five of its heads, and bellowed at the top of its lungs.

“Nope, this is the pit.”

“Everypony, RUN!” In their panic, ponies darted every which way. I didn’t know where I was going and ended up cornering myself against a boulder.

“Where? Run where?!” I squealed, delivering a sharp blow to the nose of one head before it got ahold of Blaze. He frantically clambered up to the safety of my back.

“To the castle!” Twilight fired a shot from her horn at another head.

“Inside the castle?” I shrieked.

“It can’t follow us in there! Just do it!” Torchwood distracted the hydra by spraying an array of sparks at three pairs of eyes, buying us all a head start. Now organized, all twelve of us were darting for the dark entrance to the ominous castle. While grand, the doorway still wasn’t large enough to permit the hydra to enter, and we all slid to safety at the center of the room. Though it was dark inside to begin with, all light was finally blotted out when the hydra managed to wedge itself in the entrance. Its distressed calls were all that could be heard over our collective panting.

“Is everypony okay?” Applejack was the first to speak.

“Are we all here?” Twilight added.

“I’d tell you, but I can’t see!” Dash complained. With between four thestrals and two dragons, we managed to spark a fire for light. The hydra hissed angrily at the mere sight of its prey escaping, but was helpless to stop us.

“Great. Now how’re we supposed to get out?” Rainbow snorted, gesturing to the blockage trapping us inside.

“Oh, you poor little hydra,” Fluttershy cooed, hovering over to its aid.

“Fluttershy, wait!” The yellow pegasus wasn’t an idiot, and knew to stay just out of reach.

“Now, my friends and I can help you out of there, but you have to promise not to eat us when you’re free. Do we have a deal?” She held out her hoof to ask for a truce. The nearest head hissed again and spat at her. She dodged the hydra before it could hurt her. “How rude!” she squealed. “That’s it, Buster! I’ve tried being nice, but you’ve left me no choice! I’ll just have to use the Stare!”

“You go, Flutters!” Pinkie rooted. We all waited patiently, but the creature had five heads. So as to not succumb to her authority, at least one head always turned the other way. It would rather remain wedged and prideful than humble and free.

“Why won’t you just let us help you?” she desperately wailed.

“Forget it, Fluttershy,” Twilight sighed. “It’s no use. If it wants to stay there, let it. We’ll just have to find another way out.”

“What if there isn’t another way out?”

“It’s a castle, Spike. Of course there’s another way out.”

“And if worst comes to worst, we can always smash a way out through one of the windows.”

“And ruin ancient art? Didn’t you see the detail put into those stained glass panes? They must be priceless!”

“I’m all for preserving long lost art, Rarity, but right now I’m more concerned about preserving our lives.”

“Well, I suppose that’s a fair point.”

“Come on, everypony. Let’s split off and see what we can find. Princess Celestia sent us out here for a reason. We might as well find out what we can while we’re here.”

“I’ll go with Applejack. We have a dispute to settle.”

“You’re on!”

“Let’s all pair off like we did before,” Twilight suggested. “Cedar and Wild Flower, Acrylic and Torchwood, Pinkie and Rarity, and Fluttershy and I.”

“And I can go with Blaze?” Spike hopefully chimed.

“I’d feel a little better if you stayed with me,” Twilight smiled. I nodded agreement.

“After that hydra incident, I’d prefer to know you two were safe.”

“Alright,” Spike reluctantly submitted.

“Everypony, take a light.” Twilight levitated an unlit torch from its rest on the wall, stuck it in the fire, and offered it to Fluttershy. She squeaked in nervousness as she took it. She also distributed torches to Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow, but she and Rarity used their horns for light. Torch, Cedar, Wild Flower and I all summoned up a small flame for ourselves. I kept mine dancing by my hooves, but Torch showed off a bit and let his hover in the air.

“Alright. Shout if you find anything. We’ll meet back here in an hour.” The hallway we started out in branched off in seemingly endless corridors and passages.

“What if we get lost?” Fluttershy trembled.

“It can’t be that big. But if you do get lost, head for one of the outer rooms. We can reorient ourselves by the windows.”

“Ooh, what’s down here?” Pinkie bounced off after whatever had caught her eye, leaving Rarity to scramble after her. Rainbow and Applejack charged down the darkest, scariest hallway they could find. Cedar walked Wild Flower down another hall, and Twilight weighed whether she was more likely to find a library down the left or right corridor. Torch turned for the nearest passage. I nudged Blaze to let him know where we were going, and he shambled along beside me as we started off.

“Don’t you think it’s about time to start heading back?” I prompted.

“It’s only been half an hour.”

“It feels like we’ve been walking for ages,” Blaze complained. I stopped to let him up onto my back.

“It is easy to lose track of time in here,” Torch agreed.

“Then how do you know how long it’s been?”

“I chose to stick by these windows for a reason.” He pointed through the open door of another room, which we assumed were staff quarters. “I’ve been watching the sun.”

“I’m glad I was paired with you,” I sighed. “But how will the others know?”

“We’ll meet up eventually,” he promised, sensing my worry. “We’ll all get out of here safe and sound. You’ll see.”

“Getting out of the pit won’t be as easy as getting in. Nopony’s ever done it before.”

“They just tell you that to spice up the stories. After all, somepony came back to tell the tale, didn’t they?” I shot him a doubtful look.

“I think I see light up ahead!” Blaze brought out, pointing to the end of this hallway. Unlike the dim, yellow illumination filtering in through the windows, this was a bright, unnatural light with a golden-orange glow.

“Stay behind me,” Torch cautioned, creeping ahead. I did as I was told, wings tight with worry. Blaze shrunk further into my mane.

“What in Equestria?” he muttered. He deemed it safe, and moved aside so I could enter. We were in a large, pentagonal room that opened up to more passages on all five sides, much like the hallway we’d started off in. But it was the room’s centerpiece that caught our attention. A lone pedestal stood sentry, placed in the center of a golden design that reminded me of a flower. I counted ten elongated ovals overlapping each other on the sides and converging on the base of the pedestal like petals connected to a stem. Unlike the natural, gnarled wood used on the exterior of the castle, this pedestal had been formed from finely crafted mahogany, polished to a shine under a few layers of dust. On top of the pedestal rested a strange sphere.

It looked to be made of some sort of sandy, gritty material, packed tightly into a solid sphere. It was hard to tell under the branches it was wrapped in, though. The rough bark didn’t look quite so coarse and dark as that of the castle’s exterior, but fresher and more... alive. A white, braided band of what almost looked like hair had been tied securely around it. A single, royal blue gem had been inlaid in the top. And it was glowing.

“What is that thing?” Twilight gasped.

“Fancy meeting you here.” We waved to Twilight, Spike and Fluttershy, entering from the hallway opposite us. It wasn’t long before Rarity and Pinkie approached from the corridor to my left.

“Sweet Celestia!”

“What kinda dohickey is that?” Applejack demanded, entering with Dash from the right.

“Is that unicorn magic, Twilight?” Wild Flower and her partner were the last to join us.

“I’ve never seen anything like this!” Twilight led the way, and we all closed in on the pedestal. “Is this thestral craftsmanship?”

“You got me,” Cedar shook his head. “I have no clue what this is.”

“Where are we?”

“That letter from Celestia would do us good about now.”

“Alright, everypony, calm down. We can work this out together.” Twilight fired up her horn to lift the orb so she could get a better look.

“Wait! Is that safe?” Wild Flower fretted.

“Twilight’s a professional,” I assured her. “If she thinks it’s safe, it probably is.”

“Wild Flower does bring out a good point. We don’t know anything about this thing. It could be dangerous,” Torch spoke.

“Or it could simply be somepony’s idea of art,” Rarity rolled her eyes. “It is a rather peculiar relic, but it is probably nothing more than an odd trinket.”

“Do what ya gotta do, Sugar Cube,” AJ pressed. Receiving affirmative nods from most of her friends, Twilight went ahead and lifted it off the pedestal. As soon as it was removed from its home, we were blinded by a flash of light from the floor. The golden flower design was glowing brightly.

“Put it back, Twi!” somepony screamed. There wasn’t time. Blaze’s claws dug into me in terror. I closed my eyes. Though it didn’t actually move, the very floor seemed to be disappearing out from under me. I couldn’t tell up from down. I was being sucked into an empty void. I vaguely heard the shouts of my friends, but at the same time there was silence. Soon, there was nothing left but blackness.

Chapter 20: Who's Who?

Chapter 20
Who’s Who?

“Ow...” My head was throbbing when I opened my eyes again. I sat up to try and work the knot out. The rest of my friends were rousing, too. The sharp, girlish scream from Applejack attracted our attention like magnets. The torches had fallen in the confusion, and the end of AJ’s hair had been caught in the flame.

“I gotcha!” Rainbow valiantly declared, reaching out to extinguish the flame. As soon as she lifted her hoof, though, she seemed fixated with it, glued staring at the blue fur like she’d never seen anything like it before. Meanwhile, Applejack was still trying to put out the fire. I didn’t realize how unlike her it was to shy from the fire like that in my fuzzy state, and reached out with my mind to try and put out the flame myself. I couldn’t seem to pinpoint the fire, let alone put it out. What was going on? Come on, cool down!

The fire didn’t obey me, but I felt a sudden tingling surge through my head. In a blast of cold air, a hailstone whizzed over my head and collided with the floor beside Applejack. I ducked and covered my head, lifting my wings to shield Blaze, who was still on my back. Where did that come from? It left a trail of ice and frost until it stopped skidding. Applejack was still in a panicked frenzy, and Fluttershy shoved her over into the ice, where the flame was finally extinguished. Wait, Fluttershy? She’d never push anyone, not even at a time like this! I looked around at the rest of my friends, finally noticing their queer behavior. Rainbow was still admiring her coat with a puzzled expression, Applejack was still wide eyed with terror, running in circles to escape an invisible evil, and Fluttershy was... laughing at them?

“Fluttershy, what’s so-” I cut myself off when I realized that voice didn’t belong to me. I heard the sound of my own scream, though I hadn’t opened my mouth. I whipped around to where I heard the cry, and my heart dropped. It had indeed come from a gray mare with blue hair. Even an orange baby dragon rested on her back. How could I be over there? I was over here! Wasn’t I?

I looked down at my own hooves with a start when I realized they were purple. They weren’t supposed to be purple. Remembering the magical hailstone, I frantically reached up to my forehead. My hoof hit something hard and pointy. I had a horn. I wasn’t supposed to have a horn! But wait, if Blaze was over there, then who was on my back? I looked around to find the unconscious form of Spike, still clutching me in his sleep. Even my wings weren’t my own after all- they were feathered, like Twilight’s. I was Twilight Sparkle, right down to her cutie mark!

Her cutie mark. I glared down at the incorrect print. This was the second time I’d lost my own hard-earned cutie mark. First the princesses had taken it away, and now it had been mysteriously switched. I’d had about enough. My talent was in painting, not magic. Right? When the princesses made me an earth pony, I’d lost all my thestral abilities, including the little fire magic I had. At the same time, I lost my cutie mark. Even when I got it back, the magical flame on the paintbrush had been altered. Now my usual artist’s symbol had been replaced with Twilight’s, the Element of Magic. What did this all mean? Was the universe trying to tell me something?

I was wide eyed and breathing heavily, trying not to panic. I finished my survey of the room just to keep my mind off my own predicament. Cedar was cross-eyed and Torchwood was staggering to his feet, dizzy and disoriented. I turned away before I could find anything wrong with him. Pinkie was curled into a terrified ball, and Rarity was still coming to her senses.

“What in the hay?” It was Rarity’s voice alright, but she spoke with a southern twang. “How can I be over there? I’m over here!”

“Applejack? Is that you?” the frightened orange mare gasped. Her usual country accent had been replaced with the sophisticated tone of voice that Rarity used.

“You’re in my body?”

“You’re in mine!”

“Well, give it back!” Applejack squealed as Rarity tackled her headlong, as if that would fix everything.

“Acrylic?” my own voice shakily inquired.

“Twi?” I rasped, just as unsettled.

“What happened?”

“How should I know? You’re the one who messed with that magic orb thing!”

“The orb!” Twilight whipped back to the pedestal. We found the orb on the ground, undamaged.

“Put it back!” I urged. I watched myself do so, and shuddered. The thought of somepony else in my body disturbed me. The sphere had been replaced, but nothing happened. She lifted it back off, then replaced it. My eyes went wide with fear when nothing happened.

“No. No! Nononononono!”

Meanwhile, Rainbow seemed to have gotten over the fact that her coat color had changed, and stiffly walked over to the limp form of my sister. Once she’d been roused, Wild Flower’s body jolted upon being woken by herself. Wild Flower took in the scene around her. Both of them managed to remain surprisingly calm. Rainbow helped Wild Flower to her hooves, where she gave her new body a good look over.

“Who is that?!”

“Wild Flower,” the cyan mare flatly stated.

“You’re... me?”

“I think so.”

“And I’m you?”

“Yep.”

“I guess that’s... kinda... awesome?”

“No! It is NOT awesome!” Twilight screeched, set off in an all-out frenzy.

“Well, I guess we know who Twilight is,” Rainbow joked from my sister’s body. Wild Flower giggled as Rainbow Dash.

“Isn’t this great, girls?” Fluttershy squealed in a much louder and higher-pitched voice than I’d been expecting.

“How is this a good thing?!”

“I’m you! And you’re me! That doesn’t happen every day!”

“There is a reason why this doesn’t happen every day,” Twilight seethed.

“Wow, Acrylic,” my sister giggled. “I’ve never seen you so uptight!”

“I’m over here!” I squeaked. It was obvious that they’d already known and merely wanted to get a rise out of me, because both Wild Flower and Rainbow Dash started laughing. Fluttershy joined in until all three of them were rolling on the floor. I guess hysteria affected ponies in different ways.

Then I remembered Blaze. I had to make sure he was okay! I practically ripped Spike off my back before setting him gently down. “Blaze? Is that you? Or are you still Spike? Oh, whoever you are, wake up!” Twilight rushed to Blaze’s body to see who’d ended up in his body.

“Twilight? Where’s Acrylic?” Spike groaned.

“Blaze?” He didn’t correct me, and just tried sitting up. I yanked him into a tight hug to settle my own nerves. “It’s me, Blaze. I’m Acrylic.”

“Nuh-uh. You’re Twilight. Acrylic’s over there!”

“She’s right, Blaze. Something weird happened when I removed that sphere. We’ve all switched bodies! Look at yourself!” Twilight held his former body up to show him. Spike was just waking up, and was equally surprised. Blaze’s eyes bulged, and he looked down at the purple scales of Spike’s body. We set them down so they could investigate each other.

“Wings. That’s new,” Spike stated, looking back at Blaze’s appendages. Blaze wasn’t taking the change quite so well as he.

“Switched bodies?” Torchwood gasped, checking himself over.

“So where’s my wife?” Cedar asked, looking us all over.

“Torch?” He smiled upon identifying me, and the green stallion hosting the mind of my husband walked over to me. He recognized my distress, and stiffly tried to curl his wings around me as a comforting gesture, but neither one of us were entirely comfortable with it. I knew that it was really Torchwood, but to me and all the others, it looked like Cedar and Twilight Sparkle were trying to get together. Twilight tried not to look too disgusted from where she stood.

“Where’s Wild Flower?” Cedar/Torchwood spoke up. Rainbow’s form trotted up to press close to him. My breath caught in my throat. I knew it was really Cedar, but I felt a pang of jealousy watching my husband cradle another mare like that, especially when she was one of my closest friends. I finally understood how Twilight felt watching me with Torch in her body, and pulled away. Torchwood seemed relieved too.

“How do we fix this?” Though his voice was not his own, I recognized that trademark ‘take-charge’ tone of voice. This small bit of familiarity soothed me long enough to come to my senses.

“I have no idea,” Twilight bit her lip. “I put the orb back, but it won’t work!”

“We must remain calm,” he lightly scolded her. “If we lose our heads, we’ll never fix this. Let’s start from the beginning. Twilight, you levitated the orb, correct?”

“I just wanted to get a better look.” It was so strange, watching myself hunker into a ball and start to cry.

“Nopony blames you for what happened,” Torch gently assured. “I just want to know exactly what did transpire. Perhaps if we recreate the exact conditions, we’ll be able to reverse it. Everypony, think. Did anything peculiar happen before we removed the orb?” All was silent as we tried to come up with an explanation. I gasped.

“I don’t know if this is important, but I remember that I was standing directly opposite from Twilight. Blaze was on my back, and Spike was on Twilight’s. It’s like we didn’t just switch bodies- we all switched places!”

“I think I was standing in front of Pinkie,” Fluttershy quietly whispered, speaking for the first time since the switch.

“Yeah, you were!” Pinkie bounced. Now that she had access to Fluttershy’s wings, she zoomed around the room even faster than usual, pushing us all into place. “Acrylic and Torchwood were standing there, and AJ was here, and Dashie here...” She trailed off, moving us around like chess pieces. It was all we could do to stay upright. She was going according to bodies, not our mismatched selves, and the scene started to look familiar. It was from a different angle, sure, but I recognized it from before. Fluttershy dropped out of the air and into her place opposite Pinkie, smiling as wide as ever.

“Hey! Check this out, everypony!” Rainbow called, looking down at the floor beneath her hooves. We all followed suit, and noticed that every one of us were standing inside one of the overlapping rings.

“Ya think that has somethin’ to do with us gettin’ all mixed up?” Applejack wondered.

“At this point, anything could’ve have something to do with it.”

“The patterns did light up before we were switched,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Alright! Now we’re getting somewhere!” Wild Flower high-hoofed Dash across the pedestal.

“Then Twilight lifted the sphere,” Torch prompted. They all looked to me.

“Me?” I gulped.

“You’re in Twilight’s body,” Torch reminded me. “Twilight originally raised the orb. If you do the same thing, it might switch us back.”

“But I’ve never used unicorn magic before! I don’t know how!”

“Just concentrate on it.” Twilight advised. I gave her a doubtful look. “You can control it. Just focus, and coax it into the air,” she added with a nod of confidence. I looked at the orb. Please, I silently begged. Please, please work. My friends were depending on me to fix this. What if I failed them? I tried to do as she said, but only produced a small shower of sparks from the troublesome horn.

“Perhaps we should try another approach,” Rarity spoke up. “Acrylic, you’re a visual pony, are you not? I remember when I was first learning to control my magic, it helped if I imagined what I was trying to do. Try to picture yourself lifting the orb.” I took a deep breath to shake off the last failure, and tried again. I shut my eyes, forming the scene in my mind. It seemed to play in slow motion, and a sense of calm washed over me.

“It’s working!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It’s working!” My eyes snapped open. I hadn’t even noticed the tingle of magic flowing through my horn. As soon as I lost the image, maintaining a telekinetic grip on the orb proved to be difficult.

“How high... do I have to... go?” I grunted, trying to bring it back up where I’d faltered.

“That’s exactly where I had it,” Twilight grumbled. “Why isn’t it working?”

“Wave it around a little, Acrylic. Maybe it has to be extremely precise.” I shut my eyes and blocked everything else out so it was a little easier to do so. After moving it over every square inch of the room, nothing happened.

“It’s not working. It’s not working! We’re going to be stuck like this forever!” Rarity was losing it again. Applejack did her the courtesy of smacking her back to her senses.

“Would ya stop gettin’ so dramatic ‘bout everythin’ like that? It’s makin’ me look bad!”

“Oh? And what about you and your ruffian behavior? I would never act in such a manner!”

“Ruffian? Alright, that’s it!” Rainbow and Wild Flower held them back before they could get into another wrestling match.

“That’s enough!” Twilight forgot that she was in my body for a moment, and reared.

“WAIT!” She came down much harder than she intended, the thestral impact shaking the whole building. All eyes were fixed on the ceiling, and everypony prayed that it wouldn’t cave in. Luckily, the tremor did nothing more than dislodge a bit of dust and chipped paint.

“No...” Twilight whimpered. We tore our gaze from the ceiling to look at her. She lay in a defeated heap, tears streaming down her face. The marble floor where she’d hit had been completely torn up, the stone cracked and dislodged. It had totally obliterated the golden patterns, and the pedestal itself. That was our last hope of fixing this mess. Gone.

Chapter 21: Second Opinion

Chapter 21
Second Opinion

“Now what?” flustered Applejack cried. Rarity and Fluttershy had both broken down weeping in despair again, huddled together for consolation in the corner. Spike and Blaze were trying to talk over each other in a panic so I couldn’t decipher what either one was saying. Even Pinkie looked a little uncomfortable.

“Everyone, get ahold of yourselves!” Torch boomed.

“It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault!” Twilight bawled. At Torch’s nudge, I awkwardly shuffled over to comfort myself. “We should have just stayed in the clearing. I never should have started investigating before the Princess sent instructions!”

“Speaking of which, she never sent them,” Wild Flower pointed out.

“Maybe we should go see her,” I suggested.

“What a grand idea!” Rarity exclaimed.

“The Princess is sure to get us all back to normal!”

“NO!” Twilight screeched.

“Why not? She might know something!” Rainbow protested.

“I can’t face her,” Twi bit her lip. “I disobeyed. I went poking around where I shouldn’t have been.”

“Don’t you think a light scolding is worth it if it means we can all get back to our old lives?” The rest of them nodded in agreement.

“Please, can’t we just wait a little longer? Maybe she’ll send the rest of her instructions. There might be something that can help us.”

As if on cue, Blaze belched out a series of scrolls. By the time he was done, he was clutching his stomach. Spike patted him on the back.

“You get used to it,” he assured. Twilight greedily snatched up one scroll after the other, scanning them for anything that could get us out of this mess.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,” she read.

“As you know, I have been speaking with thestral representatives who have volunteered to share their culture and history with us. One of them has recently told an intriguing story that I believe may hold some merit. They say that before their nation divided into the modern-day sectors, they were once ruled under a monarchy much like Equestrian Society today. If the castle were to be uncovered, it could hold invaluable artifacts and history lost even to thestral kind. My informants have disclosed the location of where the ruin of this castle is said to be. I have marked it for you on the map I previously sent. Take care; I have been told that is a particularly dangerous part of the forest.”

“No kiddin’,” AJ grumbled.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, but sister and I have been scouring the royal libraries for any material that may help you in this assignment. I’m afraid our knowledge of thestrals is limited, but perhaps you can put these to use.

“Signed, Princess Celestia.”

“Do any of those scrolls mention a body-switching device?” We all eagerly pressed in to read over her shoulder. She found the overcrowding far too distracting, and eventually distributed one to Torch, one to Wild Flower and another to Rarity so we could split off and get more information covered. The Princesses’ knowledge was obviously very limited, because there weren’t enough to keep everypony occupied. We were divided into four groups of three, and had all the information down in no time. We found nothing of use.

“So much for that idea,” Rainbow groaned.

“Now can we go visit the Princesses?”

“I’m starting to think that they won’t be able to help us after all,” I sighed.

“Why not?”

“Well, just look at how little information they had on thestrals. Celestia said that this was all they had. If she doesn’t know what that thing was, then she probably doesn’t know how to reverse it.”

“It’s still worth a shot!” Wild Flower insisted.

“And who else could possibly even begin to compete with Princess Celestia’s knowledge, limited as it is?” Rarity pointed out. “She’s the oldest being left in existence! Nopony else remembers anything about thestrals, or their technology.”

“That’s not true. She got her information from those representatives she was talking to. They could know something!”

“And if they don’t? We could be going all the way to Canterlot on a wild goose chase.”

“Well, what do you suggest, Acrylic? Do you want to be stuck like this forever?”

“I’m just suggesting that we might try someone a little more local, first.”

“You’re not thinking of...” Torch started. My smirk affirmed his suspicion. “Ohh, but why him?”

“Who?”

“He can help, Torch!”

“We’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Who are we talking about?”

“But he can help! And he probably knows more about thestrals than we do!”

“Oh, great idea, Acrylic!” Fluttershy beamed, working out who we were talking about.

“Don’t encourage her!”

“He’s our friend. It couldn’t hurt anything.”

“WHO?!” Everypony cried.

“Discord.”

“I don’t know how you ever talked us into this,” Twilight groaned. The hydra blocking our escape had evidently freed itself, because the exit was clear when we returned. We hadn’t been delayed by any other unfriendly creatures, so we took off at once. Now Twi was gliding easily along after Torchwood and Cedar with large and leathery thestral wings. I, on the other hoof, felt like a hummingbird, incessantly beating her feathered propellers to maintain the necessary altitude.

“How do you do this?” I panted, desperately searching for a thermal I could ride.

“Yeah, you don’t ever get a break!” Wild Flower agreed.

“You have it easier than me. Rainbow keeps her wings in tip top shape. Twi’s aren’t as strong because she doesn’t fly so much... no offense.”

“None taken.”

“Speaking of whom...” Wild Flower gestured to a dark shape darting through the skies. Rainbow had found that she could approach top speed twice as fast with big thestral wings that caught the air like nothing she’d ever experienced. She’d been experimenting with new moves since we got into the air, pushing Wild Flower’s body to the limits.

“Well, at least one of us is enjoying herself.”

“Take it easy, would you, Dash? I’m gonna be so sore when I get my body back!”

“How could you not savor every minute up here?” she called back. “I bet I could do a sonic rainboom in half the time if I had thestral wings!”

“Please don’t try,” Wild Flower begged.

“Please, please don’t,” Fluttershy trembled, clinging for her life. Since thestrals were the strongest fliers, they had all been paired with a passenger. Cedar carried Rarity, and Torch hauled Applejack.

“These wings aren’t primed enough, anyway,” she rolled her eyes.

“Are we almost there?” I wheezed. My back already ached from the effort. Not only did I have a passenger, but I was carrying the orb along with all the other scrolls and books in Twilight’s saddlebags, which added that much more weight. Blaze tried shifting his weight for the hundredth time in an attempt to make the load lighter for me. Though it didn’t really help, I shot him a grateful glance as he settled back down.

“You tell me,” Cedar shot back. “I’ve never met the ‘Lord of Chaos’ before.”

“Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it,” Rarity sniffed from atop his back.

“Uh... just a guess, guys, but I think we’ve made it,” Rainbow called, finally stopping to hover. We all looked where she pointed. A floating island hosting an upside down castle was parked over the Everfree, kept in place by a ship’s anchor that pitifully dangled into a tiny puddle.

“That’s definitely it,” Twilight agreed, nose wrinkled. I wasted no time in gliding back down to it. The sooner we got there, the sooner I could rest my wings.

We all landed on the small chunk of checker-boarded land leading up to his door. Twilight took the lead as always, and rapped purposefully on the massive doors.

“What’s this? I have visitors? What a pleasant surprise! I’ll be right there!” The familiar voice of our draconequus friend had never sounded so welcoming. The rest of the house had been upturned, so it shouldn’t have been surprising when he came to the door dressed in a bathrobe, standing on the ceiling. His face brightened up instantly. He teleported only a couple of feet away, but now he was right side up to properly greet us. “Acrylic, Fluttershy, you’ve brought the rest of our friends for a visit! Oh, it’s so wonderful to see you all.” Fluttershy smiled and tried to move forward to hug him, but he evidently thought she was Pinkie and brushed her away.

“Whoa!” Twilight was promptly plucked from the ground and twirled around in greeting instead. Spike indignantly picked himself off where he’d been knocked off.

“Discord? I’m over here,” I waved for his attention.

“How rude, Princess! I’ll be with you in a moment, but I wasn’t done welcoming Acrylic here to my humble abode. Dear Fluttershy has been here before, but this is Acrylic’s first visit. Not that I blame you, my dear. You’ve probably been quite busy with your new husband. Hello, by the way, Torchwood.”

“Discord-”

“Tsk, tsk. Patience, Princess. You’ll get your turn. Now, Acrylic, come along! I’ll give you the grand tour of my new palace, starting with the pool! It’s nothing like that dusty old castle up in the Frozen North where you stayed. I’ve completely remodeled!”

“Discord!” This time, Twilight tried to get his attention.

“You’re right, Acrylic. Enough chit chat. Let’s get started, shall we?” I did the only thing I knew to do to get his attention and keep him from teleporting away. I threw myself at him, catching him in a big hug. Seeing Twilight tackle him just for a greeting hug caused him to freeze.

“Princess Twilight, are you feeling alright?” He set the real Twilight down and picked me up instead. He pressed his paw to my forehead to feel for a temperature.

“It’s me, Discord,” I quietly explained, pushing the stethoscope away. “I’m Acrylic.”

“And I’m Twilight,” Twi snorted. His gaze darted between the two of us for a moment before he busted out laughing.

“Oh, good one, Acrylic,” he hiccupped, pounding a fist into the floor in an attempt to recover. “How clever! Turning the tables on me like that. You got me alright. I never expected that. But how ever did you get Twilight here to agree to such a prank? She’s usually so uptight! My, I experienced your acting skills before during the plunderseeds incident, but I never thought anything of it, especially since they were potion-induced! You sure proved me wrong,” he chortled.

“We’re not joking, Discord.”

“There was an... incident...”

“Now we’ve all switched bodies.”

“What, all of you?” he chuckled. “My dear, I think this joke has outlived its duration. The most important part of a prank is to know when to give it up. Stretch it out too long and it loses its humor.”

“That’s for sure!” an overly peppy Fluttershy voiced.

“Oh, not you too, Fluttershy,” Discord groaned.

“I’m over here, Discord,” Pinkie whimpered.

“Give it up already,” he rolled his eyes. “Taking the laughter out of Pinkie Pie? That’s just depressing!”

“That’s Applejack, and that’s Rarity,” I went on. The girls looked up at the sound of their names. Discord’s eyes were narrow, not sure whether or not to believe me. “And this is my sister Wild Flower.”

“Ah, yes, I saw you at the wedding.”

“Well, it would be Wild Flower, but she and Rainbow got switched. So did Blaze and Spike and Cedar and Torchwood.”

“Now that you’ve played your whole joke through, can I show Acrylic my palace?”

“We need your help first.” I pleaded with my eyes.

“Honestly dear, I think this has gone on long enough.”

“Discord, we’re not joking!”

“Maybe I’ll just come back when you’ve all given up. This is all getting old.”

“Alright, alright,” I said, trying to keep the panic from seeping into my voice. “Leave if you want. But just humor me one last time. Do you have any idea what this is?” We all agreed that it was a good idea to bring the orb with us, so now I removed it from Twilight’s saddlebag and struggled to levitate it over. He caught the sphere, and summoned a pair of reading glasses to get a better look.

“Am I supposed to recognize this?” He bounced it against the floor a few times, using his magic to make it flex like rubber so it wouldn’t break.

“Careful with that!” Twilight burst, snatching the sphere and cradling it like a baby.

“We were hoping you would,” I bit my lip. He couldn’t help us after all.

“Oh! I get it. This is what supposedly switched you all. Very clever, you all. Sandfish egg? Interesting choice. This is real timberwolf bark, isn’t it? And the braid? Was that your touch, Rarity? Where ever did you get the carbuncle gem? I haven’t seen one of these in decades. And do I smell manticore venom? You really went all out, didn’t you?”

“Manticore venom?” Rarity exclaimed.

“Gross!” Pinkie wrinkled her nose.

“What’s so special about all those things?” Twilight prompted.

“Well, in theory, combining these objects could create some sort of neural stasis device, though you ponies consider such things far too unethical to even attempt. I’m surprised you would even imply such a thing, Twilight.”

“Who in their right mind would try makin’ somethin’ like that when its so dangerous?”

“Oh, Rarity!” Discord was back to rolling on the floor. “Do it again! Your impression of Applejack is just marvelous!”

“Okay, so hypothetically, how would you reverse the effects of something like this?” Twilight interrupted.

“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Discord wiped a tear out of his eye. “Such technology simply doesn’t exist. I’m not that into magic theory, either.”

“So that’s it, then?”

“My, Applejack! I’m impressed! There’s wasn’t a hint of your usual accent in your voice!”

“There has to be some clue to fixing this. In the ingredients, maybe? What did you say it was made from, Discord? A sandfish egg? Timberwolf bark?”

“Don’t forget the carbuncle gem and manticore venom.”

“What is a sandfish?” Pinkie wondered.

“It’s a creature entirely made from sand,” Fluttershy answered. “They typically live in the desert, but they’ve been found on beaches before. They swallow pretty much anything that fits in their mouths. When one dies, it packs itself into a tight, compressed ball of sand, along with anything its swallowed inside. The first ponies who discovered them thought they were eggs. The sand is packed so tightly that the objects inside can stay perfectly preserved for centuries!”

“You sure know a lot about them, Flutters!”

“I was invited to go on a special observation of them once,” she blushed.

“What’s that braid made from, I wonder?”

“It almost looks like hair.”

“Whose? None of you have white hair.” Discord looked my and Torchwood’s bodies critically over. “You two aren’t already going gray after a week of marriage, are you?”

“I am NOT!” I indignantly stomped.

“This doesn’t look like regular pony hair,” Rarity observed. “It’s far too delicate for that. It’s as thin as spider silk!”

“Not sticky enough for that,” AJ determined.

“What does it matter?” the exasperated Discord groaned.

“It might be key to gettin’ us back to normal!” Applejack’s accent coming from Rarity’s mouth almost sent him into another fit of giggles.

“If you won’t help us, we’ll just have to work it out by ourselves.”

“Come on, girls. And guys,” Twi added, recalling the four boys in our company. “We aren’t getting anything accomplished here.”

“But Acrylic, I never got to show you around my home. Isn’t that something friends do?”

“Some other time, Discord.” She batted him away and picked up Spike. The rest of our friends were already taking off again. She didn’t take long to follow. Discord drooped.

“The whole point of a joke is to be funny,” he mumbled. When he turned around, he noticed that I was still there.

“Why won’t you believe us?”

“Because this whole scenario is completely unrealistic!” he bellowed in frustration.

“Enlighten me.”

“For starters, Twilight’s first choice would be to go to her beloved mentor, Celestia. She definitely wouldn’t come to me for advice.”

“You were closer,” I reminded. “And it was my idea, and the real Acrylic would trust you. But let’s hear number two.”

“Had this been a real crisis, Twilight probably would have tried her precious Elements of Harmony. They’re chaos repellents, after all.”

“The elements...” my eyes widened. “The elements! Discord, you’re a genius!” Though he didn’t believe it was really me, I squeezed him as tight as I could. “I’m so glad you’re our friend! Hey guys!” I scooped Blaze up on my way out, darting after the rest of them. “Guys, wait up! Discord had a brilliant idea after all!” In my excitement, I didn’t notice the Lord of Chaos casting a second glance at us, reconsidering whether or not we were telling the truth.

Chapter 22: Return of the Destrals

Chapter 22
Return of the Destrals

“Why didn’t I think of the elements?” Twilight wheezed as we all charged through Ponyville. We recieved many strange glances as the ten of us stampeded through town, and a few angry shouts as ponies dodged to avoid being run over. We were headed for the library where they were kept.

“We’ve seen ‘em defeat magic more powerful than this before.”

“This is bound to fix us!”

Twi barged in the door and headed right for the glass case. The rest of us had to file in a little more slowly to avoid another pile up. Wild Flower and Applejack wasted no time in removing the glass lid, and we all took our respective elements. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride upon placing the familiar amulet around my neck. The white jewel encrusted in an intricate gold inlay matched the fire of my cutie mark perfectly. Only, it wasn’t my cutie mark anymore. I looked down at a start to Twilight’s six-pointed star. The others seemed to be realizing this at about the same time.

“Uh, Twilight? Do you think this will still work?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, setting the crown on her head.

“Well, you’re the Element of Magic, but you don’t have a horn anymore.”

“Huh?” She looked up past my blue strands of hair. “Oh. Right.”

“Maybe we should switch them?”

“Good idea.” Necklaces were passed to and fro until the jewels all corresponded with their proper cutie marks. I reluctantly surrendered my amulet, but froze upon recieving Twilight’s crown.

“Wait! I have no idea how to use magic!”

“The elements do most of the work for you,” Twilight assured, sliding my element over her neck. “You just have to channel it.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Concentrate!” She rolled her eyes as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“On what?” I pressed, just as frustrated as she.

“Fixing us!”

“HOW?”

“Girls, calm down,” Cedar begged. “We’ll never get anything accomplished if we start this again.”

“Twilight, Acrylic has never had any training in this kind of magic, remember? You can’t expect her to instantly catch on. I’m astonished she got the hang of levitation all on her own. In a good way, of course,” Torchwood playfully nudged me.

“You’re right,” she sighed. “I’m sorry. I just want to get back to my own body. I miss my horn.” She rubbed the bare spot on my forehead. “Alright, how do I explain this? Just... try and see if you can use the elements to pull me out of your body and back into mine. It’s hard to explain, but you’ll understand what I mean when you activate them.”

“Are you sure about this? What if I end up mixing us up even more?”

“I honestly don’t think that’s possible at this point, Acrylic,” Rainbow laughed. I took the humor lightly, and nodded.

“Alright.” Before I’d gotten a chance to even try and begin, however, they were all lifted off the ground by their glowing amulets.

“Yeah! You go, Acrylic! Just jump right on in there!” Pinkie cheered.

“I’m not doing anything!” I practically screamed, trying to get the magic under control.

“Then who is?”

“Who cares? Make it stop!” All their energy was being diverted to me. It was welling up in my head, pounding as it demanded release. I closed my eyes from the intense pain. What was I supposed to do with it? All you have to do is channel it, Twilight had said. Desperately, I tried to force it all out her horn. When I opened my eyes again, they were glowing white. The next thing I knew, we were all being enveloped in a pocket of white light.

“Did it work?” I finally dared to open my eyes after the whole fiasco, and found myself looking right back.

“No,” I groaned, hanging my head.

“You tried your best,” Blaze attempted to console me, picking himself right back up.

“My best wasn’t good enough!”

“That’s alright. Look, we’ve still got our elements. We can try again,” Twilight assured. “My guess is that sudden surge of energy accidently set off a teleportation spell instead.”

“There was so much magic building up, I just wanted to let it out. I didn’t know what I was doing when I released it,” I admitted.

“So where are we now?” I realized that we weren’t in the Golden Oaks library anymore. I was sitting in the dirt, and it was dark. I no longer had the night vision of a thestral, so I had to wait for Twilight’s eyes to adjust.

“I know this place!” Rainbow realized.

“We all do!” Rarity concurred.

“The Tree of Harmony!”

“How’d we end up here?”

“Were you thinking of the Tree of Harmony when the magic surge came over you, Acrylic?”

“No,” I denied.

“Well, maybe since the elements are connected to the tree it took us here by default?” Twi suggested.

“Or maybe the elements are tryin’ to tell us somethin’,” AJ pointed to Twilight’s saddle bag, which I was still wearing. It was glowing. I removed the orb from the bag, but I could barely see it for the blinding light now emitting from it.

“That’s it! Try using the elements on the orb!” Twi excitedly cried. I gulped. The first time had been rough enough. I didn’t want to go through that a second time. Cedar put his hoof on my shoulder. I turned into the face the dark brown coals my husband had for eyes. For the moment, I forgot it was really Cedar underneath. The reassuring gaze of Torchwood was what I really needed just then.

“Alright. Let’s try again.” I shut my eyes so I could picture the orb floating to the center of our ring, and tried activating the elements. They didn’t put up a fight, and again, it felt too easy, like I wasn’t really doing anything. The magic began welling up, but I was prepared this time, and aimed Twilight’s horn at the orb. The magic flowed right through me, almost as though the orb was soaking up our energy.

“IT’S WORKING!” somepony screamed over the obnoxious buzz of magic. The orb seemed to be glowing brighter than the sun, if that was possible. Combined with the light already emitting from my eyes, it was too much. I had to shut them to avoid damaging Twilight’s sight permanently.

Abruptly, everything stopped. We all dropped from the air like stones, and the orb went dark. Torch rushed from the sidelines to help me up. He was still in Cedar’s form, and I was still Twilight.

“What happened? Why didn’t it work?” I looked up. The orb was the only one of us that hadn’t dropped from the air. I hadn’t switched us back, but I’d done something.

“Look everypony!” Cedar jabbed a hoof at the tree itself. The indentions that once housed the elements in their raw form were glowing.

“I think I understand,” Twilight mused.

“What do you mean?”

“I know what we have to do to switch back.”

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get back to our old selves,” Applejack declared, noting her doubtful expression.

“I think we have to give the elements back to the Tree of Harmony.” My eyes widened. I wasn’t the only one unhappy about this, for we all broke out into an uproar.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Without the elements, how are we supposed to protect Equestria?” I finally managed to pick Rainbow’s voice from above the clamor.

“How are we meant to rein Discord in if we can't use the Elements to turn him back to stone?” Rarity added.

“Twilight... The Elements of Harmony... They're what keep us connected no matter what,” Applejack sadly but fondly stroked the element belonging to Rarity, then brushed her hoof against her own. Twilight returned her sad smile.

“You're right about one thing, Applejack. The Elements of Harmony did bring us together. But it isn't the Elements that will keep us connected. It's our friendship. And it's more important and more powerful than any magic. Our friendships may be tested, but it will never, ever be broken. Just look at how we all handled ourselves today! It might have been a little difficult at times, but to be honest... it was kind of neat being a thestral.”

“I guess I did enjoy figuring out your magic,” I confessed.

“It was cool to know what wings feel like, even if I didn’t really get to use them,” Spike put in, flapping Blaze’s wings to demonstrate.

“It was definitely awesome borrowing your wings and all, Wild Flower, but I’m ready to have my own body back,” Rainbow declared.

“Uh huh!” the rest of us agreed.

“There's no time to lose. Everypony ready?” We all removed our elements, me reluctantly so. I’d only gotten to use mine once. Now it was being taken from me again. But when I looked to my mismatched family, there wasn’t a thing that mattered more. Now I almost smiled as I took off the crown.

“Acrylic? Magic would make removing the elements a lot easier,” Twilight prompted, nodding to Pinkie who was currently wrestling with her amulet to remove it from the gold setting.

“Right.” I was finally getting the hang of levitation, too. With only a little difficulty, I plucked all the jewels from their casings, and guided them to their places on the tree. The indentions molded to perfectly fit with their new shapes. As soon as the last one had been placed, they began to glow brighter. The whole room shook as they summoned up their power. The energy was focused into one massive beam of light that struck the hovering orb. It didn’t take very long for the sphere to absorb the magic. The elements finally stopped glowing, but the orb didn’t.

Still floating, the sphere suddenly burst into light once more, now independent from the elements’ power. It exploded into a pulse of energy, enough to knock us all over. Torch curled himself protectively over me as we hit the wall, and I clutched Blaze to my chest. I’d never felt any force so powerful. Not even the elements could control a force like this. It was like a swirling vortex of pure energy, converging on the orb. The familiar warmth of thestral fire washed over us first, but the sheer power could have matched Celestia’s alicorn magic. Twilight’s short hair lashed me from the wind kicked up by the vortex. I buried my head in Torch’s arms and sheilded Blaze as best as I could.

The hurricane died down slowly and gradually. I didn’t dare move until it had completely subsided. When Torch lifted his wings, I assumed it was safe to look. We were all still stuck in the wrong bodies. It was where the orb used to be that change had really taken place.

The mysterious orb had been replaced by an even more mysterious mare. She was tall, even taller than Torchwood, which wasn’t an easy feat. She was almost entirely entangled in her own hair. Masses of brown and blue curls graciously cascaded down her back. A unicorn horn poked out from it near her forehead. Her coat was a pastel green, creamy in color.

When the mare shifted, she let out a quiet moan. Something underneath her curls moved, but in perfect time to her breathing. By the way her hair draped over it, I guessed it was a wing. Had we just released another alicorn princess? It wouldn’t be the first time. I thought back to how my friends had first used the Elements to destroy Nightmare Moon and bring back Princess Luna. Was this mare as dangerous as Nightmare Moon, or cleansed and purified by the Elements?

Slowly, the mare stood. Her eyes weren’t open yet, and she seemed to be concentrating solely on keeping her balance. When she finally did open her eyes, though, I was met with shocking electric blue irises. More of her hair fell away as she righted herself. I could now identify a cutie mark. It depicted the Tree of Harmony itself!

Who was this mare? She couldn’t be dangerous if she was connected to the tree, could she? My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe how wrong I was. This was no alicorn princess. The last of her hair had finally fallen away, revealing her leathery dragon wings. I practically choked on the word.

“Destral.”

Chapter 23: Princess Essence

Chapter 23
Princess Essence

“Who are ya?” Applejack demanded, the first of us back on her hooves. The destral gasped at the sound of her voice, almost delicately jumping. Aparently she hadn’t realized she was surrounded. At first glance, you’d never think she could hurt a fly. She looked so young, so innocent, just like Luna when she’d first been released. But I knew better. Destrals were deadly.

“Forgive me,” the destral sang in a voice as sweet as honey. She looked around at all of our expectant faces. “I am Princess Essence, Guardian of the Everfree Forest. If I may ask, to whom do I owe my thanks?”

“You may NOT ask,” I snapped, standing tall and defiant.

“I apologize, m’lady,” she dipped her head. “I did not mean to offend.”

“Acrylic, what are you doing?” Twilight hissed.

“She’s a destral! They led the thestral uprising! You can’t trust them!”

“They don’t exactly have a spotless record,” Wild Flower quietly supported.

“I am aware that the mutiny and poor decisions of my kind have blemished our reputation,” Essence sighed, “but please allow me to explain.”

“I’ve already heard the story. You thought you were doing the right thing by trying to force the rest of Equestria to accept us. But guess what? It wasn’t the right thing after all!”

“Acrylic, calm down, please,” Torch soothed. “This is exactly what happened to us. Remember when everypony thought we were evil and I almost took over Equestria? The least we can do is hear her out.” I almost paused at the reminder of that unpleasant event, but shook myself out of it. We didn’t have time for this.

“I’ve got better things to do that sit around for story time. Like find a way out of this body, maybe?”

“An’ how’re ya gonna do that without the glowin’ ball do-hickey?” Applejack challenged.

“I don’t know, but I am not going to stay stuck as an alicorn forever,” I huffed, beginning to storm off.

“You were not always an alicorn, Lady Acrylic?”

“You should know that. You were the one who switched us in the first place!”

“I...” she cut herself off, brow furrowed as she tried to work out what I meant. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, no. Please, please forgive me. I’m so sorry for the inconvieniance I’ve caused you. I believe I may have an explanation for this phenomenon.”

“We’re listening,” Twilight prompted.

“Even after thousands of years of imprisonment, it was only recently that I had regained enough power to attempt to return. I hoped to combine what little power I had saved and combine it with that of the Tree of Harmony. You see, as Guardian of the Everfree, I am directly linked to the tree. I protect the balance, allowing it to thrive, and in turn, I may draw power through the elements. We support each other in this way.

“As I was saying, I was attempting to tap into the tree’s energy. I was puzzled, of course, when I found it lacking the elements. It had chosen six of you to weild them in Equestria’s time of need, and later even formed a seventh,” she smiled to me. “Yet without them, I was not able to transfer the energy to myself. When I sensed the elements within your presence near the orb imprisoning me, I was becoming desperate. I felt you were my last hope. I tried teleporting you all to the tree in hopes my message would get through. With my mind separated from my body, it was very difficult to channel that magic. Obviously, something went wrong. I have been using the rest of my magic reserve to try and lead you to the tree. Clearly, my message got through in the end,” she gestured to the elements now embedded into the Tree of Harmony. “I know how hard it must have been for you to give up the elements, but I sincerely thank you for doing so. They were my only means of escape.”

“It seems like they weren’t ours to keep,” Twilight reasoned.

“Look, I’m all for a crash course in destral magic theory or whatever it is you’re talking about, but do you know a way to fix us or not?”

“I am the one who caused this mess, and now it is my responsibility to undo the damage. You have waited long enough. Please, come here, all of you. I may know a reversal spell. Stand as you were when you first approached the orb.” Blaze hopped on my back, and they all practically galloped up to the destral. I held back a moment longer. What if this was a trick? I quietly sighed in defeat. I didn’t exactly have a choice but to trust her.

We encircled Essence, substituting her for the pedestal. “You must hold still,” she directed. “This will not hurt at all.” Her horn began to glow with a bold green aura, and I held my breath. I shut my eyes, and suddenly felt very woozy. I couldn’t trust the ground beneath my hooves. Or maybe it was my legs that were giving out. I couldn’t tell. I felt myself tipping over as I was drawn out of Twilight’s body.

I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t feel. Yet, somehow I existed. I began to panic as I realized that there was nothing to keep Essence from stopping here, letting our minds float around in this void for eternity. What if I was right? What if we were all stripped of our bodies forever, or any body for that matter? What if-

I was snapped out of my panic when I felt solid ground under my hooves. My eyes shot open to take in the scene around me. I checked my hooves first, just to be sure. As promised, they were the familiar gray of my own body. Moving my wings aside, I double checked to make sure my cutie mark was back. Sure enough, my flaming paintbrush and purple paint puddle had been returned. Looking past Essence, I eyed Twilight, excitedly waving to me. I was finally able to release a sigh of relief I wasn’t aware I’d been holding, and my pounding heartbeat returned to normal. She’d returned us to our proper bodies of her own free will. I decided we could trust her after all.

Celebratory cheers were coming from all around, but mostly from the excitable Pinkie. Torch and Cedar whooped and clapped each other on the back, and Wild Flower and Rainbow high-hoofed each other. Then, Wild Flower’s face twisted in pain.

“Ooooh,” she groaned, letting herself fall over. “Rainbow, I told you to take it easy!” The blue pegasus just laughed, and Cedar smiled but moved in to massage her sore wings.

I was abruptly scooped up by Torchwood, who promptly kissed his wife. I couldn’t help but smile, and returned his affection. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get to see him like this again.

“Whoo hoo!” Wild Flower whistled.

“Gross,” Spike groaned. Torch broke away in good humor, and we both got to welcome Blaze back to his proper body.

“Thank you!” Twilight sighed, fondly nuzzling Spike despite his protests. “I guess we owe you a proper introduction. That’s actually Acrylic, not me. I’m Twilight, this is Spike, and over there is Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Torchwood, Cedar, Blaze, and Wild Flower, all in their proper bodies now, thanks to you. Everypony is fixed, right?” Applejack and Rarity exchanged glances.

“Well, now that ya mention it...” Rarity said in a perfect country accent. Twilight’s eyes widened.

“I think you may have missed us, Princess,” Applejack finished in the sophisticated city accent Rarity used.

“Oh, no!” The two of them busted out laughing.

“Gotcha!” AJ laughed. The rest of us soon followed suit, including our new destral friend. One familiar cackle could be heard above us all. A draconequus tumbled from where he’d been watching from above down into our midst.

“Oh, that was priceless!”

“Discord!” Fluttershy caught him headlong in a hug.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I came to check up on the lot of you. That’s something friends do, isn’t it? So I see you were serious about switching bodies, then? I’m sorry I didn’t believe you before,” he flattened his ears. “I honestly thought you were trying to pull a fast one on me, much like Rarity and Applejack have just displayed.

“Oh, that’s alright,” I waved it off, letting him wrap an arm around me. “You helped us in the end.”

“How’d you know where we were?”

“As Lord of Chaos, I’m an expert at sniffing out magical imbalances. I must say, that was a doozy! Who is the mysterious mare responsible for it, I wonder?” He teleported to her side at the center of the room, bending over so she could stare into his unbalanced eyes.

“I am Princess Essence, m’lord,” Essence bowed. “And who, pray tell, might you be?”

“M’lord? Finally! Somepony who pays me the respect I deserve!” he joyously clapped.

“This is Discord. And don’t call him ‘m’lord’. He’ll get a big head,” I rolled my eyes. He shot me a mischievious grin.

“But draconequi have always been addressed as such,” Essence confusedly protested.

“Not anymore,” Rainbow chortled.

“I see much has changed over the last few thousand years. Of course, I must adapt,” the princess sighed.

“Few thousand years?!”

“How long were you trapped in that ball, exactly?”

“I lost count of the eons I spent in banishment. At least two thousand years must have passed since then, for I was not here for the thestral and destral uprising. Had I been able to stop Kindling, perhaps it all could have been avoided.” She hung her head.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Twilight assured, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “It sounds like there was nothing you could have done..”

“Who’s Kindling?” Rainbow inquired.

“And how the hay did you get there in the first place?” AJ added.

“It appears I have much to explain. Please, I would rather speak directly with whomever is now in power so that I will only have to recount my story once.”

“I’ll arrange for a conference with Princess Celestia,” Twilight promised. “Spike?”

“Ready!” He pulled a quill out of nowhere. Even Blaze jumped.

“Where’d that come from? I was you, and I wasn’t carrying any scrolls around!”

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight ignored the question.

“I’m happy to report that not only have we located the palace you sent us out to find, but we have also encountered somepony I’m sure you will be interested to meet. It is of utmost importance that we all convene as soon as possible.

“Signed Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Princess?” Essence raised an eyebrow. She hurriedly knelt at her hooves. “Your Highness, I was not aware.”

“No need for that,” Twilight shook her head. “After everything that’s happened today, I think any hope of formality got pushed out the window.”

“Hmm,” Essence hummed. I wasn’t sure if she was laughing or just agreeing with Twilight, but she smiled with understanding.

“Come on,” Twilight directed. “You can stay with us in Ponyville until the Princesses can arrange a meeting.”

“First,” Essence interrupted, “where are the remnants of the orb that imprisoned me?”

“I thought it disappeared,” Cedar offered.

“Not disappeared,” Fluttershy realized, looking around. “Just shattered.” She pointed to the dust particles and bits of wood blasted apart and strewn around the room.

“Oh dear,” Essence sighed, moving to the largest chunk of wood left. “Jasper, are you alright?”

“Jasper?”

“She’s talkin’ to a piece of wood,” Applejack quietly whispered to Rainbow.

“I think a thousand years in that thing made her a little crazy,” Dash quietly hissed back. They both got a chuckle out of that. The joke was on them when Essence supplied a small amount of magic to the wood chips, causing them to rattle and float. Some even grew like branches where they had been cut off. They finally arranged themselves into an all too familiar shape.

“Timberwolf!” Fluttershy shrieked. Discord wasted no time in jumping to her defense, snarling at the beast on all fours. Torchwood also ushered Blaze and I behind him. Cedar was similarly covering the rest of the girls. Discord moved in to take care of the wolf, but Essence blocked him with a flick of her wing.

“Jasper shall not harm you,” she assured, turning back to the beast. It was a massive timberwolf- larger even than Essence herself- with glowing black-blue jewels for eyes. Unlike most timberwolves, similar jewels adorned the tops of his paws, and one was also embedded in his chest. He growled almost fondly, and nuzzled her.

“Is he your pet?” Fluttershy gasped, fluttering over to investigate. Jasper acknowledged her with a quiet grumble.

“He is my guardian and escort, as well as my friend. I am not sure if you would call him a pet,” Essence thought.

“I think he qualifies,” Fluttershy decided, timidly reaching out to stroke him. He made no move of aggression towards her. Delighted by this fact, Fluttershy smiled and gave him an enthusiastic rub.

“Come, Jasper. We are going out.” With a huff of acknowledgement, Jasper pulled away from Fluttershy and began to glow, energy radiating from his core. He broke down again, though this seeemed to be a deliberate collapse. His pieces floated to Essence, who expectantly extended a hoof. One of the pieces touched her hooftip, and instantly began to blossom. The wood grew and twisted around her hooves, all the other fragments floating into place. Some strayed from her hooves and began winding themselves around her chest and neck. It wasn’t too hard to figure out what they were forming; in fact, the resemblance to Celestia and Luna was undeniable. Just as our alicorn leaders wore formal, decorative chestplates and horseshoes, Essence’s ‘pet’ timberwolf was transforming itself into wooden armor.

There was a jewel embedded in the top of each of her shoes, as well as three in her chestplate. While the gnarled braches continued to unfurl, the gems began to glow. So did the Tree of Harmony. Strands of light were beginning to flow from the elements to meet with each jewel, completely enveloping Essence in light. It wasn’t as bright as before, but we all shielded our eyes. She had clearly had been weak upon her arrival, because she was now using the tree to regain her full power. She shot up a couple of feet to Celestia’s height, and her mane and tail flowed and shimmered with magic. The blue streaks of her hair almost gave the impression of a rushing river by the way they shimmered, but the brown somehow reminded me of rough bark.

When I didn’t think things could get any stranger, I noticed her fur. Wherever the wood touched, her coat had changed to a lush, vibrant green. It was as though the rest of the color had been sucked from her and diverted to those areas to sustain the vegetation. At last, the branches stopped winding up her legs, and the transformation was complete. Though she did not wear a crown at present, Princess Essence looked as regal as Celestia herself. She smiled down on our awestruck faces.

From behind her, the tree was still glowing. Each of the minor elements on the tree’s branches pulsed with one last burst of energy, which traveled to the six pointed star. From there, it continued to pass through the crescent moon, the sun, and down through one of the roots. A small sprout promptly blossomed. We all moved closer to investigate. Essence only watched quietly from the background. Twilight looked to her for answers, but Essence nodded her on. Twilight obediently continued forward, and timidly poked the newly formed flower bud. It bloomed in a rainbow of light, revealing a heptagonal chest within. A keyhole was located on each of its seven faces.

“What is it?” Twilight gasped.

“I believe it is a gift for you and your friends, Princess Twilight. From the tree, to you,” Essence beamed.

“But what’s inside? How am I supposed to open it?”

“I’m afraid that I do not have the answers for you, Princess. This is something between you and the tree. However, I am quite sure you will not be solving this mystery alone.” Twilight looked back to the rest of us, and smiled.

A belch from Spike brought us all out of our happy moment.

“It’s a response from the Princess!” he called, waving the scroll for our attention.

“What’s it say?” Spike cleared his throat.

“Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

“I am thrilled to hear your news! Please escort your guest to Canterlot Palace immediately. Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and I shall all be arriving promptly.

“Signed Princess Celestia.”

“That was fast!”

“Well, what’re we waitin’ for, y’all? Let’s go!”

“Wait a minute. Princess Essence?” I interrupted, approaching the immense destral. My ears were flat and I did everything in my power to keep my hooves from dragging. “I’m sorry about what I said before. I know what it’s like to be misjudged. Out of everypony here, I should have been willing to give you a chance, but this time I was the one jumping to conclusions. I was wrong about you, and I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“How curious,” Essence cocked her head. “The Element of Forgiveness asks to be forgiven?”

“I guess the thing about forgiveness, is you also have to be forgiven by others,” I weakly chuckled.

“Indeed,” Essence smiled. “Of course I forgive you. Your frustration was understandable, considering the circumstances. I must apologize as well, for putting all of you in such a predicament in the first place.”

“No biggie!” Pinkie happily chimed.

“It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” Twilight agreed. “Now, come on, everypony. Let’s not keep the Princesses waiting.”

Author's Note

A/N: Okay, guys, it looks like we’ve got the chest, so we’re back in business! We are now free to rejoin the series.

Chapter 24: Lost Equestrian History 101

Chapter 24
Lost Equestrian History 101

“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, Princess,” Twilight bowed. We were all led into the throne room, where Celestia, Luna and Cadence were already waiting.

“What is it, Twilight?” Cadence asked, stepping forward.

“I was actually hoping Princess Essence would do most of the explaining,” Twilight admitted, turning back to summon the last of our company. Even Discord had tagged along to hear the rest of the story. Essence regally strode into the throne room, taking in the granduer of the palace in awe. Cadence’s eyes widened, and Luna turned a bit stiff. Celestia then narrowed her eyes, but not critically so.

“Princess Essence?”

“Princess Celestia, I presume.” Essence moved next to Twilight at the head of our group and bowed low. Luna was still considering the new princess, but bowed with the rest to acknowledge the formality.

“I was not aware there was a thestral princess,” Luna commented.

“I am not a thestral, but in fact, a destral,” Essence looked up at her horn. “Just as alicorns possess the abilities of pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns, destrals have the combined power of thestrals, earth ponies and unicorns. I was told that we have become extinct, so I do not expect you to recognize my kind, or my name. The only reason I am still here is because I have been imprisoned, and therefore preserved, for the last few thousand years, much like yourself, Princess Luna.” The princess of the night wasn’t sure whether to sympathize with the remark or be offended by it.

“But she’s not dangerous,” Twilight quickly put in, realizing how it could be taken multiple ways.

“I see.”

“I believe there is much to be explained. Might we go somewhere a bit more private?”

“Of course. Please, follow me.” Celestia took the lead, bringing all of us to what I assumed was some sort of diplomatic conference room. The table was excessively long, and now we utilized its many chairs to seat the eighteen of us. Princess Celestia took her place at the head of the table, with Luna beside her. Twilight sat opposite Luna, and Cadence and Essence also faced one another. Discord purposefully took his place next to Fluttershy. Blaze, Torch and I tried to stay together, and Wild Flower and Cedar were a little more comfortable opposite us. The rest of them spread out to find seats to fill in the gaps we left.

“Perhaps it would be best if you were to start from the beginning,” Celestia suggested. “How was it that you came to be imprisoned?” Essence’s eyes became pained.

“I was betrayed,” she confessed, “by my own pupil, Pyre Kindling. He locked my conciousness in the sphere you found, Princess Twilight, separated from my body, which he stored I know not where.”

“Why would a pony so close to you rebel like this?” Luna suspiciously questioned.

“He wanted more, I suppose,” Essence sighed. “He was never satisfied with his own ability. He was always seeking ways to increase his power, both magically and politically.”

“I can relate to you, Princess Essence,” Celestia nodded. “I, too, once had such a student.”

“Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight recalled. I remembered the event as one of Twilight’s first assignments after her corronation. We were at Canterlot Palace, and Twilight’s crown was stolen. The theif known as Sunset Shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia, took it through a magic mirror, which was actually a portal to another world. My friends and I weren’t allowed to accompany her through, but she told us all about her adventures there when she returned. The princess nodded again.

“She knew she was not powerful enough to overthrow me in this world, so she attempted to take over another in order to gain strength.”

“She learned the hard way that having true friends is more valuable than having a crown,” Twilight summarized.

“I wish Kindling had been able to learn the same. I’d raised him as my own, and I taught him everything I knew. When he came of age, I appointed him as Captain of the Everfree’s Royal Guard; I trusted him with my life, and he seemed like the logical choice. Looking back, though, I don’t know how I didn’t notice him infiltrating the ranks. He had allies woven throughout the political system. He even manipulated me. I wore the crown, but he was really running the show. I must have been blind,” she whimpered.

“Kindling always wanted more power. One day, thestrals came to us after being rejected by the rest of ponykind. Destrals were held in high esteem, well respected by all. No thestral dared challenge our authority as leaders, and they voluntarily submitted to our existing monarchy. Kindling suggested that in return for their submission, we should conduct research in their behalf. They were more than pleased with the idea, so I too was supportive. After all, what leader is not eager to please her subjects? So I arranged to form a research team dedicated to helping thestrals fit in with the others. This was precisely what Kindling wanted, but I was not aware he had ulterior motives. He would eventually steer the program to focus more on creating a powerful army than helping them blend.

“I appointed a dear friend and associate of mine, Smoky Topaz, to become Chief of Research. She was by far the most brilliant destral I’ve ever met. Science was her passion as well as her special talent, though she was named after her sparkling coat. She was born in the Crystal Empire, after all.

“A crystal destral?” Cadance gasped.

“Indeed. As the new Chief of Research, her first project was to try and disguise the thestrals. She reasoned that if they looked like the others, then they would be accepted by the others. And she was right. Topaz’s transformation gave her test subjects the self-sustained ability to conceal and retrieve their wings at will.”

“Thestrals did not always have the ability to conceal their wings?” Luna raised an eyebrow.

“No.”

“So that means... it was destral magic!” I gasped. Wild Flower let her wings fade into a fiery inferno for a moment, staring back at the transformation with new wonder.

“Ah. I see you have retained the ability,” Essence smiled. “What of the earth-quaking properties? Or night vision? Have you preserved those skills as well?”

“Yeah,” Wild Flower quietly confirmed. "But we lost the night vision after the second uprising."

"I see. Something in her spell must not have agreed with the elements."

“Are any of our powers natural?” I burst, somewhat outraged. It was all a lie?

“Fire dancing is the only naturally occuring ability I know of,” she gently explained, “as well as the power to walk on clouds alongside the pegasi. But it was Topaz’s research that enabled your access to these other powers. The night vision helped the night watch to better protect our borders; the earth-quaking was designed to help those working the stone quarries."

"My father is a stone worker. He still relies heavily on his abilities in the quarry," Torch put in.

"Topaz would be pleased to find that her work had turned out to be so durable.”

“What happened to her?” Everyone leaned in close as her eyes filled with pain once more.

“Kindling happened,” she answered, defeated. “He recruited Smoky Topaz to create an acceptance spell powerful enough to subdue thousands. He insisted that thestrals would never really belong hiding their true selves. He said they had to make the others love them. To take them by force, that is. She was only following orders, though it broke my heart when I realized she’d played a part in Kindling’s schemes.” She shook her head, still trying to comprehend the mass mutiny she experienced. “Topaz believed that the easiest way to achieve a spell that powerful would be altering an existing love spell. As you know, love spells are very dangerous, and often unethical. That is why she volunteered to be the first test subject.

“As I said, I was unaware of these happenings, so I am not exactly sure what went wrong, but there was a mishap with the spell. It created an insatiable lust for love in Topaz. She cast the same spell on any who defied her or denied her love, so they would become like her. It wasn’t long before she had created an army for herself. Kindling must have manipulated her, because he was not one of this number. Rather, with not only destrals but ‘upgraded’ thestrals now at his command, he proposed that they combine their forces to become unstoppable. She agreed, and they planned to unleash all their assets on Equestria.

“It wasn’t until he came to dispose of me that I learned of his plans. He was young and prideful, and foolishly gloated of his victory by explaining the extent of his plans to me. That is how I know what I do. I was helpless to stop the war, imprisoned in the orb as I was. It was Kindling’s own invention, though he was cruel in my treatment, using my own timberwolf guardian to trap me for eternity.” She was genuinely disgusted. “Thestrals had been loyal, obedient subjects for decades, so they simply did not question the change in authority or the intent of Kindling’s conquest. That was the beginning of the thestral uprising. It was years before somepony with sense decided to take a stand against Kindling, and a rebel force was ignited. They finally defeated Kindling by trapping him in his own invention, an orb just like the one he imprisoned me with.”

“How do ya know that? Ya said yourself that ya were imprisoned by then,” AJ pointed out.

“Even so, I am quite sure he was also trapped in an orb. Occasionally, I could sense his presence.”

“You must have had a very powerful student if he was able to overpower you just like that,” Twilight mused.

“He was indeed. Kindling was easily as powerful as I, for he too was a destral.”

“Why didn’t the other destrals rise up to defeat him? Aren’t they all keepers of harmony like you?”

“It is good to know you think so highly of us,” Essence chuckled. “No, as Kindling demonstrated, we are not all guardians, nor are we all evil and power-hungry. I am not sure what happened to cause the extinction of my race, but no destral ever rose to my aid.”

“Maybe they all sided with Kindling,” Twilight suggested. Essence reluctantly nodded.

“This is a possibility.”

“I don’t see how a couple of thestrals could’ve defeated a bunch of powerful destrals. I mean, no offense, but thestrals are effected by unicorn magic same as the rest of us. And if destral magic is as powerful as alicorn magic... the odds just don’t add up!”

“How many other destrals were there?”

“You are right, Applejack, it is unlikely that they all sided with Kindling, but not impossible. I am not sure what happened to them. And to answer your question, Rarity, there was once a time when destrals and alicorns both were as plentiful as earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns or thestrals today.” Celestia gasped at what was a reminder for her, but entirely unknown to most of us. Essence noticed this and turned to her. “I take it you too remember such days, Princess?”

“I do,” Celestia shifted, locking eyes with Luna.

“There were more alicorns?” Twilight’s jaw nearly dropped.

“Just as there were unicorn or thestral nations, the alicorns once had an empire all of our own,” Celestia explained. For royalty, she seemed wide-eyed and shaky. It was clear that she had tried to blot out this portion of her past up until this point.

“What happened to them?”

“The same thing that caused the destral extinction.” Essence took charge of the conversation, realizing how uncomfortable it was making Celestia and Luna. “War.

“In an attempt to remain neutral from the affairs of other ponies, alicorns isolated themselves. This did keep them out of the bad graces of the others, but it also meant that they had no one else to argue with. Disagreements are unavoidable, and in some cases, we can only agree to disagree. Unfortunately, such a disagreement came upon the alicorns, and war broke out amongst themselves. I was imprisoned for most of the battle’s duration, but as I remember, you were both young at the start of the war,” Essence recalled. Celestia closed her eyes in an effort to escape from the pain. “Which leads me to my next question. I was imprisoned in Kindling’s orb for many thousands of years. Princess Luna was banished to the moon for one thousand years, but that still does not account for the many other eons I was absent. How are you both still alive? I have never heard of creatures with such lifespans.”

“When we tried to banish thestrals in the uprising, the tree was a mere sapling,” Celestia answered, grateful for the change in topic.

“I know. I was the one who planted it.”

“YOU?” everyone at the table shrieked, staring at the destral. She just slyly eyed her cutie mark in response.

“Please, continue.”

“As I was saying, the tree was young. It had a skewed idea of right and wrong, good and evil,” Celestia stuttered. “It attempted to balance the battle between thestrals, Luna and I by creating pure ‘evil’ within thestrals and pure ‘good’ in us. This ‘good’ translated to additional power, and it seems, life eternal.”

“I see,” Essence mused. “But it still does not explain how you alone escaped the war.” The royal sisters fell silent, nervously shifting.

“Mum and Da hid us away with our foal sitter in the Frozen North,” Luna turned away at last.

“You don’t have to tell them, sister,” Celestia interrupted.

“You tried to shield me from our past, Tia, but it can not be ignored any more than it can be changed.” Celestia hung her head and permitted her sister to continue. “As Essence has said, war broke out amongst our own kind. Battle after battle raged day after day. Weeks became months, and months became years. We lost so many...” I was unsettled as the Princess of the Night, usually so solid and unshakable, did her best not to break down. “Mum and Da reigned as King and Queen in those days. The radical forces wanted to eliminate the monarchy and any of their bloodline, so Tia and I were also in danger. The opposing troops finally came knocking on the palace doors. Mum and Da loved us so much...” Luna bit her lip, choking on her words and tears finally dripping from her eyes. Celestia solemnly picked up where she left off.

“Mum and Da loved us so much, that they sent us away under the care of our foal sitter. She was given orders not to return unless and until the radicals were put down and it was safe to return. We didn’t know where we were going; some of our own staff had turned against us, and revealed all the locations of our ‘safehouses’. Our foal sitter didn’t want to take us to any town where we would be recognized. She took us to the Frozen North instead, where nopony would think to look. It was there that we met Discord.” We all turned to him, and he uneasily squirmed in his seat. I thought it strange that the mere mention of his name made him uncomfortable. Usually he relished the chance to brag or gloat.

“Discord was not a threat back in those days; he wasn’t even chaotic. Discord sheltered us just as he did for you in your exile, Acrylic. Back then, he was too young to achieve magic as destructive as we have seen in recent years. We remained in the Frozen North far longer than we anticipated, and practically grew up with Discord. As his magic grew more dangerous, our foal sitter sought new ways to keep us safe.” The draconequus abruptly shoved his seat away, and pounded his fists on the table. The glowering look of anger plastered on his face scared me.

“You really are stuck-up, selfish, blind snobs, aren’t you? Despite what you may think, Princess, the world doesn’t revolve solely around you. You weren’t the only two she cared about. She cared about me. Or do you not remember that? Do you even recall her name?” Celestia and Luna both looked like they’d been slapped, and were too ashamed to answer. “Radiance,” his fingers curled into fists. “Her name was Radiance.” He turned away, disgusted. “I’ve heard enough.” He teleported out of the room before anypony could stop him.

“Discord?” Fluttershy whimpered.

“What’s eating him?” Rainbow wondered.

“That is... personal...” Luna slowly replied.

“We have told them this much, sister. They should know the rest.” Celestia sat stock straight in her seat. “When Luna, Radiance and I first happened upon Discord, we were all very young. Our home was in shambles, and three helpless fillies out wandering in the snow must have been a pitiful sight. Discord was an orphan, and did not have much to offer compared to the former, luxurious lifestyle we were accustomed to at our palace. Even so, he took us in and shared everything he had with us, possibly just glad for the company. Of course I was grateful, and often thanked him for everything that he had done. Perhaps this gave him the wrong idea, or maybe it was an unavoidable youthful crush, but he fell in love with me.” Most of us gasped, but Fluttershy’s eyes just widened. None of us had seen that coming. “That was when his magic started to become chaotic. I assume his mixed emotions were causing him confusion, which showed in his magic. It took him many years to confess his feelings, but when he finally summed up the courage, it took me completely by surprise. I was grateful for what he’d done, yes, but I could not return such feelings, mostly because our foalsitter once confided in me that she had feelings for him.

“She was my friend, so of course I wasn’t going to ruin her chances with Discord! I saw no other choice but to reject him. That was the breaking point for him. He thought my rejection was because I could only see him as a monster, so that was what he was going to become. He left us that night, but Radiance went after him. Her feelings hadn’t subsided, and she hoped that if she confessed them to Discord, he could be reigned in. And that she did. Though he had previously barely even noticed Radiance, he now saw her as a goddess. She saved him from himself, along with the rest of Equestria. They fell deeply in love.

“They courted for years, and we were all in our late teens by then. I was under the impression Discord was getting ready to ask Radiance to marry him.” My attention was temporarily diverted from the story when Fluttershy’s seat creaked from her squirming. She was staring at the floor, particularly intrigued by one of the tiles. They were indeed well crafted, but I saw nothing exceptionally interesting about it. I shrugged it off and turned back to Celestia.

“He asked her to meet him in the forest, I think, to ask the question. But that very night, Radiance disappeared. Without her to keep him under control, Discord finally lost his senses. We had nopony left to care for us, so sister and I tried returning home, only to find it destroyed,” Celestia shivered.

“I am sorry,” Essence bowed her head. Celestia gratefully acknowledged her condolences before continuing.

“By then, Discord was wreaking havoc elsewhere, but thestrals were rebelling locally. We couldn’t bear to see any more ponies as broken and war torn as our race had become, so we took it upon ourselves to stop them.”

“We did not realize that the cost of keeping the rest of Equestria safe would mean committing genocide. The thestrals had since disposed of their own leaders, and using the elements, I thought we had exterminated thestrals. This is why I was both overjoyed and perterbed when they returned.” Celestia weakly smiled at us, and Torch gripped me closer.

“Of course, we did not know this at the time, and believd we had just murdered thousands,” Luna continued. “We could hardly bear to look at ourselves after that. We had become more monstrous than Discord, no better than the alicorns that had insisted on killing each other off over petty matters of power. It took a long time to recover before we were willing to try again and make things right not only with Equestria, but with ourselves by defeating Discord.”

“The other ponies saw us as heroes for saving them from Discord’s chaos. They unanimously elected us to rule over a new, united nation. The thestral uprising was a devastating event, and ponies had wasted no time in putting it out of their minds. Already, they were nearly forgotten by most of Equestria. Nopony missed them, nor did they question where they had gone. Perhaps we would not have become rulers if they knew what we had done. The simple fact was that they did not know, and we did not want to tell them. We kept the truth to ourselves, and hence thestrals and destrals faded into nothing more than fairy tales and legends.”

“So you knew the whole time, but you just let us fade into nothing?” I couldn’t believe my ears.

“Would you have voluntarily admitted to committing genocide to the ponies who viewed you as a savior? As royalty?” Luna quietly asked.

“For years we had to live with the consequences of our actions. We were already young and confused. After defeating Discord, we were not only accepted by the other ponies, but praised and welcomed. For two young mares with nothing else to lose, it was a welcome feeling.” My head spun, but I only subconciously chided myself. It was in the past. It shouldn’t have mattered. I was the Element of Forgiveness. So what was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I let it go?

“I better go check on Discord,” Fluttershy volunteered, already scooting out of her chair. She wanted to get out of there as much as the rest of us. “Oh! If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Not at all. You are dismissed, Fluttershy,” Cadance dipped her head. The yellow pegasus nodded her gratitude before hurrying out to find her friend.

“I realize this is a lot for you all to take in,” Celestia concluded.

“It has been an eventful day for all of you. Perhaps it would be best if you were to go home and rest,” Essence suggested, looking to Celestia for permission.

“I agree,” the sun princess said. “You all must be exhausted. I will arrange for you all to be returned to Ponyville.”

“But where will Princess Essence stay?” Pinkie spoke up. We all stopped moving. We hadn’t thought of that.

“I shall arrange for one of the guest suites to be prepared for you,” Celestia decided.

“I hope you do not find me rude, your highness, but if it is alright with you, I would very much like to return to my palace in the Everfree,” Essence declined. “In fact, this is what I meant to speak with you about. I am aware that in my absence, you have taken possession of the forest. I haven’t much to offer at present, but I hoped to negotiate some way to regain my homeland.”

“You want the Everfree Forest?” Cadence exclaimed.

“It may seem like a savage place to you, but I once ruled a mighty nation within the boundaries of those woods. I would very much like to do so again.”

“With respect, Princess Essence, those subjects aren’t exactly yours anymore,” Twilight pointed out. An awkward silence fell over the room.

“Not anymore they aren’t, but I’ve heard some ponies want to move back,” I voiced.

“Really?”

“Why ever would they want to move back to such a horrid waste... I-I mean, those dark, lonely woods... instead of with the rest of us out here in the sunshine?” Rarity blushed and quickly tried to cover up her mistake as I glared at her.

“Because it’s their home. Some of us were perfectly content back there, but then all of a sudden they had to pack up and move.”

“Us? You make it sound like you’d have rather stayed behind, too.”

“Of course not!” Torchwood cleared his throat and placed a hoof on my shoulder in an attempt to get me to stop talking. The Princesses were all watching us. I bit my tongue and waited for their final verdict.

“Please,” Essence respectfully pressed. “I know the Everfree like no other. It is a part of me; that includes all the creatures within it, as well. It is within my ability to control its current inhabitants. This could very well be a beneficial move for you as well, your Majesties. I can guarentee no more attacks by the Everfree ‘monsters’ upon your subjects.”

“Can you?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, glancing again at Essence’s cutie mark, wondering if she really did possess such power.

“That may be in our best interests, sister,” Luna whispered. “How many casualties have been reported every year by hydra attacks and timberwolf raids?”

“Well, I will not keep anypony from returning to their home, if that is what they wish,” Celestia finally decided. “As for your request to return as ruler of the Everfree, Princess Essence, it seems that sister and I never had the right to it in the first place. The forest shall be returned to you, as well as any who chose to return.” Essence knelt into another low bow.

“I thank you, Princess Celestia. I hope our future relations prove to go as smoothly.”

“As do I,” Celestia bowed, followed by her fellow Princesses. Essence righted herself, and allowed the rest of us to lead her out. I dragged my hooves, exhausted. What a day that had been!

“Hey, are you okay?” I noticed that Twilight had pushed in to walk alongside me.

“Fine. Why? Do I not look okay?”

“It’s just... you’ve been acting a little funny all day.”

“Funny? Funny how?”

“You were a little snappish before. And back when we first found Princess Essence... well... you weren’t overly hospitible. Usually you’re scolding us to be more accepting.”

“I got switched out of my own body! That’s bound to make anyone a little crabby.”

“But even after we were all switched back, you seemed a little off. It’s not like you to talk back to the Princesses.”

“I wasn’t talking back!” I barked. Twilight jumped back, startled. The others fell quiet, and turned back to make sure everything was alright. I grunted in irritation and marched on. “I voiced an opinion, that’s all.”

“You’re sure you’re alright?”

“Peachy.” It wasn’t long before I felt the vague tingling of magic flow through my body. I paused in confusion, and looked ahead to Rarity. She was caught up in her conversation with my sister, but when I looked back at Twilight, I found her horn aglow. “Is that you? Are you... scanning me? I said I was fine!”

“Sorry!” She instantly terminated the spell, standing back with wide eyes and an apologetic expression. I marched on with little more than an irritated grumble.

Author's Note

A/N: I know that was a lot to take in, but it’s a necessary evil. All this hardcore cannon is going to become very important (much) later on in the book. I suggest either paying very close attention this time or rereading when we get to the end (I’ll let you know when we get there). I wanted to push this back closer to the climax, but for the timeline to work, I had to squeeze it in here. Bear with me.

Chapter 25: Acrylic's Anxiety

Chapter 25
Acrylic’s Anxiety

Wild Flower and Cedar stayed on the train to continue on back to Baltimare. Essence bid us farewell at the station as well, for she was splitting off to the Everfree. There was no train to take her, so she would fly the rest of the distance. The rest of us went straight home.

Blaze ended up falling asleep in the abnormal quiet, so I carried him home and put him right to bed. Torch was already climbing under the sheets when I walked in.

“Is he alright?”

“Still asleep,” I confirmed, stepping into the bathroom. I pulled the white bands out of my hair, and combed it smooth so it wouldn’t tangle.

“That was certainly an adventure, wasn’t it?” Torch chuckled, switching off the bedside light. Though the moon was already out, neither of us were really ready for bed yet. He worked up a small tongue of fire, and played with it for a while.

“An adventure I never want to live through again,” I shivered, setting the brush down before joining him in bed. He held the sheets aside as I slid under.

“Being an alicorn couldn’t have been all that bad,” he argued. “You still had wings this time, right? It wasn’t like before when they were taken away.”

“It’s not that being an alicorn was bad. It was the cutie mark. I thought I was going to lose it again.”

“Oh.” His eyes filled with sympathy and understanding.

“I’m still trying to figure out what happened to make it disappear last time. When it was taken away again...” I bit my lip and rolled over so he wouldn’t see me cry. “I was even more confused, and scared. A cutie mark is a symbol of your destiny. If I don’t have a destiny, then who am I?”

“You don’t need a cutie mark to tell you that you’re the world’s finest artist. Even I know that much.”

“But how do you really know? What if I’m not really supposed to be an artist? Once it was removed altogether, and when I got it back, the magical fire on the brush was changed. Today it was switched again with Twilight’s, the Element of Magic. What if I got the wrong mark? What if my destiny changed? What if my talent is really in thestral magic- fire dancing, like you?”

“I know that you are, and always will be, my wife,” he scooted closer to me. “And you’re mother to Blaze and Garble. Isn’t that enough?”

“I love all my boys,” I assured. “But I need to know who I am, what my destiny is. I want to live to my full potential. How am I supposed to do that if I don’t even know what my full potential is?”

“That’s what we all need to learn, I suppose. We go through life to find out who we really are. You’ll figure it out eventually, and I’ll be here for you every step of the way.”

“But what is the first step to finding yourself?”

“I think only you can answer that.”

“Morning, honey,” Torchwood pecked my cheek as he passed by. I looked up from my paperwork.

“Hey,” I smiled, distractedly turning back to the folder. “There’s muffins on the counter. From Sugar Cube Corner,” I quickly added.

“Heaven forbid they be homemade,” he joked, seeking out the basket. I rolled his eyes and turned back to my work. “Is that the paper?”

“Since when do I read the news? That’s what Rarity’s gossip is for,” I laughed. “No, these are lesson plans. I promised Apple Bloom an art class in two days.”

“Already? How long have you been working on those?”

“Since about six this morning. What? I couldn’t sleep!”

“You’re taking this very seriously,” he raised an eyebrow.

“I am! Those girls want me to teach them what I know, and I need to make a good impression on their new friend. What if I can’t do it?”

“I’d say you’re overqualified for the job,” he kissed me again.

“It’s not qualification I’m worried about,” I shook my head. “Drawing or painting myself is one thing, but to put it into words... that’s a completely different story.”

“You’ve been teaching Blaze,” Torch pointed out. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in him already.”

“But he’s been watching me for a while. A lot of it he picked up on his own.”

“You’ll be fine,” he promised.

“Maybe I should talk to Cheerilee,” I mused. “She teaches a whole class of students. She’s got to have tips on how to handle five. It might not be a bad idea to talk to Twilight, either. She’s full of ideas, and has a whole library of books.”

“If it’ll put your mind at ease, go for it,” he urged. “I guess I’ll go ahead and open up the shop. See you tonight?”

“Where are you going?”

“It’s Wednesday. You’re going to take Blaze to the Dragon Craters. Right?” he prompted.

“Oh! I forgot!” My eyes darted back to the paperwork, then to where Blaze was sleeping. I wasn’t about to let him down, but I was stressed over the art class preparations.

“Do you want me to take him today?”

“No, no! I made the promise, so I’m going to go through with it.” Torch just chuckled.

“Come on. You’re obviously stressed over this class of yours. Blaze won’t mind me taking him, so long as he still gets to see his brother. It’ll be one less thing on your mind, and besides! I haven’t seen Garble in a while. It’ll be a guy’s day out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. You run the shop and sort out your plans, and I’ll take Blaze to the craters. Sound good?”

“If he’s alright with it, so am I, I guess,” I consented, looking over to the baby dragon one last time.”

“We’ll be fine. Twilight should have opened the library by now. Why don’t you run by and talk to her first? That way, if Blaze absolutely has his heart set on you taking him, there’ll still be time and you’ll have a bit of food for thought to consider.”

“Okay,” I agreed. It wasn’t as though I had much of a choice. Torchwood practically shoved me out the door.

“Great. We’ll see you later tonight!”

“Bye,” I bid farewell just before the door was shut on me. I took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. Driven by both determination and anxiety, I headed for the Golden Oaks Library. I had a class to plan.

I walked alone through town, and arrived promptly at the doorstep of Twilight’s residence. As Torch had predicted, she was already up.

“Acrylic! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to take Blaze to the Dragon Craters?”

“Torch is taking him today,” I informed.

“Oh! Well, that’ll be good for them both.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, they don’t seem to spend a lot of time together. This will be a good chance for them to bond.”

“I guess I have been a bit possessive of Blaze,” I blushed.

“Now, how can I help you?” Twilight swung the door the rest of the way open and strode back inside.

“I was hoping you could teach me how to teach,” I admitted. Twilight’s expression became puzzled.

“Come again?”

“I promised Apple Bloom and her friends an art class,” I reminded her.

“Oh, that’s right! Hmm... teach you how to teach, you say? To be honest with you, I don’t know anything about art myself. I’m not sure where to begin teaching an art class.”

“That’s okay; that’s my job. Just tell me how you’d start any other class.”

“Well, alright then. Like any other class, you’ll want to start with the basics.”

“Check,” I affirmed, glancing at the first bullet point in my folder. “Lesson one: Seeing Basic Shapes.”

“It looks like you’ve already got it planned out! May I see that?”

“Be my guest,” I answered, holding out the folder. Twilight neatly separated each page with her levitation magic, and rotated them around the library as she read each one.

“Lesson One: Seeing Basic Shapes. Lesson Two: Complex Shapes. Lesson Three: Value. Lesson Four: Perspective and Dimension. Lesson Five: Color. Lesson Six?! Acrylic, how far does this go?”

“To Lesson Thirty,” I blushed. “I don’t know how advanced each of them are, so I’m not sure where we’re going to start. I need to know what they’re already capable of.”

“What are you coming to me for? It looks like you’ve already got this down to a science!”

“I’ve never taught before! I know the information, I just don’t know how I’m going to present it.”

“So do you want me to give you a lesson on public speaking? Come on, Acrylic! It’s just Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. You know them!”

“I don’t know their friend!”

“Oh, I see. So you’re worried about making a good first impression on their friend?”

“Yes! I don’t want to embarrass the other girls because I turn out to be an incapable teacher!”

“Acrylic, you’re great with kids! Just be yourself, and it’ll all be fine. I promise.”

“What if myself isn’t good enough?”

“You’re completely overthinking this!” Twilight exclaimed. “Those girls just want to have a good time. Just set them to work drawing something, and help them where they struggle. Maybe art is just one of those things you have to pick up on.”

“They won’t learn anything if I give them a bunch of exercises,” I protested.

“You might be surprised how much young fillies can teach themselves, just from experience. That’s how you learned, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“Let them figure it out, then. You’ve got enough on your mind as it is. And in all honesty, I don’t think they’re as interested in improving their artistic skills so much as spending time together. Just let it happen, okay?”

“But-”

“Okay?” I slumped in defeat.

“Okay.”

“Good, now-”

“But do you think the library has any how-to-draw books I could borrow? Just to get ideas, I mean. They teach you how to draw without an instructor, and I want to see how they do it.” Twilight sighed in consent.

“Alright, I guess that’s a fair request. They should be over there in the art section.”

“You have a whole art section that I didn’t know about?!”

“Spike and I decided to rearrange things a bit on reshelving day.”

“Oh, boy! I’m going to have a field day with this! Look at all these art guides!”

“You have seen most of these before, you know.”

“But I never noticed them because I already knew the material. But now I’m bound to get some ideas! Thanks, Twilight!”

“I didn’t really do anything,” she mumbled. I barely noticed as I began pulling books off the shelves.

It wasn’t long before I had completely encircled myself with notes and books. I’d read a passage I liked, write a few bullets on a note card, and move on to the next one. I decided I didn’t like the how-to-draw books after all. They showed you how to draw, sure, but by the end of the lesson, you could only draw one angle of one object. I wanted the girls to really understand how their subject was formed so they’d understand how to put it on paper. But what if their subject was living, and/or moving? I moved back to my lesson plans. Lesson 7.1: Movement.

“You’re still here?” I hadn’t noticed when Twilight had left, but she now reentered through the front, a bag of groceries in tow.

“I didn’t hear you leave,” I absentmindedly commented, returning a book to the shelf.

“You’ve been busy,” she commented. For the first time, I noticed the mess I’d created in my little study circle. Papers were strewn everywhere, and books littered the floor. I blushed and hurriedly started cleaning up.

“I did get a lot done, though. I think I’ve got the general idea of what I’m doing, now. I must’ve skimmed every book on art in here!”

“You’re not kidding!” Twilight was looking over my revised notes. “Maybe I was wrong; this looks like some pretty serious stuff. Did you come up with a vocabulary list?!”

“I’m not going to make them memorize it, but I want to introduce them as we go.”

“At this rate, you could be teaching a college level class! Remember, you’ve got beginners on your hooves.”

“But what if they aren’t always? They are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. What if one of them finds their special talent in the arts like me?”

“It is possible, and it’s great that you’re taking this so seriously. Just remember to be patient with them, especially Scootaloo. She can get ahead of herself sometimes. Take baby steps.”

“You know me, Twi. I love kids! This’ll be a breeze!”

“Weren’t you freaking out about teaching just this morning?” she grinned.

“I wasn’t ‘freaking out,’ I was just preparing myself,” I indignantly turned up my nose.

“If you say so,” she laughed. I happened to glance behind her, and my eyes bulged.

“Is it sunset already?!”

“You’ve been here all day,” she affirmed.

“I’m supposed to have dinner on by now! I’ve gotta go!” I’d already cleaned up the books, so now I scooped the stray papers back into the folder. “Thanks again, Twi!”

“Sorry I’m late,” I panted, slamming the door behind me. “I got distracted at Twi’s. I’ll have dinner on in a jiff. How do sandwiches sound? I don’t think I have time to break out the stove. I-” I stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted Torch and Blaze already at the table, eating without me. There was a steaming dish of delicious looking squash, decorated with sparkling gems.

“Oh, hi, Acrylic!” Blaze waved. “That’s alright, we already got dinner ready. We saved some for you.”

“Did you get everything sorted over at Twi’s?” Torch asked, pulling out a seat for me.

“Yes,” I dumbly answered, still a bit perplexed. I didn’t know Torch could cook so extravagantly.

“What did Cheerilee have to say?”

“I didn’t talk to her after all...” I shook myself out of the stupor. “Did you boys make this? Since when do you cook?”

“It was all Blaze, actually,” Torch winked.

“Spike’s been teaching me how,” he proudly boasted. “Since Torchwood took us to the old gem mines, I said I’d make dinner!”

“We found a few ripe emeralds and rubies down there.” Torch gestured to the jewels sprinkled over the squash.

“Go on! Try some!” Blaze urged. I did eat a fork full, and my eyes fluttered. It was heavenly!

“Well?” The rubies were indeed at their prime. It was mouth-watering.

“I don’t know what Spike’s been teaching you, but tell him to keep it up!” Blaze beamed.

“It’s getting pretty late. I’m going to go hit the hay,” he finally yawned.

“Already? It’s only eight.”

“Wandering around those mines really wore me out,”

“If you say so. Goodnight, Blaze.”

“’Night,” he called, heading for his bed.

“I think I better get some shut eye, too.” Torch kissed my forehead before heading for the stairs.

“I’ll be up in a bit,” I promised.

“See you then.” I turned back to my food, a little disappointed that I’d become so preoccupied that I missed dinner with my family. I hadn’t noticed how often I’d been doing that lately. They didn’t exactly seem distant, yet, but it was only a matter of time if I didn’t correct myself. I didn’t want to be the wife that was never home or the mother who never had time for her children.

In actuality, I had only missed a few dinners and stayed out a couple nights. Perhaps it was more the idea of becoming an absent, distant wife that scared me. After all, Torch had always been there for me, and I only wanted to return the favor. But I needed to proove to myself that I was, in fact, there when they needed me.

But how to do it...

Chapter 26: Apprentice

Chapter 26
Apprentice

A light tapping could be heard at the door.

“I’ve got it,” the little dragon declared.

“Thanks, Blaze,” I said, scooting the jar of pencils to the middle of the table. It was Friday morning, and I had turned the studio into a classroom. Torch had helped me clear enough space for a long folding table last night. The easels and canvases that usually cluttered the floor had been moved elsewhere, making the sun room look much larger than it used to. I wasted no time in filling that space with the table and chairs, of course. When Blaze began helping me run the shop, Heckley had been booted out of a job, so he was more than happy to help me get the supplies set out. He’d already gathered five blank sketchbooks along with plenty of pencils, erasers and rulers. I’d set up the white still life in the middle of the table, composed of randomly assorted styrofoam shapes generously donated by my sister. Wild Flower occasionally used them for creating silk flower arrangements, but as she rarely used the plastic flowers anymore, was happy to get rid of her scrap.

“They’re here!” Blaze reported from the door. Four sets of hooves could be heard plodding through the shop. I took one last deep breath and turned to greet them. I felt a little more at ease when Heckley curled around my neck like the old days.

“Hey, Mrs. Acrylic!” Apple Bloom chimed, smiling wide.

“Hello, girls! Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo. And who’s this?” At the back of their train I noticed an unfamiliar filly. She was tiny, but looked about the same age as the rest of them. Her coat was the deep purple of a violet flower, but light freckles stood out on her cheeks. She had a blue mane not quite as dark as mine, streaked with lavender. It was kept long and straight and bounced over her neck at a similar length to the rest of the crusaders, but she seemed to hide behind her overgrown bangs. Thin yet stylish blue wire-frame glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. Tiny thestral wings remained tucked in by her sides, and like the rest of her friends, she was a blank flank.

“This is our friend Glitter Shine,” Scootaloo introduced, throwing an arm around her. The little filly hadn’t been expecting that, and was almost thrown off balance. Apple Bloom batted her hoof away, allowing Glitter Shine to straighten her glasses.

“Hello, Glitter Shine. My name is Acrylic. It’s nice to meet you,” I smiled.

“You too,” she started, barely looking up. But when she did, her mouth hung agape, and all she could do was stare, petrified. Sweetie Belle beckoned me close.

“She’s a little shy.”

“And pretty scared of snakes,” Scootaloo tried not to snicker.

“There’s nothing wrong with being with being offio.... opio...” Sweetie stuttered on the word.

“Ophidiophobic?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, also taking a few steps back from my snake.

“I see. Well, that’s alright. He’s very friendly.” Heckley bobbed his head out a little farther and flicked out his tongue to demonstrate.

“He ain’t gonna bite,” Apple Bloom assured, reaching out to pet him. “See?” The gesture had done little to settle Sweetie’s nerves, and Glitter still hadn’t moved.

“Tell you what. Heckley can wait upstairs while we draw. Does that sound better?”

“Much,” Sweetie gratefully sighed.

“Sorry bud,” I cast an apologetic look at my pouting reptile. He reluctantly snaked his way upstairs, taking care to give the fillies a wide girth. When he had left, I finally turned back to my students. “So, do you girls, and guy, want to get started?”

“Yeah!” four of them shouted.

“Alright,” Glitter softly agreed.

“Okay...” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the newcomer just yet. “Well, I’ve got the paper and pencils set out, so why don’t you all go take a seat?”

“Okay!” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo dashed off to get first pick.

“Oh, Acrylic, before I forget, Rarity sent this for you to pay for our class.” Sweetie Belle produced a small gem from her saddlebags.

“Thank you, Sweetie Belle, but I didn’t mean for you girls to pay for this!”

“She insisted,” Sweetie Belle pressed, prompting me to take it again.

“Alright,” I finally agreed, moving the gem to the counter. There was no arguing with Rarity.

Apple Bloom chose a seat near the middle of the table, and Scootaloo sat beside her. Sweetie Belle joined them at the end, and Glitter stationed herself at the side. Blaze separated himself and sat on the opposite side. I furrowed my brow and walked up to him.

“Why don’t you go sit with the other girls?” I quietly prompted.

“Nah,” he shrugged. “I’m alright over here.”

“If you say so,” I sighed, switching my attention over to the rest of the class. “Alright, so first of all, I want you all to draw this.” I pointed to the still life.

“What is that?” Scootaloo asked, cocking her head to try and get a different angle.

“Just a mish mosh of different parts and pieces of styrofoam. I want to see what you already know. Don’t worry about how the first one comes out- it doesn’t have to look good.”

“Aren’t ya supposed to be teachin’ us how to do it?” Apple Bloom voiced.

“I will,” I promised, “but I don’t want to teach you what you already know. You want to learn new things, right? To do that, I need to see what you can do without me teaching you.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sweetie Belle decided, choosing a pencil.

“What do these numbers and letters mean?” Scootaloo asked, glancing over the pencils herself. She displayed a HB pencil in her mouth.

“These are all labeled according to the value scale,” I explained. “H stands for hardness, and B stands for blackness. Hard pencils give you a smaller, lighter line. Black pencils come out darker and thicker. It’ll also be easier to smudge.”

“What about this one? F?”

“Fine point,” I said. “It’s like a hard pencil. The bigger the number, the harder or softer it gets. HB is where they meet up in the middle. It’s the equivalent of a number two pencil.”

“Like the kind we use at school?”

“Exactly.”

“So why give them all those fancy names? Why not call it a number two pencil?”

“Because only the HB is like a number two pencil,” Blaze clarified. “The rest are different.”

“Ugh! It’s already giving me a headache! Is anyone else confused? Glitter?” We looked over at the young filly, who was already busy at work. She looked up upon being addressed.

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you confused by all these 2H’s, 7B’s and F’s? The pencils?” she added when Glitter still looked confused. For the first time, she looked down and noticed the silver 2B stamped on the side of the pencil she’d been using.

“Oh. No,” was all she said. Out of curiosity, I peered over her shoulder at what she had so far.

“Wow, Glitter! That’s excellent!” She’d only gotten one and a half styrofoam shapes down, and they weren’t too amazing, but her depth perception and value scales were off the charts! She’d even captured the shadows perfectly. Even I’d had trouble with value when I was her age. She just blushed. “Can I show the others?” She bashfully nodded. I lifted up her tablet, and the girls pushed in to get a better view. Blaze, who was on the other side of the table, scurried around to see.

“I didn’t know ya were such a good drawer, Glitter!” Apple Bloom praised.

“Have you drawn much before?” I prompted.

“No,” she shook her head.

“Well then,” I winked, “you’re off to a great start.”

“Why, hello, girls.” We all turned to greet Torchwood, returning home from another round of deliveries.

“Hello, Mr. Torchwood,” they all sang in unison.

“Have you learned anything yet?”

“That’s not fair! We just started!” I complained.

“I learned that a HB pencil is the same thing as a number two pencil,” Scootaloo offered. “But that’s about it.”

“And H means hard and B means black,” Sweetie Belle added.

“And Glitter turned out to be a real good drawer,” Apple Bloom put in. Torch turned to the unfamiliar filly.

“You must be the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ newest member. My name is Torchwood. Glitter, was it?”

“Glitter Shine,” she shyly looked away.

“Glitter Shine,” he repeated. “How pretty. Well, Glitter, it was nice to meet you. I hope to be seeing more of you around town.” She just nodded. Sensing that she’d rather be left alone, Torch nodded back and moved around to Blaze. “They’ve got you all by yourself over here, eh?”

“I’m not alone, just... separate.”

“Come on, Blaze! You can sit with us if you want!” Scootaloo called.

“Yeah, we don’t bite,” Apple Bloom voiced her agreement while scooting over a chair.

“I’m good,” he assured. Sweetie Belle shrugged.

“If you say so.”

“Can’t say we didn’t offer.”

“Oh, go on! You aren’t afraid of them, are you?” Blaze suddenly became flustered.

“I- I am NOT!”

“I’m only teasing,” Torchwood ruffled his spines. Then he turned back to me. “I’ve got new orders in for you. And Graphite sent something about a possible gallery opening. Do you want me to put it all upstairs?”

“Girls, can you excuse me just for a moment? If Graphite sent what I think he sent, I’d rather take care of it now.”

“Go ahead,” Blaze waved, preoccupied with the assignment.

“We’ll be fine,” Apple Bloom agreed.

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” Torch followed me out to the lobby.

“What is it?” I fished out the expected envelope.

“Graphite mentioned that he had an opening for a bigger spot in his gallery. There are a lot of clients after it, so I applied right away. I’m hoping this is a letter of acceptance or better yet, a contract.”

“You didn’t tell me about that. Congratulations!”

“I assumed Graphite already told you,” I apologized. “Yep. This is it! I got it! Just a little bit of paperwork and...” I started unfolding the contract, only to find that it kept unfolding. It wasn’t long before it reached the floor.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Torch chortled, stepping outside before breaking into a laughing fit. I rolled my eyes, and reluctantly began the tedious chore. I scrutinized all the little loop holes and fine print until I was cross-eyed.

After an eternity, I signed the thing, and hurriedly slid it back into a fresh envelope. I set it aside to be mailed later, and returned to my class. After all that brain-numbing work, returning to a class felt like a day at the spa.

“Sorry about that,” I apologized, stepping back in the studio. “It just couldn’t wait. Now, is everyone finished?” I looked to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who all gave affirmative nods. But when my eyes moved across the table, I realized that Glitter was missing. I furrowed my brow, but when I continued on to Blaze, found her sitting beside him. They were drawing together in mutual silence, but I smiled. Glitter was making sure Torchwood couldn’t interject any more of his ‘jokes’.

“Thanks for the art class Mrs. Acrylic!” Scootaloo waved.

“See ya next week!” Apple Bloom added.

“Bye, Blaze!”

“Bye!” he waved from the doorway.

“Goodbye, girls! Be safe!” I chimed. I was just about to shut the door when a bright flash of light followed by a thunderous roar caused the girls simultaneously ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed.’

“Hey, Acrylic?” Apple Bloom called back. “What is it Mr. Torchwood’s doin’ with his fire over there?” I casually trotted back out over to the quartet to see what they were looking at. Torchwood was around the back surrounded by a few of my canvases, practicing a new fire dancing technique.

“Oh, Torch told me that he thought he’d come up with a way to dry my oil paints faster without making them crack. I gave him those to practice on.”

“How cool is that?!” Scootaloo beamed, wings buzzing with excitement.

“He loves to show off. I bet he’ll let you watch if you ask him,” I winked.

“Awesome! What’dya say girls? Should we-” Scootaloo’s friends had already dashed off for a better view, Glitter included. “Hey! Wait for me!” She hurried off to join them, and I followed suit.

“Hello, Mr. Torchwood!” Sweetie Belle happily called. Torch’s flame puttered out as he turned to acknowledge his visitors.

“Hey, girls! I guess this means school’s out, eh?”

“For this week, anyway.”

“Acrylic was just telling us about your awesome fire dancing!” Scootaloo chirped.

“Hey, Mr. Torchwood, d’ya think it’d be alright if we stuck around to watch?” Apple Bloom displayed a pleading yet hopeful puppy dog face, but that wasn’t necessary. I saw his eyes sparkle at the mere mention of an audience.

“You want a show, do you?” All four girls eagerly bobbed their heads. “Then a show you shall have!”

“Yay!” the girls chimed. I settled in the grass a ways off to give Torch some room, and the girls crowded around in front.

His green-and-orange flame gently crackled to life before the girls, and they leaned in close to better examine it. It flickered lightly in time with the untrimmed grass, and the girls’ eyes tracked its every move. Sweetie Belle was evidently feeling a slightly hypnotic effect, as her eyelids were beginning to droop. Before she could crack a yawn, the flame grew taller, higher, until it bloomed in a stunning shower of sparks. A fiery flower burst forth, and the girls gasped with delight. Torch directed the flame higher until it appeared to have settled behind Apple Bloom’s ear. He promptly snuffed out his fire but left a real daylilly in its wake, to our astonishment.

“That’s new,” I commented.

“How’dya do that?” the young yellow filly excitedly inquired. She removed the orange flower from her hair and showed the other beaming girls.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he proudly boasted.

“Pleeeaaaassseeee?” They all whined, big wet eyes pleading for an explanation. Even I didn’t usually get explanations, but their adorable faces softened him.

“Alright, but just this once. You know how Spike and Blaze receive and send letters, don’t you?” The girls nodded. “It’s a simple form of teleportation. Thestrals can do the same thing. While I distracted you all with this...” he summoned up another flame, “I was really focusing on this.” He turned to show us another strip of fire encircling the daylilies Wild Flower had planted by the house. It engulfed one of the blooms, and by the time the fire sputtered out, it had vanished, only to reappear in the other tongue of flame. This one was gifted to Glitter, who pushed her glasses back up her nose to stare at it in wonder. Torchwood radiated with pride as he soaked up their astonishment.

“Slight of hoof,” I realized with a coy smile. “You sly dog!”

“That’s awesome!”

“I wish I could do that!” Scootaloo flitted.

“Only thestrals can do it,” Apple Bloom argued.

“I bet a unicorn like me could learn to do something like that,” Sweetie Belle boasted.

“How are you going to teleport something? You can’t even levitate anything bigger than a pencil!”

“Those are big words coming from a pegasus who can’t fly!”

“Take it back!”

“No!”

“Hollow horn!”

“Flightless!”

“Girls, no name calling!” I interrupted. As Apple Bloom, Torchwood and I tried to get them to settle down, nopony noticed Glitter quietly approaching Torchwood.

“Um... uh... sir? Mr. Torchwood?” Torch looked down at the young little filly at his hooves and pulled away from her wrestling comrades momentarily.

“Yes? What is it, Glitter?”

“Well, I was just wondering...” she mumbled the last bit.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to speak up, angel.” He bent down even further.

“Uh... never mind.” She tried turning away.

“Go on, Glitter, what were you going to say? We’re all listening.” I stuck my hoof between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to finally break them up and prove my point.

“I’m all ears.” Torchwood came all the way to the ground to reach her level.

“I... uh...” Torch expectantly looked at her. “It’s just... do you think maybe... maybe you could teach me to do that?” Torch’s face blanked. I knew what was going through his mind, and beamed. He’d found an apprentice. Unfortunately, Glitter took that as a refusal, and hastily turned back away.

“Never mind. You’re probably too busy.”

“No!” Torch jumped up. “I want to.” Her eyes shone with excitement as she gasped. “I really, really want to.”

Chapter 28: The Dazzling Glitter Shine

Chapter 28
The Dazzling Glitter Shine

Wind was rushing by my ears. My heart pounded. My wings were being lashed every which way, depending on how the wind caught them as I tumbled down, down, down. I couldn’t have cared less. I had bigger problems. I happened to look back over my shoulder in time to see the treetops getting uncomfortably close.

“GAH!” I bellowed my frustrations to no one in particular, pulling up at the last second. I elegantly swooped through the canopy to glide a foot above the ground before finding another opening and returning to the sky. Rather than performing another hundred foot drop, I found a perch on a puffy white cloud and sat down. Free falls had always cleared my mind before, since they made it hard to focus on anything but recovery, or you’d crash. That had been my fifth dive, and the closest call. I just couldn’t get the morning’s previous events out of my head.

I was mostly mad at myself. I had been acting out of character lately, snapping at ponies like that. Poor Twilight had been receiving it worst, it seemed. But this time things had gone too far. Blaze... he didn’t deserve this. I should never have snapped to begin with, but seeing the terror I’d plastered on his face was almost too much to bear. I sagged further into the cloud, as though burying myself in its consoling, plush surface could bury my pain along with it.

The light flutter of feathery wings sounded from just above me, and I looked up expecting Rainbow coming to see what was wrong. Instead, my alicorn friend had returned.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Can I sit here?”

“Sure.” So we just peered over the edge of the cloud, watching the world in silence for a while. “You know I didn’t mean what I said, right, Twi?”

“Of course not. I’m sorry for snapping back, too. I guess we’ve both been a little out of it lately.”

“So you’ve noticed, too,” I nodded, flopping on my back. “Still, I never expected you of all ponies to attack Trixie like that.”

“I know,” she sighed. “I was just trying to protect you.”

“That’s sweet, Twi, but I really don’t need protecting.”

“If you say so.” We sat in silence a moment longer, and I was trying to form a question about her strange behavior without starting another fight when she went on.

“You know,” Twilight giggled, “it’s actually kind of funny if you think about it. Somehow we went from arguing over Trixie to insulting each other. In fact, I don’t even remember what I was mad about in the first place!”

“Not worth fighting over,” I agreed. “Not worth scaring Blaze.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she tried to console. “He knows that’s not like you. Just go talk to him.”

“You think that’s all it’ll take?”

“It’s a start, anyway. Go on. Torchwood’s already put in a word with him. It’s your turn now.”

“Thanks, Twi.” I fondly brushed a wingtip over her, and she returned the gesture. That was one down. One to go.

“Blaze? Can I come in?”

“Okay.” He was perched on the table in his room, A.K.A the recently converted laundry room. He didn’t even look at me when I strode in, instead he just kept looking out the window.

“Are you okay?”

“I guess.”

“What kind of an answer is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, Blaze. You know you can talk to me, right?”

“Sure.”

“Look Blaze, I didn’t mean to scare you. I don’t know what got into me... I was just mad. But you know I would never do that to you on purpose.”

“Yeah. It was just scary.”

“I know, baby. I didn’t mean it.” I wrapped my wings around him to pull him into a hug. He finally returned the embrace, finding comfort in it. “And I promise, no more yelling from now on, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Okay. Then I forgive you.”

“Thanks, Blaze.” I nuzzled him closer.

“Hey, Acrylic?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we go see Trixie’s show tonight, too?”

“You want to see Trixie’s show?”

“Well, I really just want to hang out with Glitter and her friends. She convinced all the Crusaders to go. Spike will probably be there, too.”

“Well, in that case, absolutely.” He beamed up at me. “And afterwards, we might just have to stop at Sugar Cube Corner for ice cream.”

“Really?”

“My treat.”

“With gemstone sprinkles?”

“You got it.”

“I’ll write Spike and tell him!”

“Make sure to invite him for the ice cream. He’ll come for that, if nothing else.”

“What are we doing here, Blaze? Trixie’s show isn’t worth it; it’s just her boasting about how ‘great’ and ‘powerful’ she is and performing a couple of cheap tricks.”

“So I’ve been told. But the Cutie Mark Crusaders are gonna be there, and remember? We’re in it for the ice cream.”

“Oh yeah,” he licked his lips. Torchwood drew his wing closer around me as we both chuckled. Twilight would also be attending Trixie’s show, but not until later, so we’d stopped by early to pick up Spike. There we could meet up with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who would be arriving together. Glitter had already informed the others of tonight’s plans. Considering their feelings towards Trixie, they were probably all in it for the ice cream, too.

The show had been scheduled for late evening, and the light was growing dim. I assumed it was probably to add to the effect of Trixie’s famous fireworks. The square was sparse when we arrived, mostly because of Trixie’s poor reputation, but perhaps also due to the late hour. Most in attendance were thestrals who either hadn’t heard her story, just wanted to see what all the fuss was about or were still on a nocturnal sleep schedule and had nothing better to do. Because of the meager audience, front row seats weren’t in high demand. Still, Glitter, who’d arrived ahead of us with the rest of her crew, had already parked herself right in front of the wagon to claim a seat. Her eyes were fixated on the stage in anticipation, but the hoofsteps of new arrivals finally attracted her attention.

“Hurry! Hurry! The show’s going to start any minute!” she beckoned, bouncing on the spot.

“We’re still early, Glitter,” Apple Bloom yawned. She was sprawled on the ground, drawing pictures in the dirt to entertain herself. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were obviously just as bored.

“Why can’t it just start already?” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“It’s not like anypony else is coming,” Scootaloo agreed.

“You don’t know that,” Torchwood scolded.

“Twilight said she’d be here later,” Spike put in.

“What’s Princess Twilight coming for?” Scootaloo wrinkled her nose.

“It’s more a question of why she’d be late,” Glitter corrected. “Trixie’s show is going to be amazing!”

“How do you know? You’ve never seen it before.”

“Neither have you. She told me that she’s completely changed it. I don’t know what the last one was like, but this one must be even better! And besides, Trixie’s a really nice pony. It has to be good!”

“Trixie is not a nice pony,” Apple Bloom insisted.

“Is too!”

“Is not!”

“Is TOO!”

“Girls!” I had to break them up. I’d never seen Glitter join in the arguing before, but things looked like they were about to get ugly. As soon as it’d begun, it was over, and Glitter’s enthusiasm resumed as though it had never faltered.

“I still say it’s going to be good.” Suddenly, all the torches in the square blew out, and the stage lights shone from Trixie’s wagon. “It’s starting, it’s starting!” Glitter quietly shrieked.

“Mares and gentlecolts,” a loud voice spoke. I knew that it was Trixie from backstage, but she must’ve cast some sort of spell to add a mysterious echoing effect. Glitter was already wide-eyed. “Come one, come all, to witness the magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Fire crackers exploded from hidden cannons on her fold-out stage, waking the audience up from the long and tedious wait. Now that the show was starting, a couple more standers-by trotted over to watch. Trixie finally emerged from the back, splendidly whisking aside the curtains and causing a gentle wind to ruffle her cape and hat.

“My, what a... charming... audience we have tonight.” Trixie managed to conceal her disappointment at the small turnout quite well. “You are all in for a special treat, because the Great and Powerful Trixie has an exclusive show for her favorite townsponies. That’s right, my dear Ponyville-ians. Trixie has completely and entirely reworked her whole show just for you!” Glitter’s eyes grew ever wider with wonder, but nopony else in the audience seemed to be too terribly impressed.

“Witness, my beloved spectators, as the Great and Powerful Trixie summons her minions...” she paused for dramatic effect, finally having caught the attention of her dead-eyed audience. We all leaned in a little closer, wondering whether she had returned to her old ways after all and now sought vengeance upon Ponyville. “...the pansies!” Some audible groans could be heard in the background from their disappointment. I actually found the letdown rather funny, and quietly chuckled. Glitter wasn’t dismayed in the least, and continued to stare intently forward. With this dramatic introduction, Trixie performed a teleport, and from beneath a cloud of purple dust, two rows of potted pansy plants lined either end of the stage.

“You call that magic?” somepony booed from the back.

“Watch and observe,” she continued with far less confidence than before. The flowers radiated with the pink aura of her magic, and soon shot up to the sky, growing by foot until they towered well over the height of Trixie’s wagon and were practically bursting from the pots. The one nearest to us sprouted another, smaller stem, which continued to unfurl and uncoil. Most of the girls, myself included, backed away from the approaching stem, but Glitter was transfixed. The stem loosely wound around her a few times, landing her at the center of a springy coil. The entire coil then bloomed into a vortex of small blossoms around the filly. She excitedly squealed and delicately smelled one. Trixie smiled before plucking one in her levitation magic and settling it behind Glitter’s ear.

“Big deal,” another naysayer called. “It’s just a standard growth spell.”

“Maybe so,” Trixie uneasily shuffled, teleporting the flowers off stage, “but can they tie a bone into a knot?” She pulled an average-looking dog bone from her hat. Within her levitational magic, the bone began to rotate, faster and faster until it was but a blur. Gradually, light welled up from the invisible axis on which the bone spun, and grew brighter until it finally pulsed in a blinding flash. When we opened our eyes again, a very evident knot had been tied at the center of the bone. This she tossed far out into the crowd, where Applejack’s pet dog Winona sat. She eagerly jumped up to catch her prize, and settled down with it a ways off. Glitter fervently clapped, but her applause was the only sound to be heard throughout the square.

“Tacky.”

“What if I turned a cup of coffee into a cup of bits?”

“That you defrauded other ponies of with this sorry excuse for a show?”

“Yeah! What did you do, take these ‘tricks’ from a cheap how-to book?”

“Why don’t you show a little respect for the lady?” Torchwood stood from his seat beside me, searching for the disrespectful cynic. “Trixie works just as hard for her pay as the rest of us.”

“By if ‘working hard,’ you mean getting up in front of a minuscule audience, pulling off a couple slight-of-hoof tricks and and then demanding what little money we have, then yes, she’s the most diligent pony I know.”

“Just because you had a bad day is no reason to ruin the show for the rest of us,” I coolly retorted, nodding to the unsettled fillies ahead of me. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had probably expected such repugnant remarks, but Glitter hadn’t, and quivered nervously.

“If you have such a passionate disregard for Trixie’s show, then what are you doing here?” Torch furthered.

“I was beginning to ask myself the same thing,” the stallion spitefully hissed, standing himself and boldly sauntering off. When the rest of us turned back to the stage, we found Trixie hunched over in a defeated lump, hiding behind her hat. A single tear splashed to the wooden planks, and with that, the show was over. I sighed and bowed my head in sympathy when the rest of the audience began to depart.

Spike and Blaze looked to one another, unsure what to do. The other three fillies looked to one another, then back to me, wondering when we’d be leaving for ice cream. Glitter, though, shambled back up to the edge of the stage and flattened her ears at the sight of her rejected friend.

“Miss Trixie?” she tried. Trixie only shrank back further into her cape in shame.

“Glitter, I think we should leave,” Torchwood gently tried to pry her away. The last thing Trixie needed was for her only remaining admirer to see her in tears. My husband gently curled a wing around his pupil and nudged her to follow him to rejoin our ensemble. But she wasn’t moving. Instead, she was intently focused, eyes tightly shut and brow furrowed.

A small spark ignited on Trixie’s stage, but it was perfectly controlled and didn’t so much as singe the wood. The little light didn’t catch the unicorn’s attention until it had grown to the size of a small lantern. Then her flow of tears paused, and she slowly righted herself. I didn’t recognize this pale violet flame. It certaintly didn’t belong to Torch, and I wasn’t doing it. That eliminated everypony but Glitter Shine, the only other remaining thestral. It was obviously taking a lot of physical effort on her part, but she coaxed it larger and larger.

Not only had the show caught Trixie’s attention, but also that of the departed audience. Now a few returned to see what was going on. After a bit of straining and grunting, the fire turned into a lightly twirling vortex. It gradually picked up speed, and began spitting sparks. By now it had grown to the size of a soccer ball, and had retrieved most of Trixie’s audience. With one last grunt of exertion, the flame was extinguished, but left a small bouquet of roses behind. They dropped to the wood floor when Trixie made no move to catch them. She just sat and stared at them, dumbfounded.

“Thanks for the show, Miss Trixie,” Glitter quietly praised. “I still liked it., even if everypony else left.” Glitter then turned and trotted back to Torchwood, finally ready to leave for ice cream. From her platform, Trixie slowly scooped up the bouquet, cradling it like a priceless treasure. To her, that’s exactly what it was.

“Glitter, I...” her eyes welled up with tears yet again, but these were happy tears. Her horn lit up, and Glitter Shine was surrounded in pink aura before being levitated up to the stage. She was a little surprised at first, but made no objection. Trixie exchanged one levitational hold for another, for after she set Glitter down at her side, she removed her pointy magic hat and gently set it atop the filly’s head. “Thank you.” Glitter pushed the oversized hat out of her eyes so it wouldn’t throw off her aim when she pounced Trixie in a hug.

At that, the audience couldn’t contain themselves, and burst into thunderous applause. The Cutie Mark Crusaders who had been so negative about the whole idea to begin with now cheered louder than anypony else. Well, perhaps excepting Torchwood, who practically radiated with pride for his apprentice.

The praise from the audience must have torn Trixie back to reality, because she instantly regained her confidence. Now she stood, chest puffed out and one hoof still wrapped around Glitter.

“Mares and Gentlecolts, prepare to be astounded by marvelous feats of magic!” A couple bystanders shifted, hoping she wasn’t going to try her show again. “You’ll be mesmerized by what you see! I dare say, you won’t believe your eyes! Please, put your hooves together for the Dazzling Glitter Shine!” The masses roared for the new act.

“Me?” Glitter gasped.

“Go on,” Trixie beamed. “Show them how Glitter shines.”

“Come on, Glitter, you can do it!” Sweetie Belle cheered.

“You go, girl!” Apple Bloom called.

“Knock ‘em dead!” Scootaloo contributed. At first I thought she would get stage fright, given how shy she was, and was going to suggest that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. But I was glad I kept my mouth shut, because Glitter stepped right up to the challenge.

“Okay.” She stood up in front of the expectant faces below, the number of which had greatly multiplied since she appeared onstage. Though she took a gulp to steady herself, she didn’t seem too terribly nervous. It took her a moment, but in no time at all, the show was back on. Threads of sparks tore through the crowd, weaving through the audiences’ hooves until they reached an empty spot at the back. Then an especially large spray erupted like a geyser, dazzling all with impressed ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.’ When the sparkles finally died down, a baffled Twilight Sparkle stood in their wake, causing the audience to recoil in shock.

“Um... hi, everypony,” Twilight casually waved, unsure of what was going on. She wasn’t expecting a wild applause at her appearance, and jumped in surprise. But when she saw Glitter standing up beside Trixie on the stage, Twilight wasted no time in joining in with the rest of us.

“What’d I miss?” she asked upon finally pushing to the front through the crowd.

“Only the best trick Equestria’s ever seen.”

“Bummer.”

Glitter performed one dazzling display after the other, accompanied by Trixie’s world-class fireworks, and a rather sizable crowd had formed. It wasn’t long before all of our friends were squished together at the front. Word must’ve spread like wild fire, because most of the town was out by now. This included Glitter’s parents, whom I tried to beckon to the front with us. There was no more room by now, though, so they just hung around the back to watch their pride and joy perform.

“Miss Trixie?” Glitter began, summoning another array of sparks and fire to resemble a spinning blossom. She cast it out to join the many others already twirling above the audience.

“Yes, Glitter?”

“When I grow up, I wanna be just like you.” Trixie smiled a happy smile, and peered past her.

“I think there’s a pretty good chance you might.”

“Really?” Trixie nodded behind her, and Glitter turned to look at what she indicated. A squeal of excitement extinguished all the spinning lights above us. “My cutie mark!”

The whole square hushed. With the dizzying light display all around us, nopony had noticed the flash of light from Glitter’s flank. A spectacular vortex of purple fire was tinged with red at the top as it morphed into a blooming rose, accented with sparks that almost glittered.

“Glitter...” Sweetie Belle cooed.

“It’s beautiful!” Apple Bloom breathed.

“It’s AWESOME!” Scootaloo chirped. The entire assembly roared to offer their congratulations. My hooves were sore from so much applause; I couldn’t imagine what blissful agony Torch must be experiencing.

Two shadows swooped over the audience as Glitter’s parents arrived, which only made everypony more excited. I thought I’d go deaf from the encore when they hugged, mostly from Pinkie’s extraneous whoops. She couldn’t decide whether it was more appropriate to sob or cheer, so she compromised and met somewhere in the middle, which only made her noisier. By the time she concluded with a loud snort into her hankie, all attention had been diverted to her.

Trixie wrapped a hoof around Glitter and led them in a final stage bow. Lastly, a veil of smoke gave her time to teleport them all offstage.

Our circle of friends bolted for the wagon while the audience gave their last round of praise. Glitter was still dancing in circles, ecstatic upon having finally earned her mark.

“I did it! I did it! I got my cutie mark!” she squealed.

“We’re so proud of you,” her father beamed.

“Lemme see!” Apple Bloom demanded, pushing through our legs to get to the filly. Sweetie and Scoot crawled along in her wake. Glitter finally settled down long enough for her friends to scrutinize the mark.

“It’s so perfect!” Sweetie cried, examining it closely.

“It’s so rad! You totally deserve it!”

“Congratulations, Glitter,” Spike displayed a toothy grin as he dismounted Twilight.

“You were amazing,” Blaze added.

“A flaming flower earned during a magic show. Does that make you a fire dancer or a magician?” Torchwood jokingly mused.

“Both!” Glitter declared, happily pouncing his leg. “Thanks for everything, Mr. Torchwood. I just did what you taught me.”

“It’s my honor,” he proudly glowed. “You’ve earned that mark.”

“Wait.” Glitter let go of his leg, and looked back at her not-so-blank flank. “I finally got it.”

“Yeah? So?”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well yeah. It’s just... what happens now? I mean... I got it. I’m not a crusader anymore. And Miss Trixie’s show will move on to the next town soon, so... what do I do?”

“Glitter, ya might’ve gotten your cutie mark,” Apple Bloom wrapped a hoof around her shoulder.

“But you’ll always be a crusader,” Scootaloo finished.

“Once a crusader, always a crusader,” Sweetie definitively nodded.

“Uh, guys? You might want to take a look at this,” Rainbow called from outside. Since space inside the wagon was so limited, she hovered out in the open. Trixie, Glitter and her parents crowded around the small window overlooking the stage, so the rest of us circled around.

“Whoa!”

“I think Glitter really stole the show!” Twilight exclaimed.

“I’d say!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Look at all those bits!” The stage had been absolutely littered with coins and gems from the generous onlookers. Again struck speechless by Ponyville’s changed view of her, Trixie just stared in awe.

“I’m sorry Miss Trixie!” Glitter whimpered. “I didn’t mean to steal anything! Stealing’s bad. I’ll give it back!” The rest of us laughed at her confusion, and even Trixie giggled.

“Tell you what,” Trixie proposed, bending to her level. “Why don’t we share the show? I think I could use a partner up on stage with me.”

“Partner?” Glitter breathed. “You mean it?”

“If it’s okay with your parents.”

“Can I? Can I? Please, please, please?” Her parents took one look at each other and smiled.

“If this is who you’re meant to be, then we want you to enjoy every second of it.”

“YES!” the filly whooped.

“Whoa! Hold your horses, everypony,” Applejack interrupted. “Aren’t y’all forgettin’ that this here’s a travelin’ show? What’s gonna happen when Trixie moves on to the next town?”

“I suppose we go with her,” her mother shrugged.

“You’re just going to pack up and leave everything behind?” Rarity exclaimed.

“Leave what?” her mother dryly chuckled.

“We’ve already left home in the Everfree,” the father explained. “We haven’t exactly had time to dig very deep roots here.”

“Where will you live? This wagon isn’t very big.”

“We’ve spent our whole life in tents. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

“What about school?” Twilight inquired.

“She can homeschool.”

“Ooh! My turn, my turn! What about...” Pinkie rubbed her chin as she thought up a new roadblock. Then her eyes widened, finding the perfect response. “What about Sugar Cube Corner? If you leave, you won’t get any more yummy sweets!”

“I know, Pinkie,” Glitter giggled. “That’s special to Ponyville. But I promise to always stop by when we come.”

“What about us?” Apple Bloom sadly spoke, eyes damp. Seeing her tearful friends made Glitter’s enthusiasm falter for a moment.

“You aren’t really leaving, are you?”

“We’ll still see each other,” Glitter tried to convince herself.

“Yeah, like once a year,” Scootaloo sorely sniffed.

“You guys are amazing- you’re my best friends,” she went on. “And nopony could ever replace you. But this... this is who I am now. I wanna do this.”

“We’re happy for ya, Glitter. We’re just gonna miss ya is all,” Apple Bloom wept, hugging their friend. One by one, the other girls pressed in to do the same.

“Crusaders forever?”

“Crusaders forever.” They all touched hooftips in a team gesture.

“Don’t you girls worry; we’ll make sure that you see each other far more often than once a year,” Glitter’s mother assured.

“Really?” Scoot perked back up.

“Even from Vanhoover, Ponyville’s only a flight away for thestrals like us.”

“You hear that?”

“I can still come visit!”

“Alright!”

“Come on, everypony! This calls for a celebration!” Pinkie declared.

“Ice cream’s on us!” Torch announced.

“Finally!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow!” Glitter waved. She was leaving Sugar Cube Corner with her parents, and despite the late hour, she was as energetic as ever. I had a feeling she wouldn’t be going to bed anytime soon.

“See you!” the other CMC members called.

“Alright, Apple Bloom. Tonight was fun and all, but it’s way past your bedtime.”

“Aw, but sis-”

“No but’s! We got chores early in the mornin’.”

“Oh, alright. See ya, girls.”

“Bye, Apple Bloom!”

“We should head back as well, Sweetie. It’s quite late.”

“Okay,” the unicorn filly pouted.

“I have to take you back, too,” Rainbow informed Scoot.

“But I’m not tired,” the orange pegasus yawned.

“Come on,” Dash chuckled, hoisting Scoot onto her back.

“You too, young dragon,” I said, swinging my young friend between my wings.

“Bye, Spike,” he mumbled, already half asleep.

“See ya, Blaze,” Spike drowsily bid.

Torch and I walked side by side under the dim glow of Luna’s stars. They were exceptionally beautiful on this night. Everything seemed perfect, but I knew Torch carried a heavy heart.

“I’m sorry you lost your apprentice,” I apologized.

“I’ll miss her,” he admitted. “But she’s where she wants to be. The thing about teaching is that eventually, they graduate.”

“But you did a marvelous job in what time you did have together.”

“I wonder if that’s what parenthood feels like,” he mused, lost in his own thoughts. The comment jolted me at first, but I quickly warmed up to the idea.

“Maybe we’ll find out one day.” He turned back to me, beaming.

“I think I’d like that.”

Journal Entry #1

xx/xx/xx

I knew that the first step to forgiveness is forgiving yourself, but I didn’t realize how hard that can be. Sometimes, you just need someone else to believe in you. That little bit of faith can give a pony the burst of confidence they need to move on. I never would have imagined that two ponies as different as Trixie and Glitter Shine would get along, let alone become best friends. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, what you look like or what kind of pony you are, so long as you’re there for each other.

-Acrylic

Author's Note

A/N: This is the format I’ll be using for Acrylic’s entries to the friendship journal. It’ll always be the bottom segment of a chapter, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Chapter 29: Dragon Debt

Author's Note

A/N: I looked all over the internet for popular names/ideas for the rest of Garble’s gang, and found Fizzle to be a pretty widely accepted name for the white and pink teen. Clump and Vex came from peachiekeenie on Deviantart, and we all know Garble. Pierce and Soot just sort of happened.

Chapter 29: Dragon Debt

Chapter 29
Dragon Debt

After the late night we’d pulled last night, I was prepared to sleep late the following morning. No one was about to argue with that plan. No one but our ambitious early-morning customers, that is. When one came knocking at eight, we were all torn from sleep. I pulled the sheets closer with an audible groan, hoping they’d leave. But when they continued to pound on the door, it became a matter of who’d volunteer to answer it.

“It’s your shop,” Torch finally yawned, rolling over.

“Our shop,” I grouchily corrected, sliding out of bed anyway. This early in the morning, I had no problem chasing customers away. The sooner I told them to scram, the sooner I could get back to sleep. The knocking finally stopped by the time I got down to the lobby, but by then I figured I might as well complete my journey to the door. If nothing else, I could still give them a piece of my mind for dragging me out of bed so early.

“We’re closed,” I snapped, poking my head out the door. At first I didn’t see anyone, and was about to give up and go back to bed. But at the last minute, a flash of red caught my eye, and I jerked awake. “Garble?!”

“Uh... hi.” The teen must’ve changed his mind at the last minute, because I caught him turning to leave. Now he almost reluctantly pivoted back.

“What, uh... what a surprise. Usually we have to come to you.”

“Yeah.” For some reason, the situation felt slightly awkward, though I wasn’t sure why. After all, it was just Garble. Outside my shop.

“So, Blaze is inside if you wanted to...”

“I actually needed to... to talk to you.”

“Is everything okay? Garble?” I completely exited the building, attempting to curl a motherly wing around him. He took a step back to reject it, which confused me even more. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at me. I wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed, ashamed or both.

“We’re in trouble.”

“We?” I repeated, eyebrow raised. His head hung as he weakly glanced around the hedge. I turned, and realized that the rest of his gang had accompanied him, but none of them looked very happy about it.

“Garble!” Blaze cheered, jumping to greet his brother.

“Hey, bro,” Garble finally cracked a smile upon seeing the hatchling.

“What’re you doing here?” he eagerly inquired.

“Well... that’s a long story.”

“One I’d very much like to hear,” Torchwood sternly stated, marching out. While he started out hard to wake up, he practically leapt out of bed upon hearing that Garble and his gang had arrived in need of help from ponies. I recognized that he was as scared and worried as I was, so he pretended he was angry to mask the fear. It made Garble wince. He returned to where his group had gathered in the grass, still refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Blaze tagged along behind. We almost brought Heckley out- Garble hadn’t seen our pet for a very long time, but with all the other dragons gathered as well, I decided the snake would be safer inside.

“Hey, look! Shrimp’s back!” the dark purple teen with shaggy yellow bangs I knew as Pierce jibed.

“I’m not a shrimp!” Blaze indignantly hissed, quite literally stomping in displeasure.

“Shrimp’s so small he had to go live with the ponies,” the plump brown dragon, Clump, went on.

“Knock it off, guys,” Garble glumly commanded, swatting Pierce with his tail.

“What’re we doin’ here, Garble?” Fizzle, the white and pink teen, whispered. “They’re ponies. What can they really do to help us?” I wasn’t exactly helping, pacing as frantically as I was from worry.

“Please tell me this is something easy, like... you had an argument, you lost something, or maybe... girl trouble?” The whole assembly froze at that one, including me. Then I shook my head and resumed pacing. “Scratch that. You’re not old enough for girls.”

“I rest my case,” Fizzle sarcastically turned back to his gang leader.

“Not helping,” Garble groaned.

“Right now, what we can do is listen,” Torchwood authoritatively spoke, using his wing to push me down to a sitting position. I finally got ahold of myself, and snapped out of it. A deep breath helped sooth my nerves. Torchwood’s wing curled around my body to tell me that everything would all be alright. With that, I was stable and ready to listen. “Go on, Garble. We’re all ears.” Garble parked himself at the back of his group, and Blaze clambered into his lap. Though that could be considered ‘uncool’ by their standards, no one dared say a thing.

“It started with this gryphon,” the red teen began. “She started coming to see us not long after Torchwood started bringing Blaze.”

“She? Oh Celestia, it is girl trouble!” I buried my face in my hooves.

“Acrylic, let him finish,” Torch chided. “Please continue, Garble.”

“She seemed pretty cool, so yeah, we let her hang with us.”

“Pretty slick, for a gryphon,” a gray dragon called Soot agreed.

“Yeah, slick is one way to put it,” Pierce resentfully snarled.

“We found out she’d been stealing from the hoard,” Vex, a heavyset periwinkle dragon put in.

“Gems were turning up missing, and no one knew where they were going,” Garble resumed. “We didn’t think anything of it; every so often some greedy dragon thinks he’s the only one that needs to eat and sneaks in a few extra rations. But when we caught her swiping them by the crate, we knew we found the thief.”

“She’d been playin’ us the whole time,” Fizzle angrily hissed.

“We got those jewels back, but she wouldn’t say where the rest of ‘em were. She finally told us that she’d gotten mixed up with a bad crowd. She owed them some money and she needed the gems to pay them back.”

“We tried to tell her that you can’t just take from the hoard. That’s about the quickest way to get banished I know.”

“But she wouldn’t listen. Next thing we know, she’s gone, and we thought we’d seen the last of her.”

“Until the ‘bad crowd’ she told us about came looking for their money.”

“They say that if they don’t get their money by the end of the week, they’ll make us work it off.”

“Believe me, working for rogue dragons is no walk in the park,” Pierce disdainfully shuddered.

“Rogue dragons?” I felt about ready to wilt. Rogues usually split off from the flock, whether of free will or by force, because of reckless, violent and/or overly-selfish behavior. Anyone with any sense would never mess with them in the first place.

“How much do they say you owe them?” Torch spoke, doing his best to remain neutral. Garble looked away in embarrassment, and my heart dropped.

“Ten grand.”

“Or at least the equivalent to that in gold and jewels. Dragons love adding to their hoard.”

“Ten thousand bits?!” My head spun. There was no possible way we’d be able to come up with that kind of money in one week. We didn’t have half that much in all our savings. I dizzily shook my head. “There’s just no way...”

“I don’t expect you to,” Garble quickly assured. “I just... didn’t know what else to do.”

“I’m glad you came to us, first,” Torch quietly commended, wrapping a wing around our boy. He stiffly allowed me to give him a hug, meant more to calm my nerves than his. Garble’s ‘friends’ in the back snorted laughter when they saw their tough gang leader accepting a hug from his adoptive pony mother. We both tried to ignore it.

“We’ll get this all sorted, I promise,” I sniffed. I’d wanted a way to prove I could be there for my family. I just didn’t want it to come up like this. Regardless of the impossible odds, though, I resolved that I would see this through to the end. No one was going to touch my boys.

“How? There’s no possible way to round up that much cash in one week,” Soot spoke, breaking us up.

“Gilda took off with the gems she did steal, so we can’t even use those.”

“If I ever get my claws on that gryphon, I’ll-”

“Wait!” I cut them off. “Did you just say Gilda?”

“That’s the gryphon,” Clump spat.

“White feathers with purple-dyed bangs?”

“I take it you know her,” Garble hopefully prompted.

“I’ve met her,” I gritted my teeth.

“I don’t remember any Gilda,” Torch said. I shook my head.

“This was before I met you.”

“So do you know where we can find her?” I finally had the attention of Garble’s whole assembly.

“No, but I know someone who might know. She was best friends with Dash before they had a falling out. She might know something.

“Sounds like we owe Rainbow Dash a visit,” Torch mused.

Chapter 30: Missing Gryphon

Chapter 30
Missing Gryphon

“Whoa! What the...?” Rainbow opened her door to greet two thestrals and seven dragons. “Guys, whatever you think I did, I swear it wasn’t me.”

“We know it wasn’t, Dash. It was your old friend, Gilda.”

“Gilda? What’s she got to do with anything?”

“It’s a long story.

“Can we come in?”

“Sure, I guess.” She opened up the door wider. “Make way, Tanz. We got company.”

“Hey, Tanzi,” I cast the familiar thestral a crooked grin. My old friend from Blade Wing Sector Four had been rooming with Rainbow Dash since our return. Now she looked up from a magazine on the couch. Her eyes widened.

“Acrylic! Torch! I don’t believe my eyes! Dragons in Ponyville? I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“What about me?” Blaze frowned.

“Listen, Tanz, could you give us a minute?” Rainbow interrupted. She didn’t know what was going on, but even Rainbow gathered that it must be important to bring the whole dragon gang along.

“Sure,” baffled Tanzanite shrugged, rolling off the couch. “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

“Thanks.”

“So what’s this about?” Rainbow took over Tanzi’s spot on the couch, and the rest of us found seats where we could, mostly in the floor. Torch and I were fortunate enough to claim the remainder of the sofa, and Garble was testing out the unfamiliar pony architecture of an armchair. I turned to him.

“Garble, tell Rainbow what you told us.”

“Acrylic said you’re friends with the gryphon Gilda,” he suspiciously began.

“I used to be,” Dash rolled her eyes, “until she got ‘too cool’ for my new pony friends. I didn’t like how she treated them, so I had to make a choice. We haven’t talked since. Why? What’s up?”

“She got mixed up with some nasty characters,” Fizzle reported, “and owes them some money.”

“She tried stealing from the dragon hoard to pay it off, but now she’s taken off and left us with the debt. We have to get the money by the end of the week, or else,” Vex shivered.

“Whoa, whoa. I know Gilda’s not the most considerate gryphon out there, but that’s stretching it,” Rainbow argued. “She’s not that bad.”

“Are you calling my boy a liar?” I narrowed my eyes.

“He’s not really yours,” Rainbow quietly pointed out.

“Yes. He is,” I growled in a voice like venom.

“Alright, alright,” Torchwood broke us up. “Dash, please, could you just help us out? We need to find Gilda so we can get this mess sorted out. Do you know where we might be able to find her?”

“Last I heard, she was still living in Cloudsdale,” Rainbow shrugged as though nothing had ever happened.

“Right. I’ll go there now, and see if I can track her down,” Torch offered.

“Aren’t we coming?” I asked.

“We can’t bring seven dragons on a tour through Cloudsdale,” my husband pointed out. “And besides, it might be a good idea if you talked to Twilight. I’m sure she’ll know what to do.”

“Oh, yeah. Great idea. While we’re at it, why don’t we tell all of Ponyville?”

“We’re just trying to help, Clump.”

“Twilight is a Princess. Even if she doesn’t know what to do, she’ll know others who will.”

“I don’t like it either,” Fizzle agreed. “This is too many ponies for me. You said we’d only be dealing with one or two, Garble. This ‘Twilight’ will make four already.”

“This is bigger than any of us,” Torchwood thundered, silencing their grumbling. “Like it or not, you’re in trouble, and we need all the help we can get.”

“I’d rather do the time with the rogues,” Pierce huffed.

“You don’t mean that.”

“None of us want to go work for the rogues, you guys,” Garble spoke. “Let’s just let the ponies do their thing. It can’t exactly hurt anything at this point, can it?”

“It can’t help, either.”

“Do you have a better idea, Vex?” Garble growled. The periwinkle-scaled dragon backed down instantly. “Then let’s all just go.” The frustrated gang leader marched to the door, his younger brother sticking to him like glue. Blaze was evidently the only one Garble seemed to be on good terms with at the moment, because Garble let him climb up his back for the ride. The rest of them slowly and begrudgingly followed.

“Thanks, Dash,” Torchwood bid, dragging me out behind him. He paused on the porch for a moment, waiting to make sure the dragons were out of earshot. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? This makes two arguments with your friends in two days. I don’t remember the last time you snapped at your friends. Is everything alright with you guys?”

“Everything’s fine,” I angrily barked. Torch almost jumped at my burst of anger. I sighed, trying to cool down. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just stressed. Motherly instinct kicking in, I guess. I’m so worried about the boys.”

“Are you sure that’s it?” he pressed.

“Can we please talk about this later? We both have places to be.”

“Alright,” he pecked my forehead. “I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m more concerned about the boys right now. I just want to make sure they’re okay.”

“And I’ll do everything in my power to keep my family safe,” he assured, “but that includes you.” I hugged him, and did my best not to break down. I was so sick with worry that all I wanted to do was cry. “It’ll be okay. Everything will turn out alright, you’ll see.”

“It had better, because if it doesn’t, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“That would be no good. The Element of Forgiveness can’t forgive herself? Then we’ll all be in trouble.” He chuckled to remind me it was a joke, but it only made me more miserable. I accidently let a tear slide down my cheek. He gave up with the wisecracks and rocked us both. I cried a little longer, but held it together for the most part.

“We’ll get through this,” he soothed, drying my eyes. “All of us. Do you trust me?” I sniffed to regain my posture, and nodded.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” His lips met mine in a farewell kiss. “I’ll see what I can find in Cloudsdale. You go talk to Twilight. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I love you.”

“I love you too.” With a smile of reassurance, he took off.

“You coming, Pony?” Soot called from behind me.

“Yeah. Coming.” I wiped away the last of my tears so no one would know I’d been crying, and hastily flew to catch up.

No one suspected a thing. They were all just a bit annoyed that I took so long. All but Blaze, who knew me better. The flight did wonders for my nerves, but I flew point so no one would see if I had another breakdown. The Golden Oaks Library came up all too soon, and we finally had to land.

Twilight was just as surprised to see the lot of us, but welcomed us in. She had no visitors besides Spike, who nearly jumped out of his scales when he saw the old gang. Even the sight of Blaze wasn’t enough to reassure him, and he hastily excused himself to finish his chores in the other room.

Twilight listened respectfully and intently as Garble repeated his story for the third time, and stayed quiet until the end. I couldn’t say the same of her facial expressions.

“Ten thousand bits?” she quietly repeated, finding it difficult to comprehend the situation.

“I just don’t know what to do,” I desperately shook my head. “Would a bank give us a loan for that sort of thing? I’ve never even been to a bank. I don’t know how that works.”

“I don’t know,” Twilight finally said. “I’ve only read about this kind of thing in books- fiction novels. I never thought I’d actually be faced with a situation like this. To be honest... I don’t know what we could do.”

“So they can’t help us. Just like I’ve been saying all along,” Fizzle hissed. “Let’s get outta here. We’re wasting our time.”

“Please, Twilight? Can’t you help my brother?” Blaze pleadingly looked up to the Princess with the widest, wettest puppy dog eyes he could manage. I could practically see Twilight’s heart melt. A new look of determination was consequently set in her eyes.

“I’ll write to the Princesses,” Twilight promised, “to see if I can get some advice. Meanwhile, I’ll do my own research here.”

“I don’t care what it takes, Twilight. I just want them safe.”

“We’ll get it sorted,” she promised.

“So what do we do? Just sit on our tails while we wait for the namby-pamby pony princesses to try and reason with rogue dragons? I don’t have a death wish!” Pierce threw his arms up in despair. Again, Garble thwacked him as a reminder that they were supposed to be staying in our good graces. Twilight went rigid upon hearing her mentor insulted in such a manner, but kept her cool.

“Princess Celestia has had experience with these kinds of situations,” she patiently explained. “That’s more than any of us can say. Unless you have a better idea?” After receiving so many death glares from the rest of his comrades, I didn’t think Pierce would have spoken up even if he did have an idea. “In that case, Spike? Could you come down here and take a note, please?”

“I could do it for you, Twilight,” Blaze offered, eager to impress his brother.

“Why, thank you, Blaze,” the princess smiled. Blaze wasted no time in fetching a sheet of paper and quill from the drawer. She cleared her throat before beginning.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

“I’ve learned much during my time in Ponyville, but a situation has come up that I am not prepared to handle. Some friends of ours have run into a bit of trouble with some rogue dragons. They’ve inherited a debt from the missing gryphon Gilda, and the rogues are demanding the amount of ten thousand bits by the end of the week.

“They’re more than just friends, they’re family,” I interjected. “And make sure she knows that we’re willing to do anything to make sure they’re safe.” Though I had my back turned to them, I could practically feel the dragons stiffen from being called ‘family.’ Whether or not they took that as a good or bad thing I wasn’t sure. Twilight nodded with complete understanding, and motioned for Blaze to add that as well.

“I imagine that you must have far more experience in dealing with situations such as this. I hoped you could recommend the wisest course of action.

“Signed Princess Twilight Sparkle.” Blaze stamped Twilight’s royal insigne on the ribbon, and bathed the entire scroll in his ruby flame.

“That’s one S.O.S letter safely on its way to Canterlot,” he proudly boasted.

“How cute! Blaze is pen pals with the Princess, too!” Clump teased.

“Lame,” Soot agreed through a cackle.

“He’s just trying to help, guys,” Garble scolded. “Knock it off.”

“What’s with you, anyway?” Vex huffed. “You’ve been like that since we got here. It’s like you’re going soft.”

“I AM NOT GOING SOFT!” he roared, jumping to touch noses with the periwinkle teen.

“It’s that pony mother of his,” Soot smirked.

“Are you challenging me?” Garble snarled. He was quite literally steaming, snorting the smoke buildup out his nose.

“Guys, GUYS!” I pushed my way between them. “Enough! Instead of trying to pin each other to the ground for the title of gang leader, why don’t we try doing something productive? Like coming up with ideas on how to raise ten grand before the end of the week, maybe?”

“That’s an easy one. Just throw a fundraiser, silly!” Pinkie chirped from the doorway. I reared in surprise, and the dragons all snapped to face the intruder. My pink friend remained completely oblivious to the fact that she’d almost been fried.

“Who’s this?” Garble demanded, trying not to let on that her sudden appearance nearly scared him out of his scales.

“Where’d you come from?” I should’ve been used to Pinkie’s odd behavior by now, but she never ceased to amaze me.

“Wait, Pinkie, say that again,” Twilight requested.

“I said that’s an easy one. Just throw a fundraiser, silly!” she offered a wide, cheesy smile.

“That’s it! We can raise the money through a fundraiser!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I organize it? Who’s it for?” Pinkie eagerly bounced.

“Garble and his friends need it.”

“Oh! Don’t tell me! Gilda the gryphon owed some really mean dragons a lot of money, so she tried stealing from these other dragons to pay them off, but they caught her and made her give it back, and Gilda ran away so now the mean dragons are coming after these dragons for the money, and if they don’t get it all by the end of the week they’re going to be in deep, deep trouble!” She took a deep breath to refill her supply after that long spew.

“How long were you standing outside the door?” Garble irritably snorted.

“Not long. I just got here. Was I right?”

“Spot on, Pinkie,” Rainbow confirmed.

“Don’t mind her,” I nudged them apart. “She does that.”

“Let’s see...” Pinkie mused, emphatically rubbing her chin and squinting in thought. “I bet Rarity would put on a fashion show! Or Applejack could hold a bake sale! Or everypony could pitch in to one ginormous yard sale!”

“What are we talking about?” Pierce rejoined the conversation.

“The fundraiser of course!”

“Who ever said we wanted a fundraiser?” Fizzle challenged.

“We’ve already told more ponies than we meant to. Now you want to go right out and tell the whole town? Ha! I don’t think so.”

“Need I remind you that you currently don’t have the luxury of declining?” I snapped. “You’re in over your heads. We need all the help we can get, so you’re going to have to sacrifice your pride to save your life. Get it?” Even Garble was surprised at my reaction, but I was getting fed up with their arrogance. At least it got the message across.

“Yeah, we got it,” Vex quietly mumbled. With a grunt of satisfaction, I turned back to the girls.

“You tell me what I can do.”

“First we have to find somepony who could host it. A fashion show would be a great idea, Pinkie, but I don’t think even Rarity would have enough time to put something like that together on such short notice. A bake sale might work, but I know Applejack’s been busy as it is. She might not have time. So who else do we know that could not only put on a show but would be willing to do it?” The whole room fell quiet in thought for a moment. Then the corners of my mouth began curling up into a grin.

“I think I know just the pony.”

“Glitter, would you get that? The Great and Powerful Trixie is a bit busy at the moment.”

“Sure, Miss Trixie!” the familiar young voice chirped. I heard hoofsteps plodding across the wooden wagon, and finally the door creaked open.

Her blue eyes lit up upon registering the familiar face. “Miss Trixie, it’s Acrylic!” Shuffling could be heard at the back as Trixie abandoned whatever it was she’d been doing, and opened the door wider.

“Acrylic! What a surprise! How can the Great and Powerful Trixie help you?” I tried to smile, but my disheartened disposition must’ve showed through, because she seemed genuinely concerned.

“Trixie, I have a favor to ask.” One of the dragons cleared his throat behind me, drawing her attention. Surprise reflected in her wide eyes. “A big favor.”

Author's Note

A/N: See? There really was a reason I brought Trixie back ;)

Chapter 31: Project Brainstorm

Chapter 31
Project Brainstorm

“No sign of Gilda,” Torchwood glided down into our midst. Everypony had gathered on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres for an ‘Emergency Brainstorming Session,’ as Pinkie dubbed it. They made way for our final incoming member.

“Hey,” I pecked his cheek in greeting.

“Ew,” Glitter covered her eyes at the explicit scene. Her unintentionally adorable behavior roused smiles from all but the dragons.

“I see you wasted no time in getting the team together,” he appreciatively smiled at all who had assembled. “I asked around all of Cloudsdale. Nopony’s seen her for months. Apparently, she disappeared after she was evicted from her apartment. One too many months of late rent, her landlord said.”

“That would explain why she got mixed up with those dreadful dragons in the first place,” Rarity mused.

“We can deal with Gilda later,” Twilight interrupted, initiating the session. “Right now we need to focus on raising enough money to keep Garble and his friends out of trouble, which Trixie and Glitter have so kindly volunteered to help with. We have until the end of the week to collect as much as we can.”

“Did the Princess ever get back to you?” I asked.

“She did,” the alicorn confirmed. “She sent a reply through Spike almost right after you left. She said that the most important thing to remember in these kinds of negotiations is to comply with every demand, right down to the last detail. If you don’t, they could use the mistake as an excuse to demand more money. I don’t know if a couple of rogue dragons would even be smart enough to think of that, but better safe than sorry. I wrote back and told her about the fundraiser idea, and she highly supported it. She did say, though, that if we fell short of the quota, she’d personally arrange a loan.”

“Thank you, Celestia,” I literally wilted in relief. I could rest easy now that I knew we were guaranteed to get the money in time. Torch happily shook me to release his energy.

“Ya hear that, guys? We’re not dragon food after all!”

“I said all along that they could help, but you guys didn’t listen,” the purple teen smugly declared.

“Sure you did, Pierce,” the rest of them rolled their eyes, too relieved to be annoyed.

“The loan is still a last resort,” Twilight pulled us from the celebration. “The more money we raise now, the less Acrylic and Torchwood have to pay off later.”

“Twilight’s right,” Trixie interjected. “Which is why I’m not so sure a magic show alone will raise enough bits. The Great and Powerful Trixie and the Dazzling Glitter Shine will put on a show that will astound all, but... they’ve already been astounded. Since we performed just last night, we haven’t had time to rehearse any new material. They might not come for something they’ve already seen.”

“She does have a good point,” Rarity agreed. “Ponies want the newest and latest. While their performance was indeed spectacular, it’s already been done. We need to come up with something new and original.”

“Any ideas?” The group fell silent as we racked our brains.

“Glitter!”

“There you are!” The rest of the CMC bounded up from the tree line where I believed their not-so-secret clubhouse to be.

“Where’ve you been?”

“We were gonna go on one last crusadin’ session before you gotta leave, remember?” Apple Bloom prompted.

“We’re going to try earning concert cutie marks.”

“We were hoping you’d perform some of your awesome fire tricks like special effects for us!”

“Even though you already got your cutie mark, it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, guys. I was busy helping Miss Trixie with a fundraiser. I guess I forgot.”

“Wait, say that again.” Twilight silenced the girls.

“We wanted Glitter to help us with our concert,” the orange pegasus repeated.

“With special effects,” Sweetie Belle added.

“It’s going to be so awesome!”

“That’s it! We’ll put on a concert!” Twilight proudly declared.

“Hey! That’s our idea!” Apple Bloom pouted.

“That’s copyright! Or piracy, or... something,” Sweetie’s expression scrunched in concentration as she struggled to come up with the right word.

“Please, you guys? We really need this,” Rainbow tried. Scootaloo wasn’t about to argue with a request from her all-time hero, but the others weren’t so readily dissuaded.

“It’s for a good cause?” Glitter spoke up.

“Come on, Glitter, not cool! This was going to be our special project.”

“Please,” Blaze interrupted, again dilating his eyes to look as wide and desperate as possible. “It’s for my brother.” There was a long pause from the girls as they considered the dragons. Apple Bloom caught the other two members in question by the neck and yanked them all into a group huddle. All that could be heard was muffled murmurs as they discussed the matter.

“Well, if it’s for your family, I guess it’s alright,” Applebloom finally consented as the group broke up.

“Thank you, girls,” I breathed.

“That’s mighty big of ya,” Applejack proudly agreed.

“And you guys can still help with the show,” Glitter reminded. “We can have our own act!”

“NO!” everypony else exclaimed. We all remembered the last talent show when they had attempted a musical number. That hadn’t ended well. Rarity awkwardly cleared her throat to break the silence, reminding us that we needed to move on.

“What we mean is...” Twilight tried to cushion the blow.

“We could really use some backstage help,” Dash finished.

“Okay,” they glumly consented.

“But then who is going to sing?”

“Sweetie sure knows how to carry a tune,” Apple Bloom volunteered.

“ME?! Oh, I don’t know, guys...”

“The Solo twins!” I could practically see the light bulb go off over Torch’s head.

“Who?” Rainbow’s face became warped with confusion.

“Soprano and Spinning Solo,” I explained. “They’re thestrals. Soprano has a beautiful voice, and Spin can sing too, but that girl really knows how to dance. I bet they’d put on a full blown production for us!”

“They sound lovely,” Twilight nodded, “but as Rainbow demonstrated, they aren’t very well known. I don’t know how many ponies would pay for the show if they don’t know if it’ll be any good.”

“They’re fairly well known amongst us thestrals. I’ll see if I can get some friends to talk it up.”

“Even so, I think it might be wise to have a plan B. A celebrity appearance, perhaps?”

“Great idea, Torch!”

“I suppose I could arrange for the Ponytones to make a guest appearance,” Rarity offered. “Should I prepare four or five costumes, Fluttershy?” Rarity winked, and fondly elbowed our friend.

“Four! Definitely four!” she curled up in a frightened ball at the thought of getting up on stage.

“Aren’t Toe Tapper and Torch Song recording in Manehattan right now?”

“It may be difficult to book them this week,” she admitted, “but if they are unavailable, I could probably pull a few strings and contact Sapphire Shores.”

“No way! Sapphire Shores?” Scootaloo squealed, eyes wide with excitement.

“She’s so cool!” Apple Bloom agreed.

“Yeah, she’s okay, but I’m more a Ponytones kinda girl,” Sweetie shrugged.

“Sapphire Shores is waaaaay better than the Ponytones. No offense, Rarity,” Scootaloo quickly interjected.

“None taken,” the unicorn chuckled.

“Nuh-uh. The Ponytones are better.”

“Sapphire Shores!”

“Ponytones! Come on, back me up here, Glitter.”

“Um, I’ve never actually heard either one,” she blushed.

“WHAT?”

“But I know the Solo Twins are really good.”

“Alright, that’s enough, girls.”

“I’ll see what I can work out,” Rarity promised.

“And we’ll talk to the twins and see if they can help,” Torch added.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is eager to meet these ‘Solo twins,’” Trixie declared.

“Ooh! Ooh! I remember them! They started karaoke at the thestral welcome party!”

“Oh, now I think I know who you’re talkin’ ‘bout,” Applejack said.

“They seemed nice,” Fluttershy agreed.

“You guys keep working. I’ll go track them down!” Pinkie announced, zipping off before anypony else could argue.

“While we wait on Pinkie,” Twilight resumed, “let’s talk about food. Applejack offered to cater; we can merge the bake sale and concert ideas to pull a little extra cash.”

“I’ll put up a stand beside o’ Trixie’s wagon,” Applejack promised. “But I gotta say, that’s gonna be a lotta cookin’ for even us Apples to cover. We’ll need a couple extra hooves helpin’ out to whip all that up in time.”

“We can lend you all the claws you need,” I pledged, looking over at the dragons. “Isn’t that right, boys?”

“Huh?” They were all bored out of their minds, and most had fallen asleep in the grass in a huge dog pile. Now Soot, the only one not snoozing, jabbed an exposed patch of brown scales to jolt the rest of the stack awake.

“You mean cook? Us?”

“Yes, you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t as domesticated as Spike or Blaze here. You wouldn’t catch me dead in an apron!”

“In case you haven’t noticed, this is your fundraiser,” I shot back. “You aren’t going to sit back and have us do all the work. It’s time to play your part. You all are going to help Applejack with the baking, end of story.”

“But-”

“END of story.” An angry huff from Fizzle told me I’d won.

“I ‘preciate the help,” Applejack started, “but if they don’t wanna...” The dragons perked up and instantly started trying to worm their way back out of the responsibility, but thankfully, Garble ended it there.

“Like it or not, guys, they’re right. We gotta do something.”

“But Garble,” Soot whined. “Real dragons don’t cook.”

“Hey!” Spike snorted.

“I’ll give you the choice,” Twilight intruded. “You can either help Applejack with the baking, or help with preparations and work backstage during the production.”

“That means you’d be working with me,” I slyly smiled in a half-threatening way. Applejack needed the help far more than I did, and I knew none of them really liked me anyway. I might as well use it to my advantage.

“Put me with the orange pony,” Fizzle shivered at the mere thought of working with me any more than he already had to.

“Me too.” The whole group minus Garble readily opted for baking duty. Garble hadn’t yet committed himself, giving me the idea that he’d rather work with somepony he knew, but didn’t want to leave his friends. Pinkie gave him a little extra time to think about it when she zipped back up, twins in tow.

Spin and Soprano looked almost identical, with the same magenta coat and snow white hair all pulled up into a (very) loose bun. They each wore matching black headbands, separating the bun from their shaggy bangs, not quite long enough to stay in the bun but long enough to fall into their amber eyes. Their white tails had been looped back on themselves and tied with a black band that almost reminded me of a giant pom pom. They both had sharp features, from the slender muzzle to the small, pointed ears. The only way I’d ever been able to tell them apart was by their cutie marks: Spin’s consisted of two ballerina slippers with intertwining ribbons while Soprano’s was a simple, dark red music note.

“Hey guys!” she called, not breaking a sweat. “We’re here!”

“Wow. That was record time, even for you, Pinkie.

“Well, I remembered seeing them in Sugar Cube Corner this morning, so I checked there first. They were still there, talking to Mr. and Mrs. Cake about starting live music at the bakery!”

“We came... fast as we... heard...” even the incredibly athletic Spin Solo was out of breath.

“Great! So you guys will help us with the concert?”

“You had me at concert,” Soprano grinned.

“Thank you,” Torch sighed with relief.

“You have no idea how much this means to us,” I agreed, biting my lip to keep from crying. I could not, however, refrain myself from catching them both in a big hug. Torch had already been moving to do the same.

“Aw, anything for you guys.”

“Group hug!” Pinkie announced, practically jumping on top of us to ensure she wasn’t left out.

“Ponies are so weird,” Pierce disdainfully shook his head.

“Ain’t that just like a boy? Can’t handle the least bit of sentiment!” Applejack rolled her eyes.

“You just went from yelling at us to crying in a mushy group hug.” He looked like the sight had put a foul taste in his mouth.

“Why does everyone keep implying that I have mood swings?” I barked. “I don’t have mood swings!”

“Whatever you say...” Spin tread lightly. Twilight just giggled.

“Focus, everyone. Let’s finish up.”

We covered a few other topics during the brainstorming session, and sorted out the minor details. Twilight assigned everypony a job: Trixie, Glitter, and Torchwood would all be lending their talents to create spectacular special effects, co-choreographed by Trixie and the twins but heavily influenced by input from Rarity and I. Rainbow was also assigned to the special effects team; she needed little convincing to throw in a sonic rainboom for the grand finale. She also offered to lend a hoof wherever it was needed in her spare time, so Twilight also put her down to help with advertising. I turned out fliers and other advertisements for a living, so I volunteered to whip up a couple invitations for Dash to pass around. That was a big job in itself, but I was also asked to help Rarity with the stage decorations. Rarity was primarily designing the costumes, so we split decoration duty pretty evenly. She was also going to try to pull a few strings for the celebrity appearance.

Twilight burdened herself with the responsibility of accounting on top of her role as coordinator. Pinkie knew that Vinyl would be unavailable, but volunteered to substitute. Of course Applejack and the dragons would handle the catering. Fluttershy and Rainbow would handle the curtains, but after a good deal of coaxing, we even convinced Fluttershy to sing! (By ‘we’ I mean Sweetie Belle, who volunteered to sing with her.) We instantly began organizing their own act, but since Fluttershy refused to get up on stage, promised to let her sing from behind the curtain. Torchwood suggested that we use the opportunity to work some magic with the light show.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders still wanted to help out, so Twilight assigned them to the advertising team. They were going to help set up the banners and posters, and also promised to spread the word at school. Of course Apple Bloom would be busy helping her sister, Sweetie Belle needed time to rehearse her song with Fluttershy, and Glitter had to practice her fire dancing, so we didn’t charge them with anything else. Scootaloo felt a bit left out, so Twilight asked her to operate the stage lights (since the special effects would be all the lighting required during the show, that just meant she’d turn them on and off for intermission).

We were about to close the session there when Mr. and Mrs. Cake rushed up. They’d overheard Pinkie when she came to fetch the twins, and wanted to offer their services as well. We already had a surplus of volunteers taking care of the food, but Twilight decided to do a bit of rearranging to make it work. Garble now had an excuse to switch over and work with me. I convinced Blaze to join us too, as I knew his artistic ability would be a big help. Garble had some experience, so he was also readily welcomed. When I asked if any of the other dragons could draw even a little, they looked like I’d insulted them. In the end Twilight randomly selected Soot and Fizzle to move to the art department, leaving Clump, Vex, Pierce and Spike to cook.

The event had been scheduled for Friday so that we’d have the weekend to work out a loan if the quota wasn’t reached. That only gave us only four days to throw a spectacular concert together, a seemingly impossible feat. But as always, our friends were there for us, and everypony worked harder than ever to make the fundraiser a success- even the dragons. Garble did more than his fair share of work, which must’ve rubbed off on the others, because they all turned out to be efficient, diligent workers. I was shocked at how well they were all cooperating. They’d even backed down on their harassment of Spike and Blaze, probably because they were now performing the same ‘domestic’ duties as the hatchlings.

Applejack had similar success. The dragons were not only tolerating ponies but actually getting along and working well. We tried to offer to work out a sleeping arrangement so they could stay in Ponyville for the week, but they were completely opposed to that. A big part of it was that they were already embarrassed to have to ask for our help. They weren’t going to make things worse by asking for a place to sleep. But it was probably for the better- I soon learned that none of them had told their parents, whether out of fear of punishment or just embarrassment. I’d almost talked Garble into staying with us, as he had no dragon parents waiting for him back at the craters, but this time he decided to stick with his friends. Even so, they were always back early, ready to get started.

Speaking of which, my assistants even seemed to be enjoying their work. Since Soot and Fizzle had little to no artistic experience, I was just going to have them trace our designs. But with each copy Soot turned out, I noticed more and more artistic expression. It got to the point where I barely recognized the original. But his new designs looked... good. So I didn’t say anything, and let him continue doing what he was doing. By the end of the day he wasn’t even tracing anymore.

“Alright, I have to admit, this isn’t as bad as I thought,” he finally voiced. I had to turn away to conceal my smile.

“Yeah, it’s alright,” Fizzle shrugged. “Ponies aren’t too bad, I guess.”

“Not that I’d wanna live with ‘em or anything...” Soot clarified.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds, actually” Blaze interjected, overhearing their conversation. “Especially not when you have a mom as amazing as Acrylic.” My heart fluttered in my chest when I heard him say that. I’d been trying to stay out of their conversation lest I embarrass one or both of them (again), so I kept my mouth shut. Garble, on the other claw, paused for a moment, wondering if he should correct his younger sibling.

“The pony isn’t your mother,” Fizzle interrupted.

“Close enough,” Blaze ignored him, moving his latest batch of fliers onto the collective stack. Now that his claws were free, he was able to get close enough to fondly grip my leg. I quietly giggled and hugged him right back. “Right, Acrylic?”

“Right, Blaze,” I beamed.

“Whatever you say,” Soot shrugged with just a hint of sarcasm. I couldn’t help but smile even when the conversation ended. They were coming around.

Chapter 32: Showtime

Chapter 32
Showtime

“Are you all excited? Because I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited! Well, maybe except for that time I went-” Pinkie interrupted her mile-a-minute rant with a deep gasp, “but I mean really! Who can top that?”

“This is it,” Garble shakily muttered. I was just as nervous as he, if not more so, but I couldn’t let him know that. I tried to smile and wrapped a wing around him. His friends didn’t even notice such gestures anymore.

“Hey,” I cooed, attracting his attention. His fearful eyes met mine. “No matter what happens, we’ll be here for you.”

“We’ll get through this,” Torchwood nodded. “We’re a family. All of us. That includes you boys,” he added, looking over at the other dragons.

“You talkin’ to us?” Pierce dumbly asked, pretending to have missed the whole conversation. I chuckled.

“You heard him.”

“Was that a compliment or an insult?” Vex wondered.

“Just go with it,” Garble advised. “Ponies are sentimental like that.”

“The next thing you know they’ll be rounding us up into a group hug,” Fizzle sarcastically joked.

“Did somepony say, ‘group hug’?’” Pinkie excitedly squeaked, condensing them all into a packed circle.

“Too close!” Clump grunted.

“When will you learn to keep your mouth shut, Fizzle?” Soot also groaned. We all laughed, but then Blaze joined them to share in his brother’s suffering. Spike followed suit, cuing Torch and I to press in. It wasn’t long before the whole group had gotten together, minus Rarity, who was out attending to business elsewhere. When we finally released the dragons, Clump was hyperventilating from claustrophobia. None of his friends were too worried, so I laughed it off with the rest of him. A reassuring pat from their gang leader brought him out if it, anyway.

“Group hugs and fundraisers? I thought you guys were cooler than that.” Everyone whipped around to face the source of the voice.

“GILDA?!”

Sure enough, the gryphon with white and purple-dyed feathers stood indifferently before us. She hadn’t changed much, except for a feather piercing I hadn’t noticed on our first meeting. My first inclination was to knock her a good one. After all she’d put me, my friends and my family through, she had the nerve to just show up? Despite my burning contempt for the gryphon, shock kept me on the spot. The dragons, however, didn’t hesitate to lunge.

“Wait!” Twilight called, holding them back with her levitation magic. Gilda took a few steps back, but our alicorn prevented her from going any further with a levitation bubble of her own.

“You’ve got some nerve, gryphon,” Clump spat, still struggling against Twilight’s magic.

“No, no, this is good,” Twilight said, just trying to keep everypony calm. “Now that Gilda’s here, we can use the stolen gems to help pay off the rogues. Where are they, Gilda?”

“I don’t have them,” she would have shrugged if the levitation bubble had allowed it.

“What?” Garble seethed.

“What do you mean, you don’t have them?” Twilight was doing her best to mediate without tearing into the gryphon herself.

“I didn’t steal them to pay off those bozo rogues,” she almost sounded sarcastic, though she was still so casual about the whole thing I couldn’t tell. Did she really think this was a joke? “I already got rid of them.”

“Got rid of them?”

“Passed it on; spent it,” she clarified.

“You mean to tell me that you stole from the hoard, which could have gotten the boys exiled in itself, but instead of paying off your debt with rogue dragons, you go out and just casually spend it?! Now my boys are left to clean up the mess you made, and after all the work’s been done, you decide it’s a good idea to show up? I’ll lay into you myself!” Torchwood (reluctantly) held me back. I was sure there was steam blowing out my ears.

“Gilda, how could you be so reckless? Lives are at stake here!” Twilight scolded, horrified.

“Why’d ya decide to show up in the first place?” Pierce growled.

“Felt bad,” was all she said.

“Oh, you felt bad, so you came for a casual to check in and see how things were going?”

“What’s with you guys? I could’ve just left for good, but at least I came back. Come on, back me up here, Dash.”

“Forget it, Gilda. You’re on your own this time.”

“What?” Gilda looked genuinely shocked. “But... I thought we were friends.”

“Friends don’t abandon each other. You totally bailed on us,” the pegasus folded her arms, eyes narrow. “And the last time I saw you, you called me and my friends losers. You still have the nerve to call us ‘friends’?” Where she once tried to defend the gryphon, Gilda’s true colors instantly settled the matter of where her loyalties lay.

Twilight finally released her telekinetic grip on both parties, and Gilda was promptly surrounded by an angry mob of dragons. She just shrunk back, nervous now that she realized she wouldn’t be getting any more support from us.

“I thought it was ‘lame’,” Gilda weakly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood (and her sentence). She probably would have been mobbed then and there if it wasn’t for the arrival of Rarity.

“It’s a disaster!” she dramatically wailed, placing a hoof on her forehead and sinking to the ground. But when Gilda caught her eye, she shrieked in surprise. “Gilda?”

“What’s a disaster, Rarity?” Twilight sighed, gritting her teeth in agitation.

“Toe Tapper and Torch Song’s train was cancelled. There’s no way they’re going to make it in time for the show! The Ponytones can’t go on as a duet!” she gestured to herself and Big Mac, standing a ways off in his Ponytones blazer.

“Fluttershy?” everyone looked to the yellow pegasus. She quietly shrieked, and hunkered down in a little ball.

“No, no, no! I can’t go on stage in front of all those ponies! I just can’t!”

“You’re doing a song backstage with me,” Sweetie pointed out. “What’s the difference?”

“Everypony would be staring at me!”

“You don’t have to do it on stage. You can stay behind the curtain for that performance, too,” Torch pleaded.

“Even so, it wouldn’t make a difference,” Rarity sighed. “We need at least four singers to put on the show we rehearsed, and nopony else here knows the song. We don’t have time to completely redo the act.”

“Could you teach someone?” I suggested.

“We don’t have time!” Twilight protested. “We need everypony helping out backstage during the concert.”

“Are you sure Sapphire Shores can’t make it?”

“She’s on tour in Saddle Arabia!”

“Well, we better come up with something fast. The show starts in fifteen minutes!” Pinkie pointed out.

“Just get someone else to fill their spot. Improvise,” Gilda suggested. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to be helpful or just laughing at the disorganization.

“The Ponytones were going to be guest stars! You can’t just replace the guest stars!”

“Looks to me like you’ve got six guests right there,” Gilda jabbed a talon at the dragons.

“US?!”

“I’m NOT going to make a fool of myself by getting up on stage and dancing for a bunch of ponies,” Soot declared.

“I think you’re just too chicken,” Gilda slyly challenged. Soot was enraged.

“What did you just say to me?!”

“Bauc bauc bauc!” she taunted, leaping behind Dash for safety when the gray-scaled teen tried to jump her.

“You’re on!”

“CLUMP?!” everyone stared open-mouthed at the dragon, who sheepishly realized he’d just volunteered the whole group.

“No, no, we’ll work something out,” Twilight interrupted.

“We’re kind of low on options here, guys,” I pointed out.

“Acrylic? Even I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea,” Rainbow voiced.

“As much as I hate to say it, Gilda’s right about one thing. We’re going to have to improvise, and we have fifteen minutes to come up with a whole new act. Do you have a better idea?”

“Not let a bunch of dragons burn down the stage?”

“Watch it,” Clump snorted indignantly.

“We don’t have much of a choice,” Twilight sighed, defeated. “Will you fill in for us? Just this once?” The group mulled over the proposition, though it was clear none of them were happy about it.

“I’ll go up with you,” Blaze offered. Even Garble was no match for his brother’s puppy dog eyes. He groaned in defeat.

“The rest of you don’t have to,” he sighed.

“You kidding? We have a reputation to uphold,” Soot pointed out, jabbing a claw at the gryphon. She proudly smirked, finally crawling out from behind Dash upon realizing her plan had worked.

“The whole thing was to help us... I guess we should play a part,” Fizzle reluctantly groaned.

“I’m thinking a comedy act... it sure would be fun embarrassing the rest of you up there,” Pierce teasingly announced.

“Not as badly as we’d embarrass you,” Garble caught him in a headlock and roughly fussed with his hair. I grinned. Despite their tough appearances, they really were a caring family.

Just watching the group got my gears turning. The next thing I knew, I was formulating a plan.

“You guys, I think I have an idea for the final act! But we’ll need everypony’s help,” I exclaimed, trying to push out of the group.

“Where are you going?”

“To find Glitter and Trixie,” I called back as though it were obvious. “Come on!”

“You too, Gilda,” Twilight dragged the gryphon along. “This was your fault, so you’re going to help us fix it.”

“Yay me,” the gryphon sarcastically groaned.

“Mares and Gentlecolts,” Soprano called, standing on stage with her sister. The whole theater hushed as the stage lights focused on the twins as they took turns introducing the show.

“Thank you all so much for coming out to support our cause tonight.”

“Most of you have probably heard the rumors, but for those of you who haven’t, we’re here to help out the Wood family.” I still wasn’t used to hearing us referred to as the ‘Wood’ family. I cracked a smile at the reminder that I was now a part of his family.

“Garble, Fizzle, Pierce, Vex, Clump, and Soot are all dragons from the migrating flock currently set up in the Dragon Craters.”

“We all know Blaze, Acrylic’s assistant at Art Life. Garble is his older brother,” Soprano clarified. ‘Oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of realization rang throughout the audience as they made the connection.

“But unfortunately, they’re in a bit of trouble right now,” Spin added. “A certain someone left them with an outrageous debt.”

“And tonight we need everypony’s help to get them out of a tight spot.”

“All proceeds are going to the Wood family- that includes concessions and any donations we’ve collected. We’ll make an announcement during intermission to let you know how we’re doing.”

“Alright, before we get started tonight, we have one last announcement. I suppose you all have heard that the Ponytones were coming to help support us tonight?” The thunderous applause that filled the theater confirmed Spin’s suspicion. I held my breath.

“Unfortunately, Toe Tapper and Torch Song’s train was cancelled, and they won’t be able to make it tonight.” The disappointed groans from the audience wasn’t doing anything for my confidence. “But don’t worry. We’re going to make it up to you with an extra special treat tonight,” Soprano guaranteed. The audience still looked doubtful- some even left then and there.

“We’re going to be blending some local talent in with our surprise guests’ act at the end of the show tonight, so be sure to stick around.”

“Now what do you say we get this party started?” The two sisters reared in excitement, trying to get the audience involved. It worked, considering how the assembly burst into deafening cheers and whistles. That cued Pinkie to switch off the lights, and the whole stadium went black.

“Places, everypony, places!” Twilight hissed. The only other sound I heard was the scrambling of hoofsteps as the Solo twins rushed over for a costume change before finding their place on stage. Torch kissed me goodbye before joining them. The dim flicker of his thestral fire onstage told me it was starting. I felt Blaze’s tiny claws nervously wrap around my hoof. I drew him close in response.

The first act ran smoothly, and was well received by the viewers. As was the second, third and fourth act, along with all the acts to follow. Even Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle’s duet went without incident. I’d been a little concerned with Gilda being assigned to the stage crew for extra support, but her intentions seemed honest enough. At least she didn’t try to sabotage the event as some of us had feared. That should have boosted my confidence in itself, but I became more and more anxious with each performance. Each successful act brought us closer to the final performance, which would make or break the show. And we hadn’t rehearsed once. Even more nerve-racking was that I would be going up on stage too.

Intermission wasn’t very encouraging. According to the tallies, we’d only raised 2,300 bits, after subtracting the cost of rental and whatnot. I tried to tell myself there was still time. After all, the show was only half over. Yet, a lot of that money had come from our own savings. But Celestia promised to loan us what we didn’t raise, didn’t she? Even that knowledge did nothing to ease my mind. I was still scared out of my skin. By the time we were down to the grand finale, I was breaking out in a cold sweat.

“What a night!” Spin panted, trotting back out on stage. While Soprano was nearly gasping for air, Spin was breathing just a little heavier than usual. It took a lot to wear her out. Hence, she made the announcements herself. “Alright, ponies, the new tally’s in. We’re up to 4,500 bits.” A quiet sigh of discouragement escaped my lips, as well as those of my friends and a few in the audience. I brought Blaze closer, and slung my other wing around Garble. It didn’t seem to help either of us.

“We’re still quite a ways from our 10,000 bit goal, but the show isn’t over yet. We have one last act for you. Mares and Gentlecolts, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Please welcome the Wood family to the stage, along with our special guest stars (and the reason we’re here tonight), The Dragon Gang!” I heard some astonished gasps at the mention of the dragons, though they were drowned out by the applause from the thestrals in attendance. They were used to dragons, and barely batted an eye, but the rest of the ponies didn’t care for the idea of a bunch of teenage dragons getting up on stage. I even noted one or two head for the door before we even started.

“I can’t do this,” Soot panicked.

“What are we doing again?” Fizzle inquired.

“You guys, be cool,” Garble advised. “We’re gonna go up there and knock ‘em dead, right?”

“I’m still not dancing,” Vex huffed.

“You don’t have to,” I assured. “Just be yourself. Show them what you showed me.”

“What’d we show you?” Clump scratched his head.

“That dragons are no different than ponies. That you’re no different than me.”

“You’re up!” Spin warned, jumping over us from the stage with her sister. Torchwood huffed and puffed as he hurried up beside me, both mentally and physically exhausted from the fire dancing. Trixie and Glitter would be taking care of the special effects while he was up with us, free styling with their light show since we hadn’t actually rehearsed anything. Torch was still rearing to go which was demonstrated by a hard clap on my back.

“You guys ready?”

“Game on,” Garble nodded. I wasn’t so sure I was ready, and hesitated before stepping out. Why did I ever volunteer to go first? Oh yeah. It was my idea, so I was unanimously elected.

I peeked out at all the expectant faces on the other side of the curtain. I took a deep breath. It was too late to chicken out now. Yet my legs wouldn’t move. Gilda, who was currently working the curtains, seemed to notice I was having a little trouble, and yanked them wider so I was completely revealed. I wasn’t sure whether to extend my gratitude or glare at her. It didn’t matter. The music was starting, and so was I.

...

“Whatcha doin’ all the way over there?
“Yeah I know we’re different, but I really don’t care.
“These borders are only implied,
“So what’s with the divide?”

...

Torchwood appeared on the other end of the stage, and shuffled along to meet me in the middle as he took up the second verse.

...

“They try to keep us apart,
“But it don’t change the feelin’ in our hearts.
“I know we’re not the same; it don’t bother me at all.
“I’ll always stand up tall.”

...

Torch and I had finally reached each other, exchanging ‘what now?’ looks. Blaze saved us when he popped up in the middle and volunteered a third stanza.

...

“Everyone says that it isn’t right-
“That we shouldn’t be so tight.
“And everyone says that we shouldn’t be,
“Be a family.”

...

I ruffled his spines, and he escaped to join the other newly arrived dragons. They weren’t entirely sure what to do, and just awkwardly stood around, looking to one another for direction. Thankfully, Blaze made a smooth transition from singing into a headlong dive for his brother. Though he did not succeed in toppling the larger teen, he did give the others an idea. They put on a performance of their own, engaged in the casual everyday activities dragons their age participated in to pass the time- mild wrestling matches, very controlled belching contests, and my personal favorite, dragon tag (which involved chasing each other around the stage until they all landed in a dog pile).

As Spike was honorary family, Blaze had coaxed him onstage. Now they were sending a scroll back and forth with their magical dragon fire. Then Blaze decided to switch things up and send one to his unsuspecting brother, who knew how but rarely sent or received messages. It’d been a while since he’d even practiced, and it was all he could do not to choke on the thing. Instead of getting mad, he took it good naturedly and fondly caught his brother in a headlock for a noogie.

So long as we continued to provide background music, we might just be able to pull this off. Torchwood ushered me into a slow dance in the midst of the chaos as we took turns singing. Somehow, I felt this enhanced the message we were trying to get across, and soon found myself lost to the act.

...

“Yeah that’s what they say,
“But we gonna find a way.
“Don’t listen to ‘em now,
“Just stand up proud!

...

“We can’t be friends.
“Says who, says who?
“We can’t be clo-o-ose.
“Says who, says who?

...

“Yeah, they may try to change us,
“And they may try to break us,
“But we gon’ keep doin’ like we do-o-o-o-o!”

...

I hadn’t noticed that the dragons had settled down until now, but sure enough, the stage had become much quieter. They stood off to the side, but not awkwardly so. In fact, they seemed to be waiting for something. That ‘something’ proved to be the end of the chorus. I couldn’t believe my ears when the dragons finally decided to pitch in, but it seemed to be a mutual agreement, for every one of them lent their voice of their own free will.

...

“Why they gotta put us down?
“This is our town.
“They tryin’ to dominate,
“But why complicate?”

...

“So let the haters do their thing,
“Let ‘em think what they want.
“It’s our turn to sing,
“We won’t listen to their taunts.”

...

“Everyone says that it isn’t right-
“That we shouldn’t be so tight.
“And everyone says that we shouldn’t be,
“Be a family.”

...

“Yeah that’s what they say,
“But we gonna find a way.
“Don’t listen to ‘em now,
“Just stand up proud!”

...

“We can’t be friends.
“Says who, says who?
“We can’t be clo-o-ose.
“Says who, says who?”

...

“Yeah, they may try to change us,
“And they may try to break us,
“But we gon’ keep doin’ like we do-o-o-o-o!”

...

“You say we don’t belong.
“Just ‘cuz it’s different doesn’t make it wrong.
“And so we’ll stay strong;
“Stay together all night long!”

...

As if on cue, the others fell back to give Garble the stage for his very own solo. I still wasn’t sure what to make of the sudden change in attitude, but I was even more caught off guard when I realized he was actually good, even if it did come off more as a rap.

...

“Why is everyone so mainstream,
“Beatin’ down on our esteem?
“They tryin’ to judge, but we won’t budge.
“They can’t tell us what to do!
“Says who! Says who!”

...

He turned to me for the first time of the whole performance, and didn’t even look ashamed when his claw came to rest on my shoulder.

...

“You’re not a dragon and I’m not a pony,
“But who says ya can’t be my one and only?
“This world ain’t that small-
“We just need a wake-up call!”

...

I wasn’t typically a big fan of rap music, but the meaning of his words carried through straight to my heart. My eyes welled with tears of pride, and even in front of the audience, I couldn’t help but catch him in a hug. Aware that we were out of commission at the moment, the others did us a favor and kept the show going, all together.

...

“We can’t be friends.
“Says who, says who?
“We can’t be clo-o-ose.
“Says who, says who?

...

“Yeah, they may try to change us,
“And they may try to break us,
“But we gon’ keep doin’ like we do-o-o-o-o!

...

“We can’t be friends.
“Says who, says who?
“We can’t be clo-o-ose.
“Says who, says who?

...

“Says who? Says who?”

...

We all closed off the song together, but before I knew it, I was at the bottom of a dogpile, laughing with my whole family. For a minute, the only sound was our own laughter, but it wasn’t long before the stadium burst into deafening applause. Garble hoisted his younger brother up onto his shoulders, and even Clump lifted up Spike. Twilight teleported us off stage for a big finish, even while they whooped and jumped around, hyped from the craziness that just took place on stage.

“That was crazy!” Pierce declared.

“Not as bad as I thought,” Clump agreed.

“Not bad? That was kind of... fun!”

“Yeah, what happened to the no dancing rule?” I teased.

“One night special,” Vex cleared his throat.

“That was brilliant, you guys!” Soprano jumped into the middle of our huddle.

“I thought you were crazy when you said you were just going to go up and fool around, but that was awesome!”

“Guys, come look at this! The donation boxes just got swarmed!” Pinkie squealed. Indeed, when we peeked around the curtain, the designated areas were bustling with ponies.

“Alright!” Suddenly, the stage fright we had all endured seemed a small price to pay.

“I think they finally got it,” I joyously sighed.

“What’d we get?” Clump obliviously asked again.

“Not you. Them.” I looked out the curtains at the vacating audience once more, and the others confusedly did the same. “I think they finally understand that we’re all one and the same. No matter what species- dragon, gryphon or pony, we’re all one big family. And family sticks together, no matter what.” Gilda shuffled uncomfortably at this, and promptly busied herself with assisting Dash in packing up.

It took a while to get the money tallied up, but it didn’t help that Twilight insisted on double checking the totals. Everypony had already gone home by the time we closed up shop, there was no need to announce a final total. It was a shame: it was worth celebrating. We closed off the evening with a surplus of 223 bits.

Chapter 33: Rogues

Chapter 33
Rogues

There was so much excitement, nopony got to sleep that night. We almost treated everyone out to dessert with the remaining 223 bits, but Torchwood insisted it should go back to the town. He didn’t feel right taking anything more than we needed, so we decided to keep it until after the exchange, just in case. Then it would go back to the city treasury. We settled for finishing off the last of the concession stand snacks instead.

The dragons finally went home sometime after midnight that night. What happened to Gilda was yet to be decided. We feared that if we let her go home for the night, we wouldn’t find her again. Rainbow was reluctant to keep Gilda at her house, so in the end Twilight placed a tracking spell on the gryphon that would allow us to keep tabs on her position at all times. With that, we let her go, making it clear that she was expected to be present for the negotiation on Sunday.

Garble came back the next day, even though the money had already been raised. I guess he was finally feeling more at home around us. He and Blaze finally got to spend some quality time together- now that they knew their future was secure, there was nothing to get in the way of their having a good time.

That was Saturday. I was dreading tomorrow, but of course the time flew by. I didn’t get a wink of sleep. Nor did Torch, though that may have been due to all of my tossing and turning. Chances are, though, that he was as worried as I.

The morning sun seemed to taunt me as I glared at it through the window. I could only pray that everything would go smoothly today.

“Are you ready to go?” We found the dragons waiting for us by the fountain in the plaza, as we agreed. They all looked sick to their stomachs, and for good reason.

“No,” Soot truthfully retorted. Garble gave him a reassuring pat on the back, but he didn’t look too confident himself.

“Where’s Gilda?” Twilight momentarily appeared, the rest of our friends trailing behind her. The two magic users had split the responsibility of levitating the chest containing the payment, and now gently set it down on the cobblestone road.

“Hasn’t showed yet,” Pierce told her.

“Hang on, I’ll find her,” the alicorn promised, sparking her horn to utilize the tracking spell.

“Don’t get your feathers in a bunch, I’m here,” the gryphon growled, gliding overhead. Twilight clenched her jaw and let the magic charge dissipate.

“Now that we’re all here, we should get going,” Rainbow rigidly but diplomatically announced. I knew Gilda’s betrayal still stung her.

“Not everyone,” Twilight corrected.

“But who’re we missing?” Pinkie inquired, just as baffled as I. I quickly did a mental head count: Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie, Blaze, Garble, Soot, Pierce, Vex, Fizzle, Clump, Torch and I. That was everyone, wasn’t it?”

“I apologize if I kept you waiting,” Luna’s voice caused me to jump. I hadn’t even heard her chariot touch down.

“Your highness!” we all ducked down into a bow. Garble recognized her from the Tree of Harmony, and respectfully dipped his head. The rest of the gang followed suit.

“Rise,” she gently commanded.

“Princess, what’re you doing here?” I urgently asked. “Twilight, I thought you said you sent the letter to tell them we didn’t need the loan after all.”

“I did,” my friend assured. “But Princess Celestia wanted to make sure everything turned out alright. She couldn’t come herself, but Princess Luna volunteered to coach us through the negotiation.”

“Sister sends her regards,” Luna nodded.

“Thank you,” I bit my lip, doing my best not to cry in front of the Princess.

“Sorry, uh, Princess,” Garble’s scales had turned an extra shade of red in embarrassment. “We didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” I comforted for the hundredth time, unintentionally finding myself glaring at Gilda instead. Luna followed my gaze, and looked down on the gryphon. She gulped and even cowered in the Night Princess’s presence.

“I presume this is Gilda,” she coldly stated.

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight confirmed when the gryphon didn’t speak up. Gilda finally had the sense to offer a weak smile that relayed more fear than joy.

“You will be dealt with later,” Luna finally decided, turning away from the quaking creature. She then turned back to Garble, not even a hint of contempt lingering in her voice. “Where did the rogues ask you to meet them?”

“On the far side of the lava geysers, west of the Dragon Craters,” he nervously answered. “We have to be there with the money by noon.”

“Then we have no time to lose,” Luna stated, turning to head off the group. Twilight led the rest of our group, but the dragons didn’t take to that idea too well.

“Wait!”

“What’s wrong?” I looked back over my shoulder to see what the problem was.

“We can’t just show up with nine ponies!”

“Especially when two of them are powerful alicorns. They’ll think we’re pulling some sort of trick.”

“Garble’s right. We appreciate everything you’ve done, but we’ve got to do this ourselves.”

“The last thing we need is a fight,” Soot shuddered.

“I am aware,” Luna solemnly agreed. “I have learned much of dragon culture from thestral ambassadors. Such a large party would appear as a threat, and would likely provoke an attack, which is why we will remain upwind, concealed under an invisibility spell just in case things go wrong.”

“But... it won’t go wrong, will it?” I trembled. Luna cast me a sympathetic glance.

“I dearly hope not, but I would rather prepare for the worst than be caught off guard.” Garble looked to his comrades to get their input. No one said anything, but Fizzle finally shrugged.

“Okay,” Garble consented. “Let’s do it.”

Luna lead the way, taking up point position as we glided through the sky. Torchwood balanced the incredibly heavy chest on his back with ease so Twilight, Luna and Rarity could use their levitation magic to tow our flightless friends.

I was flying alone, as Blaze had refused to leave Garble’s side. The lack of company found me sick with worry. I’d been relatively confident up until now. What if Luna was right, and something went wrong? I shut my eyes in an attempt to ward off such thinking. But my stomach was already tied in knots over the matter. They had to be alright.

“We should land here,” Garble advised the Princess. “The geysers are coming up fast, and I don’t want to risk them seeing any of you.”

“A wise idea,” Luna nodded, folding her wings into a dive. The rest of us followed their lead, and touched down behind a large boulder.

“There’s the geysers,” Vex pointed with a trembling claw. We looked between the rock formations, where the steam of the lava geysers had settled over the rocks like a blanket of thick fog.

“Let’s get upwind,” Twilight advised.

“That way,” Rainbow gestured, letting the breeze sift through her feathers to determine where we needed to be. Luna carefully wove through the rocks overlooking the geysers to be sure we wouldn’t be spotted. The rest of us carefully followed her lead, afraid to breathe.

“We will wait for you here,” Luna informed Garble. “Take the chest and wait. Comply with whatever they say.”

Twilight,” I interjected, stepping up. “Do you, by chance, know any transformation spells?”

“Sure,” my friend complied, somewhat confused. “Why do you ask?”

“I know we’re supposed to stay up here, out of the way, but I need to make sure they’re safe. I have to go down with them.”

“No way! We can’t bring any ponies down there,” Clump reminded.

“If Twi could use a transformation spell and give me a disguise, they’ll never know the difference.”

“No, no, no. I’m not doing that, bad idea,” Twilight definitively shook her head.

“Please, Twilight,” I pleaded, quite literally getting down on my knees to beg. “I have to do this.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Torchwood argued, draping a wing over me.

“Finally, somepony with sense,” Twilight sighed in relief.

“Let me go instead.”

“WHAT?!”

“They’re family, Twilight.”

“They do have a right to protect those they love,” Luna agreed.

“You too?” Twilight’s ears flattened in worry.

“There’s no way we’re gonna let ya go down there alone,” Applejack declared.

“Only one may accompany the dragons,” Luna ordered. “Too many will look like an ambush. Though we would then outnumber them, the rogues would still hold an advantage- none of us have ever used a dragon’s form before, myself included. We would suffer casualties.”

“You don’t have to go with us,” Garble looked panicked. “This is our problem, not yours.”

“It is our problem,” I countered, enveloping him in my wings. “Because you’re our son.” He stiffened, but eventually accepted the embrace. No one was poking fun this time.

“However,” Luna continued. “It is my understanding that a male would pose more of a threat than a female. Acrylic is the better candidate.”

“But Acrylic, what about... you know?”

“No, I don’t. What’re you talking about?”

“Can I talk to you for a second?” she tried pulling me aside, but Luna held us back with her levitation magic.

“There is no time. Twilight, please. I know you are against the idea, but she has the right. They will be fine. Just cast the spell.”

“On second thought,” Twilight backed out, “I’m not so sure my spell is powerful enough to turn you into a full size dragon.”

“Twilight,” I begged.

“No need to worry,” Luna assured. “I also know transformation magic.” Before I knew what was happening, I felt the tingling of magic run through my frame before my mind filled with white. The next thing I knew, I was looking down on my friends from a new height. Twilight fainted.

“Whoa, Nelly!” Applejack exclaimed, looking up at me with something between fear and wonder.

“You-you...” Fluttershy nervously stuttered. Remembering it was just me, though, she cleared her throat. “You’re, uh, really pretty, Acrylic.”

“You look so awesome!” Rainbow whooped.

“Quiet,” Luna barked. I’d struck the dragons speechless.

“What’re you all staring at?” I looked at the ground, shifting uncomfortably under their gaze.

“Your mom is actually kind of hot.” Garble angrily swiped the back of Pierce’s head.

“You’re just as pretty as your pony self,” Torch assured, resting his head against my giant one. I blushed.

“You look absolutely marvelous, darling. For a dragon, that is,” Rarity assured, using her own magic to temporarily transform a portion of the gritty ground into a shimmering mirror. I did a double take.

My pointed nose had carried over in the form of a small, petite snout. I still had sapphire eyes, but they almost sparkled against shimmering scales. My neck was far longer and more flexible than I was used to. I‘d have to mind it; that probably made it more flimsy. Like Garble’s mother, my hide had taken on a metallic sheen. Unlike Ignition’s radiant golden color, though, I was a glimmering silver. My body was long and slender. I wasn’t expecting the back legs to be so long, as my front limbs didn’t quite reach that length, but I found that when I bent them a certain way, it all evened out. The claws were a new acquisition, and it took me a moment to figure out how to move the individual claws rather than a single hoof. I looked back at my wings, and noted that my wing membranes had taken on a rich blue color. The long, flexible tail was something new, and I quickly found myself fascinated with it. I flexed it back and forth, getting used to the feeling when I noticed a blue scythe-shaped growth sprouting off of it, reaching past even the tail tip. I decided it was best not to poke anyone with it, and aimed it away from the group. The only other growths I had were on the ridge of my neck where my mane should have been. Instead of hair, I now had a series of thick, pointed spines running down my neck. They started small at the base, and got bigger as they neared my head. Once they reached a certain size, they began curling over to one side like hair might. That made me nervous, because the largest spine curled directly over the left side of my face, giving me a critical blind spot.

“That’s an awesome disguise!” Pinkie cheerily commented as the mirror disappeared.

“I’ll say. She even smells like a dragon,” Clump put in. All the ponies gave him a strange look, but the dragons didn’t think anything of the statement.

“Let’s hope the rogues think so, too,” Luna sighed, getting us all back on track. “Acrylic, take Gilda and the dragons down and wait with the money. The rest of us will be here in case you run into trouble. Do not worry if you don’t see us- when you leave, I will cast an invisibility spell to ensure the rogues do not find us.”

“Thank you, Luna,” I nodded, nudging the others to start heading down. I bent to pick up the chest when I felt slight resistance around my ankle. The thick scales had prevented me from realizing Blaze was still clinging to me.

“Promise you’ll come back?”

“Blaze...” I was caught off guard. “Why wouldn’t I come back?”

“It’s just... the last time Mom went out to help Garble, she didn’t come back,” he sniffed. My heart melted; now I understood. “Promise you will?”

“I promise you, Blaze, we’ll all come back. And we can be a family again, alright?” He finally let go, and nodded with damp eyes. Torch gently led him away.

“Be careful,” he said.

“You too.” With that, I clamped the chest between my teeth and slithered after the dragons.

Chapter 34: Gallant Gryphon

Chapter 34
Gallant Gryphon

“I just don’t see what you guys need me for. I mean, you already got the money. I can just go home and I promise you’ll never see me again.”

“You will after this is done and over with,” I growled, still staring straight ahead. The rogues were taking longer than we thought, so I laid down on the warm ground, using the chest as a pillow. The others had all taken a seat somewhere amongst the rocks.

“You’re not getting cold feathers, are you, Gilda?” Vex taunted.

“After all, you’re the one who got us into this mess. It’s only fair you see it through.”

“I-I’m not scared, if that’s what you’re implying,” she defiantly snorted.

“Well that’s good,” Soot quietly said. There was something about his calm disposition that was surprisingly terrifying. He slowly got up and started to advance on her, hatred gleaming in his eyes. The rest of the gang caught on, and followed suit. “Because the rest of us are terrified. And no one gets away with scaring a dragon just like that. Isn’t that right, guys?”

“No one,” Clump echoed.

“Whoa, whoa, not cool, guys,” Gilda uneasily gulped, backing away from his approach. She accidently bumped into me when she reached her limit, but instead of moving away, the gryphon pressed closer as though I was a protection from the mob of teens. “Acrylic, would you get your ‘family’ to back off now?” My only response was to flick her away with my wing, sending her stumbling back into the middle of the ring. Realizing she was on her own, pure terror took hold. I could feel it radiating off her. In fact, I could smell it. “B-But, Acrylic? Aren’t you supposed to be the Element of Forgiveness or something? Come on, this isn’t funny anymore. Call ‘em off!”

“You don’t deserve my forgiveness. You put my family in danger to satisfy your own greed. For that, I will never forgive you.” With my new dragon senses, I could hear her heart pounding. Her pupils were the size of pinpricks, and they darted around in search of a way out. The only way that wasn’t blocked was up. Her wings snapped open before I could react, and the next thing we knew, she was rocketing away. Fortunately for her, a large silhouette had appeared in the fog, eliminating pursuit as an option. I even went as far as to growl in irritation, but I tore my attention away from the gryphon to take care of business with the rogues.

Three huge dragons appeared out of the mist. The one that appeared to be the leader was rugged and war-torn, his faded, yellow scales deformed by the number of scars criss-crossing his massive frame. He was almost completely covered in spines, from elbow-clusters to an armored back and barbed tail. One eye was clouded and scarred, probably blinded. It was no wonder, due to the ugly scars streaking down it.

The green-scaled dragon to his left looked to be in better condition, but that wasn’t saying much. His wings were frayed and torn, and his hide had likewise seen many a day in battle. His tail ended in a rather nasty looking club. Though he looked fairly average for a dragon, there was something about him that made my blood run cold.

The third of their company was a young, athletic looking drake. Unlike the first two, this fellow was in prime condition- his metallic blue-purple armor appeared unscathed, and his silvery wing membranes were flawless. He was bulky under layers of shell-like armor, but I was under the impression that he was still incredibly swift and agile. He didn’t have many spikes, but he didn’t need them. His claws gleamed like knives as it was.

The yellow leader stepped up, and took in the scene through his one good eye. He snarled upon seeing me, but not in a threatening way. It was as if he was amused they’d arrived under my protection. I glared defiantly back, digging my claws into the dirt instead of his neck. So this was the monster that threatened my son.

“I thought I told you to come alone,” the lead rogue barked in a gravelly voice. It was clear he was addressing Garble, but I interrupted.

“I’m his mother,” I coldly snapped.

“I see,” he chuckled in a deathly tone. Then he turned back to his reinforcements, any and all amusement drained from his voice. “Check the area,” he ordered. “Make sure they didn’t bring any others.” The green one obediently dipped his head, but the metallic dragon had already taken off. I followed the dragons with my eyes as I watched them case the area, refusing to turn away from the leader. My breath caught in my throat as they passed over our friends’ hiding spot, even though I knew they would be safe under Luna’s cloaking spell.

“There’s no one here, Butch,” the green one reported.

“Good. At least the brats were kind enough to introduce their friend,” the yellow dragon, Butch, snickered. “All we’re missing now is a name.” I almost came right out and told him Acrylic, but I caught myself in time. What kind of dragon would name their child ‘Acrylic?’ That was a pony name, and would definitely raise suspicion. Thinking fast, I recalled the first time Spike and I had been at the craters, when Rainbow, Twilight and Rarity secretly followed Spike. Back then, Rainbow was the only one that knew I was a thestral, and in an attempt to help conceal my presence, insisted Spike had called for ‘Skillet’ instead of ‘Acrylic.’

“Skillet,” I answered through a clenched jaw. Garble stiffened, but played along and looked around to make sure everyone else all caught the change. Subtle signals from all of them told us that they’d gotten the message.

“How unusual,” Butch mused. “As Rupture here brought out, I am Butch,” he introduced, jerking his head in the direction of the green one to point out Rupture. “And this is Sheath.” The metallic dragon remained cold and unmoving at the mention of his name.

“Aww, did the wittle dragons go running to their mommy?” Rupture taunted. I flicked out my tail to keep Fizzle and Clump from doing something they’d regret.

“Speaking of which, you must be very disappointed in your son, Skillet, for falling into such a deep debt at this age. You really must teach him to better manage his finances.” The jeer raised chuckles out of his goons. Garble clenched his fists, and my claws likewise dug deep into the dirt.

“So why don’t we just settle the score so we never have to see each other again?” I suggested in a tone cold as ice.

“Splendid idea,” Butch agreed, greedily eyeing the chest under my claws. I kicked it toward him so I didn’t have to get anywhere near that scum. I heard the ten thousand bits worth of coins and gems clanking against the sides as the box tumbled for him. He looked me over one last time before opening the large crate. The metal latch clicked aside, and the lid creaked open. Butch critically looked over its contents with his one good eye for a good long while before his gaze flicked back to me.

“You got what you wanted,” I turned up my nose at him. “Now leave my boys alone.”

“I’d be happy to,” Butch sarcastically snarled. “But it appears we have a bit of a problem. This isn’t the amount we agreed upon.”

“What are you talking about? There’s ten thousand bits worth of treasure in there. I counted it myself,” I glowered. But when Butch swiveled the chest around for me to see, my heart stopped in my chest. I was sure that chest had been filled to the brim when we loaded it. Now it was a little more than half full. There was no denying that payment was missing. But what was I supposed to do now? I never considered the possibility of the money not being there.

“I-I put ten thousand bits in there,” I insisted, recoiling from the sight. “I did!”

“Sure you did,” Butch narrowed his eyes, and tossed the chest over his shoulder, spraying coins and gems all over the ground. The impact of the chest caused a geyser to flare up. This place wasn’t called the lava geysers for nothing- molten rock spewed from the fractured earth, incinerating the chest and most of its contents instantly.

“Wha?! What’d ya do that for, Butch? We still coulda kept what they got us,” Rupture indignantly burst.

“Shut up, you insolent fool,” Butch clobbered him with his tail, instantly putting the lower-ranked in his place.

I’d done a good job of hiding my fear up until now. I couldn’t help my heart from pounding anymore. Before, I had everything under control. But now the whole plan had crumbled.

“I’m sure your son told you the consequences of not holding up his end of the deal?” Butch went on. “Time to pay up, boys.” Garble cowered behind me. I finally snapped.

“Over my dead body.”

“What did you just say?” Butch almost laughed.

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” I roared, rearing in my rage. When I came back down, the ground shattered beneath me, revealing the lava below. Butch backed up in surprise, as though he hadn’t been expecting such strength. That meant that it was probably my thestral power that caused the quake, not my newly acquired dragon mass. That was good news for me. I mimicked a fighting stance I’d seen other dragons use, and flicked out my tail to prepare the scythe. I made a promise to keep them safe, and I wouldn’t give up without a fight. Butch wasn’t laughing anymore.

“GET THEM!” I suddenly had three fully grown dragons charging at me.

“Boys, RUN!” I screamed as Sheath crashed into my side. I knew he was too strong for me, and it was all I could do reposition myself so the impact wouldn’t break my neck. Even underneath my attacker, I saw the group of teens scattering, which offered a little relief. Rupture lunged from the other side, and I struggled to dodge, but his purple partner held me down. I shut my eyes when should have felt his claws sink into my hide, but it never came. Instead, a colossal THUD rocked the earth, and my eyes snapped open to the sight of Rupture being pinned by another dragon, this one such a dark brown he would be invisible against a night sky. His eyes were black like coals, but blazed with anger. Row after row of red-brown spines ringed his back and shoulders like a shirt collar, and his tail was barbed with three more of the deadly spears.

I didn’t have time to question the mysterious figure’s identity; Sheath realized he would have to take care of me himself, and prepared a crushing blow. While I was trying to work out how to manipulate dragon fire and counter his attack, a glint of red caught my eye. It was Garble! He hadn’t been fleeing after all- his entire gang had merely circled around to gain the high ground. Now they were all targeting one of our attackers from the air.

“Garble, no!” My outburst distracted Sheath, who looked up to assess the oncoming danger. I used the interruption to my advantage, lashing out with the scythe. It sliced the underside of Sheath’s leg, and he howled in anguish. Garble took the opportunity to spray blazing orange fire into his eyes, not penetrating the fireproof scales but still blinding him. Between our attacks, I managed to break free and shove Sheath off of me. The dragon flailed about, clawing at his damaged eyes and swinging his tail in an effort to relocate his target. My heart stopped when it came into contact with my son, flinging him through the air.

“GARBLE!” He skidded along the rock face without a sound, making me wonder whether or not he was even conscious. Butch saw him too, and the look in his eyes told me he’d selected a new victim. I had to get to him first.

I dodged Sheath’s tail to make a break for Garble. He was slowly recovering, but wouldn’t have time to get away if Butch got there before me. I didn’t realize what speeds this body was capable of, and almost unbalanced myself. I used my wings as stabilizers to catch myself in time, and kept going. Once I adjusted to this new center of balance, I found this lithe body to be far superior to Butch’s bulk in terms of speed. But Butch had been closer, so it was still unclear as to who would reach him first.

Garble was finally rousing, and slowly sat up, clutching his head. He opened his eyes to the terrifying sight of Butch closing in, and tried scrambling away.

“GET DOWN!” I called, making one mad leap for Garble. It closed the distance alright- I would definitely get to him first. But I wouldn’t have time to get away from Butch. It was all I could do to tuck Garble beneath me to shield him from the monster.

I did feel Butch’s claws scrape my back, but he must have faltered, because he never got a good grip. Looking up, I found Rarity standing a safe distance away, but using a dazzling light display to throw off Butch’s aim. As I looked around, I realized that the rest of our friends were also joining in the fight- the cloaking spell must have worn off. Rainbow was busy whizzing around Rupture’s head, keeping him busy while Applejack and Pinkie danced around his legs to entangle him in AJ’s ropes. Twilight was pounding Sheath by herself with magical attacks, but the dragon turned out to be a formidable opponent. The teens took on a hit and run approach, planting attacks wherever they saw an opening. The only ponies I didn’t see were Fluttershy, Luna, and Torchwood. I rolled over, letting Garble up.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so,” he groaned, clutching his side. Something told me he wasn’t okay. A large form cast a shadow over us, and I whirled to face the attacker. It was the dark brown dragon I’d seen sparring Rupture earlier. I was sure he meant us no harm- he even looked concerned.

“Get Garble back to the ledge with Fluttershy,” the dragon ordered.

“Torch!” I recognized his voice. Luna must’ve worked her transformation magic on him too. Though she didn’t have time to transform the other ponies, they proved to be capable opponents as they were.

“Go!” he ordered, turning back to face off with the newly-recovered Butch. I gently plucked Garble from the ground and took off, hoping I could avoid another skirmish if I took an aerial route. I realized Rarity decided to catch a ride when I heard her squealing, and looked down to find her dangling from my ankle. Garble hoisted her onto my back with his good arm so I could concentrate on maneuvering. Though I had to spin to avoid a blast of fire, we arrived at the former hiding spot without incident. There I found Fluttershy and Luna guarding Spike and Blaze from the battle below.

“Garble!” Blaze broke away from Fluttershy’s comforting embrace to see his brother. I gently deposited the young red dragon on the ground in such a way he could use one of the boulders as a backboard. Blaze seemed to sense his brother was hurt, so hugged him very tenderly to mind the sensitive spot. Garble also carefully accepted his brother.

“What happened to the money?” Luna questioned me. I trembled with grief and rage.

“I don’t know,” I choked, tears of fear or anger streaming down my face. I couldn’t tell which at this point.

“It’s time to end this,” Luna decided through clenched teeth. She regally leapt into the air, hovering over the battlefield.

“ROGUE DRAGONS,” she boomed in her traditional royal Canterlot voice. The entire battlefield froze. “THIS POINTLESS BATTLE HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH. SURRENDER AND LEAVE IN PEACE BEFORE I BANISH YOU ALL TO THE WASTELANDS!” A fireball whizzed by her head in response. “Very well,” she growled, summoning her magic to open a portal.

“YOU GUYS, GET OUT OF THERE!” I called, trying to get our friends to evacuate so they wouldn’t be sucked in too. Rainbow, Pinkie and AJ kept Rupture busy while the dragons made a run for cover. With the rogue entangled in Applejack’s lassos, it wasn’t hard for the rest of them to get away. For somepony who raised the moon every night, lifting a fully-sized dragon must’ve been a cinch. She tossed Rupture through as though he were a no heavier than a rag doll.

Twilight was the only one battling Sheath, but he was smart, and kept our unicorn between Luna and himself so the Night Princess couldn’t get a clear shot at him. Every time Twilight tried to move away, Sheath would block her path with a stream of fire or a tail swipe. He probably could’ve kept it up indefinitely if it hadn’t been for Rarity’s intervention. She sent another ray of brilliant light their way. It didn’t affect Twilight, whose back was to us, but it sure obscured Sheath’s vision. Twilight zipped out of range, and Luna wasted no time in hurling him in after his companion.

When we looked around for the last of the rogues, we found Butch still grappling with my husband.

“TORCH!” I cried, starting take off and help.

“Wait,” Luna demanded. I had no choice but to obey when her levitation magic kept me in place. They were completely interlocked, pounding each other into the earth. The extreme pressure was causing serious damage to the crusty layer of rock that rested above the lava. Jets of the magma squirted upward around them, which made it even harder to see. Even if they broke apart, I wasn’t sure if Luna would be able to see through the spray well enough to catch him.

I was on the edge of my seat, or perhaps more appropriately, the edge of the cliff. My claws dug into the rocky surface, heart pounding in anticipation. I could no longer see anything through the wall of smoke, but the prolonged crashing told me they were still going at it. But the noise was growing quieter, as if they were getting farther and farther away. It got the point where I couldn’t hear anything, and I held my breath. After what seemed like an eternity, a cry of agony broke the silence, and I was sure it hadn’t come from Butch.

“Torch!” I cried again. This time, not even Luna’s magic could hold me back. I took off full force after them.

“Acrylic, don’t!” I heard Twilight call after me. But by that time, I’d already become enveloped in the haze. The lava below provided a little light, so I looked for movement.

“Torch?” I called again, coughing as the vapor entered my throat. The sounds of a struggle were again drawing near, and I had to swerve before Torchwood’s body collided with mine. Butch instantly lunged out of the smog for a follow-up attack, but I interrupted it by ramming him in the chest. The next thing I knew, the world was spinning as we tumbled to the ground. Even when we broke the part, the ground didn’t feel stable. It wasn’t until my claws slipped into the oozing molten rock that I realized it wasn’t just my mind playing tricks on me. The chunk of rock I rested on was unsteadily floating on a lava lake.

Of course, dragons were fireproof, so that didn’t deter Butch. He was coming back, angrier than ever. Rather than meeting him in another head-on attack, I figured it was wiser to lead him back to the others, where Luna could blast him through the portal. But Butch seemed to realize what I was doing, and veered away. I couldn’t let him get away. If I did, he’d just keep coming back after the boys. I wouldn’t have them living in terror. This ended now.

So I turned around and chased back after him. I had no idea where Torch was. In fact, I didn’t know where I was anymore. I didn’t recognize anything through the haze, and Butch kept getting me more and more turned around. He rounded another turn, and I finally lost track of him altogether. I glided quietly along a moment longer, hoping to pick up some trace of him- a scent, a noise, anything. I must’ve wished too hard, because he came to me. I was caught completely off guard, so it didn’t take much for Butch to overpower me.

I was sent sprawling along a far more stable rock face until I hit an immense stalagmite, the only thing that kept me from tumbling another five hundred feet. I felt one of Butch’s massive claws press down on my neck, and found myself struggling for air. Calling for help was out of the question.

“You’ve become quite the nuisance,” he wickedly snarled. I sputtered a cough in response. He raised his other claw to deal the death blow. I was sure those glittering daggers would be the last thing I saw, but a piercing battle cry tore the sky. A streak of white and brown zipped past Butch’s face, and he screeched in pain. Three fresh, jagged lines streaked over his muzzle, each welling up with scarlet blood where his very scales had been uprooted. The second assault was just as fast, this time ripping across his right shoulder. He jerked away from the stinging sensation, which relieved some of the weight from my throat. I pushed him off, but paused to gasp for air before I made another move. Whoever was striking Butch was doing a good job; even I never saw them coming.

It didn’t take long until Butch was fed up, and managed to make contact. My savior was swatted to the ground and crushed under his claws. The terrorized face of Gilda peeked out between his talons. I suddenly wasn’t sure how to react to her appearance.

The haze was cleared with a couple massive wing beats from Torchwood, announcing the entry of everyone else. Luna glared down at Butch, and reopened the portal.

“Wait!” I protested. “He has Gilda.”

“Let me go!” the gryphon demanded, unsuccessfully struggling against the dragon’s grip.

“If it’s all the same to you,” he sneered, displaying his hostage, “I’ll be going now.”

“Why, I oughta... Lemme at ‘im!” Rainbow tried charging, but Applejack bit down on her tail.

“You filthy, low-down coward,” Torchwood spat.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Butch mockingly dipped his head before unfurling his wings. No one could do a thing when he took off with the gryphon.

“Luna, can you give me an invisibility spell?” I asked when I was sure he was out of earshot.

“Why?” she inquired.

“Please, just do it,” I pressed, getting ready to take off. “And get the portal ready.” She seemed to understand that there was no time to lose, and did as I asked.

“At your new mass, the invisibility will not last for long,” she warned, casting the spell.

“I won’t need it to.”

“Are you sure about this?” Torch somehow found my invisible arm, and held my claw in his.

“No,” I truthfully answered. Then I took off.

I wasn’t sure exactly how long the invisibility spell would last; it gave out relatively quickly on my friends, and Luna promised that I had even less time. I zoomed through the sky as fast as I could. I didn‘t really need to keep up with Butch. I kept him in sight, sure, but I was more concerned with gaining as much altitude as I could. The best thermals were up high. Riding one of them would close the distance in no time. As soon as I felt that warm stream of air, the beginnings of a grin tickled the corners of my mouth. I eased into the air current carefully so as to not lose it, but this was nothing I hadn’t done a hundred times before. Even though the wings were new, the maneuvers weren’t. It wasn’t long before I was effortlessly zooming through the clouds.

I waited until I was right on top of them to dive. I tried to make as little noise as possible, but it was impossible to prevent the familiar whistle as the wind rushed through my furled wings. Butch heard it too, and looked around for an attacker. This was where Luna’s invisibility spell came in handy. While he was busy looking for me, I angled myself to shoot right past his face, and dug my claws into his wrist. He yelped in surprise, and dropped Gilda, just as I’d hoped. Now I grabbed her, and clutched her to my chest. Her piercing scream hurt my ears.

“Pipe down, would you?” I scolded.

“Acrylic?” She tried swiveling to look for the source of the voice, and the bird in her let her get pretty close. I was a little freaked out by how far back she could turn her head, in fact. She had turned just in time for the invisibility spell to wear off.

“NOW, LUNA!” I called. The Moon Princess promptly teleported above us, and opened the portal directly in front of Butch.

“NO!” He flew right into our trap. It was over. It was finally over! I barely dared to believe it. I went so far as to laugh in relief. But the action caused me to look down, and I realized the ground was still coming up fast. Oh yeah. I was supposed to pull up.

I flipped onto my back to prepare for impact and tucked Gilda safely away; there was no way I’d have time to try and catch myself now. I groaned in irritation. This one would be a doozy. I shut my eyes and prepared to wake up in a crater.

Chapter 35: Surprise!

Chapter 35
Surprise!

“Wake up! Come on, this isn’t cool. GET UP!” My eyes shot open into the face of a particularly familiar gryphon. She looked smaller than I remembered her, which meant I was probably still in the dragon body. That was confirmed when I rolled over onto hard spines instead of soft hair and nearly jabbed myself in the eye. I grunted in irritation before rolling the other way. Gilda did me the courtesy of not so much as snickering at my difficulty. In fact, she just stood awkwardly in the background, shuffling uncertainly.

“So, uh... thanks for coming back for me back there.”

“You came back,” I indifferently pointed out.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “I did.”

“Why?” Her explaination was interrupted when the rest of our party arrived.

“You guys okay?” Rainbow was the fastest, and hence the first to arrive, but everyone else was close behind her. I stood so Torch didn’t have to pick me up, and welcomed myself to his open arms. Garble collided with my side, but due to my newly gained mass, I was barely fazed. It turned out that he’d meant to crash when he didn’t let go. I ushered him closer into the group hug, and Blaze slid down from Fluttershy’s back to join us.

“That’s it? It’s all over?” Fizzle disbelievingly wondered.

“I will never diss a pony again!” Vex declared.

“We did it,” I echoed. Then a smile finally broke onto my lips. “We did it! We really did it!” The whole assembly broke out into cheers of victory, but mostly relief. Torchwood wrapped me tighter in his wings, and I squeezed the boys. Garble was gasping for air by the time we broke up. He was mobbed again, however, when the other boys drew him into their own celebratory dog pile. The girls were going to settle for happy neighs and nickers until Pinkie jumped on them all in her excitement. Gilda chose to exclude herself from the celebration, and Luna was apparently too regal for such antics. She allowed herself only the indulgence of a smile as her horn lit up.

My mind filled with white, and when I opened my eyes, I was looking back into the face of pony Torch. I smiled, and leaned against his chest.

“That feels better.”

“You can say that again,” he chuckled. Blaze happily rejoined us, weaving himself in between our familiar pony hooves.

“I like you better as ponies,” he sighed. I giggled.

“Me too, Blaze.” I felt someone tapping my shoulder, and I turned around. It was Garble, beaming ear to ear. Surprisingly, he moved in for a hug to welcome us back himself. I was leaning in to return the embrace when I was suddenly jerked away, leaving Garble to himself in a very awkward stance.

“Whoa! Twilight?”

“We need to talk. NOW. You too, Torch, we might need you.”

“What fo-” The end of his inquiry was cut off when she tugged him along in a levitation bubble of his own. I was too confused to really comprehend what was going on. All I knew was that Twilight was dragging my husband and I further into a rocky wasteland, away from our friends. When I was finally dropped onto the rock, I wasn’t sure what to make of her behavior.

“Come on, Twilight, what gives? Wait, what’re you-?” No sooner had I been released from her magical grip than she replaced it with a physical one, holding me still as she examined every inch of my body.

“You’re not hurt are you? Is the baby okay?”

“Twilight, I’m fi-” I started to roll my eyes, but they bulged mid-cycle as her words sunk in. “Wait, did you just say ‘baby’?”

“I know I had no place poking my nose into your business and you’d tell us when you were ready, but you had me so worried back at our conference with Princess Essence that I did a scan and detected the embryo...”

“Twilight, are you saying that I’m pregnant?!” I pressed my nose to hers, eyes wide and probably crazed.

“You mean you didn’t know?”

“NO!”

“Oh, well, uh... surprise!” she weakly chuckled.

“Acrylic, this is wonderful!” Torchwood was beaming ear to ear.

“No, it isn’t!” I angrily squealed. “You let me go down to fight three rogue dragons while carrying a baby?! What if I hurt her? Or him?”

“Did you?”

“I don’t know! You tell me!” My voice had definitely gone up a couple of octaves in my panic, but I took no note.

“Okay, okay,” she readily agreed, igniting her horn. Now I finally understood why she’d insisted on such a scan when Trixie’s cart hit me, and why she’d focused the scan around my abdomen. She was checking on the baby. It also explained why she’d been acting weird for the past month. Wait, past month? “Everything seems fine,” she finally sighed.

“You said you first found out about the baby during the conference with Essence?” I tried to steady my breathing.

“Yeah,” she blushed.

“Twilight,” I tried to stay calm. “That was over a month ago. How long have I been pregnant? When am I due?!”

“It’s hard for me to tell; I’m not particularly practiced in this,” she raised her hooves, a gesture to either signal for a truce or calm me down. Perhaps both. I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to tell at the moment. “We need to get you to a doctor ASAP.”

“Oh dear! A doctor?” Fluttershy timidly poked her head over the boulder.

“Is everythin’ alright, sugar cube?” Applejack cleared the rock with ease.

“You aren’t hurt, are you, darling?” Rarity anxiously inquired.

“What happened? You didn’t break anything, did you? Should I fly you to the hospital?” Rainbow was hovering over me in an instant. All I could do in such a stunned state was shake my head. Garble pushed through to my side, and tenderly pulled me close. I couldn’t say I wasn’t grateful for the extra support. I felt dizzy with this new knowledge.

“We could throw you a get well party,” Pinkie offered.

“She’s not hurt, guys,” Twilight assured.

“Are ya sure? Cuz she looks awful pale, if ya ask me,” Applejack doubtfully contributed. Torchwood took on my other side, taking me under his wing and forcing Garble to reluctantly loosen his grip on me. My husband was taking the news far better than I, and practically radiated with joy.

“Twilight says we’re having a baby,” he proudly announced. Eyes bulged and jaws dropped all around, but no one said a word for a good long minute.

“Oh. My. GOSH!” Pinkie squealed, seeming to hover in the air where she’d jumped in excitement. My air supply was promptly cut off where she squeezed me in a bear hug. “Baby showers are way more fun than get well parties!”

“Congratulations, you two!” Applejack vigorously shook Torchwood’s hoof, and then mine. I could’ve sworn it kept vibrating even after she let go.

“That’s wonderful news,” Fluttershy quietly put in.

“Wonderful? Try amazingly awesome! I’m so happy for you!” Rainbow was the next to offer her kudos.

“The little tyke wasn’t hurt in the skirmish, was she?” Rarity fretted.

“Nope, all clear,” Twi assured.

“Ya hear that, guys? I’m gonna have another little brother,” Garble boasted.

“Yeah, I bet he’ll look just like you,” Vex jibed, causing the whole group to errupt into laughter.

“Shut up,” Garble snickered good-naturedly.

“Make me,” Vex challenged. Determination sparked in Garble’s eyes, and soon the whole group was entangled in a wrestling match.

“I won’t be the youngest anymore!” Blaze happily cheered, ignoring their antics.

“That’s right, Blaze,” Torch agreed.

“Congratulations,” Luna spoke. “Though had I known that you were with child, I would not have permitted you to undergo the transformation spell.”

“Believe me, I didn’t know either,” I rasped.

“The spell won’t leave any lasting effects, will it?” Torch prompted.

“I have never heard of such a case,” Luna replied. “But I have not heard of this particular situation ever occuring before, either.” He just nodded, the possibility that the transformation may have harmed our baby putting a damper on his good mood.

“Congrats. Hope it turns out alright,” sullen Gilda muttered. She started to walk away, head down and shoulders hunched.

“Wait.” I wasn’t mentally prepared for a baby, but switching gears back to the matter at hoof seemed like stable ground. “You never told me why you came back.” She froze in her tracks, and her whole body tightened as she grimaced.

“I came back because I was the one that took the money.”

“YOU?!” Rainbow was absolutely disgusted, and the dragons were none too pleased either. The wrestling match stopped, the participants frozen as they all strained to glare daggers at her. Luna rigidly lit her horn to hold them back, should things reach the point where she needed to intervene.

“Wait, just let me explain!” Gilda pleaded.

“Let’s hear her out, guys,” I suggested. Anything but go back to thinking about a baby.

“I know it was wrong of me to take advantage of you guys back in the dragon craters, and even worse to take the fundraiser money, but I needed it for my mom.”

“You told me you were an orphan,” Rainbow corrected.

“She’s not really my mom,” Gilda admitted. “In fact, she’s old enough to be my grandmother. But she’s taken care of me ever since my real parents died. Anyway, she got real sick. And she’s real picky about her medical care. I couldn’t convince her to come live with me in Cloudsdale where all the good hospitals are- she wanted to stay at home. So I went to her, but I still couldn’t afford to help pay her bills... I got scared. I didn’t want to lose her. She’s all I got.” I was taken back when a real, genuine tear dripped down her beak.

“I was desperate, so got mixed up with those rogue punks- no bank would give us a loan. But I couldn’t pay ‘em back fast enough, and they came after me. Normally I’d never go low enough to take advantage of anyone like that but... I knew you had friends who’d look out for you,” she bobbed her head in our direction. “But I didn’t have anyone. I’ve always had to take care of myself. Just me and Nana,” she wept. She couldn’t bear to look at us anymore, so turned her back completely. “I’m sorry for what I did. I know I deserve a prison sentence, but please don’t lock me up. That’s not fair to Nana.”

My wing draped over the gryphon’s back. The contact startled her; apparently she hadn’t heard me walk up. I offered a kind smile, and she looked back at the ground. Now that she had a shoulder to cry on, she couldn’t seem to hold it in. The tough gryphon broke down in tears, then and there. I comfortingly stroked her feathered back.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” I crooned. “I forgive you.”

“You do?” she gasped.

“You do?!” the group behind me echoed.

“Just like that?” I had to admit- I’d surprised myself with the gesture. She had threatened my family, but had offered a pretty amazing excuse. She seemed genuine enough, and though I was reluctant to let it go, I felt it was the right thing to do. After all, she’d come back in the end, confessed, and everything had turned out alright.

“What can I say? I’m pregnant and prone to mood swings,” I joked.

“Now you admit it,” Twilight grumbled. That seemed to soften Gilda up a little bit, and she laughed through the rest of her tears. I carefully removed some of the liquid from her damp face. “But I’m not really the one you should be apologizing to.” She followed my gaze to the group of dragons, and caught on. She miserably stood before them, waiting for judgement.

“I really am sorry,” she said again. Garble turned back to get input from his friends. He’d put them through a lot, but the one thing he couldn’t make them do was pardon her. They exchanged glances, and seemed to come to a mutual decision.

“I guess we’ll get over it eventually,” Fizzle finally sighed.

“I think get the whole family thing now,” Soot agreed.

“You guys really forgive me? For real?” She was trying not to break down in relief.

“Forgive is a pretty strong word. For now, I’d stick with ‘tolerate’,” Clump narrowed his eyes.

“Fair enough,” she nodded. “So... you think we could try again with the whole friend thing?”

“I guess we could try and let you hang with us again.” Pierce shrugged.

“But try and steal from us again and you’re dragon food,” Vex warned.

“Believe me, I won’t.” It looked like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“If I am no longer required, it would be best if I returned to Canterlot,” Luna interrupted.

“We need to go too, Acrylic, and get you to the doctor,” Twilight prompted.

“Just a minute,” I called. I needed to properly bid Garble farewell. He was finally able to give me a proper hug.

“Congrats, by the way.”

“To you too. You’re going to be a big brother... again.”

“Yeah. Now Blaze, you’ve gotta look out for our brother for me, okay?”

“Or sister,” the orange hatchling reminded.

“Or sister,” Garble agreed. “Promise?”

“Promise,” Blaze winked.

“By the way, Gilda,” I turned back to the gryphon, “the next time you get into a tight spot like that, just ask, okay? You have plenty of friends right here.” Even our pony companions smiled back for emphasis.

“Deal,” she chuckled, surveying all the faces aroud her. “And Acrylic? I want you to have this.” She reached around and plucked a small, irregularly shaped ruby from somewhere in her feathers. “It was the first gem I stole from the hoard. I kept it to remind me that I had to keep my distance and refrain from making new friends, if I was just going to turn around and stab them in the back like I did. But it looks like I won’t be needing that anymore. You’re the one that helped us all to put this in the past, so I want you to have it. As a sign of our friendship?”

“Shouldn’t this go back to the hoard?” I half-jokingly prompted.

“I’ll pay them back,” she vowed. “I don’t know when or how, but one day I’ll pay back every last gem I stole, I promise.”

“I don’t think the flock will miss a tiny ruby like that, anyway,” Garble assured.

“Alright, then,” I agreed, taking the little jewel. “Thank you, Gilda. It’s beautiful.” I didn’t even have to hold it up to the light to see it glitter like a rainbow.

“Now let’s go! We have to invite the whole town to the baby shower!” Pinkie interrupted. I waved one last time as I was dragged away. The dragons and gryphon all waved back before going their separate ways.

“I’d say this is one for the journal, wouldn’t you?” Twilight prompted, playfully brushing her wing over mine to get my attention.

“Yeah,” I sighed with pleasure. Not only had I saved my family, but I’d extended it, both by blood and honorary membership. I ran a hoof over my stomach. I was pregnant. That was going to take some getting used to.

Journal Entry #2

xx/xx/xx

When I became the Element of Forgiveness, I thought I would always have room in my heart to look over the mistakes of others. But when those you love have been wronged, that can be a little harder than it looks. It scared me to realize how close I came to holding a grudge when my family became involved. I guess I always thought that forgiveness was a choice to be made by the victim, right? Wrong. Today I realized that choosing to or not to forgive affects more than just the one wronged. Gilda was really and truly sincere in her apology, and I knew that if I didn’t forgive her, the scar her actions created would never heal. That would make me no better than she, and I couldn’t bear to be charged with inflicting that kind of emotional damage. Forgiveness makes both sides feel better, and can spark new friendships in the most unlikely of places.

-Acrylic

Chapter 36: New Life

Chapter 36
New Life

When we got back to town, the first thing we did was pay Nurse Redheart and Doctor Horse a visit. There we found that Twilight had caught the pregnancy early- I was about a month and a half in. The doctor estimated that I was due sometime at the end of November, but also assured that a more certain date could be determined closer to the due date. I received advice and counseling on the parenting process, our next checkup was scheduled, and we were sent on our merry way.

The first thing I wanted to do was tell our parents and my sister, so we made a stop by the apartment our parents were sharing (after Torchwood and I married, my parents moved in with his at Torch’s old pad so they wouldn’t have to go back to the tents). To say they were thrilled would be an understatement. Mom broke down in tears, and I thought Meteor Strike’s chest would surely burst if it puffed out any further. Rose Petal was a very touchy-feely sort of pony, and clung to her son most of the time, but also played with my hair for a while, congratulating us over and over again all the while. My father was perhaps the most thrilled; he’d taken on Blaze as an honorary grandson already, but having a biological grandchild was like a dream come true.

“I’m just so happy for you,” Mom wept for the thousandth time.

“I’ll have another young flyer to train,” Dad boasted. “With such strong genes on both sides, I’m sure it’ll make the finest athlete the world has ever seen!”

“Or an outstanding artist, like her mother,” Mom added. “After all, the Storm family has bred generations of first-rate craftsponies.”

“The Wood family has had a strong line of gardeners, as well,” Rose interjected.

“I’m hoping for a young fire dancer, myself,” Torch beamed.

“Do you have a name picked out?” Rose Petal inquired, twirling another strand of my hair.

“Rose, they’ve only just found out,” the mare’s husband chided. “I’m sure they haven’t had time to pick out a name.”

“We won’t even know if it’s a boy or girl for another three or four months,” I reminded.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t start thinking about it. That’s half the fun, after all,” Rose giggled. “And besides, most pony names are universal.”

“That’s not to say you would want to name your son Mary or your daughter Tom,” Meteor laughed. The rest of us giggled too.

“When did you say you were due?” Mom chuckled.

“Doctor Horse said sometime at the end of November, but we’d get a more exact date closer to the end of the first trimester.”

“The end of November? The Equestria Games are this October,” Dad pointed out.

“Wind Storm! That’s just like you. Your daughter tells you she’s pregnant and the first thing you think about is whether or not she can still compete in the games,” Mom scolded, giving Dad a light but reprimanding cuff.

“He’s right, though,” I realized. “I’ll be nearly due by then. There’s no way I can compete.”

“All the best fliers are taken. Who’re we going to get to fill in?” Dad grumbled.

“What about Cedar?”

“Cedar?”

“Come on, Dad, you know him. Wild Flower’s stallion friend?”

“Oh, that bloke.”

“Come on, Dad, give him a chance. He means a lot to her- that practically makes him family. And as I recall, you only agreed to compete with your family.”

“I agreed to compete with you and Torchwood,” he corrected.

“Well, that’s not happening. Cedar’s the next best thing- you’re never going to convince Wild Flower to get up in front of all those ponies.”

“Didn’t Rainbow Dash get Fluttershy to help out with Ponyville’s aerial relay?”

“You’re welcome to try, but I’m telling you, it’s not happening,” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, very well. We’ll try out this Cedar fellow.”

“He won’t let you down, Wind Storm,” Torchwood assured. “He’s a lumberjack, which means he has strength on his side.”

“In a relay, speed and agility will serve us better than strength,” Dad grumbled.

“We still have to get him to agree, but I’ll talk it up with Wild Flower,” I winked.

“Oh my goodness! Does your sister know yet?” Mom exclaimed.

“No, I’m still trying to think of a creative way to break the news,” I grinned.

“If I may, even gardeners appreciate the occasional bouquet,” Rose offered.

“With the note, ‘To our favorite Aunt,” I finished. “She’ll flip!”

“I’d like to see her reaction, myself,” Dad laughed.

“Why don’t you invite them to dinner tonight? We’ll give her the bouquet and ask Cedar about the games at the same time,” Mom put in.

“I’m all for it,” Torchwood agreed.

“Why don’t we turn it into a big production so it can double as a ‘thank you’ dinner for everyone that helped with the fundraiser?” I suggested.

“Good idea,” my husband nodded. “Glitter and Trixie leave tomorrow. This can be their final send off.”

“That’s just like you two,” Mom chuckled.

“What?” I asked.

“Only you would turn your special dinner into a thank you for everypony else.”

“It’s just one less event we have to plan for,” Torch jokingly winked.

“Ah, now I’m beginning to see the appeal,” Meteor laughed.

“Well, if we’re going to do this, we better get started. It’s two now, and that’s a lot of food. Mom, you think you could help me with the cooking?”

“You didn’t think I’d let you fix it yourself, did you? After all, we want to thank these ponies, not poison them.”

“That hurts, Mom,” I sniffled, pretending to look insulted.

“It’s not as though we didn’t already know you can’t cook to save your life,” Dad went on.

“Dad!” He just laughed.

“Alright, us ladies will do the cooking if you big strong stallions could round everypony up and get a table ready,” Rose got down to business.

“As you wish, m’lady,” Meteor dipped into a playful bow.

“Could you get Blaze to send the invite to your sister?” Torch inquired. “It would save a lot of time if we could stay in the Ponyville area.”

“And I’ll have her inform Cedar,” I nodded.

“Where is the little guy?” Dad looked around, realizing his little buddy wasn’t here.

“He and Spike haven’t really gotten to see each other since this whole rogue business started, so they were going to spend the day together.”

“Won’t they be surprised when we throw Nova in the mix?” Torch chuckled.

“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled,” I agreed.

“Well, what’re we waiting for? Let’s get to it,” Mom stood.

“Thanks for coming, everypony,” Torch announced.

“Thanks for inviting us!” Soprano chimed.

“I’d say you more than earned it, after all that work you guys put in to help us with the fundraiser,” I grinned.

“It was all worth it for this food!” Spin took another big bite out of her cobbler.

“But I admit, that’s not the only reason we invited everyone here tonight.”

“Wild Flower has an announcement to make.”

“I do?” She looked up from her food, crumbs still stuck to her face.

“Sure you do. Just read the card,” I slyly presented her with the bouquet.

“Aww, guys,” she bashfully accepted the flowers. She hadn’t even read the card yet, but my devious look was making her suspicious. “This isn’t a prank, is it?”

“Would you just read the card?” I rolled my eyes. She took that as a ‘no,’ and complied. She read the card silently first, then squinted at it.

“Guys, I think this is the wrong card. It says, ‘To our Favorite Aun-’” By the time she read it aloud, the message sank in and her eyes bulged. “WAIT! Are you PREGNANT?!” Though we laughed at her reaction, the look on my face was sincere, and she finally realized we were serious. “Oh my gosh, that’s so great!” She practically flew out of her seat as she lunged for my neck and squeezed it with glee. When I had to swat her away for a fresh supply of air, she just bounced over just as excitedly over to Torchwood. He received a hug just as enthusiastic as the one I’d received. “When are you due?”

“November,” I happily answered.

“Which just so happens to be right after the Equestria Games,” Dad added.

“I was supposed to compete, but there’s no way I can participate with a baby bump.”

“So, we were wondering if Cedar would be interested in filling in.”

“Me?”

“It’ll be great fun,” Torch prompted. “It’ll be you, me, and Wind Storm in the Aerial Relay.”

“It’d also be a good way to spend time with my dad,” I heard Wild Flower whisper.

“Well... count me in, I guess,” he consented.

“Alright!” Torch cheered.

“Is it gonna be a boy or girl?” Glitter asked.

“We don’t know yet,” I smiled down at her.

“Oh. Well, I’m sure she’s gonna be pretty, or he’ll be handsome!” I giggled.

“Indeed. Perhaps we can time it so that the Great and Powerful Trixie and the Dazzling Glitter Shine make it back to Ponyville this fall,” Trixie agreed.

“That would be lovely,” I smiled.

“Congratulations,” she beamed back.

“It’ll be wonderful for Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake to have another playmate,” Mrs. Cake strode up.

“Don’t worry. Parenthood isn’t as hard as it looks,” Mr. Cake assured.

“Well, I’ll be expecting some pointers,” I appreciatively told them.

“We’d be happy to,” Mrs. Cake assured. “In fact, why don’t you help Pinkie babysit the twins next week? I’m sure she won’t mind, and it would be good practice.”

“Sure,” I agreed.

“You go ahead,” Torch said.

“I guess you’re already an expert, then?” I teased.

“Something like that.” I was a little worried when he gave only a half-hearted laugh. It was as though he had something he wanted to tell me.

“You okay?”

“Fine. Why do you ask?” He instantly snapped out of it, so I shrugged it off.

“Never mind.” Even though he insisted he was alright, I couldn’t help but notice that he seemed a bit distant that evening.

“Is there something on your mind?” I prompted as we climbed into bed that night. Dinner had ended hours ago, and the picnic had since been cleaned up. Blaze had gone down with the setting sun, finally leaving Torch and I to ourselves. “You seemed a little preoccupied at dinner.”

“There is,” he admitted. “I just didn’t want to discuss it in front of all our friends.”

“Well, we’re alone now,” I prompted.

“I’ve been thinking... you have Blaze helping you at the shop now, and you never had much trouble managing it yourself before...”

“You want to quit?” I would be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised. Well, shocked would be a better word.

“I love working with you in the shop,” he assured, “but we share the income. A baby is a wonderful thing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also another expense. And this last incident depleted our savings. If I got a job somewhere else, we’d get the income from Art Life as well as a paycheck from the new place.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

“I have some experience delivering your packages. I’m sure I could sign up with the mail service.”

“Are you sure about this? I’ll support you if that’s what you really want, but I’m sure we could make do with what we have.”

“I am.” He pressed closer to me beneath the sheets.

“Okay then,” I shrugged. I was happy so long as he was happy. “Is that why you didn’t want to babysit for the Cakes? Because you didn’t think you’d have time with this new job?”

“Yes,” he confessed, “but I promise, I’ll always make time for you and the baby.”

“You better,” I giggled. “You can’t expect me to raise it all by myself- especially if it turns out to be anything like you.” He lightly swatted me, amusement plastered on his face. I giggled again, turned over, and finally went to sleep.

Blaze was still asleep when I woke up, probably worn out from yesterday’s excitement. I decided to let him sleep in, but I still needed to do something for breakfast. Rather than set the house on fire by trying to make it myself, I opted to bring home muffins from Sugar Cube Corner. Torch was just rising when I headed out, so I quickly told him where I was going and pecked him goodbye.

Mrs. Cake sat me down while I waited for a fresh batch to come out. It was there that I met Ms. Cheerilee.

“Why, hello, Acrylic. You’re up rather early.”

“Our chef is out of commission this morning, so I came to pick up breakfast,” I explained with a wink.

“I see,” she nodded. Mrs. Cake came back with my muffin basket just then, so I turned away from the schoolteacher to grab them.

“Thanks, Mrs. Cake,” I said.

“Anytime!” I wasn’t aware Cheerilee wished to continue the conversation, so it must’ve been very rude of me to turn away. She followed me to the door nonetheless.

“It’s my understanding that you give Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle art classes every Friday,” she prompted. I settled the basket between my wings so I didn’t have to talk with my mouth full.

“Glitter too,” I answered, “at least, I was before she decided to go with Trixie. I haven’t given the girls a class since- I just haven’t had the time. Hopefully we can fall back into the routine now.”

“About that...” Cheerilee’s voice lost its usual pleasant note. I paused at the door, worried about what might come next. “I’d rather the girls stop attending your class.”

“What? Why? Is it interfering with their grades?”

“I don’t want them going to your class anymore. I want you to go to theirs!” Her bright tone had returned, and her smile made me feel a little more at ease.

“I’m not sure I quite understand.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while. I’d like to set aside an hour or so of class time for you to come in and teach the whole class! Art is part of the required curriculum, but I’m afraid I’m a bit underqualified in that field.”

“I... uh...”

“Of course, I don’t mean to make you do something you don’t want to. I’ll understand if you’d like to keep the class private, but I know the rest of my students would benefit.”

“No, I’m flattered, really. It’s just... so sudden! And you heard that we’re having a baby?”

“News spreads like wild fire in Ponyville. Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks. But that means I’d have to take some time off.”

“That wouldn’t be a problem. The school system is usually pretty good about that sort of thing.

“What about lesson plans? What exactly would I be teaching?”

“The board tends to leave that up to us teachers. You’d just keep doing whatever you were doing with your last class.”

“How about supplies? I used to provide them when it was just the five of them, but there’s no way I can afford to keep thirty students in stock.”

“Full time teachers are assigned a budget to work with, but since you’re part time and we get our art supplies from you anyway, they may just increase your salary to cover the expense.”

“And then there’s Blaze. I used to teach him along with the other girls, but he doesn’t go to your school. I don’t want him to be left out.”

“He’d be welcome to join us!”

“I just... wow...” I felt dizzy. “Do you mind if I talk it over with Torch before I give you a final answer?”

“Take all the time you need,” she shrugged. “I already went over it with the school board. All you have to do is say yes. The position will be available if you are.”

“Thanks, Cheerilee.”

“Thank you!”

I took my time walking home. Instead of rushing back for advice, I thought it better to mosey along and think it over for myself before asking for input.

“There you are,” Torch poked out from the back when he heard the door click open. “I was beginning to wonder about you.”

“Sorry, I got stuck talking to Cheerilee.”

“What’d she have to say?”

“You might not be the only one switching employment.”

“She’s not leaving the school, is she?”

“Not Cheerilee, me. She offered me a teaching position at her school.”

“Really?” He replaced the chocolate chip muffin he’d been going for, and listened intently. “What’d you say?”

“That I wanted to talk it over with you before I committed to anything.”

“What kind of teaching position?”

“We didn’t get into the details, but I would take over her class for an hour. I’d still be teaching art of course, so I could just carry over the lesson plans I’ve been using.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” Torch fondly rested his head over mine. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.

“What I’m still unsure about is the supplies,” I continued. “Teachers don’t receive a very plentiful salary as it is, but if I’d have to provide the materials, I think I’d be putting more into it than I’d get out.”

“I’m sure that’s something the school would cover,” Torch thought.

“Now that I think about it, I might be putting a lot more into it than I’ll get out,” I rambled on. “It’s not just a matter of money, but time. I’d only be teaching for an hour, but that doesn’t include the time I’d spend grading papers and preparing. I’ve got to find time for the shop somewhere in there. And I still owe Graphite Sketch several more pieces. I don’t know if I’d be able to juggle it all. Maybe I’m getting in over my head.” I slumped to the table, defeated and confused. Torchwood chuckled and placed a hoof on my shoulder, taking the matter far more lightly than I.

“You worry too much,” he scolded. “It’s up to you; this is your life we’re talking about. Take your time and think it over. But I really think you would enjoy it. Who knows? Maybe this is what your new cutie mark means.” My eyes widened as he kissed my forehead and moved for the door. “I’ve got to go- the post office manager said he could see me about an interview today. But think it over and do what’s best for you. I know you’ll make the right choice.” He left before I could say anything else.

Could this really be what my cutie mark now symbolized? Was I meant to share my love of art with the young colts and fillies? I hadn’t been able to do that when thestrals were still ‘evil,’ but now it was a very real possibility. I did enjoy teaching the girls quite a lot... Perhaps this was who I was meant to be after all!

Torchwood had practically made up my mind for me when he mentioned the cutie mark. I had a sneaky suspicion he’d meant for this to happen, but I put it out of my mind. It was my choice. There were still some minor details to work out, but I’d made up my mind. I wanted to become an art teacher.

I still shook my head at the idea. I had a baby on the way, and suddenly Torch and I were both switching employment. In just two days, our lives were turned completely upside down.

Chapter 37: What's in a Name

Chapter 37
What’s in a Name

“Squirt? Teensie? Mini? How about Junior?”

“Pinkie,” I groaned. “I’m not ready to be thinking about baby names yet. And why do you keep suggesting names that mean small?”

“Because babies are small, silly!” my enthusiastic friend chirped.

I was supposed to be running errands this morning, but Pinkie had met up with me just as I’d entered town. I was now entering my fourth month of pregnancy, and the baby bump was beginning to show. The visible proof that I was with child had excited my friends, as did the major changes we’d recently made to our lives. I knew they were just trying to be helpful and help us adjust, but it was hard to find time to myself anymore. Everyone wanted to help us out or just check on the baby and I. Pinkie had become especially clingy since she didn’t have many parties to plan this time of year, and the Cakes were on vacation. Rarity was ecstatic that it was almost time for us to find out whether we were having a girl or boy, and brought up the subject of names again. In fact, I was having the ultrasound later in the afternoon. Now it was all Pinkie could think about.

“Pinkie, even when we do start thinking about baby names, I don’t want my baby to have a name like ‘Teensie.’ You might as well paint a big red bull’s-eye on them. No, I want my baby to have a bully-proof name.”

“Then what about Bruiser? Tough Guy? That’s sure to scare bullies off!” I rolled my eyes and hurried into the next shop, hoping to escape her. I should have known better- it was Pinkie, after all. She somehow managed to arrive before me, and trotted in reverse to face me while giving suggestions. “Strike? Impact?”

“I don’t want my child to sound like a thug, either. They’ll never make friends! And would you turn around before you bump into somepony?”

“Then what kind of a name do you want?” Pinkie paused to obey my request, but then fell back into step with me.

“I don’t know,” I sighed again, but this time it wasn’t out of annoyance. I just truly didn’t know how to answer her. But then I blushed. “Honestly, I am hoping for a little artist,” I admitted.

“Ooh, an artsy name! Then how about Ink Well? Sketch Pad? Marker? Pencil Scratch? Gel Pen?” I groaned in irritation. “Pastel?”

“Pinkie, I-” Pastel, huh? That wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was growing on me. I refrained the smile from creeping onto my face for fear of encouraging my pink friend. “I told you, I’m not ready to be thinking about names yet.”

“Suit yourself,” Pinkie shrugged, not discouraged in the least. She finally trotted over to the next aisle, leaving me to myself. I sagged in relief, and resumed shopping. I quickly realized I’d ducked into the wrong store when I’d attempted to escape her pestering, so I headed back out for the general store.

“So? What is it?” My friends all jumped up as Torch and I reentered the hospital’s waiting room from the ultrasound.

“They can’t say,” Torch disappointedly announced.

“Aww,” they all groaned.

“Why ever not?” Rarity pouted. She’d been looking forward to this for a while; she needed to know whether to make pink or blue baby clothes.

“The baby’s turned around the wrong way,” I answered.

“But Doctor Horse is a unicorn. Why can’t he just perform a magical scan?” Twilight pressed.

“He says that at this stage, it could be harmful to expose the embryo to direct magical contact,” Torch spoke.

“I’ve never heard such a thing!” Rarity unhappily huffed.

“That doesn’t sound right,” Twilight agreed. “I’ve never read that in any of my books.”

“The doctor said it’s because there are so few purebreds left, most ponies already have a little unicorn blood in them from somewhere in their lineage. Because unicorns harness magic, they’re far more resilient to them than other types. That unicorn gene is tucked away somewhere in other ponies’ DNA, which protects them from harmful residue left by magical scans. But thestrals have been isolated for so long that we’re all purebreds and don’t have that gene, which means the baby isn’t protected.”

“I’ve been banned from direct magical contact,” I informed them, “which means no levitational holds, no check-up scans, and absolutely no transformation spells.” I tried to chuckle at the incident, but my friends looked alarmed.

“But ya already went through a transformin’ spell,” Applejack pointed out.

“And I’ve lost count of how many levitational holds I’ve put you through,” Twilight wailed.

“Me too,” Rarity contributed. “Oh, you poor dear!”

“The Doc said not to worry about it,” Torch assured. “There’s no way to tell what the effects on the baby are. It’s quite possible it had no effect. He just wants to err on the side of caution.”

“But what if it did affect the baby?”

“Then we’ll deal with it then,” I consolingly wrapped wing around miserable Twilight. She was sick with grief, the possibility that her magic may have harmed the baby weighing heavily on her.

“None of us knew. It’s not your fault,” Torchwood added.

“The baby’s gonna be okay, isn’t it?” Blaze worriedly turned to us. Spike put a comforting claw on his friend’s shoulder.

“Sure it will,” Spike assured. “You’ll see.”

“We’re not even sure if anything’s wrong,” I agreed. “Everything might be fine and we’re all worrying about nothing.”

“We can’t have that. Stress is surely harmful to the baby!” Rarity declared.

“Even though we didn’t find out if it’s a girl or boy, are you guys still up for ice cream?” Rainbow suggested.

“I do have a slight craving for something chocolate-y,” I eagerly nodded.

“Yipee!” Pinkie cheered.

“Ya don’t gotta ask me twice,” Applejack agreed.

“Certainly,” Rarity nodded.

“Okay,” Fluttershy quietly whispered.

“I guess ice cream would make me feel a little better,” Twilight consented.

“Alright!” Spike cheered.

“Cookie dough flavored, with ruby sprinkles,” Blaze licked his lips.

“Don’t forget the whipped cream,” Spike reminded. I waited for the rest of them to file out, and started to follow when I realized Torch hadn’t made a move to follow us.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“I should really go back to work,” he shook his head. Torch had gotten the position at the mail office after all, and had been tirelessly working there for just over a month.

“I thought your boss was going to let you take the rest of the day off,” I said.

“If somepony else has to work overtime to deliver what I didn’t get around to, it comes out of my pay. I’m going to go see if I can finish my rounds before they find somepony else to fill in.”

“You need a break,” I protested. “You’re going to work yourself too hard.”

“I’m fine.”

“At least stay for ice cream. Then I’ll help you make up for lost time afterwards.”

“You have to go to school in an hour,” he pointed out. I had also accepted the teaching position, and was due to go in and teach Cheerilee’s class soon.

“Well, after that, then. Or we could ask Rainbow to lend a hoof. The skies are already clear; I don’t think she’ll be very busy.”

“That’s alright, this is my responsibility, not her’s,” he protested. I rolled my eyes. Stallions.

“That’s just like a stallion. Too proud to ask for help when you need it. Hey, Rainbow!” I galloped ahead after our pegasus friend.

“Wait!” Torch opposed. It was too late.

“What’s up?” Rainbow asked.

“Are you doing anything later today?”

“No. Why?”

“Do you think you could help Torch out with his delivery rounds? He’s behind because he took time off for this, but if we could get another set of hooves helping out, he’ll be able to stay for ice cream.”

“Sure! No prob!” Dash confidently folded her arms and closed her eyes, easily hovering. Torch flattened his ears and crossly glared at me. I actually burst out laughing. I found his annoyed expression more comical than threatening.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I can handle it myself,” Torch insisted through gritted teeth.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind,” Rainbow assured.

“I could lend a hoof too,” Twilight offered.

“Me three!” Pinkie declared.

“NO! One is more than enough,” Torch groaned. I giggled. He’d been at work all the time I’d received such treatment. Now he was finally getting a taste of what I’d been through.

“Great. So it’s settled. We all go out to ice cream now, then Rainbow can help you with your rounds.” I triumphantly sauntered off for Sugar Cube Corner. The others good-naturedly followed my lead. Torch grouchily tromped along at the back.

“It’s for the best, darling. Besides, we were going to brainstorm names, remember? You must be present for that! You are the father, after all,” Rarity fell back to sidle up to him.

“But we don’t know if it’s going to be a boy or girl.”

“No matter,” she carelessly tossed her mane. “We’ll just have to come up with names that could go either way.”

“I brought enough paper for two lists,” Twilight winked. “Just in case.” Torch no longer had any excuse not to attend, so he sighed in defeat, and trudged along with us.

We quickly made our way to Sugar Cube Corner, where the Cakes were expecting us.

“So?” Carrot eagerly prompted.

“What did the doctor say?” Cup Cake pushed.

“Inconclusive results,” I responded, moving ahead with our party to seat ourselves.

“Inconclusive?” baffled Carrot Cake echoed.

“The baby was turned the wrong way,” Torch explained.

“And he was afraid a magical scan might hurt it.”

“What a shame!” Cup Cake sympathized. “I know you must’ve been looking forward to this.”

“Maybe something sweet will make you feel better,” Carrot suggested. “What can I get you?” Everypony already had an idea of what they wanted, so we quickly put an order in and got down to business.

“Alright, everypony. We don’t know the baby’s gender, which makes things a little harder for us,” Twilight rallied our group. “But it also leaves options wide open. Any suggestions?”

“Pinkie made a suggestion this morning,” I recalled. “Pastel.”

“Yay!” the mare cheered, elated that I’d taken one of her ideas. Twilight wasted no time in writing it down.

“An artist’s name?” Torch raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Well, what if the baby’s talent has nothing to do with art?”

“What if it does?”

“I’m just saying,” he raised his hooves for a truce. “What if it’s a fire dancer?”

“How about Singe?” Blaze put in, digging into his ice cream.

“That sounds like a dragon’s name,” Rainbow wrinkled her nose, but Torch readily agreed to the suggestion.

“What if it isn’t a fire dancer after all?” I challenged. If he was going to give me a hard time about my choice, I’d throw it right back at him.

“All thestrals have some fire dancing ability,” he justified.

“Talents aside,” Twilight interrupted us, obviously trying to prevent a fight, “why don’t we try to come up with something a little more generic? After all, there’s no way to predict the baby’s talent. No use getting into a fight over it.”

“I agree,” Torch nodded. I rolled my eyes, but didn’t argue and leaned back in the chair.

“What about somethin’ that describes your family?” Applejack suggested. “All us Apples have farm names. It’s tradition.”

“I’ve got it! Stormwood!” Rainbow leapt up from her chair.

“Stormwood?”

“Yeah. ‘Cuz Acrylic’s from the Storm family, and Torchwood is a Wood. Stormwood!”

“It’s perfect!” Torch declared.

“It’s a lovely name,” Fluttershy put in.

“What do you think, Acrylic?”

“I suppose,” I unenthusiastically answered. “It still sounds a little magical, though.”

“We aren’t going by talents anymore, remember?” Twilight impatiently corrected.

“I know,” I sighed. “But everypony I know has a name that fits their talent. How are we supposed to know how to name our baby?”

“You won’t,” Twilight repeated. “Like Applejack said, most ponies give their children a family name.”

“My parents didn’t, but they were spot on with my talent,” I huffed. “And what about your brother? Your parents were both talented with magic, as are you. But then they decided to name your brother Shining Armor, and he’s captain of the royal guard! What happened there?”

“It was a coincidence,” the exasperated alicorn insisted.

“I don’t know. What if a name somehow influences a pony’s talent.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Maybe, but if I’m going to have a kid, I want to do it right.” I leaned back and folded my arms.

“Your child’s name doesn’t have to match their talent for you to be a good parent,” Rarity assured.

“Yeah, does it really matter?” Rainbow shrugged.

“It does to me.” An awkward silence fell over the table. My eyes finally fell on the clock across from me. “I’ve got to go to work.” I pushed away from the table.

“It’s only 1:10,” Rarity pointed out. “You aren’t due at the school until 2:00.”

“I need to run a quick errand.”

“But you didn’t finish your ice cream,” Pinkie reminded.

“Not hungry.”

I knew the baby’s name was a petty thing to argue over, so I went to the one pony I knew would offer advice without ridicule: my mother. This time of day usually found her working by the river behind Fluttershy’s cottage, where there was an ample supply of raw clay for her to work with. That was the first place I headed, but unfortunately, it was also the opposite direction I needed to get to the school, so I’d have to cut my visit very short. Luckily, I found her by the riverside as usual, surrounded by trays upon trays of newly formed flower pots.

“Are you starting a garden?” I commented upon touching down. Mom spun, a bit surprised to find herself with company, but warmly smiled in greeting.

“I managed to work out a contract with one of the local flower shops,” she explained. “Apparently, Wild Flower put in a good word for me.”

“Congratulations!” I knew Mom had regularly been selling to my sister, but the local job would help tide them over until their home in the Whitetail Woods Development was ready.

“Thank you,” she turned back to her work. “But I don’t think you came out all this way to help me with the pottery just before your class.”

“No,” I agreed. “I just had a question.”

“I have many answers.” I paused, trying to put it into words.

“How did you pick my name?”

“I’m sorry?” she cast me a strange look through a mouthful of pottery.

“Why did you decide to call me Acrylic? Did you just want an artist and hoped for the best?”

“Well...” Mom spat out the pottery onto a wooden tray, and proceeded to adjust them to her liking. “It’s true that I wanted a son or daughter to follow in my hoof steps, but that didn’t really influence your name. Your father and I were quite frankly at a loss as to what to name you. It just so happened that at the time, I was beginning to experiment with acrylics. I used them to make you a mobile.”

“I remember that,” I nodded. “With the thestrals flying in a circle.”

“That’s the one. You liked it so much, the name just sort of stuck.”

“Oh.” I was a little disappointed by the unceremonious end to that story. “What about Wild Flower?”

“We named her after something your father said,” she chuckled. “He kept insisting she’d be as pretty as a wild flower.”

“I see,” I sighed.

“You’re disappointed?”

“I just thought maybe it would help me figure out what to name my baby.”

“I see,” she thoughtfully nodded.

“I just don’t know what to do. I really want an artist’s name, but what if Torch is right and the baby turns out to be a fire dancer? What kind of name would that be?”

“Oh, honey,” Mom laughed. “You’ll never get anywhere if you try to name your child after their talent. They haven’t found it yet!”

“But everypony has a name that fits their talent!”

“Perhaps they were drawn to that talent because of their name, or perhaps it is coincidence. Either way, you mustn’t get hung up on trying to match a name to a talent that doesn’t exist. Choose something that has meaning to you.”

“What do you mean?” I cocked my head.

“We named you after your mobile,” she explained, “but that held meaning. It was special to us. Your father nicknamed your sister ‘Wild Flower’ in a casual side comment before we were even thinking about names. But it was a special sentiment, so it stuck. What’s something special between you and Torchwood?”

“Well...” I thought. “He did like the name Stormwood because it combined both our family names.”

“There, you see? That’s something special,” Mom smiled.

“I guess you’re right. Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime, dear,” she drew me into a close hug.

“Now I’ve got to get to class!” I quickly broke away and rushed for the school. I was already running late.

“You’re back late,” I commented. Torchwood quietly walked into the bedroom.

“I thought you’d be asleep,” he said, now taking less care with his hoofsteps now that he knew he wasn’t going to wake me.

“I stayed up for you.” I put my book down on the side table, and turned over to greet him. “Didn’t Rainbow help out with the deliveries?”

“She did, and we were finished before I knew what was happening,” he confirmed. “But I was held up talking to Graphite Sketch.”

“For eight hours?” I raised an eyebrow.

“More like six,” he shaved a couple off. “We had a rather impromptu guy’s-day-out.”

“Yeah? How’d that go?” I would have thought Graphite to be too sophisticated for that sort of nonsense.

“I was just delivering his packages when I happened to mention that you were pregnant. Apparently this was news to him, and he insisted on a celebratory outing. Let me tell you, when that stallion has his mind set on something, there’s no talking him out of it.”

“Tell me about it.” Torchwood had finished climbing into the bed, so I reached over for the light. “So did you have fun?”

“Surprisingly, yes, I did.”

“That’s good.” We were silent for a moment longer. “Torch?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking about this whole name business. You remember that errand I ran before going to the school? Well, I went to go talk to my mom about the matter. And she helped me see that it really doesn’t matter. I don’t care anymore. I decided that Stormwood is growing on me after all.”

“It’s funny you should say that,” my husband chuckled. “Blaze came up to me with a new suggestion: Charcoal.”

“Charcoal?”

“I know it still sounds like a fire dancer’s name; he probably got it from the dragon craters,” Torch interrupted before I could object. “But it’s also an artist’s medium, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” I quietly thought it over.

“And it could suit a girl or a boy. This way everyone’s happy.”

“Charcoal,” I repeated. “Charcoal Stormwood.”

“Charcoal Stormwood,” Torch echoed. He happily hummed as he shut his eyes. “I like it.”

Journal Entry #3

xx/xx/xx

The mere thought of having a baby can be both exhilarating and terrifying. After all, this is a new life, whose fate lies within our hooves! How we raise our child could affect who s/he becomes, and quite possibly even their destiny! That puts a lot of pressure on a parent. Torchwood and I both want the best for our baby, and maybe that desire to do well translated into a yearning for the baby to take after ourselves. What I thought to be a simple task of naming the child quickly escalated into a battle to decide their fate before s/he’s even been born! But there’s no point in trying to lay out a path for somepony else- that’s a journey for them to take themselves. And while having a baby is exciting, it’s a stupid and petty thing to fight over their nam. A name is just a name, and instead of reflecting their talent or personality, it should mean something special.

Best of luck, Charcoal Stormwood.

-Acrylic

Chapter 38: Expansion

Chapter 38
Expansion

“How’s it coming out here?” Rarity and I walked out of my house with trays of cold drinks, and deposited them on the card table set out on the lawn.

“It’s getting there,” Torchwood panted, gliding down from the roof to accept an icy glass. I had reached my sixth month of pregnancy, but Torch and I realized that we still didn’t have a room for the baby. After all, we couldn’t keep the crib in our room forever. So, Torch took a few days off and utilized his weekends to do some renovating.

Adding an extra room was by no means a one-pony-job, so we’d recruited the help of our friends to get the job done. The house was cramped and compact as it was, so there wasn’t much space to add the addition. The only way we could squeeze it in was by adding a slender hallway branching off the second floor, adjacent to our bedroom. This posed a few architectural challenges, and made wings very useful. Applejack and Pinkie had insisted on doing their part, however, so we rounded up several ladders and made some special arrangements.

The addition was based on a very basic design off the top of my head. I took the sketches to Twilight, who helped me convert the drawings into blueprints. That was about as much as I had contributed up to this point, though. I was usually left to keep the workers in a steady supply of cold drinks and provide sandwiches for lunch, occasionally with Rarity’s assistance. I had yet to work on the addition myself. We agreed that it would be best if the young dragons stayed clear of the construction work, and since Art Life was closed for maintence, we’d sent them both off to run the library. Heckley wasn’t overly fond of the clamour the contstruction work created either, so he’d gone with the hatchlings.

“No worries. This’ll be the best nursery every built,” Rainbow assured, plucking a cup of lemonade from the offered tray.

“What makes ya say that?” Applejack inquired, selecting a chilled glass of applejuice.

“Duh. I helped build it,” the pegasus smirked, chugging her drink.

“Ha! I bet you’ve never built anythin’ besides buildin’ block towers in your life! I, on the other hoof, helped raise more barns n’ I can count.”

“Not true! I helped Fluttershy build a bird house once,” Rainbow argued.

“I rest my case,” smug Applejack grinned.

“Why you little-”

“Girls! That. Is. Enough,” Twilight intervened, gripping Rainbow’s technicolor tail in her telekinetic grip to prevent an impromptu wrestling match.

“Thanks for coming out to help, everypony,” I started, barely batting an eye at our friends good-natured bantering.

“Oh, no prob,” Rainbow assured, calmly settling back onto the grass. “It’s actually good practice for the Equestria Games coming up. Believe me, we can use all the practice we can get. Right, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, well, I guess there’s always room for improvement,” our shy yellow friend agreed.

“Maybe we should get Bulk Biceps over here next week,” Rainbow thought. “Would that be alright with you guys?”

“I wouldn’t mind a bit,” Torch shrugged, finally downing his glass of water.

“As long as he comes willingly,” I stressed. “And this stays a construction zone and not a practice session. The last thing we need is for somepony to get hurt.”

“You’ll make a good mother. You already sound like mine,” Rainbow chortled. I rolled my eyes as the rest of them laughed.

“You won’t be laughing when somepony ends up in the hospital.”

“Acrylic’s right. Those are perfectly reasonable ground rules,” Twilight giggled, still trying to compose herself.

“Deal,” Rainbow grinned. “Alright, I’ll go tell him.”

“You don’t mean right this moment?” Rarity spoke, giving her the same queer look as the rest of us.

“Before I forget,” she explained with a casual shrug. Before anyone could object, she was gone in her trademark rainbow-colored blur.

“But now who’s gonna hold up the frame?” Pinkie wondered.

“I could do it,” I volunteered.

“You?” they all exclaimed.

“Why not?” I shrugged.

“Why, darling, you’re pregnant!”

“So? Everyone says you can excersize until the last day of pregnancy. I’m sure that includes housework.”

“But if something were to happen...”

“Rarity’s right. Maybe ya should sit this one out,” AJ concurred.

“Come on, guys. I’d just be holding up the framework. That isn’t exactly life threatening.”

“But what if something horrible happened and it fell on you?” Fluttershy shuddered.

“Then I’ll have my best friends here to help me.”

“I’d really rather not take the chance. I rolled my eyes.

“What’s the matter? The chances of a freak accident happening are extremely low. And even if it did, Rarity or Twilight could just catch the frame in their levitation magic.”

“Or, I could simply use my levitation magic to hold the frame,” Rarity stepped in.

“That would make me feel better,” Twilight sighed with relief.

“Guys,” I whined. “I’m not helpless. I’m tired of menial housework. Let me do this.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Torchwood finally spoke, circling around to my side.

“You too?” He just helplessly shrugged, and looking at the worry painted on all of their faces, I realized there would be no bargaining. I slouched, defeated and cross. “Fine.”

“You know, Mr. Cake is out at a dessert fair today,” Twilight spoke. “That means Mrs. Cake is running Sugar Cube Corner all by herself. I bet she’d appreciate some company.”

“Alright, alright, I can take a hint,” I grumbled, slowly rising to my hooves and marching off. Kicked out of my own project. Was I really so incapbable? Rather insulted, I skulked off to town.

“Too incapable to hold up a simple wooden frame,” I grumbled to myself, kicking a pebble in my frustration. “Just because there’s a baby on the way. I guess I can’t hold a paintbrush by myself, either?” The next rock I kicked flew a little too high, making me grimace and pray it didn’t hit anypony. Thankfully, it rickocheted harmlessly off the town hall bulletin board and back to the ground. I was about to close the distance to the well known bakery when a familiar poster caught my eye.

“Settlement of the White Tail Woods Territory by Royal Decree,” I read the title. The reminder of what was to come brought a temporary smile to my lips, and for old times sake, I skimmed back over the fraying yellowed page. The last paragraph was what really grabbed my attention. “Volunteers are greatly needed and appreciated.” Greatly needed and appreciated, huh? That’s more than my friends could say. With a smirk of determination, I turned my back to Sugar Cube Corner and made for the train station.

I’d heard wonderful things about what was being done at the White Tail Woods construction site, but this was the first time I’d seen it myself. I was left gaping in awe at the sheer scale and magnificence of it all. These were rather dense woods, so rather than clearing them, a network of literal treehouses had been put in place, all connected by raised boardwalks and rope bridges. Because the development had originally been intended for thestrals who were used to living in the woods, this worked out just fine. The architecture was a marvel in itself, rustic yet homely, natural but domestic. In a word, it was breathtaking.

The volunteer coordinator was also rather skeptical about letting a pregnant mare work, but I assured him it was fine, so I was finally assigned to the delivery crew. That way I wouldn’t be dealing with any heavy equipment or dangerous tools. The whole project was so huge and well-coordinated that the construction teams required a steady flow of materials. By the time I finished delievering to one, another team would need fresh equipment, so I had my work cut out for me.

There were a few others I recognized at the volunteer site; Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings decided to spend their free time here this weekend, and had also been assigned to the delivery team. But since we were constantly moving, I didn’t get the opprotunity to chit chat. I also noted Flitter, Cloud Kicker and Thunderlane assisting on the top levels. I recognized several thestrals from my encampment as well as neighboring sectors, like Earthen Flame and Tanzanite Miner. Many of the Apple family members who were skilled in construction had showed up, though Big Mac and Granny Smith were nowhere to be seen. Even Vinyl had decided to lend a hoof. Meteor Strike and my father usually came out to help, but luckily, Dad had gone to visit Wild Flower this weekend. I wasn’t sure of Meteor’s whereabouts. Lastly, I briefly noted Ditzy Doo and Time Turner working down below, but thought nothing of it at the time.

“Somepony ran out of nails?” I called.

“That’d be me,” a voice rang out. The mass of ponies parted as a large stallion pushed through. I reached back to pull the box out of the canvas saddlebags the volunteer office had left me with. I gave them over to the grateful pegasus.

“There you are. The wood is on it’s way, they just needed to round up a couple extra hooves to get it over here.”

“I ‘preciate it,” he dipped his head. I turned to go, but he made no such motion. Rather, he started to stare. “I-I don’t mean to be rude Miss, but... are you pregnant?”

“I am, in fact,” I plainly stated.

“Beg pardon, Ma’am, but a construction zone is no place for a lady like yourself. You could get hurt. What if something happened to your youngin’ there?”

“Because handing you a pack of nails is such a dangerous job,” I sarcastically chuckled.

“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he shrugged, returning to his workmates. I also turned to return to the delivery station.

I was leisurely trotting along one of the wooden rope bridges when the stallions carrying the lumber I promised approached. As it turned out, the only extra hooves they had available were those of earth ponies, so they had to use the bridge. It was perfectly wide enough to accomodate us both, and the wood was aligned so that I was in no danger of being hit, so I continued past. The stallions had no problem with it, and even gave me a respectful nod as we began to pass ways. Suddenly, a loud screech rang through the trees. I almost jumped out of my skin, especially because it had come from directly below me.

“DITZY!” Somepony yelled.

“It wasn’t me! It was the dalek!”

“Look out!” I wasn’t sure what was going on, but some sort of electrical whirring was heard, possibly some heavy equipment, followed by the loud *CRACK* of splintering wood. One of the sturdy branches to which the bridge was supposed to be secured had snapped. I instantly felt the limb give way when I lost my hoofing. I instinctively stretched out my wings to catch myself, but I’d forgotten about the construction workers beside of me. Because of the way the bridge tipped, they were sent sprawling my way, and the wood they’d been carrying clocked me in the head.

Everything was suddenly moving in slow motion. A haze filled my head that I just couldn’t seem to get rid of. My surroundings became nothing more than blurry shapes, little dots of color amongst a growing black void. I remembered hitting the ground, and the vague thuds of the other ponies landing around me. I was delirious by that point, because I thought I heard somepony calling, “Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!” in a voice that reminded me of a scratchy, broken record. This was followed by a faint *Vworp! Vworp!* before everything finally faded out to black.

“Acrylic?!”

“I’m up, I’m up,” I groaned, rolling over in bed. I recognized Torchwood’s distinctive sigh of relief before his large wings swallowed me up in a hug.

“You’re safe,” he quietly repeated over and over, more to reassure himself than me.

“Yes. I am,” I agreed, still a little fuzzy. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You just fell two stories and got hit by a four by four!”

“Oh yeah.” The previous events suddenly came crashing back. I had, hadn’t I?

“Acrylic!” Pounding hoofbeats rushed closer, and the door flew open. I looked to see who was coming, and realized for the first time that I was in one of the construction first aid trailers. It turned out to be the rest of our friends arriving, with Twilight in the lead.

“Are you alright?”

“You aren’t hurt?”

“What in Celestia’s name were you thinking?!” Twilight screeched.

“Is the baby okay?” The whole room suddenly went quiet, and my heart stopped. The consequences of my actions were finally crashing down on me. What if the baby had been hurt? It would be my fault, all because of this stupid escapade.

“The baby is fine,” one of the volunteering nurses spoke. “I did a scan just to be safe.”

“You don’t mean a magical scan?” Twilight went pale.

“But of course,” the nurse furrowed her brow in confusion. The whole group went quiet. I felt my stomach flutter with nervousness, and it wasn’t the baby. I couldn’t blame her- she hadn’t known any better. Even so, the ensuing anxiety made me sick. “Well... thank you,” Torchwood stiffly spoke. “You didn’t notice anything unusual by chance, did you?”

“I’ve never examined a thestral baby before, but as far as I could tell, everything seems fine. Though I must say, your kind is far more dragon-like than I thought,” she shrugged. A little more stern-faced, she looked at me. “As far as your wife is concerned, she just bumped her head. We gave her a mild painkiller, but there’s nothing we can do to make the bump go away any faster. Take it easy for the next couple of days.”

“Thanks,” I shamefacedly stared at the sheets.

“What happened to all the other ponies on the bridge? I hope no one was hurt,” Fluttershy nervously squeaked.

“It was strange. I heard a commotion outside, and then a knock at the door. I went to answer it, and found a stallion and that pegasus mare Ditzy Doo. They were carrying all the injured ponies in. I thought the stallion was Time Turner, but Ditzy kept calling him a doctor, so I let him help situate the patients while she explained what had happened. It was a lot of gibberish... something about ballots or decks...”

“Oh, you mean the daleks! They’re aliens from outer space. Ditzy’s always talking about them!” Pinkie helpfully inserted.

“Well, she claimed that one of these daleks broke the bridge they were standing on, and they all fell. I was hoping that doctor would stay and help, but he was gone by the time I turned around.” She rolled her eyes in frustration. “I was left to get things under control myself. They’re all fine now, resting in the other rooms.”

“Then kudos on a job well done,” Torch complimented, hoping to calm the frazzled mare. It worked. The praise instantly brought her out of the snappish mood, and she brightened up a bit.

“Thank you.” She looked as though this were her first time recieving commendation for her work. Her gaze briefly flicked to me, and her expression softened a bit. She even emitted a dry chuckle. “What in Equestria possessed you to volunteer in a construction zone while carrying a baby?”

“I don’t know,” I sheepishly flinched. I felt my ears flatten, and I couldn’t force myself to make eye contact with anyone. “When you guys didn’t want me working on the house, I thought... well... I just wanted to prove that I wasn’t comepletely useless. But I was stupid. I never should have tried anything like that. I was so hard-headed, so set on proving I could do it... I didn’t think of what could happen to the baby. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, darling,” Rarity cooed, “nopony thinks you’re useless.”

“’Course not, sugar cube,” Applejack sympathetically added.

“I never meant to make you feel useless,” Torchwood lightly rocked me. “I only wanted to keep you and the baby safe.”

“We were all trying to be very careful with the baby,” Fluttershy gently put in, consolingly touching her hoof to mine. “They’re just so tiny and fragile!”

“You’re anything but useless,” Rainbow spoke up. “You’re one of the most amazing ponies I know, besides me, of course.” We all rolled our eyes at her boasting. “But sometimes even the best of us have to take it easy.”

“You don’t just have yourself to think about anymore,” Twilight practically advised.

“I know that now,” I remorsefully nodded, eyes still fixed on the sheets. Torch lifted my chin until I was forced to gaze into his eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. No harm no foul. This time,” he quickly added. Then he looked back to the nurse, who had been hanging around the back all this time. “Can we take her home?”

“If you’re feeling up to it, you’re free to leave,” she dismissed.

“I’m fine,” I attempted to shake off the day’s adventure and flipped the blankets aside. I slowly began sliding out of the cot, the movement finally inducing a headache. Torch stayed by the bedside to make sure I was alright, but our friends closest to the door began filing out to make way. They instantly turned back, though, when I stumbled on three hooves, one gripping my stomach. Torch reacted faster than a lightning bolt to steady me.

“Ooh.”

“What’s wrong?” Twilight panicked when she didn’t know what to do, and because she’d been banned from magic scans, her hysteric frenzies had grown far more frequent.

“Are you alright?” I met Torch’s concern with joy.

“The baby’s kicking,” I tenderly beamed. The worry on Torchwood’s face washed away, replaced by pride. I guided his hoof to the spot I’d felt the baby stirring.

“Ooh! Ooh! I wanna feel!” Pinkie bounced up in line, and I soon found myself swarmed by my friends. I couldn’t help but radiate with glee. This was the first time I’d felt movement. Up until now, ‘pregnancy’ had just been a word to describe the unpleasant symptoms I’d experienced for the past six months. Feeling the life we created finally gave me a better understanding of the word ‘mother.’ I was going to be a mother! I’d have a little foal to call my own. A young one to love and cherish, to teach and protect.

‘Charcoal, I promise, so long as I live, I’ll never let anything like that happen to you ever again.’

Author's Note

A/N: For those of you who don’t watch Doctor Who and have no idea what just happened, (but seriously, why wouldn’t you? It’s the most amazing show ever!) daleks are a reoccurring alien/antagonist in the series. They are constantly trying to grow their army, often turning other life forms into dalek mutant/spies, and they fire laser-like blasters to eliminate anyone in their way. One of those blasts cracked the tree branch. ‘Exterminate’ is their catchphrase. And of course, ‘Vworp vworp’ is the sound of the TARDIS! Doctor to the rescue!

Chapter 39: Equestria Games

Chapter 39
Equestria Games

“Today’s the day! Get up! Get up! Get up!” The whole bed bounced as a small form jostled me awake. I opened my bleary eyes into the face of bright-eyed Blaze.

“What’s today?” I groaned, rolling over and pulling the blankets closer. Even that was hard to do anymore; I was reaching the end of the third trimester, and at eight months, my stomach was overly swollen.

“The Equestria Games of course!” he exclaimed, jostling me to the point where sleep was impossible.

“Equestria... Games?” I yawned, not entirely alert. My eyes finally shot open, and I gasped in excitement. “The Equestria Games! That’s today?!”

“Well, it starts tomorrow, but we have to get there today!”

“Oh, Blaze, you got my hopes up. Ten more minutes.” I lazily rolled over in bed. With a huff of irritation, Blaze slid off the bed and scrambled over to the other side.

“It’s already ten o’ clock! Wake up, sleepy head, or we’ll miss the train!” I groaned when I realized he was right, but obediently started to rise. Blaze helped ease me out of bed, then waited as I reluctantly rushed to get ready.

“Where’s Torch?” I asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Wind Storm came by early this morning. Torchwood tried to wake you up, but you were out like a light,” he laughed.

“Really? I don’t remember that.” I exchanged the toothbrush for a comb.

“Wind Storm took him and Cedar out for last minute practice.”

“Cedar? Is Wild Flower here?”

“She was going to wait for you downstairs before Fluttershy stopped in.” I giggled. Those two had become nearly inseparable.

Once I’d stuffed my bedhead into the white hair bands, I wobbled over to the dresser for my hat. Heckley sat atop it in his usual perch, the plaid beret dangling from his tail. “Thanks, pal.” I roughly moved it to my head. “I’ve got to get Heckley’s breakfast, then I’m ready.”

“I already fed him. Let’s go! We’re going to be late!” I was quite literally shoved out the door by the youngster.

“Alright, alright, we’re going. Watch the house for us, Heckley. Mr. or Mrs. Cake should come by to refill your food. Be good, okay?” He hissed farewell before coiling up for another nap.

“There she is,” Pinkie announced as I flew out the door.

“You sure took long enough! We’re going to be late!” Rainbow complained.

“Why didn’t you get me up sooner?” I retorted.

“Girls, we’ll get to the train station faster if we aren’t arguing,” Twilight pointed out.

“Wind Storm, Cedar and Torchwood still haven’t returned. And what of Fluttershy and Wild Flower? We can’t leave without them,” Rarity pointed out.

“They’re probably already on board.” Rainbow was already zooming away, so we all rushed to follow. At least, my friends did. I waddled along at the back with Blaze pestering me to hurry. We barely made it in time, but managed sneak on at the last second. Sure enough, my family and Torchwood’s parents, along with Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps were already on board.

“Blaze!” A familiar midnight blue blur whizzed across the cabin, and Blaze was promptly landed at the bottom of a dog pile.

“Nova!” Blaze playfully knocked the older dragon off him.

“That was a close one!” Spike exclaimed, hoisting Blaze back to his feet.

“Yeah! We weren’t sure if you guys were going to make it!”

“What took you so long?” my sister teasingly chided, sliding out of the booth to greet me.

“Some of us are carrying a little more weight than others,” I joked, returning the hug.

“Gee whiz, that’s gonna be one big baby,” she chortled. I narrowed my eyes.

“Are you calling me fat?”

“Maybe...”

“Just wait until she has kids. Then you get to torment her,” Father chuckled, reaching over Wild Flower with his wing to hug us both.

“You’d let her do that to me?” Wild Flower pretended to pout.

“You’re tough enough to take it.” Dad chuckled.

“Mom, Dad told Acrylic to torment me,” Wild Flower tattled in the whiniest voice she could manage.

“Well, if your father said so, I suppose it’s alright.”

“Mom!” We all laughed, and I sidestepped her to get to my mother.

“How’s Charcoal?” She fondly ran a hoof over the baby bump.

“Fiesty as ever.”

“I’m sure the baby’s just as excited as the rest of us for the games,” Dad winked.

“Not too excited, I hope,” Mom interjected. “So much activity and stress isn’t good for the baby.”

“I know, I know.” While I appreciated the first-hoof advice she had to offer, this was only my tenth warning. I noted a shifting form off to the side, and changed the subject. “Hi, Cedar.”

“Hey.” We knew each other well enough so that he would now not only acknowledge me but sometimes even offer a hoofshake. This time I even got a friendly hug... or at least his version of a hug. It was more of a light tap on the shoulder with his wing, but for a pony as reserved as he, that was saying a lot. At least he was making an effort to become part of the family.

“There’s my boy.” While I was getting caught up with my parents, Torch had endured a similar ritual behind us. My family was a bit more expanded than his, though, so they finished quickly and waited to greet everypony else.

“Hello, Meteor, Rose!”

“Hello, dear,” Rose Petal warmly stepped up to give me a hug, and rather than wait his turn, Meteor Strike embraced us both.

“Ooh! Group hug!” Pinkie announced. Never one to miss out on such an event, Pinkie squished everyone together to the point I couldn’t breathe.

“Alright, competitors. Enough chit chat. Let’s all move to our own cars,” Dad called out, breaking away from the middle and pulling everyone else apart in the process.

“Your own car?” I hadn’t heard about this.

“Yeah. See, every team has its own car so we can get in as much practice as possible,” Rainbow explained. “The thestral car is behind the passengers, and Ponyville’s bringing up the rear.”

“Yes, we’ve already sent the Cutie Mark Crusaders down to wait for you in the Ponyville car,” Rarity offered.

“We better head over- see you when we get there!”

“I better go with them, in case anypony needs some extra help,” Spike reluctantly excused himself from his buddies.

“Sure, go ahead. We’ll have plenty of time to hang out when we get there,” Nova casually shrugged.

“See you up there!”

“Bye!”

“Have fun!”

“Take care!”

“Have a nice trip!”

“Don’t work yourselves too hard!” Eventually, they all filed out to fly to their own cars, leaving us with a lot more room to move about. That suited the rest of us just fine. I couldn’t remember the last time all of us had gotten time alone together. We had a lot of catching up to do.

We all had reservations to stay at one of the finer lodgings in the Crystal Empire, thanks to Cadance. The beds were plush and very comfortable, allowing us all to get a good night’s rest before the games. Though the hotel served breakfast, we were running late and didn’t have time to wait in the colossal line. Instead, we quickly grabbed a snack on our way in to the stadium.

Dad, Torch, Cedar, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps wouldn’t be competing today- the Aerial Relay was a mid-week event. Still, they had to go backstage and prepare for the opening ceremony. Spike went his own way to perform the honor of lighting the ceremonial torch. Twilight had to split off and join the other princesses in their designated balcony as well, when I noted with great surprise that Princess Essence had also been invited to the event! She sat between Luna and Cadence, looking as regal as ever. This left the rest of us to pack into the seats we had been assigned at the back of the stadium’s third tier. Pinkie was a bit disappointed that Twilight couldn’t stay and wildly cheer for Ponyville with us, but a fresh bag of kettle corn returned our friend to her usual excitable mood.

“Welcome, mares and gentlecolts!” A loud voice silenced all conversation over the microphone. We looked down onto the field to match the voice with the form of Shining Armor, decked out in his royal plating. “It is an honor to be here with you today for this year’s Equestria Games!” The crowds roared and stomped, wild with excitement. Careful to heed Mom’s warning about stress, I joined in the ovation with limited enthusiasm. Charcoal, on the other hoof, felt the need to partake in the celebration, and wriggled vigorously.

“It sounds like you all are just as excited as I am to get on with the competition. So without further ado, we will now invite this year’s Equestria Games competitors onto the field. Please welcome our visiting delegation from the Gryphon Kingdom!” Applause filled the stadium with each town and nation listed. Of course Canterlot had qualified to compete, as did the Crystal Empire, Saddle Arabia, Maretonia, Filly Delphia, Las Pegasus, Vanhoover, Baltimare, Cloudsdale, and of course, Ponyville. I noticed with great amusement that Twilight enthusiastically cheered for her hometown before remembering that as a princess, she was supposed to remain neutral.

“Now, for the first time in the history of the Equestria Games, please welcome our participants from the Everfree Forest!” Princess Essence seemed to sit a little taller as representatives from her newly recovered domain came forth, though she did a far better job at concealing her enthusiasm than Twilight. Although only a few competitors currently lived under Essence’s rule, we had all been born in the Everfree, and therefore qualified to play for her team.

As soon as the last of the delegates had filed onto the field, all eyes turned to the massive torch stationed at the end of the field.

“Is Spike coming out now?” Blaze asked. I squinted across the stadium in an effort to make out Spike’s small form.

“Yes!” I finally reported. “I see him!”

“I don’t,” Blaze pouted, still struggling to see over the crowd. At least Nova could fly, and could hover for a good look. Blaze was still grounded, and didn’t have this advantage.

“We’ve gotta get you up in the air,” Nova flatly stated. Realizing he was right, Blaze plopped back down, pouting. I chuckled. Until the day came when he did fly, I was happy to hoist him onto my back for a better view. I felt him press down on the worn fabric of my beret so his claws wouldn’t become entangled in my hair.

“SPIKE!” Blaze yelled, using one arm to keep his balance and the other to wave.

“Go, Spike!” Nova whooped, hovering overhead.

“I don’t think he can hear you, guys,” I giggled.

“It’s worth a shot,” Blaze shrugged, not at all put out by my remark. I figured it couldn’t do any harm, so I let them continue to cheer on their friend.

“Are you sure he’s down there?” Blaze finally asked, quieting down when the torch didn’t ignite.

“Yeah, I see him,” Nova confirmed.

“Down at the base of the torch, right?” I pointed him back out.

“I think so, but he isn’t lighting it.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Oh dear,” Rarity fretted, nervously clicking the tips of her hooves together. Pinkie buried her face in her hooves, too nervous to watch. Applejack also cringed. Blaze reached down, and I put a reassuring hoof on his shoulder, though I wasn’t completely confident myself.

“Come on, Spike, what’s wrong?” I quietly muttered, biting my lip in worry.

“You got this, buddy!” Nova helpfully yelled. The stadium had gone so quiet, I wouldn’t doubt that Spike heard that one. The encouragement was enough to get him to try again, but still to no avail.

“You think he’s got a frog in his throat?” Pinkie inquired.

“More like smog in his throat,” Wild Flower snickered.

“Come on, Wild Flower, this is serious,” I chided. “Something could be really wrong!”

“It’s probably just nerves,” Mom soothed.

“I hope s-” I was cut off when a furious roar echoed through the stadium, a brilliant pyre now blazing at the base of the torch.

“You see?” Mom smiled as she applauded with the rest.

“Whoo hoo! Go, Spike!” Nova whooped.

“You go, buddy!”

“Bravo!”

“Yee haw!”

“Yeah!”

“Yipee!”

“Yay!”

“Good... Good job!” I contributed to the stadium’s deafening roar, confused but relieved. The applause was finally beginning to die down just enough for Shining Armor’s voice to be heard once more.

“Let the games begin!”

It was a long day for me, but even longer for those sitting around me. I was sitting in the middle of the aisle, and I had to get up so frequently for bathroom breaks that by intermission, Wild Flower had virtually forced Rarity and I to switch seats so I was now on the end. They all promised to scoot over one more, though, so I could still sit by my husband.

Speaking of whom, I didn’t see him until we did break for said interlude. Rainbow, the fastest, met up with us immediately after intermission was called. I had to wait a little longer on my family to show up. Wild Flower instantly fawned over Cedar, drowning him with praise to the point he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “But... I didn’t do anything yet,” he’d argue. When the much-slower Fluttershy finally showed up, Wild Flower honed in on her next victim and repeated the ritual, dragging both her friends off who-knows-where. Nova stayed behind, however, to wait for Spike, who still had yet to arrive.

“Ooh! There are our little superstars!” Rarity squealed, finally picking out Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom from the swarm of departing ponies. The young girls galloped ahead to greet their sisters, or in Scootaloo’s case, mentor-slash-adopted-sister. “You were fabulous!”

“Made me sit up proud like a cornstalk in August,” Applejack declared, welcoming her sibling back.

“Ya done good, squirt!” Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s hair. I thought Blaze was about to contribute his kudos, but in reality, he was choking on a scroll. Nova clapped him rather loudly on the back, and the slip of paper was finally coughed up.

“You okay?” I rubbed his back as he finally began to recover from his wheezing.

“What’s that?” Pinkie wondered, looking intently at the scroll but making no move to pick it up. Nova snatched it instead, removed the purple ribbon in one clean swipe, and attempted to make out the sloppy hoofwriting.

“You guys did great,” he haltingly read, squinting at the slip of paper.

“We already knew that,” Rainbow proudly rolled her eyes.

“Who sent it, Nova?”

“I can’t make it out,” the dragon helplessly shrugged. Blaze grabbed at the paper, and looked over it for himself. His eyes widened with glee.

“It’s from Glitter Shine!”

“Really?” Blaze suddenly found himself surrounded by ecstatic fillies, practically crawling over him to get at the paper.

“That’s her hoofwritin’!” Apple Bloom excitedly verified.

“But how’d she see us?”

“Did we even tell her we were performing?” Scootaloo scratched her head.

“Why don’t you ask her?” Mom’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she pointed off into the crowd. A deeply saturated purple coat was slowly fighting its way through the swarms. When the small form finally broke clear of the surging masses, the girls squealed.

“GLITTER!” The young thestral took a moment to reorient herself from fighting through the crowd, but upon spotting her friends, sprung forward with renewed energy.

“We haven’t seen you in forever,” Sweetie exasperatedly burst, squeezing her friend tighter.

“Uh, Sweetie? She needs to breathe.”

“Oh, right. Sorry!” Glitter gasped for air as her friends bombarded her with questions.

“How’ve you been?”

“What’re ya doin’ here?”

“I bet she and Trixie were performing in the Crystal Empire, and decided to stop by! Isn’t that right?”

“No way. Everypony’d be too busy at the games to go to their show,” Scootaloo pointed out.

“Oh. Right.”

“It’s good to see you again, Glitter,” Torchwood interrupted the debate and warmly greeted his former student. The young filly happily looked up, glad for the opportunity to speak.

“Hi, Mr. Torchwood!”

“Glitter!” Blaze happily stepped up.

“Blaze!” She gave the dragon a friendly hoof bump in greeting. “Sorry if the letter didn’t go through so good. I just learned how to send them.”

“Aw, that’s okay,” he waved it off. “Hey, you haven’t met Nova yet!”

“Nice to meetcha,” Nova offered a claw, which Glitter bashfully shook.

“Where are your parents, sweetheart?” Mom lovingly yet worriedly inquired.

“They stayed back home. Miss Trixie heard you guys were performing, and took me to see you as a special treat!”

“Trixie’s here?” Torchwood raised an eyebrow.

“Pardon me. Move aside, please. Hey, watch it! Excuse you! Why, I never! Ugh! MAKE WAY FOR THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” A disturbance finally interrupted the constant flow of traffic as a blue unicorn indignantly forced her way through the crowd. Glitter giggled. Trixie finally spotted her apprentice, and sagged with relief. “Thank goodness you’ve found them,” she sighed, trotting forward. “If I had to fight through one more swarm of daft, thick-headed spectators, the Great and Powerful Trixie might have banished them all to the farthest reaches of the Everfree!”

“Right along with that last ursa major, huh?” Applejack good-naturedly winked. Trixie blushed.

“I’m not sure how Princess Essence would feel about that,” I chuckled, slinging a wing around our old friend.

“I suppose that’s true. The Great and Powerful Trixie must find a new place designated for banishment purposes,” she thoughtfully rubbed her chin. “I wonder how one would go about opening the gate to Tartarus?”

“Trixie,” Glitter admonishingly giggled. Chuckling at her own joke, Trixie finally turned her attention to the young ones.

“Crazed sports fans aside, you all did a splendid job with the flags.”

“I agree. You three really were wonderful.” Twilight fluttered down from the sky to join us. “Hello again, Trixie.”

“Princess Twilight,” Trixie respectfully dipped into a brief bow, but quickly righted herself before anyone else noticed.

“Come on, Glitter. We’ve got tons of catching up to do!” Scootaloo buzzed, hovering for about half a second before bolting off to find a quiet spot by the fountain. Trixie groaned and reluctantly prepared to chase after them.

“Trixie, why don’t you meet us at our hotel later tonight? The girls can get together and we’ll get to catch up, too.”

“Wonderful idea,” Trixie gratefully sighed.

“The Marquise Diamond Suites, Room 402 at 6:00?” Torch suggested.

“We’ll be there,” Trixie promised, already rushing off.

“Think she’ll find it?” Rarity wondered, noting her distracted disposition. Rainbow just shrugged.

“Well, right now, I need to find Spike. Has anypony seen him?” Twilight intervened.

“Not since he lit the torch,” Blaze shook his head.

“He sure is taking a while. I wonder if he’s okay? I mean, he was having an awful lot of trouble getting that fire lit,” Nova folded his arms, brow furrowed with concern.

“Yeah, he sure seemed to be havin’ a tough time of it out there,” AJ concurred.

“He put things right in time, though,” Rarity pointed out.

“Actually, that was me,” Twilight flattened her ears and shuffled nervously. “I didn’t want him to be embarrassed, so I cast a secret spell to light it for him.”

“Uh oh,” Nova and Blaze exchanged uncertain glances.

“Oh, dear. Have you told him?” Rarity inquired.

“No, but he might’ve figured it out on his own.”

“Ya gotta tell him, just in case,” Applejack pointed out.

“I know. I’m just afraid of how he’ll take it. I know what pride he takes in a job well done.”

“Psst! Here he comes. Act casual!” Rainbow hissed. After frantically warning us, she expertly cleared all emotion from her face, casually leaned back, folded her arms, and produced a pair of sunglasses from somewhere behind her. “’Sup?”

“Spike!”

“Hey, pal!” Nova leap frogged over Blaze to get to his other friend. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Spike admitted. “The weirdest thing happened down there.”

“Yeah, about that...” Twilight stammered.

“I mean, there I was with all of Equestria watching, and feeling like the hugest failure ever, when the thing just lit! It was amazing!”

“Oh, phew. I was worried you’d be upset,” Twilight sighed.

“Upset? Are you kidding Why would I be upset to discover that I can light fire... with my mind?”

“WHAT?!”

“Whoa, no way!” Blaze gasped, sounding genuinely enthralled. Nova face-palmed.

“That’s not helping. He doesn’t have mind powers.” Nova rubbed his temples.

“Oh,” Blaze disappointedly slouched.

“Sure I do,” Spike confidently smirked. “How else do you explain what happened down there?” We didn’t get a chance to reply.

“Look! It’s the Great and Honorable Spike, the Brave and Glorious!” a crystal pony pointed out, trotting over with his friend.

“Can we get your autograph?” his companion hopefully asked.

“Sure!” Spike was happy to oblige.

“How you saved our Empire last time last time you were here was really amazing!”

“Aw,” Spike casually shrugged. “You know what else is amazing? Watch this!” To our dismay, Spike seemed to be intently focusing on the picture he’d just signed, probably trying to light it with his ‘mind powers.’ “Don't worry. Once it bursts into flames through brainpower, I'll sign another one for ya. Promise,” he vowed as he continued to strain. “Spike, may I have a word with you a moment?” Twi whispered.

“Hey, you'd better be careful with that! It might burst into flames later! Delayed reaction. Hey, Twi, what is it?” Spike chased after the alicorn as she trotted off somewhere private. Blaze tried to follow, but I held him back a moment to give them time alone. The orange hatchling cast me a worried look, but submitted when Nova nodded agreement. We watched worriedly from the sidelines, most of us trying to look inconspicuous as we attempted to eavesdrop. Twilight had moved all the way to the other end of this bustling street, however, so any effort to hear their whispering over the clamour of the crowds proved futile.

Though their conversation was indistinguishable, their body language adequately carried the entire conference. Spike’s indignant posture soon melted to one of hurt and embarrassment, and we knew the news hadn’t gone over well. Twilight tried to make him look at her by lifting his chin, but he pulled away and moped down the street.

“Spike?” Twilight fretfully called. Only then did I release Blaze and Nova. Those friends needed no words to communicate; companionship was enough. They made no effort to cushion the blow, or give an encouraging pep talk just yet. They merely walked their friend back to the hotel. And at the moment, that was just what Spike needed.

Chapter 40: Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious

Author's Note

A/N: I had enough complaints about the 3rd person formatting that I finally decided to remove the underline. Considering how much I hate headers, I’m just going to assume you’ll pick up on when I’ve switched to 3rd person and back to 1st.

Chapter 40: Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious

Chapter 40
Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious

“It’s not so bad, Spike. Nerves get the best of everyone at some point or another,” Nova tried to assure. The three dragons had abandoned the remaining session of the games for another day, and chose to hang out in Spike and Twilight’s shared hotel room instead. Spike was sprawled on the couch, pointlessly kicking at the air in an effort to make himself feel better. Blaze sat in the armchair opposite him, and since it was far too big for him, he shared it with Nova, who had perched on the cushioned arm.

“Yeah, remember when Garble and his friends got in trouble with those rogues? I know Twilight told us to stay behind so we wouldn’t get hurt, but I really wanted to go down and help. I almost talked myself into joining the fight, but when I saw those rogues, I froze up!”

“But that was different,” Spike insisted. “That really was a terrifying situation; your brother’s life was in danger! I just had to light the torch for the Equestria Games, but I couldn’t even do that.” He heaved a heartfelt sigh, before resituating himself onto his stomach. Blaze looked to Nova for direction as to where to go next.

“Look on the bright side,” the dark-colored dragon tried again. “No one will ever know the difference! No harm, no foul.”

“That’s just it. No one will know it wasn’t me. It doesn’t feel right, taking credit for something I didn’t do.”

“Hmm...” Nova mused. He hunched forward, deeply in thought. You could practically see his gears turning.

“What is it, Nova?” Blaze wondered.

“It sounds like you need to do something you can take credit for,” the eldest finally voiced.

“Something... I can...” Spike attempted to echo Nova’s words, but the sentence was interrupted by his own thoughts. Finally, his eyes shot open. “That’s it! I’ll just do something else for the games worthy of the Crystal Empire’s admiration! Nova, you’re a genius!” The blue dragon looked rather smug as he stretched out on the armrest.

“I know.”

Nova and Blaze’s company seemed to cheer Spike up a bit, because we returned to find him in a much better mood. He even seemed to enjoy himself when Glitter and Trixie joined us for dinner that night.

The next day, Rarity worked some of her charm and convinced the couple in front of us to trade seats with Trixie and Glitter so the girls could sit together. We juggled seats again so Glitter could join her friends, the dragons could still stay together, and our family remained more-or-less consecutively grouped. Mom volunteered to move down beside Trixie to make room, and immediately engaged in active conversation with the unicorn. I did find the games somewhat engaging, but their gossip was far more interesting. The whole world faded out as we chatted amongst ourselves and occasionally checked the scoreboard. I was so distracted that I didn’t notice how distant Spike was acting until the next day.

It was after intermission on the third day of the games, and our chit chat had caused us to lose track of time, so we were returning a bit late. Rainbow and Dad’s team had long since abandoned us to prepare for their event, and I think we chased the dragons away with our ever-so-boring babbling. This left the rest of us girls to casually wander back into the stadium, still chatting the day away. The vague buzz of the intercom lightly tickled my ears, announcing the next event. I paid no heed, but Pinkie never missed a beat when it came to her friends.

“The aerial relay!” she repeated.

“That’s Dash and Fluttershy!” Applejack exclaimed.

“Oh no! We can’t be late for that!” Pinkie dashed off ahead of us, and was shortly joined by my sister who was eager to see her stallion-friend perform. Applejack trod more slowly behind them, and I shuffled ahead of Trixie to join Mom. I looked back to make sure we hadn’t lost our friends in the crowd, and found our two unicorns missing. Rarity and Trixie had been beckoned by a security guard, and redirected through another gate. I thought I heard something about a cheating incident at the games, so now unicorns would only be admitted with a disabling spell to prevent further dishonesty. But they joined us promptly, so we could continue to the bleachers. Blaze, Nova and the girls were already waiting for us.

“Hey, where’s Spike?” I squinted. Nova just shrugged. The question still nagged at the back of my mind, but I didn’t press further.

“Ooooh! I’m so nervicited!” Pinkie burst through a mouthful of fresh popcorn. “If Ponyville medals here, we'll have eight medals so far, putting us tied for the lead with Cloudsdale! Unless Cloudsdale medals here too...!”

“The Everfree team isn’t very far behind, either,” Mom reminded her. “We have seven.”

“Hang on, I just realized something,” Wild Flower exclaimed.

“What’s that?” I inquired.

“You guys,” she gestured to Pinkie, Rarity, AJ and Trixie as well as the girls, “are cheering for Ponyville. But the rest of us are rooting for the Everfree team.”

“So?” Applejack shrugged.

“Sooooo, things are about to get intense!” Pinkie realized, narrowing her eyes in determination.

“But we’ve been each cheering on opposing teams all morning,” Rarity pointed out.

“Yeah, but none of our really super-duper close friends have competed against each other yet,” Pinkie pointed out.

“Now it’s our family against our friends,” Wild Flower added, a sly grin creeping onto her face. “Loser buys dinner?”

“It is on!” She and Wild Flower locked eyes, both equally enthusiastic.

“No gambling, you two,” Mom scolded.

“Oh, alright,” Wild Flower rolled her eyes. But the glances exchanged between the two girls let the world know that the bet was still on.

“Competitors, on your marks,” Shining Armor announced.

“It’s starting! Everypony prepare to freak out!” Pinkie declared, nearly toppling the whole row as she flailed about. The whole stadium seemed to hush as we looked down onto the field to witness this epic battle for victory. At the obnoxious howl of a horn, the race was on.

Fleetfoot was competing first for Cloudsdale, Bulk Biceps was starting out for Ponyville, and Cedar was heading off the Everfree.

“YOU GO, CEDAR! WHOO HOO!” my sister screamed at the top of her lungs.

“COME ON, BICEPS! PUT SOME MUSCLE INTO IT!” Pinkie hollered.

“Eesh,” I rubbed my temples in hopes that my eardrums wouldn’t burst.

Fleetfoot was the first to pass on the horseshoe, but the other competitors weren’t far behind. Cedar obviously wasn’t one of the first, but he still had a good lead on Bulk Biceps, who brought up the rear. Torchwood took off like a lightning bolt, with Fluttershy gliding more slowly behind him. Now I was finally getting riled up.

“GO, TORCHWOOD!”

“Acrylic,” Mom chided. “Remember what I said about too much excitement.”

“But Mom,” I whined, “Torch is competing!”

“Ooh, ooh, look at ‘em go!” Pinkie shrieked, shaking Applejack rather violently.

“Come on, Torchwood!” Wild Flower whooped.

“You got this!” I contributed, a little less loudly. Mom just cast me the ‘I warned you’ look.

Soarin’ had a huge lead on everypony else, giving Spitfire the advantage. Torchwood had quickly made up for any lost time, and caught up to the competition. He passed the horseshoe on to Wind Storm so quickly that I almost missed where one stopped and the other began. Though Dad smoothly maneuvered through the hoops and obstacles, his older age was beginning to catch up to him, because I recognized that he wasn’t going as fast as he once did.

“COME ON, DAD!” Wild Flower screamed.

“GO, DADDY!”

“Make us proud!” Even Mom was finally cheering.

“COME ON, FLUTTERS! MAKE US PROUD!”

“FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!” our friends began to chant. The yellow pegasus had just now passed on the Ponyville horseshoe to Rainbow Dash, who zoomed of in a chromatic blur. She easily overtook her opponents, including Dad. I was a little let down, but it was Rainbow after all.

“You got this, Dad!” I continued cheering even after it became clear we wouldn’t win.

Rainbow and Spitfire were neck and neck, and it was unclear as to who would prevail. We were all on the edge of our seats in anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, the checkered flag came down as Spitfire crossed the finish line, Rainbow a close second. Our friends whooped with glee.

“Second place!”

“We got silver!” Applejack clapped.

“I hope you brought some money, ‘cuz it looks like you’re buying dinner,” Pinkie slyly grinned. Wild Flower rolled her eyes and groaned.

“Why did I agree to this?” Mom chuckled.

“I told you so.”

“Dad’s bringing it home!” I called, pointing frantically back onto the field. Indeed, my father was matching one of the gryphons wing beat for wing beat, fighting for third.

“GO, DAD, GO!” Wild Flower screeched, forgetting all about the lost bet and frantically jumping up and down.

‘COME ON!”

“YA GOT THIS, MR. STORM,” Applejack helpfully put in.

“KICK SOME TAILFEATHERS!” Now that her team had already secured its place, Pinkie was more than willing to help us out. Dad finally swooped through the hoop alongside the gryphon, but it was unclear as to who won.

“PHOTO FINISH!” Pinkie screamed. Lots of excited murmuring filled the stadium as the referee consulted the tape. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the score was finally posted, and the Everfree team moved up on the leaderboard.

“BRONZE! BRONZE WE GOT BRONZE!” Wild Flower cheered, strangling me in the deathlock grip she called a hug. I was finally saved when Pinkie gave her a taste of her own medicine, squeezing her until she dangled a couple inches off the ground.

“Congratulations to all our medalists,” Shining Armor spoke once they’d all taken their places on the podium. “And now, the anthem of-”

“And I shall do the honor of singing!”

“Whoa, is that Spike?” Nova literally stood at the edge of his seat to get a better view of his friend down on the playing field.

“Alright, Spikester!” Pinkie clapped.

“You go, Spike!”

“Way to go, Spikey Wikey!” I hadn’t known he would be singing today, but I also whistled encouragement. He had a brief consultation with Shining Armor as we waited for the crowd to quiet down.

“I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO OUR ANTHEM, AND I WILL SING THEM FOR YOU NOW, LOUD AND PROUD, FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL!” Spike loudly declared. This only riled up the audience further, so we had to wait a moment before he could begin. A backstage worker promptly flew out, holding a spotlight for dramatic effect.

“And now... um... the Cloudsdale Anthem as sung by Spike!” Shining Armor hesitantly announced.

“You think he knew about this?” Wild Flower asked, now a bit concerned.

“It sure does look like Spike mighta popped the question on him at the last second,” Applejack concurred. But suddenly the tables had turned, and Spike was the one who looked unsure. I feared nerves might get the best of him again.

“Sing for us, oh Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious!” the crowds cheered. It was too late for him to back out now. The music began to play, and Spike tried to get ahold of himself.

...

“Oh, we're the Wonderbolts and we're super-fast,

“And we're from Cloudsdale which-is-a-part-of-Equestria,

“That we like best and we're proud and we're fast and we like it because it really has nice trees.

“Yeah, we love the town because it's so cool and, and we like to fly really fast and everything like that.

“I kinda wish this was over 'cause it is... n't... yet... over... now.

...

“Oh, we're the Wonderbolts and we're super-fast and we're cloud– from Cloudsdale

“We like it there 'cause it's really nice and the trees are cool and I hope it is over now

“And... it keeps going on, la la la,

“And we really love the town!

“So I wish that this... song... was over now.

“Over... now.

“Over... now.”

...

A deadly hush had fallen over the stadium, some ponies clutching their ears and others too stunned to react. I could count myself among those. Only two in attendance didn’t seemed to be fazed. One was a young child wailing for attention, demanding either food or an apology for the awful performance. The other was our pink friend, who didn’t seem to register that in no way shape or form had Spike successfully sung the Cloudsdale anthem.

“NAILED IT!”

“That is not what I had in mind,” Nova groaned, burying his face in his claws. I narrowed my eyes, noticing the guilt plastered on the dragons’ faces.

“I’ll have a talk with you two later.”

“He just looked so... broken.” Nova and Blaze had been seated before us like the accused standing before a jury, pleading for mercy.

“We thought that if he did something else for the games, it might make him feel better,” Blaze sadly agreed.

“No, Blaze, I told him to do something else for the games,” Nova willingly took the blame. “I just didn’t think he’d do... that.”

“Well, he’s sure broken now,” I vented, pacing. Spike didn’t come back after the games; he’d gone right back to the Marquise Diamond to skulk, and we hadn’t seen him since.

“I know, I know,” Nova remorsefully hung his head.

“Now wait just one minute,” Wild Flower stormed, pressing her nose to mine. Taken aback, I found myself at a loss for words, giving her opportunity to voice her argument. “Nova and Blaze were just trying to help. It wasn’t their fault!”

“Spike did get in a lil’ over his head,” Applejack carefully maneuvered. I looked between the two of them a moment, and finally sighed.

“I know. I’m sorry, boys. I’m just worried about him.”

“I believe we all are,” Rarity looked at the rest of the group to be sure the feeling was mutual.

“Has anypony seen Spike?” Twilight galloped up. By the way she was panting, it was clear she’d just broken away from the other dignitaries present for the games.

“I believe he went back to your hotel,” Trixie helpfully responded. Twilight sagged in worry.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” she groaned. “He must be so embarrassed!”

“I don’t know what everypony keeps going on about. He did great!” Pinkie cheerily shrugged.

“No, Pinkie, he didn’t do great,” Twilight gritted her teeth. “He felt so bad about the torch incident, and now this!”

“Should we go talk to him?” Blaze offered.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to speak to him first,” Twilight answered. Blaze nodded acknowledgement, but said nothing. “It’s getting late. Why don’t you all go reserve seats at the restaurant while I try to convince Spike to join us?”

“Well, I hope he comes. I haven’t really gotten to talk to him yet,” Glitter optimistically commented, following her friends down the road.

“Make sure to tell him that he did a great job!” Pinkie chirped, trotting after them.

“We’ll save him a seat,” Nova promised, hitching a ride with my sister. I bent over for Blaze to clamber onto my own back, but Dad scooped him up instead.

“Thanks, everypony. We’ll see you down there.” Twilight trotted away. But Spike never came. We waited and waited, and Twilight finally arrived halfway into the meal, but the purple hatchling never showed. Pinkie suggested bringing him takeout, which he appreciatively but silently accepted upon our return. He wouldn’t even speak to his friends. Twilight reported that he’d lounged around for the rest of the evening, doing nothing. This was worryingly uncharacteristic of the hard-working dragon, but nothing anyone did could make him feel better.

Glitter still wanted to spend time with Spike, and on the last day of the games, it was their last chance to do so. That morning, Twilight admitted all four of them to her suite so they could try and talk him into attending. Even Glitter’s sad, wet eyes wouldn’t pull him from bed. Twilight decided it was best to let him be for now, so we took off without him.

The day passed like all the others, except today brought less chatter. There was a much greater amount of energy coursing through the stadium on the last day. Fans were frantically cheering on their teams, hoping they’d pull through and boost their score at the last minute. Pinkie was no exception. She was screaming and whooping louder than ever, trying to bring the rest of us into it as well. When the very last event of the day came, she could hardly contain herself.

“And so the Games conclude as they always do, with the ice archery finals! Ice archers, take your places!” Pinkie applauded with the rest of the crowd, bouncing with energy.

“Too bad Ponyville doesn't have any ice archers competin'. We don't have anyone to root for,” Applejack sighed, leaning back as she wound down for the day. “I don’t guess the Everfree has any competitors?”

“Are you kidding? Thestrals and ice? I can’t think of a worse combination!” I shuddered at the surfacing memories of my time in the Frozen North.

“That's okay. Ponyville has thirty seven medals, and Cloudsdale thirty six, so looks like we'll be medal champs of the Games anyway! Woo-hoo!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Aww,” Wild Flower pouted. “Did the Everfree even come close?”

“You guys got twenty nine,” Pinkie casually answered.

“Not many were interested in competing, and even fewer qualified,” Dad recalled.

“But we fought hard,” Cedar declared.

“You boys made us proud,” Mom assured, nuzzling my dad.

“Congratulations on the medal count,” Wild Flower extended a hoof to Pinkie so they could finally call a truce. Pinkie almost took it when Rainbow pushed them apart.

“Hold your congratulations. Cloudsdale still has two ice archery finalists down there now! If they both place, Cloudsdale wins the medal count,” Rainbow interrupted.

“So you're saying that it all comes down to this one event?!”

“Pretty much.”

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” She continued to flail about and disrupt the surrounding spectators.

“Hey!” Wild Flower unhappily exclaimed when her box of popcorn was rudely kicked across the bleachers.

“Oops,” Pinkie sheepishly blushed.

“I’ll get you a new one,” Nova volunteered, eager to get up and stretch.

“Thanks, Nova,” Wild Flower smiled, thankful she didn’t have to miss the final event. Luckily, Pinkie was the first to spot our alicorn friend descending the stairwell, and switched gears. “Twilight! Come take this extra seat next to me and freak out over the medal count! I'll show you how. Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” she demonstrated.

“Actually, I was looking for Spike. Did he ever show?”

“He wouldn't come,” Apple Bloom sadly reported.

“We tried to talk him into it,” Sweetie pitched in.

“But he wouldn't listen!” Scoot finished.

“You can have his extra seat, though. Uh... Twi?” Pinkie searched around from atop some poor crystal pony’s head. Alas, our purple friend had already retreated in search of her number one assistant.

“I hope everything’s alright with Spike,” I sighed, leaning onto Torchwood.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” my husband assured, intertwining our hooves.

“Whoa!”

“Did you see that?” the girls oohed and ahhed from down the row as the first missiles were launched.

“Those aren’t your average arrows,” Rainbow smirked at their enthusiasm. “They freeze whatever part of the target they hit. Whoever encases their entire target in ice first wins. Keep your eye on number seven from Cloudsdale – he's the favorite.” All of our eyes turned onto the pegasus. Arrow after arrow whizzed by, hitting all around the target and efficiently coating it with slick, shiny ice. Even one of the other competitors seemed a bit edgy by how well his opponent was doing, and tried to speed up his own efforts. In his haste, though, he knocked over his quiver and tripped, which completely threw off his aim. The loaded arrow was accidentally launched too high, shooting straight for the clouds. I expected to see it shoot through the other side, but then the impossible happened: the entire cloud began to freeze!

The crowds gasped in horror as the huge chunk of ice began to descend on the field. Ponies panicked, and some began to flee in a mass exodus.

“Nova!” Wild Flower exclaimed, realizing her friend still hadn’t returned from the concessions. She sprinted off with the rest of the crowd to find him.

“Somepony cut the disabling spell!” Shining Armor cried.

“There’s no time!”

“Thestrals, use your fire!” Dad ordered.

“We don’t have enough skilled fire dancers! A fire that big can never be hot enough to melt it! Even our magic is limited,” Torch pressed.

“We can try. All together!” Dad gallantly swooped down onto the field, summoning the thestrals scattered through the bleachers to follow.

“Get out of here,” Torch nudged me away.

“But what about you?”

“I have to do something. Keep the baby safe.” He hastily pecked my cheek before shooting away.

“This will never work, this will never work,” I cried, frantic.

“What do we do?” Blaze clutched me in fear.

“Run,” Mother urged, prompting us to hurry. Once Blaze was aboard, I tried to spread my wings and flee, but Charcoal had other ideas. A sudden pain in my abdomen caused my entire body to clench up, and I cried out in both pain and fear. Mom recognized the problem instantly, and practically dragged me down the steps.

Meanwhile, the thestrals were attempting to conjure up enough heat to devour the looming glacier. A technicolor pyre burned in the center of the field, but it couldn’t reach high enough to melt the cloud. I knew from experience how hard it was to levitate fire into open air before it blew out, and apparently our brethren were making the same discovery. Dad, Torchwood and Cedar were frantically trying to bring structure to the disorganized effort, but ponies were too panicked to think straight. The pegasi were all trying to steer the ice chunk to the fire, but it proved too heavy, and it was clear they wouldn’t be able to move it in time.

We passed the newly arrived Twilight and Spike as we fled, the alicorn preparing to take off.

“Blaze!” Spike called as we hurried along. “I need you to do the thing!”

“O-okay,” Blaze reluctantly agreed, sliding off my back before I had the chance to slow down.

“BLAZE!” I slid to a halt and attempted to chase after them, but Mom held me in place. Spike jumped onto Shining Armor’s back to get a little altitude before Blaze swooped down to catch him. Wait, was he flying?

“MOVE!” Spike ordered as Blaze unsteadily soared through the air. The pegasi obediently fled from beneath the cloud, which descended even more quickly. Spike then launched a gust of green fire, bathing the cloud in heat. Blaze would have contributed if he wasn’t so preoccupied just trying to stay airborne. Torchwood and Wind Storm had finally given up on rallying the thestrals, and just focused on getting everypony out- their fire wasn’t hot enough to do any real good anyway. (Thestral flame was easily manipulated, but not nearly so intense as dragon flame.)

Only when the ice had been reduced to nothing more than a puddle on the ground did the remainder of the audience fanatically roar. Then I was also finally released to bolt out and recieve Blaze. Fortunately, he met me before I even reached the field. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to yell at him for taking off and endangering himself like that, praise him for performing such a selfless act, or congratulate him for his first flight. I ended up simply weeping in relief and coddling him instead.

“You flew,” I happily wept.

“Yeah,” he smiled, thankful I wasn’t angry. “Your dad helped a lot, but Nova finally gave me the last push I needed. It was going to be a surprise.”

“I’d say you got the surprise part down pat,” I sighed. “But don’t ever scare me like that, you hear?”

“Okay,” he agreed.

“That was AWESOME!” Dash exclaimed, landing beside us beside the bleachers.

“Great job!”

“You did it!”

“Well, I’ll be!”

“I’m so proud of you!”

“What’d we miss?” Wild Flower and Cedar finally joined up with us upon having retrieved Nova.

“When that archer accidently shot the arrow and froze the cloud, ponies started screaming like this: AAHH!!! And running like this!” Pinkie danced on the spot as she narrated. “But then Spike melted the ice cloud and saved us all. Oh! And Blaze flew for the very first time!”

“So in other words, you missed everything.”

“Are you kidding? I missed the thing?” Nova threw up his claws in exasperation. “That’s it. You’re getting your own popcorn from now on.”

“You guys really saved the day?”

“It was all Spike,” Blaze redirected the glory to his unsuspecting friend. At this, the newly arrived Princess Cadance tapped the purple hatchling on the shoulder to get his attention. He turned to face all four princesses; Celestia, Luna, and Essence had all accompanied her.

“I just wanted to thank you personally for saving those ponies and the Games, O Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious. You must be very proud,” the princess beamed.

“I guess,” Spike casually shrugged.

“You guess?!” the rest of us shrieked.

“I just saw what needed to be done and reacted. I saw the thestrals were having a little trouble, and it just so happens I can breathe fire and... if any of you could do that, you'd have done the same.”

“Forgive me for bein' blunt, Spike, but you're not makin' a lick of sense,” Applejack shook her head in an attempt to decrypt his meaning.

“Well, it's just how I feel,” he weakly waved the matter off.

“Wait a second. I think I get it,” Twilight figured. “You keep saying you let everypony down, but we all keep saying you didn't. You know who's disappointed in you, Spike? You. And only you can make it right with you again. What would that take, Spike?”

“Eh, I don't know. Can you turn back time? 'Cause I'd sure like a do-over on that opening ceremony.”

“We can't turn back time,” Cadance kindly shook her head, “but, would you do me the great honor of lighting fireworks in my place at the closing ceremonies tonight?”

“Come on, Spike. You saved the Crystal Empire! Twice! I think you can light some fireworks,” Twilight urged.

“Mm, I guess I have to at least give it a shot.”

“That’s the spirit!” Nova clapped him on the back.

“Ooh,” I stumbled forward as I felt another sharp pain.

“It looks like you lot have got Charcoal all riled up,” Mom gently chuckled, catching me. Torch moved to help support me when I didn’t right myself.

“Are you alright?”

“T-Torch,” I stuttered, pupils shrunk to pinpricks of fear. “I think the baby’s coming!”

Chapter 41: Charcoal Stormwood

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Chapter 42: Upgrades

Chapter 42
Upgrades

“Honestly, Rarity, we’re fine. I don’t see why you need to come over and make our breakfast,” I sighed, scrambling about the kitchen as I reluctantly assisted the unicorn in fixing the meal. Charcoal was now a week old and living back at home with us, and our friends were being overly-helpful in assisting us to settle in. “Surely you have your own responsibilities to take care of?”

“Nonsense, darling! None more important than my friends, anyway. You’re under so much stress, taking care of the baby and all. The least I can do is fix you a meal or two.”

“Cooking isn’t even my job. You just put Blaze out of work.” I gestured to the table, where the dragon had taken up the duty of feeding Charcoal after being booted out of the kitchen.

“And now he’s looking out for the baby, so you can have a few minutes to relax,” Rarity explained, levitating a couple of bowls to the other counter.

“Look, I appreciate the gesture, but I can handle it, really.”

“I say let her stay. Whatever’s cooking in there smells heavenly,” Torchwood made his way down the steps. “Have either of you ladies seen my saddlebags? I need to start my rounds.”

“Behind the register where you left them,” I sighed, finally accepting the fact I’d lost the battle with Rarity.

“Thanks.” Torchwood started to reach for them, but the bags were suddenly jerked away by a bold blue aura.

“Ah, ah! I’m sure the mail can wait until after you’ve eaten,” Rarity sang.

“But-!”

“No buts! It isn’t healthy to skip meals, especially breakfast. You won’t have the energy to make your rounds,” she scolded, sitting him at the table. He grunted in irritation.

“Now you see what I have to put up with?” I exclaimed.

“You’ll thank me later,” Rarity sighed, retrieving her own saddlebags from the corner. “Very well, I do have some things to attend to, so I’ll leave you be. But if you need anything at all, I’m just next door.”

“Yes, I know. Thank you, Rarity, but really, we’re fine.”

“As you wish. Goodbye, Charcoal! Ooh, he does look fabulous in those new baby boots!”

“Careful, Char! Don’t get Aunt Rarity’s boots messy,” Blaze gently moved his hoof out of the way before he dunked it in an applesauce spill (courtesy of Applejack, of course).

“Never fear, they’re washable,” Rarity assured. “Alright, I’ll see you soon. Farewell! Au revoir!”

“Bye, Rarity.”

“Say goodbye!” Blaze regained his hold on Charcoal’s boot and gently flapped it so the baby could wave to his aunt.

“Ba bee!” At last, Rarity disappeared.

“Oh, I was worried she’d never leave!” I sighed in relief.

“I know! I’m going to be late for my rounds!”

“What are you talking about? There’s still time.”

“Have you tasted this breakfast? She may be overly enthusiastic, but she does know how to cook.” I realized that he’d finally broken down and started eating the meal she prepared for us. I laughed and shook my head.

“Didn’t you say you were going to get an early start this morning?”

“Come on, Acrylic. She did come over just to make us breakfast. It would be rude to let it go to waste.” I couldn’t argue with that, and gave in.

“Fair enough.” I’d just taken my first few bites of the undeniably delicious meal when Blaze scrunched up his face.

“Ugh! Charcoal!” He desperately began fanning the toxic fumes away from his face. “Someone needs a diaper change!”

“I’ll get it,” I sighed, sliding out of the chair.

“No, that’s okay. I can do it,” Blaze offered, removing the foal from the high chair.

“Are you sure? It’s not your responsibility, you don’t have to do it.”

“I don’t mind,” Blaze shook his head, already halfway up the stairs. I shrugged, and allowed him to carry through with it.

“He sure loves that colt,” Torchwood shook his head in amazement.

“He and Garble didn’t always see eye to eye until recently. I think he’s trying to give Charcoal the brotherhood he never had,” I quietly voiced. Torch nodded, accepting this reasoning.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.” He pushed his chair away, having cleared his plate already. I kissed him goodbye, and he grabbed his saddlebags before ducking out the door. Finally left alone, I let out a tired sigh, dragging once again. I slowly forced myself to begin clearing the table, the mere thought that I’d have to open up the shop soon making it seem like a much harder job than it already was.

“Hey, Heckley? Could you flip the sign for me?” I hadn’t called on my pet for assistance in quite a while, but he was still happy to oblige. Now that Blaze was looking out for Char, and Heckley was getting the shop opened up, my load seemed a little more manageable.

From upstairs, I heard a commotion, and froze. The roar of fire was followed by a frightened shout. I relaxed a bit. Just like young unicorns were known to have magic surges, thestral foals sometimes began experimenting with their fire dancing ability early on. Thinking all was well, I continued with the dishes.

“ACRYLIC!”

“What is it, Blaze?”

“COME QUICK!”

“Did Charcoal have a fire surge?”

“You could say that.”

“Don’t worry. It’s perfectly normal,” I promised.

“I really don’t think this is normal.” Baffled and a bit worried, I tossed the plates aside and rushed up to the nursery. Blaze was still pressed against the opposite wall, staring at the blackened crib in fearful wonder. The entire wall had been singed, as though a small explosion went off in the crib. Indeed, that was where Blaze pointed to. I cautiously but quickly continued forward, worried about my son. My eyes bulged when I peered into the cradle. “See?”

“TWILIGHT!”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Twilight mused, checking over Charcoal with a scanning spell. (Doctor Horse had assured us that magical exposure would be perfectly safe after birth.) “You’re sure this isn’t normal?”

“WOULD I HAVE CALLED YOU IF THIS WAS NORMAL?”

“Alright, alright, calm down.”

“How can I calm down, Twilight? Look at what’s happened!”

“I am looking.”

“Then fix it!”

“I’m trying, but I don’t know how!”

“Is everythin’ alright, sugar cube?”

“We heard yelling!”

“Is Charcoal okay?”

“Where is he anyway?”

“In there,” I squeaked, trying to keep my cool. A trembling hoof pointed to the cradle, where Heckley was already scrutinizing the form within. My friends curiously pushed farther into the room, but gasped in horror when they peered into the crib.

“What in the hay?”

“Oh my stars!”

“Sweet Celestia!”

“Whatever happened to him?”

“I don’t know! I was just changing him when he suddenly burst into flames! When the fire died down, he looked like that!” Blaze frantically explained.

“Changeling?” Pinkie suggested.

“No, not a changeling. My scan shows that it is Charcoal. It’s fascinating, really,” Twilight calmly mused.

“Fascinating isn’t exactly the word I’d use,” I furiously flipped.

“I know you’re worried, Acrylic, but there’s no reason to be. In fact, this could be a huge scientific breakthrough!”

“My son spontaneously turned into a dragon!” I clenched my teeth, face pressed against hers. I heard a carefree giggle from the crib, and melted as my son again caught my eye. At least, I was pretty sure he was my son.

As Blaze had explained the story, Charcoal had been laying on the changing table rather cooperatively when he suddenly exploded in fire. It sounded like a standard fire surge up to that point. But when the fire blew out and left a dragon hatchling behind, I knew to call Twilight. I had Blaze send word to Torchwood as well, but if he was in the middle of his rounds, I wasn’t sure how quickly he could be back.

This dragon shared an uncanny resemblance to my Charcoal; the colt’s forest green coat had translated into matching scales, and those beautiful golden orbs still shone back at me. His wing membranes had paled a bit, light green spines now lined the top of his head like a mohawk while a few shorter spikes stood at the base of his tail, and an underbelly of the same color was clearly outlined. Half of a spade-like protrusion topped off his tail. Tiny claws gripped the crib, and small ears swiveled around with incredible dexterity, picking up every noise in the room. His weak hind legs supported him as he reached up for me, asking to be held. I gave in to the demand, and cradled my child.

“This is because of the transformation spell, isn’t it?” I sniffled.

“I think so,” Twilight confessed.

“Then it’s my fault.” I coddled the hatchling more closely.

“No, it wasn’t! You didn’t know! And besides, I don’t think this is permanent. I do believe he can switch between pony and dragon forms at will.” I searched Twilight’s eyes for truth. Could I really get my son back?

“Can you do that, Charcoal? Can you switch back for Mommy?” I met Charcoal’s innocent eyes with my own tear-filled ones. He responded with a sneeze that coated his whole body in blue-ish fire. I shut my eyes to shield them from the unexpected glare, but when the heat was extinguished, I looked back to find my little colt squirming in my grasp. I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I’d been holding, and held him tight.

“Yay! Charcoal’s back!” Pinkie cheered a little more quietly than she might have normally as to not upset the baby.

“What was that?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Twilight said again. “I’m not entirely sure what happened, but my guess is that when Acrylic went through that transformation spell at the beginning of her pregnancy, the spell somehow worked its way into Charcoal’s genetic makeup. It was so early in his development that he compensated for the magical contact by absorbing it directly into his DNA, thereby gaining the abilities cast by the spell. And since Acrylic transformed from pony to dragon, then from dragon to pony, he can go both ways. We just never noticed it until now. I wonder if something like this is what ‘upgraded’ thestrals...”

“Twilight, is this... condition... going to cause more problems in the future?”

“I’d prepare for some more charred furniture, but I don’t think Charcoal is in any danger, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Can he be cured?”

“Acrylic, this is more of a gained natural ability we’re dealing with here, not some disease. I don’t think there is a cure. It’s just who he is.” I groaned, setting the baby down before I smothered him with more of my coddling.

“Acrylic? Are you alright, dear?”

“It’s just... he’ll never have a normal life because of some stupid decision I made.”

“That wasn’t stupid in the least! You were tryin’ to protect your other boy!” Applejack exclaimed.

“And I don’t think there is such a thing as a normal life, darling,” Rarity assured.

“This just means he’s super-duper special!” Pinkie assured.

“And if he can change back whenever he wants, it’s not like it’s a big deal. He can just go around in pony form most of the time, and switch over to a dragon if he feels like it,” Rainbow shrugged.

“At least you won’t have to worry about him fitting in with the other dragons,” Blaze cautiously pointed out.

“Yeah, I bet Garble will be impressed now!” Spike added.

“Am I the only one freaking out over this?”

“Of course not, dear.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird,” Rainbow agreed, “but we know what’s going on and we have a good idea of why it’s going on, and so far it doesn’t look like it’s going to be causing any major problems. So why worry about it?”

“He’s still your son,” Fluttershy reminded.

“I know that. And I still love him to death, I’m just worried. What if he gets teased in school about it?”

“Who knows? Maybe just the opposite will happen and he’ll make other ponies jealous!”

“Yeah! I, for one, think that your kid has the coolest superpower ever! I’ve always wanted to know what I’d look like as a dragon.”

“That really isn’t helping, Dash.”

“What’s wrong?” Hooves skittered along the wood floors as Torchwood flew into the room. “I came as fast as I could,” he panted. “Is Charcoal okay?” I choked on my words, and salty tears leaked from my eyes. Torch was upon us in an instant. “What happened?”

“You remember the transformation spell?” Realization hit him like a brick. “Turns out there was a side effect.” I could contain myself no longer, and broke down in tears.

“Shh. We’ll work through this,” he assured, taking the baby. “Just tell me exactly what happened.”

“I took Charcoal upstairs to change his diaper,” Blaze repeated for the fourth time, seeing as how I couldn’t bring myself to give any sort of explanation. “And there he was, on the changing table, behaving himself. I turned away for just a second, and the next thing I knew, he exploded in blue-ish fire like some sort of magic surge. But when the fire went out, he turned into a dragon!”

“A dragon?” Torchwood considered the colt before him once again, finding it rather hard to believe. Charcoal just kicked and squirmed, pleading for attention. Torch complied by giving him back to Blaze. No sooner had the baby been passed on, though, than he lit up in fireworks once more. Blaze just held him away from his face and turned away to shield his eyes, becoming accustomed to the routine. Torchwood, on the other hoof, was paralyzed in shock.

“You see!” Blaze exclaimed, resituating the hatchling more comfortably in the crook of his arm despite the fact that he was now covered in soot.

“Y-you w-weren’t kidding,” he stuttered, still staring at our child.

“I know it’s a lot to take in,” Twilight spoke gently. “But I don’t think it will cause any real problems. He just gained a new ability, which he can turn on and off at will, not unlike your wing retractions.”

“You’re saying he can still lead a normal life?” he clarified.

“As far as I can tell,” she shrugged. Torchwood took a moment to steady himself.

“Then... I suppose... this is good news.”

“GOOD NEWS?!” The rest of us screeched.

“How in any way, shape or form is this good news?” I ranted.

“Think about it, honey,” he urged. “If he can turn it on and off as he likes, it can only help him. He will be spending a lot of time with his brothers, after all.” Torch glanced to Blaze.

“I do see how that could be of benefit, given his circumstances,” Rarity tried to soothe.

“But what if he gets teased about it at school?”

“Pfft! Are you kidding me? If those kids know what’s good for ‘em, they won’t risk the wrath of a dragon!” Rainbow snorted.

“That’s a good point!” I exclaimed, nerves getting the best of me. “What if he can’t make friends because his... ability... scares everypony off?”

“Oh, my!” Fluttershy gasped, realizing I was right. The rest of our friends glared at her. “I mean... I’m sure that won’t happen.”

“Acrylic, you know better than anypony that if your friends can’t accept you for who you really are, they aren’t your real friends,” Twilight pointed out. “If the other colts and fillies won’t take Charcoal for who he really is, then it’s probably for the best.”

“I just don’t want him to feel alone. I know what it’s like to feel stuck between two worlds.”

“You’re frettin’ too much,” Applejcak wrapped a hoof around my shoulder. “He’s got a whole slew of friends right here!”

“And I’ll make sure he doesn’t get bullied,” Blaze declared.

“That’s sweet, Blaze, but you can’t be with him every minute of every day,” I weakly smiled.

“No one can do that, but we can all be there to help all four of you through this. Right, girls?”

“Yes indeedily!”

“Certainly!”

“Uh-huh!”

“You got it, partner.”

“Of course!”

“Don’t worry. We dragons look out for each other,” Spike assured. I wasn’t sure if he was wrapping an arm around Blaze or just leaning on him, but either way, the gesture showed their mutual intimacy.

“It’ll all work out, I promise,” Torch heartened once more. “I’ll stay home with the three of you until we know exactly what’s going on.”

“Can you get someone to cover your shift?” I sniffed, relieved we wouldn’t be left alone but concerned for his work. He had been taking a lot of time off lately, and that couldn’t look good to his boss.

“Consider it done,” Rainbow saluted, snatching Torch’s mail bag and zooming out the door before anyone could argue.

“I know you don’t like me cooking for you, Acrylic, but please allow us to bring you a meal tonight,” Rarity gently set a hoof on my shoulder. As exhausted and scared as I was, I could only nod. “Excellent!”

“We can pitch in ‘round the house, too. Whatever ya need, just tell us, and we’ll get ‘er done,” Applejack ran her hoof along the edge of her stetson, a gesture that somehow expressed pride, capability and determination all at once.

“Ooh! Ooh! Can I help?” Pinkie requested.

“Pinkie, you work the register at Sugar Cube Corner sometimes, right? Why don’t you keep the shop open? And Applejack? I’d say those flowers Acrylic dried are about ready to be made into paint. Right?”

“Sure.”

“We’re on it!” Pinkie dutifully marched back downstairs, closely followed by Applejack. I’d run her through the paint-making process once or twice when she came by to help out before.

“What should I do?” Fluttershy helpfully asked.

“You’re good with all sorts of baby creatures. Could you stay upstairs and help Spike and Blaze babysit?”

“I’d be happy to,” she sweetly smiled.

“I’m going to go consult with Doctor Horse and see what else I can find out. If we’re lucky, we might even be able to convince him to make a house visit.”

“What about us?” Torchwood queried.

“Right now, you should just focus on getting some rest,” Twilight conducted. “If I can get the doctor over here, he’ll probably have some questions and maybe even advice, but other than that, you both need to take the day off. Let us handle things.”

“It’s under control,” Spike winked.

“Between the four of us, how hard could it be?” Blaze concurred.

“Four?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Sure. Heckley’s going to stick around and lend a tail, right boy?” Heckley tilted his head upon being addressed, and though he didn’t seem very enthusiastic, he didn’t protest, either.

“Well...”

“Come on, honey. Get some rest. It sounds like they all have a good handle on things.” I moved close enough to Blaze so I could give Charcoal a final nuzzle. He grabbed at my nose, good-naturedly pinching the flesh between his pointy little dragon talons.

“Okay.”

I remembered Torchwood leading me off to bed, and though he’d lay down beside me, I must have fallen asleep relatively quickly, because I missed the doctor’s visit. My friends later reported that he basically confirmed Twilight’s theory after running a few tests, and likewise didn’t find any other problem. He acknowledged the possibility of bullying in the future, but assured that though Charcoal’s case was unusual, magical mishaps weren’t unheard of, so hopefully the oddity of the matter would be more or less readily accepted over time. To my surprise, he also made the suggestion that we start providing Charcoal with as much public exposure as possible early on. It was tempting to keep the matter hush-hush, but as the doctor logically explained, the truth would come out sooner or later and it would be best if everypony learned of his ability now so they would be more likely to accept it.

I didn’t wake up until nearly four, and after missing lunch, I’d worked up quite an apetite. As promised, Rarity had us covered, and had prepared a meal large enough to accomodate everyone. This hadn’t been done without Applejack’s help, of course. Torchwood realized that we still had yet to inform our family of the matter, and recruited Rainbow to help him track down our parents. Spike had performed the courtesy of notifying Wild Flower through Nova, which probably meant Cedar was also aware.

Like the concerned grandparents they were, our parents immediately stopped by to check up on Char. They shared my concern, but like our friends, were determined to make the best of the situation. My father declared that he would begin researching how Char could make the best use of his dragon physique to perform new aerial stunts. Rose suggested that maybe this could open up a whole new range of ways for him to earn his cutie mark, which led Meteor to mention he hoped it would be in the quarrying business. “We can always use more strong lads out in the quarry. A dragon’s sheer size would be more than useful, not to mention that kind of brawn,” he’d said. Mom was there mostly for moral support and stuck by my side the entirety of the night, but also kept everypony else from getting carried away in their plans for the baby’s new “powers.”

Of course they stayed for Rarity and Applejack’s dinner. Our friends had definitely prepared for visitors, because there was more than enough food to accomodate everyone, plus Wild Flower, Cedar and Nova who arrived just after we began eating.

“We came as soon as we heard,” my sister assured.

“But what exactly is the problem?” Nova scratched his head. Blaze only had to gesture to the tiny green hatchling seated beside him for all three of their jaws to drop.

“My... word...” Wild Flower breathed, eyes bulging.

“I- er...” Cedar stuttered before deciding it was best to keep his mouth shut for fear of saying something offensive. My sister, on the other hoof, had no such fear.

“What in the hay happened to your kid?!”

“Wild Flower!” Mom loudly barked. “Mind yourself!”

She flattened her ears in embarrassment and uttered a barely audible, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” I sighed, half-amused, half-pained by the remark. “I know it’s weird.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Wild Flower agreed, moseying over to receive her nephew. The baby erupted into giggles of greeting upon eyeing his aunt. She timidly reached out to tickle the hatchling’s belly. He kicked and squirmed and thrashed in complete and utter delight, which prompted another body-shift to overcome him. Wild Flower didn’t even retract her hoof when Charcoal’s blue flames erupted, or when he changed back to a colt. She merely continued to stare, rather mesmerized by the transformation. “Just... why?”

“You remember when Luna cast the transformation spell on me and I turned into a dragon?”

“Oh yeah. That was when your other... uh... boy, got into some trouble.” she looked at Blaze, hoping he wasn’t offended. He didn’t even seem to acknowledge that she’d spoken at all.

“Yes. Well, the doctor thinks that since I was pregnant when I went through the spell, Charcoal somehow absorbed the transformation magic, so he can turn it on and off at will now.”

“Sounds... logical,” Cedar processed the information.

“Still weird, but I guess I can see that,” Wild Flower shrugged, finally coming to terms with the situation. “Does anyone else know?”

“Not yet, but the doctor wants us to get the whole town used to it as soon as possible,” Torch responded.

“How’re you going to do that?”

“Not keep him locked up in the house?” I sardonically put in.

“I know! Why not bring him to the Breezy Crossing next week? The whole town’s going to be there, and he’ll have a blast. And aren’t you guys helping out anyway, ever since you became the ‘mythical creature nuts’ or whatever?”

“Breezies aren’t mythical creatures, Wild Flower,” I rolled my eyes.

“Actually, they’re very rare, tiny, magical ponies,” Fluttershy helpfully explained. “They migrate to the western part of Equestria every few years to gather pollen. But they have to make it back before the portal to their native land closes.”

“We pegasi are making the breeze for them,” Rainbow proudly declared.

“The breeze activates their magic, which they use to keep the pollen from being destroyed.”

“Wow! I bet even Acrylic doesn’t know that much about breezies!”

“Because they aren’t mythical creatures!” I snorted again.

“No, but they are adorable, tiny, fairy creatures. Their wings are so itty-bitty! Like a butterfly, but even more delicate. Did I mention how tiny they are?”

“Don’t suppose you pegasi need any help?” Dad turned to Rainbow, correctly assuming she was heading the operation.

“I was going to ask for some thestral help, but as I recall, you guys don’t hover so good. At least not without kicking up a tornado.”

“Oh, no, no, no. The breezies are so delicate, they need a very gentle breeze to help them on their way,” Fluttershy hastily interjected.

“What can I say? We’re powerhouses,” Dad chuckled. “Alright, then. You said this is next week? I’ll make sure to keep all thestrals grounded for the little guys.”

“So you aren’t helping, then?” Wild Flower looked at me.

“THEY AREN’T MYTHICAL CREATURES!! I can tell you almost anything you want to know about hippocampi, hippogryphs, destrals, centaurs, aponi, any of those guys. But breezies actually exist!” I seethed throughout the entire duration of the rant.

“Well, duh. Haven’t you been listening?” I couldn’t help but face-hoof. “Just because you don’t know anything about them doesn’t mean you can’t help. Right, Flutters?”

“Oh, uh, well... I think we have things covered,” Fluttershy uneasily shifted.

“But you can come and watch with everypony else!” Pinkie invited.

“Just make sure to keep your distance. You don’t want Char exploding in a fiery inferno and burning everypony,” my sister ever-so-helpfully pointed out.

“Or distracting the breezies. It sounds like they’re very sensitive creatures,” Rose Petal added. Fluttershy’s expression told me that the older mare had read her mind.

“Oh my! I hadn’t thought of that,” Rarity mused.

“Maybe we better sit this one out,” I sighed, reading our yellow friend’s face.

“No, really. We’d love to see you there,” she hastily but quietly interjected. “After all, I’m sure Charcoal will have his powers under control by then.”

“He’s a week old, Fluttershy! You can’t expect him to learn that quickly.”

“I don’t know. He seems to be getting the hang of it,” Nova observed.

“It would be a good chance to introduce him to everypony,” Spike agreed.

“I’ll keep working with him. Baby dragons learn fast. I’m sure we can get him ready for next week,” Blaze vowed.

“We’ll see.”

Author's Note

A/N: In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m switching a few of the episodes up. The Equestria games needed to come first to better fit my storyline, and I’ll only be covering a few of the element keys. The rest are still obtained somewhere along the line, I just don’t want to spend time going over episodes you’ve all (hopefully) already seen without anything new to contribute.

Chapter 43: It Ain't Easy Being Breezies

Chapter 43
It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies

“You’re sure he’s ready?” It was probably a little late to be asking such a thing; Charcoal was already tucked into the baby buggy, and we were all ready to head for town square to cheer on the breezies.

“Positive. Check it out! Charcoal, shift!” Blaze snapped his claws in demonstration, and on cue, Charcoal’s turquoise flame gently sparked, barely covering his body before dying out. The sheets weren’t even singed, but the transformation left the hatchling version of my son in the stroller.

“Yes, Blaze, you’ve introduced me to the keyword method already. But he isn’t a dog, remember. I just need to be sure he won’t get distracted and decide to spark.”

“I know he’s not a dog,” the orange dragon indignantly huffed. “But he’s ready, I’m sure of it.”

“Okay, Blaze, I’ll trust you.”

“One more time, Char. Shift!” The baby obediently flickered just brightly enough to perform the change. “See? I told you baby dragons learn quickly.”

“Doctor Horse did say he seems to be developing more quickly than other babies he’s seen,” Torch noted as he passed by.

“Hey! If today goes well, can I finally bring Charcoal to visit Garble in the Dragon Craters?”

“Maybe.” I was still hesitant to let Charcoal mingle with the dragons for the simple fact that they were a lot rougher than the ponies here in Ponyville.

“But Garble will be migrating away with the flock soon! I want him to get to meet Charcoal before then.”

“We’ll see,” I repeated, lifting my hat off the hook. “He could always come here, you know.”

“I don’t think all his friends will come back to Ponyville anytime soon. Especially Gilda. She’s a little touchy about showing her face back here again after last time.”

“I don’t see why. We’ve all forgiven her.”

“By all you mean you and your friends, right?”

“No, I mean everyone.”

“I hate to break it to you, but not everyone’s like you. A lot of folks are still a little upset from her first visit, let alone this last incident. We can’t all be Elements of Forgiveness.” I briefly wondered if he was smart-mouthing me, but seeing his point, I decided to let the matter go.

“Are we ready?” Torch was waiting for us by the door. Blaze eagerly jogged ahead, and I more slowly followed, carefully maneuvering the stroller through the tables of Art Life.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious. A couple of curious and well-meaning customers and friends had stopped by to visit the baby before, and though Char had behaved himself, this was his first time really out in public. And especially since we discovered his new ability, I was worried of what ponies might think. Would they accept him as the doctor suggested, or would he be forever labeled as a freak? I couldn’t imagine that our tight-knit community would do anything intentionally hurtful, but I knew how superstitious they could be. When Zecora had first appeared in town, ponies avoided her like the plague because of her queer rhymes and striped coat. Then again when Apple Bloom had come down with the Cutie Pox, some feared she had fallen victim to a hex or curse. At the same time, my friends took it well enough. The Cakes had also been pushing for us to schedule a playdate soon, and they had been informed. Neither of them seemed fazed in the least. By these mixed results, I just couldn’t be sure how Charcoal would be received by everyone else.

Though I pretended to be extra careful around potholes or bumps, I was really just using these inconveniences as excuses to postpone our arrival. But I couldn’t delay our arrival forever, and we arrived at the bustling town square all too soon. Blaze volunteered to utilize the newly-discovered use of his wings to scout out our friends and identify the easiest route to take with the stroller while we waited on the outskirts of the celebration. Not that we could have moved it we wanted to, of course. A few ponies who hadn’t yet gotten the opportunity to meet Charcoal Stormwood recognized us with the buggy, and crowded around to say hello. Among them were Ditzy, her friend Time Turner, Cheerilee, and a few of the curious foals hovering around her.

“He’s so pretty! I was really worried after that accident at White Tail Woods, but I’m glad he’s okay,” Ditzy beamed. She tried to offer an earnest smile, but to this day I found it difficult to take her wall eyes seriously.

“Thank you, Ditzy.”

“He is beautiful,” Cheerilee praised. “I look forward to having him in class.”

“Speaking of which, I should be coming back next week,” I informed her. I’d been on maternity leave while we adjusted to life with the baby, but with Blaze helping out, I would finally be able to return to work.

“I’ll be sure to inform the students. They’ve missed you,” Cheerilee chuckled. I beamed.

“Torchwood! Acrylic!” I recognized Doctor Horse’s voice before I saw him pushing through the crowd.

“Doctor,” I formally nodded in greeting. Time Turner looked up for a moment, wondering if he was being addressed, but realizing we were being joined by a fourth member, shook it off.

“How is the little feller?”

“Rather feisty,” Torchwood winked. The doctor seemed to understand the underlying meaning, and hushed his tone of voice.

“So you’ve gotten the shifting under control then?” I wasn’t able to shush him in time. Charcoal heard the word, and as Blaze had trained him, switched forms. Cheerilee nickered and reared in surprise; the gathered colts and fillies scattered, squealing in fear; Ditzy instinctively ducked behind Time Turner; and the brown earth pony brought forth a silver stick topped with a glowing blue bulb, wielding it like a defensive weapon. I wasn’t quite sure how to take that last bit, and almost forgot an explanation was in order.

“It’s alright!” the doctor assured, calming them all down. “Torchwood? Acrylic? Would you like to explain?”

“Right. See, Char here is a bit... special,” my husband began.

“When I was pregnant, Princess Luna performed a transformation spell that temporarily turned me into a dragon,” I went on.

“And we believe that the baby absorbed that magic, or at least some of it, which gives him the ability to shape-shift, as it were.”

“Blaze somehow trained Charcoal to shift on command, at least until he’s older and knows better. Whenever he hears ‘shift’,” I waited for him to revert back to a colt, “he changes.”

“Well... I suppose that makes sense,” Cheerilee finally concluded, appearing a bit more at ease.

“Sorry, what’d you say his name was?” Time Turner absentmindedly asked, waving the glow stick around Char’s head. It made the most irritating whirring noise, and my son whined in protest. Torchwood defensively batted the thing away.

“Charcoal,” he rigidly answered.

“As in, Charcoal Stormwood?” Time Turner scrutinized the green-coated foal.

“That’s right.” I narrowed my eyes in confusion. I thought the whole town had heard about the baby naming incident. It wasn’t as though we’d kept things a secret.

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” the earth pony straightened up with a wild grin. “I think your baby is going to be just fantastic.” Something about his tone of voice made me smile.

“Thank you... I think.”

“Right then! It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Stormwood,” Time Turner extended his hoof as though expecting the baby to shake it. Charcoal did take hold, but only to see if it was edible. Time Turner pulled away before he could be covered in baby slobber. “Congratulations on the baby. Keep up the good work.” I was too dumbfounded to protest when he moved on to shake my hoof as well as Torchwood’s. “Come along now, Ditzy. As I recall, we were supposed to pay Roseluck a visit.”

“Oh yeah. Her.” Did I detect a hint of jealousy in the gray mare’s voice? Even so, she reluctantly tagged along after her bizarre friend. I shook my head again. What was that all about?

“Do those two seem a bit... odd to you?” I found myself asking. I realized how rude I must sound as soon as the words came out of my mouth, and instantly clapped a hoof overtop as though that could erase my mistake. Luckily, no one else seemed offended. In fact, Torchwood chuckled as if in agreement.

“They are perfect for each other,” Cheerilee voiced with a childish giggle.

“Indeed. It seems obvious to everyone but them,” Doctor Horse added with a sly smirk.

“They’ll come around,” Torchwood assured. “True love always finds a way.”

“That’s only the cheesiest line ever,” I teasingly chided, fondly poking him. “So dramatic!”

“I thought you liked drama,” he playfully shot back. “After all, you’re the one that died and came back to life as the Seventh Element of Harmony!”

“Almost died,” I corrected with a challenging smirk. “There’s a difference.”

“And then turned yourself into a dragon to stay fifty meters closer to Garble in the exchange,” he went on.

“You volunteered to do the same!”

“It was your idea!”

“Children, children, settle down!” I almost forgot Cheerilee was still standing there, and she threatened to burst out in tears of laughter. Doctor Horse was no less amused.

The technicolor form of Rainbow caught our attention from the sky, and we all realized with a start that the breezies were arriving. We all hushed to a dead silence, calling to mind Fluttershy’s warnings about being too loud and startling the creatures. Blaze’s hovering form drew our eyes next, waving for us to join him and the rest of our friends. I even spotted Wild Flower’s brown mane bobbing up and down. It looked like she decided to show up after all.

“Gotta go,” I dared to breathe farewell to my employer and family doctor. They silently nodded acknowledgement, and we parted ways.

“Everypony, it’s time. Please welcome... the breezies!” Twilight had taken her place at the front of the crowd, but we could barely hear her whisper.

A tiny stream of little forms floated in. Their flight formation and lightly buzzing wings reminded me of a mosquito swarm, but they were somehow far too angelic and mystical to be compared to those pesky parasites. Yet I couldn’t relate them to butterflies, either. They were truly magnificent, in their own right. I could see why Wild Flower might have mistaken them for ‘mythical’ creatures. We could only gape on in silent wonder.

“They’re as cute as Apple Bloom on the Day she was born,” Applejack finally commented.

“And would you look at those adorable little packs they carry their pollen in?” Rarity quietly concurred.

“So... cute! Can’t... take... it!” Pinkie covered her mouth before she squealed in excitement.

“Gla!”

“Shh!” I clapped a hoof over Charcoal’s mouth. “I know they’re pretty, sweetie, but you have to be quiet, okay?” He blew a raspberry into my hoof in response.

“I wonder what it’s like to be a breezy,” Wild Flower absentmindedly mused. “Hey, you think Princess Luna or Twilight would cast a transformation spell for me?” she giddily jibed, obviously realizing I still wasn’t on good terms with such magic.

“Shut up. Literally,” I hushed, turning my attention back to the fairies overhead. Torchwood chuckled, alerting me that he’d also heard the conversation.

Since all but a few working pegasi were supposed to be grounded, Nova and Blaze had lighted down on one of the tree branches above. The leaves rustled slightly as Spike clambered up to join them. It didn’t register at first that the leaf he accidentally loosed would be a problem until it disturbed the breezy swarm, sending a sizable group of them spinning out of control!

“Oh, no!”

We all gasped upon the realization that the little ones were in danger. Pegasi and thestrals alike looked to each other, wondering if this was just cause to break the grounding rule to help.

“Slow down the breeze for the other group to catch up,” Rainbow immediately took control of the situation.

“They're too far back! We can't connect the breeze to both sets of Breezies!”

“What if we speed it up?”

“Then the first group'll be going too fast, and they'll get separated from each other!” There just seemed no good option.

Seeing the poor things in such a state caused Fluttershy to snap into action. One of the breezies had spun terribly out of control, so Fluttershy made that one her priority. She plinked of Fluttershy’s stomach ever so gently, and Fluttershy proceeded to carry it back to the others.

One breezy with a blue coat and a pink mane was squeaking something indecipherable to its partners. Though I couldn’t decipher what he was saying, Fluttershy was obviously able to translate, for she concurred, “He’s right! You must all gather as close as you possibly can!” Through her coaching, the breezies all eventually found their way to the yellow mare, and she promptly lighted down with the precious cargo. Seeing as how we couldn’t exactly distract them any further, the silent audience finally erupted into cheers of praise for the rescue.

Pinkie darted off to meet them. Dash did the same to make sure things were alright, and the rest of us followed their lead. Torch bolted ahead, but I still had Char to worry about, so we were the last to arrive.

“THAT WAS AMAZING!” Pinkie shrieked.

“I'm sorry we couldn't get a breeze going that would get them back to the others,” Rainbow apologized.

“Oh, it's not your fault,” Flutters assured.

“I, for one, am very proud of you, Fluttershy. Leaping into action like that,” Twilight congratulated.

“I feel like I should design you a special hero's gown! Heh... Or a sash. At least a sash,” Rarity spoke.

“Okay, okay, okay! I know what you're all thinking! Why don't you just say it?!” Spike wept, groveling at Fluttershy’s hooves. “I'm sorry! This is all my fault! I'm so, so sorry!

“Oh, Spike, it's okay! It could have happened to any one of us.

“Okay... Thank you!” The breezies, however, weren’t so forgiving, and burst into an outraged clamor of shrieks and cries in their foreign language. “Uh... I'm... just... gonna stay over here,” Spike took shelter cowering behind Nova.

“Look on the bright side. Now we get to meet these guys up close. They’re so cute!” Wild Flower stuck her nose down to their level, but not intimidatingly so. “Hi, guys! Ooh! They’re so tiny!”

“So, Fluttershy, you want us to get the breeze going again so these little guys can get a move on?” Rainbow questioned. The breezies squeaked in protest, and Fluttershy gave in to their pleas.

“Maybe we should wait just a moment or so. They've been through so much...” Trusting her judgment, Rainbow nodded.

“Just gimme the word when you think they're ready.”

“Come on, little ones. I’ll take you back to my house where you can get all rested up,” Fluttershy snuggled another one close.

“Need help?” Wild Flower eagerly volunteered. She loved tiny things almost as much as her flowers.

“We’d all be glad for the company.” The fairies murmured agreement.

“What about aunt-nephew time?” Torchwood raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, uh, well... I don’t suppose Charcoal could come too?” Fluttershy considered the colt.

“He has his abilities under control now, right?”

“Sure does,” Blaze proudly boasted.

“Well, so long as he can behave himself, I don’t see why not,” she kindly consented.

“Great! We’ll take him and the breezies meet up with you guys later.”

“But Wild Flower, remember? He’s supposed to have his first play date with Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake in a little over an hour.”

“Oh, I think the breezies will be rested up by then,” Fluttershy interjected.

“You can pick him up then, or we’ll just meet you there,” Wild Flower suggested.

“Wait, you mean leave him alone?” I correctly assumed that Wild Flower meant to exclude me and babysit her nephew. I’d only left him alone with Blaze before once, and that was just to run down to the store and pick up a few things. This would be my first time away from him for an extended period of time. My stomach knotted in dread.

“I think three mares and the baby might be overcrowding the breezies just a bit,” Fluttershy cautiously pointed out. “After all, I wouldn’t want to make them feel anxious.”

“Does that mean I have to stay behind, too?” Blaze realized with wide eyes. I didn’t think he’d actually left Char’s side since we brought him home, either.

“It’s fine. We’ve got it under control,” Wild Flower casually waved, pushing herself between me and the stroller.

“Besides, now we finally have time to hang out,” Nova pointed out, placing a reassuring claw on his shoulder.

“See you in an hour!” The breezies flocked to Fluttershy once more, and Wild Flower slowly nudged the buggy into motion. Before I could protest, the pair disappeared over the hill.

“Relax! It’s only been ten minutes,” Applejack advised. Nova and Spike dragged Blaze off to Sugar Cube corner so they could spend time together over ice cream. Rainbow was rallying Cloud Kicker and Flitter to prepare for anther breeze, and Torchwood had gone back to work. Everyone else was going about their business, so I also returned home. Applejack stopped by, wondering if we could spare an extra cooking pan or two; it was coming up on pie delivery season again, and they’d fallen short.

“I’ve never left him alone before... I hope he’s okay!” I fretted.

“He’s got your sister and Fluttershy lookin’ out for him! I’m sure he’s fine.”

“But what if he isn’t? His toys are all here. What if he wants to play? What if he gets bored and starts acting up and accidentally burns all the little breezies to crisps?” The mere thought nearly caused me to faint.

“Don’t sweat it. He’s only two weeks, an’ ya already got a well-behaved boy. Fluttershy’s good with little ones, and he loves Wild Flower. I’m sure they’re gettin’ on just fine.”

“Maybe I should bring one of his toys, just in case.”

“Why don’t ya let them handle it? You’re gonna have to let him out on his own sometime.”

“He’s just two weeks old. There’ll be plenty of time for that.” I quickly snatched his favorite ferret doll. (Long and slinky, the thing was originally purposed as a dog’s chew toy, but Charcoal became so attached to the thing at Fluttershy’s that she’d brought him a new, clean one of his own.) I headed out with the toy, barely noticing Applejack who shook her head the whole time.

“He’s fine, he’s fine... but he might be lonely. No, I’m sure he’s fine... unless Wild Flower could have gotten distracted by the breezies and forgotten about him! It couldn’t hurt to check,” I muttered. Onlookers must have thought me crazy: not only had I been muttering to myself the whole way to Fluttershy’s, but I’d walk thirty feet or so before changing my mind and pacing back a few steps, then repeat the process, so progress was slow. I must’ve talked myself into and out of the trip a hundred times by now. I was just turning back around to complete the journey to the pegasus’ cottage when I came face-to-face, literally, with the door.

I took a step back so my nose wasn’t pressed up against the wood, and reangled myself so I could gaze through the tiny peep hole. The breezies were comfortably lounging about, some sipping at thimbles of water, some napping, and others still just flat out relaxing. Wild Flower was off to the side, so I had to move to a larger window to spot her. She was busy weaving tiny flowers into a very tolerant breezy’s mane, but Charcoal wasn’t being neglected. His stroller was off to the side, breezies perched all over it. To my surprise, he was very quiet, yet very much alert. He watched the little creatures with intense curiosity and amazement. The feeling appeared to be mutual, for the many fairies that hovered about his buggy stared back, rather fondly, actually.

“Acrylic?!” I flushed crimson with embarrassment when I realized I’d been caught. I sheepishly pulled away from the window as Wild Flower stormed to the door. “What are you doing here? Couldn’t you trust me to watch Char for one hour? It’s only been twenty minutes!”

“I just thought he might want a toy,” I surrendered the stuffed toy as if to call a truce. Wild Flower scrutinized the ferret carefully before finally deciding it was alright. “How is he?”

“Fine.” She opened the door wider with a roll of her eyes, and I sidestepped my way through the clustered breezies to reach the stroller. Charcoal eyed me and giggled furiously. The trance broken, startled breezies fluttered away. I gently nestled the toy in the blankets beside him. He busied himself with sucking on the ferret’s paw.

“Have you been good for Aunties?” I cooed, prying the toy from his mouth.

“Ba!”

“Oh my! Acrylic! Has it been an hour already?” Fluttershy finally appeared from the back with more thimbles of water for her guests.

“No, she just doesn’t trust me with her kid,” Wild Flower huffed.

“It’s not that! I’m just worried about him.”

“It’s your first time away from him, isn’t it?” My sister matter-of-factly raised an eyebrow.

“I... uh...”

“I knew it. Go! Scram! He’s fine! We’ve got it covered!”

“But-!”

“You should be grateful for the time alone. I bet you won’t get many more opportunities to just lay back and relax for a while.”

“At least let me say goodbye!” I finally ducked around her and returned to Charcoal’s side. “Okay, big boy. Be good. I’ll see you soon, and then you’ll get to meet some new friends, okay?” He gurgled some more in response.

“Go!”

Chapter 44: Fire Surges

Chapter 44
Fire Surges

Despite Wild Flower’s assurances, I watched the clock for the entire hour, and was there just a little early to pick up my son, which prompted a little more grumbling from my sister. While she was still griping, Fluttershy reported that he had been been on his best behavior, and had hit it off with the breezies. They were reluctant to see him go, and I almost let him stay a little longer when I heard them chirping goodbye and pitifully waving farewell. Still, we had a playdate to attend, to I turned us around and headed for Sugar Cube Corner, passing by Applejack and Twilight on our way.

Spike, Blaze and Nova had evidently finished their ice cream and moved on by the time we arrived, but the Cakes were still expecting us. Pound and Pumpkin were almost three years old by now. Despite the age difference, Cup Cake was certain they’d get along fine. And that they did. Pound and Pumpkin thoroughly enjoyed the company, and weren’t overly rough with Charcoal. Though, not much else could be expected of Pound Cake. Pumpkin did upset him once when she tried to swallow Charcoal’s ferret, but other than that, the three got along just fine.

“They’re growing up so fast,” I commented to Mrs. Cake as we watched from the back.

“It seems like just yesterday they were just foals,” she agreed.

“But we made it through the terrible two’s, somehow,” Mr. Cake shook his head.

“It really wasn’t as terrible as everypony makes it sound,” his wife assured.

“I hope that proves true with thestral foals, too,” I appreciatively took a sip of the hot chocolate I was offered.

“Mommy! Charcoal won’t share!” Pumpkin bawled.

“Charcoal Stormwood, give Pumpkin back her toy, please,” I sighed. My little boy was proving to be quite the stingy fellow. Of course, I knew he wasn’t going to obey, so I was already halfway out of my seat, preparing to intervene. Pumpkin was tired of waiting, however, and decided to take matters into her own hooves. She had experimented with levitational magic bursts as a young filly, and now attempted to reignite that magic. Though weak, the faint blue glow of magic surrounded the rubber chicken in Charcoal’s grasp, and gently tugged at it.

“Pumpkin! You shouldn’t take things from other ponies,” her mother scolded, expecting Charcoal to become upset. Rather, the colt appeared fixated with the toy being yanked away by some invisible force, and even let go. With no more resistance, the levitational bubble accidentally flung the toy back before flickering out. Luckily, the hold hadn’t been strong enough to throw it but a few feet, but it did land on Pound’s head. The young pegasus began crying when the rubber doll lightly bounced off his head, more due to the fact that he was startled than hurt.

“Pumpkin,” her father groaned, moving over to console his distressed son. Charcoal cocked his head as the other boy began to cry. Char barely struggled to breathe life to a flickering blue light not far from Pound.

“Charcoal, no fires!” I exclaimed, instantly utilizing my own fire to counter his. Charcoal’s fire didn’t seem to be spreading, however, quite well controlled. Mr. Cake pulled Pound a little closer, but tentatively reached out a hoof to test the waters.

“It’s alright. It isn’t even hot,” he reported.

“That’s not to say it won’t suddenly flare up.” My white flame was finally encroaching on my son’s, prepared to overtake and extinguish it. But then the children started cackling!

“It’s so pretty Momma!” Pumpkin exclaimed, running up to examine the blue fire more closely.

“It’s blue!” Pound concurred, body no longer trembling from sobs but from laughter. Distracted by the interruption, I lost focus, and my fire blew out. Pumpkin carefully reached out to poke the flame. “No, Pumpkin! Daddy said not to play with fire!” Pound wailed, suddenly worried for his sister’s well-being. He looked up at his father, hoping his sister’s punishment wouldn’t be too severe. But his father just watched, rather intrigued. Charcoal laughed, and the tiny light rose up, twisting around Pumpkin’s hoof. It traveled up her body to settle around her neck.

“It tickles!” she squealed, happily trying to brush it off.

“Pumpkin!” her mother cried. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to coax a new fire to life. I wasn’t talented in this field to begin with, but the task proved harder as my stomach tied itself into knots. If Charcoal’s fire got out of control now, it could seriously injure Pumpkin!

The flickering, gently-swaying tongues of Char’s fire gave the impression of a blue feather scarf, and as the innocent little girl she was, Pumpkin flaunted her new accessory with great pride. Charcoal raised a second light for Pound to play with.

“Stay away from there, Pound!” Carrot pulled his well away. Meanwhile, Pumpkin continued to play with her scarf.

“Pumpkin, that’s dangerous!” I finally managed to bring a small white spark to life, and hastily guided it along. It overtook Pound’s stray fire first, and the pillar grew and writhed, twisted and expanded as Charcoal and I fought for control of the white-and-blue fire. I was surprised at how much resistance he put up. I finally did overtake his flame, and I let the bonfire dissipate in a quiet puff. I was far more worried about Pumpkin; if Charcoal got too worked up, the fire could blaze and burn her. So, I made sure to keep my fire as cool as thestrally possible while conquering the flaming blue snake. Pumpkin finally looked a bit scared as both of us battled for control around her very head. She finally dropped to the floor, quaking in fear with her eyes squeezed tight until it was over. Charcoal cried out in protest when he realized the fun was coming to an end, but was finally forced to submission. Only after I finally put out both fires did her mother rush forward.

“Pumpkin dear, are you alright?” she crooned, scooping up the filly and gently rocking her.

“It was scary,” she wept, welcoming herself to her mother’s embrace.

“I-I’m so sorry,” I shakily stuttered, horrified that my son was capable of instilling such terror. When we were isolated in the Everfree, nopony ever thought much of fire surges. Everypony as fireproof, and any flame that got out of control could be swiftly and efficiently put out by pretty much anyone. I hadn’t thought of the consequences such a “harmless” surge could wreak on defenseless ponies in the rest of Equestria- especially not friends as close as the Cakes. The look on Mr. Cake’s face told me that if we were normal customers, we’d have been kicked out by now, but since we were Torch’s family, he didn’t have the heart. I decided to excuse myself. “I’ll just go...”

“It’s alright, dear. We know he didn’t mean-” But before Cup Cake could finish her sentence, we were gone.

I lay in bed at home, weeping. Charcoal was crawling about on the bed carelessly, having a high old time with his ferret friend. I watched him through blurry eyes. He was the love of my life, but it broke my heart to see the pain he could cause others. After everything; the creation of the seventh element; the reintegration of thestrals; and Princess Essence’s return, we were still tearing ponies apart. Maybe it would have been better if we stayed in the Everfree. Maybe...

“Hey, sis? Are you in there?” came a knock at the door.

“Here,” I croaked, drying my eyes on the pillowcase as the door creaked open. I didn’t even turn as my sister strode in.

“Hey! I was just at the Cake’s looking for you. They... uh... told me what happened.”

“Oh, Wild Flower, it was awful!” I finally wailed, at last seeking my sibling’s comfort. To say she was surprised to find her older sister buried in her arms was an understatement, but she allowed me to remain tucked under her wings and even stroked my mane. “You should have seen the look on Cup and Carrot’s faces! They were terrified! The last time I saw anypony give me a look like that was when my friends first realized I was a thestral. When they rejected me. I could never bear to see the same thing happen to Charcoal.”

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy,” Wild Flower dumped me back on my hooves. “I think you’re overreacting a bit. Yes, Charcoal could have hurt Pumpkin, but he didn’t. It sounds like he was just trying to play. Everyone he’s played with so far is fireproof, excepting Pinkie, but I don’t think she’s been back since he started fire surges, has she?” I glumly shook my head. “You can’t expect him to know any better- he’s only two weeks old. No one can blame him for a perfectly natural fire surge. And no one is going to reject him.”

“Wild Flower... I-I’m scared,” I admitted, feeling my stomach lurch as the words rolled off my tongue. I was supposed to be the oldest. I was supposed to take care of her, not the only way around. I should be able to handle it. So why did I feel like the whole world was crashing down?

“Don’t be,” she crooned. “Where’s Torchwood, anyway? At work again? Shouldn’t he be here helping out? You obviously need an extra set of hooves right about now, or at least a shoulder to cry on. Mine’s already soaked.” I knew she was joking to make me feel better, and I humored her with a teary chuckle.

“I think he’s getting fed up with me calling him away from work all the time. It looks bad to the boss when he’s never there,” I responded. She rolled her eyes.

“Personally, I think he should always make time for his family, but whatever.” I suddenly paused when her words roused a familiar memory. It was a conversation we’d had when he decided to take on the new job.

“Is that why you didn’t want to babysit for the Cakes? Because you didn’t think you’d have time with this new job?” I’d asked.

“Yes,” he confessed, “but I promise, I’ll always make time for you and the baby.”

I shook my head. This had to be paranoia, right? Torch promised to always make time for us. He wouldn’t let work overshadow his family... would he?

“Anyway,” Wild Flower continued, “that doesn’t matter. You’ve got a ton of ponies around here that love you and the baby. Rainbow’s getting the breeze ready, and Fluttershy’s still watching the breezies, but what about the rest of your friends? They’d be more than willing to help.”

“No! Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack aren’t fireproof! What if they get burned by one of his fire surges?” My eyes became wide with fear and my chest was gripped in terror.

“Okay, okay,” she calmed me down. “Well, what about Mom or Dad? No, wait, that wouldn’t work, they’re finally moving to the White Tail Woods. That’s not to say they can’t lend a hoof.”

“Too far,” I sniffed. “Meteor and Rose already moved on, too.”

“How about Tanzi, then? Or the Solo twins? Or the dragons? Or me and Cedar? We can come down sometimes, too. Hay, I bet even Discord could conjure some sort of fireproof spell if it really came down to it!” I suddenly realized how broad my options were as she rattled off names. My heart fluttered with a touch of hope. I’d been so caught up in trying to handle things myself that I’d almost forgotten that I didn’t have to go through this alone.

“Come on, I’m sure Fluttershy can take care of the breezies herself. Let’s go check out what Dad’s up to.” Wild Flower trotted out of the bedroom, a reassuring, or perhaps self-congratulating smile plastered on her face. Either way, it lifted my spirits just that much more. I picked up the carrier, and tucked my son into the blankets.

“Okay.”

Journal Entry #4

xx/xx/xx

I knew raising a family would be a challenge, but I had no idea just how hard it would be. Today’s incident with Torchwood and the Cake twins was a huge wake up call. I almost let the event get to me; I nearly convinced myself it would have been better for thestrals to remain separate. I had no idea how much destructive potential we had. We can’t help what we are, and sometimes even our own power escapes us. But this is just another obstacle we’ll have to deal with. Just because things seem tough doesn’t mean you should give up. That’s when you go to your family for help. And that includes close friends. No one has to go through hard times alone; that’s something I almost forgot. After all, it takes a village to raise a child. I’ll be taking that phrase quite literally from now on.

-Acrylic.

Chapter 46: Compromised Trust

Chapter 46
Compromised Trust

“You’re sure you can handle him yourself?”

“I’m not completely incapable, Blaze. I took an extra dose of tonic this morning, just in case. Say ‘hi’ to Garble for me.” Blaze had scheduled to spend another full day with his brother today, but he still lingered by the door. “Is something wrong?”

“No... I guess not. Bye!”

“Just be back in time to watch him for my teaching shift,” I called after him. A thumbs-up reappeared through the doorway just before the door shut.

“You’ll be good, won’t you?”

“Ba gloo!”

“Right, Char. Be good. Heckley, keep an eye on him.” I was gone for just a moment as I ducked downstairs to grab my school bags. There were a few papers I hadn’t gotten to last night, and it was as good a time as any to finish the work. Charcoal was still alive and well when I returned, which was a plus. I settled myself in a nearby rocking chair and got to filling out the rest of the paperwork. I lost track of time grading papers, but a visitor finally forced me to put the work down.

“Anypony home?” I recognized the thick southern accent.

“In the nursery,” I called to Applejack. The orange mare shortly appeared in the doorway. “Hey, AJ. Say hello to Auntie Applejack, Charcoal.”

“Babbie!”

“Why, hello to you too, youngin’,” she chuckled, dipping her hat in greeting.

“What’s up?”

“Just checkin’ up on ya,” she shrugged.

“We’re doing great,” I reported. “Ever since your Granny introduced me to that tonic, things have been going so much more smoothly!”

“Yeah, she told me about that,” Applejack shuffled uncomfortably, so I took it to mean she wasn’t sure where to go with the conversation. I was more than happy to keep rambling on about how wonderful the product was.

“I went ahead and bought my own supply of the stuff. Torch doesn’t completely approve- he doesn’t believe it works. But I’ve felt so much better since I started taking it.”

“Really?” She seemed genuinely surprised.

“It’s like I finally have enough energy to keep up with this one here,” I gestured to Charcoal, a huge smile on my face.

“Well... it’s good to hear that,” she offered a crooked smile. “It’s been great talkin’ to ya an’ all, but I guess I better get back to the farm.”

“Already? But you just got here.”

“Ya know, chores to do an’ such,” she excused. She was just backing out the door when a burst of blue exploded in the center of the floor. “YAH!”

“Charcoal, what did I tell you?” I kneaded my brow in frustration as the baby clapped his hooves with delight. “Settle down, my little pyro.” I instinctively brought up a white fire to counter his, and the raging bonfire flickered white a couple times, then solidified to a uniform, pale color. My color. I’d won? Just like that?

“Whoa! That tonic really does work miracles! I’d never have been able to put that out on my own a week ago!” I proudly beamed.

“Wa!” Char whined.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. You know better. Why don’t you play with Ferret instead?” I tossed him the toy, and he welcomed the plush with open arms.

“Well, I’ll be. Looks like ya really do got a handle on things,” Applejack managed a grin.

“Thanks to that tonic of yours.” I winked.

“Right.”

“Thanks for stopping by,” I waved as she departed. She left, perhaps a little glumly. But I was too caught up in relishing my own success to really notice.

I finished the paperwork shortly, and with little other work to do, I was even able to spare a few minutes and really play with the baby. I felt so childish, making faces and blowing bubbles, playing peek-a-boo and patty cake. I was acting like Pinkie, to be honest. But it felt so good. Ever since having the baby, I’d had to be the serious, disciplined adult 24/7. To finally unwind was just what the doctor ordered, and I finally had the energy to do it.

The day passed without incident. I tended to the few customers we did get swiftly and efficiently, washed the dishes from last night, cycled the flowers on the drying rack, prepared a new batch of paint, fixed a light lunch, fed Charcoal, played some more, and even had time to do a bit of tidying up. By the time I’d finished cleaning, however, it was about time to head to class, and Blaze still hadn’t showed.

“Well... I can’t exactly leave you by yourself,” I mused, considering what to do with the baby. I still didn’t completely trust him not to play with the fire a random surge might create, so I really didn’t want to leave him with just any of my friends. Both my and Torchwood’s parents had finished moving into their new homes in the White Tail Woods, so they were unavailable. And Wild Flower would also take far too long to arrive. I was very limited on what I could do. “Blaze comes with me most of the time... I don’t suppose Cheerilee would mind me bringing you...” Bringing Blaze to participate in class was one thing, but bringing my son to babysit was another. I didn’t want to come off as unprofessional, but what choice did I have? And it was just this once, right?

I kept justifying my actions until I’d managed to talk myself into it. I gathered up the lesson plans, graded papers and supplies for today’s lecture along with Ferret, Charcoal’s favorite blanket and the baby carrier. I slid the saddlebags over my head, and gripped the baby basket between my teeth before setting off.

“You’re sure it’s alright? It’d just be for today.”

“So long as he isn’t disruptive, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Cheerilee assured.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for the other day. Time just got away from me.”

“Don’t apologize to me- apologize to the kids! They’re the ones that missed you. I had them finish up any unfinished projects, but I think it’s safe to say we were all flustered when the students came to me for help.”

“Art requires a whole different method of teaching,” I agreed, setting Charcoal’s basket down on a stool in the corner. Cheerilee settled at her desk to get some work done, and I had the floor. My materials were quickly set up on the demonstration table as the students filed back in from recess. “Alright, class, how are we doing today? Did you miss me?”

“Yeah,” a few half-heartedly answered.

“You’re all very enthusiastic. Either you’re lying, or you had too much to eat for lunch. Come on, which is it? Tell the truth.”

“Lunch,” they all chimed, a little perkier this time.

“You always know what to say, don’t you?” I disbelievingly smirked. “Anyway, I wasn’t here yesterday, so we have a bit of work to catch up on. I promised you that all those value scales would finally amount to something, wouldn’t I?” They perked up, relieved to hear we would finally get to the real work. “Well, today’s lesson is all about light and shadow.”

“Aww,” they all groaned. We’d already discussed it many times before. I suppose I’d gotten their hopes up.

“Let me finish before you start bellyaching! We’re also going to be discussing three-dimensional shapes.”

“Mrs. Acrylic, does that mean we’re finally going to get to perspective?” the overly-sweet voice of Diamond Tiara piped up. As soon as I began teaching here, I realized what Apple Bloom, Sweetie and Scoot meant when they called her ‘stuck up’. She was always trying to show off just how much more she knew than everyone else. Of course, I had to be patient with her, and allowed her to believe I thought of her as nothing more than an enthusiastic student.

“Yes, Tiara, we will touch on that. However, I’d like you to draw from life some more before we do any of that.”

“But we always do still-lives,” Silver Spoon, her accomplice, complained.

“Because drawing from life will give you a better understanding of how to draw something from your imagination,” I gently explained.

“It really does help,” Apple Bloom interjected.

“Yeah, and we took classes with Mrs. Acrylic before she even started teaching here,” Scoot added.

“Right. They’ve done a lot of this stuff already. So I don’t want to hear any more complaints. Capish?”

“Capish! Ha ha! That’s a funny word!” Snips cackled from the back.

“Yeah!” Snails agreed.

“Settle down,” I rolled my eyes. “Now, most of you haven’t met my son, Charcoal Stormwood,” I gestured to the buggy in the corner of the room. Seats shifted as they all turned to look at the special guest.

“Aww!” the chorus sang again, this time in admiration rather than disappointment.

“He’s going to be helping me out today. Won’t you, Char?”

“Ga!”

“Acrylic,” I jumped when I realized Cheerilee had crept over to my side. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Believe me, it’s better to give him a fire to play with rather than wait for one of his surges. And this way, he’s helping out.”

“Well... I guess you know him best.” She doubtfully returned to her desk, keeping an eye on us the whole time.

“Here’s what I want you to do. You’re going to draw your absolute favorite styrofoam shapes from the display, here- WAIT!” I interrupted them as a few began getting up from their seats for supplies. “I’m not finished. You’re going to draw a few of these shapes- you don’t have to do all of them, but at least three. We’re going to shut out the lights, and Charcoal is going to give us one light to work with. I want you to really see how the light is bending around the object. As usual, we’ll be doing this in graphite. Or, if you think you can handle it, I’ll even let you do it in monochromatic blue.”

“What’s that?” Pipsqueak inquired.

“Class, what does ‘mono’ mean?” Cheerilee stepped in.

“One!” they all recited.

“And who can guess what ‘chroma’ means?”

“Color?” Sweetie assumed.

“Correct! So monochromatic means one color. And blue, obviously, means blue. I’ll let you do this project in graphite pencil or one blue colored pencil. But it has to be blue because these are white styrofoam shapes, but Charcoal’s fire is blue. I’ve told you countless times that white is a reflective color. So what’s going to happen when we shine blue light on white shapes?”

“The blue will be reflected off the white,” Tiara smugly answered.

“Exactly. So, I’m going to let everyone get their supplies before we shut out the lights.” Desks scooted out and many hooves scrambled across the floor, headed for the supply station at the back. While they prepared their supplies, I prepared Charcoal.

“Hey, Char, what’s this? You like the fire, don’t you?” A wisp of white flame danced at the tip of my hoof. He giggled as it was transformed into his trademark shade of blue. “No bigger than this, okay? And keep it right here,” I directed, moving the fire onto the wick of a candle I brought. He tested his limits, and boosted it a little larger. “What did I just say? If you don’t listen to Mommy, I won’t let you play with it at all.” I was never sure how much sank in to the mind of a two-month-old, but the flame shrank back down to its original size. My attention was turned back to the rest of the class with a snort of approval.

“Everyone ready?” The students all nodded as I headed for the light switch. “Lights out.”

“Ooh,” they all cooed as the pretty display finally came to life. The blue light was beautiful, I’ll admit, but the flickering flame caused the shadows to dance, which defeated the whole purpose of the exercise.

“Do you think you could hold the flame still for us, Char? Like this?” I did my best to freeze a fire of my own to demonstrate what I wanted, but it proved difficult to hold it still. Charcoal thought I was offering him another toy, and tried to take this one over, too. “No, Char. That one,” I pointed back to the candle. He insistently tried to conquer both. “Oh, nevermind.” I snuffed out mine, and rekindled just enough of my own power in the candle light to try and hold it still while maintaining most of Charcoal’s blue glow. “Is this better?”

“Yep,” a couple answered.

“Alright, I’ll pass back papers while you all work. Holler if you need me.” I returned to my bags to fish out the papers, all the while keeping a gentle hold on the fire in the back of my mind. Charcoal fought against it at first, but had to be content with sharing the flame.

“Mrs. Acrylic?”

“Yes, Snips?”

“This doesn’t really have to do with the project, but... I was just wondering when Blaze was coming back.”

“Yeah, he’s been gone for months,” Snails added.

“We haven’t seen him in ages.” Snips and Snails sometimes hung out with Spike, I knew. Their little group must have also extended to Blaze as well.

“Well, Blaze volunteered to put his classes on hold so he can babysit Charcoal,” I answered. “I guess he’ll be coming back when Charcoal gets ahold of his fire surges.”

“How long will that take?”

“It depends. It can take anywhere between a month to a year for thestral foals to gain control of their abilities. And Charcoal has special circumstances... It’s really hard to say.”

“A whole year?” Snips pouted.

“That’s worst case scenario,” I assured, returning one of his papers. “Who knows? It could be next week.”

“Or right now,” Snails waved at the figure peeking through the door.

“Blaze!” Snips perked up.

“Psst, Acrylic,” Blaze hissed.

“Excuse me,” I pardoned, sidestepping through the rows of seats to meet him at the front of the room.

“You brought Charcoal here?” He noticed the blue flame by the display, and traced it back to the foal.

“Our parents weren’t available, Wild Flower’s too far away, and I didn’t have time to check with anyone else on such short notice. But it’s okay. He’s helping.”

“That means you get to stay for class, right?” Snips hopefully voiced. Blaze looked to me, and I shrugged.

“Sure, I guess,” he scratched the back of his head before glancing at Silver Spoon’s desk to take inventory of the supplies he’d need. He slid into the spare seat Cheerilee had been keeping for him at the back of the room, scooting between Snips and Snails and listening as they took turns explaining the assignment, though he didn’t seem to be paying too much attention. (Since he wasn’t actually enrolled in the school, he didn’t receive a grade, and typically used these sessions as practice.)

I finished passing out papers, walked around the classroom a bit, and generally waited to be called upon for help. It was a very uneventful class.

“Did you give Charcoal some of that tonic?”

“Goodness, no! The last thing he needs is more energy. Why do you ask?” Blaze had been distracted the entire class period, and even now as we walked home, he was sidetracked.

“I’m just trying to figure out why he’s been behaving so well,” Blaze scratched his chin.

“Has he been better? I thought I was just doing a better job of keeping up,” I mused, picking up the newspaper on the way in.

“Well yeah, that too,” he quickly added, holding the door open. “I don’t know what’s in that tonic, but-”

“I think I do.”

“Huh?” I’d just flopped the newspaper on the table for Torchwood when the bold headline caught my eye. ‘Ponyville Swim Meet Goes Sour.’ Recalling that Apple Bloom and Granny Smith were competing, I’d skimmed the article out of concern, and noticed the Flim Flam Miracle Tonic mentioned several times. According to the paper, Applejack had finally come out and exposed the tonic as a fraud.

“Apple juice and beet leaves. That’s what’s in the tonic,” I dumbly informed, numb with shock. Applejack had lied? And I’d fallen for the ploy. Even worse, I’d never hear the last of it from Torchwood.

“Seriously? That’s what’s in it?” Blaze picked up the paper and read over the information himself. “So what’s so special about it?”

“Nothing.”

“Then how come you were feeling better after you started taking it?”

“Sugar pill effect.” It wasn’t my voice that had spoken, but Applejack took the words right out of my mouth. The earth pony was sheepishly standing in the doorway. “At least, that’s what Twilight’s callin’ it. When ya convince somepony that somethin’ as worthless as that tonic actually works, sometimes it really tricks your body into thinkin’ ya feel better.”

“A placebo,” I quietly spoke. Applejack nodded.

“I think that’s the word Twi used.”

“So you knew? All that time?”

“Yeah.”

“You even came to check up on us this morning!”

“To make sure ya weren’t really overworkin’ yourself,” she assured.

“You know I took Charcoal to class with me today? What if he’d acted up? What if he had a fire surge in the middle of class? What if I couldn’t actually put it out? It’s a school, AJ. Kids could have been hurt.” I felt like screaming, but I was still too dazed to manage anything above a whisper. That seemed to strike her even more harshly than shouting would have.

“I-I’m sorry. I had no idea, honest. But... for what it’s worth, ya seemed to have a good hold on puttin’ his fires out this mornin’.”

“That wasn’t really me!”

“It was you! The tonic doesn’t really work- ya did that all on your own.” I had no comeback. “I think ya had it in ya all along. Ya just needed somethin’ to make ya believe in yourself.”

“Because Charcoal had a few good days I should restore faith in my own ability?” I snorted.

“I think I finally figured it out!” Blaze snapped his claws. “I’ve been trying to work out why Char’s been acting so good lately. After all, you didn’t give him tonic, so even if it did work, it couldn’t have affected him. It’s because you switched tactics!”

“I... did?”

“Remember when you were having problems and wouldn’t let him play with any fire, and he was getting out of control? Well, when I came back last night, he was being good. I think it’s because you let him have a little fire. Instead of taking it away, you gave him what he wanted... restricted, sure, but it was a little taste of what he wanted all along.” I considered the dragon’s logic in amazement. Could it really be that simple?

“See? It was all you. You’re a great parent, Acrylic. Ya don’t need no tonic to tell ya that.”

“I...”

“Look, Acrylic, I am sorry ‘bout lyin’. It was an awful thing to do, and I feel downright sick over it. Ya think ya can ever forgive me?” She placed her hat over her chest out of respect, but it also doubled as a means for her to hide behind it. I hesitated.

“Eventually,” I decided. Now I was still too sore and insulted to truthfully say yes.

“Well, I guess that’s fair enough,” she offered a sad, understanding smile. “I’ll see ya ‘round, then, I suppose.” I just nodded farewell, and she departed.

“So, what’re you going to do with the rest of that ‘tonic’?” Blaze inquired. Char began straining as he stretched in attempt to grasp Ferret, so Blaze moved to fetch it for him.

“Pitch it, I guess. And before Torch gets home so he can’t rub it in.” I began gathering up the meager supply from the cupboard to toss in the garbage bin.

I heard a loud belch from behind me far too big to have come from Charcoal.

“OH NO!” Blaze screeched.

“What happened?” I quickly returned to the lobby to see what was wrong. Blaze stood stock still with his arms outstretched, staring at the scroll in his grasp in horror. I instantly identified the problem as ash began trickling from between his claws. I got a pretty good idea of what he’d burned when Charcoal began to wail.

“Ferret?” I barely dared to breath. A single bob of Blaze’s head confirmed my fears. “Shh, shh, baby, he didn’t mean it,” I moved to cradle the distressed foal.

“It was an accident!” Blaze assured. “I couldn’t help it!”

“What does it say, anyway?” I sighed, rocking him a little more vigorously. Blaze quickly opened the scroll, eager to find out who’d made him perform such a terrible deed.

“It’s Torchwood! He says he’s on his way home.”

“Since when does he write to tell us he’s on his way?” I peered at the letter myself to confirm his report.

“Maybe since you guys started fighting about it? Blaze weakly, timidly offered. I realized he was probably right with a start. That meant this was also inadvertantly my fault. I sighed. We couldn’t keep this up. I had to apologize. Heckley finally slithered downstairs to welcome us back and see what the trouble was. I let him take over distracting the baby.

“Alright, well... why don’t you write him back, ask if he’ll stop by Fluttershy’s and see if she has another one?”

“Will do!” Blaze declared, more than willing to try and make atonement for the mistake.

We received no reply to the message, but Torch took much longer than usual to return home. I correctly assumed this to mean he’d gotten the letter. He was probably only half an hour or so behind, but Charcoal bawled the whole time, making the time drag out even more.

“Delivery,” my husband finally announced.

“Thank goodness,” Blaze finally sighed, sliding out of the chair without uncovering his ears.

“Hi,” I nervously greeted, trying to figure out how to approach the topic. Though, the task would be far easier without the baby screaming. Torchwood obviously had the same idea, for he reached into his saddlebags and pulled out an incredibly realistic looking ferret by the scruff, not at all identical to the last one.

“Whoa! Where’d you get that one?” Blaze gasped.

“You think he’ll know the difference?” I fretted, more concerned with my son’s reaction to the toy than its origin.

“Yeah, I think he’ll catch on,” Torch chuckled, setting the toy down a good distance from the foal. I didn’t have time to press further when the toy skittered across the floor.

“YAH!” Heckley shot from the floor and slammed into my neck, coiling around it for safety. “That is not a toy!”

“No,” he agreed. “But I figured Charcoal could use a full-time companion.” The tiny creature propped its paws up on the wailing baby’s forehooves in curiosity, finally gaining Char’s attention. He stopped crying, but sniffled as he considered the rodent. The ferret cocked its head, and they both took a minute just to look each other over.

“I think they’ll get along fine,” Torch beamed.

“Torchwood,” I slowly pronounced, trying not to grind my teeth. Any plan to make amends had slipped from my mind. “You realize you just brought a live ferret into the house?”

“That was the idea.”

“You realize ferrets eat snakes?” Though the ferret was just a baby, it already had Heckley trembling like a leaf around my neck.

“I wouldn’t have brought him home without consulting Fluttershy,” he snorted. “This fellow’s the most timid of the litter. She promised he wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“When they get older, natural instincts will kick in.” It took all my willpower to keep from yelling.

“Why can’t you just trust Fluttershy’s judgment?”

“The last time I trusted a friend, I got hurt.” His face turned to an irritated scowl.

“What are you talking about?”

“Applejack admitted the tonic was a fake, alright? You were right. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“That’s what this is about? You being a sore loser?” he rolled his eyes with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“This is about Heckley,” I snarled. “I want that thing out of my house before it hurts someone.”

“His name is Bandit,” Torchwood corrected. “And we can’t take him away now. They’ve just bonded.” When my gaze returned to the baby, I found him silent at last, no to mention peacefully sleeping, stretched on the floor with Bandit curled up on his chest. “Come on, Acrylic. Every boy needs a pet. Now’s as good a time as ever.”

I looked to Heckley, who vigorously shook his head. Then I looked back to the baby, and released a throaty noise somewhere between a groan and a growl. They looked so cute... blast me for having a soft heart! “The first time he comes anywhere near Heckley, he’s gone.”

“Deal.” Torchwood’s response came across more as a threat than a truce.

No apologies were exchanged that night.

Chapter 47: Tensions Rise

Author's Note

A/N: All element keys have been collected by now, even though most of them weren’t mentioned.

Chapter 47: Tensions Rise

Chapter 47
Tensions Rise

Tensions were rising ever higher in the house, especially since Bandit had moved in. He was loyal enough to remain with Charcoal most of the time, but was equally curious to investigate his new home. He’d already chased Heckley out of the nursery entirely, claimed his favorite sunning spot on the windowsill, and terrorized him multiple times to the point where Heckley refused even to enter the same room as Bandit. My snake had started coming to me for refuge. Like our days in the Frozen North, we were scarcely apart; he’d even nap coiled around my neck. Whenever I tried to call Torchwood to intervene, he’d roll his eyes and insist it was fine.

I next appealed to Fluttershy, and implored her to take Bandit back. She must’ve apologized a dozen times, assuring that she’d never thought Bandit would become aggressive. I accidentally informed her of the fact that he hadn’t actually assaulted my snake yet, but still stressed what a bully he’d become. Upon realizing the ferret hadn’t become genuinely savage, she laughed that gentle, breezy laugh of hers and decided I was overreacting. While I insisted Bandit had become a menace, she patiently advocated for the ferret. Only after she offered to come in and mediate did I finally consent to him staying. Her counseling earned Heckley his sunning spot back only when Fluttershy was present.

Though the pets’ rivalry was a terrible thing, it was almost nice to know that Torch and I weren’t the only ones sick of each other. We’d mutually agreed not to fight in front of Blaze, but the hatchling still sensed the negative energy radiating throughout the house. Now that I had a handle on Charcoal, he spent almost every day with his brother. I knew it was to escape our arguments. I apologized to him every night, and promised myself the next day to make all well. But Torch and I always found something to fight over. Out of guilt, Torch and/or I would sometimes offer something to cushion the harsh reality, like a gemstone cake or special outing. The best gift I had to offer was allowing Blaze to take Charcoal to visit the Dragon Craters on his 4-month milestone. All my repeated apologies, cheap bribes and unfulfilled promises must have made me look like a liar to the hatchling. And in truth, that was more or less what I’d become.

While I seemed incapable of making amends with my husband, Applejack and I made up. We were also back on good terms with the Cakes. Still, I’d been avoiding my friends, and really just ponies in general. They all thought I was busy taking care of Charcoal, but I just didn’t want to have to drag them into our domestic drama. Sure, I attended one of Rarity’s lunches and assisted Pinkie with one of her parties, but even on those occasions I didn’t really talk. At Pinkie’s party, however, Twilight did happen to mention that Princess Celestia had asked her to a delegation in the Crystal Empire. I practically begged her to bring me along, if just to escape the madness and stress at home. Luckily, the rest of our friends wished to come and support her as well, so the request didn’t seem suspicious. Twilight approved our petition, much to my relief.

Even if Torch wanted to join us, he had work to attend to. I was prepared to use one of my sick days at the school, but received a pleasant bonus to find that the students were going on a field trip anyway. I’d have to bring Charcoal with us, of course, but I had yet to hear from Blaze. And I still had to figure out what to do with Bandit and Heckley. No way was I leaving those two alone together. Fluttershy suggested that I bring Bandit to keep Charcoal company, at the same time temporarily returning Heckley’s turf to him.

Torchwood’s expression remained so passive when I informed him of the trip that I wasn’t sure if he was glad for the time to himself or sad to see us go. Either way, he consented, and I got to packing an overnight bag.

We would be heading for the palace directly from the train station, but rather than make it an exhausting one-day event, we decided to make it a relaxing two-day stay and make the return trip in the morning. With just the seven of us (or nine counting Spike and Blaze, who decided to show up after all), Cadance prepared guest quarters at the palace for us. Her hoofponies were waiting at the station to take our bags, which made it easier for us to get Twilight where she needed to be.

“It feels like we were just here,” Blaze commented, taking in the less crowded streets we’d traveled to get the the Equestria Games Stadium.

“That was over a year ago,” I pointed out.

“Time sure does fly, ‘specially when ya got lil’ ones runnin’ round,” Applejack mused.

“It does seem like only yesterday I was saving this place from being totally destroyed. Hey, you guys remember that?” Spike boasted, stopping at the base of his special statue whether subconsciously or consciously.

“You only mentioned it about fifteen times on the train here,” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“Yes, and we never hear a peep out of you about your exploits,” Rarity teased.

“Heh, point taken.”

“I'm glad you all wanted to come, but I don't think it's gonna be that exciting. I pretty much just have to smile and wave as the dignitaries arrive,” Twilight explained.

“Yes, but you get to smile and wave like a princess,” Rarity dramatically emphasized.

“How exactly is that different than smilin' and wavin' like not a princess?”

“It isn't,” the alicorn dejectedly pouted.

“What's wrong, Twilight?” Fluttershy softly inquired.

“Why the looooooooong face?” Pinkie agreed, pulling on Twilight’s cheeks to make a point. The purple pony merely rubbed the sore spot.

“I've just been feeling a little unsure about things lately. It doesn't seem that my new role as a princess equates to all that much,” she admitted.

“That's just silly. You've got a real important role in Equestria!” Applejack assured.

“Princess Celestia wouldn't have asked you to come today if she didn't think so,” Fluttershy supported.

“And we’re all here for you,” I added with an affirmative nod.

“Ya!” Charcoal agreed.

“I guess you're right,” Twilight smiled at last.

“Of course we are. Now hurry along! You don't want to risk having that important role diminished because you were tardy for your regal meet-and-greet,” Rarity ushered, practically pushing her along down the road.

“Princess Twilight!” an orange pegasus decked out in royal armor approached to greet us. “Welcome back to the Crystal Empire,” he ducked into a bow.

“Thank you, Flash Sentry,” Twilight blushed. The stallion seemed surprised that she remembered his name, but smiled nonetheless.

“Ain’t that the stallion Twi’s got a crush on?” Applejack whispered.

“Nuh-uh. She has a crush on his parallel universe self,” Pinkie corrected.

“Shh!” Rarity scolded, determined not to miss out on a single juicy detail.

“Princess Cadance sent me to give you a walkthrough before we start,” Flash explained.

“Of course!” Twilight readily agreed, perhaps a bit too quickly. She blushed upon realizing her mistake, and nervously chuckled in hopes he hadn’t noticed. She finally recovered by clearing her throat. “So... where do we start?”

“The dignitaries from Maretonia will walk down this aisle,” he informed, walking alongside her down the pathway blocked off for the royals. The rest of us hung back a ways to give them some room. “After the trumpets sound, I’ll announce their arrival, and once you see them reach this point,” he stopped to give Twilight a visual, “you’ll use your levitation magic to unfurl the banner.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Twilight reasoned.

“We’ll have you up on the balcony there,” he pointed to a very high castle window just above the banner.

“And my friends? They’ll be up there with me, right?”

“That would be fine,” Flash confirmed, “so long as they... stay out of sight. I don’t mean to be blunt, but this is a formal affair.”

“Aw, no worries. Ya won’t even know we’re there,” AJ winked.

“Unless Charcoal starts to cry. Then EVERYPONY will know we’re there,” Pinkie helpfully reminded.

“Oh...”

“Hmm...” Rarity mused. “Surely we can think of a creative solution to this...”

“Don’t worry about it,” I shrugged. “We’ll find a spot somewhere on the ground level with everypony else.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight fussed.

“It’s fine,” I nodded.

“Miss, why don’t you come with me? I’ll take you to join Princess Cadance’s entourage,” Flash offered.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed, rather glad not to be left to squeeze in amongst so many other ponies, especially with the baby and a ferret. “I’ll see you guys later?”

“See you,” they confirmed.

The dignitaries’ arrival went smoothly. Shining Armor was part of Cadance’s party, so it was nice catching up with him, though he was a bit disappointed to learn Torch wasn’t present. He did enjoy meeting Charcoal, though, and got a kick out of the accompanying ferret.

Twilight waved from the balcony as planned, but that was it. I didn’t see her again for the whole procession. I thought it odd that this would be her only job, and continued to look for her, but she didn’t appear a second time.

I excused myself when the procession was over to meet up with everypony else. We seemed to be a pony short.

“Where’s Twi?” I asked, falling into step with the rest of our train.

“She has to stay until the dignitaries leave,” Rarity explained.

“She said not to wait up because she might be a while,” Rainbow added.

“So we’re going to Doughnut Joe’s!” Pinkie ecstatically exclaimed. “Wanna come?”

“Well, where else would I be going?” I replied, speeding up to keep pace with the energetic pony.

“Wait up, Blaze!” Spike panted from up ahead, stopping to catch his breath. Blaze had become quite attached to his wings, and flew almost everywhere he went. Unfortunately, that often left his grounded friend in the dust.

“Keep up, slowpoke!” the second hatchling playfully retorted. Applejack instantly got into the spirit of things, and scooped Spike up onto her back.

“Whoa!”

“Hang on, there, partner! We can beat ‘im yet!” She surged forward, Spike aboard.

“What? Racing without me? It is on!” Rainbow laughed, zooming ahead.

“Whee!” Pinkie cried, likewise putting on speed.

“Oh, my!” Fluttershy exclaimed, not at all interested in racing.

“Hold on, you all! Guys?” They were already too far ahead to hear me.

“I’ve never been one much for running... or getting sweaty...” Rarity declined.

“They’re going awfully fast,” Fluttershy noted. “I’m not a very strong flyer.”

“And I’ve got Charcoal to look out for,” I agreed.

“Well, shall we?” Rarity offered to link our hooves.

“We shall,” Flutters softly smiled.

Though our travel time took longer, I found the leisurely stroll to be quite relaxing. The speed demons, however, had already torn through their first round of doughnuts and were halfway through their second by the time we walked in the door. Spike and Blaze spit off to their own little corner while the girls reserved a larger table by the window.

“What took you so long?” Rainbow chortled, almost spewing crumbs all over everyone.

“Sorry. I’m not very fast,” Fluttershy sheepishly whispered.

“I wouldn’t dare risk ruining my perfect coiffure over some petty ‘race’,” Rarity huffed.

“And I’ve got the baby,” I added.

“Eh... fair enough.”

“We went ahead and bought a whole box! Help yourself!” Pinkie said, pushing a half-filled box of doughnuts at us. Rarity and Fluttershy each picked one, but I had to get the baby settled first. I was very grateful that both he and Bandit were sleeping; I doubted pets were allowed, but right now he could pass as a stuffed animal if anyone noticed. With only the baby carrier (the kind worn as a saddlebag), I didn’t have anywhere to set him down, and wound up nestling him (and Bandit) in the crook of my arm.

“Ya doin’ alright there, Acrylic?”

“Huh?”

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Pinkie squished her face next to mind to share a similar vantage point. I hadn’t noticed I was absentmindedly staring out the window all this time.

“N-nothing,” I stuttered, shaking myself out of the stupor. “Just distracted, I guess.”

“Perfectly understandable,” Rarity agreed. “You do have a lot on your plate. Caring for a child must be terribly exhausting.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I agreed.

“Here,” Pinkie reached into the box and pulled out a lightly glazed doughnut for me.

“Thanks.”

“So, how’s that ferret settling in? I know you said you were worried about it, since ferrets eat snakes and all,” Rainbow started.

“Not well,” I rolled my eyes. “Bandit’s run Heckley out of all his favorite roosts. Thinks he owns the place.”

“Just give them time,” Fluttershy urged. “I think they can learn to get along yet.”

“If Fluttershy thinks they can peacefully co-exist, I’m sure it will all work out fine,” Rarity spoke.

“But why would you pick out a ferret for Charcoal in the first place if they’re snakes’ natural predators?”

“Torchwood’s idea,” I irritably sighed. “And he won’t listen to me when I tell him they aren’t overly fond of each other. ‘Oh, he’s fine,’ he’ll say, or ‘Bandit’s not hurt anything’. Ugh!” I was getting myself a little worked up, and even pushed away from the table in emphasis. Charcoal shifted on my chest, and I settled down.

“Are you guys doin’ okay?” Rainbow hesitantly inquired, exchanging glances with everypony else. I was about to shake it off, but their concerned expressions made me realize that they deserved to know the truth.

“Honestly... not really,” I confessed, cautiously eyeing Blaze and Spike and hushing my voice. I leaned forward so they wouldn’t overhear us, and they all did the same, wide eyed and curious. “To tell you the truth, we’ve been fighting a lot lately.”

“Really?” Fluttershy gasped.

“That’s no fun!” Pinkie fretted.

“I have a hard time believing that. You guys act so chill out in public,” Rainbow agreed.

“I never thought of myself as the arguing type either, but it just sort of happens. The worst part is, it’s usually over little stupid things not worth fighting over in the least.”

“Goodness! Darling, I had no idea!”

“I’m sorry to hear it, sugar cube. Don’t suppose there’s anythin’ we could do?”

“I don’t think so,” I weakly smiled. “The honeymoon phase ended a good while ago, is all.”

“How’s Blaze taking it?” Rarity asked, stealing another peep at the dragons.

“Not well. He’s usually off to visit his brother nowadays. He leaves early and stays late to avoid us, I think.”

“Look, sugar cube. I know yall are havin’ a tough time of it lately, but ya can’t put Blaze through somethin’ like that. It’s not good for him to see ya fight. Torch’s your husband, for cryin’ out loud! Surely ya can put your differences aside?”

“I know, Applejack. And I’ve tried to apologize, I really have. But every time I try to make things right, we start arguing again. It’s like an infinity loop. The cycle just continues.”

“You’re the Element of Forgiveness! If anyone can do it, it’s you,” Rainbow encouraged.

“I hope you’re right, Dash. And I have to fix it soon. I feel like if we keep this up... we’ll just fall apart.” I hung my head.

“Oh my! You aren’t going to... separate, are you?” Fluttershy quivered.

“Of course they’re not!” Pinkie jumped up. “They can’t split up! Because that would be really, really, REEEAAAALLLLLY sad!”

“All married couples have their differences,” Rarity nodded, gently playing with my untamed blue mane. “But these squabbles will make you stronger, in the end. Once you make up, you know you were meant for each other.”

“What if we really weren’t meant for each other?” I bit my lip as the treacherous thought entered my mind.

“Are you kidding?” Rainbow almost spat out her drink.

“You guys are so perfect!” Pinkie clasped her hooves together, swinging her arms with a dreamy ga-ga face to emphasize the statement.

“Now you look here, sugar cube,” Applejack got up from her seat and walked around the table, using almost a stern tone of voice. “Ya see this here?” She pulled back the blankets to give me a clear view of Charcoal’s face. “The two of ya came together and made this. A livin’, breathin’, darlin’ babe of a boy. If that ain’t perfection, then I dunno what is. What more proof could ya possibly want?” I stared at her blankly for a moment, never expecting to hear such a speech from the cowpony.

“Beautifully said, Applejack,” Rarity praised, lightly tapping her hooves in response.

“Mm-hm,” the others hummed.

“T-thanks, AJ.” Tears began to well in my eyes. “I needed that.”

“Acrylic?” Blaze tugged at my tail. I stopped myself from jumping and unsettling the baby. How long had he been standing there?

“What is it, Blaze?” I rapidly dried my eyes to dispose of the evidence.

“Spike and I were just going to head back to the palace,” he mumbled, refusing to make eye contact and fiddling his claws. He’d evidently discovered the subject of our conversation.

“I think it’s best if we all start heading back,” Fluttershy suggested.

“I could definitely use a few winks,” Rainbow readily agreed.

“No racing, this time,” Rarity ordered, sliding out of her seat with a huff.

“Oh, fine,” Applejack consented with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

“I got the doughnuts!” Pinkie declared, sweeping the box of remaining sweets onto her back. “Looks like we’ll have a couple left for breakfast!”

“Wouldn’t you rather dine in the palace?” Rarity exclaimed, rather aghast that our pink companion would choose doughnuts over food from the royal kitchens.

“Castle food is okay, but no one beats Doughnut Joe!” Pinkie happily chirped.

“You ladies stop back now,” the owner called upon hearing his name.

“See ya later, Joe!” she waved back.

“Have a safe trip,” he nodded to me as I finished returning Charcoal to the carrier.

“We will, thank you,” I politely replied, hurrying out before he realized Charcoal’s ‘toy’ wasn’t actually a doll.

“Sorry I’m so late,” Twilight sighed, finally sliding into an open seat beside Spike at the palace dining table. “I had a late night with the other Princesses.”

“No need to apologize, darling,” Rarity assured. “We completely understand.”

“This was a business trip,” Rainbow agreed. “No sweat.”

“I still wish I could’ve gone to Doughnut Joe’s with you.”

“Don’t worry! We brought Doughnut Joe’s to you!” Pinkie winked, sliding the box of last night’s leftovers her way.

“Gee, thanks everypony!” Twi exclaimed, lifting the lid and selecting one of the few remaining desserts.

“You too?” Rarity nearly shrieked.

“Wha?” Twilight froze, her mouth still full. We all laughed.

“Honestly! An entire spread of palace food, and you want doughnuts,” Rarity grumbled.

“They’re good!” Pinkie countered, her mouth also full.

“Twilight!” The doors on the other side of the dining room slammed open.

“Cadance? What’s wrong?” Twilight didn’t think twice about abandoning her meal.

“Didn’t Princess Celestia inform you? She’s called an emergency meeting in the conference room,” Cadance hurriedly explained.

“I didn’t get any notification,” Twilight scratched her head. Behind her, Spike let out a loud belch, accidentally roasting his gemstones.

“Here it is,” he groaned, clutching his stomach. Twilight took the note from him and quickly scanned it.

“Well, what’re we waiting for?” she finally exclaimed. Cadance smiled at her enthusiasm, and the two took off together.

“WAIT! What about your doughnut?” Pinkie screeched.

“Sorry, girls. Looks like I won’t have time to eat with you after all.”

“The train leaves in an hour, Twi,” Applejack put in. “Think you’ll make it?”

“I doubt it, girls,” Cadance apologized.

“I’ll catch the next one. Don’t wait up for me,” Twilight directed, bolting away again.

“Well, you heard her,” Rainbow sighed, pushing back from the chair. “We better get ready or we’ll miss the train.”

“I hope everything’s alright,” Fluttershy quietly mumbled, also getting up.

“Me too,” I solemnly agreed.

“We’re back,” I called, shutting the door behind us. As soon as I stepped into Art Life’s lobby, Bandit hopped out of Charcoal’s grip to relieve Heckley of the sunning spot. Indignantly, the snake slithered away, curtly acknowledging our arrival before finding a new, safer space on top of a kitchen cupboard.

It was Saturday, the weekend, so I knew Torch would off work. Whether or not he was actually here was another question entirely; he wasn’t often home nowadays. I peeked around the corner to see if I could spot him. Indeed, he was sitting at the studio table (more often used as a dining space anymore), reading a book.

“How was your trip?” he inquired without looking up.

“Fine. Twilight was called back into another meeting before we left, though. She had to stay behind.”

“Hmm.” Dead silence filled the room as I unpacked Charcoal’s saddlebags. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing. “Where’s Blaze?”

“He’s helping Spike run the library until Twilight gets back.”

“And you say I’m never home,” he muttered under his breath. I clenched my jaw. Here we go again.

“It’s not his responsibility to raise the baby. It’s mine and yours,” I flatly said, passing him on the way to the nursery. Charcoal reached for his daddy as I walked by, but I never stopped.

“I’m well aware,” he said, “but he’s as much a part of this family as I am.”

“At least he helps take care of Charcoal.”

“So do I! Who watches him when you’re off with your friends? I watch him all evening while you’re out doing who-know’s-what!”

“I don’t think an hour of babysitting a couple nights a week counts. Not when I’m with him all day.”

“I have to work!”

“So do I! Remember? Art class to teach, store to run, baby to take care of?”

“I’m just trying to be a good parent. Your business might’ve paid for the two of us, but kids cost money. Food, diapers and supplies- my job pays for all that! And what if he wants to go to college? We’d better start saving now, because I hate to break it to you, but a mailpony and an artist don’t exactly bring in a lot of income. I’m just trying to be a good parent.”

“Are you saying I’m not a good parent? You might pay for the supplies, but I feed him, I change him, I burp him, I play with him! I put all my energy into taking care of him all day, every day!” We found ourselves nose to nose yet again. The tension and loud voices finally caused Charcoal to complain. He threw down his blocks in the corner, wailing at the top of his lungs. I sighed. “Now look what you’ve done!” I picked up the foal and bounced him. “Shh, shh.”

“What I’ve done? Why is it always my fault? Acrylic, I can’t put up with this anymore!”

“Well, why don’t you just leave?!”

“Maybe I will!” The weight of my words hit me like a ton of bricks.

“W-what?”

“It’s obviously what you’ve wanted all along.” He picked up his saddlebags on his way out and opened the door. I realized that the saddlebags had already been packed and waiting for him. Had he intended to leave anyway? I bolted to the doorway myself and watched as he started down the road. He held his head high and back straight, but his hooves trembled and his steps were shaky, unsteady.

“Where are you going to go?” I exasperatedly exclaimed, slightly sarcastic but secretly alarmed.

“I’ll see if Cedar can hold me over a night, I suppose. Then maybe I’ll go up to Vanhoover... see if Graphite Sketch will take me back.” My heart stopped in my chest. He was serious.

“Torch, I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t leave!” He paused upon noting genuine panic in my voice.

“I think it’s best if we both take some time apart.” Without looking back a second time, he disappeared down the cobblestone road.

Chapter 48: Me, Myself and I

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 49: Element Keys

Chapter 49
Element Keys

“I think I found something!” Twilight reported. Wild Flower indeed had been more than willing to watch Charcoal, though I hadn’t given her the details as to why I was dropping him off. Now I was in the Castle of the Two Sisters with my friends, reading the dusty library tomes in search of clues.

“What’ve ya got, Twi?”

“I've been reading our journal, and there's something interesting about the sections that Discord bookmarked. Applejack, do you remember when you had to tell everypony that the tonic Granny bought from the Flim Flam brothers didn't really work?”

“How could I forget? It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But in that moment, I knew I had to be honest. I just knew it. But what's that got to do with openin' the chest?”

“I've found that each of you has had to face a situation where living up to the Element of Harmony you represent wasn't easy. Fluttershy, it was when you realized that the way to show kindness to the Breezies was by forcing them to leave your home.”

“Oh, the looks on their poor little faces! But I knew that, as difficult as it was, pushing them away was the kindest thing I could do.”

“Rarity, even after Suri took advantage of your generosity at Fashion Week in Manehattan, you didn't let it cause you to abandon your generous spirit.”

“I simply couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't do something special for the friends who have always been so generous to me!”

“Acrylic, even after Gilda put your extended family in danger, you were the first to forgive her.”

“It wasn’t easy, especially since Garble and all his friends were the ones put in jeapordy, but I knew that if I didn’t forgive her, it wouldn’t just be Gilda who would be miserable- I would be, too.”

“Rainbow Dash, you had the chance to fly with the Wonderbolts at the Equestria Games, but instead you chose to compete with your friends.”

“Sure! But being loyal to my friends was way–”

“Ooh, my turn, my turn!” the energetic pink pony interrupted her.

“Pinkie Pie, you realized that seeing your friend laugh was more important than proving you were a better party planner than Cheese Sandwich.”

“Best party I've ever had,” Rainbow assured, slinging an arm around Ponyville’s local party planner.

“It's clear we've all had our moments to shine, Twilight, but I'm with Applejack. What does any of this have to do with the opening of the chest?” Rarity asked again.

“All of you had tough choices to make. But when you made the right one and embraced your element, it helped somepony else make the right choice too. Each of you received something from the pony whose life you helped change. I know it sounds crazy, but maybe there's something special about those objects that could lead us to the location of the keys. The chest is connected to the Tree of Harmony, the Tree is connected to the Elements, and the Elements are connected to all of us. There must be a connection! I hate to admit it, but maybe Discord was trying to be a good friend after all.”

“So what say we all run home, grab the stuff and meet back here?” Applejack suggested, sticking a hoof out to rally us. One by one, we all added our hooves to the stack.

“Game on!” Rainbow declared.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“Where is it? Where is it? Oh, please tell me Blaze didn’t eat it,” I fretted, searching for the tiny ruby Gilda had gifted me in the Dragon Craters. “I was sure I put it on the bookshelf. It was right here!” I sifted through the books again, taking them out and replacing them over and over. I stuck the gemstone between two of our books on mythical creatures- Current’s tome on hippocampi and a newer volume on hippogryphs. Though, I couldn’t even seem to find the latter.

“Have you seen it, Heckley?” The mention of his name roused my snake from his nap. “Quick, buddy, I need you to help me find a little red gem. It’s important! Check under the furniture in case it fell.” He groggily slithered down, nearly dropping off the edge of the dresser but catching himself on the handle. He obediently though drowsily wriggled his way under the wardrobe. Meanwhile, I sifted through the side table drawer. Where could it be?

“What’s taking so long, Acrylic?” Rainbow impatiently called from downstairs.

“I can’t find it!” I desperately cried.

“Don’t tell me you lost it!” she groaned.

“It was right here!”

“Oh, hey, isn’t this it?” My eyes widened, and I bolted downstairs. Rainbow was still coming in, headed for the dining table. The book Torch had been reading before our argument was still sitting on the surface. From her vantage point, a little red shimmer could be seen stuck on the bottom. It must’ve gotten wedged between the cover and the last few pages. Relieved, I plucked the ruby from the book.

“Great. Now let’s go.”

“Coming.” I started to follow her, but the open page caught my eye. It didn’t take me long to realize that this was the missing hippogryph book. It was underlined and highlighted and red-penned, and almost every available margin had been filled with cramped hoofwriting. Torchwood’s hoofwriting. The pages had been filled with additional pages of notes, and some of the passages and been tagged with ribbons or sticky notes. I even found a marked-up, color coded map stuffed in the back. I quickly skimmed over some of his notations. Torch had really gone all out in his research! ... without me.

I slouched a little, and audibly sighed. This was supposed to be our hobby, our project. But I supposed I hadn’t had a lot of time for such things lately.

“Come on,” Rainbow urged, grabbing my tail and yanking me out behind her.

“Hold your horses, I’m coming,” I mumbled, whipping my tail away and indignantly trotting out behind her.

Rainbow raced me back to the tree, which made up for lost time, and put us back on schedule. The others were all just arriving with their gifts; Fluttershy and Sea Breeze’s flower; Rarity and Suri’s rainbow thread; Applejack and Silver Shill’s bit; Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich’s rubber chicken, Boneless; followed up by Rainbow and Spitfire’s Wonderbolts pin; and me and Gilda’s ruby. Twilight trailed the rest of us, dragging along an unhappy Spike behind her, but both came up empty-hooved.

“Great! Everypony’s back. Let’s line up all the objects in front of the chest,” Twilight directed. One by one, we all stepped up to do so. “Hmm...” Twilight paced as she examined them. “I don’t see anything on them that would give us a clue as to where the keys might be. They’re just... ordinary, everyday objects.”

“COME ON, BONELESS! GIVE US THAT KEY!” Pinkie demanded, leaping forward to reclaim the rubber chicken and shake it for all she was worth. This squeezed some squeaking from the toy, but no answers.

“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Twilight helpfully put in, ducking just before Pinkie hurled Boneless across the room. The toy bounced off the chest, but was almost immediately surrounded by a magical aura, emanating from the chest itself.

“Whoa!” we all exclaimed. We watched in astonishment as the aura magically transformed the chicken into a wibbly-wobbly looking key that actually gave the impression of three balloons, which was promptly levitated into its corresponding keyhole. We all cast each other triumphant glances of success.

Now that we knew what to do with them, we each moved our object up to the chest, where they were all transformed into keys that somehow related to our cutie mark. Of course there was Pinkie’s balloon key. Then Fluttershy’s blossomed into a key with butterfly-shaped handle, while Applejack’s represented what else but an apple. Rarity’s key was topped off with three overlapping diamonds, much like her cutie mark. Rainbow’s transformed into a lightning bolt shooting from the clouds. And mine strongly resembled the heart-shaped tongue of fire topping off my paintbrush. ‘There’s the fire again. Not the paint, not the brush, but the fire,’ I thought to myself.

“There’s still one key missing,” Twilight ruefully noted, breaking me from my thoughts. “The key that represents the Element of Magic. My element.”

“Oh, but I’m sure if we’ve all gotten our keys, you have too, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured.

“Think, Twilight. When have you completed a difficult magical task, and in doing so encouraged another pony to do the same?” Rarity inquired.

“I haven't. If I had, I would have written about it in the journal.”

“Don't worry, Twilight. I'm sure you'll get your key eventually,” Spike consoled. But no sooner had he placed his claw on her shoulder did he have to cover his mouth.

*BUUUUUURRRPPP!*

“What does it say?” Spike anxiously inquired as Twilight snatched up the newly-materialized scroll.

“That I’m needed in Canterlot at once!” she exclaimed.

“Well, ya better get to it!”

“Yes, yes. You don’t want to keep the princesses waiting.

“Sorry, girls. The chest will just have to wait until I get back.”

“It’s alright, Twilight. We understand,” Fluttershy nodded.

“Go on! Skedaddle!” Rainbow playfully shooed.

“We’ll be here,” I nodded. She smiled, grateful for such understanding friends.

“Come on, Spike. I’ll drop you off at the library.” She crouched long enough for the baby dragon to board, then took off.

“Well, I guess I’ll be headin’ home myself. Them chores won’t do themselves.”

“And I really need to feed my animals,” Fluttershy excused.

“Well, I, for one, am still free. Would you like some company, dear?” Rarity turned to me.

“Actually, I think I’m going to head to the Dragon Craters. Talk things over with Blaze,” I shook my head.

“Do you need someone to pick up Charcoal?” Dash wondered.

“I can babysit!” Pinkie eagerly volunteered.

“Wild Flower can handle him until I get back. But thanks anyway.”

“Good luck!” Fluttershy called.

“Thanks,” I paused. “I’ll need it.” Without another word, I took off.

I landed on the outskirts of the bustling craters. I trotted around the perimeter of the main plaza a few times, attempting to pick out any familiar form. It was so packed with dragons, I almost had a hard time distinguishing where one ended and another started. When I still didn’t find them, I checked a little farther out to the less populated areas. I finally found Garble’s entire crew, plus Gilda and Blaze, set off to a lonely nook in the arid, boulder-strewn countryside. Blaze was still pouting, situated next to his brother who held his head in his claws. The others also lazed about, flopped on a boulder or under it. They all sat in a circle as though they had been in a group discussion. I quietly glided to the ground a few yards away, and hesitantly approached.

“I say you just forget about them.”

“Pierce! Way to be insensitive!” Gilda scolded, flicking a pebble his way.

“Look, I am sorry about everything in Ponyville,” Pierce batted the stone away just before it plinked off his face. “I get that it’s awful... I just don’t get it.”

“What Mop Head’s trying to say is that we don’t get all that drama in the Dragon Craters. So we feel bad about it, but we can’t really relate,” Vex elaborated, ruffling Pierce’s shaggy hair. The violet dragon swatted him with an irritated growl, which almost sparked a wrestling match.

“Really? You guys don’t hear about anything like that here?” Blaze looked around at the dragons’ faces.

“Not really. If there’s an arguement around here, we dragons just settle it with a good old fashioned showdown,” Soot ground a fist into his other palm.

“That sounds... violent...”

“But a lot simpler than months of arguing and fighting,” Fizzle pointed out. “Our way settles things right there and then, quickly and efficiently.”

“I guess you’re right,” Blaze considered this new logic.

“Why don’t you stick around a few days?” Clump suggested.

“Yeah. Here you won’t have to worry about all that pony drama garbage,” Pierce agreed.

“So? Whatd’ya say, Rookie?” Garble hadn’t said anything this whole time, and still didn’t try to intervene as the invitation was extended. Blaze considered the offer. He wouldn’t really leave too, would he?

“Blaze?” I cautiously stepped up. All eyes turned to me. Garble was extremely surprised to say the least, but the others appeared to be preparing for a tongue lashing.

“Oh boy,” Gilda’s eyes widened. “This should be interesting.”

“What are you doing here?” Blaze spat, turning away.

“Blaze, I just want to talk to you,” I gently tried again.

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Please, Blaze, I know you’re upset, but-”

“I thought you guys loved each other! I thought you loved me!”

“That’s deep,” Vex quietly hissed to Soot.

“I guess that’s what pony drama does to you,” the gray one shrugged.

“Of course I love you Blaze. And I love Torchwood, too. We just need some time apart, is all.”

“You’re splitting up, aren’t you?”

“Of course not!”

“You’re lying!”

“I’m not lying, Blaze. I‘ll go see Torchwood tomorrow, and I’ll bring him back so we can all be a happy family again, okay? Let’s go home and get ready for him, okay?”

“I’m not coming home,” he resolutely folded his ears. “Dragons don’t argue and fight like ponies do. I’m staying here with my brother.”

“Blaze?” I clutched my chest, and even looked down to make sure it hadn’t been cut open.

“You heard me.” His lip quivered, trying not to cry himself.

“But Blaze-”

“Just go away! Leave me alone!” He slid down from the rock he sat upon and marched off.

“Blaze!”

“Is there a problem here?” I was about to chase after him, but froze as an immense shadow overtook me. A bulky orange dragon with red spines, and actually looked a lot like an older version of Blaze, towered overhead.

“Uncle Bran,” Garble finally spoke. Blaze had adopted his color scheme from their father, Sparks, who also had a look-alike brother called Bran. Bran, however, was huge and muscular, unlike gimpy Sparks, and right now, appeared very threatening. Piercing eyes shone daggers upon my puny form, and white teeth gleamed like pearls. “You remember Acrylic, right?”

“Oh, yes. The pony.” He looked me over again, even more critically. I gulped.

“Hello again, Bran.”

“Hello yourself.” He turned back to Garble. “What seems to be the trouble?”

“Blaze just said he wanted to stay here,” Clump reported. Everyone glared at him. “What?”

“Is that so?” Bran’s whole disposition lightened up. “Well, it’s about time! No worries- we can make a dragon of him yet.”

“With all due respect, Bran, I’ve been taking care of Blaze since Ignition died. He needs to come home with me.”

“Bah! Obviously you haven’t done a very good job, seeing as how you’ve sent him crawling back here.” I flinched as though I’d been slapped. “Besides, a pony can never properly raise a dragon, in my opinion.”

“We didn’t ask your opinion,” Garble quietly, even shame-facedly stared at the ground as he spoke. Bran’s expression darkened.

“Watch yourself, boy!” He sharply cuffed the back of Garble’s head with a spade-tipped tail. Garble actually stumbled forward a few steps, bumping into me. I snapped into defense mode, curling protective wings around him. “I’m the only one who gives a hoot about you around here! It’s best you stay in my good graces.”

“You hit him like that again and I’ll shred you,” I snarled. This actually sent Bran into a fit of laughter.

“I’m alright, really. It’s nothing,” Garble assured, shoving my wings away, but rubbing the back of his head. “That’s just what dragons do. I’m used to it. Barely even felt anything.” I could tell he was lying about the last bit.

“It is to me.” I glared at the cackling beast, then to wide-eyed Blaze. If Bran struck Garble just for a snide comment, who knows what he would do to the hatchling!

“I’ll look after him,” Garble promised, reading my mind. I walked up to Blaze to try one last time.

“Please, please come home,” I begged. Blaze met my gaze. He knew I wouldn’t hurt him physically as Bran might, but obviously the emotional damage in our household had already proved to be too much.

“I’m staying here.” A tear dripped down my cheek.

“Okay,” I croaked. “But you’ll always be welcome back in Ponyville.” I hushed my voice a bit. “And if Bran ever hurts you, even if it’s just casual dragon roughhousing, you come tell me, yeah?” He pushed away. I wasn’t sure if that was a yes or no. “I love you, Blaze.” He refused to look at me. I bit my lip.

“Go home, Pony,” Bran sniggered. “You don’t belong here.” I took a breath to compose myself, and with what dignity I had left, turned to leave.

“Acrylic,” Garble whispered, catching up before I took off. He caught me by the shoulder, but paused to turn back and make sure he had gone unnoticed. Bran had already headed back to the main hoard, herding all the other youngsters with him, but the red teen had escaped his gaze.

“Yeah?” Garble crossly folded his arms.

“You’d better fix things with Torchwood, for Blaze’s sake.”

“I promise I will, Garble.” Checking once more to make sure Bran was gone, I gave him a quick hug. “Stay safe. And the same goes for you. If Bran ever really hurts you, I want you to come tell me, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

“GARBLE!” Bran barked from afar.

“Gotta go.” He fondly patted me one last time before taking off. I looked on after them. This trip was supposed to put me at ease, to put things right. But now I was more alone than ever.

Chapter 50: Lord Tirek

Chapter 50
Lord Tirek

I got no sleep that night. The house was unnaturally quiet. Bandit’s snores, Heckley’s hiss and Charcoal’s rhythmic breathing were not enough to fill the void of our two missing members. I felt like I would be swallowed up by the bed’s enormousy. Was it really always this big? It was hard to remember a time when Torchwood hadn’t been slumbering soundly beside me.

His absence was affecting Charcoal, too. Neither of us got a good night’s sleep, between his crying and my spinning mind. I tried to settle him down, but it seemed that all he wanted was to be held by his father. That was the one thing I couldn’t give him.

The troubles weighing on my mind and the baby’s wailing equated to a long night for both of us. Literally. Perhaps it was just because I was so tired, but it seemed as though the sun was taking longer to rise than usual. I had no reason to complain- I needed all the sleep I could get, but I still couldn’t force my body to shut down. Even after the sun finally did seep in through the blinds, I didn’t have the heart to make myself get out of bed. Not until a knock finally drew me out of the sheets, that is.

I was just reaching for the handle when I stopped. I’d planned to go see Torchwood today. What if he had come to see me first? I anxiously glanced out the window so I wouldn’t be caught unprepared. I was both relieved and disappointed to find it was only Fluttershy.

“Good morning Acr- oh! Goodness, are you feeling okay?” Her gaze was drawn to my obnoxious bedhead and the deep bags under my eyes.

“As good as can be expected,” I yawned, only half awake. “What is it, Flutters?”

“Oh, Twilight went off to the Castle of the Two Sisters, and just asked the rest of us to go around and make sure everyone knows to stay inside. I think we’ve warned everypony else already... I’ll let you get back to sleep,” she lightly excused herself. My eyes popped open.

“Wait, stay inside? Why?”

“She said that Tirek is still on the loose, and wants everypony to be safe indoors.”

“What happened with Discord, then?”

“I don’t know, but he hasn’t come back yet.” She worriedly rubbed her chin. “I hope he’s okay.”

“He’s the Lord of Chaos, one of the most powerful beings in Equestria,” I rolled my eyes. “Nothing can hurt him.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Thanks for the warning, Fluttershy, but I really have to go to Baltimare today.”

“Oh, no, no, no! Twilight said for everyone to stay at home! You of all ponies need to stay and keep little Charcoal safe!”

“I know what she said, Flutters, but I have to do this. I have to put things right. You know Blaze is so upset he refused to come home? He stayed at the Dragon Craters overnight!”

“Oh my!” she gasped.

“I just hope that he’ll come home after I set things straight with Torchwood. Don’t you see why this can’t wait any longer? It has to stop now.”

“Yes, yes, I do understand, but... couldn’t ‘now’ wait until Twilight gets back?”

“Gah!” I began pacing. I needed a new tactic. “Does anyone even know where Tirek is?”

“Well... no...” she confessed. “That’s kind of the whole reason we’re supposed to stay inside.”

“Then who’s to say he’s even anywhere near Ponyville?”

“Well...”

“For all we know, he could be on the other side of Equestria, and I’d be wasting precious time!”

“I suppose that is a fair point...”

“Please, Fluttershy, could you watch Charcoal until I get back?”

“Me?”

“I trust you girls to watch him more than anypony else. I know he’ll be safe if Tirek does end up showing his ugly face. Please, Fluttershy, I’m begging you.”

“I guess between the six of us, we’ll be able to keep an eye on him,” she finally sighed.

“Thank you,” I exhaled with relief. “Be good, Char,” I called back, taking off then and there.

My friends had indeed gotten word out, for the streets were deserted. That made things all the easier for me. I had a clear runway and no traffic in the skies to watch out for. It was free sailing until I hit the edge of town.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I suddenly found myself accompanied by Rainbow.

“Not now, Dash.” I tried to swivel around her, but she again blocked my path.

“Didn’t Fluttershy tell you that we’re under lockdown?”

“She did, but I really need to talk to Torchwood.”

“Right now we really need to stay inside. Twilight’s orders.”

“Rainbow, if Tirek really is a threat, I have to make sure he’s okay. And Blaze,” I added.

“Wait, isn’t Blaze at your place?”

“No! I went to check on him at the Dragon Craters last night like I said, but he said he was too sick of the fighting. He wants to stay with his brother.” The heartbreaking account and my pitiful expression finally got through to her.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry before anyone notices we’re gone!”

“Thanks, Dash.” We both started off again, but no sooner had we turned around than we ran into another rogue flyer.

“Why, hello, girls. Where ever are you going in such a rush?” Discord asked as we both kerplunked into his stomach.

“Out of the way, Dipcord,” Rainbow hissed. “We’re on an urgent rescue mission.”

“Ooh, how important that sounds!” he giddily chuckled.

“Discord! You’re back!” Fluttershy gleefully cried. She had evidently trailed more slowly behind me with Charcoal to meet up with the rest of our friends, who had finally tracked us down from below. She quickly but gently passed Charcoal on to Pinkie Pie before tackling Discord in a bear hug.

“Acrylic? Rainbow Dash? Where in tarnation do ya think you’re goin’?”

“Please, AJ,” I sighed, fluttering down to try and explain my position to her. “I have to talk to Torch.”

“But Twilight said to stay here!”

“Yes, I know, Pinkie,” I ground my teeth, tired of receiving the same answer over and over.

“I know you want to settle things, darling, but I do think you should wait until Twilight gets back.”

“Discord just came back. That means Tirek isn’t a threat anymore. Right, Discord?”

“Hmm, yes, yes,” he answered all too quickly. “But why not stick around, chum? Fluttershy promised us a picnic upon my return.”

“Did you bring the cucumber sandwiches?” Fluttershy hopefully asked.

“I did!” He triumphantly displayed a plate. “Would you girls like one?”

“No! Really, I have to go-”

“I really think you should take one, Acrylic,” Discord pressed, shoving the plate in my face and blocking my way. “After all, I imagine they’ll be your last decent meal for quite some time.” He let the entire platter splatter to the ground.

“What?” We were surrounded by bright light as a cage suddenly materialized around us.

“HEY!”

“What’s goin’ on?”

“What’re you doin’?!”

“CHARCOAL?!” While everypony else hollered complaints or demands of freedom, I wriggled through the rioting ponies to find Pinkie, who still held Charcoal. She barely seemed to notice when I took him back; she just used her second free hoof to become even more animated.

“Ta da!” Discord proudly proclaimed. Heavy hoofbeats shook the ground, and we turned into the face of a terrifying centaur-like creature, with horrid horns, glowing eyes and silver bands clasped around his wrists and neck.

“You’ve gathered all of them?” the beast growled. He was working with Discord? That couldn’t be right... he was our friend! What was going on?

“Even one of her little dragon friends,” Discord crouched down and attempted to tickle Spike’s chin. The purple hatchling snapped at his paw in response. I hadn’t seen him like this for a long time. My heart filled with rage. I trusted him. The mere sight of the flip-flop draconequus almost made me sick. I turned away and focused solely on rocking Charcoal, keeping him as calm and safe as circumstances would allow.

“One?” Tirek snarled.

“Well, I’m not really sure where Acrylic’s assistant is. Would you like to share, dearie?” He looked expectantly at me from perched across the cage. I’d have knocked him into next week if it hadn’t been for the bars.

“Like I’d tell you, filthy traitor,” I spat, intentionally allowing a bit of spittle to fly. He shut his eyes before the droplets splattered on him, and irritably wiped the fluid away with a window wiper.

“I wonder if she’d be a little more cooperative if we took the young one from her,” the beast I assumed to be Tirek snickered.

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!” I bellowed, stomping hard on the metal base of the cage. Discord’s metal absorbed the earth-shattering effect, and reverberations rocked the whole structure. All our ears rang.

“I don’t see how it matters,” Discord casually shrugged. “We already have more than enough of her friends to bargain with.” Relieved for the moment, I tenderly readjusted Charcoal in a makeshift cradle formed from my own curled wings.

“Why are you doing this?” Fluttershy cried, tears streaming down her face. The terrified mare had found refuge in Applejack’s reassuring grip. “I thought we were friends!”

“Oh, we were,” Discord shrugged. “But Tirek offered me so much more than just tea parties. Surely you saw this coming?”

“I didn’t. I really didn’t!” she sobbed. Applejack stroked her back in an effort to calm her down.

“I never should have trusted you,” I seethed in a voice like venom. He rolled his eyes and nonchalantly turned away.

A glowing orb of energy welled up between Tirek’s massive horns, and the cage was lifted, as were all of us inside. Charcoal finally began to wail. I pressed him close to my chest, still protectively wrapped in my wings.

“It’s okay, I’m here. Mommy’s got you. Everything will be okay.” But I knew in my heart he really wanted his Daddy there. And frankly, I wasn’t sure if everything would be okay.

I felt more energy being drained from my body than even the little sleep I did get could’ve provided me with. Well... ‘drained’ is a mild term. Ripped would be a more appropriate word. Tirek was feeding off our power like a vampire, sucking up every last ounce of energy we had. Charcoal cried at the top of his lungs, but I felt my world going black. I thought for sure that he would keep feeding until there was nothing left but empty husks. I shut my eyes and prepared for the worse.

The siphoning process didn’t kill us, but it came pretty close. Once Tirek had absorbed all our usable energy, he dropped his hold on us, and the entire cage dropped like a stone. Those of us inside roughly thudded to the ground. I barely had the energy to open my eyes, but I forced myself to do so upon realizing Charcoal had stopped crying.

“Char?” I wheezed. The baby lay motionless on the floor beside me. I put all my strenth into reaching out with a wing and drawing him back to me. Even if Tirek’s feast hadn’t completely drained him, he could’ve hit his head in the fall! Luckily, he was still breathing. Relieved by the fact, I tucked him protectively under me. I wanted more than anything to shut my eyes again and conserve what energy I had left, but our other friends caught my eye. They looked... different. Their eyes were foggy and colorless- I could only assume mine looked the same. But there was something else...

Their flanks.

All of them were missing their cutie marks. No more butterflies, apples, balloons, gems or rainbows adorned their hides any longer. I slowly raised the strength to turn around and examine my own flank. I was no exception to the circumstance- my flaming paintbrush was also gone. Again.

“You’re sure she’ll do anything for them?” Tirek asked Discord.

“If Twilight has magic to give, it will be yours,” the draconequus took a proud bow for this accomplishment. “Soon, there won’t be a pegasus, earth pony, thestral or unicorn who can stand up against us.”

“Us?” Tirek cackled. “Who said anything about ‘us’?”

“Y-you did,” Discord nervously reminded. The rest of us just look on as Tirek picked up our former friend with his telekinesis powers.

“You’ve helped me grow strong; you’ve provided me with the means by which I can obtain Princess Twilight’s magic,” Tirek spoke. Discord guiltily looked back at us. “And now you are no longer of any use to me.” Discord’s remorseful expression turned to one of terror as his own powerful, chaotic magic was drawn out of him. Discord’s power alone caused Tirek to nearly double in size, while the draconequus himself was unceremoniously dumped to the ground.

“B-but... you said this was a sign of your gratitude and loyalty... a gift from someone close to you,” Discord weakly pleaded, indicating an amulet I hadn’t noticed he was wearing until now.

“My brother, who betrayed me,” Tirek flatly answered. “It is as worthless as he is.” Discord’s face filled with confusion and pain as the centaur marched off.

“Surely you saw this comin’?” Applejack threw Discord’s own words back at him.

“I didn’t. I truly didn’t.”

“HEY, YOU! MONKEY FACE!”

“Torchwood?”

“So? After a good night’s rest away from home, have you got everything figured out yet?” Cedar asked as he walked in. Cedar had always been an early riser, and even having company didn’t deter him from an early morning stroll. Torchwood, meanwhile, had slept in quite a while- it was nearly noon!- and was just now sitting down to a breakfast of cold cereal. Part of the reason for his getting up so late that he’d had a long night to think things over.

He thought about the fights, yes, and how he just wished sometimes Acrylic would be a good wife and just shut up long enough to listen to him. She could get so stuck in her own way... but so could he. That was the reason their arguments always went around in circles, after all. Neither of them had really been listening. They’d been far too busy yelling for that. And there was merit to some of what she said. He’d been out a lot more lately. Even though he’d been using the time to plan a surprise for her, he supposed she had a right to know where he’d been going night after night.

Even though he’d been upset with his wife, he really didn’t want his son to grow up without a father. Their little spouts weren’t worth splitting up for good. He didn’t want to leave Blaze or Charcoal, their friends, or even Heckley and Bandit. Bandit... he guessed that was another reasonable cause for Acrylic to be upset. He had brought the little guy home without consulting her. Though he’d meant well and Fluttershy had assured him that they could get along, Bandit had taken over Heckley’s turf. As fond as he’d grown of the ferret, he would just have to accept the fact that things might not work out for the fellow in his home.

True, he’d have to make a few sacrifices, but as a father and husband, such was his duty. And besides- his family was worth it.

“Yeah, I think I know what I have to do,” Torchwood admitted. “It turns out you were right, Cedar. Everyone fights, but that doesn’t mean Acrylic’s not still the girl for me. I’m going back. Thanks for everything, pal.”

“What are brothers for?” Cedar shrugged with a toothy grin. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get on after her!”

What started out as a friendly clap on the back turned into a playful beating as Cedar chased his friend out of the house. With a wild grin, Torchwood darted to the safety of the sky, forgetting his luggage entirely. All he could think about was returning to his wife and sons.

Torchwood soared over the Everfree, using his fire to create warm thermals and speed up the process. From this height, he could already see the blur of Ponyville in the distance. Home was quite literally on the horizon. Smiling even wider, Torch flew on, faster and faster. It was times like this when he was grateful he’d become a mailpony- all the time he spent shuttling heavy packages across Equestria made this journey seem like a walk in the park.

His spirits were soaring as high as he was as the quaint town appeared beneath him. The rolling countryside, familiar buildings, bustling streets...

Bustling streets?

Torchwood realized with a start that the town appeared empty. Where was everypony?

Oh, the giant, enormously scary centaur might have something to do with it.

Torchwood’s first inclination was to swoop in and see what was going on. The creature was obviously dangerous if he’d scared the entire town into hiding. But surely Princess Twilight would already have a handle on things? And his first priority should be to make sure his family was okay, not go charging off into danger.

Acrylic must have really been weighing on his mind, because he could’ve sworn he spotted his wife down in the clutches of the centaur. In fact, that looked a LOT like Acrylic... and Rarity... and Pinkie Pie...

ACRYLIC WAS DOWN IN THE CLUTCHES OF THE CENTAUR!

His friends, wife, and even his son were all trapped in a gleaming silver cage, deposited at the centaur’s hooves. Even Discord was there, but the Lord of Chaos appeared weak and frail at present. Anger and hatred broiled within Torchwood’s chest.

‘If that thing lays a hoof on any of them, I’ll-’ It was probably a good thing Torchwood didn’t get to finish the thought. Instead, he found himself diving headfirst for the gargantuan monster.

“HEY, YOU! MONKEY FACE!”

“Torchwood?” Every pony, dragon and draconequus turned to pinpoint the source of the voice. A very ferocious brown thestral was swooping downwards at great speeds. He pulled up from the ground at the last second, not just dust billowing out from beneath his great wings but also orange and green fire as well. A raging pyre soon crackled at his disposal, which temporarily blinded Tirek.

“GRAAAH!” the monster howled, shielding his eyes from the blazing flames.

“Torchwood! It’s Torchwood!” I gleefully cried, still partially supported by Rainbow. I sagged against her due to lack of energy, but I would have melted anyway from the relief that washed over me. “Wait, it’s Torchwood!” My heart suddenly pounded in my chest. “No, no, get out of here!”

“Not without you.” Still fueling the main inferno, Torchwood sparked a second flame around our cage, meant to melt the bars. But Discord hadn’t made this an easy task as it was magically reinforced, not that it wasn’t hard enough to concentrate on maintaining both fires at once anyway.

“Hurry!” Rainbow urged, fretfully looking back to check on Tirek. He was finally recovering despite Torchwood’s relentless fire.

“There!” Enough of the bars had been dissolved for us to make it through. I leapt through first, directly into Torchwood’s arms.

“Torch, I’m so, so sorry,” I wept, thankful to be with him again. “I was wrong about everything. Please forgive me?”

“Yes, yes, but can we do this later? I’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”

“Here here,” Rarity hurriedly concurred.

“Can you take a passenger?” Torchwood asked.

“I think so,” I resolutely decided. Just seeing my husband again had restored my strength.

“Come on, Pinkie.” I turned to the nearest wingless pony.

“Yippee!” she cried, leaping aboard.

“Hold Char.” I passed the baby back so my wings were free. I crouched to take off, leapt into the air... and dropped dead like a stone.

“Oof!”

“What in the hay?” Applejack scratched her head.

“What’s wrong?” Torchwood lifted me back to my hooves.

“I-I don’t know,” I shook my head in an attempt to clear it.

“It won’t work,” Discord hung his head. “Tirek has absorbed all of your power. That includes strength, flight, fire, magic, everything.”

“You mean we can’t fly?!” Rainbow crazily looked back at her wings. The words sunk in with a heavy heart. No flight and no cutie mark. This sounded familiar.

“Look out!” Rarity cried. Tirek had rebounded from Torchwood’s fire, and was summoning another power surge. Torchwood was about to light him up again when he was lifted from the ground.

“You’re awfully troublesome,” Tirek snarled. “But admirably powerful.” Torchwood futilely wriggled and writhed, but couldn’t escape his grasp. Tirek prepared to take in his power.

“TORCHWOOD!” Like something as disposable as a candy wrapper, my husband was carelessly tossed to the side. Skidding across the dirt, he lay motionless, and I tearfully bolted to join him.

“Torchwood?” The brown stallion I so dearly loved groaned, and looked up at me through fogged, glassy eyes. “Oh, Torch. Your cutie mark.”

“My-?” I helped him raise his head high enough so he could see. He looked as perturbed as I when I first lost my mark, but quickly got over it. “No matter. The important thing is that we’re together. Right?”

“Torchwood... I love you.” I quickly pressed my lips to his. He hadn’t been expecting the motion; this was hardly the time or place! But I didn’t care. And evidently, neither did he, for he soon joined in the passionately intimate moment.

“Aww!” Happy tears promptly flooded from Pinkie’s eyes.

“How sweet,” Tirek sarcastically sneered. “Sickeningly so.” With another of his magic surges, Torchwood and I were thrown apart once more, separated by some magical barrier as we were all given our own individual bubble. Even Charcoal was pried from Pinkie’s iron grip. He started crying again, but I’d never been so glad to hear that sound. That meant he would probably be okay.

“Hey!”

“Let us go!”

“Leave my son alone!”

“That should hold you,” Tirek huffed, dutifully stomping off one last time in search of Twilight.

“What’re we going to do?”

“We h-have to warn Twilight,” Fluttershy sniffled, still traumatized by Discord’s recent betrayal.

“How? We ain’t goin’ noywhere stuck in these bubble whatchamacallits,” Applejack pointed out, demonstrating by charging at full speed and succeeding only in spinning the barrier.

“No thestral strength either,” Torchwood reported, kicking and thrashing in his own prison. “I can’t send letters without fire...” he looked around for another solution. Our one remaining dragon caught his eye. “Spike! I don’t guess you retained your ability?”

“I don’t know,” Spike confessed, “but even if I did, I don’t have a quill or scroll.”

“What? But you always have quills and scrolls!”

“Nevermind. How about you, Blaze? Blaze?” Torchwood realized for the first time that our assistant wasn’t here. “Where’s Blaze?”

“He went to see Garble after you left,” I admitted. “Hasn’t come back since.”

“What?! Didn’t you go after him?”

“Of course I went after him. But he refused to come back because of all the ‘drama’ at him, and said he wanted to live with Garble now. Bran chased me off before I could get through to him.”

“Oh, my,” Rarity pressed a hoof to her mouth.

“He’s leaving?!” Spike exclaimed, both horrified and heartbroken.

“I guess this is our fault,” Torchwood sagged.

“I hoped that if he saw us back together, he might come back,” I looked back to him. “If we can show him that we’re really a family again.” He smiled.

“I’d like that.”

Part Two: Chapter 52: Fifteen Years

Part Two

Chapter 52
Fifteen Years

- - Fifteen Years Later - - -

“Mom? Mooooom?”

“What is it, Charcoal?”

“I let Lilac borrow my biology textbook so she could look over the botany section, but she hasn’t given it back. I want to get a head start on the makeup work Cheerilee gave me before we go on vacation... do you know where she is?”

“Petticoat came by earlier to pick her up. The two of them headed out somewhere... I’m not sure where.”

“Gah!”

“I’m sure she didn’t bring it with her. Did you check her room?”

“No.”

“Go take a look.”

Fifteen years had passed since Twilight had first been dubbed the Princess of Friendship. Life was certainly different, to say the least. I still ran my shop and taught class in the afternoons, but I also had two beautiful children to call my own. Charcoal Stormwood was turning out to be quite the handsome young stallion, though he could be a bit... difficult at times. I was hoping it was just the teenage phase. He kept his hair a little too long in the front for my taste, and could be a bit rebellious at times. He was certainly still his daddy’s boy. His sister, however, had taken to her aunt.

Lilac Bud was a pale pink filly with a purple mane. Her eyes were a stunning clear blue, almost turquoise. (I wasn’t sure where these colors had come from, either, but after all the crazy things that had happened in my life, I didn’t question it. At least she hadn’t gained Charcoal’s shifting ability.) She kept her mane and tail short, similar to her beloved Aunt’s hairstyle, though her natural curl prevented her from keeping a straight, clean-cut edge. Wild Flower was actually the one to name Lilac on the day of her birth. We still hadn’t really thought of anything really special, and almost decided on calling her Rose as an ode to Torchwood’s mother. Just before the nurse had the chance to write anything on the birth certificate, however, Wild Flower happened to comment that she was as pretty as a new lilac bud. And so Lilac it was. Wild Flower spent a lot more time around our children lately, perhaps because she now had young ones of her own.

Cedar had finally proposed to Wild Flower, and the pair had a beautiful baby boy togther called Chance. Random color schemes seemed to be a genetic trait of our family, because he shared only Cedar’s blue mane. The blue eyes and bright yellow coat were all his own. He was three years younger than Charcoal, currently age 12. Later, Wild Flower had also adopted a blue paint coated filly called Ocean Mist. She was Lilac’s age at 7, and the two got along great.

Though Ocean Mist came by frequently, Lilac also had many friends locally. Her closest friend was Petticoat, Rarity’s daughter. Oh, yes. I probably should have mentioned that most of my friends had paired off by now.

The unexpected appearance of Twilight’s castle attracted visitors from all over the globe. The unicorn stallion Trenderhoof returned to Ponyville shortly after the castle’s formation to write a story on the strange happenings. Though Rarity had a serious crush on the stallion over the duration of his first visit, he had not returned her feelings. Rarity had gotten over it, and the two were able to peacefully coexist upon his second appearance. She even agreed to interview with him for his article. From there, something changed. Trenderhoof found a new admiration, even love for the mare, and it didn’t take long for Rarity’s feelings to resurface. It was obvious even after just the first few dates that they were a perfect couple. Indeed, the ensuing wedding made things official, and they had a beautiful filly together whom they named Petticoat.

Rainbow had also paired off. She continued to try out for the Wonderbolts flight group over the next couple of years, and therefore had more exposure to her all time heroes, Soarin’ in particular. He’d taken a shining to her ever since the Equestria Games tryouts where she’d brought their team closer together. When he suddenly appeared on her doorstep offering private practice sessions and exclusive flying tips, it became obvious that something was going on between them. They hit it off right away, and it wasn’t long before they were married with two children of their own, Spectrum, a powerful young colt, and Thunder Cloud, a lovely filly.

Pinkie had been dating Cheese Sandwich for some time now, but neither of them could take anything really seriously, let alone a relationship. Perhaps one day they would settle down together, but they just weren’t ready yet. Twilight had also been seeing that royal guard Flash Sentry more and more, and we all expected another royal wedding soon. But to our surprise, not much had happened between them. Perhaps Twilight was too busy with her royal duties to concern herself with a relationship, or maybe the long distance created an obstacle. Either way, everyone was shocked when Applejack married first.

The Tree had sent Applejack and Pinkie Pie off to Appleloosa to restore the earth ponies’ strength. The stallion Caramel had traveled all the way back to Ponyville to personally thank them, and things went from there. Now he was a proud member of the Apple family, and perhaps an even prouder father of Candy Apple. This left Fluttershy to be the last member of our group unpaired.

Candy, Thunder Cloud, Petticoat, and Lilac spent nearly every second together. Spectrum was known to be preoccupied with his younger sister and her friends a lot of the time, but had also been known to hang out with Pound Cake and Charcoal on occasion. Pumpkin was nearly seventeen, and being ten years older than the young girls, preferred to spend time at home, with her brother, or with mares her own age. By mares her own age, I mean adults that permitted her to remain in their company so she could feel more mature. Namely, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had accepted her to their group.

No longer the CMC, they’d all finally earned their cutie marks. Apple Bloom found her place working the farm, which was symbolized by a ripe red apple accompanied by a pale apple blossom. Scootaloo, not surprisingly, found her talent running about on that scooter of hers, which had been perfectly replicated on her flank. She now worked as an apprentice mechanic here in Ponyville, soon to be head mechanic after her boss retired. Sweetie Belle’s voice hadn’t failed her. She’d become one of the finest singers in Equestria, symbolized by a light purple treble clef surrounded by heart-shaped music notes. Pumpkin Cake had also gotten her cutie mark- a white frosted slice of orange cake tipped to its side.

Though Pumpkin could be a bit moody at times, her brother still loved her. If he wasn’t with Charcoal, Pound and Pumpkin were probably off together. Pound had found his talent in demolition, and had recently gotten his first job with a Cloudsdale construction crew. He still lived at home and had quite a flight, but enjoyed his work. He’d tried to convince Charcoal to start working with him, sure that he could snag my son a job if he wanted. But Charcoal didn’t want a job yet. Not until he knew what his destiny was, that is.

At fifteen, my son still had not uncovered his secret talent. I was under the impression this had a lot to do with his grouchy attitude and rebellious spirit. He was frustrated that he hadn’t found his place in this world, especially since at the age of three, his sister had found hers. Spending so much time in Wild Flower’s gardens must’ve rubbed off on her, because the image of a pale lily accompanied by a lilac clipping had appeared on her flank. Humiliated that his baby sister had earned hers first, Charcoal was very touchy about the subject, and often withdrew in himself. Of course I’d taught him everything I knew about art, and Torchwood had been an excellent coach in fire dancing. Though Charcoal was now expert at both trades, neither had turned out to be the right path for him. His best pony friend was Pound Cake, and Char sometimes confided in him about the matter, but he spent most of his time at the Dragon Craters where no one worried about cutie marks.

Speaking of dragons, Blaze was in his early twenties by now. He’d surpassed me in height by now, and shed all his baby fat as had Spike. Both were sheer muscle, and though their build might appear frightening to some, they were still as sweet as ever. They were growing up, and Twilight and I weren’t quite sure what would happen when they outgrew the houses here in Ponyville. There would be room for Spike in the castle, sure, but Art Life wasn’t that large. To my dismay, Blaze had been talking about moving in with Garble’s family in the Dragon Craters. Though the original group of teens had all grown up and paired off to start families of their own, they still got together to fool around occasionally. Blaze knew he would be welcome to stay under their protection if worst came to worst.

As for Torchwood, he’d kept to his promise of making more time for the family, and even broke off from his mailpony job. Instead, he started up his own shipping firm where he could have flexible hours. After perfecting his own fire dancing skills, he’d hired and trained a few thestrals himself. Stationed all across Equestria, the team sent and received mail all day long through their magical fire. Though this method didn’t require them to trek all across Equestria, it was still physically demanding, especially because of how popular it had become. Their method was far quicker and more efficient than traditional mailing, after all.

Our family was certainly changing. I could hardly keep up with the growth anymore. I felt so old- the gray stripe now running through my primary mane tie wasn’t helping, either. So Torchwood had decided it was finally time to go on a vacation together. We would visit Horseshoe Bay for a few days to let the kids play at the beach. Normally, we would have chosen Tall Tale Beach over Horseshoe, but after we had Lilac, Torch and I promised to back down on the ‘mythical creature nut’ titles. After Soot’s innocent comment in the Dragon Craters, we could see how our children might be teased about this reputation. We still pursued this hobby together, but a little more secretly than in the past. Not even Charcoal or Lilac knew hippocampi existed, so visiting our merpony friends without their knowing would be a bit difficult. We had to leave them behind when we did go see our hippocampi friends.

However, Torchwood always kept this hobby in mind when we planned vacations anymore. So far, we had visited the Smokey Mountain and Neighagra Falls, and Torch and I had taken a private trip up to the middle of nowhere in the Crystal Mountains. The trips made for fun family excursions, but we hadn’t found any hippogryphs. The last place we knew to check was the Foal Mountains before returning to square one, but Gilda had assured us multiple times that she’d never spotted any, and she’d grown up there. We still thought it would be a good idea to check for ourselves, so after a few days at the beach we’d wrap up our vacation in an isolated log cabin. There was a village with antique craft shops nearby and a ski resort so the kids wouldn’t be bored. I still thought it was crazy to go from a hot climate to the freezing cold mountains, but we often split our vacations like this so the kids could have their say. They wanted to go to the beach, so at least this way we would still get a chance to look for the hippogryphs.

We were leaving tomorrow, and I was busy packing. This particular cabin, which we believed to be nearby a hippogryph settlement, had already been booked for the next school break. Yet if we were successful, it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and Torch and I just couldn’t pass it up. I’d talked things over with Cheerilee, and she was happy to provide their makeup work before we even left. Charcoal was good about getting his done, but Lilac was procrastinating out with her friends again. I trotted upstairs to see if Char had found his book.

We’d converted the nursery to a real bedroom for him, and later added on a second addition for Lilac. It was this room at the end of the hall Charcoal was hesitantly poking around in. Lilac practically worshipped her older brother, and didn’t mind him in her room, but he still held his breath inside the girly bedroom as though he still believed in ‘cooties.’ He moved so slowly that Bandit ended up doing most of the work.

By the time Torchwood had come to his senses about keeping a snake-eating critter in the same house as Heckley, the two had already bonded so much even I didn’t have the heart to break them up. I still kept them both at opposite ends of the house, and they each learned to mind their own business. There were times I wished we had gotten rid of the mischievous weasle, but overall, I was glad we kept him. Even when no pony or dragon could get through to Charcoal, Bandit stuck by his side.

I refrained from giggling at the sight of the two cautiously rummaging through the stuffed toys lining the wall, and knocked. “Find it yet?”

“No,” Charcoal growled.

“Okay, okay, no need to get upset,” I assured, striding further into the room. “It must be around here somewhere.”

“That’s it. I’m never trusting her with my books again!”

“No need for drastic measures.”

“If she lost it, I’ll have to pay for it!”

“No, I’ll have to pay for it. And it isn’t lost, just misplaced by someone we currently aren’t in contact with. Maybe she stuck it in her saddlebags by mistake. Have you checked those yet?”

“I’m not going through a girl’s bag!” he exclaimed, horrified at the thought.

“Okay, okay, I’ll check,” I promised, rolling my eyes and hauling the bags up onto the bed. “Oh, see, here it is.” I pulled out the missing item and gave it over. He snatched it with a barely audible ‘thanks.’ With Bandit draped over his back, he grouchily returned to his room. I sighed, and resumed packing. He’d been especially solitary since the dragons migrated south for the winter. I was also hoping to use this vacation as a way to spend quality time together, and maybe finally get through to him.

“Hey, we’re home,” Torchwood called. I poked my head around the corner as he shut the door behind him, Petticoat and Lilac giddily galloping ahead.

“Hey! You’re home early.” I pecked his lips in greeting.

“I thought I’d come home early to help with the packing. Earthen Flame is covering my shift,” he fondly nuzzled me back.

“Well, that’s great, but there’s not a whole lot more to do.”

“You aren’t going to send me back, are you?” he teasingly smirked.

“Absolutely not! I’m sure we can come up with something to do,” I slyly batted my eyes.

“I like the sound of that,” he chuckled.

“Ooh! Can we get the girls together and go out for ice cream?” Lilac hopefully pleaded, rebounding from frolicking about the studio with Petticoat.

“Please?” both of them begged, offering the most pleading, pitiful looks they could manage.

“Sorry, young lady, but you have tons of homework,” I reminded my daughter.

“But Mom!” she whined, “It’s not due until after we get back from vacation!”

“Be honest with us, Lilac. Are you really going to do your homework on vacation?” Torchwood skeptically raised an eyebrow.

“Well...” she flattened her ears and wondered if she could convince us she would.

“Go! Off with you!” I shooed, nudging her off to her room.

“Sorry, Petticoat,” Torchwood turned to the remaining disappointed filly.

“Oh,” the unicorn dejectedly pouted. She was a pitiful sight- she’d inherited Rarity’s white coat and her father’s blond hair, and it was hard to turn down such a cute filly. Her eyes were red-violet, and her short, bouncy hair was clasped with a red hairband, currently embellished with a row of clear stick-on gems. Next week it would probably have some new embellishment, knowing the way Rarity dressed up her daughter. Petticoat never minded, though- she too, had already earned her cutie mark in modeling. A silky red dress with a golden waistband was displayed on her flank. “See you later, I guess, Lilac.”

“See you.” We waited until Lilac had gone up to her room and Petticoat had started home.

“You realize this means we have the evening all to ourselves?” I prompted.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Only if you’re thinking something along the lines of a romantic dinner... maybe a little stargazing later tonight?”

“Well, I was thinking we could do a little more digging around this hippogryph legend, but that sounds good too.”

“Torch!” I lightly swatted him. He laughed to let me know he was joking and pounced from behind, drawing me into a hug before a friendly toussel broke out.

“No, dinner sounds nice,” he hummed, craning his neck to kiss me from behind.

“Get a room,” Blaze teased, ducking through the doorway.

“Hello to you, too.”

“Have a good day?” I hugged him in welcoming.

“Yeah. It’s kind of lonely now that the flock migrated away. It’s just Spike and me, now.”

“There’s plenty of ponies you get along with in town,” Torch pointed out.

“We’re getting a little big to visit any of the shops,” he dryly pointed out. Indeed, he barely fit through the door anymore. As a teenager, he could get away with it, but ten years older than Charcoal, he was twenty five, and had grown almost larger than what the house’s structure would allow.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time outside the shops,” I encouraged.

“Why don’t you round up some of the guys? I bet Pound Cake would go, and maybe Spectrum. Who knows? Maybe you can even CONVINCE CHARCOAL TO GO,” Torchwood suggested, raising his voice so our son upstairs would be sure to hear.

“Busy,” the teen grunted back.

“Aw, come on, Char! We dragons gotta stick together! Get down here so I can talk to you!” Blaze called up, unable to fit his wide shoulders through the narrow stairwell. It had always been small, but once Blaze’s figure readjusted so he now walked on all fours, he had been unable to access any of the rooms upstairs. (He now slept in the recently converted and expanded laundry room.)

“I have homework!” the boy insisted again... “And I’m not a dragon.”

“You’ve nearly finished,” I pressed. “Go on! Have some fun!”

“You just told Lilac to go do hers!”

“Yeah! You just told me to do mine!” the little pink filly peered down from the top of the stairwell.

“So why aren’t you doing it?” I challenged, raising an eyebrow at her. She grumbled something inaudible as she marched back. “You’ve gotten a good headstart. I’m sure you can finish it over the weekend before you go back to school.”

“I don’t want to go out.”

“It is unhealthy for you-”

“Hey, it’s okay, really,” Blaze gripped my shoulder before I marched up to his room. “If he doesn’t wanna go, he doesn’t have to. I’ll check in with everyone else, though.”

“I still say it’s not healthy for him to spend so much time locked away in his room,” I muttered.

“I better go,” Blaze excused himself.

“What? But you just got back.”

“Well, like you said, I’ve got some ponies to round up. And I don’t want to outgrow the door,” he joked, headed out. He did pause in the entryway, grunting a bit more than usual.

“Need help?” Torch worriedly asked. Blaze finally popped through on his own.

“I’m good.”

“I worry about him,” I sighed, sagging into Torchwood like one might the back of a chair. “He can’t stay here much longer.”

“I know. But we’ll deal with that when the problem presents itself.”

“What are you talking about? He can barely fit through the door as it is!”

“Well, it’s too late to send him out with the flock.”

“You aren’t saying he has to leave?!” I quietly exclaimed.

“I don’t want him to leave either, honey, but... we’re running out of options.”

“You think Twilight would let him stay at her castle? The doorways are all huge, and that’s where Spike stays.”

“I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to accomodate him.”

“Yeah... it’ll just feel so weird. I still remember when he wasn’t tall enough to see over the crowd at the Equestria Games. I used to carry him around on my back!” I ruefully laughed. “I guess he’d be the one carrying me, now.” I bit my lip.

“Hey, what is it?” Torch noticed tears welling up in my eyes.

“It’s just... they’re growing up so fast.”

“Too fast,” he agreed. “And turning us both gray in the process.”

“You too?” I exclaimed. So far, I’d recieved plenty of teasing about my gray streak from him, but if he was finally graying too, maybe the remarks would stop. Or at least I’d have some leverage. He laughed and reluctantly pointed out one of his blond streaks, which had indeed grayed. It somehow struck me as hilarious, and I burst out in a laughing fit, quite literally rolling on the floor.

“Oh, come here, you!” I squealed as he picked me up and twirled me around like a foolish newlywed.

“Torch! Not in the studio!” I cackled. He continued to spin us anyway, and I didn’t complain until we knocked over a cup of pencils. Only then did he set me down, both of us still giggling as we picked up the mess.

“I guess we should really finish packing,” he commented, setting the cup back down and eyeing the open suitcase.

“Then dinner,” I reminded him.

“Then dinner.”

Author's Note

A/N: I know Blaze is still a hatchling in the cover art, but considering his head is now roughly the size of Acrylic herself, it was the only way I could fit him in the picture. Please use your imagination. Thank you.

Chapter 53: Foal Mountain

Chapter 53
Foal Mountain

“Are we there yet?” Lilac impatiently sighed, uninterestedly propping herself up on the train’s window seat.

“No! And we still won’t be in another five minutes,” Charcoal exasperatedly answered.

“We’ll be there soon,” I promised, barely looking up from our book. I was sitting behind Torchwood on the train so I could look over his shoulder and read together. He was skimming over our notes on the hippogryphs again.

“Why don’t you work on some of your homework? I know you didn’t finish all of it at the beach,” Torch suggested.

“I don’t want to,” she huffed.

“You’re going to have to get it done sometime,” her brother pointed out.

“Says you! You don’t have any!”

“Exactly. Because I finished everything before we left.”

“Lucky,” she moped, sliding farther down in the chair to pout.

“Here. Have fun,” Charcoal slyly passed back her saddlebags. With one last huff that screamed ‘fine, but I won’t be happy about it,’ she plucked the bags from his hooves and pulled out her books. Charcoal, on the other hoof, continued to stare blankly out the window with Bandit draped over his shoulder. (The ferret usually accompanied his owner on these trips, giving Heckley the house to himself.)

“Charcoal, why don’t you get a book or something to read? You look bored stiff,” I suggested.

“I am bored stiff.”

“There’s plenty of magazines on the table back there,” I jerked a hoof at the back of the train car.

“They’re all tourist advertisements,” he shrugged, jadedly breathing life to a small flame and playing with it between his hooves.

“Excuse me, sir, but there’s no fire allowed in the train cars. Fire haphazard,” a passing attendant reminded him. Charcoal sounded a growl of annoyance before extinguishing his entertainment. I almost chuckled, but ended up sighing instead. We needed to work on his social skills.

“Well, if you don’t want to read the ‘tourist advertisements,’ you’re welcome to read whatever your mother and I brought,” Torchwood tried again, closing our book and offering it. Charcoal pushed it away.

“No thanks. I’m not going to end up a crazy mythical monster hunting nut like you two.”

“Well, you never know. You haven’t gotten your cutie mark yet- what if ‘mythical monster hunting’ turns out to be your special talent?” Torchwood teased.

“What kind of a talent is that?” Charcoal wrinkled his nose. “And even if that is my talent, I’d almost rather stay a blank flank. I hear enough about it as it is without a cutie mark plastered on my flank for the world to see.”

“It’s just a hobby, Charcoal,” I tried.

“And our hobby, at that. Nothing for you to be ashamed of,” his father agreed.

“But do you have to center all our trips around them? Hippogryphs are supposed to live in the mountains, right? That’s why we’re going to that dumb cabin.” I opened my mouth to respond, but I found I had no comeback. Torch also kept quiet. Lilac was very intently staring at the same page she’d started on, just trying to stay out of the argument. Charcoal finally turned over in his seat. My husband and I exchanged glances. We mutually decided it was best just to let him sulk in his own boredom, and returned to our book. No more was said during the train ride.

“You guys doing okay in here?” I heard Torchwood checking in on our kids, who would have to share a room for the next few days. We’d arrived a couple of hours ago, and settled in relatively quickly. We offered to take them out to the village this evening just to scope things out, but to Lilac’s disappointment, Charcoal opted to stay in. She didn’t want to leave without her big brother, so we promised that if she stayed and got the rest of her homework done, she could choose where we went tomorrow. After that, she happily sat down with her books.

“Mm hmm!” Lilac cheerfully affirmed.

“Fine,” Charcoal retorted.

“Alright. Goodnight, then,” Torchwood quietly backed out of the room.

“Goodnight, Daddy!”

“’Night.”

Torchwood strode into the cozy living room where I was already waiting, and sank into one of the cushioned armchairs with an audible groan.

“Here at last,” I concurred.

“Alone at last,” he corrected.

“Maybe, maybe not.” I pulled out the map from the book in my hooves. “If this is right, we’re practically sitting on top of the hippogryphs. About an hour’s flight out, wouldn’t you say?” He took the paper and flicked it taught as he might a newspaper.

“According to this, sure, but these are just the sighting areas where they’re rumored to be. I’m sure we aren’t going to find a whole cluster of them where they’ve already been spotted. These are probably ‘off-limits areas’ for them now. I’d guess we’ll have to travel out an extra hour or two at least.”

“Ouch. That’s going to take a big chunk out of the day... I’m sure the kids won’t be too happy about it, especially Charcoal.”

“Well, it’s not as if they have to come with us. In fact,” he hushed his voice barely above a whisper, “it’s probably better if they don’t. Keeping secrets like this can be hard sometimes.”

“For sure,” I almost laughed. “So what are we going to do? Come back another time on our own?”

“Just set them loose in the village plaza while we take a look around,” Torchwood shrugged. “Lilac will have a blast, and probably drag Charcoal around with her. That should keep them busy for a couple of hours.”

“Remember we have to count the return trip in that time,” I added.

“Still, we shouldn’t be that long,” he assured.

“You sure the kids will be okay with it? I mean, this is a family vacation.”

“They’ll be fine. Charcoal doesn’t seem to like our company anyway.”

“He does spend a lot of time alone,” I commented. “What does he even do in there?”

“Who knows?”

“Well, I, for one, would like to know. It’s not natural-”

“Honey, we talked about this. Privacy, remember?”

“Checking up on my son is not an invasion of privacy.”

“About the hippogryphs? What do you say?” he abruptly changed the subject.

“Well... I guess... I just don’t like leaving them alone.”

“They’re growing up. I think Charcoal is responsible enough.”

“I’m not questioning that; I know he’s very responsible. I’m just worried about the emotional impact. He’s right- we do center our vacations around this sort of thing, and we do run off on them a lot. I want them to know we’re really a family.”

“They know how much we love them,” Torchwood comfortingly smiled. “Just because we take a little time to ourselves on vacation doesn’t mean we’re not a real family.”

“I guess you’re right,” I smiled back. “So? Have breakfast together, send them off to the plaza and meet up for lunch?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Why are we spying on Mom and Dad?” Lilac whispered to her brother.

“Shh!” Charcoal silenced, waving a claw to cut her off. He was currently in his dragon form, which he found to have better hearing than his pony body. With one ear pressed to the door, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“Well? What are they saying?”

“Talking about hippogryphs again,” her brother groaned. Though he knew it was rude to eavesdrop, he liked testing the extent of his dragon abilities, and often listened in to his parent’s conversations. Though, he quickly became bored when they started rambling on and on about mythical creatures.

“If you’re bored, there’s an easy solution,” his sister lightly teased. “You could always stop eavesdropping.”

“Shh! Now they’re talking about tomorrow.”

“Ooh! Are we going somewhere fun?” Lilac hopefully piped.

“SHUSH!” he hissed as loudly as he dared, jabbing a claw in emphasis. She flattened her ears and finally kept quiet. Charcoal pressed his ear back to the door. “The village plaza,” he reported. “No, wait... we’re going to the plaza. Mom and Dad... aren’t coming with us?”

“How come?”

“They’re... going to hunt for hippogryphs,” he finally huffed. “That figures. They care more about things that don’t exist than us.” He slid against the door, rather depressed.

“That’s not true! Mommy and Daddy love us!” Lilac argued, pouncing her brother’s lap.

“Then how come they’re always away?”

“They’re not always away, you are,” she said, snuggling into his scales.

“Me? I never go anywhere!”

“Exactly. We don’t get to see you up in your room,” Lilac yawned.

“It’s not like I have any place better to be.”

“Sure you do. You could go out with your friends.”

“What friends?” Charcoal snorted.

“What about Pound Cake or Spectrum? They’re you’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, Pound and I hung out before, but he’s got work now. And Spectrum and I know each other, just not very well.”

“Maybe you should get to know him better,” she advised. “He’s really nice.”

“So what do you want me to do? Ask him over to lounge around and do nothing? Sounds like a lot of fun.”

“His parents are Wonderbolts! He loves flying! Ask him for a race sometime. Or just go play ball. He likes all kinds of sports.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that...” Charcoal uneasily shifted with his sister still in his lap.

“No it isn’t. You go up, ask him, and see if he says yes. Remember how easily Blaze does it? Except you always turn him down.”

“I’m always busy.”

“Busy hiding, maybe,” she huffed. Charcoal tuned her out and returned to testing his dragon hearing. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Hang on.” He pushed her off so he could better listen at the door.

“Oof! Charcoal!” Lilac indignantly sniffed. He again lifted a claw to silence her, and listened even more intently. “What is it this time?” his sister finally sighed upon realizing she couldn’t talk him out of it. Charcoal recoiled from the door as though he’d seen a ghost.

“I think... no...”

“What is it, Char?” Lilac pressed her own ear to the door, but against the incredibly thick oaken panel, she could hear nothing.

“I could’ve sworn Dad just said something about us not being a real family.”

“You must’ve heard wrong. Dad would never say that,” Lilac rolled her eyes. “It is a thick door.”

“I heard it,” Charcoal insisted, eyes wide and even a little wet.

“I don’t believe you.” Lilac shook out her mane and crawled under the wooly covers. “I told you eavesdropping was a bad idea. Now you’re hearing things. Just go to bed.”

Charcoal wordlessly obeyed his sister. Was that what his father really thought? Didn’t he consider them family? Charcoal’s heart burned with rage. They were an odd lot, what with a grown (and still growing) dragon living in the laundry room and one son with unique shifting abilities, but did that really mean they weren’t family? Charcoal had always been assured this ability just meant he was ‘special,’ but even around his own family he often felt it made him an outcast, like he could never truly belong. Lately he’d even been wondering if it was the reason he hadn’t earned a cutie mark- dragons didn’t have such marks, after all. Would this condition inhibit him from finding his destiny?

All these troubles whirled in his mind as he shifted back and crawled under the heavy quilts. A single tear dripped to the pillow.

Chapter 55: Runaway

Chapter 55
Runaway

Charcoal had ducked into a rather busy intersection of the plaza before taking shelter behind a vendor’s wagon. He knew very well his father would come after him, but he wasn’t really in the mood to listen to another one of Torchwood’s lectures. He waited behind the stall until he saw his father bolt past.

“Can I help you?” the baffled vendor raised an eyebrow and looked down at the colt.

“Sorry!” Charcoal hurriedly tripped out of the way, and reentered the bustling square. He wasn’t quite sure where to go at this point. Back to the cabin? He quickly scurried behind another storefront as he watched his mother lead Lilac in that direction. He didn’t want to have to deal with either of them yet, either. Back home? He didn’t want to have to explain why he’d returned home alone so early to their friends, either, but he was running out of options. He wasn’t really sure which way Ponyville was, though. Should he just follow the train tracks home? That would mean taking a long detour and follow it back to the stations at Filly Delphia and Canterlot before returning to his hometown, and he really wasn’t strong enough to make that long of a flight. Maybe he could just fly over the mountains and take a shortcut? From looking at the map, the mountains should point him in the general direction of Canterlot, and he could find his way from there. Aunt Twilight sure took them there often enough that he knew Canterlot almost as well as he did Ponyville. Now with a plan in mind, he spread his wings and headed up the mountain.

Unfortunately, his parent’s map hadn’t prepared him for the sheer size of the mountains. He’d sorely misjudged the scale, and the altitudes required to keep him above the pine trees was becoming overwhelming. Even worse, the growing altitude came with even lower temperatures. Suddenly, Aunt Rarity’s accessories didn’t seem so bad. He was really beginning to wish he’d thought to bring his saddlebags.

The air was getting thin, and the mountains were only growing taller. Charcoal was becoming dizzy from such shallow breaths. His wings were taking a beating from the icy air, especially as the winds picked up. His maneuvering became unsteady, and it was a challenge just to stay airborne. He wasn’t getting enough oxygen to properly function.

Charcoal finally hit a rather strong drift, which caught his wing the wrong way and dragged him down, down, down. The thestral narrowly missed the needle-lined branches of the pines and crashed into the several feet of fresh powder below. Fortunately, the snow acted as a cushion to his fall, and Charcoal was mostly unharmed.

He unsteadily picked himself up, shivering violently. ‘What was I thinking?’ he ruefully thought to himself. ‘Dad’s lectures aren’t that bad. Why couldn’t I have just stayed put?’ He looked around at his frigid surroundings. ‘Focus, Charcoal. Worry about that later. Dad won’t stop looking ‘till he finds you. Until then, you just have to survive.’ He realized with a heavy heart that this may be easier said than done. These mountains looked like nothing more than an icy wasteland. This far out, his chances were slim, especially for a thestral. ‘Shelter. Find shelter.’

Charcoal trudged upward to the cliff, hoping that if he followed the steep incline he might find a cave. His joints were creaking from the cold, and eventually he even had to look down just to be sure his legs were still moving. They were so numb from cold he wasn’t sure. He could barely feel anything, for that matter.

The shadows of the pines were growing longer as the sun sank in the sky. He’d still found nothing, and his progress was slow. Every bone in his body rattled with shivers. He tried working up a flame to keep warm, but with the wind howling as it was, he didn’t have the strength to keep it from blowing out.

He was now up to his chest in snow. He still hadn’t found any caves or other forms of shelter. Maybe he could dig out a makeshift shelter in the snow itself? Or would that just freeze him faster? He was weighing his options when he tripped over a large log concealed beneath the snow and fell face first into the powder.

“Whoa! Hey, watch where you’re going!” A pony wriggled out from beneath Charcoal and glared down at him from above. Charcoal gave the stallion a queer look, noting with great confusion the fluffy plumage displayed on his chest. “Hey... you okay?” The pony pulled Charcoal out from the snow when he didn’t respond. Charcoal’s teeth were chattering too badly for him to respond. “Good grief, you’re froze! We gotta get ya warmed up, pal!” The feathered stallion tucked him beneath his own large, feathery wings to share body heat. Charcoal looked back at them in grateful confusion. They were nearly as large as his own wings. He’d never seen a pegasus with such large appendages. Something cold and almost scaly brushed ankle, attracting his attention. It was a bird talon, not unlike a gryphon. ‘A gryphon claw on a pony?’ A swaying lion tail matching his rescuer’s colors swung to and fro with each step they took. Charcoal’s fuzzy mind was finally putting the pieces together.

“Hippogryph?” The stallion just cast him a sly grin.

“Any sign of him?” I desperately ran to meet Charcoal as he landed on the cobblestone walkway.

“No,” he regrettably reported, just as frantic as I.

“Torch, it’s getting dark, and he doesn’t even have his scarf. He’ll freeze!” I cried.

“I know. I’ve already contacted the local police station, and they’re out looking. I’m going with them. Stay with Lilac.”

“Be careful,” I hugged him tight, tears in my eyes.

“Uh, guys?” Torchwood turned around with great surprise to find Gilda.

“Gilda! What’re you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“We’re on vacation,” I hesitantly explained.

“Hippogryph hunting?” she dryly joked.

“Charcoal hunting,” Lilac corrected.

“He’s missing!” Torchwood added.

“Yeah, I know.”

“YOU DO?!”

“We found him,” she assured. “He’s safe, thawing out at my Nana’s.”

“Thank Celestia,” I sagged.

“Come on. I’ll take you to him.”

“We should inform the police,” Torchwood decided. “They’re still out looking.”

“Sure, but, just bring your family,” Gilda directed. “Nana’s not too keen on visitors.”

“Sure thing, Gilda,” I promised, baffled but eager to comply if it meant I got to see my son.

Lilac had already pulled her winter gear back on. “Come on, Bandit! Gilda found Charcoal!” The ferret had been moping by the fireplace since we got back, but now scurried up to her, burrowing under her scarf. I hoisted both of them up on my back, extinguished the flame in the fire place, and waited for Torchwood to return from speaking with the police. It didn’t take him very long, and before long, we were following our gryphon friend out into the blustery night.

“CHARCOAL!” Gilda held the door aside, and I rudely bolted in without waiting for an invitation.

“Mom!” In my haste, I vaguely registered the fact that Charcoal was surrounded by hippogryphs, but focused only on reaching my son. He was wrapped in several wooly blankets on an antique looking couch. The other end of the couch was already occupied, so rather than waiting for her to move, I bounded behind the chair and hugged him from behind. Usually he barely tolerated any physical contact with me, but now I got a real hug back. Lilac, who was still on my back, half slid, half fell into her brother’s lap. He caught her with his free hoof, and welcomed Bandit who slinked up his neck and finally settled in his hair. The mare previously occupying the couch had moved, making room for Torchwood who tucked us all under his wings.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” I tearfully pressed closer.

“Not going to be a problem,” my son readily agreed. Only after he was safe in our embrace did I really pay any attention to the others in the room. The mare who’d moved from the couch wasn’t actually a pony as I’d previously thought. She had the kind, freckled face of one, but her ears were pointed and feathered. Though she was the same intense light blue through and through, it was evident that fur gave way to feathers right around her chest. She had two standard pony hooves in front, but her hind legs were truly interesting. Her feathery ankles gave way to bird talons that deeply resembled Gilda’s forearms. She had a mane of matted purple hair, but her tail was a furry coil that matched a lion’s, though blue in color and ending in a purple tuft. She had a cutie mark of an inflatable raft being whisked away by particularly violent-looking rapids. Her eyes were a dull olive in color, but watched us with intense curiosity.

A second hippogryph mare leaned against the wall a little farther off, but no less interested. She was bold red, accented with a pale green mane cropped close to her head in a pixie cut. Her large wings were currently tucked in neatly by her sides, but when she unfurled them, we would find the undersides to be striped with thin layers of green, not unlike the rainbow transformation of our pegasus and alicorn friends back home. Her eyes were brown, the same color as the green-striped feather on her flank.

Besides Gilda, there was one other form in the room. This hippogryph was a dull green, which his stark white mane boldly contrasted with. It was brushed forward, but still stuck up in wild spikes. His spunky hairdo was matched by the lopsided grin on his face. His eyes were a much deeper green than the rest of him, and stood out well against his pale coat. His cutie mark depicted a snow-dusted evergreen tree with one of the lower branches completely devoid of snow, as it had already been dumped to the ground.

“You’re... hippogryphs...” I slowly observed.

“You’re not,” the witty green stallion shot back.

“Mom, Dad, Lilac, meet Winter Green, River Rush and Hawk Stripe,” Charcoal introduced.

“Gilda said you’ve been lookin’ for us,” the red one, Hawk Stripe, acknowledged.

“That’s right,” Torch cocked his head. “Wait... how does Gilda know you?!” we all looked to the gryphon for an explanation. She chuckled and clambered into a free armchair.

“You remember me telling you about my Nana?”

“You said she was sick, and that’s why you stole from the dragon hoard,” I surprised myself when I recalled the bit of information from fifteen years ago.

“Yeah,” she blushed at the unpleasant memory. “Well... I guess it’s time you meet her.” She hadn’t been in the chair for a whole minute before sliding back out of it and opening up the door just behind the couch. Even Charcoal, still wrapped in blankets, followed to steal a glimpse at Gilda’s kin. The open door led into a bedroom where a frail looking hippogryph was tucked under the sheets. The tan-coated pony squinted against the light. She had reflective orange eyes and a short, thin mane of many shades of orange. I didn’t spot a single gray hair in her whole mane, despite her old age.

“Gilda?”

“Hey, Nana.” Gilda made her way to the bedside. “I brought some visitors. I hope that’s okay.” Her ‘nana’ sat up a little higher in bed to get a better view.

“These ponies aren’t hippogryphs,” she narrowed her eyes.

“I know, Nana, but it’s okay. These are a few of my Ponyville friends I told you about.” The elderly mare looked us over again in new light.

“Well, what are you all standing around, for? Take a seat!” she gestured around the room. I saw no other free chairs, but said nothing about it and politely remained standing. The hippogryphs, on the other hoof, were more familiar with the room, and the stallion brushed aside an assortment of stray books and clothes that had been disguising a long, cushioned bench in the corner. He sat down, and the blue one, River Rush, took up residence on a bean bag by the door. Hawk Stripe remained in the doorway, leaving any other seats open for the rest of us. Lilac, meanwhile, flapped up onto the edge of the bed for a better view.

“You’re... a hippogryph,” I stammered. “Gilda, your nana is a hippogryph!”

“This is where I go when the dragons migrate south,” she chuckled.

“Wow! You found real, live hippogryphs, Char! They exist!” she excitedly buzzed.

“Well... more like they found me. Winter Green did, anyway,” he scratched the back of his head and nodded in the direction of the green hippogryph stallion. “Brought me here before I froze to death.” Torchwood moved toward the stallion and gratefully and firmly clamped a hoof on his shoulder.

“Thank you for saving my son,” he said, establishing direct eye contact to emphasize his gratitude.

“Aw, it warn’t nothin’,” Winter Green casually shrugged. “And it’s really Nana you should thank. This is her place, after all.”

“And what might your name, be, little one?” Nana amusedly turned back to my daughter.

“I’m Lilac Bud,” she introduced.

“I’m Torchwood, and my wife, Acrylic,” Torchwood also spoke up. I nodded upon hearing my name mentioned.

“Yes, Gilda’s told me about you two,” she kindly smiled. “The hippogryph hunters, if I recall.”

“Looks like ya finally found us!” River Rush cheerily piped. “You must have a ton of questions!”

“That’s an understatement,” Torchwood chuckled.

“Well? Fire away!” Hawk prompted.

“Really? Just like that?” I remembered our first encounter with the hippocampi. Most of them had been less than willing to share any information until they warmed up to us.

“Why not? You’re already here.”

“Well... it’s just... usually when a whole species goes into hiding, they don’t want to be found,” Torchwood scratched his chin. I nodded agreement.

“Thestrals went into hiding because the princesses tried to exterminate them, and after that they just sort of... hated everything,” I mused. “And hippo-” I stopped myself from finishing the word as hippocampi. That wasn’t our secret to tell. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Uh, and hippogryphs? What about them?”

‘Nice save,’ Torchwood didn’t have to speak- his look said it all.

“I don’t really know how we originally split off, to be frank,” Winter Green furrowed his brow. “You have any idea, Nana?”

“We weren’t trying to go into hiding when we first moved up into the Foal Mountains,” she recalled. “But we hippogryphs are mountain folk, built for the cold. Unfortunately, not everypony else is.” She gestured to the contrast between Winter’s thick plumage and the scarves we all wore. “Travel to and from the mountains wasn’t as easy back when we first split off. I suppose after being isolated for so long we’d simply been forgotten. The first visitor we spotted after all those years ran from the sight of us, and from that day forward, we mutually decided it was best to stick to our own.”

“But ‘our own’ extends to the Gryphon Kingdom, too,” River voiced.

“Yeah, our counterparts are okay, too,” Hawk caught Gilda in a headlock and fondly ruffled her feathers. Gilda grinned and swatted her away. I assumed this was a similar relationship as thestrals shared with dragons, and from the looks of things, I wasn’t too far off.

“Not all of us migrated here from the Gryphon Kingdom,” Nana nodded.

“So hippogryphs originated from gryphon territory?” Torchwood raised an eyebrow. “Interesting. Most of the books I’ve read theorized that you originated closer to the Crystal Mountains up north.”

“You’ve certainly read up on us!” Hawk exclaimed.

“A little creepy, honestly,” Winter shied away and narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t mean to come off that way,” my husband sheepishly apologized.

“What’s with the obsession in mythical creatures anyway?” River asked.

“Supposedly mythical,” I corrected.

“As ponies who used to be considered ‘mythical’ ourselves, it was an interesting hobby,” Torchwood shrugged. “And... let’s just say we had some friends tip us off that hippogryphs were a good start.”

“Who was that?” Gilda furrowed her brow.

“Yeah, who, Mom?” Charcoal looked up at me in bafflement, trying to place who it could have been. “Discord?”

“Absolutely not!” I laughed.

“Whoever it is, do they know for sure, too, or are they just theorists? Will they tell anypony?”

“We can’t really say who...” I apologized. “But believe me, they won’t tell anyone. They’re really good with secrets like this.”

“Is that so?”

“Gilda, you’re just going to have to trust us. We can keep your secret, but we also have to honor theirs.” Gilda looked as though she was catching onto the fact that our source was another ‘mythical’ creature, but I couldn’t be sure. Either way, she backed down.

“Okay.”

“So, are we going to get to meet these friends of yours?” Winter asked.

“They don’t really travel.”

“That’s a shame. We don’t get a lot of visitors up here,” River mused.

“Speaking of which, you guys are going to come visit us now, aren’t you?” Hawk prompted.

“Ooh! Can we! Please, Mom?” Lilac begged.

“Ya gotta come see us sometime! Charcoal and I are buddies now,” Winter slung a wing around the other green colt, jostling him a bit. Charcoal sheepishly laughed as the force unbalanced him, and more importantly, Bandit. The ferret was thrown from his nest in Charcoal’s hair, and barely caught himself on Charcoal’s extended hoof. He angrily chattered at Winter for a moment before resettling between his wings.

“I don’t know how I feel about that, considering I almost became a popsicle,” he spoke.

“Oh, we won’t bring you this far up,” Winter promised with a laugh.

“I can show you where we usually meet down closer to the bottom of the mountain. It’s not cold down there,” Gilda offered.

“Yeah, we used to meet her dragon friends down there,” Hawk recalled. “Before they got too big and it looked suspicious to bring six huge dragons out into the middle of nowhere.”

“You took Garble’s gang out to meet them?” I grinned at Gilda.

“Our first trip was the day after you went back for Blaze,” she told us.

“They never told us about that.”

“Good. Then they kept their promise.”

“Fair enough,” Torchwood shrugged.

“In that case, I guess I’ll see you in month or two,” Charcoal agreed.

“Whoa! What’s with the gap?” Winter disappointedly frowned.

“I’m probably grounded after today,” he flattened his ears and pleadingly looked to his father for mercy. Torchwood’s expression hardened at the reminder.

“You better believe it.” The surrounding hippogryphs all squawked with laughter, and Charcoal blushed.

“We can’t be too hard on him, Torch,” I grinned. “He did find the hippogryphs for us.”

“While running away,” he reminded.

“That was our fault,” I shamefacedly acknowledged, turning to my son. “I’m sorry we left you kids. But never again. We are a real family, and families stick together. I promise, okay?”

“Okay,” Charcoal happily let me hug him, accepting the fact that he’d misheard us last night. “And I promise no more running away.”

“YAY!” Lilac rejoiced, pouncing him. He tumbled back from the extra weight, crashing into Winter and landing all three in a dog pile. The whole room erupted with laughter once more. It was good to be able to share a secret like this with our friends, both old and new. It was good to be able to finally share this secret with my family. I would even let Blaze know when we returned home. We’d kept this from them for far too long, and it almost destroyed our relationship. From now on, this would be a family affair; something to bring us together rather than tear us apart.

Chapter 56: Moving Out

Chapter 56
Moving Out

“It’s good to be back,” Torchwood sighed as we stepped off the train.

“You can say that again,” I agreed.

“YOU GUYS ARE BACK!” I’d half been expecting a pink blur to come hurling at us when we arrived, so I sidestepped just in time. Pinkie ended up tackling Charcoal behind me instead, sending the luggage he’d been carrying fly everywhere.

“Sorry,” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Can’t... breathe...” he gasped for air.

“Oops! Sorry Charcoal!” Pinkie hopped off my son and reacquired me as her original target. I braced myself for impact, and luckily didn’t topple. “Did you guys have fun?”

“Loads!” Lilac grinned. “Best vacation ever!”

“Awesome! You’ll tell us all about it at your welcome back party, won’t you?”

“Welcome back party?” Torchwood bemusedly rolled his eyes.

“Yeah! At Twilight’s castle tonight! You have to come! Cheese Sandwich and I worked really hard to plan it!”

“Cheese is back in town, is he?” I winked.

“Yep!” she dreamily confirmed. “Anyway, it’ll be tons of fun! Everyone’s gonna be there. See you tonight?”

“Sure, Pinkie,” Torchwood consented.

“Yipee!” She bounced off, even happier than when we’d arrived.

“She’s so weird,” Charcoal grunted, still picking himself up.

“But fun,” Lilac put in. “And she’s throwing a whole party just for us!”

“We weren’t even gone that long,” my son rolled his eyes.

“That’s Pinkie for you,” Torchwood chuckled.

“Probably just an excuse to work with Cheese Sandwich again,” I grinned. He smiled.

“That too.”

“Wait a minute... I’m still grounded. I guess that means I can’t go,” Charcoal sagged with relief.

“Lockdown isn’t a punishment for you- you stay in your room all day long anyway. I think you need to come with us,” I smirked. “What do you say, Torch?”

“Absolutely,” he slyly winked.

“But-!”

“No but’s. As part of your punishment, you have to come to the party and stay for the entire time,” Torchwood sentenced. Charcoal growled in irritation, never one for any sort of social event.

“What are you pouting for? That’s the best punishment ever!” Lilac exclaimed.

“For you, maybe.”

“Come on. Let’s go home and unpack before the party,” I beckoned. The kids finished picking up the dropped luggage before scurrying after us.

We were approaching the hill past Rarity’s house leading to ours when the door to the Carousel Boutique flung open.

“You’re back!” Petticoat burst out and didn’t tackle Lilac as Pinkie had, but slid to a stop just in front of her and initiated their special hoofshake. “It feels like you’ve been gone forever!”

“I know!” The two completed the ritual and hugged each other.

“You heard about the party at the castle tonight, right?”

“Pinkie met us at the train station to tell us,” Lilac giggled.

“Which means we get to hang out all night! Candy, Thunder Cloud and I were going to go get ice cream. Wanna come?”

“Can I, Mom?”

“You girls are going to have all night together at the party,” I reminded.

“Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase?” both begged. I sighed.

“Ask your father.” They both expectantly turned to Torchwood.

“Oh, I suppose,” he sighed.

“Yay!”

“Thanks, Dad!” Lilac gave us both a quick hug before dashing off to join her friends.

“One’s too social, one’s not social enough. What are we going to do?” Torchwood teased, bumping Charcoal with a wing.

“Get over it?” our son sarcastically retorted.

“Char,” I sighed. He’d been so much more polite after the hippogryph/running away incident, but maybe that was just because we were guests in someone else’s house. “Well, I want some help unpacking, but after that you’re free to go sulk in your room some more.”

“I don’t sulk. I think.”

“About what?” Torch saw opportunity for a good conversation with our son.

“Private stuff.”

“Girl stuff, by any chance? You’re about that age when-”

“What?! No way!”

“I’m only teasing,” Torchwood laughed. Charcoal pouted.

“Mostly cutie mark stuff, if you must know,” he grumbled.

“Oh!” I exclaimed. “You know, I used to think a lot about it too.”

“Yeah, I know, Mom, you got yours late, too. But that doesn’t really help me.”

“I actually thought about mine more after I lost it than before I’d earned it,” I corrected. He said nothing, and I took it to mean he was willing to listen. “It was after Princess Celestia cast her ‘purification’ spell on me. It took not only my wings, but my cutie mark, too. Everypony thought it was just an unfortunate side effect, but I thought otherwise. After all, the spell was only supposed to take my wings, not my destiny. I thought that maybe it meant there was a whole other side to my thestral self that I never knew, that was vital in fulfilling my destiny. What if I’d been following the wrong path my whole life?”

“What did it mean?” Charcoal was wide eyed.

“I never quite figured it out,” I confessed. “Maybe part of my destiny was Torchwood. It was the princess’s spell that made him angry enough to lead a revolt, after all,” I fondly pecked him when he blushed. “But after we made up, I got my wings and cutie mark back, this time with a little extra flare.” I traced the heart outline of the fire. “Maybe love was the missing part of my destiny. I lost it after the transformation. But then again, maybe it really was just a fluke in the spell. Maybe it was something completely different. I don’t know. But you know what? It took me years before I realized that it didn’t really matter. I had- have- a beautiful family and amazing friends. What more could I want?” Charcoal looked at his hooves, mulling over my words.

“But I’m different,” he quietly sighed. “I mean, really, really different.” He temporarily shifted into his dragon body to demonstrate. “I’m part dragon, more so than typical thestrals. Dragons don’t have cutie marks at all. What if I’m not capable of earning a cutie mark because of the dragon side of me?” Torchwood and I looked to each other. He really had put a lot of thought into this. And he had a valid point. Maybe we weren’t taking it seriously enough.

“Cutie mark or no cutie mark, you’re still our son.”

“Your father’s right,” I agreed. “No matter what, we’ll always be here for you. The point is, don’t worry about it too much,” I kissed his forehead. “Now, let’s go unpack and say hi to-”

“BLAZE?!” Torchwood bolted from my side, and I whipped around in the direction he was headed. We weren’t too far from the house, and from here I could see a rather large, orange blockade in the doorway. It took only a second for me to register that this form was actually the back view of Blaze wedged in the entry. Charcoal and I didn’t hesitate to abandon the luggage and dash after him.

“Torchwood? Is that you?” Blaze wriggled and attempted to readjust so he could peer outside. This was only possible by spreading his forearms and twisting his neck. This gave him an upside-down view of the outside world.

“We’re all here,” Torchwood reported. “Minus Lilac. Are you okay?”

“A little... stuck...” Blaze admitted with great embarrassment. He dug in with his hind legs and attempted to yank himself out of the predicament to demonstrate. His shoulders were wedged tight. He didn’t budge.

“Don’t worry, baby, we’ll get you out,” I promised, fretfully touching his leg in assurance. The gesture did more to comfort me than him.

“Charcoal, you’re the smallest. See if you can get through Blaze’s legs and push from inside,” Torchwood directed. Charcoal moved to do so, and Blaze spread his arms even wider to provide enough room.

“How long have you been stuck here?” my son wondered as he wormed his way into the house.

“Not long,” he answered. “I’ve been trying to reach the pencils so I could write for help, but I couldn’t reach. I think I just made things worse.”

“It’s an art shop! You couldn’t find a pencil?” Charcoal did his best not to laugh.

“I found them, I just couldn’t reach them. My arms aren’t that long,” Blaze pouted, noting the distance between him and the nearest pencil rack.

“Alright, alright. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters,” Torchwood interrupted. “Okay, everyone. On the count of three, Acrylic and I will pull, Charcoal will push, and Blaze? Do what you can.” The dragon gave an affirmative nod from within. “Ready?”

“Ready,” we all chimed, taking position. I grasped Blaze’s tail, and he curled it around my arm to give me a better grip.

“One... two... three!” Torchwood and I both dug our hooves in, and Blaze’s hind claws sank into the dirt. His front claws scraped the wooden floor a bit, but that was the least of our troubles. Charcoal hovered to push against Blaze’s chest, but soon switched tactics and directly shoved against his wedged shoulders. This worked a little better, but Charcoal changed things up again and knocked against him in short bursts.

“Ow! Hey, it’s working!” Blaze excitedly noted.

“Keep it up, Charcoal!” Torchwood grunted.

“Not so hard! I don’t want you sending an earthquake through my bones!”

“I’m not pushing that hard!” Charcoal retorted, ramming into him again. Now he was putting his whole body into it.

“Almost... there,” I panted, yanking again. The wood of the doorframe was groaning almost as loudly as the rest of us. With a resounding *CRACK* and the splintering of wood, Blaze flew back from the force. Torch and I scurried out of the way before he fell on top of us. Charcoal, on the other hoof, crashed forward with him. The two landed in an exhausted heap, panting in the grass.

“Are you okay?” I was back on them in an instant. Charcoal shook himself off, and slid down from Blaze’s plated stomach to let him up. The dragon sorely sat up, rubbing the tender spot on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I’ll live,” he groaned, dizzily shaking his head. “Sorry about the doorway.” Some of the molding had splintered off, and the wooden floor was a bit scratched where he’d been scrabbling for leverage.

“Don’t you worry about that,” I cradled his head, which was about the only thing I could get my arms around. He nuzzled me back.

“Guess I won’t be staying here anymore,” he sadly sighed, looking over the house. He gave a light whuff of mourning over the loss. “I’ll miss this place.”

“I’ll ask Twilight if you can stay at the castle for now,” I assured, burying my head within his scales.

“I crashed over at Spike’s while you guys were gone. I just didn’t think I’d end up living over there.”

“I know. I’m sorry, baby. We all knew this day was coming, but now it’s finally here.”

“You guys are acting like he’s leaving for good. He’s just moving into the castle,” Charcoal rolled his eyes.

“But it’s so different,” Blaze looked over the faded, peeling mural I painted when I first bought the place. “I pretty much grew up in there. I watched you grow up in there.”

“But it’s a castle! Why’d you miss a place like this to go live in the castle? In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t move out sooner.”

“Sentiment, I guess. You’ll understand when it comes time for you to move out.”

“Exactly,” Torchwood nodded. “But I think you better let us get your things.”

“Heh. Thanks,” Blaze blushed.

No sooner had we unpacked our luggage than we were repacking them with Blaze’s belongings. It was true that dragons hoarded treasure often out of greed, but the size of a dragon’s hoard often helped them attract a mate. We had talked Blaze into starting his hoard relatively early on for the day he did find a girl, especially since he was at a disadvantage in the fact that there wasn’t as much treasure available in Ponyville as the Dragon Craters. The meager collection of jewelry, gold and gems was currently stored in the corner of Blaze’s old room. Blaze patiently waited outside as Torchwood and I hurried to collect the possessions.

We’d given Charcoal permission to inform Blaze of the hippogryphs, and now he kept his brother company while they waited. Blaze listened intently and curiously, surprised by the fact that his brother knew and perhaps a bit disappointed upon learning Garble had kept it a secret from him. Though he didn’t quite believe us at first, he was soon eager to meet our new friends in person. Torchwood and I also spilled all that we knew about hippocampi. I finally felt at peace after clearing the air. My family looked just as glad as I did, too. No more secrets.

We planned to wait a while to leave, at least a little closer to the time the party started to walk Blaze over, so we’d only have to make one trip. Torchwood suggested we head out as soon as Lilac returned. Unpacking (and repacking Blaze’s things) didn’t take too long, so we passed the rest of the time outside with Blaze.

The boys were going to try and pass the time by playing ball, but Blaze’s untapped strength accidentally sent it spiraling beyond retrieval. After that, they began brainstorming an entirely new game that involved thestral and dragon fire. Torchwood and Charccoal wanted to try a new form of charades, creating shapes with their fire. Blaze, however, was unable to shape his, so this idea was quickly eliminated. Charcoal then reasoned that since dragon fire was able to teleport items, we could mash up hide and seek and capture the flag: we would divide into two teams, and one member had two minutes to hide somewhere in town (it had to be a destination agreed upon by the rest of the team so they could meet up later, of course). Meanwhile, the second team member would send their partner a flag, and the first team to capture the enemy flag won. The game would be far more fun with more ponies, of course, but four would suffice for now. Perhaps we could test it out now and recruit more players at the party. We were just about to start the first round when Lilac, Candy, Thunder Cloud and Petticoat returned.

Candy Apple was an orange-coated earth pony filly, a shade somewhere between her parent’s yellow orange and goldenrod. Her mane was the brown of her father, but streaked with big swatches of bold red. She had inherited her mother’s green eyes, however, as well as her freckles. She also fashioned her mane similarly, tied with a ruffled green ribbon. Her tail, however, she preferred to leave loose, though a similar green bow was often tied at the very base. It didn’t really hold any hair out of the way, but looked nice. As of right now, she was still a blank flank.

Thunder Cloud was blue like the rest of her family. She had inherited her father’s midnight blue mane, but it graduated to a lighter shade in a style that reminded me of her mother. Her mane was kept short in a tomboyish fashion, bangs draping over her eyes but the rest swept back like her father’s windblown hair. She had also inherited his green eyes. She had small but powerful wings and a blank flank.

“Hey, Lilac!” Blaze waved.

“Hi, Blaze!” the little pink filly ran ahead of her friends to greet Blaze for the first time since getting back. She leapt onto his chest, using her wings to assist in gaining the necessary altitude, and spread her arms as wide as she could to give him a big hug. Though he could barely feel her tiny weight thud against his heavily armored chest, he pretended the impact had been far stronger, and lightly allowed himself to topple.

“Oof!” he playfully groaned, coming in contact with the ground. Lilac giggled from atop his mountainous chest. “Did you grow over vacation? I think you’re getting bigger!”

“Not as big as you!” she teased.

“Heh, yeah,” Blaze blushed, wondering if she knew about his previous incident. “Speaking of which, there’s something we- I- have to tell you.”

“What is it?” she cocked her head in curious anticipation. Blaze heaved a heavy sigh, causing Lilac to slide off his chest. He caught her with an open claw, set her down, and rolled over to his stomach.

“I’m moving out,” he confessed.

“What?!” Her clear eyes grew wide with distress.

“You’re leavin’?!” Candy and the rest of their friends dashed up to comfort her.

“I’m just moving into Princess Twilight’s castle,” he quickly corrected. “I... uh... don’t fit in the house anymore.”

“Whew,” all four girls sighed.

“I thought you were really leaving,” Lilac added, snuggling back up to Blaze’s orange scales.

“Not yet,” he promised.

“Yet?” Thunder Cloud suspiciously raised an eyebrow. Lilac made no further comment, so neither did Blaze.

“Do you girls want to head over to the castle with us?” Torchwood suggested.

“We’re going to help Blaze get settled in before the party,” I elaborated.

“Given Twilight says yes,” Blaze reminded.

“Blaze, it’s Twilight! I’ll bet Spike will want to be roommates!” Charcoal exclaimed. Blaze shrugged.

“Fair enough.”

“So, what do you say?”

“Well, we really just stopped by so Lilac could show us the cool stuff she got on vacation,” Thunder Cloud explained.

“Couldn’t we just meet you there?” Petticoat suggested.

“I’ll give you a lift,” Blaze bribed, gesturing to his back in emphasis.

“Really?!” Thunder Cloud gasped, eyes wide with excitement. Though she was already a strong flyer,

“Ooh, ooh, just a second,” Lilac said, dashing into the shop. We patiently complied and waited by the door. My daughter returned momentarily with a brown leather pouch in her mouth. She sat down to free up a hoof, which she emptied the bag’s contents into. It was the warped, partially melted, patchwork-looking vase saved from the glassblower’s shop. Shortly after we left the hippogryphs, Lilac asked Charcoal to fix it. Though he claimed he never wanted to see the hideous thing again, and Torchwood’s offer to repair it (properly) had been refused, Lilac’s pestering finally became intolerable. Charcoal reluctantly fixed the glass vase again, though it warped even more badly in his claws this time around. The claw print was painfully visible, and the glass was lumpy and seam lines were evident. Yet somehow, it was still identifiable as a vase. I was surprised it had held any of its original shape at all. That wasn’t to say anything would fit through the neck anymore...

“Ugh, not that thing. I thought I said I never wanted to see it again,” Charcoal recoiled from the abomination.

“This is the vase Charcoal and I got up in the Foal Mountains,” Lilac explained. The girls crowded around, no small amount of disappointment on their faces.

“Oh... uh... cool?”

“Sure is... somethin’.”

“It sure is... different.”

“Heh. I know. We paid for it after it broke. Then Charcoal fixed it... and it broke again.”

“Ooooooh,” her friends all nodded in unison, accepting this explanation as reasonable.

“You know, Lilac, you didn’t have to keep it after you paid for the thing,” Candy pointed out.

“I wanted to,” Lilac smiled. “It wasn’t really us that broke the vase anyway. A group of really mean ponies tried to rob us; they were the ones that knocked it over.”

“Lilac! You didn’t tell me that! That means you weren’t responsible for paying for it,” I sighed, lovingly stroking her mane.

“But I wanted to,” she repeated again. “Even though we weren’t the ones that broke it, it reminds me of how Charcoal chased off the bullies to protect me,” she flitted her eyes at her big brother, sweetly swinging her clasped forehooves. Everyone turned to Char, regarding him with both new respect and goofy grins. All the staring made Charcoal extremely uncomfortable; his face flushed bright red, his ears flattened, and he shuffled nervously. He hardly knew where to look.

“Quit looking at me like that. It’s creepy.”

“I think it’s cute!” Petticoat declared.

“I guess it is pretty sweet,” Candy agreed.

“Especially considering how ugly the vase is,” Thunder Cloud hissed in her ear. The two chuckled quietly to themselves.

“But now I want to give it to Blaze,” Lilac went on.

“Me?!” Blaze raised his eyebrows in shock.

“As a housewarming gift,” she clarified, offering the object. “To remind you of both of us.” Blaze gratefully smiled, perhaps even the beginning of a tear twinkling in his eye. He cradled the warped glass like a precious treasure in one palm.

“Thank you, Lilac.”

“That was sweet,” I proudly whispered in her ear.

“Are we ready to head out, now?” Charcoal interrupted before any further comments about their vase could be voiced.

“Sure, son,” Torchwood chuckled.

“Alright, all aboard.” Blaze crouched over so the young fillies could board.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Petticoat cautiously climbed atop his back.

“Aw, come on, Petti! It’ll be great!” Thunder Cloud assured.

“I’ve never flown before!” Candy enthusiastically exclaimed.

“Really? Not even with Mom or Aunt Rainbow or anyone?” Lilac stared at her friend in horror.

“Never,” Candy shook her head.

“Then you’re in for a treat. Dragons are awesome!”

“As long as you don’t fall off,” Petti fretted.

“You worry too much,” Thunder rolled her eyes.

“Easy for you to say! If you let go, you have wings!”

“Just hang on, and have fun!” Candy silenced her.

“You all ready back there?”

“Yeah, yeah!” Thunder declared, hugging his scales tight. “Clear for takeoff!”

“Hang tight!” Blaze’s haunches coiled, and his wings unfurled to reveal their full, impressive span. He sprung into the air in one quick motion, his thunderous wing beats nearly drowning out the four gleefully screaming girls on board.

Charcoal rolled his eyes, quite amused by the incredible volume four fillies reached with mixed shrieks of delight and terror. Torchwood hoisted the suitcase up onto his back, and prepared to take off with me. Both our wings were spread, prepared to take off when Torchwood turned back to our son.

“Come on, champ. Better keep up or we’ll miss our own party.” Charcoal heaved a sigh to remind us he’d much rather stay home, but unfurled his own wings. Only after he’d taken off in front of us did we take off.

I found the flight’s duration incredibly agonizing. I wanted to keep flying forever, for I knew that when we landed, one of my sons wouldn’t be returning home with us. It usually warmed my heart to hear any of my children laugh, but even as all of the children giggled and cheered, frolicking through the air, I felt miserable. Blaze was all grown up, now. He didn’t need me anymore. Perhaps it was selfish of me to feel this way, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

Chapter 57: Crash the Party

Chapter 57
Crash the Party

“Hey! You guys made it!” Pinkie was there to greet us at the doors.

“Hi, Pinkie. You’re early.”

“Well, of course! I didn’t want to miss out on a second of the fun! Also, I helped plan it,” she pointed out. Then, back to her hyperactive self, she zoomed behind us and started pushing Charcoal, Torchwood an I inside. (Blaze was simply too heavy to join the number.) “Come on, come on!” The girls finished dismounting Blaze and giddily dashed ahead. The dragon followed more slowly, bending over to retrieve his suitcase from Torchwood’s back. When Pinkie noticed the luggage, she finally allowed us to walk for ourselves.

“Ooh! What’s that for?”

“Hi, everypony! Wow, you’re here early,” Twilight interrupted, walking down the hall to greet us. Spike momentarily poked his head around the corner of another hallway.

“Hey there!”

“Hi, Spike!” Blaze stepped over us to meet up with his friend. Spike furrowed his brow.

“I thought you guys got back hours ago. What’s with the suitcase?”

“Oh, is Blaze finally moving in?” Twilight inquired. The rest of us blankly stared at her.

“How... uh... how’d you know?” Torchwood coughed.

“And what do you mean by ‘finally’?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Well, we all knew it was only a matter of time before Blaze outgrew Art Life,” Twilight shrugged. “And I assumed Blaze would want to stay close to his family somewhere here in Ponyville. He and Spike are such good friends that we planned ahead.”

“So you don’t mind me staying here?” Blaze was both relieved and surprised by how easy our friends were making this.

“’Course not! You know this means we can be roomies now, right?” Spike’s confused frown had quickly morphed into a wild grin, and he now offered a balled-up claw for a fist bump.

“Right, roomie,” Blaze shot him a crooked grin and returned the fist bump.

“Wait, so this is a ‘Welcome Back’ party aaaaaand a housewarming party?! WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED?!” Pinkie bounced high enough to yank Blaze’s head down to our level and could bore her crazed eyes into his.

“Uhh....”

“QUICK! I’ve got to find Cheese! CHEESE SANDWICH!” Pinkie screeched, careening down the hallway in search of her fellow party planner.

“Just go with it,” Twilight advised Blaze.

“Let’s get you settled in!” Spike suggested, practically dragging his friend along. “So, what gave you that last push? Did you finally get stuck?”

“A little...”

“I told you so!” We finally lost sight of the two dragons as they rounded yet another turn.

“Rarity and Trender are in the dining hall,” Twilight chuckled, beckoning us to follow.

“Looks like we’re not the only early ones,” Torch commented, trailing after her.

“How many ponies did Pinkie invite, exactly?” Charcoal wondered.

“Well, the Apples should be coming soon, and Dash’s family... Flutters is coming, Rarity’s crew is already here, Cheese is staying...” she listed off names, trying to keep track of who she had and hadn’t named.

“What about Flash? Does he plan to show up?” I teasingly prompted, fondly bumping into her. Twilight blushed.

“Yes, I think Pinkie invited him too.”

“Eh... that’s not too many ponies,” Charcoal shrugged.

“I think you can handle it,” Torchwood chuckled.

“I’ll do my best.”

Twilight opened the doors to the dining hall, where Pinkie was consulting with Cheese as they put the last finishing touches on a monstrously sized cake on the table. ‘Welcome Back’ had been written along the top layers in bold red frosting, but the two quickly got to work adding, ‘Welcome Home, Blaze!’ at the bottom. A food spread had been laid out next to the dining table, already decorated with many of the Apple family’s trademark desserts and a couple main course foods. Vinyl’s DJ station was sitting out of the way in the back, but I didn’t see the white unicorn herself. Trenderhoof was assisting his wife in hanging the last of her trademark decorations. The girls were giggling, clustered off in their own little corner.

“Ah, the Woods are back! Welcome home, darling!” Rarity dropped what she was doing to come give me a hug.

“Thanks, Rarity. It’s good to be back.”

“Nice to see you, Rarity.”

“The same to you, Torchwood. Hello, Charcoal. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Torchwood,” Trenderhoof called, likewise approaching to greet us.

“Trender,” Torch nodded.

“Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Sure feels like.”

“You might’ve only been gone for a week, but Petti thought it was an eternity. Not a day went by without her asking when Lilac would be coming home.” Everypony chuckled at this.

“Sounds about right.”

“Howdy, folks! Welcome back!”

“AJ! Caramel!” The orange mare met me halfway to exchange hugs. When she was finished, her husband, who was a very touchy-feely pony, also shimmied up to give me a side hug.

“How was your vacation?”

“Eventful,” Torchwood truthfully answered with a chuckle.

“We can’t wait to hear all about it,” Twilight grinned. “Let’s see, who are we missing?”

“The Wonderbolts, Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash from Ponyville, and their son, Spectrum,” Flash playfully announced as he and the Dash family appeared in the doorway.

“Hey, guys!” Soarin’ greeted.

“Soarin’!” The group of stallions beckoned him over, and Spectrum eyed Charcoal off in the far corner.

Spectrum’s coat was a tint lighter than Thunder’s, more like their father, but this only brought out his wild, multi-colored hairdo. It was unkempt most of the time, due to the wind constantly ruffling his mane, but I would wager that it had been brushed neatly forward this morning. He was a little older than his sister, just a few years younger than Charcoal, and had earned his cutie mark by now. Like his parents, Spectrum had been destined to be an athlete. The fastest Wonderbolts always left a visible trail in the sky- in Rainbow’s case, this was a technicolor trail, or in Soarin’s, a crackle of lightning. Spectrum’s cutie mark combined both of these elements in a rainbow-tinted funnel wrapped in a vortex of yellow lightning. He greeted Charcoal, but my son barely looked up from the book he’d brought. Used to such responses, Spectrum just rolled his eyes and plopped down next to him.

Meanwhile, Dash made her way for our cluster of mares just as Twilight split off, headed for Flash.

“Nice announcing,” she flirtingly praised.

“Just doing my job,” Flash proudly puffed out his chest. The two awkwardly stood together for a moment as they each searched for something to say.

“Oh, for the love of applesauce! Would ya just kiss her already?” Applejack called, causing the whole room to erupt into laughter. The two winged ponies in the doorway flushed deep red.

“I... uh... er... I’m still on duty,” Flash coughed out.

“WHAT?! You can’t be on duty! The party won’t be any fun if you’re working!” Pinkie screeched, coming literally face-to-face with the royal guardspony.

“Uh...”

“Pinkie’s right. At ease, soldier,” Twilight giggled.

“Well, in that case...” Flash planted a quick peck on her cheek as he plodded inside, and Twilight blushed again.

“Ew!” the girls squealed, all ducking for cover as though it would shield them from the scene they’d just witnessed.

“Okay, so now we’re just waiting on Fluttershy, right?” Twilight scanned the room.

“Oh dear. I’m not late, am I?” Fluttershy fretted, gently floating into the room.

“Nopie-dopie-lokie!” Pinkie assured.

“Just in time!” Cheese Sandwich agreed.

“Hey, Flutters.”

“Welcome back!” Fluttershy settled herself in our ring of girls. “How was the mountains? Bandit didn’t get cold, did he?”

“He was fine,” Charcoal notified, looking up from his conversation with Spectrum.

“That’s good,” the yellow mare sighed.

“Seriously? They get back and the first thing you ask is how their pet liked it?” Rainbow face-hoofed.

“Oh... um... no one else got cold, did they?”

“We all had a blast, Fluttershy,” I laughed.

“Wait for us!” Spike and Blaze came charging into the dining hall, having settled Blaze in and now returning to partake in the festivities.

“Come on, everypony! It’s time to get this party started!” Cheese declared, popping up with Pinkie behind a small setup of speakers at the back of the room. Cheese hit a few buttons, and the speakers were soon blaring an ear-grinding dubstep. We all covered our ears, and some ducked for cover. Cheese and Pinkie frantically played with the console, and Twilight finally had to unplug it with her magic.

“Gee, sorry everyone! Vinyl let us borrow her DJ equipment. I guess we should’ve checked the volume first,” Pinkie blushed an even deeper pink. Most of us good-naturedly shook our heads and rolled our eyes. Spectrum grinned as he nudged Charcoal, but my son wasn’t amused.

“Okay, let’s try that again.” Pinkie held her breath as her hoof brushed the ‘on’ button. We covered our ears and prepared for the worst. When the room didn’t shake and our eardrums didn’t blow out, everyone heaved sighs of relief. Good mood restored, Pinkie now scrolled through the music choices to select a more appropriate tune. A devilish grin overtook her face as she found the perfect song.

“Hey, that’s our song!” Torchwood realized, ears perking up.

“Vinyl played this on our wedding day!” I agreed, smiling ear to ear.

“EVERYPONY TO THE DANCE FLOOR!” Pinkie screeched, jumping over the console and dragging Cheese with her.

“Everyone pair off!” Cheese managed to call before the wind was knocked out of him by said pink pony.

“What’dya say, sweet thing?” Caramel offered Applejack his hoof.

“If ya’ll can excuse us,” Applejack winked, joining him out on the dance floor.

“Would you join me, my dear?” Trender gestured for Rarity to link elbows.

“Pardon us,” Rarity gleefully twirled away as Trenderhoof whisked her away.

“Uhm... Twilight? May I have this dance?” Flash respectfully bowed at the princess’ hooves.

“You may,” she beamed, elegantly returning the bow before wildly jerking in every possible direction, completely out of sync with the soft melody. Flash shrugged before joining her.

“Come on, Babe! We can totally steal the spotlight!” Rainbow urged Soarin’, who was helping himself to Applejack’s sweets laid out on the table.

“You know, not everything’s a competition DashiiiIIIEEEEE!!” Soarin’ choked on an apple fritter as his wife dragged him away.

“Guess that just leaves us,” I contently sighed, gazing into Torchwood’s dark eyes.

“Wouldn’t want to disappoint everypony, now would we?” he mischievously grinned. I propped myself up on his shoulders, he wound his arms around me, and we joined the other couples (minus Flash and Twilight, still randomly bucking) in a slow waltz.

...

You’re the love of my life,
And we know no strife.
I’ll care for you all of my days,
I just wanna meet your gaze.
I’ll always want you in my life.

...

We’ll never sever.
For you I’ll always endeavor.
It doesn’t matter where we are;
You’re my north star.
And we’ll be together forever.

...

I’m never gonna leave you,
It’ll just be us two
Forever

...

You’re sweeter than morning dew.
I’d do anything to be with you.
I’d travel across the land
Over mountains so grand
If you’ll just love me too.

...

We’ll never sever.
For you I’ll always endeavor.
It doesn’t matter where we are;
You’re my north star.
And we’ll be together forever.

...

I’m never gonna leave you,
It’ll just be us two
Forever

...

I can’t offer much
In exchange for your touch,
But my love just might be enough.
And when times get tough,
I’ll be your crutch.

...

Torchwood and I stopped dancing, lost in each other’s gaze. His eyelids flickered shut as he leaned in close, and I also puckered my lips.

...

So it’ll just be us two...

...

“FOREVER!”

...

Cheese and Pinkie’s cake exploded everywhere as the verse ended in a very off-key, masculine voice that in no way matched the artist’s. We were all so baffled by the abrupt ending that we forgot to dodge the incoming missiles of frosting and cake batter. Only Twilight came out unscathed, as Flash had reacted quickly enough to shield her with his own wings. The fireproof dragons snorted in aggravation before taking turns burning the frosting off each other.

“My hair!” Rarity cried, looking up at the dirtied curls with miserable, wet eyes. I grunted upon finding cake matted in my own hair and coat, and irritably shook most of it off. Torchwood shot me a dirty look when the debris splattered all over him instead. I sheepishly blushed, and planted a kiss on his cheek to make up for it.

“Mmm, buttermilk frosting.”

Charcoal, who had refused to even crack a smile the whole time we were here, doubled over laughing. Sheltered in his little corner, he had narrowly avoided being splattered. Spectrum, on the other hoof, had a few new colors added to his technicolor hair, and glared at him. Using my trick, he rectified the mistake by shaking the icing off and flinging it all over Charcoal. The green thestral froze, righted himself, and challengingly glared at his opponent. The two stood in a silent stare down for a moment before lunging, each trying to gain the advantage required to smear additional frosting on the other. Charcoal, being the larger, eventually caught Spectrum in a headlock and got to work grinding the food product deep into his opponent’s mane.

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” I felt a heavy weight suddenly forced upon my shoulder as Discord leaned against me for support, clutching his stomach with his paw and wiping tears from his eyes with his eagle talon.

“DISCORD!” Twilight bellowed, defiantly spreading her wings to make herself look bigger and accidently knocking Flash off balance.

“You’ve really outdone yourselves this time, my dear party planners!” Discord teleported between Pinkie and Cheese. “Marvelous job! This level of chaos is impressive, even for me.”

“You caused it!” Rarity accused through gritted teeth.

“That’s right! I did, didn’t I?” Discord proudly reclined on his back, hovering in the center of the room.

“Awww... we worked so hard on that cake,” Pinkie sniffed, leaning into Cheese for comfort.

“Oh, don’t give me that face, Pinkie. It’s so unbecoming of the Element of Laughter to frown. Here, I’ll make it up to you.” Discord selected an apple muffin from the spread and splatted it onto his forehead.

“Hey! Now that’s my cookin’ you’re tamperin’ with, pal!” AJ shook a hoof. Pinkie giggled.

“But it is kinda funny.”

“Look, what do you want?” Twilight impatiently sighed, folding her wings and helping Flash back to his hooves.

“Right. Down to business.” Discord suddenly turned very serious, even solemnly so. He didn’t even summon a luxurious throne or even a futon. He just sat at one of the dining hall’s chairs. I exchanged nervous glances with Torchwood, as did everyone else. Twilight suspiciously took her seat at the head of the long table. Quietly, all nineteen ponies, including the children, took a seat alongside the draconequus, and even the dragons pressed closer at opposite ends of the table.

“What’s this all about?”

“It appears, Princess, that I am in need of your help.”

Author's Note

A/N: Remember when I said you might want to reread chapter 24? Well, here’s your reminder. You thought I forgot, didn’t you? Sorry it took so long. It’s coming up next chapter.

Chapter 58: Secrets of the Everfree

Chapter 58
Secrets of the Everfree

“You need our help?” Applejack repeated.

“Is that so surprising?” Fluttershy quietly piped up.

“What can we do that your magic can’t?” Flash narrowed his eyes.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing you can. I need the Elements of Harmony,” Discord corrected, looking at us seven.

“Say what now?” Rainbow spat out her punch.

“Wow! A real Elements of Harmony problem?!” Thunder excitedly fluttered. The girls had only heard stories of our time with the elements; we hadn’t needed to wield them in ages. Even Charcoal perked up, his interest peaked.

“Are you going to use the elements again, Mom?” Lilac wildly grinned.

“I don’t know, sweetie,” I absentmindedly shook my head.

“I thought you hated the elements!” Caramel exclaimed.

“While they did trap me in stone for an eternity, they also freed me from my casing. I need them to do it again.”

“What do you mean, do it again?”

“We are not freeing another ancient evil villain,” Twilight firmly stated. “Enough of them are out on the loose as it is.”

“Radiance isn’t a villain!” He pounded a fist on the table in desperation.

“Radiance?” My eyes grew in surprise, and I recalled the backstory Celestia and Luna told us when we first brought Essence to them. “Isn’t that-?”

“The love of my life,” he sadly, quietly finished. Fluttershy looked away. Twilight’s disposition softened a bit.

“We’re listening.”

“I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but I found Radiance,” Discord began. “I was in the Everfree as usual, minding my own business when an obnoxious little timberwolf runs up and takes a good bite out of my tail, for no apparent reason!” He displayed the very evident bite mark for us all to see.

“For no good reason, eh? Surely something must have provoked it,” Rarity disbelievingly raised an eyebrow.

“Ever since Princess Essence took back the Everfree, we haven’t had any trouble with the monsters,” Twilight agreed.

“I’m just surprised you didn’t try to turn it into a beach ball,” Rainbow folded her arms.

“Well, if I was going to retaliate, I would probably go the furniture route. Ironic and useful, no?”

“Discord,” Fluttershy scolded.

“I didn’t!” he raised his arms for a truce. “I may have tried, but I didn’t really harm it.”

“What do you mean, tried?” Twilight furrowed her brow.

“It was bizarre- this timberwolf was impervious to my magic!” Discord exclaimed. “Not even Celestia can say that.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You got attacked by a timberwolf that’s immune to your magic?!” I wasn’t sure if Charcoal was disbelieving, afraid, or both.

“Even stranger was that when I got a good look, it was encrusted with jewels.”

“You mean like Princess Essence’s pet Jasper?” Fluttershy voiced.

“Yes! Exactly like Jasper. But this timberwolf was smaller, and the gems were glowing red.”

“So a royal timberwolf attacked ya, and there was nothin’ ya could do about it?” Not even Candy Apple believed his story.

“Roll your eyes if you want, but it’s true,” Discord narrowed his eyes at the filly. “I can’t even heal the bite it left.”

“Let me see,” Twilight offered, sliding out of her seat and examining his wound. She tried casting a spell over the injury, and gradually, the skin healed over.

“Why, thank you, Twilight. You’re far more considerate than some here.” He glared out at the greater majority of our mutually scowling company.

“What happened next?” Lilac pressed, not so interested in hearing the rest of the story as aborting a quarrel. Twilight returned to her place by Flash to hear him out.

“The creature intrigued me, of course. It’s not just anyone that can not only repel but also suppress my magic. So I followed it.”

“And?”

“And it led me to an extensive network of catacombs.” The whole room fell under a dark and mysterious, eerie mood. Until Pinkie burst out laughing, of course.

“I’ve never heard of any Everfree catacombs,” Applejack declared.

“Me neither, and I’ve visited Princess Essence’s castle several times,” Twilight concurred.

“Nor have I,” Discord neatly clasped his hands. “I followed it inside, but lost track of it soon after. But I figured so long as I was down there, I might as well take a look around.”

“You mean snoop around,” Pinkie accused.

“It wasn’t as though it was locked or even guarded,” he shot back. Then he paused in scratched his chin. “I don’t think there was a door at all, actually.”

“You were in the catacombs,” Twilight cued, impatiently prompting him to continue.

“Right. I was poking around the catacombs when I found her.”

“Radiance?” I guessed.

“Turned to stone, covered in moss and cobwebs after so many years of neglect,” he wistfully confirmed.

“How do you know it wasn’t just a statue?”

“It was her,” he insisted, eyes wild and more crazed than normal.

“How was she turned to stone?” Spike’s eyes widened, and he leaned closer. Everyone else was finally intrigued as well, and also leaned in.

“Beats me,” Discord shrugged. “But I was elated! Not only had we been reunited, but this also meant she hadn’t really stood me up that night!”

“Wait a second! Weren’t you all in the Frozen North? How’d she end up in the Everfree catacombs?” Rainbow wondered.

“Another excellent question, the answer to which escapes me.”

“So you want our help to turn her back to normal, but you have no idea how she got that way to begin with?”

“We’ll get answers when she’s turned back,” he insisted.

“I’m in,” I raised a hoof.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Torchwood concurred.

“It is a touching love story, though I’m still not sure if I believe it,” Rarity sniffed.

“But if it is true, we can meet a pony from old times! How funnerific would that be?!” Pinkie bounced up.

“Imagine the ‘Welcome Back’ party we could throw her!” Cheese agreed, eagerly touching noses with the pink pony.

“Whoa! Everypony just hold on. Let’s think this through,” Twilight interrupted.

“What’dya mean, Twi?” Applejack scratched her head.

“Think about it! We have no idea how or why Radiance was turned to stone. What if she really was dangerous?” Trender spoke up.

“She also could have just been the unfortunate victim of a cockatrice stare,” Torchwood pointed out.

“In which case, we don’t know if the elements would work anyway. They reversed the spell they cast on Discord, but it was their own magic. They might not be able to undo cockatrice petrification.”

“I’ve seen them work far greater miracles,” Discord pointed out.

“I don’t think it could have been a cockatrice, though,” I shook my head. “They’re native to the Everfree. Rainbow raised a good point- at the time she went missing, she was in the Frozen North.”

“Some powerful unicorns know petrification magic,” Twilight recalled.

“Surely you know a reversal spell?” Discord hopefully pleaded.

“Petrification magic can only be reversed by the pony that cast the spell,” Twilight apologized.

“But whoever that was is long dead by now!” Spectrum reminded.

“You really know how to kill the mood, don’t you, kid?” Discord grumbled, rage, frustration and sorrow all coursing through his wiry frame. Charcoal lightly cuffed Spectrum in reprimand.

“He does raise a good point,” Twilight defended.

“So that’s it? There’s nothing we can do?” We looked to silent Twilight for answers. Discord hung his head, and Fluttershy comfortingly stroked his arm.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Twilight finally informed. Discord’s hopes soared, and he gave her his full attention.

“Sometimes the pony who casts the spell will build in failsafe’s in case anything goes wrong. I would have to examine the spell to be sure. And we don’t even know for sure that that’s what happened to Radiance. We just need to know more before we can do anything. Where is Radiance, Discord?”

“Back in the catacombs where I left her.”

“The way you talk about her, I’d imagine you’d have teleported her back to your place, or at least somewhere less... lonely,” Soarin’ remarked. “I know that’s what I would do.”

“Aww, thanks, Soarin’,” Rainbow returned his nuzzle.

“There’s some magical barrier around her, not unlike the one shielding that timberwolf,” Discord explained. “I couldn’t move her anywhere. All I could do was clear out the cobwebs and mark which room she’s in.”

“Aw! He cleaned her up! That’s so cute!” Pinkie squealed. He flattened his ears in irritation more than embarrassment.

“Are we going or not?”

“One more thing,” Twilight interrupted. “Why come to us? Essence is directly connected to the Tree, and can wield the same power. She’s also closer. So why ask for our help?”

“She can wield the power, but she lacks friends to help her unleash their full potential. I need you,” Discord all-too-quickly replied.

“How much power are we going to need?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

“Not that much,” Twilight flatly answered, eyes narrow as she saw through Discord’s lie.

“She turned you down, didn’t she?” Blaze caught on. Discord froze.

“Discord?” Fluttershy prompted.

“She didn’t turn me down,” he confessed with a heavy sigh. “She started to follow me to the catacombs, but at the entrance, she just froze. Completely locked up! She just couldn’t bring herself to go back down there. Something rather unpleasant must have happened to make her that unresponsive. The guards finally had to lead her away and asked me to leave!” I gulped.

“Essence willingly sacrificed her magic to buy us time when Tirek was on the loose, but some dusty old catacombs scared her?”

“That doesn’t sound like Essence at all,” Rarity nervously agreed.

“What’s so scary about the catacombs?” Applejack wondered.

“You mean a dark, cold, claustrophobic, underground maze?! No idea!” Fluttershy squeaked, retreating into herself.

“Did you see anything else down there that might’ve scared her?”

“Nothing more than a few cobwebs and leaves,” Discord shrugged.

“What do you think is down there?” Flash inquired.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

“You’re going to help me?” Discord’s eyes grew wet with hope and joy.

“Of course!” I smiled.

“We’re your friends,” Fluttershy weakly smiled. “Even if it does mean crawling in dark, scary catacombs to free your long lost love from imprisonment in stone,” her face fell at this last bit.

“We’ll see what we can do,” Twilight promised, “if there’s anything we can do.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Soarin’ assured.

“You all can do anything when you set your minds to it,” Trender complimented, aimed more at his wife than the rest of us.

“So what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I prompted with a chuckle. She furrowed her brow, trying to figure out what I meant. It wasn’t until I nodded towards the kids that she remembered they had accompanied us.

“Oh, right.”

“Aww, Mom! We want to come!” Lilac pined.

“Sorry, girls. But until we know exactly what’s going on, I need to be sure you’re safe.”

“But-!”

“No arguing! You stay, and that’s final.”

“Your mother’s right, Lilac. Things tend to get dangerous when we investigate the Elements,” Twilight voiced. All the girls pouted. There was no arguing with the princess.

“You all stay here until we get back. If things do get rough, the castle will be the safest place for you,” Flash ordered.

“Spike, Blaze, you keep an eye on them just in case,” Twilight directed.

“No way! I’m not going to let you walk into danger alone!” Spike protested. “What if it’s a trap?”

“I’m not alone,” Twilight nodded back at the rest of us. “And if this does turn out to be a trap, we’ll need someone to stay behind to rescue us, right?” Spike glumly nodded.

“If it helps, I don’t think you’d have fit anyway,” Discord spoke up.

“Just... don’t do anything stupid. I already lost my birth parents,” Blaze pressed his nose between Torch and I. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”

“You won’t,” I promised. “We’ll be back, you’ll see.”

“This isn’t goodbye,” Torch agreed.

“Why’s everyone acting like this is a Daring Do novel? It’s not dangerous- you’re just going to check out a statue... right?” Spectrum became fearful.

“Essence must’ve had a good reason to fear the catacombs,” Flash gently put it to the colt.

“But there’s no saying there is any real danger, either,” Twilight added. “We’re just preparing for the worst.”

“Do ya gotta go?” Candy sniffed, hugging her parents.

“Don’t act like that. We’ll be back before you know it,” Caramel promised.

“We just gotta see if we can lend Discord’s friend a hoof,” the country girl agreed.

“You better come back,” Charcoal warned me.

“I promise,” I scooped him into a hug before he could protest. To my surprise, he not only allowed it, but squeezed back. Torch beamed before piling on himself. And Lilac, not wanting to be left out, jumped in the middle.

“Okay, now I’m getting claustrophobic,” Charcoal uncomfortably shifted. Everyone chuckled as we finally broke apart.

“We should be back well before morning,” Trender estimated, judging the sun out the window. It wasn’t dangerously low in the sky, but it was well past its peak, too.

“There’s plenty of food here for your dinner,” Soarin’ gestured to the (mostly) untouched spread.

“You mean no adult supervision around all these sweets?” A mischievous glint entered Thunder Cloud’s eye.

“Keep an eye on them, Blaze,” I hissed.

“Aye aye,” he nodded.

“If we don’t come back before sundown, I still want you to stay put,” Twilight stressed. “The guest rooms are still made up. You might have to share rooms, but I think we can accommodate everyone.

“You hear that, guys? Sleepover in the castle!” Lilac declared. The rest of the girls excitedly squealed with her.

“Be good! We shouldn’t be long,” Twilight looked over the six children one last time.

“Good, good. The kiddies are taken care of. Can we go now?” Discord begged, making a sweeping motion towards the door as if to brush us all outside.

“See you later, alligator!” Pinkie bounced out of the room.

“In a while, crocodile!” Spectrum offered a goofy smile and waved us all on.

“Be safe,” Charcoal ordered again.

“Love you!” Lilac waved with the rest of the girls.

“Love you, too,” I quietly sighed. A feeling of dread began to ball up in my stomach. Was this really such a good idea?

The Everfree was quiet on this night. Not that he would have heard anything if a stampede of hydras had crashed through the forest. This far underground in the catacombs, silence hung thick in the air. Not much else besides the sound of his own breathing disturbed the quiet.

“I trust you are well, love?” The catacombs’ silence was shattered by the rare presence of a visitor. In this darkness, only a pair of red eyes gleamed in the night.

“Is it done?”

“Casper injected Discord with the venom,” a metallic, feminine voice rang. “And led him here. He found Radiance.”

“I have an orb prepared for the draconequus. Where is he?”

“I let him go,” she answered. Those bright red eyes burned with rage in the darkness.

“What did you say?” His nose pressed against hers, and the mare shrank back in fear.

“Please, love. I overheard him talking to that lifeless statue. He promised to return with the Elements of Harmony.” The stallion considered this.

“He will lead them to us.”

“I followed him, and overheard the entire conversation. They are coming, but they are bringing more stallions with them. One is a royal guard.”

“How many more?”

“Thirteen ponies total.”

“We didn’t plan for this... it is too early. Thirteen missing ponies and one draconequus will attract attention.”

“I can send in my drones to take their place temporarily.”

“No! One slip, and we’re through.”

“Then shall I send them away?”

“No. I doubt we will get all of them in one place again. We must take advantage of this opportunity. Speed up preparations. I will secure the Elements while you take Princess Essence’s place. And line Casper’s teeth with another dose of my magic suppressant. Send him after Princess Twilight this time.” As if on cue, a low growl could be heard from the doorway where the glowing red orbs of timberwolf eyes penetrated the darkness. The similarly red-eyed stallion fondly looked over his pet. “With every source to the Tree’s energy cut off, it will be easy to overtake Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. Once I have restored my full power, I will overtake Celestia and Luna’s roles of raising the sun and moon. Even the solar bodies will bend to my will.”

“You must keep the young one away from her husband,” the mare nervously interjected. “Together, they are more powerful than Celestia herself.”

“Yes, I recall your last encounter with them, Chrysalis.”

“You know that is not my true name, Kindling,” the changeling cooed.

“Very well, Smoky Topaz.”

Chapter 59: The Catacombs

Chapter 59
The Catacombs

“Wouldn’t teleporting us there be quicker?” Applejack suggested once we’d reached the cobblestone road.

“Of course!” In his haste, Discord had nearly forgotten such a possibility. He snapped his claw, and my head filled with bright light.

“Ow,” I rubbed it to clear the haze.

“Uh... Discord? I thought we were supposed to be heading to the Everfree,” Rainbow pointed out.

“Of course we-” the draconequus paused and looked around, realizing that the teleport had only landed us on the outskirts of town. “That can’t be right...” he mumbled.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy fretted.

“It’s nothing... must be sidetracked, is all. Let me try again.” He waved off her concern and snapped his other paw. This time we landed just inside the tree line, but could still see the town from through the brush.

“Discord? You feelin’ okay?” Rainbow rarely showed concern for our chaotic friend, but now we all expressed looks of worry.

“I...” Discord’s vision blurred, and he momentarily collapsed on the ground before us.

“Heavens!” Rarity gasped.

“Discord!” I cried, practically pouncing my friend as we all leaned in close.

“Give him space, for cryin’ out loud!” Caramel pulled us all back. Fluttershy managed to escape his grip and dashed to his head, supporting him on her lap.

“Discord?” she squeaked, sheer worry bringing her to tears.

“What’s wrong with him?” Cheese asked. Twilight promptly ran a scanning spell over the draconequus.

“I think it was that timberwolf bite!” she gasped. “He said it was resistant to his magic. I’m sensing some sort of magic suppressant in his bloodstream... venom from the timberwolf, maybe?”

“I’ve never heard o’ such a thing!” Applejack exclaimed.

“It’s the best explanation I have at the moment,” she apologized. “We need to get you to a hospital!”

“But Radiance,” the weakened draconequus protested.

“She’s lasted this long. She’ll keep, but you won’t,” Torchwood pointed out.

“Torch’s right- our priority is taking care of you right now,” I agreed, taking his paw.

“No! I have to see her,” he gritted his teeth, and leaned against Fluttershy as he staggered to his feet. “I’ll be fine without magic for a few hours.”

“Discord, I really think-”

“I have to see her, Twilight. I love her.” Quiet fell upon us like a blanket.

“If he thinks he’s well enough, I think we should let him,” Flash finally voiced.

“You do?!” Twilight exclaimed.

“If you were in danger, nothing would keep me from finding you,” he took her hoof in his. “And not just because I’m your guard.”

“Aww!” Pinkie cooed.

“Well... okay. But I’m teleporting us,” she finally decided. “Where am I going, Discord?”

“Take us to my place,” he directed. “I’ll lead us from there.”

“Right.” Twilight’s horn lit up, and for the third time that day, bright light flooded my mind.

We took a moment to steady ourselves from the teleport before looking to Discord. He supported himself between Torchwood and Soarin’, now. After regaining his balance, he weakly lifted a claw. “That way.” Twilight wasted no time in leading the charge, towing Discord behind her in a levitation bubble.

I knew the Everfree well, but we weren’t on any path I recognized, so it took a moment to gain my bearings. We were headed just north of Essence’s castle. The brush was becoming extremely thick, and impeded our progress a bit. We realized this was due to the fact that we were nearing the Pit where the castle was located. Discord guided us around the rim of the basin, however, and we avoided the palace altogether.

“Not far now,” he informed.

“Thank goodness! I’m sick of all this icky muck!” Rarity sighed.

“At least the brush is thinning out,” Soarin’ pointed out.

“Does anypony else hear that?” Torchwood called out.

“Hear what?” We all strained our ears, but nothing could be heard over the sound of our own hooves crashing through the tangled undergrowth.

“Nevermind. I thought...”

“AAAAAH!” Twilight was thrown aside as a brown blur leapt from the brambles and caught her headlong. She and Discord both went tumbling into the bushes.

“Twilight!” We all slammed on the brakes, sliding to a stop and retracing our steps. We found the alicorn and draconequus, but their attacker was nowhere to be seen.

“What was that?” Flash helped Twilight to her hooves.

“I... don’t know... oooh...” Twilight uneasily fell into the guardspony.

“Twilight?!” Flash supported the woozy mare while Rarity helped Fluttershy gently turn her over.

“Oh, gracious,” Rarity gasped, covering her mouth with her hooves.

“What’s wrong?” I strained to see over the others, and my heart fell. A jagged bite mark was left on her back. A timberwolf bite identical to Discord’s.

“Seems my story wasn’t absolute rubbish after all,” the draconequus dryly remarked.

“I’m alright,” Twilight groaned, shakily standing. “Let’s keep going.”

“Are you kidding? We have to get you out of here!” Flash burst.

“Without your magic, we’re defenseless!” Rarity agreed.

“And we’ll have traveled out here for nothing! You need your magic to figure out how to fix Radiance,” Rainbow agreed.

“It won’t be a complete waste. If I can just get a look around, it might help. And Discord said that he couldn’t teleport her out, but we may still be able to remove her manually. We’ve come all this way- it’s worth a shot.”

“I don’t like it. Something, or someone, is targeting us,” Flash pointed out. “I don’t think it was coincidence that our two most powerful friends were bitten by that timberwolf.”

“Do you think it’ll start picking the rest of us off, too?” Fluttershy shivered.

“Guys, I have a really bad feeling about this. I think we should go back until we know what we’re up against,” I shuddered.

“Okay, now I’m worried. Acrylic’s scared of this timberwolf, so I am too,” Rainbow spoke.

“Let’s put it to a vote. All in favor of going back, say I.”

“I!” Well over half our company raised their hooves.

“Okay, then. Sorry, Discord. It looks like we’re just going to have to come back.”

“GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” a vicious snarl barked from behind us. The red-eyed timberwolf leapt into our midst.

“YAH!”

“Everypony, RUN!” I needed no convincing to obey the order. My legs snapped into action, but sharp teeth sank into my neck mid-leap.

“AAH!”

“Acrylic?”

“TORCHWOOD!” I kicked and squirmed, screaming at the top of my lungs for my husband as the timberwolf dragged me away.

Brambles scratched my face as the timberwolf carried me through the underbrush. I’d tried everything: kicking, biting, punching, even fire dancing. Nothing fazed the timberwolf. Whatever shielded it from Discord’s magic also appeared to repel thestral fire. I’d heard Torchwood and my friends calling out for me, but I lost their hoofbeats within minutes. This timberwolf was extraordinarily fast. It would take a miracle for the others to catch up, let alone find us.

The timberwolf finally broke free from the brush, and I was temporarily blinded by the sudden flood of sunlight. My vision focused just in time to eye a small, partially buried entrance embedded in a low recess. The wolf dove down inside, and I felt as though we had been swallowed up by the blackness. Having gone from bright sunlight to a dark void, my eyes took a while to adjust. For a while I couldn’t see anything, and the only thing that alerted me that I was still alive was the screaming pain of timberwolf teeth still buried in my scruff and his hot breath ruffling my already-mussed hair.

When my vision adjusted, I realized we had entered an extensive network of underground tunnels. The catacombs.

Each tunnel looked identical, and though I tried to keep track of the twists and turns the wolf took, I soon found this impossible. Even if I managed to get away, I would never find my way out of this maze. Only one room finally caught my eye; the entrance was well lit by the torches flickering within. The wolf had slowed down enough for me to get a good look inside. The statue of a frightened alicorn mare stood at the center of the room, face twisted in agony and one hoof raised to shield her face from an invisible attacker. This must be Radiance.

I only got a glimpse of the statue as the wolf passed. Even the light from the room vanished from sight when we rounded another turn. My only landmark was gone.

The timberwolf finally entered a large chamber, probably at the center of the catacombs. I was unceremoniously tossed to the cold stone floor, dumped into layers of dust, dirt, leaves, and who knew what else.

“Thank you, Casper,” a cold, voice clicked. The wolf snorted acknowledgement before exiting the room. “I trust he treated you fairly?” I looked up into the wicked grin of the changeling queen.

“Chrysallis,” I snarled, defiantly standing.

“Did you miss me? It has been a while since our last encounter. What is this I see? Gray hair? My, how time flies when you’re immortal.”

“What do you want?” I hissed.

“What do I want? I want love, of course,” she casually replied.

“Is that why I’m here? So you can take my place and feed off Torchwood’s love fore me?”

“You can keep that thestral of yours,” she shuddered at the mere thought. “I have a lover of my own, now.”

“What kind of creature could ever love you?”

“That’s none of your business,” she shot back.

“Fine. Then let’s change the subject. What am I doing here? And why did your timberwolf attack Twilight and Discord?”

“Casper isn’t my timberwolf. He belongs to my fiancé,” she answered. “As to what you’re doing here, well... I presume Casper needed another way to lure the rest of your friends here after poisoning Twilight. You all were about to return to Ponyville when she lost her magic, weren’t you?”

“What do you want with them?”

“It’s not what I want with them, but what Kindling wants.”

“Kindling?”

“Kindling Pyre. I would imagine Princess Essence has mentioned him.” My heart stopped in my chest. Kindling Pyre. Essence’s former student. A power-hungry destral. “I see I am correct,” she grinned.

“What has he got to do with anything?” I snapped out of my stupor.

“He has got to do with everything! Once you and your miserable Elements of Harmony are out of the way, there will be nothing to stop us!”

“Us?”

“Why, Kindling and I, of course. With my army and his power, nothing will stand in our way, and we will rule Equestria together!”

“He’s your fiancé?! Why would you want to marry the guy?”

“Because he loves me, of course.”

“Pfft!” I disbelievingly snorted. Her expression darkened.

“You obviously don’t know the power that can be unleashed when a changeling feeds off true love that is intended for them. True love will complete the spell I created, and restore me to my full power.”

“Restore you?”

“I wasn’t always this way. Something went wrong with a spell of my own design, and turned me into a love-feeder,” she coolly explained. “Unfortunately, my new appearance turned off most ponies. I didn’t take the rejection well, and made any who resisted my affections like me.”

“Wait... spell gone wrong... Kindling...” Essence’s Chief of Research had cast a spell on herself that made her crave love and attention. She’d also fallen in love with Kindling. The pieces were finally coming together. My pupils shrank to pinpricks. “S-Smoky Topaz?”

“What an honor! I see Essence remembered me as well,” she smirked.

“You turned into a changeling? You turned your coworkers- your friends- into changelings?!” I was absolutely horrified.

“The spell I cast upon them wasn’t as strong as the first. They were not immortalized as I was. These were just mindless drones, subject to do my bidding,” she shrugged. “None of them loved me... no one could ever love the creature I had become. None but Kindling,” she fondly sighed just speaking the name. “He informed me of the true purpose to the destrals’ research program- to create more powerful thestrals to use in his army. But my soldiers, he assured, were far greater than anything he could have hoped to achieve. That day, I promised him my military support, and he promised me his heart.”

“Sounds to me like he was using you,” I figured.

“Kindling would never use me!” she viciously snarled. “He’s far too kind for that.”

“The stallion who turned against his own mentor, poisoned two of my friends, and kidnapped me is kind?!”

“You don’t know him.”

“I know that he’s sorely underestimated the power of friendship.”

“Has he? Let’s see... Discord and Twilight’s magic have both been disabled and can’t put up any resistance.”

“We’ve beaten the odds with no magic before. Because what you can’t take away is our friendship.”

“But I can take away one of the friends.” I choked back a gulp. “Think about it. With one of the elements missing- in this case, you- your friends will have no way to activate the power of the tree. All seven must be present to tap into such power.” I was growing tired of her cocky attitude.

“Just you wait. When my friends find me-”

“Oh, they’ll find you alright,” she evilly cackled. “But not here, and not like this.” She used her magic to teleport an odd looking sphere into the room. A sphere identical to the one we originally found Princess Essence trapped in. She held it close to her face, casually examining the design.

“Goodbye, Acrylic. I’ll be sure to say hello to your friends for you. Oh, and don’t worry about your children.” My heart stopped in my chest. “They will be joining you shortly.”

Chrysalis channeled her magic into the orb, and the bark exoskeleton unwound itself, revealing a blinding, painful light. The bark was angled so that it directed the bright beams right at me, but shielded Chrysalis. I screamed. The light burned my skin. My head pounded. I couldn’t tell if it was taking my energy or flooding me with it. I soon realized it was both; it was absorbing me.

“No! NOOOOOOOO!” I scrabbled on the stone, trying to hold on to something, anything.

“Don’t fight it, dear,” Chrysalis all-too-sweetly grinned. “You are fighting a battle you cannot win.”

My hooves were slipping. It was pulling me in. I finally lost my hold altogether.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!”

My hat lightly dropped to the floor as I was jerked from beneath it.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” The twelve ponies and draconequus stiffened as a faint call pierced the silent Everfree.

“Did you hear that?” Fluttershy gasped.

“You don’t think...?” Soarin’ couldn’t bring himself to finish the statement, at least not in front of Torchwood. The brown stallion stood stock straight, determination as well as pain set in his eyes.

“That way,” Torchwood instantly took the lead, concern for his beloved wife pushing him to unimaginable speeds. He couldn’t- wouldn’t- accept the fact that Acrylic might be...

No. He mustn’t think such thoughts. Acrylic would be alright. He would take her home and they would all be a whole, happy family again.

Whole.

Please let them be whole.

The distressed, long-legged stallion raced through the forest, not a bramble or bush hindering his progress. Driven by fear, it didn’t take long before Torchwood’s friends fell behind. Even they didn’t matter now. Torchwood charged on, thinking only of his wife.

How had he let this happen? He was supposed to be good with timberwolves. He had spent years protecting his sector from all sorts of Everfree monsters. Yet his own wife had been swiped from right out under his nose. Why hadn’t he stopped it? Why hadn’t he saved her? Torchwood ran faster, faster. He had to save her. He would most certainly not allow one of those vile beasts to be the one to take his wife from him.

Torchwood’s long legs came to a grinding halt. Deadened eyes stared straight ahead. The tracks led directly to a deep black abyss. These must be the catacombs Discord had mentioned. Would it also turn out to be his wife’s tomb?

Paralyzed by fear and dread, the last of the stragglers finally caught up to Torchwood. They, too, joined him in a moment of silence as they all stared blankly ahead. It wasn’t until Flash, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, still supporting Discord and Twilight, caught up that a single word was spoken.

“That’s it. The catacombs,” Discord gravely informed.

“Well, we aren’t doin’ any good standin’ ‘round up here,” Applejack nervously mused. Torchwood took a deep breath, and planted one shaky hoof forward before Caramel stopped him.

“We’ll find her,” the yellow stallion promised. Torchwood’s eyes reflected deep gratitude, and shut his eyes to steady himself. By the time he opened them again, Torchwood was cool headed and ready to tear the timberwolf apart.

“Let’s go,” he beckoned, cautiously taking the lead into the dark tunnels. Now the only thestral present, the others relied heavily on his fire to guide their way. Rarity and Trenderhoof had managed to hang onto their magic, and provided a little illumination as well.

“That way,” Discord directed, correcting Torchwood’s path.

“How do you know where she is?” the brown stallion challenged.

“Radiance is down that hall. Trust me, I would remember the way.”

“Discord, I think finding Acrylic is a little more important than freeing Radiance right now,” Fluttershy chided.

“Don’t you think it’s even a little strange that the timberwolf brought her here? It must be connected to Radiance somehow. If we find Radiance, we might find the wolf, and better yet, Acrylic,” the draconequus explained.

“It’s worth a shot,” Twilight shrugged, desperate and defeated.

“It’s gotta be better than aimlessly wandering through an underground maze,” Rainbow agreed.

“My cheese sense usually tells me where I need to go, but I’m not getting anything,” Cheese reported.

“My pinkie sense isn’t working either,” his marefriend reported.

“Come on. Let’s go for it, Torch,” Soarin’ advised.

“Fine,” Torchwood grumbled, reluctantly turning the other way. He couldn’t help but feel like their focus had been switched off of Acrylic. But if there was any chance of finding her...

“That room,” Discord pointed. It wasn’t easy to miss; it was the only pre-existing light source they’d seen. Torchwood let his fire blow out as they approached, but the unicorns kept their horns lit.

Torchwood poked his head into the room to spy out the area. The stallion choked, staggering backward at the sight that met his eyes. It was a stone statue of an alicorn, face twisted in pain and shielding her face. But even more disturbing was that Acrylic’s beret had been tossed atop the petrified mare’s mane.

“What is it?” Caramel asked, bravely taking the lead where Torchwood faltered. He squeezed around Torchwood into the room. “Oh, my...”

“Goodness!” Rarity gasped. Rainbow impatiently pushed her way through, and likewise gasped.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” she demanded. The rest of their friends made their way into the chamber, equally disturbed and confused by the sight that met their eyes.

“I’m glad you found it so amusing.” Everyone whirled as the voice with a metallic ring sounded from the doorway.

“Chrysalis,” Twilight snarled.

“LET ME AT HER!” Soarin’ had half a mind to let his wife charge at the changeling, and it wasn’t until Applejack had a grip on her technicolor tail that he assisted in holding her back. The Queen just laughed.

“Congratulations, Discord. You’ve found your long lost love,” Chrysalis spat.

“Now if only we could find Acrylic,” he shot back, just as sarcastic.

“Acrylic... Acrylic... the name doesn’t seem to ring a bell.”

“Give us our friend back right now, Ms. Swiss Cheese Legs!” Pinkie growled.

“Before we make a sandwich out of you,” Cheese half joked, half threatened. He looked to Pinkie for a reaction.

“Ha ha! Sandwich! Good one!”

“Pinkie!” everyone else groaned.

“Oh, right, not the time,” she blushed.

“WHERE IS MY WIFE?!” Torchwood bellowed, lunging forward and slamming the Changeling Queen against the wall. No one made a move to stop him, even after his hoof was planted firmly against her throat. Though the queen could have easily tossed him away or encased him in a cocoon of green goo with her magic, she did not resist.

“Oh, you mean that foolish mare that exposed all thestral kind, and helped to expel my changelings and I from Canterlot,” she coolly narrowed her eyes.

“That’s the one,” Discord helpfully put in.

“That’s what this is about? But why take revenge on Acrylic? She distracted you, but it was really Princess Cadance and Shining Armor that ‘expelled’ you,” Soarin’ wondered.

“Soarin’!” Twilight sharply elbowed the pegasus for drawing attention to her relatives. His eyes widened and his ears went flat as he realized the mistake.

“Revenge? This isn’t about revenge,” she chuckled, roughly nudging Torchwood off. He allowed her up, but remained tense and ready to pounce. “Actually, I thought the whole episode was quite funny. My plan failed, yes, but imagine my surprise when I hear that Acrylic, the very pony who had put everything on the line to save Equestria from my tyranny was imprisoned!” The six mares shifted as the unpleasant memory was brought back to light.

“Thestrals were still new at the time. There was a lot of uncertainty and nopony knew how to react,” Twilight slowly justified the reaction.

“And then the near uprising led by none other than Torchwood himself, Acrylic’s lover,” the queen continued. This only made Torchwood angrier, and Flash had to hold him back. “Using Discord’s plunderseeds against him? Ingenious! You would have succeeded, too, had it not been for those troublesome Elements of Harmony, Torchwood.”

“Thank goodness for that,” he seethed.

“What a shame. You would have made a fine ruler.”

“My wife. Where. Is. My. Wife?”

“You really want to see her?” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.

“YES!” the entire assembly exclaimed.

“Very well,” she sighed.

“Really? Just like that?” Pinkie suspiciously raised an eyebrow.

“Horseapples! I had a whole slew of good threats thought up, too,” Applejack groaned.

“No need for such violence,” Chrysalis assured. “After all, we wouldn’t want to keep the happy couple apart now, would we?” She teleported a strange, spherical object into the room.

“What is that?” Twilight squinted in the dark room. Rarity gasped upon recognizing the object.

“But that’s-!”

“Essence,” Fluttershy squeaked, recalling their experience with the destral princess’s prison. Chrysalis smirked.

“LET HER GO!”

“I said I would let you see her,” she smugly spoke, activating the artifact. Blinding light was cast over the room’s occupants, who all shrieked in pain. Cries of fright and distress rang throughout the catacombs as they were all sucked into the orb’s light. Once they had all disappeared, Chrysalis calmly sealed the orb shut once more. “But I never said I would let her go.”

I was floating, yet my wings didn’t move. In fact, they had no effect when I tried to flap them. Kicking also proved futile. There was no floor, nothing to push off of, no way for me to gain momentum. So I was stuck, hovering, alone in a pool of black.

Darkness surrounded me like an empty void. This wasn’t like when I had been separated from my body with the elements. It was more like the feeling of nothingness I’d experienced when Essence had switched us all back to our rightful bodies. Unlike that unpleasant memory, though, there was no terror, just frustration. I was helpless.

I could see nothing but my own hooves in front of me, and there was absolutely no noise in the entire hemisphere. The silence alone was unnerving. How long would it be until the dark and quiet drove me mad? Essence had survived eons of this, but I didn’t think I would last a day.

How was I to tell time? With no sun or moon or even a clock, measuring the increments would be impossible. How long had I already been here? Five minutes? An hour? Time was no longer relevant.

I heaved a rather loud sigh, any noise providing me comfort. Boredom might grip me before madness overtook my mind. When I had been imprisoned in the Canterlot dungeons, at least there had been guards to torment. Here, there was nothing. How in Equestria had Essence managed it?

I remembered she’d once told us that she was fairly sure Kindling had been likewise imprisoned because she could ‘sense’ him nearby. That obviously was no longer the case, but out of curiosity, I tried to focus and see if I could ‘sense’ anyone else trapped with me. I shut my eyes (not that there was anything to see anyway), and probed the abyss with my mind. I had no idea what I was doing, and there was no way to tell if it was working or not. I probably wouldn’t have recognized another presence anyway. What was I even looking for?

“Acrylic?”

“Who’s there?!” I yelped, caught completely off guard. I had found a presence after all! Or, it had found me.

“It’s me! Torchwood! Open your eyes!” I hadn’t realized they were still shut, since there really wasn’t a difference in view. My eyelids obediently snapped back, however, and I found this was no longer the case. My husband was wildly grinning, floating just beside me. And as I looked around, I found the rest of our friends to be hovering as well, all positioned in a circle. Trenderhoof was to my immediate left, alongside Rarity. Then Flash and Twilight, Rainbow and Soarin’, Fluttershy and Discord, Pinkie and Cheese, and the Apples before returning to Torchwood on my right.

“Acrylic!” each one chimed in perfect unison.

“Guys! You’re all here!” I exclaimed, happiness seeping into my voice. But then my heart sank. “You’re... here.”

“Of course we’re here! We came looking for you, darling,” Rarity sang.

“But then Chrysalis found us,” Rainbow sighed.

“That’s where we hit a gray patch,” Soarin’ agreed.

“But, don’t worry everypony. We left Spike and Blaze behind to watch the kids. I’m sure they’ll come looking for us,” Twilight pointed out.

“Neither of them could even fit through the entrance if they wanted to,” Caramel pointed out.

“That’s not necessarily true. Catacomb entrances aren’t typically out in the middle of nowhere. My guess is that Chrysalis probably carved that one out herself to get access to the tunnels. I’ll bet the real entrance connects someplace else, maybe even to Princess Essence’s castle. If that’s the case, the entrance will probably be much larger.”

“Exactly right, Twilight. That was how Princess Essence was going to come down when I asked for her help, but she froze before we could get inside. Those doors are plenty big enough for your dragon friends.”

“Then why didn’t she mention the catacombs before?”

“If she couldn’t bring herself to look at the doors, she’s probably not going to want to talk about it,” Fluttershy brought out.

“Fluttershy’s right.”

“But what in Equestria could frighten a destral princess so terribly?”

“It might have something to do with Kindling,” I mused.

“What makes you say that?” Flash inquired. He and all the other stallions had heard of Essence’s story.

“Before Chrysalis imprisoned me, I got her to talk,” I explained. “She said that she was engaged to Kindling!”

“But that’s impossible!”

“He must’ve been imprisoned like Essence said, and recently freed.”

“By who?”

“My guess? Chrysalis. I think she is seriously in love with the guy.”

“Those two sure bring out the worst in each other,” Trender wrinkled his nose in distain.

“And there’s more: she’s also Smoky Topaz.”

“Essence’s Chief of Research?” Rarity’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

“That means she wrote the spells that permanently upgraded thestrals!” Even Twilight was in awe of her sheer genius.

“And... you know how Essence said that she cast the same spell on any who defied her or denied her love, so they would become like her?”

“Oh, no!”

“Don’t say it!”

“She made them... changelings...” Twilight choked.

“Yeah.”

“How horrible!”

“She an’ Kindlin’ would make a perfect couple,” Applejack spat, utterly disgusted.

“I’m not so sure. It almost sounds like he’s using her. I think it’s more of a one-sided love interest. She’s just too blind to see it.”

“Serves her right!”

“I don’t know... I almost feel bad for her,” Fluttershy quietly sighed.

“YOU DO?!” we all squealed.

“Think about it. She’s had to feed on other ponies’ love her whole life because nopony loves her,” the yellow mare reasoned. “She must be desperate. Now she thinks she’s found true love, but he doesn’t really return her feelings.” She looked over to Discord, a sad, distant, even understanding look in her eyes. I squinted to better examine her facial expressions, but being almost directly across from her, this wasn’t easy. From here, it almost looked like she was speaking from experience. But who could have possibly rebuked her affection?

“Oh, Fluttershy. Sometimes you’re too kind for your own good,” Discord sighed. Fluttershy pouted. “Despite her tragic love life, Chrysalis is still a monster, unworthy of our pity.”

“She did try an’ take over Canterlot,” Applejack reminded.

“And marry my brother,” Twilight added.

“And overthrow Celestia,” Rainbow interjected.

“Okay, okay,” Fluttershy silenced. “She’s done a lot of bad things, but that’s not to say she can’t ever change. Discord turned around, didn’t he?”

“But that’s different. He let true friendship in. Chrysalis isn’t interested in friendship, just overthrowing the government!”

“She’s interested in love. What if she found a real lover? Maybe then she’d see that taking advantage of other ponies’ love isn’t the right thing to do.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Rainbow snorted.

“And who’d love a monster like that?”

“How about Discord? One ex-villain to another?” Caramel joked.

“I’m taken!” the Lord of Chaos declared. “Radiance still has my heart.”

“Right,” Fluttershy quietly moped.

Chapter 60: Rise of the Changelings

Author's Note

A/N: In case you couldn’t tell, I’m going to be toying with the changelings quite a bit. In this universe, they do have the hive mind, but they aren’t Chrysalis’ “children.” The spell she cast went wrong, turning her into a changeling permanently and locking her in a state of immortality until she could complete it. Her subjects, though, were converted via a transformation spell, and therefore did not inherit this immortality. The drones interbreed and raise their own young, but Chrysalis is sometimes referred to as their ‘mother’ because she has convinced them she is the only one capable of loving them.

Chapter 60: Rise of the Changelings

Chapter 60
Rise of the Changelings

Chrysalis paused by the grand entrance to the catacombs, or from her perspective, the entrance to the castle. She took a deep breath, completely clearing her mind before taking on a new form. She felt the tickle of changeling fire well up and completely engulf her, elongating her body and shrinking her limbs. Her torn, fin-like mane shriveled up to an uncomfortably short strip of black, bristly hair, and the odd sensation of facial hair sprouted from her chin. Her ragged tail gained much more body, and coated itself in shiny red scales. She tested the new fingers she’d gained from one eagle claw and a lion paw. Even one dragon foot had toes she could wiggle. After gaining these new appendages, the single goat hoof felt even more uncomfortable and out of place. She grunted in irritation, but the sound came out more masculine than she was used to. Chrysalis briefly summoned up a mirror to ensure the transformation had gone as planned. Indeed, the spitting image of Discord stared back at her.

With a whuff of satisfaction, Chrysalis placed a paw on the handle. Before opening it, she took a moment to get into character, jogging in place to raise her heart rate and plastering a distraught, flustered expression on her face. Then, jerking the door open, she landed herself in the midst of two Everfree guards, both thestrals adorned in armor marked with the Tree emblem of Essence’s kingdom. The guards jumped back, but momentarily aimed their spears right at the draconequus.

“State your business, Discord,” one of them demanded.

“Please! I must speak with Princess Essence! It’s urgent!”

“That’s not going to happen. She’s still recovering from your last visit.”

“What part of ‘it’s urgent’ don’t you understand?!”

“Sorry, pal, but she’s requested no visitors until she gives the word,” the other one informed, tucking the spear back under his wing.

“Is that so?” An eerie calm washed over the draconequus, and unsettled the guards. The thestral unsteadily primed his spear once more.

“Yeah, so scram.”

“Tell me, soldier, did Essence give you those orders directly?”

“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“I’ll take that as a yes, which must mean she’s still accepting contact with you. Thank you, gentlecolts. You’ve been ever so helpful.” Chrysalis knew better than to use her changeling goo on these guards; Acrylic’s thestral fire had torn right through it on their first meeting. Instead, she now accessed Discord’s power and encased the two in a cage with thick metal bars. It would take a very talented fire dancer to break out of that. She silenced their protests with gags of changeling goo, which they did burn through, but not before she had carelessly tossed the cage back into the catacombs.

The doors thudded shut, and looking over her shoulder to be sure no one was watching, Chrysalis clasped an oversized lock over the handles, giving her exclusive access to the catacombs. Checking one last time for any onlookers, Chrysalis switched into the form of one of the guards, and proceeded to make her way down the hall.

She nodded to those she passed, and most nodded back. It had been such a long time since she had been here. Despite all the renovations and remodeling that had taken place since Essence’s return, Chrysalis had practically been brought up in this castle, and felt at home winding through the familiar, twisting structure. She navigated her way about the maze of hallways and corridors until she found the extravagant (and guarded) entrance to what she knew to be Essence’s private chambers. A rather surly guard blocked her access to the door.

“Trench, why aren’t you at your post?” the black coated, imposing stallion demanded with piercing blue eyes.

“There was some trouble by the catacombs entrance. That draconequus Discord came back,” Chrysalis informed.

“Essence is not seeing visitors. You know this as well as I.”

“Indeed I do, but he’s brought news she really should hear.”

“Give me the message, and I’ll relay it to Essence.”

“I need to see her myself.”

“That’s an order, soldier!” the black guard barked. Chrysalis sighed.

“I gave you a chance.” She then cast a teleportation spell that would land the officer in the same prison as his other officers. Hoping his form would be more readily accepted by Essence, Chrysalis switched bodies once again, and rapped on the heavy oaken doors.

“Enter.” This was it. Chrysalis took a deep breath before pushing the heavy panels aside.

“Salient! Is something the matter?” Essence approached from the far end of her chamber. Chrysalis nervously eyed the giant hulk of her timberwolf Jasper, who suspiciously peered at her from the bed. He growled, and jumped down off the mattress. Essence stopped dead in her tracks. She trusted the timberwolf with her life, and everyone in the room knew it. “Jasper knows you quite well, Salient. Whatever could make him so agitated?”

“Discord has reappeared by the catacombs. Perhaps he smells the draconequus?”

“Jasper knows Discord’s scent.”

“True. But he does not know that of a changeling.” Essence gasped, cuing Jasper to charge at Chrysalis. She reacted in kind, casting another teleportation spell. She could have sent Jasper someplace else, but that was not how Kindling would have it. He was too cruel for that. As before, he would have Jasper’s very hide to imprison his own master. Instead, this transportation spell brought Kindling’s timberwolf to their location. Eyes blazing red, the smaller wolf howled in fury before bolting directly at his opponent. Caught off guard by this new adversary, Jasper was distracted long enough to give Casper the advantage.

“Casper!” Essence gasped, petrified by the sight of her former pupil’s timberwolf.

“Did you think you would be forever rid of Kindling, your majesty?” Chrysalis spat, fully exposed in her own changeling form. There was no answer as Essence stared at the brutal dog fight in sheer horror. Teeth gnashed, claws sliced and gouged, splinters flew, and the wolves were so entangled in one another that it became impossible to tell where one started and the other began. “You cannot run from your past. You can’t run from what you’ve done!”

“I have done nothing!” Essence denied, shakily coming out of her stupor to face Chrysalis.

“Kindling has been imprisoned for eons because of you! Why, if I hadn’t found his orb in the catacombs, he would still be there!”

“I was not the one to imprison him!”

“But you did not free him, either.”

“How could I free him after what he has done?”

“Kindling was merely trying to liberate thestral and destral kind, something you seemed incapable of doing. We could provide thestrals and destrals alike the freedom they sought.”

“How would putting yourselves on the throne make life better for them?”

“Kindling recognized that we are the dominant species. He dreamed of a society in which thestrals and destrals, and my changelings, would rise above the rest. And to think he and I would lead them to this victory together!”

“Don’t you see he was using you? Kindling wanted your armies, nothing more!”

“Why do you all keep saying that?! Kindling loves me, despite what you or Acrylic may think!”

“Acrylic? What have you done with her?”

“She and her friends are safe,” she smirked, “locked away for eternity. Now they will feel the pain, the frustration Kindling felt, unable to do anything as their world is torn apart.”

“No!” Essence gulped. The spirits of the Elements of Harmony... gone?

Casper growled, attracting the mares’ attention. The limp, scarred form of Jasper hung from his jaws.

“JASPER!” Essence wailed.

“Good boy, Casper. Kindling will be so pleased, perhaps you’ll even get a treat,” Chrysalis cooed. She took the blue gem-adorned timberwolf in her levitation magic, and began manually dismantling him. His wooden frame crackled dangerously as he was compacted down to a size that would better fit her purpose. She also simultaneously teleported an unfinished orb into the room, and encased Essence’s hooves in goo. This bought her enough time to prime the orb, and add the last ingredient- Jasper’s own timberwolf bark. Just as Essence had freed herself of the revolting changeling gunk, the orb became a spotlight, starring her. The familiar pain burned her skin as light fell over it.

“Smoky Topaz,” she pleaded. Chrysalis paused as her old name was spoken. “Please, don’t do this. It doesn’t have to be this way.” Chrysalis straightened up.

“Goodbye, Essence.”

No one heard Essence’s cries, nor the raging changeling fire as Chrysalis took the Princess’s place. The faint squeak of a drawer opening reached Chrysalis’ ears and hers alone, as did the dim scratch of quill to paper.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Please accompany Princess Luna and Princess Cadance to my castle at once. The matter is extremely urgent.

Princess Essence

“They said they’d be back before sundown,” Charcoal paced the length of the dining hall for the fiftieth time, still glaring out at the rising moon as though it was responsible for the fact that his parents had not yet returned. The others had supposedly gone to bed, though the girls, who had all settled down in a single room, were probably still chatting away.

“I’m sure they’re just caught up in working out how to free Radiance,” Spike assured. “When Twilight gets caught up in her research, there’s just no bringing her out of it!”

“Hey... isn’t that Princess Celestia’s royal chariot?” Charcoal pressed his face to the glass as a tiny, silhouetted speck raced across the dark sky. Spike and Blaze, who had remained in the dining hall with Charcoal, now stood and moved to the tall windows themselves.

“Sure is,” Spike confirmed.

“And... Cadance’s?” A glimmer caught Charcoal’s eye in another part of the sky, and what looked like a crystalline chariot chased after Celestia and Luna’s.

“They must be wrapping things up with Radiance,” Blaze assumed. “See? Told ya they’d be fine.”

“Why don’t you go to bed? It’s almost midnight.”

“I’ve stayed up this long. I might as well wait until they’re here,” Charcoal argued, settling down in one of the dining room chairs and resting his head on his hooves. Blaze shrugged.

“Can’t blame us when you have to get up early for school tomorrow.” The dragons settled back in their corner, drowsily sitting up with Acrylic’s hardheaded son.

“That doesn’t mean you guys have to wait with me,” Charcoal reminded.

I think I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

“We’re not going down until everyone else is down,” Spike resolutely informed, both dragons determined not to go to their own bed until everypony else was tucked in, lest they need anything.

“Your choice,” Charcoal shrugged, secretly glad for the company. A big, dark, empty castle could get a little creepy at night, even for the fifteen-year-old thestral colt.

The three lounged around in the dining hall in silence, the minutes quite literally ticking by as the large clock on the wall waved to the occupants below. Another hour passed, maybe two. All three friends’ eyes were drooping by now, but sleep was impossible with such a racket; each jerky motion of the second hand seemed to resonate with an even louder tick than the last until the entire castle appeared to tremble from the booming sound. It wasn’t until the crystalline chandelier toppled from the ceiling that they realized the castle literally was shaking.

“CHAR!” Blaze woke up instantly, and time seemed to stop as the chandelier directly above the snoozing thestral plummeted. Blaze’s hind legs shot out from under him, propelling him forward and even leaving gouges in the crystal floor. Spike drowsily woke up to his friend’s cry, and his pupils shrunk as he witnessed the scene before him. With Charcoal still obliviously sleeping, it became unclear whether the chandelier or Blaze would reach him first.

Crystals exploded everywhere as the chandelier smacked into Blaze’s orange hide. Spike jumped up to see what he could do to help.

“Everyone okay?” he exclaimed, trying not to sound as panicked as he actually felt. Charcoal, now fully awake, peered out from beneath Blaze’s arms, sheer terror having engulfed his entire disposition.

“Char? Charcoal, say something!” Blaze practically smacked his brother back to his senses.

“I-I’m good,” the pony gulped. “Thanks.”

“What was that?” Spike stood on his hind legs to examine the ceiling from which the chandelier had fallen. An entire chunk of the roofing had been knocked out of place. Moonlight poured in from the palace’s wound, giving Spike the light needed to investigate. Abruptly, though, he was rudely interrupted when a spray of green goop was hurled at his eyes.

“GRAAAAAAH!” the dragon bellowed in surprise and discomfort as the revolting substance covered his face. Two pairs of glowing blue eyes, lacking pupils, peered down from the hole in the roof, fangs gleaming and hissing. The annoying buzz of bug-like wings resonated as the two changelings jumped down into their midst.

“Changelings!” Blaze announced as Spike peeled the last of the sticky goo from his eyes. The changelings hissed in response, ready to battle the dragons. Spike and Blaze challengingly glared at the drones. Two changelings against two dragons? This would be a cinch.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Did Chrysalis keep all your brothers at home?” Spike cockily taunted. Just then, the windows shattered as more changelings poured in, and the doors burst open as some found their way in through the castle’s other entrance.

“Uh-oh.”

“Charcoal, get out of here!” Spike cried, hurling a vortex of green flame down at the intruders.

“I can help!” he insisted.

“GO! Get the others to safety!” his brother ordered, likewise belching out a stream of ruby colored fire. Charcoal paused. He did have a responsibility to the younger colts and fillies.

“Okay,” he consented, bolting to the far door. Amidst the jets of green and red, a couple blue explosions flared up as Charcoal zig-zagged through a minefield of changelings. Charcoal was nearly to the door when something jerked back on his hoof, sending him sprawling hard on the floor.

“GAH!” He rubbed his chin where it had banged against the smooth surface, and looked back. His hoof was currently encased in a vile webbing of changeling goo. A shadow fell over him, and Charcoal gulped upon realizing that he was now trapped in the center of five changelings.

He absentmindedly freed himself from the goop, focused more on monitoring the changelings’ every move. They grinned menacingly back at him, daring him to make a move. He cautiously peered upward, wondering if he could make a break for it through the air. But crisscrossing jets of fire obscured his vision. He wasn’t going to risk running off into the unknown. Then again, he was rather limited on options at the moment.

The changelings began advancing slowly from all sides. He had nowhere to go. What would his mom do? Call for his father, probably. That wasn’t an option at the moment. Okay... how about Fluttershy? That’s a stupid question; she’d curl up in a ball and hide. Rainbow or Applejack would probably jump right out into danger, something he was incapable of doing. There was no way he could fight five changelings on his own- he was just a kid! Rarity might plant a few lady-like punches, but ultimately, she wasn’t much use in a fight either. Pinkie would probably pull out a party cannon out of thin air, a talent Charcoal did not possess. Or did he? His father had taught him to teleport objects, hadn’t he? But what could he teleport? He didn’t know where Aunt Pinkie kept her party cannon. He wasn’t about to wield a knife or other sort of weapon. What could help him most in this situation?

Did he really need something, or did he need someone? Was it possible to teleport ponies through thestral fire? For that matter, could he teleport himself? Aunt Twilight did it all the time. He’d never heard of a thestral teleporting live subjects, but who’s to say it had ever been attempted?

He was running out of options. He could practically feel the changelings’ breath seeping into his fur. It was now or never. Fire welled up from his hooves, and completely engulfed him. Worried they would lose their prisoner, the changelings all pounced on the flaming thestral. They all collided, collapsing in a tangled heap. Charcoal was gone.

A charred Charcoal rematerialized in a fiery flash, hyperventilating out of fear and nausea. That hadn’t gone nearly as smoothly as when Twilight did it.

“Charcoal!” Lilac squealed, jumping off the bed and rushing to his aid. “I thought that teleport felt funny. Did you just send yourself to me?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” he gasped, gripping her tightly for the mere sake of holding something solid.

“What in the hay’s goin’ on?” Candy Apple demanded, rising with the rest of the girls.

“The castle’s under attack. We have to get out of here.”

“Attack? By who?” Petticoat gasped.

“Changelings.”

“Let me at ‘em! I’ll teach ‘em a lesson!” Thunder declared, enthusiastically punching at the air. But when a changeling promptly crashed through the window, she screamed most loudly. Charcoal blasted his blue fire at the creature.

“Meet up with Spectrum! I’ll be right there!” he called over the roar of the fire. The girls made no attempt to challenge his order, and bolted down the hallway to find Thunder Cloud’s brother. Charcoal followed more slowly, backing out gradually to make sure the changeling was kept at bay. Only after Spectrum emerged from the doorway with the other girls did Charcoal slam the door shut.

“What’s going on?” Spectrum cried.

“Hang on!” Charcoal sprinted to his friends at top speed, already summoning more blue fire and mentally preparing to repeat the teleport. His friends seemed to understand what he was trying to do, and huddled close. Charcoal’s fire soon engulfed all six ponies, and the group vanished, leaving only a wispy pillar of smoke where they once stood.

The changelings bashed the bedroom door down, emerging into the empty hallway with great bafflement.

“Where’d they go?” one asked in a raspy, echoing voice.

“Chrysalis will not be pleased,” another groaned.

“Stop whining. We have the dragons, don’t we?”

“Not for much longer! They’re getting away!”

“Then activate an orb and catch them before they escape!” The squadron promptly dashed back down the hallway leading to the dining hall, where their comrades were being tossed about by the dragons’ might. One of the new arrivals brought out one of the precious orbs entrusted to them by the Queen herself, and used its limited magic to activate it. Scorching light blasted from the sphere, and not even the fireproof scales could protect the dragons from its painful glare. Both howled as the light played across their scales, and ultimately sucked them up. Even a few changelings had been caught in the crossfire, but it was not a significant loss. Chrysalis could easily replace those few soldiers. The lead drone turned to its subordinates.

“Find the children. Chrysalis wants them alive.”

Chapter 61: Dragon Country

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 62: The Long Road Home

Chapter 62
The Long Road Home

“Do you really have to go?” Thunder Cloud asked, hugging her brother with a heavy heart.

“We’re going to get our parents back, remember?” he asked, holding her close so she wouldn’t see his fear.

“We’ll be back,” Charcoal promised.

“That’s what Ma said, but now she an’ Pa are missin’,” Candy sniffed.

“But we know what to expect,” Charcoal assured, rubbing her shoulder in consolation. “And we have six dragons on our side, plus a changeling! We’ll round up some more friends on the way. Chrysalis won’t stand a chance.”

“I wanna go!” Lilac stomped her hoof.

“It’s too dangerous,” Charcoal hugged her. “Stay with Flare and the dragonesses. Be good for them, you hear? That means all of you, Thunder Cloud.”

“What?” the pegasus filly indignantly folded her arms. “I didn’t even do anything!”

“Yet,” Candy giggled. Thunder swiped the back of her head.

“Shut up.”

“Behave,” Spectrum pressed again.

“I wish I could come with you,” Flare sighed, bidding her husband goodbye.

“Someone has to watch the hatchlings,” Garble reminded, looking back to the cave where dozens of tiny newborns scuttled about. “Keep them safe, won’t you?”

“Only if you’ll do the same?” Flare glanced over to the few ponies preparing to leave.

“On my life,” Garble vowed, kissing her forehead in farewell. All around, the other dragon pairs were likewise exchanging goodbyes. Garble’s closest friends refused to let him go alone, and so it had been agreed that while the males traveled back to Equestria, the females would remain in the dragon lands to take care of the hatchlings and young fillies.

“You boys ready?” Garble called down. Charcoal turned to Spectrum and Chance. His voice was hushed so that they had to lean in close to hear him.

“You both know how dangerous this is. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t leave!” Ocean Mist pleaded, breaking away from Crystal who had been holding her back, and clinging to Chance’s leg.

“Ocean...” Chance sighed.

“Please... I’m scared,” she wept. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Her words touched the hearts of everyone present. They all knew that Ocean Mist had been adopted, never knowing her biological parents. This was the only family she’d ever known, and losing their parents had been hard enough. If she lost Chance, too, she’d have nothing left.

“I... I think I need to stay,” Chance gulped. “For Ocean.”

“We understand,” Charcoal nodded, plastering a half-hearted smile on his face. Inside, though, he felt completely and utterly crushed. Not because Chance had decided to back out, mind you, but because he wanted nothing more than to retreat here with Lilac, hiding from everything that had happened. Here they were safe, but for all he knew, returning to Equestria could be a suicide mission. At the same time, how could he ever look at Lilac the same again if he didn’t even try to put their family back together again?

“If you see our parents... tell them we love them,” Chance spoke.

“We’ll bring everypony back for you to tell them yourself,” Spectrum assured.

“Watch out for Lilac until we get back?”

“That’s a promise.”

“You guys, we’re burning daylight!” Fizzle urged.

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Charcoal squeezed Lilac one last time. Then, Charcoal, Spectrum and Shift boarded Garble, still waiting for them.

“Goodbye!” All those staying behind lined up and frantically waved as the dragons took off.

“See you soon!”

“Be safe!”

“Way to go, partner!”

“Kick flank!”

The dragons and ponies had flown in silence. Garble’s enormous wings were propelling them miles away at amazing speeds. Charcoal, Spectrum and Shift all watched as the island of the dragons slowly faded into the distance until it had disappeared altogether. Now there was no way to gauge the distance.

“How long does the dragon migration usually take?” Spectrum called out, repositioning to a more comfortable spot between Garble’s spines.

“A week or so of nonstop flight,” Garble replied.

“A week?!”

“Relax,” Soot laughed. “That’s when there’s hundreds of dragons that have to make the trip and settle in to the craters. Now there’s only six of us, so we can cut travel time. What do you think guys? Two, three days?”

“I bet we could make it in one if we really tried,” Vex reckoned.

“How far do you think the changelings will have spread in a day or two, Shift?”

“If all has gone according to plan, they will have already conquered Baltimare, Ponyville and Appleloosa, and depending on how much resistance they have encountered, will be in the process of taking Fillydelphia and Canterlot.”

“Do you think they’ll have made it to the Foal Mountains?”

“The Foal Mountains are of little strategic value,” Shift furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“Because that’s where we‘re going.”

“I thought the plan was to recruit as many ponies as we could and build up a rebel force,” Clump interjected. “Who’s in the Foal Mountains?” Charcoal just raised an eyebrow. Fizzle seemed to catch on.

“You don’t mean-?!”

“Yep.”

“Who?”

“The hi-mph!” Clump spat out Garble’s claw as he clapped it over his mouth. “What?” Garble just jerked his head back, gesturing to Shift. The group went quiet.

“Sorry, Shift,” Charcoal sighed. “But Garble’s right. You’re connected to the hive mind. I’ve told you as much of the plan as I can, but if I tell you any more...”

“Chrysalis will know,” Shift understandingly bowed his head.

“Sorry,” Spectrum apologized again.

“When we are back in range of the hive, she will learn that I have betrayed her,” Shift went on. “She will be able to track my position, and may very well send drones after me. They will find you. I will have to split off.”

“But how are we going to meet back up? We’re just briefly stopping in the mountains, not long enough for Chrysalis’ drones to catch up. And if we tell you where we’re going next, she’ll be ready for us,” Spectrum scratched his chin.

“I know!” Charcoal practically jumped up. “Shift, you’ll need to track down a pony called Pound Cake. When you find him, ask him to take you to the place my parents went on their honeymoon. He’ll know where that is. Just make sure to tell him we sent you.”

“Where will I find him?”

“Pound Cake was still in Cloudsdale when the Ponyville castle was broken into. I just hope he didn’t go back home when he heard about the trouble.” Charcoal shivered, hoping, praying that his friend was okay. Their whole plan suddenly dangled on his whereabouts. “He’s a wheat colored pegasus with an umber mane and bistre eyes... those all mean brown, by the way,” he clarified when Spectrum shot him a funny look. “Sorry, Mom’s influence. Anyway, he works on the Cloudsdale construction crew, specializing in demolition, and has a cutie mark of a power drill with a lightning bolt plastered on top. Just ask around- he’s pretty well known.”

“And don’t get caught,” Spectrum reminded.

“I will do my best.”

“You know, guys, he is a changeling. I doubt anyone will believe him just because he says he’s on our side,” Pierce pointed out.

“I can change into another form less likely to raise suspicion,” Shift offered.

“That’s a pretty common tactic amongst changelings... they’ll probably be looking for that,” Charcoal mused. “I can’t think of anything I could give you as a sign that you’re really with us; our house has probably been plundered. Anything I give you could just as easily have been stolen... oh!” Charcoal’s face went pale.

“What’s wrong?” Spectrum wondered.

“Our house has probably been plundered,” Charcoal quietly repeated. “I hope Bandit’s okay.”

“Bandit?” Shift echoed.

“Really, Charcoal? Out of everything, you’re concerned about your pet ferret?” Spectrum rolled his eyes.

“You’d understand if you had a pet,” Charcoal shot back.

“We have Tank, remember?”

“He’s your mom’s,” Charcoal shrugged. “And besides, my mom will kill me if anything’s happened to Heckley.”

“Heckley?” Shift repeated again.

“Her pet snake.”

“Changelings do not usually bother with pets,” he assured.

“Fluttershy will be relieved.”

“The Element of Kindness?”

“You know her?!”

“Only through memories shared in the hive mind.”

“We’ll have to introduce you when we get them back. I’m sure she’s a lot nicer than your hive memories depict.”

“Hm.” The group elapsed into silence once more.

“So... what’s life like, sharing a hive mind with hundreds of other ponies? I bet that gets noisy after a while,” Spectrum commented.

“It is... intimate, yet distant.”

“How so?”

“We all share the same memories, yet we are all exactly alike. We always know what the others are thinking, and never need to converse aloud. Know one changeling, and you know us all.”

“Well, not anymore,” Spectrum nudged him.

“I am still the same as the rest of my hive,” Shift insisted. “They have been kept in the dark as I once was. Mere hours ago, I was exactly like the rest, until you exposed Chrysalis’ deceptions to me.” Shift shuddered at the memory. “She is a liar, but she is still the only mother I’ve ever known.”

“I... I guess I didn’t think about how hard all this must be for you...” Charcoal stuttered. “I’m sorry. We’ve been so focused on getting our families back that we didn’t realize that you’d be losing yours.”

“But you do see why we have to fight Chrysalis?” Garble prompted.

“I do. I just hope that at least some others will see the light,” Shift sighed. “I... do not want to be alone.”

“You’ve got us,” Spectrum reminded.

“It’s not the same,” Garble understandingly spoke. “Friends are great, but family is something else altogether.”

“We’ll find them,” Fizzle placed a claw on his shoulder.

“Tell you what, Shift. When this is all taken care of, we’ll do that.”

“Do what?”

“Appeal to the changelings. See if we can find any more like you.”

“You would do that?”

“You’re helping us to find our family. It’s only fair that we help you find yours.”

“I... thank you,” Shift could hardly find the words to say. What was more- he felt more love radiating from these ponies. He couldn’t stop the flow of energy. He could only keep his mouth shut and hope that it didn’t drain them too badly. Soon he would be splitting off from them anyway; their time apart would do them good.

“What are friends for?” Spectrum shrugged.

“You were telling us about the changeling hive,” Charcoal reminded, intrigued.

“There is not much else to tell,” Shift admitted.

“I want to know everything!”

“Well... the hive has few weaknesses...”

“No, no, I don’t mean strategic information. I guess that would be beneficial, but I’m just interested in you guys as a whole. Our information on changelings is very limited.”

“Charcoal became a bit of a bookworm,” Spectrum rolled his eyes. “Not as bad as Aunt Twilight, but he takes after his parents, always investigating new pony breeds.”

“They investigate myths and legends. I stick to fact,” Charcoal flatly corrected.

“Not all of them are myths,” Garble reminded.

“Changelings,” Charcoal gritted his teeth, changing the subject upon realizing that he was losing this battle. Garble realized it too, and the whole group laughed.

The troop continued to converse well into the night, yet the dragons still flew on. The moon rose high into the sky, its reflection dancing off the still ocean waters. They would reach shore a time after dawn. In just a few hours, they would be in enemy territory.

Chrysalis watched her armies travel forth from Essence’s balcony. It was quite a nice view. Thanks to Kindling, a portal leading to her hive in the desert would provide an unending stream of immediate support. Stationed at the heart of Equestria, her troops would move outward until they had conquered each and every citizen. They may face some opposition, of course, but nothing they could not handle. Celestia had fallen right into her trap, bringing Luna and Cadance to Essence’s castle, where she and Kindling were waiting with more orbs. With the princesses and Elements of Harmony out of the way, nothing could stop them now.

And to think in just a couple of days, Chrysalis would be standing in this very spot, in her own wedding gown, prepared to wed Kindling. But not like this. Chrysalis moved away from the window where endless streams of her changelings poured. She turned to Essence’s body-length mirror, stationed on the far end of the luxurious chamber.

She looked over her blackened, sickly body with both sadness and distain. She used to be so beautiful. Now her once luxurious mane had been reduced to stringy, flimsy fins. Her lovely coat blackened by the residue of changeling fire. Cavities that drew attention to her once shapely and healthy legs. The disgusting beetle shell that now rested upon her back. And her wings... oh, her beautiful wings. Once magnificent and strong, the appendages had been reduced to frail, withered propellers. She could no longer soar as she used to with these stumpy things. Never again could she enjoy a peaceful evening flight without the hum of her wings to escort her.

Chrysalis sighed. How she longed to return to her old body, even just for a day! A changeling could morph into any body, of course, but it was never the same. That did not keep Chrysalis from attempting the feat, however. Fire boiled up from her hooves, bathing her body until a new form was left behind.

A crystal pony stood alone in the royal bedroom. She had thestral wings and a horn both, but wore no armor. Her body was a gray-brown, a blue-green crystal mane drooping from atop her head. Chrysalis sighed. She indeed shimmered with a strange luster, but lacked the sparkle of a healthy crystal pony. She lacked love.

But not for much longer. She was sure that sealing her marriage vows with Kindling would complete her spell, and restore her to her former beauty. How long she had waited to remove herself of this vile changeling body! Kindling had promised that they would be married on the night Equestria had been conquered. With her forces, this should only take a few days. So close to achieving her goal, even that short period seemed like an eternity.

“Chrysalis.” The voice in the doorway made her jump, and the crystal destral abruptly broke away from her reflection in the mirror.

“Kindling, dear! I did not hear you come in,” she apologized, hurriedly switching back to her changeling form. “You look well.” Indeed, the catacombs’ darkness had generously concealed his weakened, sickly state. But now restored to his full strength, Kindling’s magnificence had risen from the darkness. A fiery orange coat demanded attention, but ruthless, red eyes deterred onlookers from gazing upon his glory. Casper was clasped around his chest and hooves in a fashion similar to Essence and Jasper. And likewise, wherever Casper’s bark curled around his coat, his coat faded to yellow, only adding to the fiery impression. His blood-red mane flickered and flowed with sheer power, even his hair impersonating a flame. The cutie mark of a raging yellow pyre enveloping Casper’s glowing red eyes stained his flank.

“What is our progress?” he asked in a very formal, business-like tone, rebuffing the affection Chrysalis tried to force upon him in the form of a light peck on the cheek. Chrysalis humbly backed down, though the disappointment was evident on her face.

“My drones have taken Ponyville and Baltimare completely, and are well on their way into Fillydelphia. Appleloosa is on it’s way- the residents are evidently fighting back with pies. It’s only a matter of time before they run out of ingredients,” she chuckled. “But in all seriousness, they do have allies in the buffalo herds. They are strong, but they, too, will fall eventually.”

“And Canterlot?”

“Canterlot is posing more resistance than we anticipated. It is the most concentrated region of royal guardsponies,” she reminded him.

“And therefore our most strategically important target. Your drones have conquered two entire cities ,” he angrily barked back. Chrysalis flinched, her pitiful excuse for a heart wrenching in her chest. No wonder he was angry- he had waited eons for this moment, not unlike herself, yet she failed him. At least Kindling would carry through with his promise... wouldn’t he?

“I will increase the support the Canterlot troops are to receive,” she vowed.

“Yes. You will.”

“Your majesty?” a timid, metallic voice clicked from the doorway. A drone, tucked into a low bow with eyes fixed on the floor waited patiently for permission to enter. Though the Queen had access to the hive mind, trying to hone in on everything that happened often proved both difficult and confusing. Besides, she had more pressing matters on her mind at present. So, she had requested one of her drones compile a synopsis for her and report back.

“Report, drone,” Kindling Pyre demanded. The changeling looked to Chrysalis for permission to do so.

“Do as you are told, soldier,” she barked. Though she was aware that the changelings would only respond to her direct commands by instinct, she found it rather irritating that they still would not take orders from her fiancé, the soon-to-be King, no less.

“We caught the dragons from Ponyville Castle,” it bowed, presenting the orb containing Spike and Blaze. “Minimal casualties. A few were caught in the crossfire during the acquisition of the dragons.”

“Very good,” Chrysalis praised.

“But...” the changeling gulped, “the children got away.”

“What children?” Kindling narrowed his eyes.

“I sent my drones to bring me the children of the Elements of Harmony,” Chrysalis glared at the failure of her subjects.

“What could you possibly want from a few insignificant foals?” Kindling growled.

“A trophy,” Chrysalis lifted her chin. “The Elements cost me victory once. I wish to impress upon them the pain I once felt by dangling what they hold most dear to them right under their very noses, but just out of reach.”

“You want leverage with which to gloat,” Kindling chuckled, his face coming rather intimately close to hers as he searched her enraged eyes. “Very well. Spare a few drones and pursue them.”

“There is more, your highness,” the changling reported. “We lost them in the Ponyville castle, but just afterwards, they were spotted on the outskirts of Baltimare. A trip of that duration would not have been possible in such a short period of time.”

“A unicorn must have teleported them to safety,” the queen grunted.

“The thestral colt performed the teleport.”

“What?!”

“We lost them a second time in the woods. His fire sent them away. We lost another changeling during the teleport.”

“Where is that changeling now?” Chrysalis wildly demanded, more angry with herself for letting such a thing go unnoticed.

“We have lost contact. He is out of range.” Chrysalis briefly searched the hive mind herself, sifting through the thousands of thoughts all jumbled in the cloud that was their hive mind. She found the changeling’s words to be true with a roar of frustration.

“The thestral colt teleported out of range?” Kindling raised an eyebrow, interest peaked. “How many ponies were there?”

“Nine, including himself and the changeling.”

“A thestral- a child, no less!- teleported nine ponies out of reach of the hive mind. With only natural ability? What a powerful fire dancer he must be!” Kindling mused. He then turned to Chrysalis. “Advance your search for the Elements’ children. But save the thestral colt for me. I may have use for him.”

“What a perfect wedding present,” Chrysalis beamed. Kindling’s expression hardend slightly.

“Indeed.”

“Drone,” Chrysalis called.

“Yes, your majesty?” it shuddered.

“From now on, it will be your duty to report directly to Kindling. Keep him informed of all important happenings within the hive mind. Whatever he needs, you are to deliver to him. You are now his personal servant. Is that clear?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Another present?” Kindling slyly raised an eyebrow. Chrysalis coyly batted her eyebrows and offered a genuine smile, sickening as it was.

“I love you, darling.”

Chapter 63: Recruitment

Chapter 63
Recruitment

They had been traveling sharply northwest from Dragon Country, but this still only brought them to the southernmost shores of the Hayseed Swamps. It was here that they parted ways with Shift. Baltimare was not far, and he could already hear the whispers and murmurs of his hive. He would stay out of range for a while to buy them a head start, and then cut through the heart of Equestria, making for Cloudsdale. Meanwhile, the dragons would continue to skirt the shoreline, just barely keeping it in sight. Once they reached Fillydelphia, though, they would have to cut through to the mountains and hope they weren’t spotted. Garble assured that with enough altitude, they would go unnoticed.

Despite the dragons’ assurances, everyone held their breath as they eyed the changeling swarms from high above. Even if none of them thought to look up, if Shift hadn’t timed things right and revealed the information too soon, they could enter into a fatal race for the mountain.

Though the increasing altitude came with potentially lethal cold for the dragons and thestral, they pressed on, ever climbing, ever travelling, gradually closing the gap to the hippogryphs’ abode. Everyone was shivering by the time they reached the top of the mountain.

“There’s no sense in all of us freezing,” Charcoal shouted above the howling wind and the sound of his own teeth chattering. “Spectrum and I will go down and talk to them. If we can convince Gilda and her friends to come, we’ll meet you down at your old hangout at the base of the mountain.”

“What if you can’t convince them?” Vex inquired, the question barely audible over the sound of his own teeth chattering.

“Then I guess we’ll be looking for a while,” Char nervously sighed. Only Gilda could lead them to their old hangout, as Charcoal didn’t know where it was. He really didn’t want to get lost in this frozen wasteland again.

“Stay safe,” Garble bid them goodbye.

“Stay warm!” Pierce suggested, already following the rest of their pals to their new destination.

“Ready?” Spectrum called, not quite as frozen as the cold-blooded creatures but still shivering.

“As I’ll ever be,” Charcoal replied as the two dove off Garble’s back. They plummeted down, down, down towards the pine trees, pulling up just before they collided with the soft blanket of snow. Charcoal hoped that from this perspective, he would be able to retrace his steps back to the hippogryph home.

“Don’t you know where we’re going?” Spectrum shouted, the wind nearly carrying his words off with the snow.

“It’s around here somewhere,” Charcoal shivered. “Look for a house embedded in the mountainside!”

“Like I can see anything through this snow!” The blizzard was picking up, creating a thick curtain of snow that made vision beyond five feet impossible.

“GILDA! RIVER? WINTER GREEN! HAWK!” Charcoal cried, listing his friends.

“WE CAN’T KEEP THIS UP, CHAR!” Spectrum informed, now screaming over the storm.

“ANYONE?!”

“You just don’t learn, do you?”

“WINTER!” Charcoal could vaguely make out the green form of smirking Winter Green as he swooped next to them, but through the snow, it was really his wingtips brushing Charcoal’s side that truly verified his presence.

“Come on, you passed up the cabin a little ways back,” the hippogryph informed, banking sharply left and disappearing into the snow once more.

“WAIT!” Charcoal desperately turned after him, catching Spectrum in the process and dragging him along as well.

The two ponies barely caught glimpses of Winter as he pushed ahead, but that was enough to keep them going in the general direction of Nana’s cabin. The snow was so thick that by the time they did reach the house, it came up so fast the boys nearly slammed into it. It was only Spectrum’s quick thinking and stunt maneuvers that landed them through the door instead of the window. Winter quickly shut the door behind them.

“Charcoal?” Gilda looked up from a book on her seat by the fire. “What are you doing back here? I don’t have to go get your parents again, do I?”

“Actually, that’s exactly why we’re here,” Spectrum wheezed, rolling up off of Charcoal and shaking the white powder from his coat.

“Who’s this?” River bounded into the room with incredible interest in the rainbow-maned colt.

“Charcoal, I thought we agreed to keep this a secret,” Hawk Stripe groaned.

“I didn’t have a choice! Please, just hear me out,” Charcoal begged. “We need your help. All of you.”

“And we’re listening,” an elderly pony waddled into the room.

“Nana! You’re... up!” Gilda exclaimed, rushing to the hippogryph’s side and gently easing her into the armchair.

“You’ve already had one close encounter with the weather up here, boy. You must have good reason to come back?” Nana prompted.

“I do,” he gulped. “Changelings are attacking Ponyville. Well... more like all of Equestria.”

“Changelings?” Hawk gasped.

“So why aren’t the Elements of Harmony doing anything about it? Can’t they stop them?” Gilda inquired, wide-eyed.

“Mom and Dad are missing, along with the rest of our folks and all the elements,” Charcoal remorsefully reported.

“Oh, you poor dears,” River sympathized, outstretching a wing. Charcoal dodged it to put emphasis on the importance of the rest of his message.

“So that’s it? There’s nothing we can do?” Winter was obviously jarred by the news, blankly staring out into space.

“We’re not going to let those slimy creeps just waltz in and take over, are we?” Hawk angrily demanded. Charcoal smiled.

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. I have a plan to fight back, but we’ll need everypony’s help- including all of you.”

“Whoa, there, kid. We want to help, but only so long as it doesn’t expose hippogryphs. They don’t exist, remember?” Gilda reminded.

“But that’s exactly what’s going to make this work. Hippogryphs have been ‘extinct’ for so long, even Chrysalis won’t be prepared to take them on.”

“So let me get this straight. You want us to suddenly reveal ourselves to the world?”

“Think of it this way. If ever you wanted to return to Equestria, now’s the time. You’ll be remembered as heroes for rising up to defeat the evil,” Charcoal bribed.

“He’s got a point, guys. I’ve gotta admit, becoming a hero sounds pretty good to me,” Winter wildly grinned.

“I sure would like to lend a hoof myself,” River piped up.

“I’d like to kick some changeling flank!” Hawk cried.

“Even if you wanted to, you can’t, guys. This effects every hippogryph in existence. It’s not your call.”

“I bet Nana could convince them. Everyone listens to her,” Hawk reasoned. “Get her support and you’ve pretty much won over everyone else.”

“And my support you shall have.”

“But Nana-!”

“Gilda, hippogryphs have been itching to rise again,” her nana quietly croaked. “If we do nothing, the changelings are bound to find us anyway. Would you rather waste away in these mountains until they do, or take a stand now, while we hold the advantage?”

“Are you sure about this?” the gryphon sighed.

“It is the right thing to do, dearest,” Nana gently assured. Gilda looked around at all the pleading faces about her.

“Okay. We’re in.” Charcoal nearly whooped for joy.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no clue how much this means to us!”

“So? What now?”

“Garble and the dragons are waiting for us down at your old meeting spot. Let’s round up all the hippogryphs we can as quickly as we can and go meet them.”

“Whoa! You brought Garble and the gang? I haven’t seen them in ages... I thought they were still out in Dragon Country!” Gilda offered a crooked smile.

“Yeah, well, we brought them home for an early migration,” Charcoal chuckled. “So, let’s go! Where are the other hippogryphs?”

“Slow down there, son,” Nana chuckled. “You nearly froze to death- again- coming back out here. I think you best let River, Hawk and Winter collect the others.”

“But we’ve come all this way! And frankly, I’d love to see where they all live!”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but their homes really aren’t too different from this little lodging,” Winter chuckled. “There aren’t a whole lot of us left, all scattered through the mountains.”

“But what we lack in numbers we make up for in strength and determination,” Hawk boldly declared. “Combined with the dragons’ might, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”

“Oh, we’re not done recruiting, yet,” Charcoal winked. “We’ve got one more stop to make before we take on the changelings.”

“Oh?” Nana’s interest was piqued.

“Let’s just say you weren’t the first ‘mythical’ ponies Mom and Dad came across.”

“Ooh! We can call it the Impossible Army! I love it!” Spectrum happily cried.

“Hey, the Impossible Army. Sure sounds like the stuff of legend!” Winter Green offered the pegasus a congratulatory hoof bump.

“Not bad,” Hawk shrugged.

“Do we really need a name?” Gilda groaned. Nana just laughed.

“When you and your ‘Impossible Army’ return, rest assured that I shall be the first to write of your valiant victories and triumphs,” she wearily smiled.

“You’re not coming with us, Nana?” River sadly looked to the old mare.

“Nana’s not coming with us to fight a war!” Gilda shrieked.

“I believe I’m getting a bit old for such things, love,” the hippogryph agreed.

“Well, at least come with us to Tall Tale Beach. We’ll find a safe place for you there where you won’t be left alone,” Charcoal pressed.

“Tall Tale Beach? That’s where we’re going?”

“Nana can’t manage a trip like that. I’m not sure if I could manage a trip like that, and that’s saying something,” Hawk Stripe exclaimed.

“But the dragons can. We’ve got six fully grown ones waiting for us, and they’re more than happy to give us a lift.”

“Can they carry a hundred plus hippogryphs?” Hawk skeptically raised an eyebrow.

“We can take turns, cycling who flies and who rides. The elderly and sick get permanent seats, of course. And any pony who can’t fly. I mean, if hippogryphs are going to make an appearance, we might as well start here. There’s a whole village of potential recruits around here, too.”

“Well, aren’t you just a clever little fellow,” Nana kindly smiled.

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll earn your cutie mark as a war general,” Winter Green half-jokingly suggested.

“I sure hope not,” Charcoal shuddered. He didn’t want his destiny to be striking down other ponies.

“Anyway, we better get a move on. Chrysalis might be searching for us right now,” Spectrum reminded. Gilda’s eyes widened.

“You brought her here?!”

“Not exactly...”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. All you need to know now is that she’s probably been tipped off by now that we’re in the mountains, but she doesn’t know exactly where or why. If we hurry, we can all get out of here before any of her scouts come looking for us.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Hawk exclaimed, leaping into the air and knocking over her chair in haste. The door flung open in her wake, flooding the room with a flurry of snow and waves of freezing air.

“We’re on it,” Winter saluted before taking off after her.

“Meet you at the grove,” River Rush waved, exiting into the white wonderland and shutting the door behind her.

“How far exactly is the grove?” Spectrum asked as Gilda left to fetch Nana’s scarf and coat.

“Not far. It’s close to the base of the mountain on the south eastern side, pretty evenly spaced between Fillydelphia and Canterlot. Almost dead center, actually.”

“With nothing but open countryside nearby,” Charcoal nodded.

“Here. You’ll want these.” Gilda tossed the boys spare jackets.

“Thanks.” Charcoal slid it over his head, elated to find that the wing slots sized for hippogryphs would accommodate his oversized dragon wings.

“Ready to go?”

“Sure am,” Spectrum responded.

“You, Nana?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be, love.”

“Don’t you want a coat, Gilda?” Char inquired.

“Na. I’m good.” Her thick plumage would be enough to shield her from the cold, so she concerned herself solely with supporting Nana.

“Alright, folks, let’s head out.” Gilda opened the door, a key in one of her talons. She locked the door as everyone filed outside, not that it would do any good; no one was crazy enough to come all the way out here. Even if the changelings managed to find this place, they wouldn’t let an old door stop them.

Nana was very independent, and preferred to travel on her own, but the old hippogryph’s frail, tattered, moth-eaten feathers stood no chance against the blustery winds. Gilda kept one of her strong appendages under Nana’s to support her, and Charcoal also helped out on her other side. They were able to glide in such a manner, though Gilda was left with the bulk of the work. Still, it was nothing the capable gryphon couldn’t handle.

Slowly but surely, carefully but cunningly, the quartet made their way down the bluff. Thanks to Gilda’s knowledge of the area, they were able to exit the frigid atmosphere of the mountain and descend into the warmer levels before anyone froze. In fact, the temperature was rather temperate by the time they reached the meeting place, causing Charcoal and Spectrum to shed their winter gear.

Charcoal emerged into a lush green grove, and he heard the gentle trickle of a waterfall, though his view was mostly blocked by a wall of white scales. The grove was tight quarters for the six fully grown dragons. Charcoal carefully wormed his way around Fizzle and into the dragons’ midst.

“Well, well, well. Looks like the gang’s back together, eh?” Gilda called out.

“Is that who I think it is?” Vex inquired, trying to reposition without bowling everyone over. Unfortunately, a few trees and shrubs still suffered as they all swiveled.

“I don’t believe my eyes!” Pierce exclaimed.

“After all these years, we weren’t sure if you were coming back,” Soot commented.

“Yeah, well, you guys outgrew the grove and I was needed back home,” she shrugged.

“So you’re going to help out?” Fizzle asked.

“Yeah. The guys are rounding up some extra support,” she supported.

“I don’t believe it! You actually convinced her?!” Pierce burst. Everyone stopped to stare at him a moment. “Er... I mean... I knew you could do it.”

“Sure you did, Pierce.”

“So, it looks like we’re going to be working together again,” Garble noted, expression unreadable.

“Looks like,” Gilda agreed. Garble finally cracked a smile.

“Good to have you back, Gilda.” She likewise smiled.

“Good to be back, guys.”

“Gilda? Won’t you be so kind as to introduce me to your friends?”

“Oh! Right. Nana, this is Garble, Vex, Fizzle, Soot, Clump, and Pierce. Guys, this is my Nana.”

“That’s Nana?!”

“Not what you were expecting?” the old mare chuckled.

“No, no! It’s just... we’ve heard so much about you,” Fizzle quickly amended.

“It’s good to finally get a face to face,” Garble agreed.

“Likewise,” the hippogryph nodded.

“How much longer do you think they’ll be? We’ve got to get a move on,” Garble fretted, searching the skies for signs of the hippogryphs.

“Not much longer,” Gilda promised. “We had to take the long way, and those guys are pretty fast and know all the shortcuts. It should be any minute now.”

“We totally beat you!”

“You wish!”

“Ah. Speak of the devil.”

“We were first. Weren’t we, guys?” Winter Green looked back to a long string of hippogryphs woven through the trees behind him, all of which vigorously nodded.

“Face it! Team Hawk crushed the Green Team. Isn’t that right, folks?” Hawk likewise turned to the rainbow of faces behind her. They too nodded, and some even gave enthusiastic squawks of agreement.

“Guys? You turned it into a race?” Gilda sighed.

“You bet!”

“Well, you both definitely beat River Rush. Where is she?”

“We’re here,” the blue mare called, landing gently on one of the few available patches of snow. Many low-flying hippogryphs lighted in the forest shrubbery or some even in the trees themselves. Charcoal looked around, gravely noticing how few had actually showed up. If these were all the remaining hippogryphs, they were indeed an endangered species. There couldn’t have been more than two hundred. He could only hope the trees currently concealed their true numbers.

“Is this everyone?” Spectrum was just as surprised.

“Everyone on the south side of the mountain and the pony village,” Winter corrected. Charcoal was a bit heartened to learn there were more resources at their disposal, but then again, if this was half of them, then not very many more would be on the way. “We didn’t have time to fly over the whole mountain range. But we gathered everyone in immediate danger of the changelings. And I have to say, not everyone took it so well.” He nodded over to where a group of teens still blubbering about how hippogryphs were impossible and it was all just a cruel prank. Charcoal snorted in amusement, but shuffled over. Unfortunately, he recognized the three.

“Cool Draft!” he called. The blue pegasus with stormy hair stopped his blubbering for a moment, caught off guard. When he and his two henchponies identified the source of the voice, they instantly turned cold.

“You! I know you! You’re that freak from the glass shop!”

“And you’re the gang that tried to rob my sister and I,” he reminded, just as evenly.

“Did you do this?” the yellow earth pony gestured to the hippogryphs all around them.

“I guess you could say that, yes.”

“You think it’s funny?”

“What’s funny?” Charcoal asked the unicorn.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re trying to get revenge for what we did!”

“I hat to break it to you, guys, but the world doesn’t center around you. There’s a war raging just outside these mountains. We’ll need an army to fight back.”

“War? We never signed up for any war!”

“Right now, we’ve just got to get everyone out. Changelings are coming, and they’ll plunder every home and capture all the ponies they come across. We just saved you from slavery. You’re welcome.”

“I didn’t say thank you!”

“So you would rather be changeling prisoners, then? Because if so, we’ll be happy to leave you behind.” Charcoal’s last remark silenced them. “Good. Now get ahold of yourselves. We need to keep our heads.”

“Why should I listen to you?” Cool Draft challenged, coming nose to nose with him. “I don’t take orders from anyone but me. Are we clear?”

“Rolling on the ground in a blubbering heap wasn’t exactly getting you very far.”

“You think that’s funny, freak? You may be able to turn into a dragon, but that trick isn’t going to scare me a second time.” Charcoal sighed.

“Look, we got off on the wrong hoof. The point is, right now, we’re going to have to work together to get through this. Now, I can’t make you do anything, so I am asking very kindly for you to cooperate.” Cool continued to glare at him as he considered the offer.

“Do you want to live?” Hawk prompted.

“Just for now, Cool?” the earth pony suggested. The gang leader sighed.

“Don’t think for a second this makes us friends. I still don’t take orders from you.”

“Fair enough. Go ahead and mount one of the dragons.”

“I just said I don’t take orders from you!”

“Then have fun flying the whole way to Tall Tale Beach.” He strode away from the arrogant pegasus, still grumbling in frustration. Charcoal turned to Spectrum. “Look around and see if you can find a black earth pony called Blow Pipe. Do me a favor and make sure he ends up on the same dragon as those chuckleheads.”

“Why?”

“I know for a fact that he’ll drill some sense into at least two of them,” he commented, noting to the two without wings. Spectrum slyly grinned.

“I’m on it.” Charcoal turned back to Winter as Spectrum soared away.

“How many more do you think we can expect?”

“Maybe double this? A couple of our friends are busy warning everyone on the north side. We’ll take a detour to keep away from the changelings and meet you at Tall Tale Beach.”

“You’re not coming?” River fretted.

“I should stay and help warn everyone,” he shook his head. “Meet you there?”

“We’ll wait for you,” Charcoal promised.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye for now,” Winter extended a hoof.

“See you on the other side,” Charcoal gave it a firm shake.

“Maybe I should stay and help, too,” Hawk mused.

“So the sore loser wants a rematch, eh?” Winter challenged with a twinkle in his eye.

“Sore loser?! We beat you!”

“Fine, this will be the tie-breaker,” Winter grinned, spreading his wings and preparing for lift-off. Hawk mimicked the stance and crouched beside him. “On the count of three. One... two...”

“THREE!” Hawk took off with a wild cackle.

“CHEATER!” Winter laughed, chasing after the red-feathered mare. Those left on the ground chuckled.

“Changelings!” One somber, urgent voice broke through the sky and shattered the light mood. Everyone made as much room as possible while hippogryph stallion with grape-tinted plumage roughly collided with the ground. He quickly jumped back up, looking around to the inquisitive faces about him. “The changelings are on their way,” he gasped again, sides heaving.

“Where are they?” Garble demanded.

“Coming mostly from Fillydelphia. Just a few miles out,” the scout panted. “It won’t be long before they find us.”

“Then we haven’t got time to lose,” Charcoal determined. “Garble, can you guys take on a few passengers?”

“All aboard!” Pierce announced without waiting for a response.

“Get everyone unable to fly to Tall Tale Beach mounted on a dragon,” Charcoal directed, loudly addressing the entire assemblage. “I know it’s a cross-country trip, so we’ll take turns resting.”

“Hurry now, there’s not much time,” River agreed, ushering a few young ones between Clump’s wings.

“Will you be alright?” Gilda asked, easing Nana into the crook of one of Garble’s spikes.

“Don’t you worry about me, dearie,” she croaked in response. “I’ll see you there.”

“We’ve got to go,” Spectrum reminded, pulling her away as the rest of the flock took off.

“Have a safe trip.” Gilda, one of the strongest fliers, was expected to fly point with the other able hippogryphs. Charcoal and Spectrum soon joined her, and quickly became lost among the rainbow of plumage. The swarm was eventually flanked by six enormous dragons, each carrying quite a load of passengers themselves.

Charcoal fretfully looked back at their troop. It seemed unlikely that such a large company would go unnoticed, especially if the changelings were nearby. Even splitting up would be risky; they hadn’t enough time to properly organize groups, and it would be easy for an entire band to go missing. Besides, it would be next to impossible to sneak one fully grown dragon out unnoticed, let alone six. No, it was best to stay together and pray they went unnoticed.

And pray they did.

Changelings swarmed over the mountains like vultures descending upon their unfortunate victim below. They had found nothing aside from frozen wings and numbed limbs. Perhaps Chrysalis’ missing drone had undergone some sort of memory alteration spell. After all, it did seem rather unlikely that one would betray the very Queen that had cared for all changelings for centuries, especially for ‘friendship’ that certainly did not exist. After all, Chrysalis told them that they could never be loved by others. And she couldn’t lie, could she?

Their comrade ‘Shift’ might have been fooled by the ponies’ crafty words, but the rest would not be swayed so easily. His time severed from the hive mind must have jumbled his reasoning.

“There’s nothing here,” one soldier angrily hissed to another, agitated by their most recent failure and impatient to duck out of the cold atmosphere.

“Chrysalis will have our heads,” another agreed.

“Perhaps not,” a third suggested, nodding ahead. A large, trampled grove stuck out like a sore hoof from the forest below. The changelings mutually agreed to steepen the slope of their dive, spiraling down to investigate the site.

“This was recently trampled,” one noted.

“Something big must have done this.”

“The traitor is traveling with dragons. They were here!”

“Chrysalis will be pleased,” their leader grinned. “Inform her immediately.”

Chapter 64: Cloudsdale

Chapter 64
Cloudsdale

‘Pound Cake, Pound Cake.’ Shift repeated the name over and over in his mind so he wouldn’t forget. His wings were carrying him as fast as they could, zooming over the land below as he traveled to Cloudsdale. Though he was doing his best to blot out the hive mind, he could never completely ignore it. Not only was his entire hive now aware of everything that had transpired, but they were hunting him down at present, as well as his pegasus informant. Yet another troop had been sent out to investigate what business his friends had in the mountains.

Worst of all was the relentless jeers and scorn from his hive. News of his betrayal swept through the network like wildfire, and a thunderous roar of cynical taunts, threats and other forms of ridicule flooded his head. He was the first changeling traitor to ever split off from the hive. Of course Chrysalis was furious, and would have his head. He just had to get to Cloudsdale before they got to him.

But would the Cloudsdale ponies really help him? With such strong fliers as they had in the cloud city, surely they were already preparing barricades and other forms of resistance. How could Shift convince them that he was truly on their side? Charcoal never had given him anything to prove this sincerity- no object, no information, nothing he could use to his advantage. Though... he had mentioned something...

Thinking quickly, Shift regained his bearings. He had just passed over Ponyville, now abandoned by ponies and changelings alike. The town, now in shambles, had been evacuated, and changeling troops had moved on to help conquer the next city. Shift quickly doubled back and dove to the edges of the town.

“Where does Charcoal live?” He recalled through the hive’s memories that Charcoal had originally been found in the Ponyville castle, but he doubted they all lived there. Well... his mother is Acrylic, Element of Forgiveness. Where does she live? “She has an artist’s cutie mark,” Shift reasoned. “There must be a studio close by...”

And so Shift aimlessly wandered through the abandoned town, searching for Charcoal’s home. He found a bakery, a furniture store, what must have once been the town hall, and a whole slew of nearly identical homes. But he didn’t spot a single gallery or studio in the town.

With each passing moment, Shift’s heart beat faster. Every second wasted aimlessly searching here was another second his hive was closing the distance to him. They would catch up any minute now. He needed to get a move on, but at the same time, he needed proof. He was about to give up and take his chances in Cloudsdale when at the very edge of town, two solitary buildings, still mostly intact, remained. One was once the Carousel Boutique, and its companion called Art Life. This must be it!

Shift quickly ducked inside, breaths shallow with fear. The building looked to have gone unnoticed from the outside, but in reality, it had been trashed like all the others. Every table was overturned, windows were smashed, and inventory littered the floor. Shift squeezed in through a hole in the window not blocked by overturned furniture. With one long dining table tossed against the sunroom’s glass and blocking out most of the light, there was little to see by. He shivered nervously, and steadied his voice long enough to call out. “Bandit? Heckley?”

Two beady eyes glimmered from the darkness, piercing the back of Shift’s head.

Hsssssssssss!

Shift jumped at the sound, and looked up to find a very angry snake coiled atop a battered bookcase, elevated nearly to the ceiling. It glared down at him with venom in its eyes, and quite possibly in its pearly fangs, too.

“Heckley?” Shift gulped.

Dookookookookookookookook!

A brown and white masked ferret shortly accompanied the snake, curious but reserved of the newcomer. The brown snake remained hostile, but did not attack. “Come with me. I will take you to Charcoal.” The ferret perked up at the mention of its owner, and trustingly hopped down to Shift’s back. Despite Bandit’s chatters of encouragement, Heckley, remained where he was. Shift racked his brain.

“Please?” he tried. It usually worked amongst ponies, anyway. Heckley suspiciously eyed him once more before reluctantly slithering down. The snake dodged Shift’s cavities as he wound up his hoof, and eventually curled about his neck, comfortably and securely settling in for the trip. Shift nodded in satisfaction. Perhaps this small token could set him apart from the others.

Shift prepped his wings for flight with a few vibrated flutters. Just as he was turning back toward the window, a loud crash quite literally shattered the silence as the remainder of the window was bashed down. The table was still mostly blocking the smashed opening, but the vicious fangs of a hostile changeling gleamed from the other side.

“GAH!” Shift scuttled away, tripping and sliding over discarded pencils and papers. Never before had he experienced the fear his own kind could instill in their victims.

One, two, then three changelings heaved at the table until the window had been cleared. This did not include the number now pouring through the bashed-in front door. Shift quickly scrambled to his hooves and darted up the stairwell just before a fellow changeling snapped at his hoof.

Shift had hoped to find a window or even a balcony of some sort on the upper level. Thankfully, a window large enough to fit through was embedded in each of the bedrooms. With changelings already pouring in through the far end of the hallway, Shift opted for the nearest master bedroom. He plunged his forehooves through the glass, shutting his eyes to shield them from the flying fragments. Even the natural enemies of ferret and snake huddled together for protection. They cleared the window without much more than a few scratches, but where they had escaped one enemy, another awaited them. Shift’s wings did not catch them in time to avoid colliding with another changeling.

They all went tumbling down together until the ground came up to greet them. The four landed in a crumpled heap, but were soon jumped by a fresh supply of drones. Chrysalis definitely wasn’t taking any chances with this.

Heckley was ripped from Shift’s neck, and Bandit was also forcibly removed. Shift kicked and thrashed, but was no match for all of the drones sent after him. Shift was swiftly overpowered, held down by the others in their successful effort to restrain him.

[LET ME GO!] he desperately demanded through the hive mind. The others were all still so busy shouting insults at him that his voice was drowned out. “Let me go,” he tried again, aloud this time.

“We will not betray Chrysalis as you have,” one resolutely determined.

“Chrysalis is not who she seems to be.”

“Yes, we all know of your twisted theory,” it chuckled. “But it is you who is mistaken. Chrysalis is kind and just. The ponies have corrupted your mind. It is not too late. You have earned the ponies’ trust. Chrysalis may have use of your newly acquired position yet. Repent, changeling, and return to the hive.”

“Shift,” he spat through gritted teeth.

“What?”

“My name is SHIFT!” Shift’s horn charged, and he violently flung his attackers off in a web of sticky goo. While they were busy freeing themselves of the gunk, Shift retrieved his two passengers and took off.

Even now, he had a tail. The few changelings that had remained within the building were close behind him, and it didn’t take long for the rest to push through the glue. Shift’s wings tirelessly pushed ahead, strengthened by his recent gorge on the ponies’ love. Due to this key advantage, he was slowly getting ahead. There were still miles upon miles of open land between Ponyville and Cloudsdale, and with each passing minute, Shift added a bit of distance between him and the rest of his train. Heckley and Bandit had woven their long, slinky bodies between the cavities in his hooves, shuddering in fear. By the time Shift reached Cloudsdale, the changelings were but specks on the horizon, but fast approaching.

Cloudsdale had indeed set up impressive barriers. Manually constructed barricades had been started to block off some buildings, but these appeared to have been abandoned when they found a more effective method. Just before Shift arrived, he watched as a magical shield, not unlike the one in Canterlot, materialized to surround the entire cloud island. Shift didn’t have time to wonder what a unicorn was doing in Cloudsdale or even how they could remain within the clouds. Regardless, he swooped in close to where the entrance should have been, had it not been cut off.

“Let me in!” he pleaded to the guards on the other side.

“Get out of here, changeling!” a pegasus spat.

“You’re not getting in here,” another jeered.

“You’re not welcome here! Get lost, insect,” a mare growled. A fresh gathering of new ponies cheered support.

“Please! I’m looking for Pound Cake!” Shift nervously looked back at the changelings now gaining on him.

“What do you want with him?” the first pegasus narrowed his eyes.

“Somepony find Pound Cake!” the second called.

“There’s no time! Let me in!”

“I think you and your buddies can wait right outside until we know exactly what’s going on.”

“They’re after me!”

“Why would changelings be hunting down one of their own?”

“I left the hive. A thestral called Charcoal sent me. I have a message from Pound Cake.”

“I don’t know any ‘Charcoal’.”

“He’s the son of Acrylic, Element of Forgiveness.” The ponies exchanged glances.

“That whole family is too trusting for their own good. We are at war. We can’t let him in just because of some bogus claim,” the mare pointed out.

“But they are also good judges of character,” the stallion reasoned. Shift looked back.

“You have to believe me!”

“We couldn’t take the shield down if we wanted to. There’s a whole team of unicorns managing it.”

“Get one of them down here!” the guard ordered.

“Hurry!” Shift cried, heart racing as the individual teeth of the changelings came into view.

“What’s going on?” the pegasus that must have been Pound Cake appeared, decked out in a yellow work vest and hard hat, escorted by another buff construction worker.

“Good question,” one unicorn concurred, appearing at the head of a group of four others. He had a gray coat and dark green, mossy-colored hair, brushed neatly back in a formal, business-like fashion.

“This changeling wants in.”

“And you’re considering letting him?!”

“He says the others are chasing him,” the guard shrugged, gesturing to the rapidly approaching flight formation.

“Not our problem,” the unicorn shrugged, turning back away.

“He has a message for you, Pound Cake,” the guard went on, addressing the youth.

“Me?”

“Pound Cake!” Shift cried. “Charcoal sent me!”

“Charcoal?” one of the unicorns exclaimed, stepping forward. She was blue with a lighter, wispy mane, and the cutie mark of a magic wand. “Acrylic’s son?”

“Yes!”

“Hey, that’s Bandit and Heckley!” Pound realized with a start, finally noticing the tiny creatures intertwined in Shift’s hooves. The guards looked to each other.

“SHIFT!” the changeling flying point screamed, teeth bared and eyes burning with all the channeled hatred of the entire hive.

“Help,” Shift squeaked, pressed as close against the barrier as he could manage. He shut his eyes, and prepared for the hive to tear him apart.

“Drookookookookookook!” Bandit fearfully chattered, recoiling within the cavity.

“Hsssss!” Heckley exclaimed, likewise retreating as far back as he could.

Shift could feel the breath of the changeling. But then he felt the soft texture of the cloud beneath him, which actually smarted at the speed he collided with it. Looking up, the hole that had permitted his entry was shut just in time for the changelings to smash into face-first. No sooner had he landed in the ‘safety’ of the shield than he was instantly pounced by every guard by the gates. Heckley and Bandit quickly wriggled out of his grasp and hopped over the ponies in an attempt to reach Pound Cake without falling through the cloudy floor.

“WHO LET HIM IN?” the lead unicorn demanded.

“I did,” the blue mare openly admitted. “I know Charcoal’s mother. If they have a message for us, it would be well worth our while to hear him out.”

“What reason would their family have to send a changeling through?”

“Changelings are the only ones who can openly travel at the moment,” she pointed out.

“That still doesn’t explain how they convinced one to turn against Chrysalis.”

“Maybe he’s not a changeling. Maybe it’s a transformation spell,” a mare suggested.

“I am a changeling,” Shift coughed from beneath the weight of the guards.

“Let him up,” a new, kind voice requested.

“But Miss-”

“He’s harmless,” she insisted.

“He’s a changeling!”

“He’s come with a message. Let him up, please.” The guards turned to the unicorn who appeared to be in charge. Reluctantly, he nodded, and the guards stood.

“Thank... you...” Shift wheezed, still searching for his rescuer. A silhouetted mare appeared over him.

“No problem,” she smiled, offering a hoof. Shift cautiously took it as the thestral mare lifted him to his hooves.

He found that she had a dark violet coat, blue eyes, and a cute freckled face. Her mane was also blue and streaked with lavender. Her cutie mark depicted a sparkling flower partially engulfed in purple and red fire. She was quite beautiful.

“I’m Glitter Shine,” she introduced. “What do we call you?”

“Charcoal’s friends named me Shift,” he explained.

“Okay, Shift,” she smiled. “Welcome to Cloudsdale.”

“Seeing as how you’re already here,” the rigid unicorn stated, “I suppose we’ll hear you out. So long as that’s alright with you, Pound Cake?” The colt looked unsure, and found himself looking to Glitter for guidance. She nodded encouragingly, and he perhaps subconsciously mimicked it.

“Okay,” he finally stuttered.

“Very well. Follow me,” the unicorn barked, beckoning his train of unicorns, an escort of two pegasus guards, and Pound and Shift and Glitter. The group earned quite a wide margin by the onlookers as they traveled to what was probably Cloudsdale’s own town hall.

“Who is that?” Shift whispered to Glitter, still accompanying him. He gestured to the unicorn in the lead.

“That’s Runestone,” she replied. “He’s a professor at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. He escaped the siege there, and traveled to Cloudsdale to warn us. He cast a spell to give himself the ability to walk on clouds for a few days, and is staying here. In return, he promised he could devise a spell similar to Shining Armor’s to protect us. He put it into effect just before you got here, in fact. But we’ve been rounding up as many unicorns as we can to help him maintain the shield for a while now. That’s how Trixie and I ended up here.”

“Trixie?”

“That blue unicorn that let you in. She’s also my mentor,” Glitter clarified. “We weren’t far when they came to tell us what was happening- traveling back to Ponyville for our next show, in fact. We’re more into show business and special effects rather than serious magic, see, but they say every little bit helps.”

“I see.”

“So, Charcoal sent you, you say?”

“He did.”

“I remember him,” she smiled. “He was still little the last time I saw him, though. It’s been a long time since we came around to Ponyville. The best market for showponies are in the big cities. But I have to say, I’ve missed my friends there. And it’s just nice to get away from it once in a while, you know?”

“No,” he truthfully admitted. Glitter gave him a funny look before remembering he was indeed a changeling.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“In here,” a pegasus barked. Glitter and Shift obediently ducked inside the building, where everyone quickly seated themselves. Shift tried to find a seat beside Glitter, his only ally in the building, but was thrown out in front on his own to face his audience.

“You’ve come an awfully long way to deliver a message. So? What is it?” Runestone asked, looking quite regal and important with his chest puffed out as it was. Shift took a deep breath.

“Charcoal is planning to overthrow Chrysalis,” he began. “He has a plan... I don’t know everything, because if I knew, then so would Chrysalis, which would defeat the purpose. But he’s probably traveling from the Foal Mountains as we speak, on his way-”

“What’s in the mountains?” Runestone interrupted.

“I don’t know,” he repeated. “He did say that he wanted me to meet back up with them. I couldn’t travel with them because Chrysalis would be able to track us exactly.”

“You keep referring to ‘them’. Who exactly is ‘them’?”

“Charcoal is traveling with Spectrum, a pegasus colt. He’s the son of-”

“Rainbow Dash and Soarin’!” one of the guards ecstatically finished. “The Wonderbolts! Uh... erm, sorry.”

“Correct. He is also accompanied by six dragons.”

“Dragons?” Runestone’s ears perked up.

“Fully grown. Very large, and very dangerous. Strong allies,” Shift reported, shuddering as he remembered his last, rather intimate meeting with Clump’s boulder of a tail.

“All the dragons have migrated south,” one of the other unicorns pointed out. “How is it possible that Charcoal has reached them on such short notice?”

“Charcoal used his thestral fire to send himself, a few friends, and accidentally, me, to one of the dragons who is also capable of receiving exports.”

“Sent himself?” Glitter gasped.

“Such a feat is unheard of!” Runestone agreed.

“But theoretically, not impossible,” Glitter voiced. “I use that trick a lot in our shows to teleport objects. I suppose it’s feasible.”

“What dragon received them?”

“Charcoal kept referring to one- Garble- as his brother.”

“I’ve never heard of any Garble. The School for Gifted Unicorns trains all dragons to send and receive messages.”

“Acrylic took in Garble and his brother Blaze when their mother passed. I believe they are self-taught,” Trixie elaborated. “Speaking of whom, where is everyone else?”

“Chrysalis has already gotten to Blaze and Spike, along with the rest of the Elements of Harmony.”

“What has she done with them?” Runestone practically jumped out of his seat.

“I’m... not quite sure...” he realized as he tried to hone in on the thought. “There are some things that Chrysalis chooses to keep hidden from us. But I would imagine they’re safe, imprisoned but unharmed.”

“Hmph!” Runestone snorted.

“And my parents?” Pound quietly voiced. “Is my family safe? Pumpkin, Carrot and Cup Cake? Are they alright?”

“Chrysalis has ordered the imprisonment of all civilians,” he informed. “They are to be taken to her in the Everfree. What she plans to do with them after they have been collected is beyond me.”

“Then I still don’t understand what I’m doing here. If this isn’t about my family, then what did Charcoal want so badly to tell me?” Pound solemnly yet curiously inquired.

“As I said, Charcoal asked me to meet back up with him. But if I knew where they were going, Chrysalis would send drones to meet them there. He asked that Pound Cake take me to the place his parents visited on their honeymoon.”

“I know where that is! That’s-”

“Don’t tell me!” Shift cried. “Then they will know. Just take me.”

“He is not taking you anywhere,” Runestone coolly informed. “Thanks to you, we are now surrounded by changelings all quite eager to say hello. I will not allow you to put this young colt in danger. You’ve told a good story, but we still have no reliable proof that what you say is true. How do I know Chrysalis is not trying to lure us out?”

“I brought Bandit and Heckley,” he pointed out. “How many changelings would stop to bother with the animals?”

“He’s got a point,” Glitter pointed out.

“That could still be part of Chrysalis’ ploy.”

“Oh, for Celestia’s sake!” Trixie groaned.

“I have an idea!” Glitter piped up. “Give me paper and a quill. I can send a message to Charcoal. If what he tells us matches up with everything Shift has told us, then he must be telling the truth.”

“Very well,” Runestone consented.

One of the guards brought forth a blank scroll, a quill and ink well, set them all on a nearby table. Glitter set herself down before it.

“What should I say?” she asked, picking up the quill.

“First ask him where he is. Mention that you are currently in Cloudsdale, but don’t say anything of Shift here. See if he picks up on it.” Glitter nodded, and touched pen to paper.

“Dear Charcoal,

“How are you? Where are you? Trixie and I are currently visiting Cloudsdale.”

“Stop there,” Runestone directed. “Wait for a reply before you go on.”

“Signed, Glitter Shine,” she concluded.

“Send the pen,” Shift added. “He will most likely be traveling right now, and will not have access to stationary.”

“Right.” Glitter quickly rolled up the paper, slipped a Cloudsdale insignia over it, slid the quill inside, dripping with a fresh dose of ink, and sent it away in a puff of purple fire.

The next few minutes were tense as they waited for a reply. The guards were quickly becoming paranoid. They shifted nervously, heart rates increasing as they further convinced themselves that there was an enemy in their midst. One even reached the point where he held a spear to Shift’s head. Everyone jumped.

“He’s not responding. The changelings have gotten to him, too! He’s lying!”

“Calm down,” Glitter pleaded, knocking the spear away. Shift retreated behind the mare for protection. He felt like such a coward, using an innocent girl as a living shield, but nearly everypony else in the room wanted him dead at the moment. “Give him time. If he’s writing a long, detailed explanation, it will take him longer than me. Be patient.”

“We’ve waited long enough!”

“It’s been two minutes,” Trixie sighed. “Settle down.”

“We will give it another minute,” Runestone decided.

“But Runestone-”

“Stand down, Glitter Shine,” the green unicorn barked. Glitter reluctantly bit her tongue. All eyes turned to the ticking clock. ‘Hurry up, Charcoal,’ she silently begged. This changeling was definitely different from the others. Whether he was telling the truth or not, he didn’t deserve to die.

The clock’s hand ticked by, the hostility and fear of the room increasing with each passing second. Everyone held their breath as the second hand crept back up on the twelve. Glitter and Shift subconsciously found themselves huddling together. The guards gripped their spears. Trixie shut her eyes. Pound’s gaze continued to flick between the possible messenger from his best friend, the paranoid guards and the over-cautious unicorns. The rest indifferently continued to stare at the clock.

Three... two... one...

The hand ticked by the clock unceremoniously, apathetically continuing its rotation. All eyes turned to Shift. He gulped nervously, and shrank back. The guards aimed their spears. Runestone coldly turned to the changeling.

“Time’s up.”

“No!” Glitter was held back by one of the unicorn’s levitation Trixie also stood in protest.

“Wait!” Pound also spoke up, but to no avail.

“OPEN FIRE!” one of the guards screeched. Shift’s hooves scrambled for traction as the spears’ shining tips were hurled at him. The last thing he saw was purple flame surging up around him.

Chapter 65: Rescue Mission

Chapter 65
Rescue Mission

“Glitter?!” Charcoal had been stationed on Garble’s head, writing a response to Glitter’s letter until a new delivery of four ponies and two pets flared up through his hooves.

“Hi,” the purple mare panted, sagging onto Garble’s scales.

“Everyone okay up there?” the dragon called back, sensing new passengers.

“Yes,” Shift quietly responded.

“Shift! I thought you and Pound-” Charcoal paused as he spotted the tan pegasus shakily returning to his hooves.

“Char!” he exclaimed in relief, trying not to trip over Heckley and Bandit as all three scuttled over to him.

“What’re Heckley and Bandit doing here? What even happened over there?” Charcoal turned to Shift for answers.

“We were wondering the same thing,” Trixie voiced, recovering herself. “You didn’t respond to the letter.”

“I was getting there,” Charcoal assured, displaying the three huge paragraphs he’d written beneath Glitter’s first entry.

“Couldn’t you have made it shorter?” Shift grumbled. “They almost killed me!”

“I had to get us out of there before Shift was impaled,” Glitter nodded. “He told us how you sent yourselves to Garble through thestral fire. That’s a brilliant idea!”

“T-thanks,” Charcoal sheepishly stuttered, blushing deep red as the mare smiled at him. She was so beautiful...

“Charcoal?” Pound elbowed him.

“Wha-?”

“What’s going on, exactly? And what-”

“Hippogryphs.” Glitter stared wide eyed, open-mouthed at the flocks of pony-gryphon creatures around her. Trixie, Pound Cake, and even Shift stared in wonder.

“What’s all this? Where’s my family?” Pound demanded.

“Oh, uh, right. I think Shift will be able to explain that a bit better.”

“First, maybe you should blindfold me,” the changeling suggested.

“What?! Why?”

“The plan was to meet you at the location so Chrysalis could not track us. If they recognize the landmarks we pass, they will be able to pinpoint our location and track us. And I’m afraid I have already given away one of your key advantages,” he gestured to the hippogryph flock without looking up. Charcoal realized for the first time that Shift had been intently training his eyes downwards, solely staring at Garble’s scales.

“Oh, uh... okay,” he agreed.

“Here,” Trixie volunteered her cape to temporarily serve as a blindfold, and gently fixed it around his head.

“You’re really worried about giving us up, aren’t you?” Glitter kindly outstretched a wing.

“I am both a risk and an asset,” he simply stated.

“You’re also our friend,” Charcoal stressed.

“How in Equestria did you befriend a changeling?” Pound shook his head in disbelief.

“Not in Equestria- in Dragon Country,” Garble corrected.

And so, Charcoal, Spectrum, Garble, and occasionally even Shift took turns narrating their side of the story. Trixie and Glitter listened intently, but Pound seemed preoccupied.

“We were on our way to Ponyville,” Glitter recalled, now filling in the blanks with her story. “We were just passing by Cloudsdale when the pegasi came down and practically dragged us up to their city. Runestone had promised that if Cloudsdale sheltered him, he’d try to repeat Shining Armor’s shield spell. Because he wasn’t very practiced in that kind of magic, he requested that as many unicorns as possible be recruited to help. A couple pegasi found Miss Trixie and I as we were traveling and asked up to help, so we made a pit stop. I had to carry Miss Trixie until Runestone came along to cast his spell on her, but after that we were both able to spend the night without any trouble.”

“Runestone gave me a crash course in shielding magic,” Trixie agreed. “It was really quite a treat; not just anyone learns from a professor of the School for Gifted Unicorns! True, the circumstances were unusual to say the least... but it was very educational!”

“That was all yesterday, but it wasn’t until this morning that Shift came along with your message for Pound Cake,” Glitter concluded.

“I was expecting news about my family,” the pegasus solemnly admitted. The whole group went quiet. The lack of information regarding Pound’s parents, or the whereabouts of any of the missing ponies for that matter, greatly perturbed everyone, but the tan pegasus was especially bothered. He was very close to his family. Not knowing what had become of them was an agonizing thought.

“We’ll get them back,” Charcoal assured. “I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Charcoal,” the pegasus bitterly shot back.

“Pound?” Charcoal was caught off guard.

“You don’t even know what’s happened to them. How do you plan to get them back?”

“Chrysalis has them. If we get to her, then we can free her prisoners.”

“Who says they’re prisoners? For all we know, she’s killed them by now!”

“Shift says she’s just rounding them up. No one said anything about killing anypony.”

“What do you think she’s going to do? Keep them locked in cells until they rot? She’ll either kill them or put them to work. You know my parents. They’d never help scum like her, which would put them at the top of her kill list.”

“Pound...” Charcoal didn’t have a comeback. He had been so focused on collecting a rebel force that he hadn’t stopped to think of what might happen to the prisoners. The elements were far too valuable to kill off, which pretty much ensured the safety of his mother and most likely his father. But what of the others?

“While you’re gallivanting around the country looking for mythical creatures, my parents are in real danger. I mean, Tall Tale Beach? Are you going to go hunting for hippocampi next?”

“POUND!” everyone screeched.

“What?” His gaze flicked to Shift, who sat rigid, heart pounding. He could practically feel Chrysalis smirking in triumph. “Oh.”

“Chrysalis just diverted all available changelings to meet us at Tall Tale Beach,” he shakily informed.

“How close are they? Will they beat us there?”

“We have half a day’s gain on them. If we maintain this speed, we should get there first.”

“Trixie, do you think you know Runestone’s spell well enough to recreate it at Tall Tale Beach?”

“If I had help, we might be able to come up with something,” she confirmed. “But even the Great and Powerful Trixie cannot work miracles. I can’t say how long it would hold up, or how large an area we could protect.”

“Do you think you could shield one town for a short time, at least?”

“I will try.”

“I’ll go ahead and send this to Runestone, and ask him to come,” Charcoal hastily decided, retrieving the pen and unfinished letter. “If he and his unicorns can maintain the shields while traveling, then all of Cloudsdale can meet us there. If we can shield just a small portion of the coast until he gets there, then we should be able to merge the shields and form an even larger line of defense.”

“You’re still going hunting for merponies?” Pound shot him an incredulous look as Charcoal wrapped up his letter.

“We need all the help we can get, Pound.”

“We should be focusing on freeing Mom and Dad!”

“I have family back there too, Pound, but there’s nothing we can do for them yet!”

“You might not care, but I do,” Pound spat.

“Pound Cake,” Glitter gently, sweetly tried. Pound shook her off.

“I’m going to save my family, with or without your help.” Before anyone could stop him, Pound Cake took off.

“POUND!” Charcoal screamed, watching in horror as his friend plunged into the sea of technicolor feathers. He quickly vanished from view as he pushed through the densely-packed hippogryphs.

“He’s going to get himself killed!” Spectrum dumbly exclaimed.

“Here, finish this,” Charcoal practically threw the letter and quill at Glitter Shine. “Send it to someone in Cloudsdale that can deliver it to Runestone.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” Trixie demanded.

“I’ve got to go after him!”

“I don’t think so,” Garble countered. “Acrylic would kill me if she knew I let you fly right into the changelings’ hooves.”

“We’re not going to find any changelings,” he assured. “I’ve just got to talk him out of it. Keep everyone on course for Tall Tale Beach. We’ll catch up.” Charcoal nudged Heckley and Bandit, both still curled around his neck, until they reluctantly moved over to Trixie, the next closest pony. Without another word, Charcoal dove off into the flock.

It was hard work, weaving through such a thickly populated airspace, especially flying against the current with his wingspan. He received a few irritated warnings to watch where he was flying, along with a few concerned requests to turn back and the sprinkled inquiry as to where he could possibly be headed. Every remark went unanswered. There was only one thing on Charcoal’s mind right now: find Pound Cake, and stop him.

He broke free of the thick swarm at last, disoriented a bit by the overwhelming world of sunlight that awaited him. Once he hit clear sky, it was easy to spot the pegasus shooting away.

“POUND!” Charcoal yelled at the top of his lungs. The pegasus didn’t stop, but luckily, Charcoal’s wings were larger, and caught enough extra air to catch up with him. That didn’t mean he didn’t end up a great distance away from the flock, however. “Pound, what are you doing?!” he panted. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”

“They’re my parents, Char,” Pound darkly stated, refusing to look at Charcoal with his face contorted in anger channeled both at the changelings and the stubborn thestral colt.

“This is suicide! What are you going to do against an army of changelings? You aren’t even thinking straight enough to come up with any sort of plan. Would your parents want you to get yourself killed trying to save them?” Charcoal thought to his aunt, and how she had bravely, selflessly put herself on the line to buy them time.

“No,” Pound admitted, reluctantly decreasing his speed. Charcoal likewise coasted more slowly beside him.

“Good,” Charcoal sighed, a great weight lifted from his shoulders. “So let’s go back and-”

“But I have to try.”

“WHAT?!”

“Charcoal,” Pound finally looked at his friend. For the first time, Charcoal was able to look deep into his friend’s misty eyes, already leaking a salty fluid. Pound Cake was older than him, and as such, had taken it upon himself to comfort Charcoal in times of need, and became expert at concealing his own problems. Now that their roles had been reversed, Charcoal was at a loss as to what to do. “If I don’t try... how can I ever look at them the same again?” Charcoal almost jumped. Those had been his exact thoughts when he decided to depart from Lilac and embark on this suicide mission to save their parents. The circumstances were different, yes, but the motive was the same.

“O-Okay,” Charcoal stuttered.

“You... you’re okay with this?” Pound exclaimed, wiping away the tears to clear his vision.

“I would do the same if I was in your horseshoes,” he realized. “I’m just sorry for trying to stop you.”

“Thank you, Char,” the corners of Pound’s mouth twitched up in a smile.

“But I’m going with you,” the thestral declared.

“Charcoal, you can’t-”

“You’re not going in there alone! And if things get rough, I can send us both back to Garble at the flock,” he reminded.

“My parents, too?”

“As many as I can manage,” Charcoal vowed. “But first, we’ll need a plan.”

“You think we’re safe down here?” Pound asked, nervously looking up through the tree canopy. There was a great forested area stretching all the way from Canterlot practically to Tall Tale Beach, in the middle of which Charcoal and Pound had lighted down to rest and devise a plan.

“Sure,” Charcoal assured, settling in a nest of leaves and moss. “The changelings will probably be following our trail through the air, and won’t bother to look down. Besides, they think we’ve returned to the flock by now. They won’t be looking for us off on our own.”

“If you say so,” Pound shrugged, ducking beneath a tree with particularly thick leaves just to be safe. “So, what’s the plan?”

“I could send us to Aunt Wild Flower,” he suggested. “That would land us right in the middle of the whole operation.”

“And likely right inside a cage,” Pound pointed out. “We won’t get much done from in there.

“Oh. Right,” Charcoal blushed.

“Well, we don’t have time to fly all the way back ourselves. We’re almost to Tall Tale Beach. The Everfree is on the other side of Equestria!”

“Not hardly,” Charcoal refrained from laughing and merely raised an eyebrow. “If we head south east, we could reach the west side of the Everfree before tomorrow.”

“You know I’m not a strong flier, Char.” Unlike Spectrum, the son of two Wonderbolts, Pound had been born into a household that focused more on sweets than athletics.

“Okay...” Charcoal wracked his brain for answers. “Well, there’s no one else I know to send us to along the way. All the mailponies have probably been captured by now.”

“Can’t you work out something with your fire?” Pound pleaded, dreading the long, manual flight to the Everfree. He was willing to make the trek before, but now with a magical thestral by his side, surely there was an easier way?

“I don’t know, Pound. I mean, when I send objects or ponies, I essentially break them down into an energy source, sustained by the fire, which travels to the recipient, also capable of sustaining the fire. Without someone to keep it going... it’s just impossible.”

“You’re a thestral! Why can’t you sustain it yourself?”

“Because I will only be an energy signature. I won’t have my body to channel the fire.”

“Could we do it with two thestrals?”

“That’s how we usually do it, yeah,” Charcoal rolled his eyes.

“Well, obviously, but I mean... is there any way for another thestral to send us to the Everfree if they stay behind?

“I... don’t know.” Charcoal rifled through the lessons his father had drilled into him about fire dancing. He did seem to recall a trick in which his father teleported a far-off object into his hoof. But could one teleport close objects- or in this case, ponies- to a far-off place?

“There’s one way to find out,” Pound set a small pebble in Charcoal’s hoof.

“What’s this?”

“Try it out on the rock first. See if it works.” Charcoal obediently focused on the rock, taking only a little energy to break it down into energy. Then, he focused his attention a distant bird’s nest. He could feel the energy traveling to where he directed, but the action was confirmed in a puff of blue fire.

“Alright!” Pound cheered, high-hoofing his friend.

“Now we just need a thestral strong enough to send us there,” Charcoal mused.

“Hello? What about Glitter Shine?”

“WHAT?! Have you lost your mind?!”

“What’s the problem? She’s a brilliant fire dancer. It is her special talent, after all.”

“She’ll, uh, she’ll never go for it,” Charcoal coughed, trying to talk him down.

“Come on, Char. Your imaginary marefriend can fend for herself,” Pound rolled his eyes.

“MAREFRIEND?!” Charcoal’s face turned a brilliant shade of red.

“Everypony knows you have a crush on her- don’t try to deny it,” Pound laughed.

“Do not!” he insisted anyway. “Besides, she’s like ten years older than me.”

“Eight,” Pound corrected.

“You’ve been counting?!”

“And remember when Spike had a crush on Rarity?”

“No.”

“Well, you were probably too young. But they were about ten years apart and that didn’t stop him from crushing on her, hard!”

“They didn’t get married, did they?” Charcoal challenged.

“That’s not the point. Anyway, it’s very noble of you to try and keep her out of danger, but she’s a big girl. She can manage herself. And it’s not like it’s a big deal... she’ll only be sending us there. It’s not a long flight back to the flock from here.”

“But-”

“Char, we’re kind of low on options here.”

“Grrrrrraaaaaapphht,” Charcoal groaned, emitting a noise somewhere between a grunt of frustration, a snort of defeat, ending on an elephant’s trumpet-like note, all topped off by a dramatic flop to the ground. Pound amusedly looked over him.

“You good?”

“No.”

“Sorry,” Pound shrugged. “But get Glitter over here anyway.”

“I swear, Pound, if you say anything,” Charcoal seethed through gritted teeth.

“My lips are sealed,” the pegasus promised with a sly twinkle in his eye.

“I don’t believe you,” Charcoal narrowed his eyes.

“Dude, would you just do it?”

“Fine.” Charcoal concentrated, trying to locate his fellow thestral. Her signature was not hard to detect, outlined by Garble’s monster of a target, though it was a bit hard to distinguish where she ended and Garble began. He took an extra minute to concentrate this time. After all, he didn’t want to teleport them both here.

“Hurry up already!”

“I’m trying!” Char snapped back, waving him off with his hoof and then placing it on his temple as though it would help him concentrate. “Got her.” In a puff of blue fire, Glitter Shine appeared before them, rather confused.

“What the...” she took a moment to consider her surroundings before honing in on the boys. “Charcoal! Pound Cake! We were getting worried about you!”

“We, uh, had a change of plans,” Charcoal gulped, the thought of Glitter worrying over him causing his face to flush.

“Ooookay...” Glitter suspiciously looked him over. “So why’d you bring me here?”

“We need somepony to send us to the changeling’s base in the Everfree,” Pound quickly put in.

“Wait, WHAT?!”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Charcoal finally broke out of his stupor. “And I know I promised to bring him back. But we both need to do this.”

“Charcoal,” Glitter patiently closed her eyes to calm herself. “I remember when I used to babysit you.” Charcoal blushed at the memory. “Your mom trusted me to watch out for you. I can’t let you go running off right to the changelings. I thought we all agreed this was a bad idea!”

“It was a bad idea until I became involved. Now that I’m going, I can send us back if we run into trouble, hopefully with the Cakes and maybe even my aunt and uncle and as many others as we can. We just need someone to send us over there. We’ll be back before you know it!” Glitter skeptically looked him over. Charcoal sighed. “Please?”

“You know Trixie’s going to kill me, right? If Garble doesn’t get to it first?”

“I have an idea!” Charcoal offered. “You’re one of the best fire dancers around. You’re good at sending things far distances, even if you can’t see them, right?”

“That’s a crucial trick for most of the shows Trixie and I put on,” she nodded. “Why?”

“I’ll send you back to Garble, and you tell them we had to head back to Cloudsdale. That’ll set Trixie and Garble at ease. And make sure Shift hears it. If Chrysalis thinks we’ve gone back, maybe she’ll send some of her drones on a wild goose chase.”

“What if the drones in Cloudsdale haven’t left yet? They’ll know you’re lying.”

“Okay, fine. Then tell them I’ve got to make sure my grandparents are okay in the White Tail Woods.”

“You can’t lure them off to a populated area. There are civilians there!”

“Hayseed Swamps?”

“Too far! They’ll never believe you.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” Charcoal exasperatedly burst.

“Your parents were tracking down mythical creatures long before you, right? I’ll say they mentioned something about aponies in the Unicorn Range. Open fields of nothingness, but it’s a large enough expanse that they’ll be searching forever. And if Chrysalis gets wind of another mythical species, I’m sure she’ll go to great lengths to make sure she gets there first.”

“That’s... brilliant...” Pound stuttered.

“What happened to the rule about civilian areas?” Charcoal challenged. Glitter laughed.

“Oh, Charcoal. Everypony knows that aponies live in Neighagra Falls.” Glitter batted her eyelashes as both boys’ jaws dropped. She could keep up the act no longer, and burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding, guys,” she cackled, wiping away a tear. “I didn’t even believe in Hippogryphs until today, and hippocampi? But the looks on your faces...” she exploded into another bout of laughter. Charcoal’s expression fell and he irritably sent her back.

“You totally believed her, didn’t you?” Pound challenged.

“So did you!”

“Aponies don’t actually exist though, right?” Charcoal looked straight ahead as he felt Glitter’s fire seek them out.

“’Course not.”

Chapter 66: Have Fun Storming the Castle

Chapter 66
Have Fun Storming the Castle

“Where do you think we are?” Pound Cake hissed.

“It’s a... closet. Glitter must have landed us inside the castle,” Charcoal grunted back as a mop fell over and conked him in the head. Indeed, the pair found themselves in a very dark, cramped room.

“How’d she even know this was here? Don’t tell me it was an accident- she needed good aim to put us right in the middle of a tiny closet, which also happens to be a very inconspicuous hiding spot.”

“I think it’s a bit cliché, actually,” Charcoal shrugged, righting the mop. “Hiding in a janitor’s closet... not very original.”

“But effective,” Pound pointed out, trying to climb over Charcoal to get to the door.

“As for how she knew about it,” Charcoal went on, pressed against the wall to allow him more room, “my guess is she remembered it the last time she came to Essence’s palace. She and Trixie have performed here several times before. Essence loves the new combination of magic and fire dancing. I wouldn’t doubt they’ve toured the palace or even stayed here before.”

“They’ve stayed over at Essence’s palace?” Pound disbelievingly and perhaps enviously looked to Charcoal, which was no small feat in the pitch-black room.

“You’ve slept over in Twilight’s castle,” Charcoal reminded. Pound eventually nodded agreement.

“Touché.” Finally reaching a mutual agreement to fall silent, Pound cracked open the door and the two peered out. Changelings were all filing past the door in a very unifom, orderly manner, the flow of traffic systematically splitting off every which way.

“Well, we’re in the castle, alright,” Charcoal determined.

“How are we supposed to get past all these changelings? Where are they all even coming from?” Charcoal dared crack the door open a little wider to expand his range of vision. There seemed to be a large window on the other side of the room that lead outside. Luckily, it was accompanied by even larger drapes.

“I can send you over to that window. See if you can spot anything. Stay behind the curtains and I think you should be okay,” Charcoal said. Pound nodded affirmation.

“Got it.” Pound stood stock still as his friend locked onto him with the magical fire and began to focus on the folds behind the curtain. There was a slight ripple beneath the fabric as Pound materialized beneath. His hooves poking out at the bottom served as evidence that he had arrived, but even they vanished as he clambered to the safety of the windowsill and produced a tsunami of waves traveling though the sheet.

Charcoal held his breath, praying that no one had noticed the swaying curtain. The movement did attract the attention of one changeling, but luckily, the material was so heavy that it didn’t take long to resettle. Seeing nothing of consequence, the drone dismissed it with a shrug. He quietly heaved a sigh of relief and pulled the door back another inch.

Charcoal quietly, patiently watched, waiting from some sort of signal from Pound. But none came. He longed to call out and ask what was going on, but that wasn’t possible without alerting every changeling in the palace. Every second felt like an hour, and his breath was becoming ragged with panic. ‘What’s going on over there, Pound?’ Charcoal’s breath caught in his throat until he worked out whether the voice had actually been audible or just in his head.

At long last, Pound poked his head around the curtain, pupils constricted pinpricks. Not even thinking of the changelings about him, he began wildly gesturing for Charcoal to join him. Thank Celestia the window protruded away from the hallway!

Charcoal’s door creaked a little wider, and he shook his head to remind Pound that he could not, in fact, join him by the window. Pound wasn’t deterred, and continued to wave for him, even more animatedly, with both arms this time.

“Come here,” Pound mouthed, trying to get the message across.

“No,” Charcoal mouthed back. Now Charcoal chose to remind him of the sea of changelings blocking his way. Next, Pound Cake performed some sort of dance, the meaning behind which Charcoal couldn’t even hope to guess.

The game of charades lasted a good few minutes, completely unnoticed by the drones. Well, the latter wasn’t entirely true. Quite amused by the display and overconfident in their immediate numbers, one drone halted traffic so that he and his comrades could witness the comical spectacle. It was a good minute after traffic had stopped at both ends of the hall did the intruders realize they had an audience.

Charcoal and Pound both froze in unison, realizing at the same instant that there were no more changelings obscuring the hallway. Slowly, their heads pivoted in opposite directions, each taking in the changelings at one end of the hallway. One particularly cocky drone even had the audacity to wave at them. Both boys gulped.

The changeling hissed to its comrades in a war cry, leading the charge. Now Charcoal finally accepted Pound’s invitation to the window.

“What took you so long?” Pound sarcastically hissed, now desperately banging on the thick glass. The powerful hooves that earned him a career in demolition were paying off now.

“Gee, guess I lost track of time,” Charcoal shot back in an equally satirical tone, power surging through his hooves. Fire blasted out in a wide semi-circle to hold off the changelings and buy Pound some time as he bashed the window. He didn’t need long. The windows blew out with an earth-shattering crack, and Charcoal and Pound were left to hover out in open air. The whole world stood still. The entire Everfree must have heard that. If Chrysalis hadn’t been alerted of their presence before, she surely did now. The changeling queen was, in fact, standing on a balcony below them.

Charcoal finally took in the sight Pound had been urging him to see. Hundreds and hundreds of prison wagons were all laid out in the palace courtyard alone, containing thousands and thousands of prisoners. His breath caught in his throat. Almost instinctively, his gaze was attracted to his Aunt Wild Flower and Uncle Cedar. They sadly peered up at him through the bars of the wagon’s cell. It wasn’t the sadness that got him so much as the disappointment. They never wanted to see him here. He let them down.

“Mom! Dad!”

“Pound Cake!” Pumpkin Cake cried, attention drawn to the prison the couple shared with their daughter and another colt. Pound blindly began to dive for his family, but they had forgotten about the changelings behind them, and were instantly reprimanded, hooves twisted behind their backs with barely any room for their wings to keep them airborne, especially in Charcoal’s case.

Chrysalis smiled wickedly up at her prisoners. Charcoal feared the worst.

“Bring them here,” she demanded orally, more for show of her prisoners than actual need. The changelings, on the other hoof, delivered the colts wordlessly, possibly acknowledging the order through the hive mind.

Both boys were unceremoniously dumped at the queen’s hooves, both almost completely encased in the vile goo as a precaution. Though Charcoal was uncomfortable, he knew evaporating the goop was futile, and opted to remain where he was. The queen regally stood over them, her sickeningly sweet smile more threatening than her insectoid appearance.

“What naughty boys,” she loudly cooed. “Haven’t your parents taught you that it’s rude to spy?”

“Didn’t your parents teach you it’s rude to attack defenseless ponies?” Pound shot back, struggling against the sticky green substance.

“You know that’s called invasion of privacy, not to mention breaking and entering?”

“You know that’s called ponynapping, not to mention theft, vandalism, treason... the list goes on and... mmph!” Pound wriggled even more vigorously as another glob of goo splatted over his mouth, serving as an effective gag.

“Oh, children,” Chrysalis exasperatedly groaned. She then kneeled right down into Pound Cake’s space. “I hate children,” she spat, possibly landing spittle on his face, though he was helpless to wipe it off. The queen righted herself again and continued to glare down at the two, finding special interest in Charcoal.

“So what’s the plan here, Chrysalis?” Charcoal chose to make wise use of both his time and freedom of speech. “You’re going to take over Equestria again? You know, I hear that didn’t work out too well for you last time.”

“Have you, now?” Chrysalis’ gaze pierced him like daggers, and Charcoal decided that he needed to make his questions less insulting unless he wanted a muzzle to match Pound’s.

“I’m just saying that you wouldn’t be so stupid as to make the same mistake twice,” he coolly corrected.

“Hmph. Smart boy. Acrylic raised you well.”

“Speaking of Mom, I don’t suppose you’ve seen her?”

“Oh, I’ve seen her alright,” Chrysalis cackled with an eerie echo to her voice. “The question you should be asking is, ‘can you see her’?”

“Can I?” Charcoal echoed, hope flickering in his voice.

“Manners, colt,” Chrysalis barked.

“May I?” he corrected, choosing not to point out that she hadn’t said it either.

“Well, if you really want to see your parents, I suppose a meeting could be arranged,” she slyly smiled. ‘If only he knew what he was getting into. He’s literally asking to join them!’

“What’s the catch?” Charcoal narrowed his eyes.

“No catch,” she sweetly sang. “Never let it be said that I deprived a mother of her child.” Many angry shouts rang out through the crowd at the sheer ridiculousness of this statement. Chrysalis looked out at her prisoners and frowned. “SILENCE!” Immediately, you could hear a pin drop.

“Mmph! Mmph!” Pound grunted. Charcoal interpreted his message.

“What about Pound Cake? He wants to see his family, too.”

“Well, if that’s what he really wants,” Chrysalis chuckled.

“TOPAZ, WHAT IS THIS?!”

“Kindling, dear,” Chrysalis smiled as the enraged, fiery destral barged through the doorway, an obviously humbled and frightened drone slinking after him. Charcoal gasped, and attempted to shrink back in his partial cocoon. Essence wasn’t the only destral after all!

“Intruders? And you didn’t think to inform me?” he angrily seethed.

“Who’s this?” Charcoal tried not to sound as scared as he felt.

“Why, my fiancé, Kindling Pyre, of course.”

“YOU USELESS OAF!” Kindling came very close to striking Chrysalis. “YOU DON’T ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS! THEY ANSWER OURS!”

“I’m sure he’ll make a great husband.” Charcoal knew he’d regret the remark, and flinched as the orange destral turned on him. Charcoal wasn’t sure if he was getting ready to plant a blow or just getting very animated, but Kindling paused with his hoof mid-air.

“You,” he slowly processed, gently setting his hoof back down. “You are the son of Acrylic, Element of Forgiveness?” Charcoal looked to Pound for a moment, who had become so sticky with goo it would have been hard to give any sort of response.

“I am,” he boldly replied at last. Kindling coldly turned back to Chrysalis.

“And you were to save this one for me,” he snapped.

“Why, I was, dearest,” she humbly assured, still wracked from his recent tantrum.

“Fink assured me that he detected a genuine promise to return him to his mother.”

“Fink? You... you named the drone?” Chrysalis looked both confused and horrified, glancing at Kindling’s shivering informant. Unlike all her other drones, who shared her blue and green shell, Kindling had even transformed this one to carry his red and orange colors, marking him as Kindling’s personal assistant. Usually a name was quite the topic of discussion in the hive mind, yet somehow, this had all gone over Chrysalis’ head. She must start paying better attention to the happenings of her subjects!

“I needed something to call the beastie,” Kindling rolled his eyes with a huff. “They all respond to ‘Drone’.”

“Looks like names are a growing trend. I’m sure you heard about Shift?”

“Very well... Fink, was correct,” she began, choosing to ignore Charcoal’s comment. “I was going to bring Charcoal to his parents. Not as though it could have done any harm.”

“COULDN’T DO ANY HARM?! To retrieve the boy, we would first have to unlock the entire orb! Do you realize just how dangerous it could be to release the Elements of Harmony, even for an instant? It could jeopardize everything we have worked for!” Charcoal attempted to make sense of anything he just heard, but received only a headache for his efforts.

“I’m sorry, Kindling.” Chrysalis kept her head bowed, and eyes trained downward. Char couldn’t believe his eyes. Chrysalis was afraid of him!

“Just complete the conversion,” he growled, removing the goo from Charcoal himself.

“Conversion? What’s that mean?” As promised, no one answered Charcoal this time.

“What of the other boy?” she quietly inquired, not wishing to cross him a second time. Kindling briefly considered the cream coated colt through narrowed eyes.

“What do I care? Put him back with his family, for all I care.”

“As you wish, dearest.” Two changelings released Pound from his sticky binds and carelessly tossed him at the cage containing his family. The three Cakes pressed close to the bars, all trying to climb over each other and reach Pound. Pumpkin finally succeeded in squeezing a hoof through the bars to touch his outstretched one. Mrs. Cake babbled about how worried she’d been while his father scolded him for putting himself in danger.

Chrysalis slowly strode to the edge of the balcony with what dignity she had left. Charcoal struggled against the telekinetic grip of his destral oppressor to see what was going on, but the only reason he actually lingered was because Kindling allowed it. In fact, he wanted the colt to witness what was about to take place. He held Charcoal high above the platform in his levitational magic so that would be sure to get a good view. Charcoal noted that Chrysalis was charging her horn for an incredibly powerful, widespread spell.

“PONIES OF EQUESTRIA!” she boomed, the entire courtyard cowering before her. “JUST AS I HAVE BEEN DENIED LOVE, SO SHALL YOU! NOW, YOU ALL BELONG TO ME!” Her spell exploded from the confinement of her horn with a boom that shook the entire castle. It washed over the prisoners in a fiery green shockwave. Charcoal could only watch in horror as the fire left cages of newly transformed changelings in its wake. Cries of distress, sickness, outrage and horror erupted through the courtyards. Many clutched their heads as the chorus of the hive mind for the first time.

Chrysalis grunted in irritation. Another spell was beginning to well up in her horn.

“SILENCE! You foals! You will serve ME!” Another, less powerful magical surge pulsed from her horn, and instantly, the crowd hushed. One by one, they all bowed to their queen.

“Pound?” Charcoal pleaded. The changeling that had once been his best friend now stared back through lifeless eyes.

Charcoal’s stomach churned. He wanted to vomit. He could barely recognize the face of his mutilated aunt, his marred friend. Blackened and fearful, hair reduced to stringy fins, wings shriveled to paper thin, see-through membranes, they barely retained any of the unique features he thought he knew so well. Worst of all, was that their cutie marks had all burned away in the transformation. They had lost their individuality. Their freedom. Charcoal had promised to save them. He had failed.

Charcoal fell from the air as Kindling released his hold.

“Hmm,” he almost triumphantly huffed as the colt lay shaking in a crumpled, broken heap, emotionally and physically defeated by the massacre he had just witnessed. He would pose no more of a threat.

“Fink,” he barked. The red-shelled changeling trembled in the fiery destral’s shadow.

“Y-yes, master?” it pitifully hissed.

“Bring our guest to my tower,” Kindling ordered.

“A-as you w-wish, master.” The changeling shivered at the mere thought of having to return to that awful tower, let alone leaving the young colt in that horrid room. But if he didn’t, Fink himself would end up like those poor, poor creatures.

Listen to him. The short time he had been disconnected from the hive combined with Kindling Pyre’s sheer cruelty were actually bringing out his emotions. Chrysalis would not be pleased if she knew.

Fink had little choice but to obey his new master, and slunk forth to retrieve the colt. Satisfied, Kindling began to head inside himself. Fink had gotten about as far as looping his hole-punched hoof through Charcoal’s elbow when the physical contact sparked something inside him. Charcoal jerked rather violently out of his stupor.

“No. NO!” He shook his head to clear it, already rearing up, hooves tinged in thestral fire. Kindling’s gaze snapped back, realizing he had underestimated the colt.

“NO!” Kindling roared, likewise rearing with flaming hooves. “FINK!” It was not a warning but a demand. Fink gulped, realizing what his master wanted. He shut his eyes, and grabbed on to Charcoal at the last second. In a flash of fire, both Charcoal and Fink were gone.

“GRAAAAAAAH!” Kindling sounded more like an animal than a pony as he came down on the floor, sending a massive crack tearing up the castle floor. At least he had planted a mole. He glared back to Chrysalis.

“Find him,” he seethed. “And give me a new drone.”

Chapter 67: Kindling's Mole

Chapter 67
Kindling’s Mole

“BUUUUUURRRP!”

“YAH!” Charcoal again found himself tumbling from his brother’s jaws, trying to kick off his changeling hitchhiker. This time, the changeling let go without much of a fight, and both struggled to catch themselves before they collided with one of the hippogryphs below. This time, Garble did manage to catch both ponies in his claws.

“Are you alright?” Glitter had obviously made it back alright, because she, Trixie, and Spectrum, now joined by Gilda, worriedly peered down at Garble’s clasped claws. The dragon began unfurling his talons before he realized one of his prisoners wasn’t particularly friendly.

“Changeling!” he gasped, carefully rearranging his fingers to release Charcoal, but keep the changeling pinned down.

“What is it with you and changeling stowaways?” Pierce jibed.

“You brought another?” Shift exclaimed, carefully feeling his way along Garble’s shoulder, still blindfolded. Trixie reached out to catch him before he went too far.

“Where’s Pound Cake?” Glitter searched the air for the missing pegasus. Charcoal stared blankly forward in Garble’s palm.

“Char?” Garble tenderly lifted him up, where Glitter and Trixie eased him onto the relatively solid surface of the dragon’s shoulder.

“Charcoal? What happened?” Glitter cooed, wrapping a wing about the distraught colt and putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“Changelings,” he rasped in a croaking, dry voice.

“What about them?”

“Did this guy do something to you?” Garble glared at the black and red form squirming in his palm. Soot swooped forward, his passengers clinging for dear life as he tore the changeling right out of Garble’s claws. “Hey!”

“I can take care of him,” Soot snarled, flames already tickling the corners of his mouth.

“N-no! D-don’t h-hurt me,” it pleaded, curling up as much as Soot’s tight grip would allow. Soot had no intention of listening to the changeling, but Fink changed hands yet again as Fizzle dove ahead. His passengers likewise lurched, and clung to his back.

“You moron,” he smacked the side of Soot’s head. “We can get information from him!”

“There’s nothing that insect can tell us that Shift can’t,” Vex pointed out.

“And I don’t want to work with any more changelings than we have to,” Clump agreed.

“I cannot hear much of what is going on in the hive at the moment,” Shift rubbed his head. “It is hard to hear over the insults they scream at me.”

“But if we reform this one, too, then they’ll scream insults at it, and then we’ll have two useless changelings.”

“Pierce! Shift is our friend!” Glitter indignantly gasped.

“Please! Master Charcoal! Tell them I did not do it,” Fink wheezed, trying to lift some of the pressure from Fizzle’s iron grip.

“Master Charcoal?”

“Didn’t do what?”

“Char?” The green colt was still staring dead ahead, but Glitter gently guided his gaze to meet hers.

“She... turned them all into changelings. Wild Flower. Cedar. The Cakes. All of them.”

“She what?” Garble didn’t even sound angry- just broken.

“Oh my goodness!” Glitter recoiled in horror, retreating into Trixie’s consoling embrace with a hoof still clamped over her mouth, denial in her eyes. Gilda’s, too, filled with sympathy.

“Char... I’m so sorry.”

“Pound Cake... is gone?” Spectrum sagged, fear and grief causing him to collapse.

“So that’s it? It’s over? There’s nothing we can do?”

“We might as well surrender now! It’s hopeless!”

“No, it isn’t!” Trixie raised her voice, demanding attention. “Listen to yourselves! We can’t give up! We might not have been able to save everyone, but there are still thousands of ponies the changelings haven’t gotten to yet. We can save them.”

“Trixie is right,” Gilda agreed. “We can’t just surrender! Where’s the honor in that? We can’t let everypony else down. Right now, we’re their only hope.”

“And who knows? With the right spell, we might even be able to save the changeling-ponies,” Trixie suggested.

“Is that even possible?” Glitter gasped.

“Almost anything is possible through magic,” Trixie shrugged. “Though, Twilight will know better than me, once we get her back.”

“Unless they’ve been turned to changelings, too,” Spectrum glumly pointed out.

“I don’t think so,” Charcoal shook his head. “Chrysalis was going to take me to her, but then this weirdo, Kindling Pyre, came in and started yelling at her. He said that to get me back out of the prison they’re keeping them in would mean temporarily releasing the Elements, and he wasn’t going to risk setting them free for a second. He’s not taking any chances.”

“Whoa, hold it right there. This Kindling Pyre actually yelled at Chrysalis? And got away with it?”

“Get this- she’s engaged to him. He’s not under a spell or anything- I guess he agreed of his own free will.”

“ENGAGED?!”

“Who in the hay is this guy?”

“He’s a destral.”

“Leave it to Chrysalis to marry the most powerful pony around.”

“Oh, great. Another evil, all-powerful villain we have to defeat.”

“Two, actually, one with an army of minions.”

“Without the Elements of Harmony.”

“But we have an army of our own,” Gilda pointed out, gesturing to the hundreds of hippogryphs soaring around them. “And we’re on our way to recruit even more.”

“I still don’t think we’ll have enough ponies to match Chrysalis’ army.”

“It’s not numbers that matter. It’s strategy. And information,” Charcoal glared at Fink, who gulped. “That’s Kindling’s personal puppet. He’s bound to have information for us.”

“I cannot detect this changeling in the hive mind at all, even above the clamor,” Shift noted aloud, brow visibly furrowed beneath Trixie’s cape.

“Shift? They already know where we’re headed. You can drop the blindfold.”

“I do not want to give away any more identities than I already have.”

“I don’t think your buddy here is so concerned,” Fizzle snorted, chucking the changeling at the group. Fink’s wings were not large enough to catch him in time, and he skidded along Garble’s scales. Spectrum pinned him in an instant, rage and anger over their lost friend welling up inside. Fink whimpered and shielded his face, pleading for Spectrum not to strike him.

“As I said, I do not believe he is even connected to the hive mind,” Shift rephrased the message.

“No! I’m not!” Fink pleaded.

“Changelings do not show emotion, either. This one is different,” Shift assessed, keeping his voice level. Inside, he was thrilled. Another like him? But he wouldn’t let his hopes up just yet. This could just as easily be a trick.

“Why aren’t you connected to the hive mind?” Charcoal narrowed his eyes.

“I was Kindling’s personal servant and aid. He cast a spell that disconnected me from the main hive,” the changeling quivered. “He calls me Fink.”

“Even Kindling named him a tattle tale!” Pierce exclaimed, emphatically smacking his head.

“You really think we can trust him?”

[You must get them to trust you.] Fink nearly jumped as the one voice he could still hear entered his mind. He was disconnected from the main hive, true, but he hadn’t told the ponies that Kindling could now hear anything and everything he thought or said.

“Why would Kindling disconnect you from the hive?” Charcoal continued the interrogation. Fink tensed. What could he say? His master would surely kill him if he revealed the truth.

[You useless oaf! Come up with something!]

[What should I say, Master?]

[Tell them...] Even Kindling had to be careful of what he said. One of Chrysalis’ drones was still eavesdropping. He probably still had some time before she found out; he had convinced her to allow Fink to monitor Shift’s thoughts 24/7, so unless another drone happened to pick up on the conversation and relay it to Chrysalis, the information would be safe. Still, it was only a matter of time before word reached her. Now she would be alerted to the fact that he had disconnected one of her drones. This would definitely cause new trust issues. Ugh, that troublesome freak was always getting in the way of his plans!

“Well?” Gilda suspiciously glared at him, and primed her talons. Fink shrank away from her, but beckoned for Charcoal to come close. The colt cautiously did so.

“The drone,” Fink whispered into his ear, nodding at Shift. “I cannot betray the information to Chrysalis.” Just as Kindling could read Fink’s thoughts, Fink could read Kindling’s. The destral definitely hoped Chrysalis hadn’t posted a second drone to listen in on Shift. The information was safe, but his behavior was still suspicious. He may have to get rid of the changeling queen sooner than he thought. Right now, though, he really needed to get rid of her mole, Shift.

“Fine,” Charcoal tersely nodded, accepting the explanation as reasonable. Spectrum took this as a gesture to finally release Fink. “How did he disconnect you from the hive mind?”

“Kindling Pyre is a powerful and brilliant master,” Fink humbly bowed. “He knows great magic.”

“So it was a spell,” Trixie mused. “I wonder if Runestone could work out how he did it. For Shift,” she nodded at the other changeling. Shift instantly perked up, the thought of getting the accursed voices out of his head a very welcome one. This gave Kindling an idea.

[Tell them you can teach them this spell,] he ordered.

[Master?!]

[I will give you the instructions when the time comes,] Kindling rolled his eyes. [Just do it, you incompetent foal!]

“I know how to recreate the spell,” Fink all-too-quickly offered. “I can teach you!”

“You can?” Charcoal raised an eyebrow.

“Why would you do that?” Fink paused again, waiting for direction, but none came. His master wasn’t going to come up with a whole script for him.

“I wish to be like Shift,” he slowly came up with the dialogue himself. “Free of the hive. Free of Chrysalis.”

“I thought you worked for Kindling, now.”

“They are one and the same to me.” The gang exchanged glances.

“Well? What do you think?”

“I would feel much better if Shift could make sure he’s telling the truth,” Spectrum growled.

“You came to trust Shift without anyone to read his mind,” Fink desperately pointed out.

“He has a point,” Glitter shrugged.

“I’m with you, Charcoal,” Gilda decided. “You’re the one that got us all into this. I’ll trust whatever you decide.”

“Same here,” Spectrum piped up.

“Me?” Charcoal had organized the effort, sure, but being nominated its captain was a bit much to take in. He was only fifteen!

Everyone was looking to him for the final verdict, now. Charcoal took a deep breath.

“Could you teach the spell to Trixie?” Fink considered the unicorn mare.

“A more experienced, more powerful unicorn will be required for this spell,” he assessed. Trixie turned up her nose with an indignant huff.

“Then we’ll meet up with Runestone to perform the spell when we land. If it works, then-”

“Charcoal?” Regret was plastered on Glitter’s face. “Runestone isn’t coming. The whole changeling incident in Cloudsdale has him paranoid. He doesn’t believe it’s really me. And he said that even if I was telling the truth, he said it’s impossible to safely transfer that many ponies such a long distance.” Charcoal’s heart sank. Runestone was their best hope.

“Very well. We’ll just have to find somepony else powerful enough to perform the same spell. If the spell works, then we’ll know you’re telling the truth.”

“Fair enough,” Garble decided.

“Thank you, Master Charcoal,” Fink dipped into another bow. Charcoal uneasily shifted.

“But don’t do that,” he requested.

“As you wish, Master.”

“And don’t call me ‘master’.”

“Very well... Charcoal.” Using such a familiar, informal title for his superior was an alien concept to Fink. But the colt finally received the acknowledgement with a curt nod.

With that, Charcoal nestled between Garble’s scales, lay down, and closed his eyes. Heckley and Bandit both attempted to console the obviously miserable colt, but to no avail. Bandit squeezed his nose under Charcoal’s jaw, and once his head was through, it was relatively easy to worm the rest of his body between his owner’s hooves. Bandit provided a pillow, and Heckley likewise fashioned himself into a rather odd scarf. The three lay in compatible silence, hoping that by chance, sleep might befall them. But even with his pets’ comforting presence, Charcoal would not sleep. Not after what he had witnessed today.

Gilda, the strongest flier, returned to the air to make room for a passenger that needed the rest far more than she. Glitter also followed her, as did Spectrum, while Trixie settled in. Shift readjusted his grip on the one hoofhold that kept him from blindly wandering, and Fink cautiously sat down. His heart pounded. He had successfully infiltrated the resistance force.

Kindling smirked to himself. Teaching these ponies the spell would disconnect Shift from the hive, thereby terminating Chrysalis’ source of information. He would not have control of the changeling, either, though; Shift would be completely free. But perhaps it was for the best. Kindling was not convinced that Shift would be as obedient as Fink. And besides, what could one free changeling do to stop him?

[You have done well,] Kindling praised. [Perhaps you are not as useless as I previously thought.] Fink shuddered. Kindling and Chrysalis weren’t the same at all. Kindling was far, far worse. If only he truly could be free of his tyranny.

But it could never be so. Even far from Kindling’s reach, the destral still had a hold on him. If he even considered betraying his master, Kindling would use their psychic link to transmit a termination spell, therefore ending his life. He was not really Kindling’s assistant, or even his servant. He was a slave.

Chapter 68: Tall Tale Beach

Author's Note

A/N: I found an actual role for Doctor Whooves instead of just easter eggs! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Doctor Who, you just need to know that the Doctor is an alien who travels through time and space (usually with a companion) in a time machine that looks like a police box. It’s bigger on the inside. He also has a device called a sonic screwdriver that convieniently does just about anything you could ever need- it picks locks, fixes things, scans, and has a multitude of other purposes (although it doesn’t work on wood). And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the basic rundown of Doctor Who. (A lot of it doesn’t make sense even to whovians, so don’t feel bad if you don’t quite follow.)

Chapter 68: Tall Tale Beach

Chapter 68
Tall Tale Beach

“We’re here! You guys, we’re finally here!” Spectrum joyously whooped, pointing to the tiny shapes of boats they could see floating on the water.

“Alright!” Hawk Stripe and Winter Green high-hoofed.

“Garble, can you lead everyone south, just outside the town?” Charcoal requested.

“What?! You know there are a whole swarm of changelings right on our tail, right?”

“I know, I know. But we’re going to freak a lot of ponies out if we just land in the middle of town with a hundred supposedly-extinct hippogryphs. I’ll take a few ponies in, give them a head’s up, and come back for everyone else. And besides, it’ll give you guys a few minutes to rest.”

“The town’s barely ten-twenty minutes out,” Fizzle protested.

“You’ve been flying for two days straight,” Charcoal sternly reminded. “Even dragons have to rest.”

“I agree with that statement,” Pierce raised a claw. The others rolled their eyes. He’d been complaining of sore wings for the last two hours. Though no one else had actually voiced complaints, it was evident that everyone was weary not just from flying 48 hours straight but carrying the weight of so many passengers as well.

“Alright,” Garble sighed, obediently folding his wings into a dive. He and the other five massive dragons led the rainbow flock to land in a clear patch along the uninhabited coastline.

“What if the changelings catch up to us before you get back?” Clump challenged.

“Then go ahead and come on in,” Charcoal sighed. “I’ll take Trixie. Hopefully the unicorns will have a barrier set up before then.”

“Those barriers are designed to keep changelings out,” Shift reminded.

“Right... I guess you and Fink will have to come with us before it’s set up. But... in disguise, please?”

“Who would you like me to change into, Charcoal?” Fink asked.

“Uh... I don’t know... could you come up with an original body?”

“I suppose it is possible,” Shift reasoned. His green fire soon engulfed his body, leaving a blue and green-maned pegasus stallion with the temporary cutie mark of crashing waves- an ode to the town, no doubt- behind. Fink also flared up, opting for a black and orange-maned thestral stallion with a fire cutie mark.

“And Shift? I know you don’t want to give us away, but you’re going to look really weird in a blindfold.”

“You can wear my hat, if you like,” Trixie offered, reclaiming the cape and replacing it with her wide-brimmed hat. Shift pulled it as far over his eyes as he could without completely blinding himself.

“Alright. Trixie, Glitter, Spectrum, Shift and Fink are with me. Gilda, could you...?” Charcoal broadly gestured to the weary flock, requesting that she take care of things here. She nodded understandingly.

“I got it,” Gilda winked. She even waited for Bandit and Heckley to climb down from Charcoal’s back and transfer to her before taking off.

“You guys might want to set up some sort of watch system,” Charcoal suggested. “You know, to keep an eye out for changelings.”

“Already on it,” River Rush called as she, Hawk Stripe and Winter Green zoomed past. “Don’t worry ‘bout it.”

“We got it covered,” Hawk agreed.

“We’ll make this quick,” Charcoal promised, starting off with his train. “And Garble? Get some rest, would you?”

“Yes, Mother,” his brother rolled his eyes. When Charcoal looked back, however, he was pleased to find that Garble was taking his advice and curling up for a nap.

“Hey, Charcoal, are you alright?” Glitter rested a hoof on his shoulder, holding him back.

“Yeah, fine,” he shrugged her off. “Why wouldn’t I be?” He knew the answer as well as she.

“I know Pound Cake was your best friend. I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” he flattened his ears and shut his eyes in an effort to block out the painful memory. Regaining his composure, he waved to the rest of his gang. “Let’s move out.”

There was only one unicorn in their company, so to speed things up, Trixie hitched a ride with Glitter Shine. Without the dragons to take them the rest of the way, their travel time was greatly reduced. The trip that would have taken the dragons an additional twenty minutes took Charcoal almost double that. His heart was racing by the time they arrived, fearful that the changelings may have caught up by now. Despite his aching wings, Charcoal’s legs carried him as quickly as they could through the town. Only the disciplined changelings were able to keep up.

“EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!” he called as they tore through the streets, trying to gain the attention of as many ponies as possible. These folks obviously hadn’t gotten wind of the changeling crisis yet, for they stared at the group as though they were crazy. Charcoal finally stopped near the center of the town, climbing atop a random, probably decorative blue police box sitting outside The Unbridled Inn. It would suit his purposes just fine.

“EVERYPONY!” he called out again. He had attracted a small crowd by now, but only a few ponies seemed even mildly interested. Even if this pitiful number believed him, it wouldn’t be nearly enough to persuade the whole town. And they would need everypony’s help.

“HEY!” He let a pulse of fire explode through his hooves, just whizzing over the ponies’ ears. Everyone froze. He finally had their attention.

“Oy!” the door to the police box below him creaked open, and two ponies stepped out. Charcoal didn’t even think two ponies would fit in there. Even stranger was that he recognized them. “Get down from there! You’ll scuff the roof, if you haven’t already singed it!” Time Turner demanded.

“Er... sorry,” Charcoal stuttered, hopping down.

“Charcoal?” Ditzy squinted at him through crossed eyes. “Shouldn’t you be in Ponyville?”

“I was trying to explain,” Charcoal grunted in irritation. “Ponyville’s been taken over by changelings!” he spoke loudly so the rest of the town could hear. Gasps of horror rippled through the much larger audience.

“Changelings, you say?” Time Turner’s interest was piqued. “Please, go on.” Charcoal again turned to the collection of ponies around him.

“Chrysalis has kidnapped all five princesses,” he announced. “As well as the Elements of Harmony. She’s seized not just Ponyville, but also Baltimare and parts of Canterlot and Fillydelphia. She captured their residents and...” Charcoal faltered, horrific memories again seeping into his mind. “She’s turned them into changelings, too.”

This statement received mixed responses from the crowd. Some cried out in despair, horror, fear, anger, outrage, disbelief, or a combination.

“It can’t be true!”

“We’re all doomed!”

“The colt is lying! He must be lying!”

“No, it’s true!” Spectrum desperately put in.

“Lies! All lies!” Time Turner rolled his eyes at the incompetence of the ponies they were dealing with, and brought out a small, cylindrical silver device topped off by a blue bulb. He pointed it in the air, clenched between his teeth in such a way he could still press the button at the bottom. The device glowed and emanated an ear-splitting screech. Even Charcoal covered his ears. The sound also attracted a few ponies from within the hotel, at the front of which came a blue unicorn stallion with a grizzly brown beard and matted hair.

“OY!” the brown earth pony shouted. “Show some respect! This colt not only warned you about the coming threat, but I’ll bet by the Time Lords of Gallifrey that he has a plan.” Time Turner quickly shimmied up to the thestral’s side, and instantly hushed his voice. “You do have a plan, don’t you?”

“I, er... yes?”

“Ah, good lad. That would have looked a mite embarrassing if you didn’t,” he chuckled, lightly draping an arm around his neck. When Charcoal just continued to stare at him, he looked to the colt again. “You might want to explain that plan, now.”

“Er... right. The first part of the plan is pretty simple. We need to set up a magical barrier around Tall Tale Beach to protect us from the changelings. Trixie here has performed the spell before, but she’ll need some additional help to maintain a shield that large. We need every able unicorn to help out.

“The second part of the plan is where things get weird. You’re just going to have to trust me. My mom and dad had this hobby... they liked to research all sorts of mythical creatures: hippogryphs, hippocampi, aponies, you name it.” He looked around at the skeptical faces around him, and realized that he was quickly losing their interest. “The thing is, some of those creatures weren’t actually so mythical.” The crowds finally groaned in disappointment, their hope and faith in the colt lost. Even Time Turner wasn’t sure how to regain their attention.

“Sorry, Charcoal,” Ditzy apologized. “But it does seem a bit far fetched.”

“The lad’s right!” the blue unicorn from the hotel stepped forth. “I’ve seen ‘em with me own eyes! The merponies exist!”

“Enough with you and your babbling, Water Mark!” someone groaned. “Your father’s ship sank in a freak storm. The ‘merponies’ had nothing to do with it!” Water Mark scowled.

“We have proof!” Charcoal spoke up. The crowd stared at him expectantly. “Well... not of the hippocampi, but they aren’t the only ones that actually exist. Hippogryphs are real, too.”

“You’re spouting a bunch of hooey!” someone accused.

“It’s true! We’ve brought the whole flock all the way from the Foal Mountains!”

“If you’re telling the truth, then where are they?”

“They’re with my brother, just south of here. We wanted to give you a head’s up before a couple hundred hippogryphs and six dragons landed on your shores. You’re welcome.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Charcoal felt fire tickling his hooves. As if on cue, a message fluttered through.

“Oh, boy. It looks like you’ll have your proof soon enough. They’re on their way,” Charcoal’s pupils shrank to miniscule dots. “The changelings are on their way.”

“I need every available unicorn!” Trixie instantly took charge of the situation. “We have to set up the barrier!”

“At least one decent idea has come of the conversation,” a unicorn stallion sighed, stepping forward. Many more horned ponies stepped forward, and Trixie began organizing her teams.

“Are there any more thestrals here?” Glitter also called. Only three came forward. “My parents told me once that the thestrals somehow managed to devise magical barriers during the second uprising. I don’t know how they did it, but without unicorns, they must have done it through fire dancing. Let’s see if we can figure out how they did it.” The thestrals nodded and followed her to another corner where they could converse privately. “Charcoal, aren’t you coming?”

“No. I have to find the hippocampi,” he shook his head.

“But you don’t even know where they are! If you’re outside the barrier by the time the changelings arrive...” she bit her lip.

“I know,” he flattened his ears. “But I know they’re out there.”

“I might be able to help,” Water Mark stepped forward. “I’ve seen them before. I can point you in the general direction.”

“Great!” Charcoal almost jumped for joy.

“Ooh, can we come, too?” Ditzy hopefully put in.

“But Ditzy-!”

“You promised me a planet of muffins, Doctor,” Ditzy accused, pointing a hoof directly between his eyes. “Instead, we end up at Tall Tale Beach. Hippocampi aren’t nearly as tasty as muffins, but it’s the next best thing.” She crossly folded her arms and turned away, nose pointed in the air.

“Oh, fine,” he sighed.

“Ooookay,” Charcoal shuffled away. Those two sure were strange. “Oh, and Trixie? Keep an eye out for any unicorns that might be able to help Shift and Fink,” he gestured in the direction of their two friends. Trixie gave a nod of acknowledgement.

“This way,” Water Mark was already waiting for them at the edge of the crowd. Charcoal, Ditzy Doo, and Time Turner ducked after him.

Water Mark wasn’t exactly a young stallion, around his parents’ age, but for an older gentlecolt, he sure was sprightly. It also helped that he knew the roads like the back of his hoof. They had made it off the main roads and to the boardwalk in no time. Even when they had left the path, Water Mark didn’t stop for a second. Charcoal was wheezing by the time they arrived on the small, secluded beach, but then again, he had also been traveling all morning.

“This is where I saw ‘em last,” the unicorn informed.

“Well, we can’t just wait around for them to show up again,” Time Turner pointed out. “It could be days, weeks, months before they pop up here.”

“My parents were on their honeymoon when they first met the hippocampi,” Charcoal spoke more to himself than his company. Water Mark tensed. “They said that they spent most of their time on an island with the hippocampi... Mr. Mark, are there any islands nearby that you can think of?”

“There’s a whole string of them a bit of a ways out,” Water Mark slowly nodded. “We always lose our ships trying to make it out that way, though. But colt, you said your parents were on their honeymoon?”

“That’s right,” Charcoal cocked his head in curiosity. “Why?”

“I think I knew ‘em,” Water Mark turned away in shame at the memory. “They started off stayin’ at my inn, The Unbridled. I’ve ‘bout forgotten their names, though...” he scratched his head. “Bah! She was a gray mare and he’s a brown stallion, a giraffe of a one, though. ‘Bout as tall as Luna herself.”

“Acrylic and Torchwood! That’s them!” Charcoal exclaimed.

“Right you are, son. I do believe those were their names.”

“You helped my parents find the hippocampi?” Charcoal beamed. How fitting that the same stallion would help him now! Water Mark flattened his ears.

“Well... not exactly.”

“Enough chit chat! We‘re running out of time!” Time Turner interrupted.

“Right,” Charcoal turned his focus back to the task at hoof. “So you could take us, Mr. Mark?”

“That I can, lad, but as I said, none of our boats can get close to those islands. The hippocampi always turn us back before we can get that close.”

“We don’t have time to take a boat. We’ll have to fly.” The mere thought of carrying another passenger made Charcoal’s wings feel about a hundred pounds heavier, but the thought of Pound Cake spurred him on. He wasn’t going to let anypony else end up like that.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, lad, but I don’t think you or this young lady have it in you to carry two full-grown stallions across open ocean,” Water Mark pointed out, nodding in the direction of the clumsy mare and the second wingless pony.

“Oh.” Charcoal slumped.

“I can carry us in a levitation hold, but I’m ‘fraid I’m not so talented as some folks. You two will have to steer us,” Water Mark offered. Charcoal perked back up. That wouldn’t take much effort at all.

“Yeah! We can do that!”

“Alright,” Water Mark nodded, his horn glowing the same sea green hue as his eyes.

“Whoa!” Time Turner sought to adjust to a new center of balance as Water Mark’s aura lifted him up. Water Mark looped arms with the stallion, and Charcoal likewise gripped Water Mark’s hoof. Ditzy found a hold on Time Turner.

“Straight ahead, boy,” Water Mark nodded ahead, towards the open ocean. Charcoal took a deep breath. He nodded to Ditzy, and as best as they could, the pegasus mare and thestral colt took off, passengers in tow.

“We’ll be gettin’ close, now,” Water Mark called.

“You said that ten minutes ago,” Charcoal grumped, tugging them out of the way of another wave.

“I’ve never seen waves so high out in open water!” Time Turner exclaimed.

“That’ll be the hippocampi,” Water Mark explained. “They’re warnin’ us to turn back.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Charcoal gritted his teeth, using the warm ocean air to soar ever higher.

“There! The first of the islands!” Water Mark pointed to a small swatch of land poking out of the ocean ahead.

“Watch out!” Time Turner yelped as the biggest wave yet reached up to greet them. There wasn’t time to veer away.

“Hang on!” Mark increased the diameter of his levitation bubble, enveloping both Charcoal and Ditzy. The wave crashed over them, but the protective bubble kept them in place. The wave harmlessly passed over the four ponies. Mark released his hold so their guides could continue steering them for the land mass, but another wave rose up. The process was repeated as wave after wave crashed over them, and progress became painstakingly slow. But at long last, the beach appeared beneath them.

“We made it!”

“Thank goodness!” Ditzy exclaimed, easing Time Turner down to the ground. Water Mark released his hold, and all four ponies landed on the soft sand. The quartet took in the tropical paradise around them.

“I think I remember Mom talking about a grove somewhere inland,” he stated.

“Well, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go!” Time Turner cheerfully began trotting ahead.

“No!” A fifth voice interrupted the ponies, and they all stopped and turned to the face of a fuming hippocampi. She had a lavender coat and a mane of green and purple that drooped to one side, still dripping with water. Her forehooves dug into the sand and propelled her forward in a sea lion sort of fashion, enormous tail bent beneath her as a third leg. The image of a swirling vortex, a whirlpool, was plastered about where her hips would be if she had hind legs. The mare pushed right up into poor Ditzy’s face, and the wall-eyed mare nervously crept backwards.

“Who do you think you are, barging in like that? You land ponies think you’re entitled to anything and everything. Well, this is our turf, so back off!”

“Incredible! They exist! Look at this, Ditzy!”

“I’m looking.”

“It’s a real, live hippocampus! That’s brilliant!” Time Turner giddily exclaimed, pulling out his cylindrical device once more- he called it a sonic screwdriver- and running it over the mare. “Fascinating!” The mare let Ditzy off the hook and invaded Time Turner’s personal space next.

“I’ve dedicated my life to keeping you land ponies away from this place. I won’t have my perfect track record blemished by the likes of you!”

“Spotless?” Charcoal raised an eyebrow in amusement. He knew this mare. His mother had drawn plenty of sketches of all their hippocampi friends. He just never knew they had been actual ponies until now. “How could you forget about Acrylic and Torchwood, Whirl Pool?” The mare jumped back in surprise, but just as quickly recovered and began interrogating the thestral colt.

“Who are you? They promised never to tell anypony! What’ve you done with them?”

“Cool it, Whirl Pool,” a sixth mare pulled herself from the ocean. This one had a bold orange coat, a blue-tipped mohawk and a hippocampi tail. “Don’t you remember him?” Whirl Pool backed away from the colt to get a better view. Though she scrutinized every inch of his body, no sign of recognition registered on her face. “It’s Charcoal! Charcoal Stormwood! Acrylic’s kid?”

“NO WAY!” Whirl Pool leapt back, attitude changed from suspicion and anger to amazement and surprise in ten seconds flat. “But you were so tiny!”

“That was almost fifteen years ago, Pool,” the mare laughed. “Sorry about those killer waves, by the way. My bad. But the patrol’s gotta do whatever it takes to keep ponies away from this place. We almost drowned your parents the first time they came,” she chuckled at the embarrassing memory. “We tried to be a little more careful with who we turned off after that. You’ve grown so much since we last saw you, I almost didn’t recognize you, though! Your parents stopped taking you to see us, but I knew it was only a matter of time before you found your way back.”

“You... did?” Charcoal awkwardly chuckled, considering the mare he believed to be High Tide.

“Well, it is a major secret to keep from your kids. I figured you’d do some digging of your own at some point, you know, to find out what they were keeping from you. And with your parents researching all sorts of extinct creatures, it must run in the family.”

“I guess you could say that.”

“But I was hoping you’d come with just your family,” High Tide disapprovingly glared at the other three intruders. Ditzy shrank behind Time Turner, and Water Mark was still trying to inconspicuously hide his face.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he apologized, “but I needed someone to help me find you pronto. It’s not just curiosity that brought me here. I- we- need your help.”

“Wait! We should get Current and the others first,” Whirl Pool interrupted.

“Good idea,” High Tide nodded, turning back for the sea. “I’ll go round up everypony and meet you in the lagoon. You take them there.”

“No way! I’m fastest. I’ll go get them, you babysit.”

“Fine,” Tide rolled her eyes. Not that she had much of a choice- Whirl Pool was already diving beneath the waves.

“Actually,” Water Mark spoke, “Charcoal already has history with you hippocampi folk. Your friends will probably be more comfortable if he goes alone. I think the rest of us should wait here.”

“But... hippocampi!” Time Turner whined. Ditzy sharply elbowed him.

“Doctor?”

“Oh, fine,” he disappointedly groaned.

“Fine. We’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Not going to be a problem.”

“Come on, Charcoal. The lagoon is this way.” High Tide held some brush aside for him.

“See you later, then,” Charcoal didn’t want to keep the mare waiting, and ducked after her into the ferns.

Chapter 69: King Trident

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Chapter 70: Negotiations

Chapter 70
Negotiations

As promised, Water Mark renewed his spell every eight minutes or so to be safe, and additionally adjusted their ear pressure as needed. The trip was completed in silence. Though Water Mark’s spell would allow them to breathe underwater, it did not enable speech. Time Turner learned this the hard way.

Charcoal soon realized that the hippocampi didn’t need to speak to be able to communicate. They had worked out an entire secondary communication system through body language. What he first mistook to be an elegant flick of a tail or a graceful spin actually turned out to be a conversation between the five remaining mares. To say he was fascinated by this unique sign language would have been an understatement.

They all took turns towing the passengers to speed things up, and often changed up who was towing who just for the fun of it. Each had their own style of travel, too. Kelpie tended to take her passenger slowly, pointing out the most scenic areas, while Jet Stream had more fun spinning with her partner or showing them some other trick along the way. Whoever traveled with Whirl Pool always ended up in the lead, as she preferred to travel quickly and efficiently. High Tide’s partner tended to travel closer to the surface, and whenever possible, the waves were used to their advantage and add momentum. Cascade preferred to use the currents not only to do the work for her, but also to make her fins flutter and shimmer as she not-so-subtly showed off.

The first portion of the trip was enjoyable, considering the only additional traffic consisted of a couple schools of fish, a pair of manta rays and once a passing dolphin pod. But as they neared their destination, however, the train began to encounter more and more hippocampi. To say they were shocked would be an understatement. Charcoal did learn, however, that the frantic waving of their head fins typically indicated fear. The nervous twitching of their flukes also seemed to indicate urgency. A few even darted off back the way they came, perhaps to warn the rest of the pod or the king himself. The grim, fearful expressions of their guides informed Charcoal that this was a very real possibility.

They were deep underwater by now, farther out in the ocean than Charcoal would be able to travel back on his own. The land ponies were now completely dependent on the hippocampi to deliver them back home. On the bright side, the farther out they traveled, the more ponies they encountered. Charcoal hoped this meant they would find King Trident’s palace soon.

Charcoal had only read about the abrupt oceanic drop-off’s where the reef suddenly gave way to deep water. Yet it was in one such recess that the city appeared to be located. Charcoal did wonder if it had been artificially constructed, however, because while the recess was nearly the size of Canterlot, it still formed a near-perfect circle.

Instead of dark and murky water, luminescent anemones lined every inch of the shelf not occupied by barnacle-coated houses. Round, hollow, bulbous structures absolutely covered the walls, each pod housing small hippocampus families. Charcoal thought they looked like the bulbs a giant coral plant, and if Trident’s power over the sea was as absolute as he had heard, they very well could have been.

However, the natural coral residences were only located on the sides of the crater-like abyss. Even this great number of homes were not enough to accommodate all of King Trident’s subjects. Immense pillars of rock that could have only been hoof-made reached up from the sea floor, more modular homes embedded in the sides. Additional lighting also grew along these columns, and a few, much smaller poles consisted of nothing but luminescent plants. All together, the anemones provided enough illumination to simulate daylight. What really stood out, though, was the castle.

The walls were entirely coated in a thin layer of phosphorus algae, causing the magnificent architecture to shine like a beacon. Spires curled and twisted upward like tentacles grasping for prey, completely covered in coral, or perhaps created from the material. The palace itself was a giant dome, The roof plated in gold or some similarly colored substance. Fine gems, though mostly pearls, were embedded in the finely crafted moldings, and every inch of the wall had been embossed with intricate carvings or tile. Though concealed beneath the ocean waves, the castle was no less extravagant than any of the other royal princesses’.

Somepony had most definitely alerted the King of their arrival, for while wide-eyed civilians peered out from the safety of their entryways, a train of royal guardsponies now flooded from the castle to greet the intruders, spears pointed. Upon being surrounded from every angle with the pointy sticks, the five hippocampus mares stopped, raised their hooves in surrender and lowered their eyes, probably a sign of submission. Time Turner kicked out at his fellow land ponies to do the same. The motion must have satisfied the royal guards, because the spears were put away, and each of the nine traitors were led off by their own pair of escorts. No one put up a fight, mainly because they were still headed directly where they wanted to go anyway. The guards were leading them directly to the castle.

A pair of sentries closed the heavy, pearl-studded doors after them, and Charcoal’s eyes needed a moment to adjust to the darkness. Unlike the outside of the castle, which was almost blinding to look at, the interior was dimly lit. A few select pillars had been coated in the glowing algae to provide minimal light, and a couple deliberately placed anemones served as torches. The guards led them straight back through the dark hallway. There seemed to be additional passageways beyond the glowing pillars, but when Charcoal tried to look back, he could make out only blackness. The amount of light did increase, however, as they approached another set of extravagant doors. Charcoal assumed they could only lead to King Trident’s throne room.

Another pair of sentries opened the doors for the parade to pass through. Light gushed from the crack in the doors, and it took Charcoal a moment to make out anything in the room. It was enormous, at least considering how little it held. The walls were ringed with balconies, however, stacking three rows of seats like a stadium. Unlike uncomfortable bleachers, however, only a select few seats were posted on each level, and each were magnificently crafted. Only a few were currently occupied with hippocampi that could only be nobles or perhaps even royals. But it was evident who was in charge. The most extravagantly adorned hippocampus sat in a luxurious throne directly across from the door on the top tier. He glared down at his prisoners with the intensity only a leader could muster.

The stallion had a bright teal coat, and a very square, pronounced jawline. His mane was not as closely trimmed as most land stallions would cut their hair, and rows upon rows of golden fins ran down his neck. His cutie mark must have set the royal emblem, for the same trident marked on his flank had also been plastered on the guards’ armor. He had a high forehead, though this trait was almost disguised by the golden band and coral crown around it. In fact, he was almost covered in the expensive jewelry, thick golden bracelets clasped around his forehooves and tail. His three pointed head fins barely twitched, which only added to his cold appearance. His fluke was also triple-pointed and gold-tipped, as though trying to imitate the giant trident clasped in his left hoof. The extravagant pitchfork was formed of fine gold, glowing with the golden magical aura a unicorn might possess. The handle was made of stone, though this did not mean it was a simple work of art. The handle was built up in layers, rings of stone set atop each other, each band marked with ancient-looking runes or simply studded with yet more pearls and fine gemstones.

Charcoal’s breath caught in his throat, and Water Mark renewed his spell to be safe. But it wasn’t lack of oxygen that spooked Charcoal so much as the figure he made out seated on the floor by Trident’s throne. Current had beat them here!

Trident’s gaze forcefully flicked to the guards holding the prisoners, and in an iron grip, they were forced flat to the floor. The land ponies hastily renewed their supply of oxygen as the wind was quite literally knocked out of them. Charcoal thought that this might be Trident’s way of taking out his hatred of land ponies until the sea king lifted his massive pitchfork. The golden trident glowed brightly, and began emanating pulses of energy. The sea retreated from the object’s power, and Charcoal scrambled for a hold on the ground as the water was sucked up from around him. Now he understood the guards’ grip: if they didn’t hold him down, he’d surely be carried away!

The king used his trident to clear all the water from the room, forcing it back out the doors that had never been closed, forming an eerie wall of water just outside the room. Then Trident’s gaze fell upon the guards on his side of the door, and without any water in the room, it took the sentries a little more effort to force them shut.

Meanwhile, the land ponies gasped for fresh air, grateful to have solid ground under their hooves once more. King Trident lowered his enchanted scepter, cuing the guards to release their prisoners and slither to the sidelines. The hippocampi girls all clustered together, seeking comfort and some degree of protection. Ditzy also kept close to Time Turner, and by ‘kept close’, she really clung to him for dear life, nearly strangling the brown earth pony. Water Mark eyed Current, who coldly glared back at him from beside his majesty. He decided it would best to keep his head down and mouth shut. This left Charcoal to do the speaking, as he had intended to do all along. Yet, finally placed before the mighty sea king, his mind drew a blank for words. King Trident appeared to wish to begin the conversation anyway.

“You have come a very long way, boy,” he spat, piercing the thestral with his cold gaze. “You have been warned of both my hatred for your kind and my power,” he raised the trident as a reminder, “but still you came, and for that you have my attention. Current has more reason than any to hate land ponies, but she seems to trust you, so I have allowed you into my presence. But you have ten minutes, and you’re on the clock.” He nodded to a timekeeper in the corner, who obediently flipped over a massive hourglass. Trident leaned back on his throne. “Starting now.”

“Okay,” Charcoal crawled forward, rather surprised that Current had been so successful. He had expected things to be much harder than that. “Your majesty, I’ve come to warn you of a threat on the surface. It endangers both sea and land ponies alike.”

“Hmph!” Trident sneered. “Current has already explained the situation to me. These ‘changeling’ creatures are a threat only to you land folk. Convince me of why I should help you.”

“Convince you, your majesty?” Charcoal gulped. Trident slowly leaned forwards, eyes narrowed to slits.

“Convince me, boy. That was the deal, after all.”

“Deal, your majesty?” Trident shrugged.

“It’s your own time you’re wasting, so why not explain? You see, Current came ahead of you in an attempt to arrange a meeting. I was enraged, of course. One of my favorite, most reliable subjects not only developed a tolerance for land ponies, but even a fondness! Again! I’d have thought she’d learned her lesson the first time with that Buoy Mark character. And further, I find she’s gone behind my back for over fifteen years to keep in contact with a couple of petty thestrals such as yourself! Is my law not greater than they?” Any shred of kindness of sympathy he had shown before had burned away in his hot temper. Again, he took a moment to calm himself. “Yet, she was insistent. So we came to an agreement. If you are able to convince me to help you, then so be it. But if not...” a wicked, cold smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. “Then you all will rot in the coral keeps. Do we understand each other?”

“Coral keeps?” Jet and Kelpie trembled violently, tears even forming in the green one’s eyes.

“What’s the coral keeps?” Time Turner whispered to the shaken form of Whirl Pool.

“A dungeon made entirely out of coral, guarded by ghost sharks and electric eels in the darkest part of the ocean,” she dazedly replied.

“No one ever escapes the coral keeps,” Jet squeaked.

“At least not alive.”

“Hold on! Nopony ever said anything about prisons or deals!” Charcoal burst.

“Half-time, your majesty,” the timekeeper indifferently reported. Trident nodded.

“Five minutes.”

Charcoal sputtered a moment. He was only prepared to negotiate with the sea king. Now the lives of nine ponies depended on the outcome of this conversation! Charcoal helplessly looked to Time Turner. He said he was good at this, so why wasn’t he helping?

“Your highness,” the brown stallion finally stepped forward. Charcoal heaved a sigh of relief as the responsibility was lifted from his shoulders.

“Who is this?” the king demanded. “I agreed to speak to the boy.”

“Who am I? Isn’t that the question?” Time Turner casually mused. “You know when people- ponies- say someone’s not who they seems to be? Well, I’m the very definition of that phrase.”

“Phrases don’t have definitions, Doctor.”

“Shut up,” he barked to Ditzy. The gray mare just chuckled to herself and allowed him to continue. “Back to the question, ‘who am I?’. Well, I’ll tell you. I’m a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. I’m over 1,000 years old. I’m called the Oncoming Storm, the Destroyer of Worlds. The Lonely God. The Predator. I am fire and ice and rage. I am ancient and forever. I live at the center of time and I travel the universe. I’m feared by Dalek armadas and wanted dead or alive by the cyberman hive mind. But that doesn’t really matter. They’re just titles. Names. Useless words. My friends call me the Doctor, or around here, sometimes Time Turner,” he clapped a friendly hoof over Charcoal’s shoulder. “But I’m about to give you the real reason you should listen to me right now, so pay attention.” Time Turner paused, allowing for dramatic effect. The eerie silence worked more due to the fact that Time Turner had just gone from casually happy to cold and hateful in a matter of seconds. Trident appeared unimpressed by his boasting, or even the abrupt mood swing, but lifted an eyebrow in anticipation. “I’m you worst nightmare.”

“Oooookay, Doctor, Time Turner, whoever you are,” Charcoal dashed up to clap a hoof over his mouth. “We’re supposed to be befriending his majesty, not threatening him,” he cast a sheepish, embarrassed smile up to the unamused king, who flicked his tail in annoyance.

“Oh, believe me, Charcoal Stormwood,” Time Turner removed his hoof. “I’ve dealt with people like him. There’s no reasoning with a mind so set in their own ways that they won’t consider anything anyone else has to tell them. He promised to hear you out, but that’s just for show. Just look at him! He had no intention of listening to anything you have to say. He’s just biding his time, waiting for that hourglass to empty. Isn’t that right, ‘your majesty’?” The sea king chuckled.

“Clever boy.”

“Please, your majesty, you have to help us!” Charcoal pressed his face to the soggy sea floor and begged on his knees.

“He won’t help us, Charcoal,” Time Turner said again, pulling the sonic screwdriver from beneath the collar of his tie where he had stashed it. “But, we don’t necessarily need him to agree.” Time Turner pointed the device at the king’s trident, and pressed the button. Charcoal’s heart pounded as the trident buzzed, and lost its magical glow. His majesty tensed. Time Turner looked rather proud of himself.

“What did you DO?” the king demanded, turning the scepter over and over in his hooves and shaking it a few times, apparently failing to exert its power.

“I rerouted the trident’s power to this sonic screwdriver,” Time Turner shrugged.

“What are you doing?” Charcoal worriedly hissed, wide eyed and heart pounding. They couldn’t afford to get on the king’s bad side. They had come fore his help, not his wrath. Time Turner shot him a cocky wink and returned his attention to furious Trident.

“You know, I’d be more than happy to route it back if you’d just lend us a hand- er, hoof? fin?- up on the surface with those changelings. What do you say, big fella? Oy!” Time Turner hadn’t expected the hippocampi soldiers to be so nimble. One of them leapt at him from behind, swiped the sonic screwdriver, and just as quickly scrambled back to the fuming King Trident.

“My leige,” the soldier humbly presented Time Turner’s device, which the king angrily swiped. Realizing he wasn’t going to get any direction from the theif, he tried pressing the same button Time Turner had used to remove the trident’s abilities. The trident buzzed again, shimmering with the power it once held.

“Hmph,” Trident huffed satisfaction before tossing the screwdriver over the balcony. As it hovered in open air, the king raised his pitchfork, and fired. Everyone ducked as the shot whizzed through the air, meeting metal. The sonic screwdriver exploded into a hundred shards and obliterated parts.

“Aw! My sonic screwdriver! I loved that sonic screwdriver,” Time Turner moped. King Trident glared down at the insubordinate and selected a new target, considering frying him just like the screwdriver. Evidently, he decided against it, as he lowered the weapon again. Instead, he then looked to the waiting guardsponies.

“Take them to the coral keep.”

“No!” Cascade wailed, burying her face into Whirl Pool’s coat. Current sagged where she sat by the king’s throne, and did not protest when his body guards arrested her.

“WAIT!” Charcoal cried as the guard’s hooves clamped around his arms. “I still have a minute left! Look at the hourglass!”

“He is correct, your majesty,” the timekeeper cautiously reported.

“You wanted me to tell you why you should help us. Well, here it is.” He briefly met Current’s gaze, who hopefully nodded encouragement from above. “The changelings can take on the form of anypony they meet. They can even create their own, original bodies. They know you exist. They know where you are. They can take on hippocampus form, and come down here. Rest assured that they won’t stop until they’ve seized your entire kingdom, overturned your rule, and converted every one of your subjects into mindless changeling drones. With legs. You’ll become the very thing you hate so much: land ponies.” Gasps of horror resonated through the throne room from the other nobles and royalty present.

“We can still defeat them- Chrysalis and her armies, Kindling Pyre, all of them. But we need your help. We’ll have to work together.” Trident seemed to genuinely consider this statement for a moment, and the world stood still. Everything but the hourglass, that is. As the last sand follicles trickled into the bottom, the king’s gaze flicked to the timekeeper.

“Time’s up.”

Charcoal’s world slipped into blurry slow-motion as the guards returned to lead them off. He had failed again, this time condemning his friends to a life in prison and his friends back on the surface to the changelings. Perhaps they would figure something out, and with luck, they might last a few weeks. But his whole plan had pivoted around recruiting the hippocampi, and they had refused.

Chrysalis had won.

Chapter 71: Coral Keep

Chapter 71
Coral Keep

“Easy! Be easy with ‘em!” Water Mark barked to the guards as he himself was roughly tossed into a cell. The guards ignored his request, and just as carelessly tossed the others into their own individual prisons. New coral crept up and covered over the entrances after each pony had been stuffed into a cage.

They were deep underwater, in near complete darkness. The only interruption to this absolute black was the occasional flicker of a passing electric eel, or the rare fluorescent particle of algae that trickled down from the surface. Despite their impaired vision, the ponies got the idea that the prison cells were circular. The fan-like branches twisted and curled in such a way to truly give the impression of a cage, most of the gaps not even large enough to fit a hoof through. It could only have been sculpted by Trident’s trident, for while the cells were indeed made of natural coral, they were placed in perfectly neat rows. The nine ponies were kept on either side of a single aisle, the four land ponies creating a square on one end with the hippocampi girls on the other.

Only the cages holding the land ponies were engulfed in a massive air pocket, most likely Trident’s doing. At least he wouldn’t let them drown. This would allow them to breathe and even converse, though conversation with the hippocampi would be all but impossible. Charcoal judged the thickness of the wall. The coral was brittle, and would be easy enough to break through, but the ghost sharks and electric eels patrolling the waters nearby reminded him that escape was impossible.

“Great going, Doctor,” Ditzy tearfully sneered. “Now we’re stuck at the bottom of the ocean, with no TARDIS and no sonic screwdriver. How do you expect to get us out of this one?”

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking,” the stallion mused.

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” Charcoal banged against the side of the cage. “What was that?! We were trying to reason with him for his help, not steal his trident!”

“I was just trying to get leverage we could use to... persuade him.”

“Did all your other negotiations go this smoothly?”

“I have to agree with Charcoal, Doctor. That was a little out of line, even for you.”

“Come on, Ditzy! You know I’ll get us out of here. Haven’t I always before?”

“But now there’s no way to get the hippocampi to help. It’s a lost cause.” Charcoal sadly slumped against the slimy, algae-coated wall of his cell. “Even if we get out of here, we can’t defeat the changelings. There aren’t enough of us... we aren’t strong enough. Now Spectrum, Trixie, and Glitter will all be converted, Shift and Fink might well be executed, and even Lilac could be in danger.” Charcoal held his head in his hooves. “And it’s all my fault.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, lad. Ya did the best you could. It was that there bloak that blew it for us all!”

“Oy!” Time Turner indignantly shrieked again. “He wasn’t going to listen to us, and I knew it. So I found a way to get his attention. Ditzy, back me up here. Ditzy?” From what he could tell by the dim silhouette of the pegasus’ form, she had her back turned to him, arms folded to properly deliver the ‘silent treatment’. “Not you too!” Time Turner groaned. No response. One by one, all the others turned their backs to him as well, including the hippocampi girls. “Fine, be like that,” he grumbled, moping in his own cell and hoping that he could think of some grand escape plan to make it up to them.

“Well,” Water Mark sighed, “if we’re going to be stuck down here together for eternity, we might as well clear the air.”

“Thank you!” Time Turner perked back up. “Hear that, Ditzy? He forgives me!”

“Not you!” the old sea dog barked. Time Turner flattened his ears and resumed muttering to himself, incredibly disappointed. Water Mark turned in his cell to clarify who he was speaking to. As it so happened, Current had been placed in the cell next to his.

“Current,” he started again. Though he couldn’t clearly see the face of the mare beside him, it was evident that he had gained her attention by the way her head jerked up. She also made it obvious that she was still not on good terms with him by the way she shrank away. He took a breath before continuing. “I know neither of us has forgotten what happened all those years ago... what I did. I thought avengin’ my pa would set things right somehow. I didn’t have all the facts, and ended up wreakin’ even more pain on innocent ponies. I took a couple of newlyweds to make me realize I’d become exactly the monster I’d been tryin’ to get revenge on. Thank Celestia they stopped me!

“Honestly, I don’t even know what I was trying to accomplish. Find closure? Bring honor to his name? It doesn’t matter anymore. The point is, I reopened old wounds and rubbed salt in. I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to heal ‘em, for my sake as well as yours. A bit hard to do from a distance, admittedly, but there warn’t no way I could face ya after that.

“I won’t ask ya to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I just need ya to know that I’m sorry.” Speech successfully delivered, he supported himself on the side of the cage as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Indeed, he even shut his eyes, bowed his head and took a few steadying breaths.

Current couldn’t have responded if she’d wanted to; even hippocampi couldn’t speak beneath the ocean without the water inhibiting their words. But she didn’t need words. Water Mark felt something tickle his hooftip. Looking up, he found that Current had somehow wiggled her hoof through one of the larger gaps in the cage, far enough to take his. The fully grown stallion broke down crying right then and there, clasping the mare’s hoof and babbling indecipherable remarks of gratitude. It was impossible to make out Current’s reaction, but she was probably likewise tearing up.

“It’s such a shame King Trident won’t let merponies come to the surface,” Ditzy sighed to no one in particular, watching the tender scene as best she could. “We could all be such good friends! Well... when we aren’t trying to steal their tridents...”

“Oh... alright, alright! I’m sorry too. There, are you happy?”

“Very. Thank you, Doctor.” Ditzy pressed as close to his side of her prison wall as she could.

“I wonder why the hippocampi split in the first place. We get along just fine!” Charcoal murmured to himself.

“I’m beginning to wonder the same thing.” In a pulse of golden light, the bubbles encasing the land pony cells merged and expanded, engulfing everyone present. A tenth figure emerged, only his head poking into the enormous bubble. Light from a familiar golden trident also permeated the air, finally illuminating the dark ocean floor.

“Your highness!” Current gasped, hastily untangling her hooves from the coral and bowing to the visiting king, despite their predicament. The other hippocampi girls did the same.

“King Trident?!” Charcoal gasped. “W-what are you... uh...?”

“I confess, placing you together was my doing,” he looked to Current and Water Mark. “Admittedly, I thought it would be quite amusing to watch Current attempt to tear into the unicorn,” he slyly chuckled to himself. “I was not prepared for what transpired instead.

“You surprise me, Current. One regrettable experience with a selfish unicorn made you cold and distant towards anything related to the surface- precisely what my council looks for in subjects. But now, even after two foul encounters with the land folk, you embrace them, forgive them. Why?”

Current’s gaze darted about, unprepared as the king put her on the spot. Her eyes finally settled on Water Mark, and she seemed to regain her composure. He had already given his confession; now it was her turn.

“Because, your majesty,” she began, gaze never leaving Mark’s, “they remind me of myself.”

“Explain.”

“Just as Water Mark was once lost to hatred and sorrow, so was I. But we cannot let the selfish actions of one unicorn determine the rest of our lives. We all have a choice; linger on the sadness and pain a select few have inflicted upon us, or embrace the love and closeness of many friends, despite gender or age or race. It took me a long time to find the right course, but now that I have it, I won’t ever let go. And with respect, your highness, that’s something not even your prison walls can take from me.” Trident raised an eyebrow.

“King Trident, your grace, I have spent a good deal of time with the land ponies. And truly, the only difference I have found is appearance. Some have horns, wings, or both or none, while we have fins. We live beneath the sea, and they reside on the surface, but beyond all that, we are one and the same.” The king fell silent, and the prisoners all held their breath. He was actually thinking it over!

“Doctor,” he finally looked up. The brown earth pony/time lord looked back with no small amount of surprise. “Removing the power from my trident was a strategic move.”

“IT WAS?!”

“It did indeed catch my attention. Perhaps we all need someone to keep our power in check.”

“Including Chrysalis,” Charcoal cautiously piped. The sea king turned to him.

“Indeed,” he slowly nodded. “Especially Chrysalis.”

“So you’ll help?” Kelpie gasped.

“You all have proven to me that our worlds are not only compatible, but perhaps even belong together,” Trident regally declared. All the faces around him lit up with glee. “What ails the surface also ails the sea. The hippocampi race shall rise again. As for you, my boy,” he looked back to Charcoal, even smiling at the thestral! “If you would kindly run your plan by me once more?”

“Absolutely! But first...” Charcoal’s gaze flicked between the coral wall and the sea king.

“Of course. And I presume you would rather discuss matters on the surface?” Charcoal couldn’t tell if Trident was being sarcastic or not.

“Well, the changelings would have reached the town by now. My brother and friends are there. I would like to check on them...”

“Very well.” Charcoal couldn’t believe it. He was being serious!

With one blast from his trident, the tops of the cells were blasted to bits, and the bubble flooded with water again. Water Mark hastily cast the water breathing spell before they drowned. The glow of the trident began traveling upward, and so the ponies scrambled after it. The land ponies were having difficulty keeping up, and Current was the first to remember. Smiling, she dove back down and looped her arm through Mark’s, pulling him gently but swiftly along, at the same time skillfully creating an undertow the others could ride. While Cascade delighted in the new current, Whirlpool also doubled back and scooped up Ditzy. High Tide and her sister dove down in perfect sync to retrieve the two remaining ponies.

The train did not have far to travel, however. Once they had cleared the murky depths of the coral keeps and reentered the clear, pristine waters of Trident’s kingdom, they found the king’s royal chariot and a large unit of waiting guards. Charcoal grinned. The sea king knew he would be releasing them, or he wouldn’t have come so prepared. Maybe Time Turner’s stunt worked after all, in its own quirky way.

Trident gestured for the land ponies to hop in the rear compartment of the chariot, while he rode in the front. Towed by a string of strong guardsponies and escorted by a platoon more, King Trident ascended to the ocean’s surface for what very well could have been the first time in his life.

As they passed over the village, hundreds upon hundreds of hippocampus civilians joined in the parade, whether by order of the king or just out of curiosity Charcoal didn’t know. Either way, the king made no effort to turn them back. Just like that, the hippocampus nation rose from the sea once more.

A changeling welcoming committee was waiting for them.

Chapter 73: King Kindling

Chapter 73
King Kindling

“You can perform the spell?” Shift hopefully inquired, not daring to peer out from beneath the wide-brimmed hat.

“Fink taught me how to perform it. Sounds simple enough,” Shining Armor nodded. “But first, you’ll have to switch into your changeling form.” Shift did so without delay, eagerly awaiting any further instruction. “And it might be best to get that hat out of the way... just close your eyes,” he added. Shift nodded, which cued Trixie to retrieve her costume. “This might pinch a bit... at least, that’s what Fink said.”

“At the base of your skull, you may experience pain,” the other changeling repeated. “I found the lack of voices to be disturbing at first, but you will eventually adjust to the silence.”

“I think silence will be welcome,” Shift muttered, wincing as the scornful cries grew louder.

“Okay. Here goes nothing.” Shining Armor strained a bit as he struggled to multitask, maintaining the shield while also conducting the complicated spell that would free Shift of Chrysalis’ influence once and for all.

Indeed, Shift did feel the pinch at the back of his neck. But it was far more unpleasant than Fink had lead him to believe. He screamed out in agony as the sensation evolved from an uncomfortable pinch to a severe throb to a harrowing pound to an unbearable hammering. Shift didn’t think he could take any more of the pain.

But just like that, it was over. Shining Armor released him from his magic, and the changeling slumped to the floor.

“Shift!” Charcoal galloped to his side, curling a hoof under his head for support. “Are you alright?”

“Charcoal?” In his disoriented state, Shift barely made out the fuzzy form. But then, he began to laugh.

“Shift?” Charcoal looked to Fink. “Is that supposed to happen?”

“They’re gone!” Shift gleefully cried. “The voices are gone!”

“It worked!” Glitter gasped.

“Whoo hoo!” Spectrum cheered, offering her a high-hoof. The entire room burst into celebration. Only one did not join in the festivity.

Fink’s heart pounded. It had worked. Shift was completely free of the hive. Fink had still not told them that he was secretly connected to Kindling’s mind, and had been spying on them all this time. He had even infiltrated the meeting in which they had discussed their battle plans. They might as well have told Kindling how to defeat them, for in essence, they already had.

They trusted him. But Shining Armor had been right, at least about him. Fink had betrayed them. He was a monster.

“Fink? Are you okay?” The festivities had stopped when Trixie noticed how unsettled he looked. This just gave Fink another reason to beat himself up. They actually cared about his feelings. That was more than Chrysalis or Kindling had ever done for him.

Perhaps he could have Shining Armor cast the spell on him? Disconnect him from Kindling?

[Don’t even think about it,] a voice at the back of his mind threatened. Fink jumped, forgetting that his master was still listening in.

“Fink?” Charcoal repeated, trying to get his attention. “What’s wrong?”

“I...”

[Nothing is wrong. Maintain your cover.]

“I... I’m fine...” he stuttered.

“You don’t look so good,” Glitter pressed.

[Fool. If you so much as think about a stunt like that again, I will END you,] Kindling threatened.

‘So don’t think.’

“ME! Cast the spell on me!” Fink desperately cried, flinging himself at Shining Armor’s hooves.

“What?” the unicorn was baffled by the request, and took a step back.

[FOOL!]

“Please!” Fink screamed as Kindling began transmitting his termination spell. He could feel it seeping into his body, slowly beginning to kill him.

“Shining Armor, do it!” Glitter was quick to respond. The prince dumbly obeyed, casting the spell again. Instantly, he detected a second power flowing through the changeling. For a moment, two entities battled for Fink’s life. The combined pain of Shining Armor’s disconnection spell and the lethal termination spell was too much. Fink collapsed to the floor.

“Fink?!” This time, it was Glitter who scooped up the crumpled changeling. “Quick, somepony prepare a room!” Luckily, they had not exited the Unbridled Inn, and one of the maids nodded before rushing off to find an unoccupied suite.

“What just happened?” Shining Armor inquired once most everyone had already filed out.

“I think I have an idea,” Charcoal confessed, supporting Shift as they hobbled after their friends.

“NO!” Kindling screamed, overturning his desk in outrage. The fool had gone and done it! He hadn’t finished transmitting the termination spell! Now the coward was free to give away all his secrets!

Chrysalis had answered his request for a new drone, and his second red-shelled assistant cowered in the corner. It had been enough to be assigned to serve this monster, but losing the voices of the hive mind had been a traumatic experience in itself. He could not even call to Chrysalis and warn her of Kindling’s true intent. Though, even if he had, the queen would not have believed him, and possibly executed him for insubordination. She was so in love with Kindling that she had become blind to the monster he really was.

The changeling watched as his master angrily paced, occasionally overturning more furniture as he traveled and creating more of a mess that he would have to clean up later. That was the least of his troubles. The changelings knew that he was he was very much in danger with his master in this state... yet if Chrysalis ever found out that he hadn’t attended to Kindling’s every need, he would be in just as much trouble. So with a gulp, the drone crawled forward. Let it never be said he had not fulfilled his duty.

“M-Master? Is there anything I can do for you, sire?” he knelt at the pony’s armored hooves.

“INSOLENCE! YOU DO NOT ADDRESS ME UNLESS ADDRESSED! IS THAT CLEAR?!”

“Y-yes, Master. I was only trying-”

“BE QUIET, INCOMPETENT FOOL!” Kindling picked up the quaking form in his magic and hurled him across the room. He would have hit the wall if the door had not opened at that very moment, allowing him a bit more airspace to complete the arc.

“Love?” Kindling ground his teeth as the changeling queen arrived unnannounced into his tower. “Is something wrong?”

“LEAVE ME!”

“Kindling, darling, what’s the matter?” The changeling queen dashed to her fiancé’s side rather than departing. “Was the replacement drone unable to reach your needs?”

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I DID NOT REQUEST YOUR PRESENCE!”

“Why, darling, I was worried. You haven’t come down from your tower since the colt... escaped. But your assistant has not left either, nor had it requested food or supplies of any kind be brought up. For that matter, I could not seem to isolate it’s thoughts at all. It is not defective, is it?”

“The drone is fine,” Kindling seethed, attempting to get rid of her by calming down. “Please, LEAVE.”

“If that is what you wish...” Chrysalis sadly agreed. Dreadful thoughts had begun to enter her mind as of late. For instance, what if Charcoal had been right? Kindling had seemed distant, and even more angry than usual. Nothing she did could please him anymore. They weren’t even married yet! What was she doing wrong? Chrysalis sighed. Perhaps, at least for now, it would be best to give him his space. She reluctantly turned to leave.

The discarded drone now hobbled back in, limping as it dragged a possibly broken hind leg behind it. Upon spotting Chrysalis, it kneeled low.

“My Queen,” he hummed, closing pain-filled eyes. “Your majesty, please, I must request a healing spell... to fulfill Master Kindling Pyre’s wishes,” the drone quickly added.

“Kindling! You must be more gentle with my drones,” Chrysalis scolded, charging her horn in preparation of the spell.

“Your drones?” Kindling failed to refrain from laughing, completely fed up with the nuisance. His armor began to glow as Casper reassembled. Chrysalis straightened up after healing the changeling, quite baffled.

“Our drones, of course,” she corrected, nervously eyeing the growling timberwolf. He had never so much as snarled at her before. “Down, Casper,” she ordered, stepping around him. Yet, the dog continued to bare his teeth, weaving in front of her and blocking her path to the door. The next thing Chrysalis knew, the wolf’s wooden, thorny teeth snapped down on her foreleg.

“AAAH!” she yelped, jerking her hoof back. “Bad dog! Get down!” she demanded, hastily trying to heal the gash with her spell. Yet, she found she could not. “Kindling, my magic!” she gasped.

“Is gone,” the destral finished. His gaze temporarily flicked to an open vial sitting on his desk, containing a thick, red fluid.

“Your magic inhibitor?” she gasped, identifying the same substance now ringing Casper’s bite wound. His dog had poisoned her! “But darling, why?!”

“So you will never call me that again,” he viciously snarled, even more fearsome than his dog.

“Kindling? My love, I-!” Chrysalis wailed.

“I AM NOT YOUR LOVE! I never have been, and I never was! I despise everything about you, you ugly goat! You are as nearsighted as a naked mole rat!” There were tears in Chrysalis’ eyes. He didn’t love her? But he had sworn on his life! They were supposed to be married the moment Equestria had been conquered!

Chrysalis glowered at her would-be husband. He was a lying, abusive monster. She wanted nothing more to do with this filthy low life!

[DRONES!] she screamed through the hive mind. [TO MOTHER! PROTECT MOTHER! KILL KINDLING PYRE!]

“Do you honestly think that would work on me?” Kindling sneered, somehow guessing what she was up to. Kindling tightly gripped her in his telekinesis. He pressed his muzzle to hers, staring into her terror-filled eyes as he cast the next spell. It seeped into her mind, then into the hive mind, and Chrysalis felt it infect the entire network.

[Your drones will bend to my command.] Chrysalis’ eyes went wide with fear.

[You have entered the hive mind?! But... how?!]

[The same way I will disconnect you from it.] Kindling cast another spell, this one focused on Chrysalis herself. The mare screamed. It felt like he was trying to rip her mind apart.

She was already limp by the time the spell had been completed. Kindling carelessly tossed her aside, just as her drones were flooding his windowsills and doorway. He found their snarls and hisses rather amusing.

[DRONES! CHRYSALIS IS GONE.] He stepped aside to allow them a view of their crumpled leader. [I, KINDLING PYRE, AM YOUR KING, NOW. OBEY ME OR PERISH!] The hovering changelings eyed each other uneasily.

[He speaks truth,] his assistant timidly offered, now reconnected to the hive through Kindling. He remembered how his last assistant, Fink, had been terminated, and shuddered.

The other changelings seemed to have come to a decision. All those present bowed their heads and diverted their eyes from the new leader.

[All hail the king! All hail the king!] they chanted. Kindling snorted approval before returning to his desk one last time. From one of the drawers, he pulled an unoccupied orb. Chrysalis awoke just in time to see him preparing it, and her pupils contracted.

“No! Kindling, no!” she begged.

“Goodbye, Chrysalis.” Light from within shone down and burned her skin. She screamed. She never thought she’d have to say this.

“HELP!”

Just like that, Chrysalis was gone.

“Is he going to be okay?” Spectrum asked the maid who had volunteered her services as a nurse.

“It doesn’t look good,” she sadly informed. She ducked her head and turned away. “Excuse me.”

“What happened to him?” Gilda wondered again.

“Someone was listening in,” Charcoal guessed, finally making it into the room with Shift and Shining Armor.

“You mean he was spying?” Trixie exclaimed, looking down at their patient with fear and contempt.

“But Charcoal, I didn’t sense him connected to the hive mind,” Shift pointed out, easing into one of the room’s armchairs.

“Kindling must have found a way to inhibit your ability to sense his voice in the hive mind, or otherwise rerouted it so that you couldn’t hear him. Either way, he must have been spying for someone. Otherwise, why would he ask Shining Armor to cast the disconnection spell?”

“Traitor!” Shining Armor accused, storming into the room. Charcoal’s outstretched wing prohibited his entry.

“Wait,” the colt calmly requested. “Now that he’s been disconnected from the hive, he might be more willing to share information.”

“What about all the information we’ve already shared with whoever it was he was spying for? He was sitting in on our meeting! Now Chrysalis knows our battle plan!”

“Let’s see what he knows. Fink could still give us information to level the playing field.”

“If he wakes up,” Glitter reminded him. “It doesn’t look good right now.” Despite finding out the changeling had been playing them all along, the kind mare still stroked his tattered fins.

“Have you tried fire healing?” Charcoal asked. Glitter looked up, shaking her head.

“I’m just a showpony. I never learned that kind of fire dancing.”

“Then let me give it a go,” Charcoal moved closer to the bed, trying to spark the blue fire from his hooves. A lot of straining barely produced a flicker, and even then, he could not spread enough of the fire to do Fink any real good. “I can’t do it,” he admitted, panting from both exertion and fear. “Why can’t I do it? It was a cinch with Shift!”

“You need sleep,” Gilda assessed, moving around to his side of the bed. “You’ve been awake for almost three days. I know you haven’t gotten a wink of sleep since you and Pound visited Chrysalis’ base.”

“I’m fine,” he argued, trying to resurrect the flame.

“I think we can all use some sleep,” Glitter suggested. “Mr. Water Mark has offered us rooms here, Charcoal. I think we’ve done all we can tonight. Let’s get some sleep and regroup in the morning.”

“I can’t sleep!” the colt burst. “How can I sleep? There’s a psychotic changeling queen on the loose who’s keeping my parents in some sort of magical prison and turning the rest of our friends into mindless monsters! Now we finally have a fighting force that might just stand a chance against her, but if anything goes wrong, their lives will be on my head! The plan has to be perfect! How can I get everyone ready if I’m sleeping?!”

“You aren’t going to get anything done in this state either, Charcoal. Even the best leaders have to rest sometime,” Shining Armor pointed out.

“That’s another thing! I’ve been unanimously nominated the leader around here! I never asked for that! I’m fifteen years old! I can’t command an army. I can’t even choose my friends wisely!” he angrily gestured to the unconscious form of Fink, still slumbering in the bed. “For all I know, you were in on the act the whole time, too!” he pointed to Shift.

“No, Charcoal!” the blue changeling exclaimed. His heart pounded, and filled with fear. He felt the flow of love from his friend run dry. “I was no more aware of Fink’s schemes than you!”

“How can I trust you? How can I trust any of you?!”

“Charcoal,” Glitter moved to comfort him, but the colt jerked away, bolting out the door.

“Charcoal?” Shining Armor called after him.

“I’ll go,” Glitter offered, darting down the hall after him. Whether to search out Charcoal or just go about their business, everyone else present also began to file out. Soon, only Trixie, Shining Armor, Fink and Shift remained. The prince also attempted to leave, but Trixie called him back.

“Shining Armor, what do you make of this?” She had been busy running a scanning spell on Fink, trying to determine the problem. Shining Armor also ignited his horn.

“What am I looking for?”

“Feel here, at the base of his neck.”

“That’s where I had to transmit the disconnection spell. Could that be it?” he asked, getting a feel for the area with his scan.

“No,” Trixie shook her head. “There’s something strange about it, even compared to Shift’s. I just can’t quite put my hoof on exactly what.” Shining Armor jolted back, terminating the scanning spell. “What? What is it?”

“It can’t be...” Shining Armor tentatively reached out with the scan again, this time increasing the radius to sweep over his whole body. Trixie patiently waited for his diagnosis. “I think... it feels like a... a termination spell. But that’s impossible! Termination magic is highly illegal! It’s not practiced at all anymore. Even Star Swirl the Bearded’s notes on it were destroyed!”

“What is termination magic?”

“It acts like a magically transmitted poison, delivered over some sort of neural connection to the victim,” he explained. “Whoever was spying on us tried to kill Fink!”

“Will he recover?” Trixie wondered. Shining Armor grimly met her gaze.

“I don’t know enough about termination magic to say for sure. We can only hope the connection was terminated before enough of the poison entered his system.”

“I believe Kindling Pyre was the one who attempted to assassinate Fink,” Shift remorsefully sighed.

“How can you be sure?”

“Fink was Kindling’s personal assistant. I do not know much of Kindling, but I know he is a very powerful, very brilliant magic user. I do not doubt he was able to disconnect Fink from the main hive, or at least redirect his thoughts. And I do know that he is ancient, one of Essence’s first students from the original destral civilization. Termination magic would not have been illegal to practice, then. In fact, it was most likely just emerging. It would not be impossible for Kindling to be the one to invent the spell. At least, he would have perfected the technique by now.”

“If Kindling is from the original destral race, how is he still alive?”

“Queen Chrysalis freed him from the stasis orb he was imprisoned in. I’m afraid that is all I know.”

“I’ll tell Charcoal,” Shining Armor offered.

“No. Leave him be, for now,” Trixie countered. “He’s taken the last few days awfully hard. He needs to rest- we’ll tell him in the morning.” Shining Armor nodded, and with that, finally departed. Trixie resumed her role as caretaker and took a seat in the other armchair, keeping watch over her two changeling wards.

Shift bowed his head in grief. He didn’t approve of Fink’s actions, either, but had he been in his horseshoes, would he had done any differently? Kindling was most definitely one to be feared. Honestly, Fink had played his cards quite well, perfectly following Kindling’s orders until he had the opportunity to be set free. Even now, his life was on the line.

Shift sighed, and patted Fink’s arm. He had to admire his bravery, anyway. He dearly hoped Fink pulled through. Traitor or not, he was the only other changeling not under Chrysalis’ control. The only one that would ever understand just what it was like.

Shift went to sleep in hopes that Fink would still be alive in the morning.

***

Charcoal bolted out through the hotel’s double doors. He had lost his pursuers once he ducked down the stairwell. Now he was blindly running, storming through the town as he attempted to flee from it all. The changelings, the army, the responsibility... he just wanted to leave it all behind. He wanted to be a kid again, able to go to school during the day and play with Lilac and Bandit in the evenings, always to return to his parents’ embrace at night. They’d always been there for him in the past.

But now they were gone.

He’d left his sister behind, his cousins and friends alike all back in the safety of the dragon craters. Oh, what he’d give to join them about now! To escape this nightmare of a reality and rejoin what remained of his family. His sister needed him, and where was he? Off bound to get himself killed, playing soldier boy, pretending to be something he wasn’t. He was sick of it. This wasn’t him. King Trident was right. He had no place here.

“Charcoal!” The colt had almost forgotten he was still running when Garble’s red tail again circled his midsection. “Whoa! Where’s the fire?”

“Let me go! Garble, let me go!” Charcoal struggled against the impossible grip of his brother.

“Where are you going?”

“Away!”

“I haven’t seen you all day. Can I come? I’ll take you wherever-”

“No! I have to get away!”

“Get away from what?” Garble protectively placed him between his forearms and scanned for pursuers. Charcoal briefly attempted to escape, but was too weary to scale the giant walls of red.

“Everything!” Charcoal cried, giving up and collapsing by his brother’s scales. Garble looked down with a start.

“Charcoal?” Glitter Shine finally caught up, still seeking the colt. Garble hastily shook his head, nodding downwards in an effort to relay that he had Charcoal but wanted time alone. Somehow, the message got through to her, and she quietly nodded, turning back for the hotel.

“Come on, Char.” Garble plucked his weeping brother from the ground, and nestled him between his wings before taking off. He didn’t need to fly a great distance; he was only looking for a quiet spot where he could talk to his brother privately, away from prying eyes. Most of the beach just off the boardwalk was now occupied by Shining Armor’s soldiers, now setting up in tents along the shore. A bit farther down, however, he found a secluded part of the beach that appeared untouched by anyone.

He lighted down, curled onto his side, and lowered Charcoal into the crook of his body. The poor boy was still crying, and Garble let him, even encouraged him to do so. His spade-tipped tail rested on his shoulder, rhythmically patting him in a soothing motion. Charcoal wept a good while longer before he had finally calmed down enough to say anything.

“Now,” Garble softly spoke, “tell me everything.”

Charcoal started out babbling indecipherably, yet Garble did not interrupt. He got the gist of what his brother was saying, and after a while, began to pick out whole words and phrases. “Tired... can’t... Pound... gone... sick of... Lilac... miss Mom and Dad... blank flank... just a kid... pretending to be something I’m not. just want to go home.”

“Me too, Charcoal,” Garble sighed. “Me too. But you know what? When we get through this, we can put our families back together, and all of us can go home together.” He thought of his wife and several children waiting for him back at the dragon craters. At least he knew they’d be safe, but Charcoal did not have this guarantee.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore, Garble,” Charcoal sank further into the sand, pressing close to the comforting warmth of the dragon’s scales. “Armies and war strategies, traitors and now attempted assassination... some ponies might be able to handle it, but I’m not one of them. I don’t want anyone to die- not even Chrysalis, even after everything she’s done. No one deserves to die. Their lives aren’t ours to take. But everyone’s still looking to me to lead them. Why can’t Trident or Shining Armor or even the Doctor? Why me?”

“Because, Char,” Garble nudged him even closer as they both rearranged themselves for sleep. “You brought us all together. Dragons and hippogryphs, hippocampi and changelings... that was all you. Nopony else could have done that.”

“But it wasn’t me. Mom and Dad did the research, they made the trips, they found each one of you before I was even born!”

“They found them, alright,” Garble agreed, “but you brought us together. You convinced them to work towards a common cause. You united us. I believe in ya, Char. If anyone can do this, it’s you.” Garble wasn’t sure if Charcoal had heard him, for when he looked down again, the colt was already asleep. Garble smiled, and fashioned his wing into a protective tent. “’Night, Char.”

Chapter 74: Love Doctor

Chapter 74
Love Doctor

King Trident was infuriated when he learned of the mole, and it took the combined efforts of Shining Armor, Trixie, Glitter, Gilda, Time Turner and Ditzy to convince him not to barge in and exterminate the changelings then and there. They only managed to appease him when Shining Armor proposed to host another meeting in which they would discuss a new strategy. According to Trident’s terms, no changelings would be permitted anywhere near the conference, and would even have to be guarded in the suite where they were currently recovering. He insisted on posting two of his own hippocampus guards at the doorway.

When Glitter offered to fetch Charcoal, Shining Armor advised against it, reasoning that he needed the rest. Trident was also quite sure that they could function just fine without him, so it was decided that the meeting would also exclude the colt. The session commenced almost immediately thereafter, allowing the leaders just enough time to gather. (This mostly meant rousing Nana from sleep, which she was not happy about, considering how early it was.) This time, the debates and discussions lasted for hours, from just before dawn to well after the sun had risen.

Meanwhile, Charcoal rested peacefully, completely oblivious to the decisions being pronounced without him. Garble’s wing even shielded him from the first rays of daylight, so he even had the luxury of sleeping in.

“Hey. ‘Morning, sleeping beauty,” Garble yawned, finally stretching out his wings and folded them in by his sides.

“What time is it?” Charcoal groggily groaned, blinking against the harsh light of the sun.

“Dunno. Probably ten or eleven, by the looks of it,” Garble estimated, glancing up at the sun overhead. Charcoal’s eyes bulged.

“I’ve got to get back! See what they’re doing about a new strategy, and check on Fink!” Garble was just climbing to his feet by the time Charcoal was bolting across the beach.

“Hey, Char!”

“Yeah?” Charcoal paused, skidding on the sand.

“Take it easy, will you?” Charcoal smirked.

“No promises. And Garble? Thanks.”

“Anytime, bro.”

Charcoal’s wings took him soaring over the wall of rocks and back to the town. The town was already bustling, and especially crowded due to all the newcomers. Yet, out of all the ponies Charcoal saw down below, he couldn’t pick out Shining Armor, Trixie, Glitter, Gilda, or even King Trident. Well... Glitter had said that Water Mark had offered them rooms. Perhaps he would find them at the Unbridled. With this new destination in mind, Charcoal changed course.

“Hey, Charcoal!” He was just approaching the hotel when Spectrum called him down. Without anything else to do, the pegasus was currently chatting with Hawk Stripe, Winter Green, River Rush and most of the hippocampus girls near Time Turner’s blue box. Charcoal acknowledged the call by diving down into their midst.

“What’s up?”

“The opposite of down?” Winter slyly grinned. This cracked Jet Stream up, and she was soon clutching her stomach as she rolled on the ground. Whirl Pool rolled her eyes and tried to sit her back up. Charcoal furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Seriously, though, what’s going on?”

“Nothing around here,” Spectrum shrugged. Apparently, the pegasus had inherited the responsibility of watching Charcoal’s pets. Heckley and Bandit had both been relishing the attention from the hippocampi, but now returned to their master. “We figured you’d know what was going on with the new plans.”

“New plans?”

“Yeah, we heard about the meeting. How’d it go?”

“There are rumors going around that King Trident has the changelings under lockdown. Is it true that he’s is taking over?”

“What?! What meeting? Who’s taking over? What are you guys talking about?”

“Oh dear,” Kelpie covered her mouth. “I take it you weren’t invited.”

“Shining Armor called another meeting to discuss a new battle plan, seeing as how the last one was blown and all.”

“We thought that you of all ponies would have attended!”

“No one told me about any meeting.” Charcoal wasn’t sure how to take the news. This was precisely what he’d wanted, wasn’t it? To step down and let the adults take care of things? Yet, being excluded from the conference made him feel... unimportant. Useless.

“Have they come out of the meeting yet?”

“I don’t think so,” Hawk shrugged. “No one’s come out of the hotel yet.”

“Then maybe I have time,” Charcoal thought, turning to head back to the hotel.

“Charcoal? You aren’t going to bring Heckley and Bandit, are you?”

“Huh? Oh. Sorry guys, but you’ve got to stay.” Heckley hissed indignantly, and Bandit likewise chattered his complaint. Charcoal had to manually pluck them off.

“You know, Charcoal,” Kelpie spoke up, “I don’t think it’s healthy for them to be changing hooves all the time. They’ve already lost their home and most of their family... you’re all they have left. Just spending one night away with somepony else stressed Bandit pretty badly.”

“Yeah! Just look at all the fur he sheds!” Spectrum ran his hoof over the ferret’s back and offered a thick clump of discarded fur. It was a wonder the creature had any hair left!

“Well, I’m sorry, but I can’t take them into the meeting with me,” Charcoal hastily pardoned. “Just... take care of them a little longer, will you? I’ll figure out what to do with them later.” Before anyone could argue, Charcoal vanished through the hotel doors.

The conference room was also guarded, and one of the hippocampi soldiers stopped Charcoal from entering. “The meeting is still in session,” he informed.

“I’m Charcoal. Charcoal Stormwood. I should be in that meeting!”

“We were instructed to inform you that your presence is not required,” the other guard stated.

“What? Who told you that?”

“King Trident himself passed the order. Though, Shining Armor also agreed it was best if you were excluded from this conference.” Charcoal’s heart fell.

“Oh.” Charcoal slowly turned away with a heavy heart. Was it something he’d said? Even Shining Armor thought it was best to omit him from the decision-making. Perhaps he had been a bit out of line last night... but what had happened to the, ‘I’m behind you’ attitude? It really was beginning to sound like King Trident was taking over. Charcoal thought the sea king had undergone a genuine change of heart, but was it possible that he was only seeking more power, trying to expand his realm?

Charcoal wasn’t aware that he’d been walking until he arrived at the changelings’ room, also guarded. Charcoal moaned in aggravation.

“Don’t tell me this room is off limits, too!”

“I received no such order, sir,” the guard confusedly replied. “I’m to keep the changelings here, but they are permitted visitors.” He wriggled aside for Charcoal to enter.

“Well, I guess that’s a plus,” the green pony grumbled before fiddling with the door handle. He found Fink still in bed and Shift still occupying the arm chair, though it had been moved a bit closer to the bedside. Shift turned around to see who had entered, and his eyes lit up upon spotting his friend.

“Charcoal!” he bounded out of the armchair and up to the colt. “Has it been decided, then? A new plan?”

“I don’t know, Shift. Everyone else is still in the meeting.”

“But you are not,” Shift pointed out.

“I wasn’t invited.” Charcoal pushed through to occupy the other armchair.

“Oh,” Shift sympathetically muttered.

“Has there been any change?” Charcoal examined still-sleeping Fink.

“No. I fear he will not wake.” Shift joined him by the bedside. “Shining Armor detected traces of a termination spell.”

“What’s that?”

“Shining Armor likened it to a magic poison, transmitted over a mental link.”

“So whoever was spying on us through Fink tried to kill him?”

“It would appear so.”

“Someone sure wanted to keep him quiet...” Fink must have valuable information! That meant keeping him alive was a top priority. Charcoal slid out of the chair and leaned on the bed to get closer to the changeling. “You said the spell acts like a poison?”

“That is how Shining Armor explained it. I myself am unfamiliar with such magic.”

“Hmm.” If Charcoal could detect the poison in Fink’s system, it might just be possible to separate it from his bloodstream and safely burn it away by means of thestral fire. But it would take an incredible amount of concentration and precision to destroy only the poison without damaging anything else. It was a good thing he was well rested!

Charcoal briefly ran his fire over the changeling, looking for any discrepancies. He didn’t find anything wrong the first time, furrowed his brow, and tried again. He was unfamiliar with changeling anatomy, so Shift allowed him to scan him for comparison. It took Charcoal much longer to find the afflicted area than Shining Armor, but it was still there at the base of his skull.

“Found it!” he proudly declared. The area felt... charred, even brittle. This had obviously been the delivery point of the poison. When he compared a sample of Fink’s blood near the delivery point to Shift’s, he thought he detected a foreign substance, most likely the poison. “Now...” Charcoal stuck out his tongue as he struggled to locate traces of the same substance in the rest of his body and get an idea of how extensive the damage was. He found evidence that the poison had made its way through his entire circulatory system and was now infecting his bones and organs, killing off the cells. Luckily, not enough of it had been transmitted to kill him right away, which was why he had managed to hang on until now. However, it also meant that it was sparsely spread, and difficult to isolate.

“If I don’t do this right...” Charcoal spoke more to himself than Shift or even Fink. “It could potentially kill him.”

“I don’t think he has anything to lose, Charcoal,” Shift pointed out, motioning to his comatose state.

“Right...” Even so, if Fink died now, it would be on his conscience.

“Please try, Charcoal. I believe you can save him.”

“Really? Even though I’m a kid and a blank flank?” Charcoal hopefully asked. Shift appeared confused.

“I do not see what your age or lack of a cutie mark have to do with anything. It is your ability that matters. I have seen that you are capable of great things, which leads me to believe that you can do it again.”

“You all keep saying that I’m great. Why?”

“Because... you are, Charcoal.” The changeling was unable to come up with a more specific explanation.

“Right. Thanks, I guess. And Shift... you know I didn’t mean what I said last night? I know you aren’t spying or anything, I was just upset.”

“I know,” Shift nodded understanding. A smile twinged at his lips as Shift felt the flow of love resume.

“Okay,” Charcoal sighed, turning back to his patient. “Here goes nothing.”

Beads of sweat popped up on Charcoal’s forehead as he strained, brow furrowed, eyes set in determination. He stared blankly forward, focused on picking out the invisible poison in Fink’s body. At first, it felt like he was destroying the toxin one molecule at a time, the work was so tedious. Not only did he have to get rid of the poison, but also provide the healthy cells enough energy to quickly regenerate and replace the dead ones. It was quite the difficult assignment.

Charcoal targeted the vital organs first- the brain, heart and lungs. By that time, he was beginning to get the hang of the process, and worked a little more quickly. Still, it was impossible to say how long he’d been working. An hour? Two? Three? It felt like an eternity. Yet Shift never budged, hopefully waiting, eyes glued to Fink’s unmoving body.

Charcoal had just rested- in fact, it had only been a few hours since he woke. But the procedure was requiring so much energy, he was drained again before he was even halfway through. The poison had been eradicated, but it was regenerating his cells that was so taxing. Charcoal didn’t know how else to encourage the growth of new cells but to provide them with his own energy. The tactic worked, but was inefficient.

“I can’t keep it up,” he panted. “He isn’t getting enough energy. I don’t have any more to give.”

“He needs love,” Shift realized. “If he feeds, he will be able to produce his own energy. Through the hive mind, small amounts of love were shared through the hive mind to sustain us. Now it is gone.”

“Then how are you sustained?”

“My friends provide my love, now.”

“You’ve been draining us?!” Charcoal finally lost his hold on the fire altogether, and disbelievingly stared at the changeling.

“Not intentionally,” Shift hastily assured. “You have all extended love of your own free will. I have no control over the love I absorb.”

“But... if you can’t control the love you absorb, shouldn’t Fink be absorbing that same love?”

“It is possible that Fink’s affiliation with Kindling, or whomever he was spying for, caused some to cut off their love.”

“I guess so,” Charcoal agreed. “But how do we get them to love him again? Or even just like him? He’s comatose, and probably won’t be waking anytime soon, so he can’t convince them himself. At the same time, what he did was pretty awful, and getting everyone to forgive him is going to be pretty tough.”

“If he does not receive love, he will die.”

“I wish Mom was here. She’s the Element of Forgiveness. She’d know what to do.”

“Well... what do you think she would do?”

“Oh, I dunno. Usually she’d go ask Twilight or one of her other friends. In this case, she’d probably convince her friends to provide love, and between the six of them, it’d be enough love to get him back on his hooves.”

“Then that is what you must do.”

“Huh?”

“Convince your friends to love Fink!”

“I...” Charcoal paused. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, she’s the Element of Forgiveness, not me. And secondly... I don’t know that they’d consider me a friend. I don’t talk to many ponies at home; I don’t know them that well. I only met most of them a day or two ago. My best friend was Pound Cake, and he’s gone now.”

“I am sorry about Pound Cake, and your aunt, and all the rest who were lost. But here is one that we can save. You may have known the hippogryphs only a few days, and the hippocampi only a single night, but you have been through much together. Those experiences have helped you form a bond.”

“They were all sitting together outside the hotel this morning,” Charcoal recalled. “They tried to call me over... I was too busy trying to get into the meeting to join them.”

“Whether you acknowledge it or not, Charcoal, you have more friends than you know.”

“You know a lot about friendship, for a changeling,” Charcoal grinned.

“Thanks to you, I am now able to think for myself,” Shift modestly dipped his head.

“Well... I guess I better go round up the gang, again. I’ll be back.” Charcoal gave up the armchair to the changeling. Leaving Fink under Shift’s careful watch, Charcoal took a shortcut out the window.

Charcoal must have been in there for hours, so he wasn’t surprised when he found that the group had moved. He was a bit amazed to find that the meeting between the leaders had just now ended; Trident was storming angrily out of the hotel, tail irritably flicking as he dragged it behind him.

“Stubborn mules! Bullheaded, stiff-necked, unreasonable dimwits! This is why I have never come up to the surface! Land ponies are impossible!”

“King Trident, your highness!” Charcoal made a pit stop by the king’s chariot as he was mounting. “What happened?!”

“Your ‘leaders’ are completely ridiculous, incapable fools! For six long, toilsome hours we discuss strategies and solutions, yet they refuse to make me a reasonable offer! I will not expend all my troops to fight while theirs remain safely harbored behind my line of defense. I am not a crutch for you to rely on. I will not fight your war!”

“King Trident, I assure you we’ll do our part! We just ask you to do yours.”

“You wish to exploit my kingdom’s assets! I will have none of it! I withdraw my troops! The changelings are your problem- take care of it yourself. Perhaps we will speak again when you learn to stand on your own four hooves!”

“But your majesty-!” Charcoal was cut off when the soldiers towing the chariot finally built up enough momentum on the pavement to take off. Time Turner and Shining Armor appeared in the doorway just a moment later.

“Fine! Stay out! We didn’t want you here anyway!”

“TIME TURNER!” Charcoal stormed up to the obnoxious pony. “What did you do? What happened in there?”

“It wasn’t him. Trident is convinced we’re relying too heavily on him,” Shining Armor sighed. “I just asked that he use his trident to wash out the changelings- you know, cause a distraction, at least enough confusion to give the rest of us a head start. He said it would drain too much water from the river. I suggested a few other methods that wouldn’t drain the river, and now he’s convinced I want him to fight the war for us. Nothing I say can convince him otherwise.”

“We need him!” Charcoal slumped to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Char. I did my best.”

“I’m sure you did.” Charcoal met his gaze. “We’ll have to worry about it later. Right now, we’ve got bigger problems. Fink is dying.”

“I know, Charcoal. I think he was poisoned with a termination spell. There’s nothing we can do.”

“You’re wrong. There is something we can do. You were right about the termination spell- I even managed to clear out all the poison from his system.”

“Really? How’d you do that?” Time Turner appeared fascinated.

“Long story. The problem is that his cells won’t regenerate fast enough to replace the dead tissue. Shift says he isn’t getting enough love.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” Shining Armor mumbled.

“We have to help him, Shining Armor! He can still help us!”

“So, what are we waiting for? Let’s save the changeling! Ditzy, where are you? Ditzy!” Time Turner returned inside to seek out his missing companion.

“I can’t help you, Charcoal. I can never love a changeling. They almost took my wife from me, once.”

“You love Cadance, don’t you?”

“More than anything, of course!”

“Fink can help us get her back. If you want to see Cadance again, you’re going to have to put the Canterlot incident behind you.”

“Well... I’ll try.”

“I can’t ask for more. Now, can you help me round up the others?”

“Gilda, Trixie and Glitter are inside. I’ll go tell them and see if Gilda knows where to find her hippogryph friends,” the prince nodded, retracing his steps. Meanwhile, Charcoal took to the sky in hopes of catching the hippocampus girls before Trident called them back to the sea.

“So what exactly are we all doing here?” Whirl Pool inquired, trying to find space to slither into the crowded room. Gilda had indeed been able to locate her hippogryph friends, and arrived back with them and Spectrum promptly. The pegasus had even brought Heckley and Bandit back, who were more than happy to nap on their master’s back. (As Charcoal didn’t have the heart to turn them down again, had finally resumed full responsibility for the creatures.) Though Charcoal had a head start in rounding up their friends, the hippocampi were much slower on land, and it took them a while to make their way back to the Unbridled Inn. Now that they had arrived, though, sixteen ponies (not including Fink himself) were crowded around the bedside, awaiting instruction.

“Fink needs our help,” Charcoal grunted, climbing over feathers and plumage as he attempted to make for the bed. “In changeling terms, he’s starving. Changelings feed on love, and now that he’s not connected to the hive mind, he can’t share the hive’s love. He’s on his own.”

“You want us to let him feed on our love?!” Hawk shrieked.

“Yes and no. Yes, I’m asking you to let him feed, but it’s not that simple. Changelings can’t just intercept your love... Shift, you’re better at explaining this.”

“Love must be directed at a changeling specifically in order for them to feed,” he clarified. “Right now, not enough love is being directed at Fink.”

“Oh, you poor thing!” Kelpie hopped up onto the vacant side of the bed to clear floor space and also get a better look at him. Shift sensed a trickle of love from the mare intended for Fink. Shift nodded at Charcoal.

“It’s working.”

“What’s working?”

“I sense love flowing from Kelpie to Fink. He is regaining strength.”

“But... I didn’t do anything,” she confusedly protested.

“So do you want our love or our sympathy? He’s got my sympathy alright, but he can’t have my love.”

“Charcoal, you do remember what landed him here in the first place?”

“He was spying, yes, but he didn’t have any control over it. Changelings are practically slaves when they’re connected to the hive mind. And Kindling is a pretty tough master to please. What’s important is that he tried to do something about it. That’s what landed him here. Because he decided that friendship so important to him, he was even willing to risk his life for it. Now his life really is on the line. He took the leap of faith... we aren’t going to let him down, are we?”

“Well... when you put it like that...” Winter smiled at the creature he once dreaded.

“Guess we should do our part,” High Tide agreed.

“He sounds like the kind of friend we all need... I hope he wakes up so I can meet him,” River Rush put in.

“I do find changelings to be a fascinating species! Wouldn’t you say, Ditzy?”

“Well... they definitely don’t look so mean when they’re asleep.”

Shift felt more and more love pouring from the collected ponies. He was almost jealous- only Chrysalis had ever been allowed to gorge in such quantities. A healthy glow returned to his face, and Glitter reported that his pulse was growing stronger. Still, he did not wake even when Kelpie tried to rouse him.

“It is not enough,” Shift assessed. “He needs more love.”

“Not enough?!” Trixie exclaimed. “I feel it draining me- how much more do we need?”

“Who else could we get?” Charcoal concurred. Shift’s gaze shifted to Shining Armor, the only one he could not sense contributing love. One by one, the others in the room also turned to him. The unicorn sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he shrugged. “I just can’t do it. Don’t get me wrong- I’ll... tolerate them...” he said, looking at Shift, “but I can never fully accept them. Not after what they did.”

“Shining Armor, you have to let it go!” Charcoal pleaded.

“They tried to steal my wife and sister!” he protested. “How do you ‘let go’ of that?”

“These changelings are different than the rest. And they’re our best hope at getting Cadance, Twilight and the Elements back, maybe our only hope. Here, close your eyes,” Charcoal directed. Dubiously, Shining Armor did so. “If you can’t see past the changelings, then focus on Cadance. They’re going to lead you to her. Right, guys?”

“Fink will know more than me,” Shift nodded.

“Fink is the connection. Just pretend he’s the conduit to transferring your love to Cadance. It should actually stop at him, right?”

“No. The love must be intended directly for him. Your ‘conduit theory’ will not work,” Shift corrected.

“Okay...” Charcoal desperately racked his brain for another solution.

“Prince Shining Armor,” Hawk interrupted. “Your highness... from what we’ve heard from Spectrum and Gilda and the news, it sounds like Princess Cadance is sort of like the Princess of Love.”

“Heh. I guess you could say that,” Shining Armor chuckled, a smile finally creasing his face as he thought of the beautiful mare he was lucky enough to call his wife.

“Well then, it sounds to me like she’d want you to help Fink,” Winter spoke, catching on to Hawk’s train of thought.

“Yes, do it for Cadance,” River agreed. Charcoal hopefully nodded. Shining Armor’s gaze again turned to the wounded changeling.

“For Cadance’s sake,” he slowly began, “I suppose I could make an exception.”

“Alright!”

“So... how do I...?”

“Once you have completely put the past behind you and open up your heart, you will feel the love begin to transfer,” Shift explained. Winter did his best to keep from laughing.

“That’s not cheesy at all...”

“The point is, you’ll know when it happens,” Charcoal rolled his eyes.

“It helps if you think good thoughts about him,” Glitter advised. “Focus on his best traits instead of the bad ones; what you would want in a friend.”

“Well... he’s brave, for sure, risking his life like he did...”

“Right! Go on.”

“And I suppose he follows orders well, even if it was for the other side.”

“What else?”

“Now that he’s free, he’s going to help me get my family back.” His voice faltered at the last one.

“He will help us now, Shining Armor,” Charcoal promised. “If we help him first.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Positive.”

“I’ll trust you on this. He will help me get my family back,” he repeated, with much more conviction this time. Shift sensed the tiniest trickle of love begin to escape the unicorn.

“It’s working! He is healing!” This vote of confidence must have triggered something, because the trickle steadily grew until it became a steady flow, perhaps even a bit more aggressive than what anypony else offered.

Slowly, the shallow rising and falling of Fink’s chest became stronger, deeper. The onlookers barely dared to breathe for the next full minute as they watched in anticipation, eyes expectantly locked on their patient. A couple gasps did escape, however, when Fink’s eyelids began to flutter.

“He’s waking up!” Kelpie announced, pressing closer. High Tide and Jet Stream, who were also on the bed, had a fair view, but Cascade and Whirl Pool were having a hard time seeing, and crowded the others until they were literally straining over top of each other.

“Is he okay?” Cascade wondered.

“Is he up?” Whirl Pool asked.

“I can’t see,” Jet Stream pouted, now buried at the bottom of the dog pile. When Fink’s yellow eyes finally did blink open, he found himself nose-to-nose with Kelpie.

“Hello,” the shy mare grinned. Fink merely furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Ha! It worked!” Time Turner cheered, trying to take Ditzy for a victory spin before realizing there wasn’t enough room. The hippocampi pressed even closer, squealing with excitement and flooding the changeling with questions.

“How do you feel?”

“Are you alright?”

“Are you warm enough?”

“Should I get you something?”

“A glass of water?”

“Maybe he’s hungry. What about seaweed?”

“Changelings feed on love, smart one,” Whirl Pool lightly cuffed Kelpie.

“Oh.”

“Give him room, girls,” Current scolded, yanking them all back to the floor.

“Fink!” Charcoal cheered, jumping up from the other side of the bed, Shift close on his heels.

“Master Charcoal?”

“We talked about this, remember, Fink? It’s just Charcoal.”

“Fink!” Shift practically leapt on top of him on the bed.

“Shift.”

“Your spell worked, Fink! I no longer hear the hive!”

“Nor... do... I,” Fink realized with a start. “But... the termination spell! Why am I not dead? And what are all these ponies doing here?”

“We cut you loose before enough poison entered your system,” Glitter explained.

“They provided you enough love to heal, Fink!” Spectrum inserted.

“They... did?”

“All of ‘em,” Whirl Pool confirmed. “Even this guy,” she winked, leaning on Shining Armor’s shoulder. He nervously coughed, brushing her off with a blush.

“Then... I thank you. But... why? I... tricked you.”

“Eh... what’s a little trickery between friends? All’s well that ends well, right?”

“But I exposed your plans.”

“Which is exactly why we need your help to come up with new plans,” Gilda interjected.

“Who were you spying for, Fink?” Shining Armor spoke, more business-like now that he had regained his composure. Fink flinched as if accused. “It’s... uh... it’s okay. I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“Shining Armor provided most of the love to heal you,” Shift quietly offered. Fink’s eyes widened in disbelief. Wasn’t he the one that hated changelings more than anyone?

“Kindling,” he finally managed. “I was spying for Master Kindling Pyre.”

“I knew it!”

“Well, he’s not your ‘master’ anymore,” Glitter smiled, placing a friendly hoof on his shoulder. “We’re all friends here, now. And we’re all equals.”

“Right,” Charcoal nodded. “So as your friends, will you help us defeat Kindling?”

“I... will do my best,” Fink dipped his head.

“Are you feeling up to it? You nearly died!” River exclaimed.

“I will be alright. You should be more concerned about yourselves. The amount of love required to heal me must have proved very taxing.”

“You can say that again!” Glitter elbowed Trixie.

“Uh, hate to interrupt,” Time Turner piped up. “But don’t you think we should find someplace a little more secure... and spacious? This room is awful cramped.”

“Even the conference room will be a little tight with this many ponies,” Charcoal thought. “But we shouldn’t be out in the open where everypony can listen in. Where else can we go?” Time Turner smirked.

“I have a place.”

“You don’t mean-?!” Ditzy gasped.

“Why not?” the pony shrugged.

“What?” everyone else chimed in unison. The stallion’s devilish grin grew wider.

“Anypony interested in visiting my TARDIS?”

Chapter 75: TARDIS Conference

Chapter 75
TARDIS Conference

“Whoa! It really is bigger on the inside!” Ditzy led the string of ponies inside the police box, all their mouths hanging agape but hers. Time Turner proudly held the door aside, chest puffed out, finding great amusement in watching the ponies’ expressions.

“What kind of magic is this?” Shining Armor gawked, examining the console.

“Don’t touch that,” Time Turner advised. “And it isn’t magic. It’s time lord technology from my home planet, Gallifrey. I’m not from Equestria and I’m not really a pony... didn’t I mention that?”

“But I didn’t believe it,” Spectrum dazedly spoke, running a hoof over the complicated array of buttons and levers.

“What did I say about touching?” Once everyone had entered, Time Turner bounded up to shoo them all away from the controls. “Oy. This way. There’s a bigger room with a table and chairs... away from all the blinky buttons,” he again had to slap Winter’s hoof before the hippogryph could start fiddling with another row of switches. Next, he took the lead in navigating the complex network of winding hallways of his, TARDIS, was it? to find the room only he and perhaps Ditzy knew of.

Shining Armor attempted to follow, but as he strode deeper into the TARDIS, his horn began to flicker out, and hence, the shielding spell. “Wha-? My horn! What’s happening?!”

“Oh. That is problematic, isn’t it? Here, let’s try something.” Time Turner experimentally nudged the prince back a few paces. As he re-entered the console room, his horn ignited once again.

“What was that?!” Shining Armor demanded.

“Well, when you entered the TARDIS, you actually entered another dimension,” Time Turner explained. “Each room in the TARDIS, hallways included, is another dimension. I suppose your spell can’t carry through so many dimensions.”

“I can’t leave the town undefended!” he protested.

“I guess we’ll just have to work in here,” Charcoal shrugged.

“How uncomfortable!” Time Turner exclaimed.

“Doctor?” Ditzy sternly raised an eyebrow.

“Oh... fine,” he groaned, plopping on the ground. The others also began to take a seat where they stood. It was rather awkward, as they had to fill in the space around the console, which got in the way and made eye contact with everyone impossible. Charcoal also sat down, making sure to keep his pets close- his grabby, thieving weasle had already attempted twice to remove a couple of Time Turner’s trinkets.

“Before we start, is anypony hungry? I’m starved!” Time Turner popped back up and briefly disappeared into a room branching immediately from the control room wall. “Aw, the cupboards are empty. Ditzy, did you clear out my muffin stash?

“They’re muffins, Doctor! Muffins!” the mare justified. Time Turner momentarily returned with a shrug.

“Eh, no matter. There are a few good planets I know where we could stop for a bite to eat. Any takers?”

“Ooh! Can we go to the bakery with really good muffins on Cariballa?”

“Uh, hate to interrupt but... changeling invasion, evil, all-powerful destral to deal with here?”

“Yeah, can we just get on with it? We don’t have time to lose!”

“What part of ‘time machine’ don’t you understand?”

“Time machine? Hey, does that mean we could we go back in time before the invasion started and prevent it all from happening in the first place?” Charcoal hopefully piped.

“No. I’m afraid that would cause a paradox loop.”

“Paradox loop?”

“He talks about that pair of boxes all the time,” Ditzy whispered to Cascade, seated beside her. “Even I still don’t get it.”

“It means that if we went back in time and prevented the invasion, then Ponyville never would have been destroyed, so Charcoal never would have left and united the hippogryphs and hippocampi. Therefore, he would have no reason to visit Tall Tale Beach, where we all meet. And if we never meet, then how will Charcoal go ask me to prevent the invasion?”

“I... but... what?!” Whirl Pool clutched her head and toppled over, complaining of a headache.

“I see. Preventing the invasion would cancel out future events, actually making it impossible,” Current repeated.

“Exactly!” Time Turner praised.

“I didn’t get any of that. Could you explain it again?” Shining Armor shook his head.

“I’ve learned to just go with it,” Ditzy shrugged.

“There’s no way to get around your... paradox loop? We definitely can’t use that?” Charcoal scratched his head and squinted, still trying to grasp the concept.

“Unless you want to rip all of time and space.”

“Ooh. That sounds bad,” River winced.

“Yes. It is very, very bad.”

“Okay, what’s plan B?”

“If I may?” Fink grunted, struggling to ease down to a semi-comfortable position on the hard floor.

“Please, go ahead, Fink,” Charcoal raised his voice to silence any other conversation. Fink had finally managed to settle in, but squirmed again as all eyes turned to him.

“During the short time I was made to serve Kindling Pyre, I learned some of his plans- that is why he disconnected me from Chrysalis’ hive, because there were some he did not want her to discover.”

“What’s with all the secrecy? Aren’t they on the same side?” Hawk spoke.

“That is what Chrysalis is meant to think. Kindling has been using her to get to her army, but planned to overturn her once he learned to take over her hive mind. I was the test subject for his rerouting spell. As you know, it worked.”

“I knew that creep couldn’t really have feelings for Chrys!” Charcoal triumphantly whooped.

“Indeed, he did not. He despised Chrysalis. He wanted to take control of her hive as soon as the spell was complete, but did not have enough strength to cast a spell that powerful. He has been studying her original notes that led to the creation of the changeling race.”

“Changelings were created?” Jet’s eyes widened.

“Pardon me. Perhaps I should start from the beginning. Kindling has been alive for more than a thousand years- he was Princess Essence’s student in the days of the original destral empire, and later graduated to become captain of her royal guard. Around the same time, thestrals came to the destrals, feeling rejected by the other pony types and seeking their help. Kindling proposed to perform research dedicated to helping them fit in with the others, and it was such a popular idea that Essence agreed. A crystal destral by the name of Smoky Topaz was named Chief of Research, responsible for solving the thestrals’ plight.

“First she attempted to disguise thestrals as one of the other pony types, hoping that their changed appearance would be more appealing. She successfully gifted thestrals the ability to shed their wings and appear as earth ponies. She was going to attempt to offer the disguises for unicorns, pegasi, or eventually alicorns as well, but the project was cancelled before her research was complete. Though, we later learned that she had successfully managed to perform all four disguises herself.

“Kindling had been so impressed with her abilities that he requested permission to assist her in the effort. By ‘offering assistance,’ he meant ‘taking over the program’. As Essence’s student, he carried more weight with the Princess than Topaz, and therefore convinced her to do as he said. The transformation program was cancelled, and replaced by an ‘upgrade’ program, meant to make thestrals more productive. The resulting spell offered thestrals super strength in the form of earth-quaking. Another spell gave them night vision. These were, of course, supposed to make them look useful so the other ponies would hire them, but Kindling had other plans. In fact, he had been using the entire research program as a ruse to create a powerful, unstoppable force. He was building an army.”

“War machines. He was turning ponies into war machines!” Shining Armor gasped.

“I understand the night vision was lost during the creation of the seventh Element, but you have retained the other traits, have you not?”

“Yeah,” Charcoal woozily nodded. The abilities he’d always assumed to be naturally occurring had actually been created in a laboratory?

“What about fire dancing?” Glitter inquired, not nearly so disturbed as curious.

“Fire dancing and cloud-walk are natural abilities, to my knowledge.”

“So what happened with Smoky Topaz?” Kelpie asked, huddled with her sister, both girls obviously enthralled by the tale.

“Kindling next vouched for a more aggressive approach: to force the other ponies to love thestrals by means of a love spell. Topaz was against the idea the whole time, as love spells are dangerous and unethical, but as I said, Kindling had all but taken over the operation. To maintain a clear conscience, when the spell was complete, Topaz wished to be the first test subject.

“Something went wrong, and instead of creating a love of thestrals within Topaz, the spell turned her into a changeling, forever cursed to consume love.”

“WHOA!” Winter jumped up at this plot twist. “Smoky became a changeling?!”

“Smoky Topaz became Queen Chrysalis.”

“CHRYSALIS?!”

“In addition to transforming, Topaz was locked in a preserved state, unable to age. She has survived all this time. She took on the name Chrysalis shortly after the initial transformation.”

“Are you preserved, too?”

“Drones are not ageless, no.”

“What could have possibly gone so wrong as to transform a beautiful crystal pony into a hideous monster?” Cascade shuddered.

“Our knowledge is limited by what the queen permits us to know, but one theory is because Topaz performed all four disguising spells on herself; that is, she was able to transform into an earth pony, pegasus, unicorn or alicorn even before she became a changeling. The transformation magic she used is so similar to natural changeling abilities that we assume the love and transforming spells in her clashed, resulting in an all-new species.

“Only feeding on true love could reverse the spell. She became desperate to convince anypony to love her, but none could see past her new ragged appearance. Out of anger, she cast the same spell on most of her coworkers. According to the spell-clash theory, perhaps the reason they became less-powerful changeling drones was because a smaller amount of the transforming magic was present in them. This is not likely, for now Chrysalis is transforming all sorts of ponies into drones, and pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies would not have been exposed to her original transformation magic. Only Chrysalis knows.

“As I was saying, in her angry rage, Chrysalis began turning all ponies who rejected her into drones. But when she came across Kindling, he was able to convince her that he would be her true love. It was by this deception that he managed to gain control of her new army, and combine it with his own powerful thestrals. Together, they had an unstoppable force, and planned to unleash it on the rest of Equestria. Essence had to be removed, of course, but because she was tied directly to the Tree of Harmony, it would not be possible to kill her. Rather, he devised a device, a stasis orb, to imprison her. This was the beginning of the first thestral uprising.

“Over time, a rebel force rose up to fight Kindling’s thestrals. The rebels thought that if they eliminated Kindling, they could put down the insurrection, so they used one of his own stasis orbs to imprison him. Chrysalis was infuriated, and focused all of her changelings on locating Kindling’s orb. Meanwhile, she ordered the thestrals to find a way to redirect the Tree of Harmony’s power from Essence, which would give them an opprotunity to rid themselves of Essence and tip the odds in their favor. If they could not redirect it, then they were to destroy the Tree. There, they came across Princesses Celestia and Luna.

“Celestia and Luna were not able to redirect the tree’s power either, but they found that they could channel it through it’s fruit- the Elements of Harmony. They used the Elements to defeat the thestrals once and for all, absorbing much of the Tree’s power in the process. That power was what granted them such incredible longevity. Neither alicorns nor destrals were originally intended to be immortal, you know.

“The defeat of the thestrals and the Princesses’ newly acquired power frightened Chrysalis into hiding. Quietly, she continued to send out drones to hunt Kindling’s orb, but the secrecy greatly hindered her progress. It wasn’t until recently that she located the orb, and released Kindling once again.”

“So that’s how he got out,” Charcoal nodded.

“How do you know all this?”

“The hive mind is like a giant data bank. Chrysalis’ memories, or at least, the ones she has not concealed from us, are collectively shared knowledge.”

“I knew the story as well,” Shift agreed. “All changelings do.”

“Well, it’s certainly an entertaining and informative story, but how does it help us?” Shining Armor asked.

“It could be very helpful! We just have to figure out how to turn their own power against them. I didn’t see any free-roaming thestrals around their base in the Everfree, so they must be relying on changeling drones.”

“But how do we turn transformation magic against them?”

“I would suggest that you use Kindling’s more recent inventions as a means to his end,” Fink suggested.

“Such as?”

“Some feats cannot be accomplished through magic alone. Such as in Essence’s case; even today she cannot be killed before the Tree revives her. Kindling worked around this by creating a prison that could contain her. He has created many such orbs. I know he used another orb to imprison Essence once more, as well as Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance. I believe he is also holding the Elements within one.”

“The squad sent to capture you and your dragon friends was also equipped with an orb. I know Spike and Blaze were imprisoned, as well as some of our own changelings that were caught in the cross-fire.”

“He’s trapped our parents in one of his orb do-hickeys?!” Spectrum jumped up. Fink dipped his head.

“My condolences.”

“But... that means they’re okay, right? They’ll be safe?”

“They are safe for now, yes.”

“Good,” Charcoal collapsed back to the floor.

“Do you know how the orbs work?” Gilda wondered.

“I do not know how they work,” Fink shook his head. “Kindling withheld that information. I do know how he makes them, however. My role as his assistant was mainly to fetch and organize his materials. I watched him make more of the orbs, which means that he probably has more targets in mind.”

“Do you think Shining Armor could repeat the spell he cast to make it?”

“There was no spell involved,” Fink shook his head. “Kindling relied solely on the materials he used to create the prison.”

“What the kelp did he use?!” High Tide exclaimed.

“In the stasis orb, Kindling combined the shell of a sandfish egg, a dose of manticore venom, bog sprite hair, timberwolf bark, and a carbuncle gem. I am not sure in what ratio he used the materials, or what any of their significance is.”

“What’s a bog sprite?” High Tide scrunched up her nose.

“Another supposedly mythical pony, most often sighted out in the Everfree Bog,” Fink informed.

“Charcoal?” Spectrum turned to the son of Ponyville’s infamous myth-busters.

“Don’t look at me,” Charcoal held up his hooves. “Even I’ve never heard of a bog sprite. Or at least, I don’t remember Mom or Dad mentioning them before.”

“Another dead end,” Hawk groaned.

“Not necessarily,” Current coolly spoke. “Your parents may be able to help us yet.”

“How? They’re imprisoned with the rest of the elements, and there’s no way we can take the changelings. If there were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Whirl Pool cynically reminded.

“Before Acrylic and Torchwood departed on their first visit, I left them with a book on our kind. It is possible, if not probable that they collected similar books on other races.”

“They sure did! Our house was full of them- mostly on hippocampi and hippogryphs, but there were some on other species. They’re full of notes and notations, too.”

“We need that research,” Shining Armor determined.

“But it’s all the way back in Ponyville. We just came from that way,” Winter groaned.

“And how are we going to get all the way back without being spotted?” Gilda agreed.

“Here’s where I can help!” Time Turner cheerfully smiled.

Author's Note

A/N: The idea of how the ‘ingredients’ work is heavily based on the concept of using and combining artifacts from Warehouse 13 (another amazing show). This basically means that each artifact, or in this case, ingredient, already has some sort of power, but it’s harnessing and/or combining them that’s dangerous and often unethical.

Chapter 76: Ponyville Ambush

Chapter 76
Ponyville Ambush

“Are you sure you set it correctly?” Ditzy quite literally hovered over Time Turner as he fiddled with the dials and switches.

“Of course! Why do you ask?”

“Because the last time you were ‘absolutely sure’ you were taking me home, you actually dropped me off in Maretonia, a century too early.”

“Oh, I put it right in the end, didn’t I?”

“You left me there for a week, Doctor!”

“Well... fair enough. But look here. Ponyville, Art Life’s coordinates. This should land us just outside the front door.”

“Or what is left of the front door,” Shift interjected. “It has been all but removed.”

“What about the date?” Ditzy pressed.

“Today’s date and time, down to the second.”

“Are you sure?” Ditzy offered a half grin.

“Absolutely.”

“Really? Are you absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure?”

“Of course I am! Don’t you trust me?”

“No.” Ditzy pointed to one digit on the screen that would have sent them careening a thousand years into the future. Time Turner flattened his ears in irritation and wordlessly corrected the typo. Ditzy triumphantly smiled. It was a good thing she’d convinced him to teach her how to fly the TARDIS.

“I better wait for you here,” Shining Armor spoke up.

“You aren’t coming?” Charcoal exclaimed.

“I’ve already felt the shield’s signal weaken since I entered the TARDIS,” he sadly smiled. “I can’t risk it collapsing again by traveling through... what’d he call it... the time vortex? And besides, even if we make it to Ponyville, I won’t be able to transmit the spell across the country.”

“We’ll get the research and come right back, then,” Charcoal promised.

“Be careful. That’s an order,” Shining Armor grinned.

“Yes sir,” Charcoal playfully saluted back.

“See you soon, then.” Shining Armor nodded farewell before exiting the time machine.

“Someone explain to me how this thing works again?” High Tide looked around at the complex structure of the timeship control room, completely oblivious to Shining Armor’s departure.

“Well, you see-” Time Turner began.

“Not you,” High Tide cut him off. “The last time you explained it, I got a headache.”

“Oy!”

“Essentially,” Ditzy intervened, “he’ll type in when and where he wants the TARDIS to take us, the ship will rock a little bit, and when we open the door, we should be there.”

“Just like that?”

“You said you wanted the simplified version.”

“Alright, then. Everypony hang on!” Time Turner gleefully threw a lever before anyone had time to react. Charcoal’s stomach lurched as the ship began to sway beneath him, the console lights flashing and a dreadful squeaking grating against his ears. Bandit’s tiny claws dug into his back for traction, and Heckley’s grip on his neck tightened. Most ponies (Time Turner and Ditzy excluded) bumped into at least one other passenger before finding a hold on the safety railing or properly bracing themselves.

“IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING THAT NOISE?” Glitter screamed over the horrid racket.

“ABSOLUTELY!” Time Turner whooped.

“YOU LEFT THE BRAKES ON AGAIN, DIDN’T YOU?” Ditzy accused. She never got a response, which meant she was probably correct.

When at last the awful lurching and screeching subsided, all of the passengers felt like they had just exited a roller coaster.

“Ugh,” Whirl Pool groaned, clutching her stomach.

“I feel sick,” River Rush concurred.

“Are all you ‘time lords’ such bad drivers?”

“Oy!”

“Don’t you have a test to pass before flying one of those things?” Trixie grunted.

“Of course there’s a pilot’s test,” Time Turner informed. “I failed it.”

“Let’s just see if it got us where we want to be,” Charcoal woozily stumbled for the door.

He expected to be blinded by the sunlight flooding Ponyville when they had originally passed by. After all, the pegasi had not been able to alter the weather since the invasion. Contrary to his prediction, however, the skies were gloomy, even dark.

“What’s going on?” he exclaimed. Spectrum was quick to join him, and gasped.

“Those are Everfree clouds! What are they doing in Ponyville?”

“Kindling’s power must be spreading quickly,” Fink wheezed, still leaning heavily on Shift.

“Then we don’t have time to lose,” Gilda determined.

“Where are we? Did the time machine work?” The hippocampi dragged themselves out onto the grass.

“This is Ponyville,” Glitter informed, taking in the familiar terrain.

“This is where Acrylic and Torchwood live?” Kelpie gasped. The excitement of visiting their friends’ hometown was evident in her voice, but the shock of what had become of the place was also present.

“There it is. Art Life,” Trixie pointed just up the hill.

“Oh, my!” Cascade covered her mouth. The building was in ruins; the sign had been torn down, the windows smashed in, the roof sagging in more than one place, the door barely hanging onto its hinges, and worst of all, the once glorious mural displayed on the side was now scratched and smeared. Holes had been punched through a portion of the mountain range, changeling goo dripped from the entire left hemisphere, and scorch marks obstructed the pegasi herd. Charcoal’s heart sank.

“Char... I’m so sorry,” Glitter gulped. Charcoal felt her hoof on his shoulder, but didn’t dare look at her for fear she’d notice his cheeks flush.

“Let’s... uh... let’s go see what’s salvageable, pack up and head back,” he coughed, leading the way into what remained of his home.

“Shouldn’t someone stay outside and watch for changelings?” Winter offered.

“No need,” Trixie shook her head and ignited her horn. A pale pink shield surrounded the group. “I can keep up a small shield for a little while,” she explained.

“Great,” Charcoal acknowledged, “but let’s hurry, anyway. No need to draw attention to ourselves.” Against his better judgment, Charcoal began shuffling up the hill for the wrecked remains of his home. Trixie was also on the move, and began taking the shield with her, prompting the others to keep pace. Time Turner rapidly turned back to close up his TARDIS and darted after them.

The house was dark, and the lanterns and candles had all been smashed, so Charcoal and Glitter took it upon themselves to illuminate the structure. Charcoal slowly but gingerly sidestepped the strewn art supplies, avoiding the pointed pencil tips and dodging shards of obliterated paint jars. The others cautiously followed in his hoofsteps as he picked his way to the back, though the two pegasi with shorter wingspans managed to avoid the ground altogether. They were a little worried about how the hippocampi would manage to work their way through the minefield, but agile Jet somehow managed to cross with ease The others did their best to follow her lead, and eventually, they all made it into the studio without so much as a scratch.

A bookshelf had been toppled in front of the hallway, which would make passage upstairs more difficult. They could climb over it, yes, but they needed the books that would be trapped beneath.

“Help me lift this up,” Charcoal requested, struggling against the wooden frame. The hippocampi mares tried to help, but they were low to the ground, and found it awkward to assist in the effort. Fortunately, gryphons were incredibly strong, allowing Gilda to raise it with ease. Even before the bookshelf had been completely moved, Time Turner eagerly snatched the closest book.

“Wow. Your parents were serious about this,” Ditzy commented, peering over his shoulder.

“Of course they were. It was their passion. We all have one,” Time Turner shrugged, flipping the page. “Ooh, look at that. They came quite close to the aponies, didn’t they? Missed them by that much.”

“What? When? Where?” Charcoal tried jumping over Cascade to peer at the book, but Time Turner snatched it away.

“Ah, ah! As a good friend of mine would say, spoilers.”

“But they could help!”

“Sorry, Charcoal, but I can’t give you information that could potentially change the future.”

“Ugh!”

“Guys, let’s just round up the books and get back to Tall Tale,” Glitter interrupted, almost a dozen books already tucked beneath her wings.

“There’ll be more upstairs,” Charcoal sighed, turning his back and leaping over the messy pile of books.

“I’ll come with you,” Time Turner offered, casually trotting after him. Charcoal ground his teeth, but said nothing, and permitted the earth pony/timelord/alien, whatever he was, to follow.

Charcoal cautiously cracked open the door to his parents’ partially-demolished bedroom, and finding it safe to enter, pushed a little harder. The additional force caused the door’s hinges to finally give way, and the entire door crashed to the door. Charcoal’s vision was suddenly clouded with the dust it kicked up, and he backed away, coughing.

“Well, that’s certainly one way to do it,” Time Turner commented. Unaffected by the dust, he was able to stride right in. Bandit and Heckley also dropped down and pressed ahead, leaving Charcoal to bring up the rear. The green pony grunted, but also entered. This room was in slightly better condition than downstairs, though the windows were still damaged a couple knick-knacks had been tipped over. At least the books had remained on the shelf.

“Look for a title that could relate to the bog sprites,” Time Turner directed. “We’ll take them all, but best separate them first.”

“Or we could just ask Heckley,” Charcoal rolled his eyes, moving to the bed where the snake had settled.

“Come again?” Time Turner put down his book and joined the colt.

“Heckley started keeping the house organized after Blaze got too big to do his chores without knocking everything over,” he explained. Then, turning to the snake, he asked, “Do you know if Mom and Dad had any books on bog sprites?” Heckley touched his tail to his chin for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, his beady eyes widened, his tail pointed upwards and he proudly hissed in an ‘ah-ha’ moment.

“Brilliant! Where is it?” Time Turner cheered. Heckley hissed again. “Downstairs, you say? Well, I hope the others haven’t packed it up already.”

“How do you know what he’s saying? Charcoal dubiously raised an eyebrow.

“I speak snake.”

“Fluttershy’s the only pony I know that can talk to animals,” Charcoal challenged.

“I speak all languages... well, that’s not entirely true. The TARDIS’ translation matrix translates for me. But I still understand what he’s saying.”

“I find that rather hard to believe.”

“Then let’s put it to the test, shall we? Come along, then, Heckley. Let’s go find that book!” With the snake curled around his neck, Time Turner charged back downstairs. Charcoal sighed. They’d just gotten upstairs. To make the trip worthwhile, he tucked a couple books under his wing before reluctantly heading back down.

“Now then, Heckley, what did you say the book was called?” Time Turner listened intently as the snake reached up to his ear and appeared to whisper something.

“Uh... what’s he doing?” Gilda uneasily ask.

“Time Turner claims to speak snake,” Charcoal informed, moving the books he’d removed to the table.

“But only animal talent ponies can understand snakes... or any animal, for that matter.”

“It has something to do with his TARDIS,” Ditzy shrugged. “But I’ve seen it before. It works, somehow. Occasionally, it even translates for me!”

“Everypony look for a book called ‘Mysteries of the Mist’,” Time Turner called.

“I’ve never seen that book before in my life,” Charcoal flatly said. Heckley indignantly hissed again.

“Oh, sorry, that’s the chapter in the book. Chapter 19, to be exact. The book is called ‘Equestrian Lore, Vol. II’,” he corrected.

“Do you remember that one, Char?” Kelpie piped. Charcoal sighed.

“Yes.”

“Hey, I think I do, too. We just packed it up,” Spectrum recalled, returning for a new batch of books.

“Go see if you can round it up for us, Heckley. And any other books you can think of that even reference bog sprites.” Heckley saluted before dutifully returning to the police box.

“But... he’s just a snake. He doesn’t even have legs. How’ll he manage-?” Time Turner furrowed his brow.

“Believe me, he’ll find a way,” Charcoal assured, retrieving the stack of books and heading out after his mother’s pet.

“Alright then,” the time lord shrugged, returning to the task of collecting and delivering tomes. The others also returned to their work, gradually becoming accustomed to the pony’s odd behavior. The books and notes were gathered quickly and without incident, though Heckley disturbed them a few times in his search for certain volumes. Soon, just one more load of books was left upstairs in Acrylic and Torchwood’s bedroom, which Charcoal volunteered to retrieve. Everyone else was to wait in the TARDIS.

There were more books relevant to the topic than Charcoal estimated, and it was difficult to cram all of them under his wings. In his futile attempt to take them all in one trip, he filled his hooves with books, hence inhibiting his dexterity and resulting in the collapse of the entire shelf.

“Blast,” he grunted, agitatedly placing his existing haul on the bed in three neat stacks while he replaced the rest. Even though the house was already wrecked, his parents’ lectures about picking up after himself continued to ring in his head.

At the bottom of the pile rested a glittery pink scrapbook, compliments of his aunt Pinkie Pie. She had been compiling pictures of all the growing families for years, some of the photos even dating back to before Acrylic was pregnant with Charcoal. Just a few years back, she had gifted a completed scrapbook to each family in their tight circle of friends. What stopped Charcoal in his tracks was the picture that had fallen out from amongst Pinkie’s stickers. It was his family. Acrylic, Torchwood, Charcoal, Lilac, Blaze, and even Heckley and Bandit, all posing together in front of a beautifully refinished Art Life. They were all so happy and... whole.

“Charcoal?” The thestral colt almost jumped at the sound of his name.

“G-Glitter?! I thought you were all waiting in the TARDIS.” Charcoal hastily wiped away a tear before she could see it slide down his cheek.

“You were taking a while, and we just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“Fine. Just knocked over the bookshelf,” he coughed, patting the books in emphasis.

“Hmm,” she nodded understandingly. In doing so, she accidentally eyed the discarded scrapbook behind him. “Is that from Pinkie Pie?” She began walking over.

“Wha-? Oh, uh, yeah. How’d you know?”

“Pink is just sort of her trademark,” Glitter shrugged with a giggle.

“Oh, right.” Charcoal hastily picked up the book and attempted to cram the picture back in without bending it. Glitter smiled when she noticed the level of care he took in handling the book.

“Why don’t you take it with us?” she suggested as he began to put it back on the shelf.

“What? Why’d I do that? We don’t need it- it would just be extra weight to haul around.”

“Time Turner has a space ship,” Glitter rolled her eyes. “It already towed eighteen ponies through the time vortex. I don’t think one extra book is going to make much of a difference. I’m sure no one will mind.”

“It’s just something else we don’t need,” he insisted, replacing it anyway. “And besides, I really don’t need the distraction.”

“Maybe it’s time you started accepting your family as a motivation instead of a distraction,” Glitter suggested. Charcoal hung his head, realizing she was probably right. But it was just so painful, knowing that if he failed, he’d never see his parents or brother again. Glitter read his thoughts. “I know they’d all be proud of you for getting this far. And you’re not alone. We’ve all lost friends and family to the changelings. My parents were in Fillydelphia when the changelings attacked. I can only assume they were captured, and possibly... mutated...” she choked on the word. “And I think about them every day. But I don’t let it become a distraction- in fact, it’s what drives me. I have to believe that we’ll see each other again. And even if by some chance we do fail, then at least I know I did my very best. That’s all any of us can do.”

“I-” Charcoal knew he wasn’t the only one who had lost family- he saw the pain in Spectrum’s eyes every time he looked at the pegasus. Trixie had gained many friends all over Equestria by now, many of them in Ponyville, now lost to the changelings. And just looking at a pastry reminded Charcoal of his friend Pound Cake, and all that he had lost. But no one ever talked about their losses, and this was the first time Glitter had even mentioned that her parents had been captured. Charcoal thought back to the prisoners in Chrysalis’ courtyard. Had he seen her parents there? He couldn’t be sure. Learning of this fact provided a much-needed wake-up call. “I-I’m sorry, Glitter. I didn’t know.”

“We’ve all lost someone,” she repeated again, a weak smile still tugging at her lips. She carefully removed the scrapbook once more. “So let’s remember them, okay?” Charcoal took the book in his hooves.

“Okay.” Charcoal thought she was just leaning forward to give him a consoling hug, but in the process, she also planted a friendly, if not motherly peck on his forehead. He blushed such a deep red that he could rival Big Mac. Fortunately, he was still locked in her embrace, so she didn’t notice.

“Hey, do you hear that?” Glitter let go as her ears began to twitch.

“Wha-?” Charcoal was in such a daze it was a miracle he was still standing, let alone listening.

“It’s Trixie,” Glitter determined, moving out into the hallway where the windows would face the police box.

“What’s she saying?” Charcoal wondered, still coming to his senses. Glitter strained to hear.

“GET OUT OF THERE!” her mentor warned. Glitter gasped, and whipped around to the bedroom window opposite her. Baffled, Charcoal also turned around. His blood ran cold.

“Changelings!”

“Get the books!” Glitter swiped as many as she could, then proceeded to dart out of the building. Charcoal scooped up the remaining tomes and followed as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Hurry!” Gilda cried as the two sprinted down the hill. The TARDIS was surrounded by Trixie’s pink shield, so once they reached it, they’d be home free.

“Expand the shield!” Glitter pleaded.

“I can’t!” Trixie desperately cried. “I’m not strong enough! Just run!”

“You can make it!” Whirl Pool cheered.

“Almost there!” Current added. Indeed, the two were coming in far ahead of the changelings.

“They’re gonna make it,” Winter sighed with relief, leaning slightly on Hawk. She frowned and glared down at him, though the stallion took no note. *THUD* Winter looked back to the shield, where dazed Glitter and Charcoal lay in a crumpled heap, books strewn about, all outside the shield! “GAH! They’re not going to make it!”

“What’s going on?” Glitter gasped, pressing against the shield.

“Why won’t your spell let us in?!” Charcoal cried, looking back to the rapidly approaching changelings.

“I don’t know! It’s designed to keep only changelings out!” Trixie gasped.

“Just take the shield down,” Ditzy advised.

“Wait! If the shield only keeps changelings out, then they must be changelings too!” Time Turner exclaimed.

“WHAT?!” Charcoal screeched. “Are you serious?”

“Trixie, it’s us!” Glitter pleaded.

“What’ve you done with our Charcoal and Glitter?” Jet Stream growled.

“Guys, it’s us! Let us in!” Charcoal turned back. The changelings were almost upon them!

“How can we be sure?” Gilda wondered.

“Say something only the real Charcoal or Glitter would know,” Spectrum suggested.

“No time!” Charcoal practically screamed, the changelings descending on them. “Just trust us. Please! You have to let us in!” He shut his eyes as it became evident that the nearest drone was bound to snatch him up. Instead, he felt himself surrounded by levitation magic, and was promptly yanked inside the TARDIS along with Glitter. River Rush slammed the door shut behind them.

“What about the books? We can’t let the changelings get that research!” Glitter exclaimed.

“Really? We were almost locked out and the books are what you’re worried about?” Charcoal grumbled.

“She’s got a point. Get that research back!” High Tide cried, in an almost war-like fashion. Gilda’s screech was indeed a battle cry, and she was the first to charge back out. The rest of the company, even the hippocampi, soon followed. Charcoal attempted to follow, but Time Turner held him back, placing his other hoof on Glitter’s shoulder.

“Nuh-uh. You two stay here until we figure out whether you’re really changelings,” he ordered, bringing out his sonic screwdriver and pointing it like a weapon.

“GAH!” Charcoal grunted, throwing his hooves up in exasperation. “Everyone else is out there! I should be too!”

“Not everyone,” Shift corrected. Fink was still leaning against him. “Changelings are virtually clones, aside from Fink. If I were to exit, another changeling could easily take my place and merely claim to be me. No one would know the difference.”

“I’m sure we’d realize there’d been a mistake,” Glitter assured.

“Not until it was too late.”

“In fact, any one of us could be replaced,” Time Turner realized. “How will we know who’s who?”

“Now you’re just paranoid,” Charcoal rolled his eyes. “The shield’s still up.” Though... it hadn’t worked so well last time. Charcoal pursed his lips. Perhaps Time Turner had a point. His thoughts were interrupted, though, when he had to dodge to avoid being clocked with one of the retrieved books someone had hurled to safety.

“Head’s up!” Whirl Pool also swung her tail to knock a book inside.

“Catch!” Cascade daintily threw a notepad, which landed a couple feet short of the TARDIS.

“I got it!” Kelpie declared, pouncing the book just before a changeling pounced her.

“HEY! Get off my sister, PUNK!” High Tide tackled the changeling headlong, giving Kelpie time to return the book. Meanwhile, Jet darted between the grappling ponies, scooping up an entire stack of books and zipping away before she could be caught.

“The hippocampi are creaming those guys!” Charcoal almost laughed, certainly never expecting the water ponies to put up such a fight against changelings. Finally, the changelings seemed to remember that they had a very sticky goo that could be used to their advantage. One of them used this asset to pin Jet’s tail. The mare flew forward, the stack balanced on her head crashing to the ground.

“GET THE BOOKS!” she cried, desperately yanking to free herself of the prison.

“I got it!” Glitter declared, sparking a flame from within the TARDIS to clear it away. Jet was back up in seconds.

“NEVERMIND!”

“What? I didn’t leave the TARDIS,” Glitter shrugged in response to Time Turner’s glare.

“And she’s helping,” Charcoal pointed out.

“Oh, fine, fine, do what you can from in here. But I’ve got my eye on you.” Time Turner’s expression informed them that he was still suspicious. Charcoal rolled his eyes yet again, but proceeded to turn his attention to the battlefield, and did what he could to help their comrades. (This proved very difficult, as the magical fire didn’t carry well between dimensions.) After an intense and uncertain fight, the ponies believed that they had retrieved all the missing books.

“RETREAT!” Winter boldly declared, sprinting back to the police box. Trixie used her shield spell again to ward them off as the ponies fell back. At last, with the small rebel force and their cargo aboard the ship, Time Turner began reentering coordinates.

“How did they even know we were here?” Hawk Stripe panted.

“And how come that spell wouldn’t let you guys in?”

“Maybe Shining Armor will have some answers. He created the spell, after all.”

“And he might know how to prove they’re who they say they are.”

“Do you guys really think we’re changelings?” Charcoal desperately turned to the faces around him, painfully noticing that they had left he and Glitter with a rather generous girth.

“Well...” Spectrum scratched his head.

“It would explain why the shield wouldn’t let you in,” River sheepishly shrugged.

“If you guys are changelings, then you better tell us what you’ve done with the real Charcoal and Glitter,” Winter threatened, zooming up and pressing his nose right against Char’s. “But if not,” he continued, backing off, “then sorry for doubting you, bro.”

“I’m telling you, it’s me! What do I have to do to get you to believe me?”

“Alright, alright,” Current cut in. “Let’s wait for Shining Armor. If he has a reasonable explanation, then we can assume you’re telling the truth. If not... well, we’ll work out what to do then.”

“In the meantime, I think Trixie should keep her shield trained on them, just in case,” Time Turner voiced.

“What?!” Charcoal indignantly gasped.

“If you’re telling the truth, then you have nothing to lose. If you aren’t, then the rest of us will still be safe. It’s just a precaution.”

“That’s outrageous! I-”

“Charcoal, it’s okay,” Glitter soothed. “It’s just for a little while. And I’m sure Shining Armor will get us sorted out.” Charcoal heaved a very long, heavy sigh.

“Fine.”

“For the record, I believe you, Charcoal,” Shift assured.

“As do I,” agreed Fink.

“Alright, you two. In the corner, away from the console,” Time Turner directed, still pushing buttons.

“I’m sorry.” Trixie looked even more crushed by the order than the accused thestrals.

“It’s okay,” Glitter sadly smiled. “You were always like a second mother to me. And a mother has to do what’s best for her daughter.” Trixie’s eyes pooled with happy tears. Her words had already verified that it truly was Glitter Shine before her, but they still had to prove it to the others. Her horn began to glow, and a pink bubble surrounded the two ‘prisoners.’

“We’ll get this sorted,” Trixie promised, offering her hoof through the barrier.

“I know,” Glitter outstretched her own hoof and lined it up with Trixie’s. Charcoal sighed. He really wished his family was here. They’d know it was him; in fact, his mother would probably throw a fit at the mere suggestion of locking he and Glitter up before calming down and defending him, bringing out why Charcoal couldn’t possibly be a changeling clone. His father would try to provide answers as to why the shield had locked them out in the first place. Meanwhile, Lilac would want to share in this punishment, if just to curl up under his wing or sprawl on his back. Bandit would take up whichever spot she didn’t occupy. Charcoal smiled as he felt his long, furry companion nestle in his mane. Well, at least some things didn’t change.

Chapter 77: Research Project

Chapter 77
Research Project

“I thought they said they’d be right back,” Charcoal grunted, pacing in their confinement.

“I’m sure they’re on their way back now,” Trixie assured, peering through the door window in search of the unicorn prince.

Time Turner had refused to leave two possible changeling clones in his TARDIS, so they had been moved to the conference room. Trixie, Fink and Shift were left to ‘guard’ them, and Bandit had been removed just in case they were changelings. Of course, that had infuriated Charcoal even more.

According to a majority vote, Trixie was supposed to be maintaining the shield to keep Glitter and Charcoal on the far side of the room. However, Trixie was thoroughly convinced that they were telling the truth by now, so after everypony else had left in search of Shining Armor, she took them down to let the prisoners roam free. They still had to wait in the conference room, or they would look guilty, however.

“This is ridiculous!” Charcoal growled again. “Why won’t they believe us?”

“War can cause great paranoia and suspicion, Charcoal,” Fink spoke.

“It’s just a misunderstanding,” Glitter Shine cooed. “It happens. But I’m sure Shining Armor will get this sorted out.”

“Why are you always so nice?” Charcoal snapped, still pacing. Glitter straightened up, not sure whether to be amused or offended.

“Pardon?”

“Why aren’t you ever angry? You’re too perfect! Yell! Shout! Punch the wall! Do something! They’ve locked us up, and you’re just sitting there!”

“Charcoal,” Glitter halted his pacing when she gripped him by the shoulders. “You’re right- I’m not doing anything. But do you know why? It’s not because I’m perfect- not even close. It’s because there’s nothing to be done. I could punch the wall... but it would only make my hoof sore.” Charcoal stared at the ground. “Believe me Charcoal, when the time comes to act, I’ll be the first to do so. For now, until this is sorted out, all we can do is wait. Alright?”

“Well spoken,” Trixie praised.

“I just wish they’d hurry up about it,” he grumbled, finally taking a seat but avoiding eye contact with everyone. No sooner had he sat down than the door opened. A rather flustered Shining Armor appeared, though he had arrived alone.

“Fink, Shift, I need to borrow you for a moment, please,” he panted.

“Wait, Shining Armor!” Charcoal stood on the chair’s cushion. “Did you figure it out? Can’t you prove that it’s us?”

“Sorry, Charcoal,” Shining Armor was already retreating out the door with the changelings. “I have a theory, but I need to prove it first. Just hang tight!”

“But-!” He was already gone. “UGH!” Charcoal’s forehead met the hard table as he face planted.

“Don’t hurt yourself, now,” Glitter warned.

“Be patient,” Trixie agreed.

“I’m tired of being patient! I want to get out there and help get my parents back!”

“You heard Shining Armor. He’s already got a theory.”

“Look on the bright side. That’s one step closer to freedom than a minute ago,” Glitter shrugged.

“Still too perfect.”

The next half hour was antagonizing. Charcoal couldn’t decide whether he wanted to sit still or pace, so he alternated every few minutes. Glitter and Trixie quietly spoke, though about what Charcoal wasn’t sure. He’d lost interest in their petty chit-chat long ago.

He was almost tempted to make a break for it out the door, but then where would he go? Shining Armor’s shield surrounded the whole town, and they’d surely find him wherever he hid within. Besides, it would make him look guilty. In the end, he opted to stay put, as frustrating as it was.

When Shining Armor did at last return, the first thing he did was run a scanning spell over Glitter and Charcoal without so much as asking permission. He scanned Glitter rather quickly, but had to examine Charcoal very thoroughly. Though Charcoal glared at him, the unicorn was smiling ear to ear by the end of it.

“It’s alright, everypony,” he informed. “I’ve got it worked out, now. You’re free to go.” Trixie hugged Glitter rather tightly, but there was no one to celebrate with Charcoal.

“It’s about time,” the colt snapped, pushing past Shining Armor. The baffled prince turned to Glitter and Trixie for answers.

“Sorry,” Glitter apologized, hopping up after him. “He’s a little... upset.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Shining Armor muttered, holding the door aside for the mares. Meanwhile, Charcoal was exiting the Unbridled Inn in search of the police box, or wherever his parent’s research had been moved. The rest of the group seemed to be lagging far behind Shining Armor, and eyed Charcoal as he emerged.

“Charcoal!” Spectrum happily bounced up to his friend and tried to give him a hug, Bandit happily chattering upon his back. “It’s you!”

“’Course it’s me,” Charcoal growled, ducking Spectrum’s open arms and allowing him to hit the ground. His ferret, however, nimbly jumped off and made it to Charcoal’s back, where he promptly got to work entangling himself in Charcoal’s brown hair.

“Hey! What gives?” The pegasus shook the dust from his coat.

“We don’t have time for this- especially not after that stunt you pulled,” Charcoal whipped around in time to press his nose to Time Turner’s before the stallion could say anything. “We should be looking through those books! Didn’t anypony even skim them?”

“We were trying to prove you innocent!” High Tide exclaimed.

“We kind of forgot,” River sheepishly added.

“Then we’re wasting even more time! Come on!”

“Hold on a minute. Don’t you want to know why the shield didn’t let you through?” Shining Armor reappeared with Trixie and Glitter.

“You already proved us innocent, so how doesn’t matter. What I want to know is how to get my parents back.”

“I would very much like to know,” Time Turner countered, overruling Charcoal’s veto. When the others crowded around Shining Armor to listen in as well, Charcoal had little choice but to linger as well, considering that the TARDIS had been moved since he last saw it.

“When you first told me that Glitter and Charcoal couldn’t get through the shield, I figured the obvious answer was that they were imposters,” Shining Armor began. “But then I remembered something from years and years ago, when I first developed the shield. Something similar had happened.

“When Cadance and I were getting married, we commissioned your mother to paint our wedding picture for the Royal Gallery,” he nodded to Charcoal. “She took the train into Canterlot with her friends, but the shield affected her too. From what Twilight told me, it slammed her against the back of the train car, but eventually let her pass.”

“Goodness!” Cascade covered her mouth.

“I think it was the sheer force of the moving train that got her through, because later, when she exposed thestral kind, the high princesses imprisoned her in the dungeons. Discord helped her escape, and she nearly made it. But again, the shield stopped her. The princesses told me that when they originally defeated thestrals, the Tree of Harmony implanted an evil in thestrals, so I thought that was why the shield was blocking her.

“But then I started thinking about what Fink said about changelings originally being created from Chrysalis’ coworkers, all of which would have most likely have been exposed to her transformation magic. And he said that drones weren’t immortal like Chrysalis, and had to reproduce naturally. That means their traits would have been carried through the generations. So I took Fink and Shift, and compared them to the local thestrals.

“I realized that I had based my spell on (what I thought were) the changelings’ transformative properties, which are actually exactly the same to the thestral ability to conceal their wings! I hadn’t targeted their transforming power at all- just the wing spring spell! The shield picked up on that, which was why it didn’t let you through. No other thestrals have tried to get through the shield before, so we didn’t notice until now.”

“Sorry for doubting you,” Ditzy apologized, squeezing already-numb Charcoal before he could protest.

“But... if your spell blocks out anypony who can conceal their wings...” Charcoal’s eyes were growing wide. “What about changelings who don’t have that ability?”

“I guess they wouldn’t be affected,” Trixie reasoned.

“Exactly,” Shining Armor nodded.

“Chrysalis just made a new batch of changelings from hundreds of pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns!” Charcoal burst.

“They wouldn’t have been exposed to that magic before!” Current realized.

“Oh dear,” Time Turner gulped.

“Don’t worry,” Shining Armor assured. “I’m already working on a new shield that targets the real changeling transforming ability.”

“How soon will it be ready?”

“A few days at most. Fink and Shift volunteered to help me isolate the right ability this time.”

“You better hurry up! Those new changelings are already on their way!” Charcoal urged.

“How do you know?”

“We ran into the changelings at Ponyville. They shouldn’t have known we were there. My guess is that Chrysalis already dispatched her new army to take us down, and they just happened to spot us on the way.”

“But how did they know the shield would only target wing-spring magic?”

“I believe that is my fault,” Fink hung his head. “Glitter Shine taught thestrals new fire dancing techniques at the same time Trixie was teaching the unicorns to uphold the spell. I overheard much of Trixie’s lecture, and in doing so, passed the information of fire dancing and shield spell to Kindling, before I was disconnected from the hive mind.”

“Oh, no,” Glitter groaned, sagging to the ground.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Trixie said in a tone that implied it was more of a fact than actual consolation. In the process, though, she happened to glare at Fink, who hunkered down.

“No need to be pointing hooves,” Time Turner interjected.

“You’re one to talk! You didn’t hesitate to start making baseless accusations about me and Glitter!”

“They weren’t baseless! A shield designed to keep out changelings prevented you from entering my TARDIS! It would look suspicious to you, too, had it happened to somepony else.”

“Arguing won’t get us anywhere,” Gilda interjected.

“She’s right. We need to prepare to face the changelings, whether it be here or in the Everfree palace,” Shining Armor concurred.

“Finally!” Charcoal tossed up his hooves in relief.

“I’ll begin working on a new spell, but I could use some help,” Shining Armor looked to Trixie.

“I’d be happy to help,” the mare nodded.

“So while Fink, Shift, Trixie and I work on the new shield, the rest of you start looking through the research you brought back, and see what you can find on the bog sprites and anything else that seems relevant. Also be looking for things that could give us a strategic advantage over the changelings- this battle got a whole lot harder since Trident dropped out. We’ll be working in the conference room. Come find us when you come up with something?”

“Will do,” Whirl Pool saluted before galloping off, presumably to wherever the TARDIS was currently parked. The rest of the group attempted to keep pace.

Books and ponies alike were strewn across the TARDIS console room floor. If a book wasn’t being used, it was organized into one of many stacks, compliments of Heckley. Though the titles in each stack didn’t seem to be even remotely related, Heckley became quite cross if his categories were tampered with. To help the ponies find the topics they sought faster, Heckley took it upon himself to fetch the material. (Then again, he may have just been protecting his book stacks from becoming reorganized.)

The group had gotten through the information on bog sprites rather quickly, considering how little information they had on them. From what they read, bog sprites were mysterious ponies that roamed the marshlands of the Everfree Bogg, usually at night. The more superstitious believed them to be ghosts, because they could walk right through trees and even buildings, and then disappear into thin air. However, most ponies insisted that this was not true because they had never ‘haunted’ anypony, and seemed friendly enough. Nopony had ever spoken to a bog sprite before, though, because they never even acknowledged passersby as if they could not see or hear whatever else happened in the Bogg. Few ponies had ever seen bog sprites, however, so it was still a question as to whether they actually existed or if it was just a popular myth.

The ponies also tried to research sandfish, manticores, carbuncles, and timberwolves, the creatures from which the other ingredients had originated. These weren’t actually mythical creatures, however, so Acrylic and Torchwood hadn’t shown much interest in them. The couple had owned an encyclopedia on Everfree creatures, though, which provided some insight.

Everyone knew that timberwolves were creatures made from magically adjoined wood and leaves. Some believed they were even originally created by magic itself. Royal timberwolves, such as Princess Essence’s pet and bodyguard Jasper, also possessed jewels that were embedded in their bodies. Whether this was a natural occurrence or just decoration added by the royals remained a mystery- Essence had never elaborated on such information.

There was another entry in the book focusing on manticores. They were, of course, creatures with the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a scorpion. It was in this scorpion tail that the venom used in the orb had been extracted. The book described the poison as a neurotoxin that would, in essence, “pause” brain activity, therefore paralyzing the rest of the body long enough for the manticore to catch its prey.

Carbuncles were actually native to the Crystal Empire, though a few had been known to wander great distances. Because a few had made their way down to the Everfree, they had earned themselves a small mention in the book. They were small, furry creatures resembling something between a cat and dog with a gem embedded in their forehead. Carbuncle gems are extremely rare and incredibly valuable because they are so hard to obtain- it is said that carbuncle must decide that a recipient was worthy of their gem before it could be removed. Once a gem had been obtained, though, it was seen as a sign of peace, for it supposedly brought unity and harmony wherever it went. (It operated on a much smaller, more subtle scale than the Elements, of course, and the power could not be directly harnessed like the Tree’s fruits.)

“Sounds to me like the only thing sandfish eggs, manticore venom, carbuncle gems, sprite hair and timberwolf bark have in common is that they come from strange Everfree creatures.” Jet wrinkled her nose.

“Looks like another dead end,” Trixie sighed.

“Come on, guys. It’s not a dead end because we already know that somehow, Kindling got them to work. We’ve got to find out what makes these orb things tick!” Spectrum urged.

“And how we can turn them against Chrysalis and Kindling,” Hawk added.

“Maybe Fink will know something,” Ditzy shrugged.

“He said he’s seen Kindling put the orbs together, but didn’t know how they worked,” Charcoal reminded.

“You think that maybe if we brought him the supplies, he could make us one?” Gilda suggested. “Then we could use it against Kindling!”

“It would take far too long to gather everything, even with a time machine,” Time Turner shook his head.

“Besides, most everything we need is in the Everfree Forest, which is currently crawling with changelings,” Winter Green pointed out.

“And how would we get ahold of a carbuncle gem? Carbuncles are nearly impossible to find, and the gem will be even harder to get. What if it didn’t think any of us were worthy?”

“Good point.”

“Then how’s this? Let’s infiltrate the castle and steal one of Kindling’s orbs, or even just the supplies for one. Then we can us it against him and Chrysalis!”

“How do you suggest we do that? There will be thousands of changelings protecting the castle by now. We can’t just waltz in and request an audience with Kindling Pyre!” Cascade exclaimed.

“Or can we?” A sly grin tugged at Charcoal’s lips. “For some reason, Kindling wanted me to be kept separate from the other prisoners back in the Everfree palace during the conversion. He asked if I was the ‘son of the Element of Forgiveness’, so maybe he’s just looking for the Elements’ kids. Either way, I’m pretty sure that if I was ‘captured’, I’d be taken right to him.”

“Then what? You’ll get to Kindling, but it doesn’t do us any good if you’re his prisoner.”

“If I just lay eyes on one of his orbs, then I can send it back to you. Then you just have to get close enough use it against him.”

“Oh, is that it? Piece of cake!” Winter sarcastically rolled his eyes.

“And that still leaves you Kindling’s prisoner,” Glitter reminded. “But I guess you could send yourself back with the orb, right?”

“He already pulled that trick on Kindling once. I doubt he could get away with it again,” Hawk pointed out.

“No way. It’s too risky,” Gilda declared.

“The orb is our best chance at stopping him! If I can get it to you, then that’s all that matters,” Charcoal insisted.

“You can’t expect us to sacrifice you to that monster just to get our hooves on some stupid orb!” Spectrum screeched.

“You’re our friend, Charcoal! We can’t let you do that,” River agreed.

“It’s the only way,” the colt stubbornly insisted. “Unless somepony’s been keeping a great idea from us?” Everyone fell silent. “That’s what I thought.”

“Char, we’ve already lost a lot of friends along the way,” Spectrum bit his lip. “I don’t want to lose you, too.”

“You won’t,” Charcoal assured. “Whatever Kindling wants me for, he’ll need to keep me alive. I’ll be fine. If this works, you’ll get your parents back. Don’t you want that?” Spectrum solemnly bowed his head, and quietly nodded as a tear dripped down his cheek.

“Charcoal, don’t be ridiculous!” Glitter pleaded, likewise beginning to tear up in this state of panic.

“Your mom would pluck me,” Gilda shuddered.

“Me too,” Trixie concurred, then paused. “That is, if I had feathers.”

“We can find another way, I’m sure,” Current promised.

“No,” Time Turner interrupted. “Charcoal is right. This may be the only way.”

“Doctor?!” Ditzy gasped. “You aren’t going to send in a little colt to that awful place, are you?!”

“He’s not a little colt anymore, Miss Hooves. Charcoal knows what he’s doing.”

“This is crazy!” Whirl Pool burst. “You can’t seriously be agreeing to this? It’s suicide!”

“This is a pivotal moment in your time stream. What happens over the next few days will determine the outcome of your future, and it all depends on Charcoal.” All eyes turned to the colt. “I always knew that colt was special,” Time Turner smiled at Charcoal. “It’s time to find your destiny, Mr. Stormwood.” Charcoal shakily nodded.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You can’t just leave,” Jet Stream argued.

“What are the rest of us supposed to do? How will we take on the castle?”

“Shining Armor is the Captain of the royal guard, and Prince of the Crystal Empire. I’m sure he’ll be able to come up with a battle plan. And maybe now that we have a plan to defeat Kindling, Trident will be more willing to help out. Current, do you think you could arrange for another meeting?”

“I’ll do my best,” the mare reluctantly nodded.

“We’re supposed to get through this together. All of us,” Kelpie wept.

“We will,” Charcoal weakly smiled. “I trust you guys to come save me. You will come find me once Kindling’s been taken care of, won’t you?”

“You can bet your life on it,” Spectrum squeezed his foolishly courageous friend.

“But Charcoal,” Ditzy interrupted. “What if something goes wrong and we don’t get the orb?” Charcoal stiffened.

“Then pray for a miracle.”

Shining Armor had been more than opposed to the plan, but in the end, was left with no choice but the agree. Current had spoken to King Trident, who, after much coaxing, eventually agreed to a meeting the following day. By then, Charcoal’s plan would already be underway, which could possibly help move the sea king to action.

Charcoal decided against informing his brother- Garble would never let him leave. But he left Spectrum with instructions to inform the dragon of how much Charcoal loved him, and of his promise to reunite the family. Heckley and Bandit would again be left behind in Spectrum’s care, but Charcoal hoped he could take them home permanently soon, along with his little sister, mother and father.

Charcoal wanted to leave immediately, but providing enough love to heal Fink had taken its toll on everypony, and no one had rested since. Glitter convinced Charcoal to spend just one more night at Tall Tale Beach to recover his strength. Though he ate with his friends and spent nearly all of the evening with them, not much was said, for the incredible weight of Charcoal’s mission hung thick in the air. ‘Still,’ Charcoal decided, ‘it’s good to spend your last few hours amongst friends.’

Chapter 78: Kindling's Apprentice

Chapter 78
Kindling’s Apprentice

“Okay, Char. Stay cool. Don’t let them suspect anything. When they see you, put up a fight, but let them catch you.” Charcoal walked himself through the plan for the fifth time. He could spot the changelings marching steadily on from his cover in the trees. In fact, he had been watching them for some time. He was still trying to work up the courage to actually make a move, though.

“Okay... now. I mean... now!” Charcoal was paralyzed. Glitter had sent him as far as she could with her fire dancing, and from what Charcoal could tell, he was somewhere in the White Tail Woods. That meant that these changelings must be headed for Tall Tale Beach. They hadn’t expected the dispatch to arrive so soon; they must have traveled through the night without rest! Most discouraging was that for the whole minute Charcoal had been watching them, the army appeared as a solid wall, packing no less than a thousand soldiers into the formation. Charcoal prayed Shining Armor was making good progress on the new shield spell.

At last, Charcoal could see the end of the changeling wave. That meant his window of opportunity was shrinking fast. If they completely passed over him, he’d never get to Kindling!

“Come on, Char! Go now! Now! NOW!” His voice dramatically increased in volume for his last outburst. The thought of the changelings hearing him was actually what frightened him to motion. Heart pounding, his hooves exploded out from under him, noisily carrying him out from the cover of the trees. Either his initial outburst or clumsy trampling of brush had indeed attracted attention, because the entire back layer of the platoon turned around and gave chase.

Fear drove Charcoal much faster than he intended, and the changelings were falling behind. Well, all but one. This one was incredibly fast, and was still gaining on the fleeing colt. Charcoal tried to unfold his wings, but was too panicked to remember that he needed to take off. The next thing he knew, the changeling collided with him, sending them both tumbling into the dirt.

Charcoal got a brief glimpse of the changeling’s face. He seemed familiar. Changelings all looked mostly the same, but there was something about those eyes... It was the wrinkles. Charcoal knew that old, wizened face as well as his own.

“Grandpa! Grandpa Storm, it’s me! It’s Charcoal!” The changeling was indifferent. “Gramps... I had no idea the changelings had gotten out this far. I’m so sorry! I couldn’t save you, either.” Recognition flashed behind those solid blue eyes for an instant, but it was gone just as quickly. “Gramps?” The last thing Charcoal remembered was a needle piercing his hide to inject some sort of fluid. A sedative probably, or perhaps just straight manticore venom, for Charcoal went completely numb. His vision began failing, and his energy was zapped. He couldn’t fight it. Once Charcoal was completely incapacitated, Wind Storm picked up his grandson and prepared to offer up the prisoner to Kindling.

Charcoal woke again as Wind Storm flew them over Ponyville. The colt decided it would be best to pretend to remain asleep, however. Rising now would only get him injected again, and he needed to be awake when he met Kindling. He tried to remain inconspicuous, draped across his grandfather’s back, though this proved difficult as all the changelings they passed paused to sneer at him. Apparently, his capture was quite a triumph for the changelings.

Kindling was expecting them, and proudly awaited the colt’s delivery in the throne room. Wind Storm bowed to the Changeling King, carelessly tossed the limp colt to the floor, and retreated to rejoin the crowds of onlookers.

“I must say, Charcoal Stormwood, you’re quite the difficult pony to get ahold of,” Kindling smirked. “Oh, do get up. I know you’re awake.” Charcoal gulped, and shakily looked up. Kindling Pyre looked even more intimidating sitting on Essence’s throne. Kindling was very well aware of how frightened the colt was, which only made his smile grow wider. “As I was saying, getting you here was quite a chore. But now that you have finally arrived,” Kindling mockingly bowed. “Might I say how honored I am to finally make your acquaintance.”

“You’re honored to meet me?” Charcoal barely managed to keep his voice from quaking.

“But of course! I have not seen a pony with such natural magical abilities as you possess since I myself was a colt.”

“I’m sure that’s not true- Princess Twilight’s special talent is magic. I don’t even have my cutie mark!”

“Yes, I noticed that. And I’m quite surprised you haven’t earned your mark in fire dancing yet. But do not worry, my little pony. Under my guidance, you are sure to embrace your destiny in no time.”

“Your guidance? All this time, you just wanted an apprentice?!”

“Actually, I had not given the matter any thought until I heard of the stunt you pulled outside Baltimare. You, a mere colt, did something extraordinary, that not even the most learned and experienced fire dancers had dreamed of. You pushed your natural abilities to the limits to achieve something completely new. It reminded me of myself, for that it precisely what I do. You and I... we aren’t so different.”

“Not so different?!” Charcoal defiantly spat, no longer trembling from fear but anger. How dare he make such an implication? “You hurt ponies! Imprison them, enslave them, bend them to your will. You kidnapped my parents! You tore me and my friends’ lives apart! I am nothing like you! I’m not a mad, power-hungry monster bent on ruling Equestria!”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Kindling calmly corrected. “I am dedicated to research, to bettering ponykind. The throne just happens to be the best place from which I can do that.”

“You’re mad!”

“Granted, some critics may call my vision unethical, but I assure you, I am most certainly not ‘mad’,” Kindling almost laughed. “Over time, you will come to this realization for yourself.”

“No, I promise you, I won’t.”

“No matter,” Kindling shrugged. “You don’t have to share my vision. You just have to help me put down the rebellion you started.”

“I’ll never help you!”

“I believe you’ll find my offer too good to resist.”

“Or what? You’ll turn me into a changeling drone and assimulate my knowledge?” Charcoal’s eyes widened. That was actually a decent idea. Why did he have to give Kindling ideas?

“Unfortunately, my rerouting spell only works on those already connected to a hive, and I’m afraid the conversion spell was Chrysalis’ specialty,” the tyrant shuddered at the mere thought of the dreadful mare he’d put up with for so long. “Now that she’s gone, I do not have that power any longer.”

“Gone?” Charcoal gulped. Kindling chuckled.

“Let’s just say she has been removed from the picture. The same will happen to your parents if you choose not to help me.” Charcoal paled. “Oh, and don’t try escaping or betraying me. This will lead to the same fate for your beloved Elements.”

“B-But you said releasing them even for a second was too risky. You wouldn’t!” Charcoal’s teeth chattered.

“I would not need to free them to eliminate the Elements,” Kindling knew he had triumphed, and boasted accordingly with his head thrown back, chest puffed out, and ears forward. “What say you, Charcoal Stormwood? Are you with me or against me?” Charcoal had been defeated. He knew that. Unsteadily, he tipped downward, onto one knee.

“I’m with you.”

“Excellent,” Kindling beamed. He knew he could break the boy. “Then, I shall assign one of my beloved subjects to attend to you.”

“You mean keep an eye on me?”

“Perhaps you would like this one?” Kindling sought out a particular drone through the hive mind. [Approach.] A buzzing sounded from the back of the room as a far-off drone began to hover. It landed before the king and knelt low. “Drone, I hereby appoint you as my apprentice’s assistant. You will do as he asks, so long as the order does not override my authority. Understood?”

“Understood.” The drone stared at Charcoal with blank, emotionless eyes. A pang of guilt pierced Charcoal’s gut so violently he nearly toppled.

“P-Pound Cake?”

“If that is what you wish to name the drone,” Kindling cynically sneered. His tone of voice alerted Charcoal that he very well knew who the drone used to be. The changeling onlookers dispersed and Kindling began taking long strides for the far stairwell, which were so steep they could have only led to the tower. Pound Cake nudged Charcoal in that direction, prompting him to follow. “I, too, have adopted the habit of naming my assistants. You are familiar with the traitorous Fink, I trust. Tell me, how is Fink?”

“Alive, no thanks to you,” Charcoal spat.

“Oh,” Kindling sounded almost disappointed. “And I assume he has revealed all my darkest secrets? Well, no matter. I trust you will return the favor.”

Charcoal was exhausted by the time they reached the top of the tower- it appeared to be the tallest in the castle. Kindling took top security measures here- the room had a magical lock, which he opened with his horn.

“Look all you wish, my apprentice, but do not touch unless directed to do so. Understood?”

“Sure,” Charcoal miserably shrugged. Kindling led the way into the room, magically lighting the lanterns in his wake. There were many odd trinkets and knick knacks in the room, all of which Charcoal would have time to further examine later. But at the moment, the one thing that stood out to Charcoal was an unfinished orb, sitting out in the open on the central desk. Charcoal did a quick inventory... sandfish egg, timberwolf bark, carbuncle gem, sprite hair... it was nearly complete. All it was missing was the braid of sprite hair, which rested beside it on the table. Kindling was saying something, but Charcoal paid no attention. His heart pounded as he eyed the ingredients. ‘Get ready, Glitter,’ the thought, targeting the orb in his mind. Just as Kindling turned around from fiddling with something on another shelf, the incomplete orb vanished in a puff of Charcoal’s blue fire. Kindling, for once, was stunned to silence.

“Well...” Charcoal almost smiled, “you said not to touch anything.” Kindling’s face turned nearly as red as his mane.

“INSOLENCE!!!!!” Charcoal felt something slam down hard on the base of his neck with such force that it rammed him into the ground. He let out a loud yelp of discomfort, especially when the object- a clamp of some sort- affixed itself rather tightly to his neck and back. Kindling then levitated the colt up until they touched noses. “Your fire dancing privledges have been revoked. Now, where did you send the orb?” Charcoal had no intention of answering the question, so instead decided to test Kindling’s other statement. As promised, he couldn’t even make a spark. The clamp must have been preventing it.

“WHERE IS THE ORB?!” Kindling demanded again, sending spittle spattering all over Charcoal’s face. Charcoal happily shrugged.

“Dunno.”

“DON’T YOU LIE TO ME, BOY!”

“You’ve been lying to me since I got here! I’m only returning the favor.”

“I still have your parents!” Kindling sputtered.

“I have your orb,” the colt casually retorted.

“Bah! What do I care? I can make more orbs,” Kindling began to pace.

“Well, it’s sure got you worked up for something so minor.” Kindling’s eyes burned into Charcoal, but no longer instilled the fear he had seen in the throne room. Was it possible that the colt had been acting the entire time?

“LOCK HIM UP!” the enraged stallion ordered Pound Cake. Charcoal’s eyes lit up. Did that mean he would get to see his parents again? “In the timberwolf bark,” Kindling quickly amended, sensing the colt’s hope. Though Charcoal’s heart sank, he didn’t protest when Pound Cake roughly shoved him into the corner. His friend-turned-changeling then proceeded to levitate a large hunk of timberwolf bark from the desk and hurl it squarely at Charcoal’s chest.

“AH!” Charcoal yelped, coughing as the impact knocked the wind out of him. He felt something crawling along where the bark had hit, and noticed that the wood was now growing, winding, twisting over him, not unlike Jasper’s transformation from armor to a fully-fledged timberwolf. Unlike Jasper’s controlled transformation, however, this timberwolf bark grew wild and rampant, entangling Charcoal in a dense web of branches. These branches, in turn, attached themselves to the walls, ensuring that Charcoal wouldn’t be going anywhere. By the time the bark stopped growing, Charcoal could barely see out.

“Guard him,” Kindling angrily grunted, heading for the door. “I’m tired of changeling incompetence. I’ll retrieve the orb myself.” Kindling’s hoofsteps rang through the tower as he furiously marched down. Meanwhile, Pound Cake stationed himself beside Charcoal’s prison.

“So, Pound Cake? Wanna get me out of here? Pal? Chum?” Charcoal angled himself so he could see his changeling guard through one of the narrow openings.

“You should know that I am connected to the hive mind. King Kindling hears everything that you or I say. And unlike your ‘friend’ Fink, I have no intention of betraying Kindling or the hive,” the changeling flatly responded. Charcoal nodded as best as he could in the cocoon of twigs.

“Right.”

“I have heard out your plan, Shining Armor,” King Trident stated in a tone that clearly alerted everyone to the fact that he was unimpressed. “But I agreed to meet with you because you promised that you had acquired an asset to help us defeat Kindling. This orb... where is it?”

“Where is it?” Shining Armor nervously chuckled.

“You do have the orb in your possession, do you not? I require proof before pledging my assistance to you,” Trident narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, yes, the orb. It’s... uh...”

“Excuse me,” Glitter quietly intruded, poking her head through the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all,” Shining Armor assured, secretly relieved for the distraction. “What is it, Glitter?” The mare completely entered the conference room, and shut the door behind her. Only when she was sure they were alone did she present the orb.

“The orb!” Trident gasped, greedily gazing upon the powerful and mysterious object he had heard so much about.

“So he’s done it, then?” Shining Armor almost sadly sighed.

“He sent the parts, and Fink has just finished assembling it,” Glitter confirmed, head bowed in grief. Shining Armor solemnly nodded.

“Why the long face, Shining Armor? You’ve just won yourself an ally,” Trident informed, reaching out a hoof to shake on it. The prince tried to smile in reply, and likewise clasped the king’s hoof.

“Allies, then.”

Chapter 79: March on the Everfree

Chapter 79
March on the Everfree

“Sir, all troops are prepared to move out on your command,” a crystal soldier saluted to Shining Armor.

“Good. We’re just waiting on Trident’s troops, then.”

“Where are they?” Winter impatiently commented.

“We have been waiting a while,” Trixie concurred.

“They’re slower on land,” Shining Armor reminded. “Let’s be patient.”

“They’re traveling on land? I thought they were taking the Hock Bend River like Charcoal suggested.”

“We’ll never get there if they drag themselves, and their armor, and their weapons all the way across Equestria!”

“Most of them are taking the river passage,” Shining Armor assured. “But Trident wanted to lead in the front with us.”

“Even his chariot won’t be able to keep pace for long.”

“Which is why I’m hoping Garble will give us a lift.”

“Hey, guys.”

“Speak of the devil.” The group shielded their eyes as the massive silhouette of a dragon head bent down to their level.

“Have any of you seen Charcoal? I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning. I’m getting worried.” Garble straightened up to scan the town again.

“Uh...” They each looked to one another for answers.

“Well... I’m... sure he’ll be around,” Shining Armor nervously chuckled.

“I hope so,” Garble muttered. “If anything happens to him... I don’t know how I’ll live with myself.” Glitter felt her heart wrench within her chest.

“Alright, no more lies,” she sighed, eyes wet with remorse.

“Glitter, what are you-?!”

“Charcoal left early this morning,” Glitter confessed. “He was going to the Everfree Palace ahead of everypony else.”

“What?! Why? We’re going to meet him there, right?”

“Not exactly...”

“He thought he could infiltrate the castle to steal an orb from Kindling and send it back to us so we can use it to defeat the changelings,” Jet explained all in one breath, appearing behind Gilda. She gasped for air, and upon replenishing her supply, waved to the gathered ponies. “Hey, guys! Ready to go?”

“CHARCOAL DID WHAT?!” Garble bellowed at the top of his lungs, voice warped in a combination of anger and terror. What was going through his mind? How could he do such a stupid, suicidal thing? He could be killed! Garble sniffed. He hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye.

“The sacrifice of that one colt may have just won us the battle,” Trident diplomatically and indifferently reasoned. Garble turned on the hippocampus.

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER LIKE SOME... SOME... STATISTIC! He was a person like you and me! He had his whole life ahead of him, and now he might be dead!”

“War is not won without a price.”

“Then these prices are too high.” Garble ground his teeth and stomped away, shaking the town as he did so.

“Garble, wait! We need you!”

“Get Soot or someone else to chaperone you. I have to save my brother!”

“No! Garble!”

“Let him go,” Shining Armor held Spectrum back before he could pursue the fuming dragon. “We can’t stop him... but if we hurry, we might just be able to help him. Sling Shot! Tell the soldiers to move out!”

“Yes, Captain!” The same crystal pony from before bolted off to fulfill the order.

“Fire Coral,” Trident called.

“Yes, sire?”

“Tell our ponies to move out as well. We’ll be joining the land ponies in this effort.”

“As you wish, sire.” An armored orange hippocampus bounded back to sea to relay his message.

“Hey, Fizzle?”

“Yeah?” The massive white dragon swiveled around.

“Think you could give us a lift?”

“Sure thing,” the dragon offered a thumbs up.

“You know what to do,” Shining Armor turned to Time Turner.

“Right. Glitter, you got the coordinates?”

“I sent the device you gave me. Is that what you mean?”

“Perfect! We’ll meet you over there. How long do you think it’ll take you to arrive?”

“Ideally, we can travel all the way to the castle in a day, but that’s if we don’t run into any resistance along the way. But we don’t necessarily need to get all the way to the castle, just close enough to lure them all out for you.”

“I’ll just track your progress with the TARDIS then, and land us about the same time.”

“Give us an hour,” Shining Armor requested, “so we can be sure to draw out the whole hive. If we can join up with the Cloudsdale rebels and their thestrals, taking on the changelings should be a piece of cake.”

“That is assuming Cloudsdale won’t hole up in its own little bubble,” Time Turner reminded.

“Who’s going to defy orders from a prince?” Shining Armor confidently grinned.

“Take care of yourself out there,” Time Turner directed.

“You’re the one who needs to watch your tail. That place will most likely still be crawling with changelings.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Doctor!” Ditzy waved to the time lord from within the TARDIS.

“See you there,” Time Turner gave the prince one final hoofshake before dashing off to join her. He glanced around at the many faces already packed inside. Trixie, Glitter Shine, Fink, Shift, Winter Green, Hawk Stripe, River Rush, Gilda, Spectrum, Current, High Tide, Kelpie, Cascade, Whirl Pool, Jet Stream, Ditzy, and even Bandit and Heckley all waited for him to fire up the time machine.

“Right. Are we missing anypony?” He double checked his head count.

“Yeah,” Spectrum quietly dipped his head. “Charcoal.” Time Turner smiled.

“Who’s ready to get our friend back?”

“Me!” The whole assembly cried out.

“Hssss!”

“Dookookook!”

“Then off we go!”

Shining Armor had changed out his shield spell just in time, for the new dispatch of changelings had arrived shortly after Charcoal left. Fortunately, the shield denied them entry as well. Shining Armor had planned to keep them at bay by moving the shield along with them, but Garble had evidently lured most of the changelings after him- the rest lay charred and dazed at the base of the shield. Shining Armor decided it would be best to save his energy until they really needed it, and temporarily took it down. The entire infantry passed with caution, and everyone made it out unharmed.

After Garble had gone rogue, Fizzle had stepped up to fly point, towing the two wingless royals along. The soldiers below marched far more slowly on the ground, and even the pegasi had trouble keeping pace with the dragons, so they had to double back and wait for the ponies to catch up several times. Occasionally, Fizzle even reported that he could see the hippocampi breaching from the river, though Shining Armor and Trident had to take his word for it- dragon vision was far superior to that of ponies.

Even though they had to keep doubling back to wait for the ponies to keep up, somehow they managed to catch up to Garble, who was still warding off a tail of changelings. Many of them were desperately clinging for life on his scales, while others tried to gunk up his wings and bring him down to the ground. Most of them, though, were still straggling behind, trying to catch up.

“There,” Trident pointed. Shining Armor tried to keep his patience.

“I see him.” How could they miss it? A big, black swarm of changelings was pretty hard to overlook. Garble’s flashy vortex of flame attempting to roast his attackers made such a feat even more impossible. Shining Armor decided to put Trident completely out of his mind and fired up his horn. A massive shield, this one formed into a wall, formed in front of them. Shining Armor pushed it forward, far enough to overtake Garble. It scooped up all the changelings, whether they were flying nearby or clinging to the dragon’s spines, while passing over Garble himself. The disoriented dragon needed a moment to catch his balance, suddenly relieved of all the extra weight. When he finally spotted his rescuers, a smile hinted at his lips. His gooey wings caught air, bringing him back to rejoin the other dragons.

“You weren’t leaving without us?” Pierce teased, cuffing Garble with his tail. Clump swooped overhead, belching intensely hot flame over Garble’s wings to burn off the changelings’ goo.

“What took you so long?” Garble good-naturedly shot back.

“You know... these ponies are so slow,” Soot shrugged.

“You could’ve waited for us,” Shining Armor added. Garble looked him squarely in the eye.

“My brother’s life is in danger. I’m not wasting a second.”

“And we’ll do everything in our power to help you get him back,” Shining Armor vowed.

“Thank you,” Garble dipped his head. “I owe you one.”

“Help us fight the changelings and we’ll call it even.”

The changelings that had attacked Garble were now banging against the wall, demanding entry as it pushed them back. They were gradually joined by more and more changelings from other areas they passed- the White Tail Woods patrols, Unicorn Range patrols and random scouts alike all joined into the effort to break down the wall, but to no avail. When some tried scaling the wall, Shining Armor returned the shield to its original dome shape, enveloping all of the troops. While this provided protection, however, the thick screen of changelings made it difficult to navigate.

“Are you sure we’re still headed for Cloudsdale?” Trident asked for the third time in the last ten minutes. Shining Armor ground his teeth.

“Yes! I’m sure!”

“How do you know? You can’t see a thing!”

“Cloudsdale is composed of single, giant cloud. Pegasi may live there and construct the buildings, but the cloud base is magically anchored. I can scan for that anchor and navigate that way. And with all due respect, your majesty, you’ve never even been there. I think I know where I’m going.”

“Look out!” a pegasi soldier cried. Shining Armor whipped back around just in time to see the changelings zipping away. The barriers of the rebel force and Cloudsdale were about to collide! Shining Armor halted their moving shield before it rammed into the static bubble around Cloudsdale. It wouldn’t have harmed any of their ponies, but if the changelings hadn’t moved, they’d have been squashed.

“Who’s there?” A tired old unicorn hobbled forward, supported by a young, strong pegasus stallion.

“Prince Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire,” the prince introduced. He thought it best not to introduce the sea king yet- Cloudsdale had not yet been introduced to the idea of hippocampi. Trident didn’t take to this too well, but Shining Armor didn’t give him a chance to complain. “And you? Who are you?”

“Your highness!” The unicorn half dipped, half collapsed into a bow. “I am Runestone, a professor at the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns. I escaped the city when the changelings attacked, and fled here, where I have been shielding Cloudsdale from the drones with a spell based on the same one you published. Your highness, it is an honor.”

“Likewise. But I’m afraid we don’t have time for formalities. We need Cloudsdale’s help.”

“Anything, your highness!”

“We need soldiers- specifically thestrals, but every able stallion or mare can help. We plan to take a stand against Chrysalis and her armies.”

“Of course, your majesty. But... I have maintained these shields for far too long. I am growing weary. Please, if you could shelter us all, then our able and willing ponies can help you.” Shining Armor assessed the unicorn’s ragged appearance. He indeed needed rest- the shields wouldn’t last much longer with him in this state, anyway.

“We will be happy to have you join us,” Shining Armor granted. Butt your shield up against ours and open a passage.”

“Open?” Runestone instantly raised his guard. “We have no changelings here. Why would we need to open our shields... unless you are the changelings!”

“Oh, for Celestia’s sake,” Shining Armor groaned.

“Shift wasn’t kidding when he said that guy was paranoid,” Garble commented.

“We aren’t changelings. But if you replicated the spell I published exactly, it won’t allow any of your thestrals through.”

“Why not?”

“Well, in the original formula I accidentally targeted their wing spring ability, which changelings also possess... it’s complicated, and there’s no time to explain. Just open a passage for your thestrals.”

“How do I know I can trust you?” Runestone narrowed his eyes.

“For Celestia’s sake!” Shining Armor burst, rubbing his temples. Under the circumstances, precautions were understandable, but this was outright paranoia!

“PROFESSOR RUNESTONE,” Trident rumbled in the most booming, commanding tone he could muster. He slithered forward, and propped up by his trident, he looked humungous in comparison to Shining Armor. With the added length of his tail, he was quite an imposing figure. “You have been ordered to lower your shield! I highly recommend you do so!”

“What is THAT?!” Runestone recoiled, his pegasi guards leveling spears.

“This is King Trident,” Shining Armor introduced, stepping in the guards’ line of fire to prevent the weapons from being launched.

“King of the Sea,” Trident amended with a nod of acknowledgement.

“He’s a hippocampus!” one of the guards gasped, jaw hanging agape as he lowered his spear.

“They’re real,” Shining Armor nodded. “And they’ve come up to the surface to help us defeat the changelings. Together, we all might just stand a chance.”

“They have hippocampi and dragons, Professor, both powerful creatures,” Shining Armor noticed for the first time that Runestone was not the only unicorn in the crowd- in fact, he had a small train of them lined up behind him. It was one of these ponies that had spoken.

“And hippogryphs!” Winter helpfully put in, swooping in from the back.

“This could be our best and last chance to overthrow the changelings.”

“Or it could be a trap,” Runestone narrowed his eyes. “Hippocampi and hippogryphs are nothing more than legends! Claiming that such pointless tales have any validity would be the perfect front for a changeling army!”

“Anyone outside your wall could potentially be a changeling. Are you just going to stay holed up in that bubble, cowering in paranoia for the rest of your life?” Fizzle wondered.

“If that’s what it takes!”

“His shield won’t last another hour,” Shining Armor whispered to Trident. “Should we just wait them out?”

“We haven’t the time,” Trident mused, rubbing his chin in thought. “Perhaps he requires... persuasion.” The king’s golden trident glinted in the sunlight.

“We want to recruit them, not scare them off,” Shining Armor hissed, lowering the leveled pitchfork.

“Then what do you suggest?” Shining Armor racked his brain.

“Maybe we’re going about this all wrong. We’ve been trying to appeal to Runestone, but we aren’t getting anywhere with him. Maybe we just need to appeal to somepony else,” he thought. His horn emitted a bright pulse of magic as the shield expanded and engulfed Canterlot, shield and all. Then, the prince turned back around and addressed the stubborn stallion. “There. Now you and Cloudsdale are safe. You can let the shield down now, Runestone.”

“You aren’t fooling anyone, changeling scum!”

“Believe what you want, Runestone,” Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “But either way, you can’t hold the thestrals there against their will. If they want to leave, you have to let them go.”

“He’s right! We’re trapped!” one of the thestrals gasped, pressing against the wall and finding that the prince spoke the truth. All at once, thestrals and pegasi alike broke out into an uproar. Runestone clamped his hooves over his ears in an effort to protect them from the racket.

“Let us go!”

“You can’t keep us here!”

“I saved you!” Runestone indignantly screeched.

“They are right though, Professor. You can’t keep them here against their will- that’s kidnapping,” one of the pegasi guards prompted.

“But I can’t just let the changelings in!”

“Shining Armor is holding up the shield now, Professor.”

“Fool! Can’t you see? He’s one of them!”

“I... really don’t think they’re changelings, doc,” the guard assured.

“It does seem a bit elaborate for that,” another unicorn agreed.

“And remember a few days ago, that changeling... what was his name... oh, Shift! came with a message for Pound Cake? He did say that boy Charcoal was raising a resistance, involving six dragons. There they are.”

“And they were supposed to be flying by the Foal Mountains, where the hippogryphs were rumored to live.”

“All that information came from a changeling! Can’t you see they’ve set us up? And besides, I don’t see Charcoal, Pound Cake, Trixie, Glitter Shine or Shift with them. I want to see Charcoal!” he yelled back to the dragon riders.

“We believe Charcoal may be the changelings’ prisoner,” Shining Armor bowed his head.

“He infiltrated the changeling nest to obtain a great asset that may help us win this war,” Trident announced.

“What about Glitter, Trixie or Pound Cake?” the other unicorn called. “Where are they?”

“In another dispatch on their way to meet us at the castle.”

“How convenient,” Runestone muttered.

“Honestly, Professor, I think you may be a tad paranoid.”

“Am not!”

“Either way, if you don’t take that shield down, we’re going to have a riot on our hooves,” the guard gestured to the angry thestrals still waiting for him to lower the shield.

“Oh, forget it. I’ll do it myself,” the second unicorn huffed, horn pulsing with energy.

“WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Runestone roared as the shield began to fade. He grappled with the unicorn for control of the shield for a moment, but Runestone was weary and weak from the strain of upholding the barrier for so long, and succumbed to his opponent’s strength in no time. He did manage, however, to ball himself up in a miniature shield on the cloudy ground, however, whimpering in fear. The unicorn rolled his eyes, picked Runestone up in a levitation bubble, shield and all, and placed him atop a pegasus’ back for transport. The unicorn himself hitched a ride with the guard, who headed for Fizzle’s passengers.

“Sorry about him,” the unicorn apologized, sliding down to stand on the white scales. “We’re all a bit stressed, but it must be affecting him more than we thought.”

“Understandable,” Shining Armor nodded.

“Despite what Runestone says, Cloudsdale is at your service.” The unicorn and guard both respectfully bowed.

“Thank you,” the prince heaved a sigh of relief.

“The dragons should carry the young and elderly,” Trident suggested.

“I’m right here,” Fizzle complained.

“Do you think you can do it, Fizzle?” Shining Armor requested.

“We done it once before,” Fizzle shrugged. “Don’t see why we can’t do it again.”

“Then don your passengers and continue on for the Everfree,” Trident ordered. Fizzle snorted in discontent- he didn’t like taking orders, especially for that stuck-up king.

“Please, Fizzle,” Shining Armor added. The dragon grunted, but folded his wings to come in for a landing.

There were few Cloudsdale’s ponies that needed transport, so they did not have to stop for long. Though the changelings still taunted them from outside the barrier, the troop was soon on the move again. It was still a long and grueling trek, and the sun was going down by the time they reached Ponyville. When at last the tree line of the Everfree came into view, a wall of changeling drones awaited them.

Chapter 80: Palace Rendezvous

Chapter 80
Palace Rendezvous

“There it is. The Everfree,” Shining Armor coolly stated, surveying what they were up against. Usually from this height on Fizzle’s back, he would at least be able to see the towering spires of Essence’s palace. Instead, all he saw was a wall of black, made of densely-packed changelings. At least the changelings pestering them had finally departed. With the sun going down, it was hard to tell where the changelings ended and the night sky began- without Luna’s artistry, the skies had been pitch black and starless. It appeared as though whomever now controlled this solar entity was putting in a minimum amount of work in maintaining Equestria.

“It appears as though Chrysalis has finally decided to take the matter seriously,” Trident turned up his nose in distain.

“Sling Shot, ready the soldiers,” Shining Armor called. “Once I cast the spell, I won’t have enough energy to maintain the shield. We’ll be exposed.”

“Ay, sir!” The crystal guard darted away, shouting down to the troops below.

“You sure this is a good idea?” Pierce wrung his claws. “When those shields come down... we’re fair game.”

“You’re not jumping ship, are you?” Fizzle jibed.

“You took on three rogue dragons as a kid- we all did!” Clump reminded.

“That was different,” Pierce argued. “There were more of us. And even if they were rogues, they were still dragons.”

“Even rogues have some sense of honor,” Vex shuddered. “But with changelings, anything goes.”

“Not you, too,” Soot groaned.

“Stay behind if you’re too chicken,” Garble barked. “But as soon as that shield comes down, I’m going after my brother.”

“Time Turner won’t be here for another hour,” Shining Armor argued.

“Then I’ll just clear the palace out for them.” Garble’s eyes shone with mad fury, startling even the unicorn. Shining Armor realized there would be no talking him out of this.

“Then at least let me go with you,” the prince requested. “Chrysalis and Kindling have my family, too.”

“Alright,” Garble consented. He glided below Fizzle, allowing Shining Armor to leap onto his back.

“The soldiers are ready and awaiting your command,” Sling Shot reported upon returning from his rounds.

“Now or never, I suppose,” Shining Armor sighed.

“SOLDIERS! READY YOUR WEAPONS!” Trident hollered. A crash of metal reverberated through the Everfree as spears were lowered, clacking against armor. Shining Armor was already firing up his horn. He took aim at the changeling wall, and released an immense pulse of light. The prince immediately crumpled, instantly exhausted by the expenditure required by a spell of this scale. The shield, in turn, crumbled.

The changelings hissed, both perplexed and content by the barrier’s sudden collapse. Now they had access to the ponies, but what kind of spell could have sapped that much energy from the royal guard’s captain all at once?

They were to find out as the light washed over them. They were blinded by the light, but they soon learned that was not the only ability the spell had hindered. Many changelings clutched their heads, groaning in discomfort.

“The voices! The voices! I cannot hear the hive!” a changeling cried. Similar cries were breaking out all over. Some changelings were already retreating.

“You disconnected them all from the hive mind,” Sling Shot gasped in awe.

“Let’s go,” Garble spoke, taking Shining Armor and making for the castle. In the prince’s absence, Trident was more than happy to step up to the plate. He raised his trident, pointing it towards the changelings.

“CHARGE!” Fizzle screeched a war cry, inspiring the ponies below to shoot out from below him. Likewise, the remaining changelings shrieked a battle cry of their own before moving forward as a unit.

“Now?” Fizzle asked, itching to head out with everyone else.

“Hold,” Trident ordered, gauging the changelings’ distance. ‘A little closer,’ he thought.

“Now?” Clump pleaded.

“Wait!”

“How about now?” Pierce snickered, just trying to be ornery. Trident eyed the enemy force one last time, and slowly began lifting his trident. In perfect sync with the pitchfork, the water of the Hock Bend River rose like a giant cobra sizing up its prey. Tiny specks of color were revealed within- the waiting hippocampi army. The changelings slowly began to stop in their tracks, nervously glancing over the wall of water rising behind them.

“NOW!” With a violent flick of the trident, the water rushed toward the changelings, carrying the soldiers with it. By that time, the original charging ponies had reached the wall, slamming the changelings in the middle of a two-front assault. Fizzle finally jerked forward, leading the dragons into the fight. At his size, he could definitely punch a hole in the wall. Trident slid off just before he furled his wings to cannon-ball into the changeling barricade.

“NOOOOOO!” Kindling wailed, a searing pain tearing through his head as the hive mind was ripped away from him. What had they done?! He couldn’t redirect their thoughts back- his rerouting spell could only redirect an existing hive mind, and now Shining Armor had destroyed that. Those meddlesome ponies... he would have his revenge!

Kindling stormed over to the balcony, glaring out at the battlefield beyond. Whatever heart Kindling had left stopped in his chest. His forces were crumbling! A surprise attack from the back combined with the frontal assault was proving to be more than the changeling wall could handle. The hippocampus king’s trident was also more powerful than Kindling had anticipated.

The destral’s mind raced. Charcoal had most likely sent that orb to the rebels. If they indeed had it and chose to unleash it upon him and his army, he didn’t have a chance. He could counter it with his own orbs, yes, but all of them were already occupied with prisoners. Though he could most likely cram more inside, the risk of the Elements or Princesses escaping in the process was too great. And he had not been completely honest with Charcoal. One orb was not a significant loss overall, but it had been his last. He had no more carbuncle gems, and he did not want to slaughter his last and only specimen to obtain another one.

That filthy thestral colt... this was his fault! Seething with anger, Kindling started back for the tower. If he could not exact revenge upon all of Equestria, then that colt would have to do.

GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWL!

Kindling froze in the hallway. Judging by the crumbling of walls, smashing of furniture and all the fleeing or screaming changelings, he’d guess one of the dragons had entered the castle. He grunted in annoyance. He would not have time to get to the colt and escape, too. He had been stripped of his freedom for well over a millennium. He was very reluctant to give it up again, even for the colt.

“You, Changeling!” Kindling addressed, grabbing one of the scattered changelings in a levitational hold.

“Y-yes, s-sire?” it nervously chattered.

“I have a new assignment for you,” Kindling slyly narrowed his eyes.

Moments later, one version of the fiery destral fled to the safety of the catacombs while one lingered in the crumbling castle.

“What’s the plan again?” Spectrum inquired, woozily trying to find his hoofing after the rollercoaster of a ride.

“I’ve just landed us in one of the castle’s utility closets,” Time Turner explained.

“How did you get the coordinates to land us in a tiny closet?” Gilda scratched her head.

“I know the castle very well,” Glitter spoke up. “Time Turner asked me to use my fire to send one of his devices somewhere inconspicuous in the castle. Hey! Isn’t that it?” Glitter spotted something shiny and metallic through a few layers of hooves. “Excuse me, pardon me,” she carefully began worming her way over to it. Time Turner, on the other hoof, rudely barged through to grab the thing.

“Yes, we materialized on top of it,” he shrugged as though it were obvious. “When you sent this device, it transmitted its exact coordinates to the TARDIS, which I plotted as our destination, just a couple hours in the future. According to this, Everypony else should have arrived an hour ago.”

“Shining Armor’s soldiers should have drawn most of the changelings out by now,” Fink went on. “Without the hive mind, they will be confused and uncoordinated. Any changelings we encounter left over in the castle should not pose much of a threat.”

“Either they all will have flocked to the battlefield,” Shift guessed, “or they will fall back to the castle.”

“I sincerely hope your first assumption is correct,” Cascade shivered.

“Our job is to find Charcoal, or the orbs, or even Kindling himself,” Hawk lectured.

“But we must stay together,” Current put in. “We know that Kindling is extremely powerful and dangerous, but we have only one orb to share amongst ourselves. If anyone were to come across Kindling without the orb...” she shook her head. “We have lost enough friends as it is. Let us not add to that number.”

“Do we even know how to work the orb we have?” High Tide inquired.

“I am familiar with the technology,” Fink assured.

“And you have the orb?”

“Here,” the orange-shelled pony displayed the precious cargo.

“Everypony knows what they’re doing, now?” Time Turner glanced around.

“Yep,” Winter affirmed.

“I’ll go out first, and make sure the coast is clear,” Gilda volunteered. “Everyone flank Fink, just in case we run into trouble. We lose that orb, and we lose the war.”

“War. War’s such a strong word. I don’t like it,” Time Turner rambled, even as he and the gryphon strode for the door. “War implies you kill people- er, ponies. Who says anypony has to die? Like that time in Appleloosa, when the buffalo and settlers had a bit of a skirmish over the land. They used pies! Pies! It was brilliant! Why can’t-”

“Shut UP, Time Turner!” Gilda was rapidly becoming fed up with the pony, and clapped a talon over his mouth as she checked the hallway. “Coast is clear,” she reported to the others, removing her claws from the pony’s lips and heading further into the room. Quietly, one by one, the rest of the group filed out, forming a protective circle around Fink and the orb.

“I still don’t see anypony,” Ditzy reported, flitting over to the left hallway.

“Here either,” Whirl Pool called.

“Clear,” Trixie announced.

“So which way do we go?” River hissed, too terrified to raise her voice above a whisper despite the fact they were alone. As if on cue, a loud thud resonated from beyond the middle hallway, accompanied by a low growl.

“That didn’t sound like a changeling...” Jet mused.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s investigate!” Time Turner trotted ahead without waiting for a response. The others had little choice but to keep up as he navigated through the maze of corridors, all listening intently to pinpoint the source of the noise.

Time Turner, Gilda and High Tide peered around the corner of the last hallway and into the throne room. This was where all of the changelings appeared to have gathered in a collective effort to hold Garble down. None seemed to possess an orb, for they had to manually restrain him with any ropes and chains they had available. He appeared exhausted, as though he had put up quite a fight, but was still defiantly bucking and flailing. Shining Armor, on the other hoof, was completely spent and utterly defeated, trapped in the corner with a casing of goo. With both his energy and magic depleted, he could only hope that Garble could hold his own.

“What’s going on?” Ditzy barged through the assembly to get a glimpse of the skirmish beyond, successfully bowling everyone over and causing quite a commotion in the process. Between ponies yelping, bodies thudding and the orb skidding across the marble floor, all eyes focused on the time travelers. Ditzy winced. “Oops.”

“The orb!” Fink cried, realizing it had escaped his grasp and was now rolling out into the middle of the room.

“Kindling’s device! Retrieve it!” one of the changelings cried, abandoning his end of the rope. As Garble began to break free once more, the rest of the drones found themselves unable to comply with the order.

The single drone made a mad dive for the thing, as did Fink. Their hooves both grasped the orb in perfect sync, and in a blur of black, blue and orange, both changelings became entangled in one another as both desperately grappled for the sphere. Gilda’s huge wings sent her barreling forward to help, while Time Turner fumbled for his screwdriver. The drone delivered one harsh blow to Fink’s stomach, flinging him back to crash into Gilda, and the two of them proceeded to slide into Shining Armor. Glitter barely sidestepped them in time, but resumed her effort to free the prince.

“GLITTER!” Trixie screamed, realizing the drone was activating the device and aiming it right at her beloved apprentice. She shot forward faster than a bullet to protect he best friend. Jet Stream, the fastest and nimblest, attempted to make a quick grab for the orb. The changeling saw her coming and just barely dodged, leaping back out of the way and landing her in his line of fire. Just then, the orb emitted a blinding white light, which promptly engulfed the hippocampus mare. Trixie barely succeeded to knock Glitter clear of the light, though the unicorn herself was illuminated.

“TRIXIE!” Glitter wailed, helpless to stop her mentor from fading away into the orb’s prison. Shining Armor, Gilda, and Fink, who had all been behind Trixie, also vanished. All at once, the rebels were stripped of five of their members.

“NO!” Time Turner exploded, madly waving his sonic screwdriver about. Though it made a lot of noise, it didn’t affect the orb at all.

The drone was about to swing the spotlight over the rest of the cowering ponies when Garble’s tail swiped his legs out from under him. Distracted, the changeling lost its magical hold on the thing, which in turn extinguished the lethal light. Winter Green flung himself over the orb to keep it safe. The remaining changelings finally gave up on restraining the dragon, and abandoned the orb altogether, now just fleeing for their lives. Garble did manage to leave his attackers with a few scorch marks on their way out, however. As soon as they were gone, Winter pulled the orb out from under him.

“Gilda? Gilda, can you hear me?” Winter held it up to his ear and even shook it a few times.

“She can’t hear you, smart one! And for Celestia’s sake, stop shaking it!” She roughly cuffed him on the back of the head and then proceeded to swipe the orb away from him.

“Trixie...” Tears dropped down Glitter’s cheeks, and her body was racked with sobs. She caught Garble’s attention as he shrugged off the last of the ropes. The sight of the pitiful mare caused his heart to wrench in his chest- he, too, had lost most of his family to the wretched changelings. His tail curled around her waist as he pulled her closer, and consolingly nuzzled the mare. She did not protest, but rather, wept bitterly into his scales.

“Get. Them. BACK!” Whirl Pool demanded, nose pressed against Time Turner’s, still fooling with his screwdriver.

“I’m trying! Bah! It doesn’t do wood!”

“Can’t we just take the branches off?” Spectrum wondered, noticing that the timberwolf bark only appeared to make up the outer layer.

“NO! We have no idea how it works! Tampering with it without realizing the consequences could potentially harm them,” Shift exclaimed.

“You were connected to the hive. Do you have any idea how it works?” Current pleaded.

“I know how to activate the orbs, but Fink was the only one who knew how to unlock them,” he hopelessly shrugged.

“So they’re gone,” Glitter bit her lip.

“Not necessarily.”

“CHRYSALIS?!”

Chapter 81: Prison Break

Chapter 81
Prison Break

Charcoal squirmed uncomfortably in the wooden prison he was bundled in. Judging by how stiff his limbs had become, Charcoal guessed he must have dozed off, though for how long he wasn’t sure. The clamp was beginning to dig into his neck, and one of the branches was jabbing his ribcage.

Charcoal tried to glance around the room through the crevices left by the branches, but couldn’t see much from here. He did notice, however, that Pound Cake hadn’t left his post. The changeling was positioned exactly the same as when he had started his watch, blank eyes staring dead ahead, completely motionless. Charcoal knew that he was a changeling and that Kindling was listening in, but Pound was still his friend. Maybe he was still in there, somewhere.

“So, Pound Cake. How’s life as a changeling?” Charcoal tried shifting to see him better, but only felt the wood tighten around his ankles.

“I do not know what you mean.”

“It must have been pretty strange going from a pegasus to a changeling.”

“I have always been a changeling.”

“’Course you haven’t, Pound!”

“Pound Cake is not my name. I am a changeling drone. I have no name.”

“Do you not remember anything, Pound?” Charcoal was genuinely horrified by this point. Chrysalis truly had brainwashed his best friend!

“I am a changeling drone. My purpose is to serve the hive. This is all I know.”

“Your name is Pound Cake! You were born and raised in Ponyville. Your parents own the Sugar Cube Corner bakery- you worked there! You have a unicorn sister named Pound Cake, but your parents are both earth ponies, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake. You’re eighteen now, and work on a construction crew in Cloudsdale. Pound... you’re one of my best friends.” The changeling did appear a bit shaken now, but did his best to remain stoic.

“If what you say is true...” Pound’s voice trembled, “then what happened to me? Why do I not remember any of it?”

“You were in Cloudsdale when the changelings attacked Ponyville,” Charcoal sadly recalled. “They set up a barrier to keep the changelings out. You wanted to check on your family, but they wouldn’t let you. ‘It wasn’t safe,’ they said. I was in Ponyville at the time, but escaped with some friends. We started rounding up ponies to help us fight back against Chrysalis, even befriending one of her drones on the way. Shift, we called him. We sent Shift to Cloudsdale to find you. It took some convincing, but we finally got you back. No sooner had you joined us than you wanted to go find your family again,” he chuckled. “I went with you, and we snuck into the castle. We got caught, and Chrysalis turned you into... that. The spell must’ve erased your memory.”

“And my... family,” the word tasted foreign in Pound’s mouth. “What became of them?”

“Chrysalis converted you all together,” Char bowed his head. “You got to see them one last time before the conversion.”

“Then they are somewhere in the hive,” Pound straightened back up. “They are with me, which means my place is here.”

“What about me, Pound? Your best friend? Don’t you remember me?” A moment of silence.

“I have been given orders not to speak to you any longer.” Charcoal would have thrown up his hooves if they weren’t entangled in the twigs.

Another ten or twenty minutes passed in agonizing silence. Any further attempts Charcoal made at conversation were ignored. Still, he found the silence unnerving. He was about to try again when it was, in fact, Pound who initiated the conversation.

“The voices! The voices!” Pound suddenly toppled over, rolling on the floor and clutching his head as if in agony.

“Pound? Are you okay? What’s going on?” Char pushed against the wooden bars, but to no avail.

“The hive! The hive is gone!”

“Gone?” Charcoal furrowed his brow. How could the hive mind just be gone? He turned his thoughts away from the matter when he realized what discomfort his friend was in. “Pound? Hey, Pound! Let me out of here so I can help you.”

“Y-you c-cannot h-help me,” the changeling chattered. Out of fear or pain Charcoal couldn’t tell.

“I can! Shift and Fink went through the same thing. But I need my fire,” Charcoal referenced the clamp on his back. “Get it off me and I can help.”

“My orders are to guard you,” Pound finally seemed to be recovering on his own, though his back remained rigid. This resolution didn’t hold up for long, however, because the next thing they knew, the whole castle trembled and the ceiling began crumbling. A thunderous roar resounded through the whole castle, and was punctuated by a tremendous commotion downstairs. Pound yelped in fright, jumping to his hooves. He eyed the cracks now forming in the roof and walls. His gaze flicked to the prisoner, then to one of the windows. Judging his own safety more important than his duty, Pound headed for the escape route.

“Pound! Where are you going? You can’t leave! You’re supposed to be guarding me, remember?”

“I will no longer have to guard you if you are dead.” Though Charcoal knew it wasn’t really Pound Cake speaking, the words cut through to his heart. He helplessly watched as Pound unfurled his bug-like wings and took off through the window.

“POUND!” Charcoal writhed in the cocoon, which only caused to wood to contract further. He again attempted to use his thestral fire and burn his way out, but the clamp prevented it. Charcoal grunted, trying to come up with some new way of escape. If he couldn’t use thestral fire, perhaps he could use dragon fire?

Charcoal held his breath- the transformation also required fire, though it wasn’t quite the same as typical fire dancing. Still, if the clamp prevented his shift, he would be truly stuck. It was worth a try at least, but the thought of his last hope sputtering out was intimidating, so he hesitated. It wasn’t until the roof trembled again that he remembered he didn’t have anything to lose.

“And... shift!” Charcoal closed his eyes and tried to access this unique ability. Did he really feel fire tickling his sides, or was that just his imagination? He peeked one eye open, and giddily wiggled his claws. It worked!

Charcoal deeply inhaled, feeling the heat well up in his chest. The dragon flame, much hotter and more intense than thestral fire, burned his gums a bit as it escaped his lips, but he barely noticed- the wood was burning! He was nearly free!

He resumed wriggling out of the brittle, burning bark. Some of the healthy branches continued to hinder him, but as the smoke deprived them of oxygen, they promptly gave up. Charcoal leapt out of the burning heap on all fours, then righted himself to grab at the clamp. Still, no matter how he twisted or jerked at it, he couldn’t remove the uncomfortable clamp without taking a chunk of his back out with it. He growled in annoyance, forced to abandon the effort.

For the first time, Charcoal noticed a frightened chattering that filled the room. Upon turning around, he spotted what he believed to be a cage under an old blue tablecloth. He reached out and flipped the corner of it aside revealing several imprisoned and unusual creatures beneath, all cowering in fright.

“Horseapples,” he spat, realizing his escape could mean their demise. Yanking the sheet off the cages, he proceeded to snuff out the pyre. (One disadvantage to dragon flame was that while it was hotter, it was impossible to control like thestral fire.) He stomped out the last of the hot coals until they were left with a smoldering pile of rubble.

“Sorry about that, guys. You all okay?” he apologized, moving to open all the windows and allow the smoke to filter out. Next, he used his claws to pick the locks of the cages and release his fellow prisoners. Contained within the cells he found a baby manticore, a blindfolded cockatrice, a phoenix, a fruit bat, a jackalope, a tank of sandfish (which looked a little like giant centipedes when they weren’t buried in the dust), and some strange creature Charcoal had never seen before. Its face was such an even blend between a cat and a dog that Charcoal compromised and decided it was more foxlike. Its fur had grown so long and mangy that Charcoal almost overlooked the gem embedded in its forehead.

“A carbuncle!” he exclaimed, swinging open the cage door. The critter timidly sniffed its rescuer before happily hopping out and dancing around him. “At least we know where Kindling’s been getting all his carbuncle gems. But I thought carbuncles only gave their gems to ‘worthy’ ponies. Surely that creep isn’t?”

Now that all the creatures had been freed, Charcoal shifted back to pony form. The carbuncle cocked its head, then nuzzled his hoof as a request for attention. Charcoal chuckled but complied, now that the tower had stopped shaking and they were no longer in any danger. The creature purred contently, succeeding in planting envy in the other animals. The manticore was the next to rub against his side, then the phoenix perched on his shoulder. Even the cockatrice, still blindfolded, sought out the pony with its tail and comfortably nestled in his hair.

“Whoa! Okay, okay,” he laughed, failing to accommodate them all. He was so preoccupied with all the different creatures that he didn’t notice the light *plink* of an object falling to the floor. In fact, the fruit bat had to deliver it personally to bring it to his attention. “What’s that?” Charcoal shrugged off most of the animals to examine the trinket. It was a sparkling gem, midnight blue in color and heptagonal in shape.

“Is that...?!” Charcoal’s gaze flicked to the carbuncle, who now had a bare spot where its gem used to be. It looked curiously back. “I... you... but, why?” Char shook his head in confusion. What would make the carbuncle give up its gem, and to Charcoal of all ponies? He had no use for it. Unless...

“Maybe I can use this to make a new orb to use against Kindling! Thanks, little guy!” Charcoal exclaimed, scratching the carbuncle once more before eagerly bounding over the creatures and rifling through Kindling’s belongings. The audience of creatures watched in dismay, beginning to wonder if this pony was actually any different than their last captor.

Charcoal located a thick tome amongst the mess of papers, the pages stuffed with sticky notes and bookmarks. Actually, it reminded him of his parent’s research, just in a thicker book. Charcoal expected to receive a face full of dust upon opening it, but evidently it was frequently used, because no such event occurred. At a glance, Charcoal determined that the book contained spells and recipes invented by Kindling and/or Chrysalis.

“These are the notes that led to the first changeling conversion!” he gasped, skimming over one of the earliest entries. He flipped the page. “Look here! It’s the spell to raise the sun and moon! Kindling must be doing that while the princesses are imprisoned.” Realizing he was getting off track, he resumed rifling through the pages until the rough sketch of an orb in the corner caught his eye.

“Here we go! ‘Stasis Orb. Requires manticore venom to immobilize body, compressed in sandfish egg for indefinite preservation, an outer shell of timberwolf bark for protection and structural integrity, a carbuncle gem to focus the aim and ensure all ingredients work in accord (caution: as a symbol of unity and peace, the Elements of Harmony could reverse effects of orb using the gem as a conduit. Search for substitute?) and band of bogg sprite hair to store the body out of phase.’ Out of phase?” he repeated, trying to make heads or tails of anything he’d just read. He shrugged. He didn’t necessarily need to understand it to make an orb of his own; Kindling had included instructions below.

“‘Step one: inject manticore venom into empty sandfish egg.’ So? You guys going to help me or not?” Charcoal inquired of the creatures, poking through the drawers for Kindling’s supplies just in case they opted against assisting him. Luckily, he didn’t have to resort to this, for one of the sandfish reluctantly returned to the bottom of the sand-filled tank and began swallowing some of the sediment. It wasn’t long before it regurgitated a tightly packed sphere of sand, which the manticore cub jabbed with its tail. Charcoal proudly picked it up and set it on the desk.

“‘Step two: braid clipping of bogg sprite hair long enough to encompass egg. Tie off, leaving an extra inch for timberwolf bark.’” Charcoal finally did have to pick through Kindling’s collection to find the stash of sprite hair. It was in the far cabinet, but already neatly sectioned off and primed for braiding. Charcoal’s blunt hooves proved poor at braiding such thin, wispy hair, and he was about to shift back to dragon form when the phoenix, fruit bat and jackalope stepped in to braid it for him. Every so often, Charcoal measured about how much longer it needed to be until it left about an extra inch-wide gap, even around the egg’s widest point. Then, the jackalope chewed off the ends for the phoenix to tie off.

“‘Step three: embed carbuncle gem into piece of live timberwolf bark.’” Charcoal returned to the basket where Pound had obtained the hunk of wood which imprisoned him. Somewhere along the line, the basket had been overturned and the contents dumped. Most of the bark had met the same fate as Charcoal’s burned prison, but he managed to sift through the debris and recover a more-or-less undamaged piece. Making his way back to the desk, Charcoal examined both the bark and the gem. “So how am I supposed to embed it?” He experimentally touched the two pieces together, and was blinded by the ensuing light.

The gem instantly fused itself to the wood, but didn’t stop there. It began completely reforming, much like the bark that formed Charcoal’s prison, though this time the growth it was much more controlled and far less random. The burned corners began rejuvenating and flourishing, branching out into new stems and leaves. The mass even became large enough to identify a familiar shape.

Legs branched out from a wooden body, a dense collection of thin and wispy twigs made up a tail. Thorny extrusions implied teeth while leaves sprouted to emphasize facial features, and two bright orbs of light began flickering like a newborn’s eyes blinking open for the first time. When all was said and done, a tiny timberwolf pup remained, comfortably situated upon the table.

Charcoal froze. Was that supposed to happen? He had just created a timberwolf, a living being! He hadn’t missed a step, had he? Charcoal referenced the instructions again, though in hindsight, he probably should have read the whole passage to begin with. He didn’t appear to have skipped a stage, so he moved on to the next bullet point.

“‘Step four: DISASSEMBLE timber wolf?!’” The jackalope fainted, the phoenix shrieked, and the cockatrice ran for its life, lest it should also be dissected. Still blindfolded, however, it got as far as the wall before crashing its head and blacking out. Thoroughly disturbed, Charcoal read on. “‘The pup will try to reconnect itself- make sure it does so around sandfish egg to start the outer casing.

“‘Step five: prune until left with minimal casing.’ You mean amputate it?!” Now the manticore’s rowls joined the protest. “‘Step six,’” Charcoal’s voice trembled by now, “‘Affix band of sprite hair, possibly adding hooks as needed.’” The next illustration depicted pointed, staple-like hoops piercing both layers of wood and sand. Charcoal shuddered now that he realized that the bark was actually a living, yet decapitated timberwolf.

He glanced back at the pup he had accidentally created, slumbering soundly on the desk top. How could Kindling create such innocent creatures just to butcher them for his own twisted purposes? Charcoal couldn’t in good conscience finish the project. But... what about his parents? He was so close to freeing them.

“I... have to...” he gritted his teeth, thoughts of his friends and family spurring him on. He picked up the pup, trying to disconnect himself from the task at hoof. The phoenix screeched, flaring up and snagging at his hair. The manticore prepared its stinger while the jackalope darted to remove the blindfold from the cockatrice. Charcoal was still fighting off the phoenix when the carbuncle’s chattering called them all off. Charcoal received no sympathy from the fox creature, but a guilt trip instead. The carbuncle’s piercing gaze burned right through him, just reminding the colt of exactly what he was about to do. Char already felt miserable, and lowered the pup.

Then the carbuncle’s gaze darted to Charcoal’s flank before returning to his face. Stalling, Charcoal was more than happy to comply. When he turned back, though, he froze. He’d waited fifteen years for his cutie mark to appear.

It was the carbuncle’s blue, heptagonal gem, encircled by a horizontal ring of orange fire. That wasn’t his fire color, which was a strong indicator that it was probably more symbolic than anything. This only frustrated him more, though- after fifteen years of waiting, he’d finally earned his mark, but he was still clueless as to what it meant. He would have to work out the deeper meaning of it later.

When had it even appeared? Considering that it depicted the same carbuncle gem he had been gifted, it must have been some time after he freed the creatures. When he received it, perhaps? But surely he would have noticed such a bright flash of light in this dim room, or one of the animals would have alerted him. It would make more sense for the mark to have appeared when he created the timberwolf- blinding light had completely bathed the room, making it easy for his cutie mark to have gone unnoticed.

Charcoal glanced back at the pup in his arms. Knowing that it had played a role in the arrival of his cutie mark made condemning it to such a horrible fate even more impossible. The sleepy wolf finally blinked its eyes open, drowsily yawning and glancing the pony over. It was completely oblivious to how close it had nearly come to an early end. Charcoal sighed, and eased the pup closer until it was safely wrapped in his embrace.

“It’s okay, guys,” he assured the angry Everfree creatures, who still bickering with the carbuncle. “I can’t do it anyway. But I still need to save my parents. I know you’re still mad at me, but... will you help?” The carbuncle slunk forward and nuzzled his hoof again, as if to pledge his allegiance. Following its lead, the other animals gradually agreed as well. Realizing that it was missing out on a group discussion, the timberwolf finally shook itself awake, and barked enthusiastically. “Thanks,” Char smiled.

Next, he took inventory of what kind of abilities they collectively had. The clamp was still inhibiting his fire dancing, but the phoenix could substitute if they really needed fire. The fruit bat could fly, but otherwise wasn’t of much use. The sandfish and jackalope were also deadweight, but the manticore’s paralyzing venom could be useful. And the cockatrice... it just might be able to carry the whole group.

“You know...” he mused, “if we could get Cockatrice close enough to Kindling-” he didn’t even get to finish his thought. As soon as they heard ‘Kindling,’ all the animals were scrambling to get away. The cockatrice managed to loosen the blindfold, and made for the open window. The fruit bat and phoenix followed suit. Realizing that the two had found an escape route, the manticore and jackalope also tried to follow. “WAIT!” Char hollered, realizing the jackalope didn’t have wings. No matter- it hitched a ride with the manticore all the way down to the forest floor. When Charcoal turned around, he was left with the two sandfish, the gemless carbuncle, and baby timberwolf. “I guess that cockatrice really was a chicken,” he sighed.

“Maybe there’s something else here that can help us go after Kindling? Come on, guys. Let’s see what we can find.” The carbuncle thrummed with pleasure, and Charcoal swore it winked at him. Evidently, it approved of his decision. Charcoal uneasily turned his back and began checking the shelves.

Charcoal found all sorts of loose knick knacks, but they were mostly the raw materials to create one of many contraptions listed in the book. Surely Kindling had kept a stash of some pre-made inventions? Char replaced yet another chest that had contained nothing of interest.

“RUFF!” the timberwolf cried, scratching at one of Kindling’s drawers.

“What’ve you got, boy?” Charcoal wondered, opening the cabinet and peering inside. There were a lot of unorganized papers and quills floating about, but Char saw nothing of interest. The tiny timberwolf scrambled up the edge until he made it inside, and dug around in the mass. Just as Charcoal thought he hit the bottom, the pup reemerged with a ball in his mouth. Not just any ball, mind you. He found an orb.

“You found another one! But why did Kindling take such effort to hide this one when he left the last laying out on his desk?” Char turned it over in his hooves. Now that he knew just what went into making such a device, he was a bit reluctant to use it. Yet, it was already available... he turned to the carbuncle for guidance, but it only shrugged.

“How do we use one of these things? What does the book say?” They all turned back to the huge volume for reference. Charcoal skimmed the information, but didn’t see any ‘how to’ references or further instructions of any kind. The closest thing he found was a footnote at the end of the section. “‘Note: the Elements of Harmony can be used to reverse effects, see carbuncle gem.’ We already knew that, but unfortunately, it’s the Elements of Harmony we’re trying to free. How am I supposed to work this thing?” Charcoal looked over what information he did have again. Kindling’s notes involved several complicated diagrams that he couldn’t even begin to understand.

“Okay, let’s start from the beginning,” he sighed, taking a deep breath.

Chapter 82: The Changeling Queen's Return

Chapter 82
The Changeling Queen’s Return

“You found another one! But why did Kindling make such an effort to hide this one when he left the last laying out on his desk?” Char took the orb the wolf offered and turned it over in his hooves. Now that he knew just what went into making such a device, he was a bit reluctant to use it. Yet, it was already available... he turned to the carbuncle for guidance, but it only shrugged.

“Okay, let’s start from the beginning,” he sighed, taking a deep breath. “‘Stasis Orb. Requires manticore venom to immobilize body, compressed in sandfish egg for indefinite preservation, an outer shell of timberwolf bark for protection and structural integrity, a carbuncle gem to focus the aim and ensure all ingredients work in accord (caution: as a symbol of unity and peace, the Elements of Harmony could reverse effects of orb using the gem as a conduit. Search for substitute?) and band of bogg sprite hair to store the body out of phase.’” Charcoal reread the entire paragraph. “This seems to be the only information we have on what exactly everything does. So let’s work from there.

“‘Manticore venom to immobilize body.’ Well, we know that manticore venom paralyzes the victim, right? That must be what it means by ‘immobilize body.’ But I also happen to know it’s a neurotoxin, targeting specific brain functions to shut down the body, or something like that. Maybe when it’s combined with everything else, it also has a role in trapping the mind in the orb?

“Sandfish eggs are great at preserving things. That’s self-explanatory: Essence’s orb preserved her for a millennia. I guess it’s just to hold your mind indefinitely.

“Timberwolf bark grows back if it gets damaged. I guess if you tried to break open an orb, it would keep the contents safe when it grew back thicker and stronger. And even sandfish eggs probably don’t hold together so well after a while. Timberwolf bark would hold it all together.

“Carbuncle gems are supposed to be symbols of unity and harmony, right? Maybe they have some sort of special magic that makes everything work well together like this says. And prisms can be used to focus light. It would make sense that you could use a gem to target a certain pony.

“Then there’s that bogg sprite stuff. It confused me at first, but if the manticore venom immobilizes the body, then it kind of makes sense. I mean, you’ve paralyzed the body, but you need some place to put it- after all, the orb is only supposed to imprison ponies’ minds. What if the reason bogg sprites appear so ghost-like is because they actually exist in another phase like this says? The sprite hair could somehow be sending the bodies out to another phase for storage while the mind is trapped! Hey! That wasn’t too hard,” Charcoal proudly announced.

“But now to undo the effects. I guess first you need somewhere to put the mind, which means we’d need the body back...” he stuck his tongue out as he practiced on the orb he had, lifting the braid off in hopes he’d get an idea of what to do next. Unfortunately, he remained oblivious to the body that had just materialized behind him. The carbuncle began hissing and spitting, the sandfish scuttled to safety, and the timberwolf sounded his own alarm.

“Quiet, boy. I need to concentrate,” Charcoal scolded, still turning the orb over as he thought. “If the carbuncle gem is what makes it all work, could I just remove it? But then, there’s still a timberwolf most likely dependent on it,” he gently stroked the bark, hoping that maybe the creature could still regenerate. After all, Jasper had recovered, hadn’t he? “Well, if I can’t take the gem out, and I can’t get through the bark without it rejuvenating, maybe I can skip straight to the sandstone egg. Poke a hole in it and let the venom out? But if it really is preserving their minds, it’ll be dangerous to tamper with from that angle, too. Hmph. What’s left to dismantle?” Charcoal began pacing, still completely ignorant to the large black form slumped on the floor.

“If I do take the gem out... I can still reunite it with the bark, can’t I? That’s what created you in the first place.” He still didn’t look at his little friend, or he would have noticed the source of the wolf’s racket. “Well... it’s worth a shot.” Charcoal again practiced on the orb by yanking out a green gem from the top. Right before his eyes, the sandstone egg crumbled, fluid leaked out, and only the husk of timberwolf casing remained in his hooves. “Oops,” he winced. There went another chance to save his friends down the drain.

“GAH!” He slammed the carbuncle gem back into the wooden husk in frustration and tossed both aside. It was still midair when in a flash of light, a fully grown and strongly built timberwolf materialized, the green gem encrusted in its chest plate. This time, Charcoal didn’t even flinch. At least, not until it started growling.

“You’re welcome,” he sarcastically shot back, facing the wolf. But he became confused when he realized it wasn’t growling at him, but rather, something else in the room.

“Wha... What happened?”

Charcoal jumped, not aware anypony else was present. His eyes darted around the room before finally setting on the crumpled, lumpy form of Chrysalis herself. “YAH!” Chrysalis’ head jerked up, narrow pupils scanning for the source of the yelp. She found no one as Charcoal clumsily tumbled behind the desk for cover.

“Who is there? I demand to know!” she announced, shakily standing on her punctured legs. Charcoal happened to notice this incoordination, and decided that if he was going to attack, it was now or never.

Charcoal leapt over the table, a fearsome sight as he snarled, half engulfed in flame as he transformed into a more intimidating and useful dragon form. Chrysalis recoiled with a shriek of fear, but was not fast enough to dodge Charcoal’s attack. He had her pinned to the floor in an instant.

“WHERE’S MY FAMILY?!” he demanded, still hissing and snarling.

“Ch-Charcoal?” she squeaked, obviously frightened. “What are you doing here?”

“You know what I’m doing here! So give it up. Where are they?” Chrysalis shook her head in confusion.

“Are the orbs not in the drawer?” Charcoal found it hard to believe Chrysalis would give up the information so willingly, but without many other options, got off her. He was instantly replaced by the new timberwolf, however, who would ensure that Chrysalis wouldn’t go anywhere while he checked. Charcoal dug through all the drawers in the desk, and even dumped out their contents in emphasis.

“Liar!” he accused.

“No, I’m not! I truly thought they would be there! Kindling must have moved them since imprisoning me,” she pleaded. “Please, you must believe me. He trapped me, too.”

“How’d you escape?”

“Did you not just free me?” Charcoal looked to the mess he’d made on the floor.

“Was that why it all fell apart?” Chrysalis’ eyes actually sparkled with amusement.

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Charcoal’s face flushed. Chrysalis considered the colt... er, dragon.

“You are Charcoal Stormwood,” she decided, “but in the body of a dragon. My spell only gave thestrals the ability to transform into earth ponies. And it cannot be another of your fire dancing tricks, because you’re wearing a suppressant clamp. So tell me, how is this possible?”

“I don’t answer your questions- you answer mine,” the colt angrily snapped.

“Kindling has taught you well,” she sneered. “He succeeded in appointing you as his apprentice, then?” Charcoal’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“What do you think?” he gestured to the wrecked room. Chrysalis smirked.

“I thought not.”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, now I have to figure out what to do with you before I can go save my parents.”

“Take me with you.”

“You’ve got to be joking?!”

“We both want Kindling’s head... in a figurative sense,” she added when she noticed Charcoal’s disgusted expression. Chrysalis’ facial features were twisted with anger and pain herself. “He betrayed me... and broke my heart. Freeing the Elements may mean my imprisonment, but if I take down Kindling with me, then it is well worth the price.”

“After everything you’ve done, how do I know I can trust you?” Char growled. Chrysalis then proceeded to ignite her horn, and Charcoal felt the pinching clamp release it’s hold. He reverted back to his pony body, rubbing the sore spot and testing to make sure his ability had actually returned. He had a raging flame in no time.

“It also appears as though you have two timberwolves at your service,” she added. “If your fire is not enough to take me down, then surely one of them would step up.” The one holding her down growled agreement.

“I don’t know...” Charcoal wanted to believe her, but at the same time, this was Chrysalis he was dealing with. She was the Changeling Queen, quite literally the master of deceit. Surely she had some hidden agenda up her sleeve?

“The timberwolves are not insurance enough?” She raised an eyebrow.

“You’re a changeling, with powerful magic. I’m a thestral with some fire ability, and you could easily encase the timberwolves in your goo.”

“I have not fed on love in years,” she said. “I don’t think my magic is as powerful as you believe.”

“Then how did you cast that huge conversion spell?” Charcoal challenged.

“You have heard of the sirens of old?”

“Heard of them? I’ve met them!” Chrysalis appeared confused, but did not request clarification.

“Then you know that their pendants absorb the negative energy their songs instill in sailors.”

“Pendant? I’ve never seen Cascade wear any jewelry,” Charcoal frowned. “In fact, I don’t think any of the hippocampi do, excepting the king, maybe.”

“Not hippocampi,” she patiently corrected. “Sirens. True sirens are, shall we say, the hippocampi’s evil counterpart. Hippocampi may train ‘sirens’ to protect their borders, merely luring boats away, or occasionally tempting them to jump overboard. Even then, they deliver the victims safely to shore. Actual sirens, on the other hoof, are dependent on energy to survive, similar to changelings. They wear pendants of special gems that absorb negative energy. All they have to do is sing the appropriate song to instil feelings of envy, rivalry, and even hatred into their victims.”

“This is all very interesting, but I fail how to see how it has anything to do with your power supply.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I managed to obtain one such pendant, and have been feeding on Kindling.”

“WHAT?! No wonder he’s so angry!”

“The gem only absorbs the negative energy, it doesn’t create it,” she interjected. “I realized that I had not been absorbing as much love as I’d expected from Kindling. Though the love ran dry, he had no end of negative energy for me to feed from- every time he threw a temper tantrum I gorged, which collected enough power for the conversion spell. Negative energy is far less nourishing than love, but it sufficed.”

“How’d Kindling feel about that?”

“Oh, I did not tell him,” she hastily assured. “I did not want to anger him further by telling him that he didn’t love me enough- he always did have quite a temper. But I couldn’t let him down either for fear of losing his love completely. Though, now it appears I never had it at all, which brings into question where the small amount of love I was receiving came from.”

“Your subjects,” Charcoal realized.

“My drones have no emotion. They are incapable of love.”

“That’s not true! Shift and Fink both have feelings!” he burst. Chrysalis was taken aback. “They both cared about you and the hive,” he angrily continued, “but you’re still too blind to see them as anything more than ‘drones’.” Chrysalis considered this. Was it possible that all this time, the love within her own hive had been sustaining her?

“If this is true, then I regret that I did not have more time to get to know each of them for who they trule are.”

“That’s all you have to say for yourself?! You’ve treated them like dirt for their whole lives, and you’re ‘sorry’?!”

“I have already wrecked the lives of thousands of ponies, myself included,” she snapped. “Just add it to the list.” Charcoal hadn’t considered that she’d never meant for things to go this far, and fell silent. Meanwhile, Chrysalis unfurled the two halves of the beetle shell atop her back. Reaching between them, she pulled out a small red gem inlaid in a golden pendant, dangling from a delicate chain. “Here. This is the siren gem I have been using to feed. Take it if you wish. I hope this is insurance enough?” Charcoal grabbed the chain. Without any other place to put it, he slid it around his own neck.

“It’s a start.”

“Just promise me you will bring Kindling to justice,” she growled, “and I will help you free the Elements, the princesses, and undo all the damage Kindling has wreaked.”

“I have a friend- the one you converted into a changeling,” Charcoal jabbed an accusing hoof. “You can start by changing him- all of them- back.” Chrysalis winced.

“The only way to reverse any of the conversions, myself included,” she apologized, “is if I find true love.” Charcoal felt lightheaded.

“So he’s a lost cause, then.” Chrysalis scowled. “You’ve been trying to reverse what happened to you for hundreds of years, and after all this is sorted, you’ll be lucky if the princesses don’t banish you to the moon!”

“Only those who control the solar entities can be banished to them.”

“You know what I mean! The point is my friends are doomed because of your actions, but you’re also my best chance at finding my parents. So for the time being, I will tolerate you, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. One wrong move, and you’re toast. Got it?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Understood.

“Then where will Kindling most likely have moved the orbs?”

“I know he stashed some of his materials in the catacombs,” she offered.

“Then let’s go.”

Chapter 83: Mission Accomplished

Chapter 83
Mission Accomplished

Charcoal had not yet attempted to leave the tower, but even if he had, the door was locked from the inside. Luckily, Chrysalis was able to unlock it. The carbuncle headed down first, followed by Charcoal with the pup on his back and the sandfish skittering through his hooves, then Chrysalis with the grown timberwolf bringing up the rear. (This was mostly to keep an eye on the changeling.)

“It will be easiest to cut through the throne room,” Chrysalis advised. As they neared the bottom of the tower, Charcoal began picking up echoes of more thuds and crashed, though not so loud or powerful as before.

“What is that?”

“I do not know. Kindling must have disconnected me from the hive mind. I cannot hear anything.”

“I think he disconnected the whole hive,” Charcoal mused. “Pound couldn’t hear anything, either.”

“What?!”

“Shh!” Charcoal strained to listen as the whine of faint screams reached his ears. “They’re here!” he exclaimed.

“The rebels?” Charcoal just nodded as he bolted down the hall.

“WAIT!” Chrysalis’ goo caught his hoof and sent him sprawling. The timberwolf pounced, pinning her down before she could try anything else funny.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Charcoal burned away the sticky substance and picked himself up.

“Running blindly into action will do you no good,” she retorted, indignantly shoving off the timberwolf.

“I have a plan,” Charcoal insisted. To demonstrate, he lit up a patch of the floor in front of him. “Let’s have a barbeque.”

“Fool,” Chrysalis gunked up the floor to extinguish the flame. “Changelings are derived from thestrals. We are designed to be your counterparts- our abilities evenly balance yours.”

“We’ll see about that.” Charcoal sidestepped the mess she had created and continued on his way, heading for the throne room where the noise had emanated. Chrysalis sighed. She couldn’t stop him- this was where they were supposed to be heading, anyway. She reluctantly followed, if just to keep the colt out of trouble.

Chrysalis just managed to pull Charcoal against the wall before he entered the last corridor. “Let-” Charcoal demanded, just before a stampede of fleeing drones sprinted out, pursued by a wall of broiling flame. Next, Chrysalis wordlessly flung another dose of goo at one of the fleeing drones, catching its legs and sending it skidding across the floor. “...go. Uh... thanks,” he sheepishly scratched his head.

“Drone!” Chrysalis ignored him and gruffly addressed the changeling.

“C-Chrysalis!” it gasped, trying to scramble away. She levitated it back before it could get anywhere. “M-My queen!”

“Am I?” she snarled. “Or has Kindling stripped me of this title, too? The last thing I remember was the lot of you insubordinates bowing to his will, against my orders!”

“Forgive me, my queen, but he would have slain us all if we had not!” Chrysalis grunted, uninterested.

“No matter. Report.”

“The rebels have arrived just outside the forest, and crumbled our hive mind,” it told her. “Our forces are scattering without communication. Kindling has gone missing, and there is no one to give further orders.”

“Follow this one, then. Retreat.”

“My queen?”

“You heard me! Withdraw our soldiers! My primary concern now is locating Kindling Pyre. I cannot be distracted by the Equestrians.” The soldier bowed.

“Yes, your majesty.” It scrambled away without another word.

“You didn’t even ask it what was going on in there,” Charcoal jabbed his hoof back down the hall.

“Then I will investigate myself,” she declared, marching ahead of him.

“Not without me, you aren’t!” Charcoal hurried after her, though allowed Chrysalis to remain in the lead should they encounter more drones. The carbuncle, sandfish and timberwolves stuck close behind him.

Chrysalis peered cautiously around the corner, where the voices they had previously heard were no longer screaming, but frantically conversing.

“Get. Them. BACK!” a lavender hippocampus mare demanded, nose pressed against an earth pony stallion’s, who was currently engaged in fiddling with some peculiar device.

“I’m trying! Bah! It doesn’t do wood!”

“Can’t we just take the branches off?” A rainbow-maned pegasus colt wondered, noticing that the timberwolf bark only appeared to make up the outer layer.

“NO! We have no idea how it works! Tampering with it without realizing the consequences could potentially harm them,” the changeling traitor Chrysalis recognized as Shift exclaimed.

“You were connected to the hive. Do you have any idea how it works?” a black-gray hippocampus with a stunning neon blue mane pleaded.

“I know how to activate the orbs, but Fink was the only one who knew how to unlock them,” he hopelessly shrugged.

“So they’re gone,” a dark purple thestral mare bit her lip.

“Not necessarily,” the changeling queen corrected, stepping into the room.

“CHRYSALIS?!” Charcoal popped his head out from behind her.

“Hey, guys!”

“CHARCOAL!” Spectrum zoomed up and tackled him headlong, barely giving the creatures under him a chance to move. Chrysalis tried to move and make way for the ensuing crowd also rushing up to greet him, but was tackled rather roughly by a red and green striped hippogryph and the lavender merpony.

“Char!” Garble’s tail plunged through the crowd and greedily snatched up the missing thestral. “You had me so worried! What were you thinking?!”

“Sorry, Garble.” The dragon released the colt so he could properly hug him. “But we needed that orb.”

“We’d have found another way,” Garble failed to withhold tears of joy.

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” Charcoal assured, squeezing as much of his enormous brother as he could. “And besides, if I didn’t infiltrate Kindling’s tower, I wouldn’t have found his notes on the orb. And I might not have earned my cutie mark.”

“WHOA!” Spectrum exclaimed, noticing it for the first time.

“See? I told you this one was something special!” Time Turner congratulated him.

“What is it?” Glitter had been hastily wiping away her tears before the colt noticed her crying.

“A carbuncle gem, I think. I haven’t had time to figure out what it means, yet.”

“Carbuncles are beings of unity and harmony,” Chrysalis interpreted, still being held back by Hawk and Whirl Pool. “You have unified hippogryphs, hippocampi, thestrals, earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, dragons, and even changelings.”

“And a time lord,” Time Turner put in.

“And a time lord,” Chrysalis didn’t argue with the odd interjection. “I would not doubt that is what the gem represents. As for the ring of fire, it may be an ode to your fire dancing ability.”

“That still doesn’t tell me what my destiny is... who I’m supposed to become.”

“Perhaps the combined symbols of a carbuncle gem and fire ring suggest that you share your destiny with Kindling and I, conducting magical research.”

“He’s nothing like you!” Spectrum spoke up.

“But she could be right. I think I earned it when I created that little guy,” Charcoal pointed to the pup curiously watching from the corner.

“You made him?” Kelpie gasped, reaching out to pet it.

“By accident!” he assured. “But maybe that means that my special talent is conducting magical research in the lab.”

“That is for you to discover for yourself. In the meantime, would you mind...?” Chrysalis nodded to the ponies hanging off of her.

“Oh, yeah. It’s okay, guys. She’s with us.”

“CHRYSALIS is on OUR side?!” Ditzy burst.

“For now at least, I think we can trust her. She says she thinks she may know where we can find the orbs.”

“Kindling kept a stash of materials in the catacombs beneath the castle,” she nodded.

“She’s here to help, guys,” Charcoal assured, noticing the unsettled expressions of those around him.

“Prove it,” High Tide challenged. Realizing what she was getting at, Cascade nodded and handed over the orb.

“Open this one,” the siren demanded.

“Isn’t that the one I sent back?” Charcoal asked.

“Yeah, but we had a run-in with a couple changelings before you got here. They trapped Shining Armor, Trixie, Gilda and Jet in there.” Charcoal’s eyes widened, realizing that they were, indeed, missing a few members. Chrysalis had already taken the orb in her magic and was undoing the braid. Nearby, four bodies materialized out of thin air.

“TRIXIE!” Glitter cried, throwing herself at the unicorn. “Wake up! Please, wake up, Miss Trixie!”

“She can’t hear you yet,” Chrysalis informed, still prying the gem loose. Once the jewel- this time a purple one- was removed, the rest of the orb crumbled. A quick, barely-noticable flash encircled each of the five ponies’ and gryphon’s heads. Glitter held her breath and watched with wide eyes. A second passed, then two, those were the longest seconds of her life. At last, her mentor’s chest began heaving quiet, reviving breaths.

“Miss Trixie!” Glitter squeezed her tightly.

“What?” Trixie groggily opened her eyes. “Glitter?”

“JET!” Whirl Pool happily pounced the recovering mare. “You’re okay!”

“What... happened?” Gilda scratched her head and woozily stood. Winter caught her on one side, which helped to brace her for impact when River Rush bounced up.

“The... orb,” Shining Armor wheezed, remembering. “We were all in the orb.”

“Oh yeah,” Jet recalled, then shivered. “That was creepy.”

“It was like... a void,” Trixie shook her head. “The only thing we could see was each other- there wasn’t even a ceiling or floor.”

“The worst part was, no one could move,” Gilda contributed with a shudder.

“How did you release us?” Fink coughed, allowing Shift to pick him up.

“I dismantled the orb.”

“Chrysalis!” Shining Armor growled, trying to shrug off Spectrum as his support and stand on his own.

“It’s okay,” Charcoal assured. “She’s with us.”

“Charcoal!” Jet quickly recovered and slithered forth to hug him. Gilda and Trixie likewise grinned.

“How can she be ‘with us’? She’s the reason we’re here!” Shining Armor wasn’t fazed by his appearance.

“Kindling betrayed me, as well,” she spoke. “I want to defeat him as badly as you.”

“She knows where we might find the rest of the orbs.”

“I believe he may be keeping them in the catacombs.”

“The catacombs?! Charcoal, we can’t trust her, especially not to take us down there! Do you know how many ponies have gotten lost trying to navigate their way through? They’re never seen again!”

“I know my way around the maze,” Chrysalis assured.

“Charcoal,” Shining Armor took the colt aside. “If she were to betray us...”

“She won’t,” the colt insisted. “Now, let’s go. And Chrysalis, put that timberwolf back together.”

“Why?”

“Because... it’s not right to leave it in pieces,” the colt shuddered. “Besides, if we happen to run into Kindling, they might be our best chance, now.”

“They?” Gilda noticed for the first time the other two timberwolves, carbuncle and sandfish.

“Very well.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes but replaced the gem into the empty husk of bark. The other ponies watched in awe as a new timberwolf sprouted from the hollow shell, this one slender and lithe, even a bit feminine in appearance. It coolly looked around at its rescuers, dutifully waiting for orders.

“Right. Now-”

“Hey, guys! Look at this!” Ditzy was investigating the luxurious throne in the middle of the room. “It looks comfy!”

“Ditzy, we don’t have time for this,” Time Turner rolled his eyes. That didn’t stop the mare from sitting down, and accidentally cracking the seat. Under her weight, the chair completely caved in.

“Oops,” she blushed. “I just don’t know what went wrong!”

“Ditzy,” Time Turner groaned, following everypony else as they moved to assist the clumsy pegasus.

“Sorry,” she grinned through the embarrassment as Shining Armor hoisted her back to her hooves.

“Goodness! Everypony, look at this!” Cascade gasped, peering into the rubble Ditzy had created. There used to be a cushion on top, but Ditzy had cracked the flimsy support underneath to reveal a secret compartment below.

“The orbs!” Spectrum greedily snatched one.

“This is where he’s been keeping them!” High Tide exclaimed, examining another one.

“And you wanted to take us into the catacombs,” Shining Armor narrowed his eyes, his tone of voice somewhere between taunting and accusatory as he picked up the last orb.

“I didn’t know!” Chrysalis indignantly defended.

“Look, we’ve got them now, so let’s just get our family back,” Charcoal picked up the last orb and started undoing it himself. Spectrum passed his on to Fink, and High Tide reluctantly surrendered hers to Chrysalis. Shining Armor kept ahold of his, and watched the others to figure out how to release his prisoners. He gingerly lifted the braid off, and watched as Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance materialized on the floor beyond.

“Cadance,” Shining Armor gulped, moving to his wife’s side. He stroked her hair before remembering that she was not free yet, and continued to try and grapple with the gem. Once he had finally pried it out, the sand and manticore venom leaked out from the husk. He tossed the leftover bark and gem aside, where Time Turner retrieved it and tried his hoof at assembling a timberwolf. It was a feisty, playful little fellow, which Time Turner and Winter had a blast with.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor brushed the mess of damp sand away from his wife, cradling her in his arms as he waited for any sort of reaction. Only when she began breathing again did he try to wake her.

“Cadance?” he whispered with damp eyes. “Cadance!”

“Hmm?” The princess sleepily opened her eyes. “Shining Armor?” That was all it took for the stallion to break down. Holding her tightly, he rocked them both, babbling about how happy he was to see her. It was all Cadance could do to hug him back and allow him to run his course.

At the same time, Chrysalis was deconstructing the orb containing Essence. As she waited for the destral to wake up, she took great care to shake all the sand out of Jasper’s bark before replacing his gem. Immediately, the timberwolf had Chrysalis pinned, though it took another moment for Essence to wake up. She groggily looked around, only partially registering what was going on around her. “Chrysalis?” she squinted.

Shift’s orb contained Blaze, Spike, and a few of the changelings that had been caught in the crossfire. The changelings wee all quite disoriented and dizzy when they woke up, and Spike eventually peeked open one eye, but Blaze let out a thunderous snore. Garble leapt on top of him, violently shaking his brother to rouse him.

“Blaze! Get up!”

“Five more minutes,” the younger sibling groaned, rolling over. Garble cracked up.

“Okay,” he consented, a tear of relief escaping his eye as he curled up beside his brother. As Spike stretched, though, he outstretched a wing. “Good to have you back, too.”

“Huh?” Spike, too, was barely aware of what was going on.

Charcoal’s hooves were shaky as he removed the bogg sprite braid. After all the time, the effort, and the sacrifice he had put into this journey, his quest was finally over. The braid fell to the floor, and thirteen ponies, plus a draconequus, appeared in the corner.

“Mom! Dad!” Spectrum zoomed up between Rainbow Dash and Soarin’, pulling them close enough so he could wrap a hoof around each parent. Charcoal could hear his teeth chattering against the crystal as he tried to pull it out. There was his gray-coated mother, his chocolate-colored father, both lying on the floor together not ten feet away. He’d longed to see them for so long! But he wouldn’t really get them back unless he could remove this blasted gem! Charcoal finally yanked the stone free, and forgetting to reassemble the timberwolf, sprinted to his own parents.

“Wake up! Wake up!” he pleaded, shaking first his father and then his mother. Torchwood was the first to respond to the violent stimulus.

“Char?” He was promptly tackled by his son, and nearly suffocated from Charcoal’s death grip.

“Charcoal?” Acrylic also looked around, unsteadily making her way to her hooves.

“Mom!” Acrylic was just finding her balance when Charcoal also knocked her off her hooves.

“Charcoal! What are you doing here?” Acrylic squeezed him tightly, and nestled her head on Torchwood’s shoulder when she felt him scoop both of them up.

“Spectrum!” Soarin’ exclaimed, greeting his son. Rainbow Dash also hugged him before her eyes snapped open.

“Where’s your sister?” Dash burst, easily recovering from their imprisonment and searching the whole throne room for her daughter.

“She’s safe,” Spectrum called after her. “Charcoal took us all to the Dragon Craters- they’re still there, safe with the dragonesses.

“Dragon Craters?” Torchwood exclaimed.

“Hi!” Garble grinned, swinging around to nuzzle his pony side of the family.

“Garble!” Acrylic hugged his muzzle, the only thing she could reach. “What are you doing here?!”

“It’s a long story,” Charcoal grinned.

“Your cutie mark!” Acrylic cried, noticing the mark on her son’s flank. He just grinned wider, also looking back at it.

“Yeah.”

“I’m so happy for you,” she wept, joyously crying into his shoulder.

“You’ve done us proud, champ,” his father beamed, failing not to get emotional as well.

“Char!” The next thing he knew, Charcoal was being pinned to the ground by Pinkie. “Spectrum! Shining Armor! Trixie! Gilda!” She zoomed around the room giving everypony a huge hug of greeting. Then, she sucked in a tankful of air.

“Twilight, look! New ponies! AND THEY’RE HIPPOCAMPI!”

“Current!” Acrylic gasped, noticing the group of merponies waiting in the corner.

“Guys!” Kelpie bounded forth to give the Wood family a big hug.

“You know them?” Twilight gasped, allowing Flash to help her up.

“Surprise!” Acrylic nervously chuckled.

“And hippogryphs!” Pinkie went on, proceeding to shake the hooves of the three mountain dwellers.

“Hiya,” River cheerfully greeted.

“YAH! Changelings!” Discord jumped up.

“It’s okay. These guys are cool,” Spike finally shook himself awake. Blaze was also bright-eyed and bushy-tailed by now.

“After a week of getting to know each other, we decided they weren’t so bad,” the orange dragon agreed.

“Guys, meet Morph, Mutant, Tweak, Transmute, and Dragon Fly.”

“Dragon Fly?” Torch raised an eyebrow. Blaze just shrugged with a sheepish grin.

“Don’t ask.”

“These guys are with us, too,” Charcoal gestured to his own changeling friends. “Mom, Dad, this is Shift and that’s Fink. They helped us find you.” Both changelings respectfully nodded upon being addressed.

“What’s going on? Could somepony please explain?” Cadance politely requested, trying to look around Shining Armor for anyone with answers.

“I, too, would very much appreciate an explaination,” Celestia voiced.

“As would I,” Luna shied away from one of the many timberwolves who were now investigating the new arrivals.

“Kindling is still on the loose. Shouldn’t we find him first?” Glitter wondered. There was no need- a group of changelings soon entered, dragging the destral behind them.

“KINDLING!” Chrysalis furiously screamed, flinging Jasper off of her as she marched up to the destral. He silently met her gaze. “You miserable, double-crossing CHEAT!” she yelled, digging her hoof into the marble floor.

“Ooh, this ought to be amusing,” Discord commented, reclining on a recently-summoned couch with a bag of popcorn.

“What’s she doing?” Cadance whispered.

“After Kindling betrayed her and imprisoned Chrysalis in an orb, Charcoal accidentally freed her, and she promised to help us get you back if we would help catch Kindling,” her husband whispered back.

“She saved us?” Cadance couldn’t believe her ears.

“You tricked me into loving you! For a millenia, I pledged my heart to you! I tirelessly worked to reunite us for a thousand years! And this is the thanks I get?!” Kindling still said nothing. “None of it was real! The whole time, you played me! I slaved for you! Stop staring at me like a mute fool! What have you to say for yourself?” Kindling remained silent, blankly looking at the outraged changeling. She stared right back, not sure how to react.

“Wow. I thought he’d be angrier,” Trender Hoof whispered.

“He is acting peculiar,” Rarity agreed. Chrysalis turned around and shrugged at the others, clueless as to what sort of game he was playing.

“Kindling Pyre,” Essence loudly announced, stepping regally forth. Flanked by her massive timberwolf, she couldn’t have looked more intimidating. The stallion switched his gaze upon the approaching princess, but still didn’t react. Essence was equally confused- she’d expected some sort of reaction, considering their long history together.

“What happened to him?” Caramel wondered.

“Do you think one of his spells could have backfired on him?” Flash inquired.

“I wonder if he tried to clear his memory so we couldn’t pry any information from him,” Twilight theorized.

“Ya mean he brainwashed himself?” Applejack exclaimed. Cheese and Pinkie both cracked up.

“Brainwashed himself! That’s funny!”

“Not too smart,” Cheese agreed.

“I wonder if it’s even Kindling,” Garble frowned.

“Oh my! You mean that might not be the real one?” Fluttershy shivered.

“That’s definitely not the real one!” Charcoal realized, jumping up.

“How do you know?” Twilight inquired.

“His armor! That should be his timberwolf, right?”

“Casper,” Chrysalis confirmed.

“Then where’s the carbuncle gem?” Everyone took a second glance at the destral’s wooden armor, which had no gems of any kind embedded in it. Chrysalis angrily cast a spell on the phony, and in a flash of green fire, he reverted back to the drone it was. “The carbuncle gem would have brought the armor to life, and changelings can’t transform into two separate creatures,” Charcoal reasoned.

“So then where’s the real Kindling Pyre?” Trixie gulped. The group exchanged nervous glances. Their arch enemy was still on the loose.

Chapter 84: Quite a Conundrum

Chapter 84
Quite a Conundrum

“I need my hive mind back,” Chrysalis stomped. “Then I will be able to detect Kindling’s duplicates.”

“Ya gotta be kiddin’ me,” Applejack exclaimed. “Ya led an attack on Equestria, imprisoned all of us, an’ now you’re the one makin’ demands?! Don’t seem to me like that’s how it works.”

“Applejack brings up an excellent point,” Rarity nodded. “Chrysalis is a war criminal- what’s to be done with her?”

“You must be joking,” Chrysalis incredulously glared at the ponies. “I saved you!”

“Seems to me like they were doing just fine without your help,” Caramel gestured to their other rescuers.

“She did order her drones to retreat,” Charcoal put in.

“You’re supporting her?” Torchwood gasped, surprised at his son’s decision. He shrugged.

“She helped.”

“Still, it is a bit late to try and make amends,” Twilight concurred with her friends. “Chrysalis already attacked Canterlot once, and this will be your second attempt to usurp the Princesses’ authority. You kidnapped all of us, took over Equestria, and who knows how much damage your conquest has caused!”

“Not to mention converting thousands of innocent ponies into changelings,” Spectrum wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“WHAT?!” Rainbow burst.

“I say we banish her to the moon!” Pinkie declared. Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

“Again, only those who control the solar bodies can be banished to them.”

“Whatever!”

“How about imprisonment in one of those orb doohickeys?” Winter suggested.

“No!” Charcoal shuddered. “Believe me, you don’t want to know how they’re made.”

“Then what do you suggest we do with her?”

“Let her go,” Char shrugged.

“WHAT?!”

“Charcoal,” Acrylic gently spoke. “You know I’m all about forgiveness, but this is a little different. Some things just aren’t so easily forgiven.”

“But if you don’t let her go, she’ll never find true love!” he protested.

“True love?” Cadance echoed.

“The cure to the conversion spell,” Essence realized.

“If she doesn’t find true love, we’ll never get our friends back! Pound won’t remember me. He won’t ever see his family again. I promised to get them back together,” Char hung his head.

“The Cakes?” Pinkie’s head popped up.

“They were all turned into changelings,” Charcoal remorsefully reported. “I saw it with my own eyes. Grandpa and Aunt Wild Flower, too.”

“Oh, baby,” Acrylic cradled her son, realizing how distressing the experience must have been. The news of her lost sister and father also pierced her heart. Meanwhile, Pinkie’s own eyes flooded with tears.

“The Cakes... gone?” Luckily, Cheese was there to comfort her.

“If Chrysalis finds true love, they can all go back to normal- the spell will be reversed,” Charcoal exclaimed.

“Then we certainly have quite a dilemma,” Celestia commented. “She cannot go unpunished, yet she cannot be imprisoned.”

“You pardoned my wrongdoing, sister,” Luna reminded.

“Yes, but you did not cause so much havoc as she, either,” Celestia justified.

“She’s already volunteered to help fix the mess she and Kindling made,” Charcoal spoke.

“Reversing the damage may not be enough to appease many ponies. She has torn apart many families. They will demand her head,” Essence reminded the group. Chrysalis gulped, not sure she was speaking strictly figuratively or not.

“It’s the only way to get them back!”

“While this may be true, who could ever love a monster like her?” Chrysalis winced.

“No one’ll tolerate ‘er, let alone love ‘er,” Applejack agreed.

“They might if they see that we’ve befriended her.”

“Befriend her?”

“Nope. That’ll never happen,” Rainbow turned up her nose.

“Isn’t that what you said about Discord?” Fluttershy reminded.

“He’s different,” she defended. “And I’m still not entirely on great terms with him.”

“Oh, come on, chum! You know you love me,” the draconequus wildly grinned, appearing beside her. She batted him away.

“I think we can do it,” Fluttershy voiced.

“Sure, we could, it’s just a matter of whether we should,” Flash pointed out.

“Whether we’re aware of it or not, I think it’s safe to bet we all have family who’s been converted,” Glitter piped up. “I’d be willing to give it a try, if it means there’s even a remote chance of getting them back.”

“My sister was converted,” Acrylic choked. She glared at Chrysalis. “For her sake, I’ll try, but even I can’t promise anything.”

Essence considered the idea, and the princesses exchanged glances. They seemed to come to a mutual agreement.

“I will permit you to... reform Chrysalis,” Essence slowly spoke. “So long as she is monitored at all times. I will post a timberwolf guard with her to watch her every move.” Essence nodded to the slender, purple-gemmed one, which indifferently moved to sit by the changeling queen’s side.

“Excellent! Reformation buddies!” Discord teleported beside Chrysalis, slinging an arm around her. She nervously eyed him, and tried to pull away, but his arm turned to rubber and stretched wherever she attempted to escape.

“Mom! You’re supposed to be the Element of Forgiveness! You should be the first one to step up!” Charcoal chided.

“It’s not that easy, Char,” Acrylic sighed. “I can’t just flip a switch and say, ‘okay, all is forgiven.’ It takes time. And honestly, I don’t know if I can ever truly forgive her.” She coldly met Chrysalis’ gaze. The queen evenly stared back. “She tore apart my family, threatened the lives of you and your sister, has probably destroyed Ponyville by now- I don’t even want to see the damage at Art Life!”

“Yeah, you really don’t,” Gilda agreed with a shudder, recalling the ruins she’d visited.

“Not helping,” Charcoal groaned.

“The point is, I don’t think this is something I can forgive.”

“But it’s the only way to save Wild Flower!”

“It’s like a paradox!” Time Turner ecstatically announced. “She can’t forgive Chrysalis because of what she did to her sister, but forgiving her is also the only way to get her back! What a conundrum!”

“Again with your pair of boxes,” Ditzy sighed.

“Even if you won’t forgive her, I will,” Charcoal declared.

“Char?”

“I appreciate the gesture, Charcoal Stormwood,” Chrysalis heaved a depressed sigh. “But your mother is right. What I have done is unforgivable. Equestrians will always despise me for what I have done. The chance of my finding a lover, or even a friend, is incredibly slim. You might as well imprison me,” she helplessly shrugged. “I don’t care, anymore.”

“I thought the same thing, but I forged friendship amongst the ponies,” Shift spoke up.

“The love from our friends saved my life,” Fink added. Chrysalis smiled.

“Shift and Fink. I have heard much about you. You are pioneers, in your own right. You dared to venture away from the hive when no other drones- er, nopony else would. So, may I entrust the charge of reintegrating changelings to the rest of Equestria with you? Should that be what the princesses choose to do with my former subjects, that is,” she hastily added.

“They’re really harmless, once you get to know them,” Charcoal interjected, wrapping a hoof around Shift in emphasis.

“They can’t help what they are,” Glitter agreed. “And a lot of them are former Equestrians. Maybe with some help, they’ll remember who they used to be.”

“They feed on love, sure, but I guess when the feeling is mutual, they don’t drain so much energy,” Hawk nodded. “They’ve been with us the whole time, and except for when we were healing Fink, I didn’t feel a whole lot of energy being drained.

“We will be happy to accept the drones,” Celestia assured, “provided they bear no ill will toward our other citizens.”

“Then... yes, if it is what you wish, we will be happy to help integrate the drones,” Shift and Fink both bowed to their former queen. Chrysalis turned back to the princesses.

“Then do with me what you wish. I am at your mercy.” Acrylic tensed. Those were nearly the exact words she’d used when she had to surrender to the princesses after exposing thestrals. In such a vulnerable, helpless situation, Chrysalis almost reminded her of herself.

No! She’d taken her sister, father and friends and mutilated them all, twisting them all into mindless beasts! Then she glanced at Shift and Fink. They didn’t seem like mindless beasts. Maybe there was hope for her family, after all. If she could just get Wild Flower or Windstorm or anyone to remember her, she didn’t think the species barrier would be such an obstacle anymore. Then again, there was no guarantee they would remember at all. Still, looking at Chrysalis, defeated and broken, was there really any need to cause more suffering? The battle of ‘to forgive or not to forgive’ raged in Acrylic’s head.

Meanwhile, Cadance uneasily shifted, very uncomfortable with the idea of passing any sort of verdict on the changeling queen. After her wedding day, Cadance had absolutely despised the queen, and promised herself that if ever she got the chance, she would make sure that she never again saw the light of day. So many times she had imagined Chrysalis imprisoned in stone, banished to Tartarus, or worse. But now that the queen was here at her hooves, not even pleading for mercy, but rather an appropriate sentence for her crimes, Cadance wasn’t sure how to feel. And seeing how concerned Chrysalis really was for her subjects tore her even more. Perhaps the invasion of Canterlot really was Chrysalis just trying to sustain her drones... that and her desire to rule Equestria. But even that hadn’t been selfish desire. For a thousand years or more, she had tried to rescue the pony she thought to be her true love, only to have him turn around and stab her in the back. If Shining Armor had done that to her... she shuddered. She would be just as broken. Though she didn’t agree with everything the queen had done, she decided Chrysalis wasn’t so bad.

“Cadance,” Charcoal tugged at her wing.

“Yes, Charcoal?”

“You’re the Princess of Love, right? Well, not officially, but that’s what everypony says.”

“Er... yes, I have been called that before,” she confessed, a bit confused as to where this was going.

“Chrysalis only did what she did to pursue love. Surely you can relate to her? See past it all? Something?”

“I’m sorry, Charcoal Stormwood,” Luna dipped her head. “I’m afraid things cannot work out as you wish them to be.”

“But maybe he’s right,” Cadance opened her mouth before she realized what she was doing.

“Honey?!” Shining Armor’s jaw dropped. Everyone in the room stared at Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, including Chrysalis. Cadance gulped. She’d already started, so she might as well finish.

“Well... she was only trying to look out for her subjects,” she pointed out.

“She was trying to unleash a psychopathic destral on Equestria!” Rainbow screeched.

“She was trying to find true love,” Cadance corrected. “Which would have lifted the spell holding not only herself, but her subjects as well. And the attack on Canterlot? She was just trying to keep her drones fed.”

“But Cadance,” Shining Amor sputtered, meeting his wife’s gaze. “After everything she’s done to us... you can’t possibly be serious!”

“I nearly crashed the most important day of your life!” Chrysalis agreed.

“But we were still married in the end, Canterlot was safe, and we even gained some new friends,” Cadance smiled to the thestrals present. “Now it appears as though we’ll be making some more friends,” she gestured to the changelings. “What’s one more?”

“One more EVIL friend!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“I must concur with Pinkie,” Rarity nodded.

“Accepting the drones into Equestria is a security risk enough,” Flash voiced. “We don’t need her running around loose, too.”

“I like the way you think,” Shining Armor nodded. Flash proudly puffed out his chest upon earning the seal of approval from his marefriend’s brother.

“She won’t be running around loose,” Cadance argued. “Princess Essence has assigned her a timberwolf guard.” The changeling’s sentry straightened up upon being addressed. “And she’ll have her friends to watch out for her.”

“What friends?” Shining Armor almost disdainfully snorted.

“Perhaps we should ask the Princess of Friendship,” Cadance looked to Twilight.

“I don’t know, Cadance,” the shorter princess sighed. “Convincing anypony to befriend Chrysalis is a tall order.

“I’ll do it,” Charcoal readily volunteered.

“Oh... what the hay? We’ve followed you this far. We might as well finish it together,” Winter shrugged.

“You too?” Hawk raised an eyebrow.

“What’ve we got to lose?”

“He’s got a point,” Kelpie said.

“Kelpie, I get that you’re interested in land ponies, but maybe not that land pony,” High Tide argued.

“I also thought I found true love, once,” Current interrupted. “He wasn’t the pony for me, either. I can relate to you, Chrysalis.”

“Current, what are you doing? Don’t encourage her!” High Tide pleaded.

“And she kidnapped Jet!” Whirl Pool added.

“Her drones kidnapped Jet, and they have surrendered at her order, now. There is nothing left to fear.”

“I have served the hive my entire life. I respected you as a leader, but, if you would let me, now I would like to know you as a friend,” Shift humbly requested.

“As would I,” Fink concurred.

“No! Stop! I don’t want your love!” Chrysalis clutched at her chest as she felt the trickle of love entering her heart grow to a roar.

“We’re trying to help you,” Glitter gently put in, feeling the changeling begin to absorb her energy.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me? I ruined everything!” Big, tough Chrysalis was actually crying by now.

“I think you’re the one that’s afraid,” Charcoal cocked his head and squinted in thought. “Afraid to let friendship into your heart.”

“Aww, don’t be scared,” Pinkie casually chirped. “Friendship is fun!”

“Friendship is beautiful,” Rarity had to agree as Trender rested his head against hers.

“Friendship is family,” Applejack wrapped a hoof around her husband.

“Friendship is the ultimate prize,” Rainbow held Soarin’s hoof, and squeezed her son.

“Friendship is caring,” Fluttershy nuzzled Discord, who affectionately returned the gesture.

“Friendship is compassion,” Acrylic agreed, lovingly kissing Torchwood.

“Friendship is magic,” Twilight smiled when Flash wrapped a feathered wing around her.

“Friendship is love,” Cadance touched noses with her husband.

The love Chrysalis was draining from each of the ponies suddenly became visible in the form of swirling beams of light. They began encompassing the weeping changeling queen, growing and speeding up until she was completely veiled by a curtain of light. Small portions of the light began breaking off from the main vortex like debris being flung from a tornado, and began clinging to Shift, Fink, and the other present changelings. More and more pieces of light left the room, possibly targeting other changeling drones.

“Mom?” Charcoal nervously backed up into his parents’ embrace. Each parent extended a wing to shield their son, hunkering down themselves. Rainbow and Soarin’ formed a similar canopy for Spectrum, and the other elements huddled together for extra protection. Nopony had any idea what was going on- not even the princesses.

The swirling light lifted all the changelings off the ground, and became more focused and intense by the second. It began to compress at last, encasing the changelings’ bodies in a golden-white glow. Something was happening, but nopony could see well enough to tell exactly what. When the light dissipated, though, it was plain to see what had transpired. Chrysalis had completely transformed.

She was now a crystal destral with a sparkling brown-gray coat and an aqua mane, done up in buns and fixed in place with golden headbands. Her tail was also bound with the shiny braces. She was much shorter than before- about Luna’s or Torchwood’s height, and had retained the green-blue eye shadow and lighter green eyes. Her cutie mark displayed a spiky cluster of blue crystals. She was still crying.

Before the light had completely faded from one of the changelings, he came bounding up to Charcoal. Acrylic still shielded her son from the ecstatic stallion.

“Char! Charcoal, it’s me! Shift!” The light had faded out to reveal another crystal destral, this one a medium-blue coated stallion. His mane was a little lighter than his coat, fashioned a bit spiky but short and neatly kept with the front half brushed to the side. He appeared a little older than Charcoal, maybe closer to Glitter’s age, but was still a blank-flank.

“Shift?” Charcoal poked through his parents’ wings to investigate. The destral eagerly nodded. “Shift!” Charcoal burst through and hugged him.

“Another destral?!” Flash’s jaw dropped. No one had considered the possibility of the destral race being preserved in the form of changelings all these years.

“And more on the way!” Cheese pointed to Blaze and Spike’s friends. Two had transformed into destrals, two into thestrals, and one into an earth pony, though none of these were made of crystal.

“Whoa! Who’s who?” Spike scratched his head.

“I’m Morph,” a magenta destral piped.

“Mutant here,” a lime-green thestral contributed.

“Tweak,” a red-orange thestral called.

“Transmute,” the last destral said, a much richer rainforest green than Mutant.

“And I’m Dragon Fly,” the earth pony raised his hoof.

“What?! We named the only one of you without dragon wings ‘Dragon Fly’?” Blaze face-clawed. Garble roared with laughter.

“Fink?” Charcoal glanced over to the last thestral in the room, trying to find his balance on brand-new legs. He had a yellow-orange coat with fluffy green hair, the bangs of which were long and nearly dragged into his equally green eyes. His tail, on the other hoof, was just a little pom-pom of a stub. He didn’t have a cutie mark either.

“I’m here,” Fink confirmed, wobbling as his heavy new wings unbalanced him. Shift laughed and had to physically fold his wings back in for him before he could stand up straight again.

“What just happened?” Gilda shook her head in confusion.

“Chrysalis let friendship into her heart,” Trixie tearfully smiled, hugging Glitter closer as she remembered the first time she’d had to do the same.

“She found true love,” Cadance agreed. The former queen was still sobbing far too violently to acknowledge the remarks, if she’d even heard them.

“Smoky Topaz,” Essence couldn’t help but smile as she got to see her old friend as she used to be. The mare finally looked up with a startled gasp upon being addressed by her original name. Charcoal crookedly grinned back at her.

“It’s okay, Chrys- er, Smoky! The transformation worked! You’re back!”

“But I don’t deserve to be,” she bawled. “I’ve hurt so many ponies... I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!” her miserable cries filled the whole castle, wrenching the hearts of those present. The pitiful scene unfolding before her finally caused Acrylic to break down, against her better judgment.

“Hey, shh, shh,” she crooned, stroking the distressed mare’s mane. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“But it isn’t! It isn’t! What am I supposed to do now?” she sobbed uncontrollably, violently trembling.

“I would be honored to have you back in the castle, old friend,” Essence spoke, kneeling down to the floor with her.

“But how could you?” Topaz’s watery eyes met the Princesses’. “After everything I have done? How could any of you forgive me?”

“Well... I suppose ya seem genuine enough,” Applejack shrugged.

“You’ve turned yourself around now, and that’s what counts,” Trixie nodded.

“And the physical transformation will be sure to remind the rest of Equestria that she’s changed,” Twilight diplomatically reasoned.

“And for me? Well, it’s just part of the job description,” Acrylic joked. She was worried Smoky might take it the wrong way, but luckily, the mare began laughing.

“Smoky Topaz,” Essence smiled in the most motherly way she could. “Will you come back to the castle with me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she dodged the question and resumed crying, though this time it was more likely out of relief. Though it was probably completely out of line, Topaz buried her head in Essence’s mane, weeping. Essence reassuringly wrapped the mare in her wings.

“I know. And you are forgiven,” she assured.

“Aww,” Pinkie leaned against Cheese to watch the happy reunion.

“NO!” The ponies were interrupted when a thunderous crash rocked the throneroom. A device was hurled in the middle of the disoriented ponies, spraying a fine mist. The ponies, dragons and gryphon alike all coughed on the fumes.

“Uh, guys? We have a problem. I can’t move!” Gilda called, stuck in place. She did not appear to be restrained in any way, but she still couldn’t budge where she stood.

“I can’t either!” Jet gasped.

“Eep!” Fluttershy would have curled into a ball if she wasn’t frozen.

“What is going on?” Luna demanded. Discord audibly sniffed the air.

“Manticore venom!” he exclaimed, eyes widening.

“We’re paralyzed!” Charcoal realized, beginning to panic.

“Everypony calm down,” Smoky’s voice penetrated the air. “The effects are temporary.”

“But the damage I will inflict is not,” a voice snarled. The glow of a magical shield penetrated the foggy mist. Protected from the fumes outside the barrier was the real Kindling Pyre, eyes crazed and angry. The timberwolves were the only ones unaffected by the mist, and sprinted for him. With one powerful blast of his horn, however, the timberwolves were smashed against the walls.

“Kindling!” Essence gasped. “Stop this right now, Kindling. This doesn’t have to go any further.”

“DOESN’T IT?!” he spat. “FOR A THOUSAND YEARS I HAVE SOUGHT YOUR THRONE, AND I HAD IT! UNTIL THAT MEDDLING BRAT RUINED MY PLANS!” he jabbed a hoof at Charcoal.

“You leave my son OUT OF IT!” Acrylic screamed, straining against the effects of the paralysis but to no avail.

“You’re the one I need to dispose of,” Kindling glared at Charcoal, who was hyperventilating at this point, only breathing in more of the tainted air. Speaking of which, Kindling looked around at the foggy room outside his protective bubble, and realized that he wouldn’t be able to deal with the colt there. His horn began charging for a teleport.

“NO!” Torchwood cried, fighting the paralysis for all he was worth. A tiny form darted through the dim room, running for all it was worth. The loyal timberwolf pup had escaped Kindling’s wrath, and darted to protect its master. It barely reached him before Kindling’s teleport whisked them all away.

“CHARCOAL!” Acrylic desperately cried.

“What do we do?” Rainbow frantically asked.

“There’s nothing we can do,” Smoky Topaz miserably sniffed. Now an innocent colt, her friend, no less, had been condemned to death at Kindling’s hoof, and it was all her fault.
‘Just add it to the list.’

Chapter 85: Paralysis

Chapter 85
Paralysis

Charcoal’s heart pounded in fear as they rematerialized, banging against his ribcage like a sledgehammer. He looked around, and instantly recognized the tower he had originally been imprisoned in.

“Now you’re mine,” Kindling let the glow of his shield fade away, and menacingly started forward. Charcoal didn’t even have the sense to plead for him to stop. From behind him, Charcoal watched as the small timberwolf pup leapt to his rescue, barking defiantly at the destral. Kindling hysterically laughed.

“This is your rescue?” he cackled, charging up his horn for a powerful and destructive blast.

“Little guy!” Charcoal cried. The timberwolf made a hasty retreat, breaking down into armor just Charcoal’s size. No sooner had it reassembled itself than Kindling fired. The effect left Kindling and Charcoal both gasping for breath.

The blast had absolutely drained Kindling, even though he hadn’t intended to put so much power into the charge. He was doing well just to remain standing, let alone fire again.

As for Charcoal, the blast had not physically harmed him, but rather, supercharged him. He felt a surreal amount of energy flowing through him, with nowhere for it to go. The carbuncle gem encrusted in his chest plate was also glowing. No, wait. It wasn’t purple, so where was that violet light coming from?

The siren pendant. He was still wearing it! The red jewel underneath the chest plate was actually the source of the light, and upon running through the blue filter of the carbuncle gem, the light turned purple. Topaz had said that the gems absorbed negative energy. A blast that powerful from the destral was surely comprised of negative vibes! And it didn’t stop there- the necklace was still feeding on the antagonistic passion radiating from Kindling.

“No... stop,” Charcoal grasped, trying to dig the pendant out. “Too much... energy!” He felt like he was about to explode. This time, the carbuncle gem really did glow. White light filled Charcoal’s head, and everything was blurry when he opened his eyes again. Not much time could have passed, because Kindling was still standing across from him.

“No!” he gasped. “How?”

“Huh?” Charcoal woozily looked around for the source of the destral’s confusion, but Kindling’s gaze remained locked on him.

“Why... you little... always getting in my way!” Despite the energy drain he was still experiencing, Kindling dragged himself forward and raised a hoof to strike Charcoal. Still paralyzed, the colt could only shut his eyes and prepare for the impact... which never came. Charcoal did make out a loud thud, however.

He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Kindling’s limp form slumped on the ground beside him. Looking up, he immediately recognized his rescuer.

“POUND!” The pegasus was still clutching the heavy lamp he’d used to knock out the weakened destral.

“Hey, Char,” Pound Cake cautiously returned Charcoal’s wild grin.

“You’re okay! Oh, you have no idea how good it is to see you again. I mean the real you!”

“Yeah,” Pound scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “I... uh... I remember everything that happened while I was a changeling. What I did. So... sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what you were doing!”

“Still feels weird, though,” he mused, trying to hoist Charcoal to his hooves but finding him limp as a rag doll. “Good grief! What happened to you?”

“Kindling bombed us with manticore venom. I can’t move,” Charcoal apologized.

“Well, the horn’s an improvement, though,” Pound hoisted Charcoal up onto his back instead.

“Horn?”

“You don’t know?”

“Don’t know what?”

“Gee, we need to find you a mirror,” Pound glanced around the room, and eyed a partially-hidden one concealed in the far corner. “There we go.”

“Pound, what are you-” Charcoal didn’t finish the statement when Pound yanked away the drape covering the mirror. There was a horn sticking out of his forehead. Like, a destral horn!

“Is that why my head itches so much?” he quietly squeaked. Pound Cake burst out laughing.

“You just realized you became a destral, and all you can say is that the horn is itchy?!” he chortled.

“What am I supposed to say? I HAVE A HORN!”

“Yeah, how sick is that?”

“Only sick as in the bad, twisted way! The siren pendant must have somehow converted his negative energy into a magical horn! Does that make me evil, too?”

“I won’t pretend to understand a word of what you just said,” Pound shook his head. “But I do know that you are many things, ‘evil’ not being one of them. Not even close.”

“How do you know?”

“I have faith in you,” Pound reached back to pat his shoulder. “Now, let’s get you back downstairs. I guess your folks must be worried.”

“Wait! Grab that book while you’re at it,” Charcoal requested. “Everypony’s been paralyzed with the venom. That book contains all of Kindling’s notes- there may be an antidote inside.”

“Hey, good thinking, slick,” Pound eased Charcoal down from his back and began leafing through the book. “Hmm... I don’t guess this thing has a table of contents?”

“It’ll probably be near the front,” Charcoal advised. “Manticore venom seemed to be one of the first things Kindling started experimenting with. Any notes he took on it would have been written down before any of the recipes using it.”

“Sounds reasonable. Say, you seem awfully familiar with this book,” Pound tried to sound suspicious, though Charcoal knew he was only teasing.

“Yeah... I was whipping up a little something before my cutie mark appeared,” he shot back.

“Wait, WHAT?! How did I miss that?” Pound abandoned the book and rolled Charcoal over to get a good look at the print. “You weren’t joking! Congrats, Char! It’s about time!”

“Thanks. Now get me up,” Charcoal grouchily demanded. Pound noticed what an uncomfortable position he had accidentally knocked his friend into, face and newly-acquired horn both implanted into the ground.

“Whoops,” Pound couldn’t hide his laughter, but pulled him upright again anyway.

“What does the book say?” Pound picked it up again and rifled through the first few pages.

“Here! ‘Manticore venom. Comes from manticore’s scorpion tail. Causes paralysis in victims by means of neurotoxin.’”

“Does it say anything about an antidote?”

“It says that it’ll wear off naturally in about three hours, but the process will run its course faster if a pony’s metabolism speeds up.”

“And how do we do that?”

“Beats me. That’s all the book says,” Pound shrugged.

“Maybe one of the princesses will know a spell?” Charcoal hoped. “We better get down and tell them, anyway.”

“Right-O. Away we go! Hey! That rhymed!”

“Shut up,” Charcoal groaned, trying to cling to Pound’s back as best he could.

“Fine, Mr. Sourpuss. At least tell me which way we’re going.”

“You might want to start by heading out the door.”

“Right.”

“We have to find him!” Acrylic cried, still straining against the paralysis.

“Acrylic?” Torchwood interrupted.

“We have to save him!” Acrylic thought she felt herself move an inch.

“Acrylic?”

“We have to get out of here!”

“ACRYLIC!”

“What?”

“Calm down,” her husband ordered. “We won’t get anywhere like that.”

“How long is this paralysis supposed to last? I think my wing is cramping up.” Hawk complained.

“My son’s life is on the line, and you want to complain about your wing?!” Acrylic incredulously burst.

“If he is still alive, we will do everything in our power to save your son, believe me,” Celestia vowed.

“Topaz. You are the most familiar with Kindling’s devices. Can you think of any way we could get out of this?”

“I don’t know!” she desperately wailed. “The effect of manticore venom can last for hours! The only way to get out of this is to let it run its course.”

“Well, make it run its course faster,” Discord grouchily ordered. Smoky paused.

“Run its course faster? Faster, of course!” she exclaimed.

“What is it?” Ditzy curiously inquired.

“If we can speed up our metabolisms enough to process all the manticore venom, the paralysis will wear off.”

“Great! How do we do that?” Soarin’ asked.

“I may be able to devise a spell,” Topaz thought. “But the last time I tried casting one, I ended up as a love-hungry changeling.”

“This time won’t be like that,” Acrylic promised. “Just try! In fact, I’ll be your guinea pig.”

“Acrylic, no!” Torchwood gasped.

“Our son is out there,” she snapped. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to him!”

“Nor could I. So I’m going,” he declared.

“You can’t be serious!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Let her go, Twi,” Applejack agreed. “I know I’d do anythin’ for my little Candy Apple.”

“Or me for Petti,” Rarity concurred.

“Your resolve is noble, but I caused this mess, and I will fix it,” Topaz declared, charging her horn. Luckily, the paralysis hadn’t affected her magic, too. Everypony held their breath until Topaz’s muscles began to relax, and she wobbled to catch her balance.

“Great! Now the rest of us!” Time Turner called.

“No time,” Topaz shook her head. “Kindling will have taken them to the tower. Charcoal could already be dead.”

“Topaz!” the destral was already charging off for the tower, leaving everypony else stranded.

“Did she really just abandon ship?” Rainbow disbelievingly blinked.

“I just hope she gets there in time,” Acrylic bit her lip, praying for Charcoal’s safety.

“Charcoal? Kindling?” Topaz panted, calling up the tower stairwell. Hearing no response, she started bolting up the flight of stairs, only to run right into Pound Cake and his passenger.

“Whoa!” Pound reared up to avoid collision, causing Charcoal to slide off.

“Ow!” he complained, hitting his head and incredibly sensitive horn on the stairs.

“Oops. Sorry. Hey, what’s the big idea, anyway?” Pound Cake indignantly lifted Charcoal back up.

“Charcoal?!” Topaz wheezed, not daring to believe the sight that met her eyes. Not only was the colt safe, but he had been transformed into a destral!

“Smoky!” he grinned back. “So you figured out the metabolism thing, then?”

“Y-yes,” she stammered, still confused. “Where’s Kindling Pyre?”

“Knocked out upstairs,” Charcoal looked up, the only way he could gesture at the moment.

“I gave him a piece of my mind,” Pound assured.

“Where’s everypony else?” Charcoal failed to peer around the crystal pony.

“I left them in the ballroom,” she dizzily shook her head. “We thought you were in danger. What happened to you?” She gently levitated Charcoal off Pound’s back to cast the metabolism spell.

“Isn’t that the million bit question?” Pound shrugged.

“I don’t know exactly what happened up there, but I think that in a way, you saved my life. Hey! Thanks!” Charcoal wiggled his hooves as he felt the life return to them.

“Me?” Smoky Topaz’s eyes widened.

“Hey! I’m the one that clocked the guy,” Pound indignantly reminded.

“Yeah, and I already said thanks for that.”

“Actually, no, you didn’t.”

“No? Well then, thanks a ton.”

“No prob,” Pound smugly grinned.

“I’m sorry, I’m still confused as to what role I played in this.”

“Your siren pendant absorbed the blast he nearly hit me with. I think all the power was translated into a horn.”

“A siren pendant cannot just grow you a horn!”

“There was so much energy flowing through me, I thought for sure I’d burst,” Char continued. “Then the carbuncle gem in the armor started to glow...”

“Carbuncle gem? Now, that would explain things.”

“Why?”

“Carbuncle gems have a way of making things work in harmony, whether it be ponies working in peace or orb ingredients fitting together like clockwork. The pendant was feeding you too much energy, so the carbuncle gem must have been what created your horn. The energy had to go somewhere, after all.”

“Hey, this is kind of starting to make sense!” Pound exclaimed.

“So it was all just an accident? Aw. I was sort of hoping it was part of a greater purpose like ‘fulfilling my destiny’ or some junk like that. You know, like what happened to Aunt Twilight. Accidently gaining awesome power just doesn’t sound as cool.” Topaz laughed.

“You may just find it to be part of your destiny yet, young one,” she lightly brushed a wing over him, which prompted a full-on embrace on Charcoal’s part. She stumbled back, not sure how to take the reaction.

“Smoky?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Not staying a power-hungry changeling. And helping me find my family. And basically everything that happened after I found your orb.” She smiled.

“It should be me thanking you. You offered me a second chance, Charcoal Stormwood.”

“Guess the feeling’s mutual, then. Now, you think we can go free my parents... again?”

“Lead the way.”

Chapter 87: Radiance

Chapter 87
Radiance

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Charcoal urged.

“This isn’t so bad,” Shift commented, looking around at all the trees. It was still dark out, and only the occasional star peeked through the thick Everfree canopy. Charcoal had led out his small party in the direction he believed the cockatrice had fled to. Fluttershy had been asked to accompany him in case the cockatrice did not wish to help, or worse, turned on them. In which case, she would use ‘the Stare’ to try and persuade it. Shift and Fink wished to come out of sheer curiosity- they had never investigated the Everfree for the sheer pleasure of it.

Acrylic and Torchwood dearly wanted to accompany their son, but Celestia pointed out that the whole group of thirty eight ponies, plus three dragons, a draconequus, and a gryphon could not journey out into the Everfree over one cockatrice. She reasoned that it would be more beneficial for the representatives, the rest of the Elements and all the Princesses to cordially welcome and thank the hippocampus king instead. Torchwood, who did not represent an Element, however, talked his way into accompanying the Everfree expedition. Meanwhile, Blaze, Spike and Garble got caught up and introduced their changeling pals. Discord remained with Radiance for moral support, while Topaz had more tests she wanted to run on the petrified mare in case the cockatrice effort failed. Fluttershy was reluctant to leave her new sandfish friends behind, but decided they would also be safer in the palace.

“It’s actually quite nice,” Fink agreed, stepping over a fern.

“Yeah... nice. If you think dark and scary is nice!” Torchwood had to carry the frightened Fluttershy.

“Aw, Aunt Flutters, there’s nothing to be scared of!”

“Since Essence returned to the Everfree, the creatures within have remained peaceful,” Torchwood reminded.

“But then the changelings came and upset the balance again!”

“What changelings? There are no more,” Shift joyously sang.

“I’m not taking any chances!” she gripped Torchwood’s neck tighter, almost unbalancing him.

“Hey, Fluttershy,” Charcoal slyly smiled. “You know, when all the animals ran off, there was a baby manticore with them. We might come across it again, too.” Fluttershy’s whole demeanor perked up.

“A baby manticore? Oh dear, a baby shouldn’t be out on its own!”

“Well, let’s go find it and you can reunite it with its mother.”

“Oh, baby manticore?” she cried, hopping off Torchwood and running ahead into the brush. “Where are you?”

“Nice work, champ,” Torchwood chuckled, rubbing the spot where she’d squeezed his neck. “I was beginning to run out of air.” Charcoal good-naturedly bumped into his father.

“No problem, Dad.”

“How much farther?” Shift wondered.

“As far as the cockatrice traveled,” Fink shot back.

“Wouldn’t it be faster if we flew?” Shift had been anxious to try out his new wings.

“The tree canopy is too thick. We wouldn’t be able to see anything,” Torch assessed.

“We can’t see anything down here, either,” Shift pouted.

“You’re a destral! Use your fire!”

“Oh, yeah!” Shift struggled with this new ability for a bit before Charcoal and Torchwood stepped in, each providing their own tongue of flame to light the way.

“Everypony! Over here!” Fluttershy called.

“You found the cockatrice?” the rest of the stallions hurried after her.

“No, the manticore,” she corrected, nuzzling the cub nestled in her arms.

“We’re supposed to be looking for the cockatrice,” Charcoal face-hoofed. As if on cue, a loud rustling in the bushes.

“Char?” I think we’ve found it,” Torchwood nodded to a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness.

“Uh... hey there, little guy. Remember me?” Charcoal gulped. The cockatrice warbled in response, though it didn’t sound very happy.

“Little fella, we were wondering if you’d come help our friend,” Shift tried to grin, though his terror was obvious. The cockatrice clucked in response.

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t have anything to do with Kindling,” Charcoal inserted, recalling how terrified the animals had been of the mere mention of the destral’s name.

“Kindling has already been dealt with. He is powerless, now,” Fink agreed. At this, the cockatrice finally hopped out of the bushes, still nervously eyeing the ponies, but refraining from using its petrification abilities. Knowing that the cockatrice could easily change its mind at any moment, the stallions all slowly backed away. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, smiled at the creature.

“So, little friend, will you come back to the castle with us?” It clucked twice. She turned back to the stallions. “He’s in.”

“Are you sure this will work?” Discord nervously twiddled his thumbs.

“The cockatrice says that any cockatrice can reverse petrification,” Fluttershy assured.

“Well, if you say so, Fluttershy, I’ll believe you.” It was obvious that the draconequus was still nervous, though. He fidgeted while Topaz and Charcoal conversed, coaching the cockatrice and attending to the final preparations. Next, he used his claws to slick back his mane and comb out his beard. “How do I look?” Fluttershy smiled.

“Just like you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” He still squirmed anxiously on his haunches in anticipation.

“Would you like to hold my hoof?” she offered. He gratefully looked down at her.

“Yes.”

“Okay, Smoky says we’re ready,” Charcoal bounded back to the waiting audience. All the collected Everfree creatures (excepting the cockatrice) huddled close to Fluttershy in anticipation. Shift, Fink, and Torchwood watched from a safe distance, and Topaz remained on the sidelines. Charcoal joined her to witness the reversal. With the cockatrice positioned directly before Radiance, they were ready to begin.

Discord squeezed Fluttershy’s hoof, heart pounding. It had been so long since he had last seen his love. This just had to work! He needed to see her as she used to be. He needed to feel her touch, to hear her sweet, sweet voice. If he didn’t get her back...

The cockatrice began the reversal. Dull gray stone gave way to a blindingly white, pristine coat. Her mane was even brighter, proving to be a purely luminous mass of white energy, tinged with gold on the outside. Her cutie mark was a little more bearable to look at, but still consisted of blazing oranges and sunny yellows. It was no wonder where she got her name from. Even once she appeared to be fully restored, it took a few more seconds for her to regain movement. Then, all she could do was collapse into Discord’s open arms. Smoky Topaz rushed forward with a blanket between her teeth.

“Keep this over her eyes,” she directed, draping it across the mare’s head. “Radiance has been blind for centuries. Overwhelming her with too much light or sound all at once may come as a shock.” Discord just nodded, and ducked under it with her.

“Better not show her to a mirror, then,” Shift quietly jibed, pointing to her illuminated mane. Both he and Fink got a chuckle out of that.

“Radiance?” Discord stroked the alicorn’s cheek. It took a moment for her golden-orange eyes to flutter open, and even then she barely made out the form in front of her.

“Discord?” she quietly wheezed. “Is that you?”

“Yes! Yes! It’s me,” he cradled her.

“Shh! Too much noise!” Smoky scolded.

“Who is that? Where am I? What happened?” She struggled to sit up and brush the blanket away.

“Shh, be still,” Discord commanded, propping her up more comfortably in his arms. “You’re safe, and surrounded by friends. Radiance, do you remember anything of what happened to you?” Radiance fell silent as she sifted through her memories.

“I was in the woods, heading home to meet you- you had said that you wanted to speak that evening. I ran across a strange destral on the way; he wanted me to go with him. He struck me as suspicious, so I refused and fearing that the revolutionaries had sent him, left to warn Tia and Luna. I remember a rustling in the trees, and running, but nothing else.”

“So you don’t remember what happened from there to now?” Discord heaved a sigh of relief. He knew from experience how agonizing an eternity in stone was, but being aware of what went on around you was even worse. At least she had been spared the pain. “Thank Celestia,” he buried his head in her mane. Again, Radiance tried to get up.

“Tia! Luna! Are they alright? Where are they?”

“They’re fine. They’re in a meeting,” he chuckled.

“A meeting? With whom? They aren’t supposed to have any outside contact until I am notified!” She finally managed to kick off the sheet, and blinked against the harsh light. Discord stretched his bat wing over her like a parasol. She attempted to register the strange faces around her, place her surroundings or make sense of anything that had transpired.

“Easy, now,” Topaz commanded.

“Who are you?” Radiance pressed close to Discord, the one constant she recognized.

“My name is Smoky Topaz,” the crystal pony bowed in greeting. “And this is Prince Charcoal Stormwood.”

“Hi,” Charcoal offered a goofy grin and tried to mimic Smoky’s bow. He still wasn’t used to being addressed as a prince.

“You are in the Everfree Palace,” she informed.

“The Everfree? But I was in the Frozen North. How did I get here?”

“You said that you remember speaking to a destral? Tell me, did he have an orange coat and red eyes?”

“And the cutie mark of a yellow flame engulfing two red gems that looked like eyes,” Radiance nodded. “You know him?”

“His name is Kindling Pyre. I believe he was there to abduct you that night, though for what purpose I am unsure. The rustling you remember was most likely his cockatrice- you were entrapped in stone for many years, Radiance.”

“A cockatrice attacked me?” she gasped. “How long was I petrified?”

“Over a thousand years, love.”

“A thousand years?! Then Tia and Luna... how is it that they are still alive? How are you still alive?”

“I was also imprisoned in stone, by Celestia and Luna with the Elements of Harmony. I... went through a bit of a dark phase after you disappeared. But then I found new friends, like Fluttershy here.” The pegasus nodded politely as she was addressed, and did her best to hide her jealousy by stroking the cockatrice.

“Elements of Harmony? I don’t understand,” she helplessly shook her head.

“It might be easier just for me to share my memories with you,” Discord offered. “But when you’re feeling stronger. That sort of magic can be a bit... disturbing.”

“No, I’m ready now,” she insisted. “I must learn what’s going on.” Discord looked to Topaz.

“Is it safe?” She shrugged.

“If she is feeling up to it, I don’t see how it could cause any harm.”

“Alright, then.” He held her head in his hands, and gently touched his forehead to hers. Her pupils constricted as loads of information was suddenly uploaded to her mind all at once. Discord did do her the courtesy, however, of filtering out the dark days of his imprisonment and finding the most relevant information.

“I... see...” she stumbled back, right into Charcoal, who caught her. She gazed upon him in a new light. “You are the son of the Seventh Element of Forgiveness.” It was more a statement than a question.

“Yep. And on the other side of the family, I’ve got the best fire dancer in Equestria.” Radiance sought out his father’s form.

“Which would be Torchwood,” she nodded to the thestral.

“It’s a pleasure, my lady,” he bowed as Topaz had, assuming it was custom from the time period they remembered.

“Fluttershy, you are the Element of Kindness.”

“That’s me.” Fluttershy’s heart skipped a beat when Radiance’s gaze flicked from her to Discord and back again. From Discord’s memories, Radiance had managed to deduct that the pegasus mare had feelings for her draconequus, even if Discord himself could not see it. Her expression remained impassive as she moved on to the others in the room.

“Fink and Shift? You were once changelings.”

“No more,” Fink agreed with a dip of his head.

“And you were once Chrysalis, queen of the changelings.”

“It was not one of my prouder moments,” Topaz regretfully admitted.

“And Princess Essence returned to power in the Everfree from imprisonment in one of Kindling’s orb devices; the same technology the two of you used to kidnap the Elements and Princesses.” Topaz’s ears flattened in shame.

“Yes.”

“I do not mean to offend- I merely want to understand what has transpired. That means that Celestia and Luna are safe now?”

“They’re greeting King Trident,” Charcoal put in.

“The hippocampus king, who has also recently returned to Equestria.”

“Right.” Radiance nodded.

“Then Celestia and Luna have both grown up.” She weakly smiled. “My only regret is that I did not get to be there to watch them blossom into the Princesses they are today.”

“Radiance?” Trident obviously had not kept this meeting as long as the first negotiations, for the whole party now returned to the throne room. Since Celestia and Luna were in the lead, they were the first to lay eyes on their old foal sitter. The glowing alicorn pivoted to face them, and her breath caught in her throat. Celestia and Luna had always been like sisters to her, now here they were.

“Tia? Luna?” She stumbled forward to meet them, her ragged walk soon increasing to a trot and then to a gallop. The princesses were also getting emotional as they met her halfway. “You grew up without me,” Radiance sadly giggled. “How could you?”

“We searched so long for you,” Celestia sniffed.

“We thought you were lost forever,” Luna embraced her tightly.

“I never meant to leave you. Believe me, I would have come back if I could, but I only just realized that I had been missing.”

“It is good to see you again, Radiance.”

“The same to your highnesses,” she knelt before them with tear-filled eyes. The royal sisters both returned the gesture.

“Aww,” Pinkie and Cheese blew into a hankie offered by the other.

“You may feel stiff or even a bit numb for the next few days- that is normal. It will take a while for the effects of the petrification to completely wear off,” Topaz interrupted.

“Thank you, Smoky Topaz,” Radiance nodded to the destral. “For everything.”

“That is Smoky Topaz? Formerly known as Chrysalis?!” Trident barged into the throne room. “WHY IS SHE NOT IMPOUNDED? SOMEPONY SIEZE HER!”

“No, wait!” Charcoal leapt out in front before his soldiers could act.

“Chrysalis does not exist any longer,” Essence spoke. “Smoky Topaz is my Chief of Research, and now Prince Stormwood’s mentor. She betrayed Kindling, and helped lead to his defeat. She is harmless.”

“Harmless?! She is the very foe my soldiers have fought to defeat! So long as she goes free, the hippocampi of Neighlantis shall have no dealings with you!” Trident furiously marched out. Current slithered forth.

“Forgive him, your majesty. He’ll come around.”

“And Equestria shall be open to him when he does,” Essence nodded understandingly.

“So, what will you do, now?” Acrylic asked her friend.

“Return to Tall Tale Beach, I suppose,” Current shrugged. “I have forged a new friendship with the land ponies. One in particular, by the name of Water Mark.”

“Water Mark?! You guys are getting along?” Acrylic’s jaw dropped.

“He has decided to leave the past in the past, and so have I.”

“Then congratulations to you both,” Acrylic offered a hug.

Charcoal’s ears perked up as a familiar sound met his ears. *Vworp! Vworp!*

“Hello! Delivery!” Time Turner waved from the TARDIS as a bunch of little fillies and colts darted out.

“Mama! Mama!” Lilac leapt into her mother’s arms.

“Lilac!”

“Chance! Ocean Mist!” Torchwood dashed to greet their niece and nephew.

“Petti!” Rarity outstretched her arms for their daughter.

“Thunder! There’s my little whirlwind!” Soarin’ braced for impact as the speedy filly zoomed up.

“Candy! Ya had us worried, sugarcube!”

“Brilliant! Happy endings for everyone! Well, except for that Kindling fellow. Oh well. Toodles! See you at the coronation!” Without another word, Time Turner slipped back off into his TARDIS.

“Wait!” Nopony but perhaps Ditzy had gotten the chance to even speak to him since the Elements and Princesses had been freed. Yet, they all watched in confusion and wonder as the TARDIS dematerialized, vanishing off to who-knows-where.

“Don’t ask,” Charcoal helplessly shrugged.

“Hey, what is going to happen to Kindling?” River Rush asked.

“Currently, Shining Armor and Flash Sentry are guarding him in the tower. He has been given a dose of his own anti-magic serum, and Shining Armor customized a new shield to contain him. They are trying to pry information from him.”

“When they finish, I have a snug little place for him in Tartarus,” Luna growled.

“Please, let me reason with him, first. He was once my student. Kindling may respond to me,” Essence requested.

“By ‘respond’, do you mean ‘attempt to assassinate’? Because I’m pretty sure that’s what would happen,” Rainbow ever-so-helpfully put in.

“I was blind once, and that one mistake has haunted me ever since- so much so that I have been too terrified to reenter that tower for a thousand years. Now I need to face my fears and my past. I am in no danger, but this is something I must do.”

“Your highness, I strongly advise against it,” Trender Hoof warned.

“I must concur with Trendy,” Rarity shivered. “There is no reasoning with a pony as mad as he.”

“I recognize your concern and I will take every precaution,” Essence assured, voice full of conviction. There would be no talking her out of it.

“Well, come on, you two. Let’s go find your mother,” Acrylic took Ocean Mist by the hoof and started leading her sister’s children out.

“And I’m going to go find my folks,” Pound declared.

“I’ll go with you,” Charcoal offered. “Unless you need me here?” he looked to his new mentor for permission. Topaz shook her head.

“No, go on. I promised to reverse Kindling’s damage and I might as well start here.” She then proceeded to begin clearing some of the mess left in the throne room.

“Well, Radiance, I’d say we have a lot to catch up on, except I’ve just shared you the last few decades of my life with you,” Discord grinned.

“That is alright, Discord” she shook her head. “I believe it would be best if I rested, anyway. A thousand years in stone has taken its toll on me.”

“Of course,” he nodded understandingly.

“Radiance,” Celestia stepped up. “You took care of Luna and I in our youth. If you would allow us to return the favor, a room will be waiting for you in the Canterlot Palace.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you, Princess.”

“I’ll take you,” Discord offered. Before she could protest, both the draconequus and alicorn vanished.

“Topaz? Would you like to show our new residents to their rooms?”

“Of course, your highness. This way.”

“We’ll see you later, Charcoal!” Winter called back as Hawk and River started leaving without him.

“We should leave too, Glitter. I’d like to see if our wagon is still where we left it.”

“Bye, Prince Charcoal,” Glitter grinned, waving back to the colt and following Trixie out.

“But-!” He could only watch his childhood crush leave as Topaz dragged him in the opposite direction. Essence waited for them all to file out before heading for the tower.

“Your highness!” Flash met Essence in the stairwell. “We’ve managed to deduct that Kindling kidnapped Radiance in hopes of encouraging Discord to wreak havoc on Equestria. He was going to use the diversion as a cover for his own army to advance, but his own troops turned on him before he got the chance.”

“That’s one more mystery solved,” she nodded. “Thank you, Flash Sentry. Now I require time alone with Kindling.”

“Your highness?!”

“You have your orders, soldier.” Flash though it best not to argue with Essence.

“Shining Armor and I will wait outside, then.” He retreated back upstairs to fetch the unicorn. Essence followed more slowly, and heard arguing from the other side of the door. Eventually, both stallions reluctantly reemerged.

“I’ll keep the shield up. Nothing can get in or out of it- but be careful, Princess, and don’t be too long. I don’t think the magic suppressant will remain in effect for much longer.”

“Thank you, Shining Armor. Dismissed.” The stallions moved aside for the princess to enter.

The magic of the shield illuminated the otherwise dark room. While the barrier was translucent, such a thick magical buffer was needed to contain him that it was hard to see inside. Still Essence made out the blurry, warped form of Kindling within. She didn’t need a clear view of his face to know he was glowering at her.

“Kindling Pyre,” she addressed. Surprisingly, her voice didn’t waver at all. “What has become of you? Once, you were a diligent student and a loyal member of my court. What changed? What drove you to this?”

“I found the truth,” Kindling rasped. “I finally realized what true power I wielded. Fire dancing and magic are power enough, but then I saw all that my research had accomplished, what potential it had! Destrals are the superior race, Essence. But through my research, I intended to elevate the rest of pony kind- to craft them in our image. I could give them new powers beyond belief! Chrysalis had come close in creating the changelings, with the ability to take on any form and hence that creature’s abilities. But they were just mindless drones, and amounted to nothing without their queen.

“I was going to improve them, Essence. They should be thanking me. Why do they fear the change? Why imprison me?”

“The ponies do not want your power, Kindling. They want to be individuals, not the war machines you tried to turn them into. They want peace.”

“There is no peace without war! I could have led them into the war to end al wars. Under my rule, I would better them, unite them so that no one was greater than another.”

“So long as none were as great as you,” Essence coldly finished.

“You could never wield power as great as I! Even uniting your own people is a task beyond your reach!” Essence scowled.

“Give up this fruitless dream of yours, Kindling. Such a world will never exist so long as the Elements remain. It is unnatural, unbalanced.”

“I will DESTROY the Elements, and then YOU!” He bashed against the barrier, doing little else than bruising himself.

“I had hoped things would not have to end this way, Kindling. But if you will not return to the castle or to me, then you shall spend the rest of your days in Tartarus.” She left the room with Kindling still screaming insults at her. Shining Armor and Flash were still waiting outside the door, as promised.

“I do not think we will get any more information from him. Find Princess Luna, one of you, and tell her to open the portal whenever she is ready. She will know what it means.”

“Yes, your highness,” Flash saluted and dutifully rushed off. Essence cast one pitiful glance back at her former student. Some souls just couldn’t be salvaged.

Chapter 88: Letting Go

Chapter 88
Letting Go

As Time Turner had predicted, Essence later conferred with the other princesses and Wood family to set a date for the new prince’s coronation. Nana, the hippogryph representative, was invited to bring a collection of diplomats to formally welcome the hippogryphs back at the same event. (Most were content to remain in their mountain homes, so reintegration wasn’t necessarily an issue.) Current was also sent back to Neighlantis with an invitation extended to Trident, though it remained unclear as to whether the sea king would attend. It wasn’t until the day of the celebration, in fact, that he gave any sort of response, and that was by showing up.

Nana brought Gilda, Winter Green, Hawk Stripe, and River Rush as her representatives. Trident brought mostly members of his royal court, but because of his ties to Current, she was also included in his train. The other girls still tagged along as guests, and even Water Mark accompanied them.

Cadance and Shining Armor arrived with a special guest- the carbuncle whom they named Beryl had been cleaned up quite nicely, and now doubled as both the royal couple’s pet and a symbol of the Crystal Empire. Celestia, Luna, and Radiance came as a company. Discord had attempted to stick to Radiance like glue, though for some reason, she kept pushing him away. This occasion was no exception, and he was forced to sit with Fluttershy and her animals for the ceremony. (She had released the cockatrice back to the forest and reunited the manticore cub with its mother. The sandfishes’ home, however, was much farther away, and it was a trip Fluttershy had not yet gotten the chance to make.)

Because the coronation was being held in the Ponyville Palace (the Everfree Castle was still under repair) all the Elements and their families were present. Essence, Topaz, Charcoal and their timberwolves arrived together. Because Fink and Shift now lived in the castle, they also came as Everfree representatives. When Pound Cake promised to find a front row seat, Charcoal could have the support of all his friends. Well... almost all of them. Garble and the dragons had already started the return trip home to their wives and hatchlings, but at least Blaze and Spike would be there.

Charcoal was nervous to say the least, considering what a big hubabaloo the princesses had been making of the event. It actually turned out to be quite boring; he paraded out onto the balcony with Essence and Topaz, waved to the onlookers, exchanged formalities with the other dignitaries, and did his best to sit still while the princesses droned on. They mostly talked about new policies and plans for the returned species. He was all about welcoming them back, but wasn’t too interested in the politics side of things. Essence eventually did pick up on a topic that intrigued him, however.

“The return of four new species- thestrals, destrals, hippogryphs, and hippocampi- within the last twenty years has raised many questions. One of the most prominent, if not intriguing is: who else is out there? Are our libraries filled with mere bedtime stories, or legitimate history?

“Recently, we have uncovered research that strongly suggests there may be other species out there. Now, the question you’re most likely wondering is: what do we plan to do about it? We have good friends with us today that are something of experts in that field.” Essence retreated from the balcony, gesturing for Torchwood and Acrylic to take her place. The couple nervously obliged.

“Hello, everypony,” Torchwood timidly coughed. “As Princess Essence said, looking into this sort of thing has been our hobby for a number of years, now. In fact, it was on our honeymoon that we first encountered the hippocampi, and we’ve been enthralled with the idea of finding new pony breeds ever since.”

“It used to be just a hobby,” Acrylic contributed. “But when it led to our son finding his cutie mark, it became so much more- not just for our family, but for the whole world. We all want to know who else is out there, and if you’re listening, don’t be shy! We won’t bite. Feel free to come say hello, sometime.”

“But we also recognize that not everyone is ready to show their face just yet, and we’ll respect that decision as well.”

“I have a question. Does that mean you will be investigating the whereabouts of these other pony breeds?” a news reporter called up.

“We will,” Acrylic confirmed. “But if they would rather be left alone, then that’s their decision to make. Just don’t say we never offered.”

“What species will you be investigating first?” another reporter called up. Acrylic and Torchwood exchanged glances.

“Bogg sprites!” Charcoal hissed from the back. “Look for the bogg sprites!” Acrylic and Torchwood smiled.

“The bogg sprites,” Torchwood definitively answered. This raised a whole new bout of questions they did not have the solutions to.

“Are they dangerous?”

“Is it true that they can walk through walls?”

“What are they, exactly?”

“Well... uh...”

“We don’t exactly have much information on them at the moment...”

“I have a theory.” Without warning, Charcoal appeared behind his parents.

“Charcoal,” Topaz quietly hissed.

“Nothing’s been proven yet- everything I’m about to tell you is speculation. But Kindling Pyre left behind some notes and research; specifically, clippings of bogg sprite hair. In fact, he used whole braids of it in making the orbs that imprisoned the princesses. His notes said that the braid was there to, and I quote, ‘keep the body out of phase.’ That is, while he trapped the mind in the orb, he could store the body elsewhere. But that’s not the point. I think that the hair retained properties from the bogg sprites themselves, which would tell us a lot about the species. This could mean that they have the ability to drift between phases, or realities, or dimensions, or whatever you want to call it.” A whole slew of new questions erupted from the crowd, but the bombardment proved to be overwhelming. Charcoal finally heard one that stuck out.

“They’re called bogg sprites because they’re most often spotted in the Everfree Bogg. Why do you think they only appear there?”

“It’s hard to say until any real research is conducted. Maybe something in the bogg is attracting them. Maybe that’s the only place they can drift into this phase. Maybe that’s just their home. We just don’t know.”

“Whatever the case,” Acrylic interrupted the reporters before they could fire any more inquiries. “We’ll be looking into it, and hopefully get as far as actually making contact.”

“Will your son be joining you in this effort?” one last nosy pony called.

“We’re going to do it as a family,” Charcoal confirmed. He grinned as Lilac happily pounced him from behind, and glanced back at the rest of his friends. “All of us.”

“Thank you, no more questions.” Torchwood pulled everyone away from the edge.

“And with that, we will conclude,” Essence finished. “Further question will be answered at a later date. For now, please enjoy yourselves, and join us in the closing celebration.” The dignitaries made one last appearance before the meeting ended and the feast began.

The Elements, Princesses, and all their friends were clustered at one table together for the feast. They even had seats saved for Pound Cake, though he was still fighting through the crowds to get to them. To everypony’s surprise, he brought two tagalongs with him.

“Hi, everypony!” Ditzy chirped.

“Ditzy! Time Turner!”

“Hello!”

“Come and sit down,” Caramel beckoned as he and Soarin’ pulled up extra chairs for the new arrivals.

“So, you’re a myth buster too now, huh?” Pound winked, sliding into his seat.

“It would appear so,” Topaz flatly stated, clearly irritated that Charcoal had made such a rash decision without consulting her.

“Sorry,” Charcoal sheepishly blushed. “Guess I should’ve asked first, huh?”

“It certainly changes our agenda,” Smoky agreed.

“Not necessarily,” Essence hadn’t been nearly so insulted as Topaz. “In fact, it appears as though your research and their investigation are already closely intertwined. Connecting both projects in such a way may be beneficial for you both.”

“We can help each other,” Acrylic enthusiastically agreed.

“And we won’t interfere in your work unless it directly concerns us,” Torchwood promised. Though Topaz didn’t actually have much choice in the matter, she finally seeme to accpt the partnership.

“Very well,” she concurred.

“Hear that, guys? We can all help out!” Pinkie whooped.

“No, I didn’t mean-!” the group’s cheers droned out her protests.

“How come you don’t want everypony helping?” Charcoal seemed to be the only one to acknowledge her reluctance.

“I suppose I am not ready to surround myself with another team of ponies,” she sighed. “I turned the last batch into changelings.”

“This won’t be like that; we’re all friends, here. Besides, they’re not so bad once you get to know them- even Pinkie isn’t all that weird.” Pinkie and Cheese chose that moment to hop up on the table and demonstrate an Irish jig for Kelpie. How that had even come up in conversation was beyond Char. “...Most of the time.”

“Are you going to help too, Discord?” Fluttershy inquired.

“I think not, my dear. My place now is with Radiance.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy bit her lip as the draconequus reached for the alicorn’s hoof. “That’s okay... of course. I’m so happy for you. Um... excuse me. I need to check on the sandfish; I wouldn’t want the poor dears to feel neglected or abandoned.” She promptly left the table before she broke out in tears.

“Alright, Fluttershy. See you later,” Discord obliviously waved.

“Discord,” Radiance shakily removed her hoof from his talons. “I need to speak with you... privately,” she added.

“Anything for you, my dear.” Discord promptly teleported the both of them off to a cliff side overlooking Ponyville. “What is it you have to tell me? I’m all ears.” The appendages rapidly expanded until they engulfed his entire face.

“I need you to be serious for a moment, Discord. You aren’t going to like what I have to tell you.”

“So long as the words come from your sweet lips, I’m sure I’ll be thrilled.”

“I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

“What?” Discord’s lopsided pupils constricted to nearly the same size. “What are you talking about? Why not?!”

“I’ve been gone for over a thousand years. In my absence you branched out, made new friends, and forged new relationships all on your own.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t remain together. There will always be room for you!”

“No, Discord. I think what you have with your Ponyville friends is wonderful. Don’t lose it.”

“They’re just that! Friends! None of them could ever replace you.”

“I know that’s what you think, Discord, but you have become so focused on what we had that you cannot see what has been placed right before you.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“Fluttershy. She loves you, Discord.”

“I love her, too, but not like I love you.”

“She loves you like you love me. What we had was wonderful, Discord, and I cherished every second of it. But I was gone for a long time, Discord, and whether you know it or not, she has filled the gap I left. Who am I to butt in now?”

“But Radiance,” tears were forming in Discord’s eyes. “I love you.” The division was no easier for Radiance.

“I loved you, too.”

A flash of light caught Fluttershy’s attention from a short distance off. Discord had arrived, looking miserable and withered.

“Discord!” she gasped, setting down the sandfish. “What happened?!” Discord gladly accepted the company as she sat beside him.

“Radiance is leaving,” he moped. “And I can’t go with her. She... doesn’t love me, anymore.”

“Oh, Discord, I’m so sorry!” She squeezed him tightly.

“Thank you, Fluttershy.”

“For what?”

“For always being there.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled sweetly. Discord’s breath caught in his throat, and he brushed aside her breezy mane to get a better view of her face. That was the look Radiance used to give him. Could she have been right? Was it possible that Fluttershy saw him as more than just a friend?

“I love you, Fluttershy.” He was about to add, ‘but just as a friend.’ Something stopped him from finishing the statement. Instead, he waited to see how Fluttershy reacted- if she responded negatively, he could always insert the last bit afterward. Rather, her eyes welled up with happy tears.

“I love you, too.” She snuggled against him. Discord wasn’t sure how he felt, now that he had determined that Fluttershy did indeed have feelings for him. Still, he couldn’t bear to break the delicate mare’s heart. And, he already had a strong relationship with her. Perhaps he could give it a try.

“So... what do you say we take these sandfish home?” One of the creatures chattered.

“They’d like that,” she beamed. Discord smiled back. She was beautiful...

In a pulse of light, both had vanished somewhere off into the San Palomino Desert.

Meanwhile, Radiance was still returning to the Ponyville Palace from her talk with Discord. He had left her alone out on the cliff, which was fine by her. They both needed time to heal from the heartache. She had taken a leisurely flight all to herself, postponing contact with other ponies as long as she could.

Radiance had loved Discord, but she was afraid he was leaning too heavily on her. He hadn’t left her side since she had returned, but she couldn’t always be with him. Hay, the last time she’d left, he’d had a mental breakdown that had endangered the whole world and led to his own imprisonment! But then Fluttershy had come along, and taught him how to stand on his own two hooves. She believed she’d done the right thing by letting him go, but that didn’t make the decision hurt any less.

It wasn’t until nearly sunset that she finally decided to return to Ponyville. The hippogryphs and hippocampi had all returned home by now, as they had quite a trip ahead of them. Canterlot was closer, however, and Cadance and Shining Armor hadn’t intended to return to the Crystal Empire until the next day anyway, so these parties were still here. She found those who remained still laughing and enjoying themselves, though there was still no sign of Discord or Fluttershy. ‘Good. Maybe they’re out together,’ she thought. She hoped things worked out for them.

“Radiance, darling, there you are,” Rarity beckoned.

“We were beginning to worry,” Luna said.

“Eh, I figured you and Discord were just getting used to each other again,” Rainbow casually waved. “I still think it’s really ironic that the both of you were trapped in stone all that time. It’s a little bit creepy, actually.”

“Maybe they’ve just got an unspoken bond,” Applejack suggested, leaning against her own hubby. Radiance winced.

“Hey, where is Discord?” Twilight realized she hadn’t been accompanied by the draconequus.

“I don’t know,” Radiance confessed. “I took him aside to end our relationship.

“WHAT?!” Even Celestia and Luna looked shocked.

“But I thought you loved him!” Cadance exclaimed.

“And if you really, really, really, really, REALLY love somepony, you’ve got to find a way to make it work,” Pinkie added.

“How could you just break his heart like that?” Acrylic felt her own heart wrench in her chest.

“Believe me, I did love him. But that’s why I had to let him go.” Acrylic remained quiet, sensing that there was some sort of logic behind the decision even if she didn’t fully understand it.

“That makes NO sense!” Thunder folded her arms.

“You’ll understand when you’re older,” Soarin’ ruffled her gradiated blue mane.

“So... we’re not going to have to worry about another case of psychotic, maniac Discord, are we?” Cheese fretted, recalling the last time Radiance had ‘left’ him. Just then, Discord and Fluttershy reappeared, laughing and smiling.

“Welcome back,” Pound knowingly smiled.

“Hello, everypony! Radiance,” Discord enthusiastically waved until he noticed his ex, where he curtly nodded. She politely returned the gesture.

“We were just out in the San Palomino Desert to bring the sandfish home,” Fluttershy giggled. “But on the way back, Discord took us to visit Maretonia’s wildlife. They have such amazing creatures there!”

“The ladies do love seeing wonders, don’t they?” Time Turner winked at Discord.

“What kinds of animals did you see?” Candy Apple curiously inquired.

“There were all sorts of little critters! A lot of them we have here, but they also have basilisks, imps, and even parasprites- which are still adorable in their natural habitat.”

“You didn’t bring any back with you this time, did you?” Flash jumped up.

“No, no, of course not,” Discord waved him off. “At least... I don’t think so.” He then proceeded to check Fluttershy’s mane for stowaways. She thought he was just joking, and found him absolutely hysterical. Though Discord wasn’t quite sure what he’d done that was so funny, the laughter was contagious, and soon the whole group was cackling.

“I presume this means you will be staying with us in Canterlot, Radiance,” Luna spoke.

“If you would have me, until I find something else,” she gratefully dipped her head.

“You would be welcome to stay with us permanently,” Celestia fondly wrapped a wing around her former foalsitter. It was odd; all those years in stone preserved Radiance with a young face, so now Celestia appeared to be the oldest.

“Excuse me a moment,” Luna had to take a short leave from the table to raise the moon. “I think it would be best if we left for home soon, sister.”

“Indeed,” Celestia agreed, waving for the guards to prepare their royal chariot.

“We should be leaving too, Charcoal,” Essence directed, standing herself.

“Already?” Charcoal longingly looked back to his friends. He had been living in the Ponyville castle with his family while he helped to rebuild their real home. Blaze had already moved out- he didn’t want to change things even more by leaving his family so soon.

“We did have an agreement that you would move into the castle after the coronation,” Topaz reminded him. “It is necessary for you to live on-site in order to reap the most benefit from your training.”

“I know,” he sighed. “It’s just hard.”

“I understand,” Essence kindly nodded. “But it would be best to say your goodbyes, now.”

It was considered poor manners for a pony to fly over the dinner table, lest dirt from their hooves contaminate the food. Spectrum seemed to forget this etiquitte, however, as he zipped over to bid his friend farewell.

“Every day after homework and practice,” he vowed.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Charcoal warned. He then moved on to Pound Cake. “And I’ll see you soon too, I hope?”

“Maybe sooner than you think. I requested to be transferred to the construction crew in the Everfree. If I don’t get the job, there’s still plenty of work to be done in Ponyville, which is still a lot closer than Cloudsdale.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you,” Charcoal promised. He moved on down the line, just to run into wildly grinning Shift and a modestly enthusiastic Fink. “Hey! You guys are coming with me!”

“That doesn’t mean we don’t want in on some of this action,” Shift laughed, wrapping a hoof around his shoulder and giving Charcoal a friendly shake. Fink also gave him a playful knock to the arm. Since their changeling selves had been lifted, their personalities were really beginning to show through. Shift was a playful, slightly wild soul, while Fink remained quiet and reserved, perhaps even slightly awkward. Charcoal was looking forward to getting to know them better when they would all be living in the castle together.

“Good luck out there, Charcoal,” Ditzy smiled.

“Not that you’ll need it,” Time Turner shrugged. “Great things, remember, great things!”

“Thanks, Time Turner,” Charcoal chuckled.

The stallions all had to clear a path for Lilac Bud as she charged through, crying. “Oof!” Charcoal grunted as the little pink filly collided with his shoulder.

“Do you really have to go?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’ll miss you,” she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck.

“I’ll miss you, too,” he comfortingly held her. “But we’ll see each other soon. In fact, I bet Spectrum’d let you come visit with him, if you wanted.”

“Ooh, can I come, too?” Candy asked.

“The Everfree Palace is so cool!” Thunder agreed.

“I think ‘elegant’ is the word you’re searching for, but I wouldn’t mind visiting on occasion, either,” Petti declared.

“Oh, sure, let’s just make it a great big field trip!” Spectrum threw his hooves up. Lilac and Charcoal giggled, knowing that he would still take them all.

“Don’t forget about me, okay?”

“I could never forget about you, Bud. You are my sister, after all. My amazingly awesome, funny, at times annoying little sister.”

“Hey!” she playfully swiped at his hair.

“Don’t worry, Lilac. We’re going to make sure he can’t ever forget us.” Blaze and Spike had reemerged from the castle, where they had been off doing who-knows-what for most of the celebration. Blaze had a small item cupped between his claws.

“My vase!” Lilac exclaimed, recognizing the warped trinket she had gifted to the dragon.

“I hope you don’t mind my passing it on, Lilac, but I think Charcoal needs it more than me right now. What do you think?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” she said, moving it from Blaze’s huge palm to Charcoal’s hooves.

“Oh, no, not that thing,” Charcoal groaned, hardly daring to look at the hideous abomination he’d created.

“To remember us by,” Lilac giggled.

“But it’s so ugly,” he complained.

“Keep it anyway.” Blaze nuzzled his adopted brother.

“I’ll see you around Char,” Spike wasn’t going to get as intimate as Blaze had, but fondly grinned down.

“Yeah,” Charcoal agreed. Next in line were Charcoal’s parents.

“We’re happy for you,” Acrylic sniffed, squeezing her son tightly. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll miss you any less.”

“I’ll miss you, too. Sorry I didn’t get to help rebuild the house.”

“Don’t you worry about us, son,” Torchwood knew his wife wouldn’t let go until pried away (a task that might well require a crowbar), so he squeezed in between them. “We’ll get along just fine. You’re growing up- it’ll be good for you to get out and stretch your wings a bit.”

“We love you, champ.”

“Love you, too.”

“Aww... group hug!” Pinkie practically did a stage-dive on top of the family, whereas Cheese somehow popped up from underneath them. No one questioned their antics, and pressed in close. Even the carbuncle Beryl nosed Bandit in farewell (the ferret had been brought to the event because Charcoal knew they would be leaving right from the castle). Charcoal considered his pet. He wouldn’t have a lot of time for the ferret in between his new responsibilities and studies. And he was worried that Bandit would just feel out of place without much to do- not even Heckley would be around for him to hassle.

“You know, Lilac,” Charcoal picked up the ferret. “I’m not going to be able to take care of Bandit very well while I’m living in the castle. I’ll be awful busy, and I don’t want him to get lonely. You think you could look after him, for me?”

“Charcoal?” Acrylic was quite surprised, and Bandit also chirped in alarm. He then proceeded to wind his way up Charcoal’s back and chatter in protest.

“You mean it?” Lilac was enthralled by the idea.

“It’s for the best, bud,” Charcoal quietly whispered and painfully removed his life-long, loyal companion from his shoulder. “Yeah, Lilac. You take care of him for me while I’m gone, okay?”

“Okay!” She squeezed the ferret as tightly as one of her dolls, causing him to squeal. Charcoal chuckled. ‘Sorry,’ he mouthed.

“You watch her for me, bud. Got that?” he scratched the ferret’s head one last time.

“Are you ready now?” Topaz inquired.

“Wait!” Charcoal turned around to bid farewell to one last familiar face.

“Glitter?!”

“I just wanted to say goodbye before you left,” she panted, running up. Charcoal hadn’t seen her at the coronation- she must have just arrived. She did look a bit disheveled and flustered as though she’d been in a hurry, but that made her no less beautiful.

Charcoal’s heart fluttered when she gave him a goodbye hug. He timidly returned it, hesitant to embrace her for fear that he’d forget to let go. That always happened in the movies, anyway. When Glitter pulled away, Charcoal expected her to move right along, but then she leaned back in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. His whole body froze, and his face grew hot.

“Whoa... are ya alright there, sugarcube? You’re turnin’ red as a beet,” Applejack voiced. This only made him blush more. Glitter knowingly laughed.

“See you around, Charcoal,” she playfully bumped him with her wing before dashing after Trixie.

“Charcoal? Chaaaaarcoal? Equestria to Prince Stormwood, over,” Spectrum teased, trying to shake him back to reality.

“Hmm?”

“Let her go, Char. She’s way to old for you,” Pound snickered.

“I... she... no!” Charcoal knew that his parents weren’t buying it by the way his mother scowled.

“Oh, dear.”

“Prince Charcoal?” Essence prompted again, gesturing with a partially-spread wing to remind him that they needed to leave.

“Oh, right. I’ll see you all soon,” he waved.

“Goodbye, Charcoal,” Cadance and Shining Armor waved.

“Goodbye!”

“Later, partner!”

“Have fun!”

“See you soon!”

“Goodbye, honey,” Acrylic blew a kiss into the cool night air. “I love you.”

Epilogue

I slowly strode into the dark room. I was getting old, or maybe my children were just making me feel that way. Charcoal was all grown up, now, and Lilac’s time to fly the coup was rapidly approaching. Pinkie and Cheese got married a few years back, and had a young colt of their own by now. Twilight had also finally married Flash, and they were now expecting as well. Fluttershy and Discord were still going strong, but it was only a matter of time before the draconequus finally popped the question.

My friends, family and I had all had a good run, and as promised, shaped a new Equestria where any and all pony types were welcome. Shortly after the coronation, the aponies, creatures similar but not equivalent to breezies had returned of their own free will. The bogg sprites took a little more effort to recover, as we later learned that they did live in another phase but weren’t even aware that they were drifting into our realm. Once we finally managed to breach the barrier and make contact, a couple even moved in. The ice shetlands of the crystal mountains were hospitible enough, and few but my husband, my son and daughter and I knew that sleipnir existed at all, as the eight-legged ponies had requested to remain hidden.

Torchwood and I were happily living in a newly renovated home. It was a good thing we rebuilt- I had to update the mural outside frequently as new ponies were discovered, anyway. Running the shop had become more of a side-job since we signed up to investigate new breeds, and without Blaze and Charcoal to help run it, Art Life eventually had to shut down altogether. It was a hard decision- I’d been running that store since I first moved to Ponyville. But, I supposed, all good things must come to an end. Speaking of which, we return to the reason I had originally entered the dim castle room.

I had been wanting to return to this familiar old library for a while, now. Thanks to Twilight’s love of books, I didn’t have to worry about dust even in the rarely-used archives, she kept it so clean. This section of the castle was off limits to everyone but Twilight’s most trusted friends. There was a certain old tome I was searching for on this particular occasion, one that had not seen the light of day for quite some time. I scanned the labels of the storage crates. D... E... finally I reached the F’s.

“Fashion, Finance, Forgiveness,” I grinned at the box I had specially dedicated to the topic. “Formulas, Footwear, Forecasts... what the hay does she keep in Foreshadowing?! Has she been talking to Time Turner?” I almost sifted through the box out of sheer curiosity, but then I finally spotted the section I’d come here for. “There it is! Friendship!” Twilight had amassed several books that fell into this category over the years, so I had a couple crates to poke through before I found the book I was looking for.

“There you are. I haven’t seen you in a while,” I ran a hoof over the horseshoe shape embossed in the worn leather cover. It was our old friendship journal. We hadn’t really used it since Twilight became the Princess of Friendship, aside from a couple scattered entries here and there. Recently, though, I had been compelled to submit one last entry for old time’s sake.

I took the book over to the writing desk in the center of the room, found a candle, and lit a dim light to write by with my fire. Next, I had to select a quill, which Twilight was obviously in no short supply of. The hard part was finding an inkwell that still had some ink left in it. Upon having located said item, I could finally sit down and flip to the next open page. It was the last one left in the book- my friends must have recently added more than I realized.

Journal Entry #23

xx/xx/xx

I still remember how upset Rainbow was when A.K. Yearling announced that the Daring Do series was drawing to a close. She even tried her own hoof at writing in an attempt to prolong the series. I thought it was funny of her to try and postpone the inevitable- it was bound to die out sometime, but she just couldn’t leave it be. Though I thought it was amusing then, I found myself doing the same thing a couple years down the road.

I wasn’t writing a literal book, mind you. I’m talking about my life story. I’ve lived a wonderful life, and raised an even more beautiful family. I have lovely grandchildren from Garble, I’ve watched Charcoal Stormwood step up to become an astounding leader, and Lilac Bud has blossomed into a beautiful, sweet young mare.

I’ve tried to hold on to them, because I’m so scared of letitng them go. I’ve always been with my children every step of the way. Now Lilac is getting ready to leave, despite my attempts to convince her to stick around another year or two. I’ve been a bit clingy to Charcoal, too, visiting him every chance I get. But I forget that I’m an old mare, now, with my mane rapidly turning as gray as my coat. Torchwood has aged, too, but we still love each other like newlyweds. He loves his job and is reluctant to retire, but we’ve been talking, and we finally decided that it’s time. After all, there’s no use in prolonging the inevitable.

My story is drawing to a close. Sure, we might have an adventure here and there, but it’s about time to put this old book on the shelf. Who knows where we’ll go from here?

The best part about ending a story is that you can begin the next one.

-Acrylic Storm Wood

Author's Note

A/N: See? Even Acrylic’s telling me to finally wrap this up.

Congratulations, you’ve survived all 89 chapters! (127 including the first book!) I hope you enjoyed following Acrylic and Charcoal’s adventures. Thank you all so much for your support. You guys are the best!

Part One: Chapter 1: Engaged

Author's Note

This is a sequel to my fanfiction The Seventh Element. I HIGHLY recommend you read that first if you haven’t already, just so you aren’t completely lost. Unlike the last one, it’s almost completely made from my own writing (which means that it’s probably going to end up twice as long, now that I’m not limited to the show’s script). I need to apologize in advance; my romance scenes are still rubbish.

I’ll be writing this in real-time, unlike the last one which I had already finished when I started posting. I'll be working on this in real-time, and I try to update weekly. Enough about me. Enjoy the story!

Part One: Chapter 1: Engaged

Part 1

Chapter 1
Engaged

“Torchwood? Have you seen my hat?” I called.

“You hung it on the easel again,” came the reply. I trod quickly down the stairs to see if this was true. Indeed, the worn, purple plaid beret was hanging from the corner of the wooden frame. I sighed in relief and set it over my deep blue mane. I was always losing things, but I didn’t often misplace my hat. Rarity had given that to me. She was one of my closest friends, as well as my neighbor; my art supply store, Art Life, was just up the road from the Carousel Boutique. While I kept a stock of art supplies, I’d started accepting commissions for business fliers, posters, or any other kind of painting my customers could think of.

The hat now situated on my head, I walked out of the sun-drenched studio and into the main shop. Torchwood was propped against the counter, browsing a magazine. I smiled at the sight of the stallion. He was very dark brown, and extremely tall- about Princess Luna’s height. He had a narrow muzzle but a broad, squared jaw line, and coal colored eyes. His mane was jet black with mere wisps of blond emerging from the void, all brushed over to the side. He’d let his tail grow out a bit lately, but I kind of liked it although it was considered a little long for stallions around these parts. Really, it only brushed his hocks. His cutie mark depicted a flaming torch, tinged with green on the edges. That was the color of his thestral fire.

That’s what we are. Thestrals. Ponies with dragon wings. A thousand years ago, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna defeated thestrals, who had turned evil, and thought them extinct. Now we had returned- with permission from the royal sisters, of course. It was an interesting return, to say the least. Torchwood temporarily turned evil and nearly conquered Equestria, I almost died, and we somehow summoned a seventh Element of Harmony... it was weird. But that’s a whole different story. Now we were starting a new story, and a new life. Last week, Torchwood asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes.

He looked up with a smile as I entered, and kissed me over the counter. I returned the gesture, and looked down at the catalogue beneath his hooves. It advertised wedding invitations of every color and style imaginable. “Find anything good?” I asked.

“You could do better,” he shook his head.

“Too much work,” I dismissed. “Not that Graphite isn’t keeping me busy enough with all his new requests.”

“He’s ordering again?”

“Sure is. Almost twice as much as he used to.” Graphite Sketch was a very prestigious artist from Vanhoover. I’d met him at my first Grand Galloping Gala the same night I met Torchwood. Back then, Torch was working for Graphite. That earth pony did everything in his power to make his life miserable. He could get away with it, too. He’d found out that Torchwood was a thestral long ago, and used this fact to blackmail him. Now that the whole world knew about thestrals, it didn’t really matter. He’d tried to start a romantic relationship with me, but as it turned out, his butler was the one for me. When we got together, Torchwood quit his job to come work for me in Ponyville. Spiteful Graphite had stopped placing orders with me after that. But ever since the thestrals made a formal return, we’d settled our differences.

“I suppose that’s a good thing,” Torchwood finally said. “You know, I’m thinking of asking him to be my best colt.”

“Really?” I exclaimed. I knew Torchwood said at the last Summer Sun Celebration that he’d forgiven Graphite, but after all that earth pony had put him through, I wasn’t sure just how far that extended. Torchwood simply nodded at my outburst, somewhat amused. I smiled back. “Good for you.” I now represented the Element of Forgiveness. I was all for it.

“And you? Have you decided on your bridesmaids yet?”

“I’d have thought that would be a given,” I laughed. There was no way I could choose between my six closest friends. I’d want them all up there with me. And Blaze would be our ring bearer, of course. Blaze was my little dragon friend. I had been very close to his mother, Ignition. When she died, I swore to her that I’d take care of her two boys, Blaze and Garble. Garble was old enough to take care of himself, and rejected the idea of staying in Ponyville. He went back to the wild dragon flock to rejoin his friends. Still, Blaze, Heckley, Torchwood and I visited them as often as we could. (Heckley was my pet snake.)

“Fair enough,” Torchwood said, turning back to the booklet. “What’s our color scheme again?”

“It’s just like our flames: green, orange and white,” I answered. “Rarity keeps complaining the colors are too hard to work with. She’s been obsessing over our wedding day, analyzing everything down to the last detail.”

“I must admire her persistence,” Torchwood chuckled.

“By the way, we both think it would be a good idea to add blue to the color scheme. It’s a brilliant compliment to orange, and might make things a bit easier on Rarity. What do you think?”

“That sounds just fine. You always did look good in blue,” he nuzzled me.

“It might open up new possibilities for the stationary, too,” I noted, glancing back down at his catalogue.

“Well, you take a look and see what you can find,” Torchwood said. “I have to get these orders delivered.”

“Are you sure you’re up for that? We can always set the mail service to work.”

“I’m fine. Just between us, I don’t quite trust the mail mare.”

“I suppose living with wall-eyes can’t be easy,” I agreed. I knew he was speaking of Ditzy Doo, the gray pegasus mail mare with crossed eyes. She did her best, but wasn’t always entirely reliable. “Alright. But be back in time for lunch.”

“Can I treat you to lunch at the Hayburger?”

“Sounds good. I’ll go pick up Blaze right after I finish here.”

“Don’t work yourself too hard,” he joked, picking a bundle off the ground from beside the door. His large wings unfurled, and he took off.

I halfheartedly poked around the magazine before getting bored. He was right. These designs all looked tacky. I moved it behind the counter along with another stack of similar catalogues. Torchwood proposed at the Summer Sun Celebration in front of most of Canterlot. Since then, we’d been getting all kinds of wedding magazines.

I went back into the small kitchenette at the back of the house, and pulled out the snake food Fluttershy had given me. It didn’t take much for her to fall in love with my pet. He was waiting for his lunch upstairs. I still had a few hours before Torchwood got back, but it was best to take care of him now.

I found my snake curled up on top of the wardrobe where he liked to perch. It was still a mystery to me how he managed to wind his way up there, but I assumed he somehow used the neighboring coat hooks to make the transition. He got up and down just fine, so I didn’t really concern myself with it. I whistled for his attention, and he groggily looked down at me. I set his food on the chair, and left him to it. He didn’t move until I was gone. By the clamoring he caused once I left the room, I could tell he’d been hungry.

Now I could finally return to my work. I had a couple of landscapes for Graphite left to do. I only had a week left until the end of the month, and while that sounded like a lot of time, it really wasn’t. Oils took forever to dry. I didn’t want to rush through these, but I would have to use a faster drying paint on the under layers. It would produce the same effect for what I had in mind. I’d just set everything up; the canvases were primed, my paints were organized, and I had all the brushes laid out. I selected the fan brush to cover more surface area. I’d just dipped it in the goldenrod when the bells at the front door jangled, alerting me of a customer. I quietly growled in irritation. Timing.

“Hello? Anypony home?” Oh, it was okay. That sweet sing-song voice belonged to the one and only Rarity.

“Back here,” I called, setting the brush back on the palette. Rarity met me halfway, looking back from the counter as I came around. “Hey, Rarity. How are you?”

“A bit frazzled, honestly. Come along. I need you at the boutique.”

“What for?”

“I’ve got your new wedding dress prepared!”

“Another one? Isn’t this your third edit?”

“Well, yes. I haven’t quite perfected it yet.”

“Rarity, your work is always beautiful. You got Cadence’s wedding gown right off the bat, remember?”

“That was Cadence’s wedding,” Rarity protested. “Yes, she may be royalty, but she isn’t my best friend. Yours must be flawless!”

“So what was wrong with the last one?”

“It just wasn’t... you. I must admit, I’ve been having trouble coming up with anything ever since those wings of yours showed up. It’s a whole new side to you!” I wouldn’t admit it to her, but I had been feeling a little guilty for hiding who I was since our return.

“So do it like you would if I didn’t have the wings.”

“They’re part of you, darling. No need to hide them anymore. It just poses some new creative challenges, is all. Now, I hope you’ll be pleased with the results. And you must tell me what changes to make. No more of that indecisive nonsense.”

“Well, since you mentioned it, Torchwood and I were going to add blue to the color scheme after all. I don’t know how that’s going to affect what you’ve already got.”

“Oh!” Rarity froze on the spot.

“Did we completely ruin you? I’m sorry. I know how hard you’ve been working...”

“No, no, darling, this is perfect! I just need to make a few minor changes... don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back!” With that, she galloped back the way she came, and I returned inside with a chuckle. I was done with the first two layers before she came back to retrieve me.

We’d arrived at her shop just down the road, and the doors swung open. Like a grand centerpiece, what I realized must be the wedding dress, set at the center of the shop. I suddenly realized what Rarity meant. The other gowns were beautiful, but this one topped them all. It was silky and slim before flaring out into a flowing skirt. Its train was just long enough to brush the floor. The skirt had four layers, each stacked like a cape to the one above, the bottom being a dark blue, the next a little lighter, the third very light, and the top ultimately white. A crimped navy hem closed each layer off. A similar crimped ribbon twirled around the entire body, adding a nice decorative touch. The design for the wide slots for my wings had improved dramatically; they no longer sagged, and were outlined in the thick, rich blue. It looked like they were held in place by stiff wires inside the hem. The veil that sat atop the mannequin’s head was long, rimmed at the front with a small ring of blue and white flowers sitting atop a ruffled blue base. There was no way she had ‘edited’ the last design. It was entirely blue and white, so she must have used the last hour to put a whole new one together.

“Well? What do you think?” Rarity probed, beaming at her latest creation.

“It’s... gorgeous...” I breathed.

“That’s what you said about the last two,” she pouted.

“No, not that kind of gorgeous. This one’s... really gorgeous.”

“Well, let’s have you try it on, then. I must admit, I’m quite thankful you did decide to add blue. It makes my job a lot easier.”

“About that,” I said, taking the dress, “this means that we’ll need a whole new flower arrangement. Any suggestions?”

“Oh, darling, I have tried and tried to come up with something, but I’m afraid flowers just aren’t my area of expertise. I hate to back out on you, but I think you would be best off hiring a true professional for that.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” I admitted. Rarity had offered to be in charge of the decorations, but she’d been having a lot of trouble with the flowers. “I do think the blue and orange will go wonderfully together, as long as we can get the right colors to complement each other. That’s hard to do with flowers, sometimes.”

“Quite right. Perhaps Twilight knows some way to fix that. You may want to consult with her, as well.”

“Good idea.” I finished slipping into the dress, and sidestepped back out into the shop. Rarity looked away from whatever she’d been jotting down to look at me. I could see the prideful glow return to her face, but she extinguished it instantly. She wanted my input first. I almost rolled my eyes.

“What do you think?”

“Oh, Rarity, this is the one!” It was perfect! Rarity finally allowed herself the liberty of a victorious expression. Her eyes sparkled just looking at her creation.

“Yes, it is much better than the last one. Is there anything you want changed? Anything at all?”

“Now that you mention it...” I pretended to rub my chin in thought.

“Yes?” Rarity instantly took up her notepad.

“Nothing,” I teased, giving her a grateful hug. Rarity finally realized the joke and let out a short burst of laughter herself.

“Alright... if you’re sure...”

“I am. No more changing it,” I warned, pointing a hoof at her.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she vowed, performing the hoof motions that went along with the rhyme.

“Okay,” I nodded. Satisfied, I returned to the stall to change back out of the gown.

“But now, what do I do with the hair?” I heard Rarity mutter to herself. “Do you mind if I play with it for a little while?” I peeped back out the door.

“Let’s worry about it later, okay? The wedding isn’t for another two months, but I do have a lunch date with Torchwood in about an hour.”

“Oh, very well. Though I don’t understand why you keep putting everything off. If I was the mare getting married, I would want everything to be settled as soon as possible.”

“Too much stress,” I answered, gently pulling the gown back over my head. “I don’t want gray hairs in my mane before the wedding.”

“Fair enough. Shall I keep the dress here for you?”

“Would you mind? Torchwood’s been coming over a lot more lately, and I don’t want to risk him seeing it before the wedding.”

“It’s bad luck for the groom to see you in your wedding gown before the wedding,” Rarity understood, levitating the dress and sliding it back over the mannequin.

“I don’t believe in that superstitious nonsense,” I rolled my eyes. “I just want him to be surprised!”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Now, I’ve got to go. Blaze is still over at the Golden Oaks Library. I’ve got to pick him up for lunch.”

“Is Spike still giving him lessons on how to be your ‘number one assistant?’” Rarity chuckled.

“Yes,” I smiled, “which is pretty ironic. They haven’t actually been over to Art Life at all together, except to meet up.”

“I’m sure they’ll get to that point eventually,” Rarity assured.

“Oh, I don’t mind a bit. I think it’s great that they’ve been spending so much time together. It’s good for Spike to have someone his own age- and species.”

“That’s true. Twilight is an exemplary caretaker, but it isn’t the same.”

“I hope I can do as good of a job as she does,” I sighed.

“You’ve already done more for that dragon than anypony else could have,” Rarity assured. “Speaking of whom, you should probably go get him. It’s well past noon; he must be hungry.”

“You’re right. Thanks again, Rarity. See you later!” Realizing I’d spent more time than I’d meant, I kept up a brisk pace all the way to the library.

Chapter 9: Decisions, Decisions

Chapter 9
Decisions, Decisions

Dad hadn’t taken the news of Wild Flower’s relationship too well, of course, but he handled it better than when he first learned I was getting married. That was to be expected, though, seeing as he didn’t have to give up his other little girl just yet. Our wedding also gave him time to become familiar with this other stallion; Torchwood promptly asked Cedar to be one of his ushers. I soon learned that Mr. Cake had taken on the same role. Nova and Spike were also given those responsibilities. Blaze probably would have joined them, had he not already been assigned to be our ring bearer. That night, we set up a large table in the yard, cluttered it with plenty of food (much of it courtesy of Applejack), tracked Torchwood’s parents down from the temporary camp, and had a big family reunion.

Dad and Torchwood’s father, Meteor Strike, hit it off right away. My mother got along with everypony, but I couldn’t help but feel that she and Rose Petal, his mother, had a special connection. Our parents, upon meeting, almost instantly began planning an engagement party. This was mostly thanks to Torchwood’s folks, who wanted to be as involved in the wedding as possible. They seemed to have everything already planned out, but my parents were motivated to pitch in.

The dragons got along, of course, and Wild Flower’s fears about our pets were nulled when the two spent a whole evening side by side without incident. Cedar really opened up after finding Torchwood, and I now found him to be funny, kind, and overall likable. He served as a lumberjack in Baltimare, but had grown up in the same thestral sector as Torchwood. They not only treated each other like brothers, but even acted a bit alike. Cedar had been one of the five thestrals to join Torchwood in joining Equestria, and the two tried to find their own way in Vanhoover. Torchwood eventually found a job there with Graphite Sketch, but Cedar had returned temporarily to visit family back home. After weeks of waiting, Torchwood finally recieved word that he’d met somepony and wouldn’t be returning to the city. Aparently, that somepony was my sister. They both moved to Baltimare and made a living there.

Wild Flower was almost estatic upon hearing the romantic story of how I met Torchwood at the gala. Cedar, however, pushed for more recent stories, and before I knew it, we were taking turns telling the tale of the thestral uprising and the creation of the seventh element. I tried to tone down the unfavorable parts, like Torchwood becoming evil and the removal of my wings, but my parents were still aghast with shock. Wild Flower, too, looked a little worried. Torch’s parents were a little more comfortable with hearing the story, since they were there when Torchwood turned. In fact, Meteor had been so worried about their son that he became one of Torchwood’s ‘hench ponies’ just to keep an eye on him. He had been the one who helped us when we were being held captive before the invasion. Despite our reassurances that this was all in the past, my father suddenly became untrusting of Torchwood once more. I hoped that their “bonding time” before the wedding would help them become more comfortable with each other again.

Wild Flower resolved to stay over the rest of the week for the wedding planning, which meant that I’d need to haul another armchair into the art studio. However, Fluttershy later learned of the situation, and invited Wild Flower, Nova, and of course Honeysuckle to stay with her. Cedar resolved to simply stay on stand-by for when he was needed. He promised that he didn’t mind the flight between here and his home.

The dragons fell asleep in a dog pile, and I was reluctant to move them. However, I promised Twilight to have Spike back before it got too dark. I gently removed the purple dragon from the stack, settled him between my wings, and carried him back to the library. Twilight tucked him into bed, but didn’t hold me over very long, allowing me to return to the festivities. We stayed up most of the evening, chatting by moonlight. The dragons were content to sleep, but nopony else was tired. Mom, Wild Flower, Rose Petal and I finally called it off at around one in the morning. We had a schedule to adhere to, after all. Even after we went to sleep, the stallions could still be heard having a high old time outside.

“Alright, girls. Let’s go through this one more time.” Everypony else groaned. Twilight was a brilliant organizer, which is why she had been nominated to keep track of all our duties, but her double and triple checking to make sure everypony had their assignments was beginning to get under our skin.

“Let’s see... Rarity is designing the wedding attire, right?”

“And it’s coming along splendidly, if I do say so myself.”

“Good. Applejack is catering?”

“Everythin’ but the cake,” she promised.

“Right. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are doing that. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are the flower girls, and Blaze will be the ring bearer. Mr. Cake is also going to be one of Torchwood’s groomscolts-”

“What’s a groomscolt?” Pinkie whispered.

“The same thing as an usher,” I whispered back.

“Oh. I thought they might have to groom the groom. But that makes much more sense!”

“And so is Mr. Cake, Cedar, Nova, and Spike.” Twilight paused for a moment, beaming at the role of her own little assistant. She shook herself out of it, returning to the list. “Mayor Ivory Scroll will be performing the ceremony. Fluttershy’s bird choir will play as Acrylic walks down the aisle-”

“And I’ll top it all off with a sonic rainboom!” Rainbow boldly declared.

“What’s a sonic rainboom?” Wild Flower wondered. Rainbow face-hoofed, her daring finale blown by the clueless mare.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“And the rest of us are all gonna be the bridesmaids!” AJ finished with a happy grin.

“Not all of us. Wild Flower is going to be Acrylic’s maid of honor!”

“Congratulations,” Fluttershy quietly smiled.

“Is that everything?”

“I think so.”

“Not quite,” Mom put in. She’d been so quiet in the back we’d almost forgotten she was present. “My husband has requested to escort our daughter down the aisle.”

“I’d like that,” I admitted.

“Got it,” Twilight nodded, adding it to her list. “Okay! That’s it!”

“Finally,” Rainbow muttered under her breath.

“Great! Now that everypony knows what they’re doing, we can get down to business. Let’s start off with Rarity. How are the dresses coming?”

“Acrylic’s already approved of her wedding dress, and I have all of your bridesmaid gowns started as well. I want you all to try them all on before I add the finishing touches.”

“That sounds like a good place to start. Let’s get to it, girls!”

“Excellent. Your gowns are the white and blue ones just over there.” Rarity gestured to the back of the room where they were left to sort through the many manequins. I stayed behind, waiting for the rest of them to try on the gowns. I had plenty of wedding catalogues to sift through in the meantime. Mom joined me to help in the decision making. Wild Flower moved to tag along with the girls, but Rarity stopped her. “Wild Flower, since you just arrived yesterday, your dress isn’t quite ready, but I would like you to see what I have so far. It’s this way.”

“Sounds good,” my sister nodded, following Rarity to another room.

“Now, what was it you wanted with your dress? White avens?”

“That’s right. In fact, Acrylic told me the color scheme, and I have a ton of suggestions. You hear that, Acrylic?”

“Sure did,” I replied, selecting a couple of the flower magazines in preparation. Briefly scanning one, I saw nothing in particular marked or noted, so I decided I’d have to wait for her to point out her favorites. Wild Flower didn’t like standing still for so long, and tried to keep up a conversation with me from the other room.

“I think that the orange cymbidium orchids would go nicely with the other flowers, so long as you keep the other flowers toned down a bit,” she suggested.

“What about this cartagena rose?” I called, noting a pretty flower in the magazine I was currently browsing.

“Absolutely NOT!” came the reply. I was quite amused when Wild Flower rushed in, a half-sewn dress still clinging to her. Flustered Rarity stormed after the pony, trying to remain polite but get her to cooperate at the same time.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Well, first of all, it’s entirely the wrong shade of orange from what you showed me you wanted. I’d expect you to see that as an artist!”

“Fair enough,” I consented, not really wanting to argue with her. Rarity aggitatedly dragged my sister back, but neither of us would let that hinder our conversation. “What about your cosmos? I don’t see them here, but I’ve seen you grow those beautifully before.”

“Those are too small. They’ll be drowned out by the day lillies. And there’s a reason why they aren’t in your catalogues. Try something bigger and fuller, like golden lillies or cremons.”

“I don’t see the orange cremons here, Wild Flower.”

“I doubt you would. Those aren’t really the meant to be wedding flowers.”

“What about dyed flowers? There aren’t many here that are naturally the right color.”

“Yeah... you could do that.”

“But?”

“Well, you know how I am about dyes. I’m an all natural kind of girl.”

“Sure thing, Wild Flower,” I chuckled, turning back to the selection and flipping the page. “Maybe we should just stick with orange daylillies to compliment the white ones. Three different kinds of flowers will look pretty busy, especially with a surplus of greenery. I don’t want to have to deal with clashing textures, too.”

“Oh, you wanted to blend them all together? I thought we were doing this in seperate bunches. But, you know. However you want to do it.”

“Come again? I think you might’ve been onto something there.”

“That would be a pretty busy mix, so I assumed you wanted to put the white lillies with a nice little blue flower, and the orange ones with a lot of greenery. Because, you know, we’re kind of doing this as your colors being white and blue, and Torchwood’s being green and orange. We could mix them all, but it’d be a lot harder.”

“Wild Flower, that’s actually brilliant.”

“Don’t ever underestimate me,” she laughed. I could practically feel her smirking through the wall.

“I do have a suggestion, girls,” Rarity chimed, returning to her work desk for more fabric. “If you could layer the flowers along the aisle, say, one row of flowers on top, followed by a row of another flower and so on, you could use all of your colors without it looking too cramped. And the clusters of grouped colors as Wild Flower suggested could also be used as compliments elsewhere.

“Ooh, I see where you’re going with this,” Wild Flower chirped.

“That sounds beautiful,” I agreed.

And so a good part of the wedding organization fell into place in such a manner as that. I adored Rarity’s bridesmaid gowns. They were white with a dark blue ribbon tied to a bow around the waist, one around the neckline and a second lighter blue ribbon just above the first. Rarity tweaked each slightly to go with everypony’s personality; a couple of gems dotting the hemline of hers; a shower of apples stitched into Applejack’s; stars for Twilight, an assortment of flowers and butterflies for Fluttershy; candies for Pinkie, and a faint rainbow imprint at the bottom of Rainbow’s skirt, along with a multi-colored hem to match her mane. A lot was left up in the air for later discussion with Torchwood, but we made good progress. I’d have plenty of ideas to bring back to him.

We’d been there for hours, and things were finally drawing to a close. Rarity had perfected the dresses, even Wild Flower’s, which was now a pale, silky blue-green color with the dark blue ribbons as accents, fashioned into a similar style as the bridesmaids. Instead of embroidered flowers in her hemline, though, a fine, white, wispy ribbon captured a thread of real blooms- mostly baby’s breath and a couple of small white avens, as requested. She’d also declared that she was going to make the flower wreath for her mane closer to the wedding day so they wouldn’t wilt. Rarity moved all the dresses to a reserved room until then.

I was helping to clean up with the rest of the girls when the doors to the boutique suddenly flewv open. Three young dragons stampeded through the door, Blaze and Spike panting heavily. Nova, who looked like he’d flown most of the way, wasn’t breaking a sweat.

“Ac- Acryl-” Spike choked.

“Whoa! Are you boys okay?” Twilight stifled a laugh. Still out of breath, Blaze held up a scroll in response. Twilight levitated it, reading the entry line.

“Dear Torchwood and Acrylic,” she began. Puzzled, she put the scroll down. “It’s from Princess Celestia... for you.” The letter was given over, and I resumed where she left off.

“Dear Torchwood and Acrylic,

“Princess Luna and I would personally like to extend our congratulations on your engagement.” I temporarily put it down, disbelief in my eyes. “The Princesses? Our wedding?” Intrigued, I eagerly turned back to it. All eyes were fixated on the letter as I read. “As a sign of our gratitude for returning thestrals to society, and for saving Equestria, we cordially invite you to host your wedding ceremony at... Canterlot Castle?!”

“We’re going to the palace!” Blaze cheered, finally regaining his breath.

“Why, this is almost the equivelent of a royal wedding!” Rarity stuttered. She looked like she was about to faint as she had upon first recieving the assignment to design a royal wedding dress.

“... and I would personally like to oversee the ceremony.” I read on.

“Princess Celestia is going to marry you? What an honor!” Twilight gasped.

“I’m sure that Twilight will be more than willing to arrange the details and coordinate with our staff here in Canterlot. We hope that you will be able to accept our offer, and look forward to seeing you in Canterlot for this momentous occation.

“Your Princess and friend,

“Princess Celestia.”

“THIS. IS SO. EXCITING!” Pinkie screamed, dancing on the spot.

“Wow! What a weddin’ this is gonna be!” Applejack breathed. “I’ll have to get the whole Apple family together to bake enough food for those high-class ponies in Canterlot!”

“Congratulations,” Fluttershy whispered.

“Wait just a minute-”

“I bet even the Wonderbolts will be there to see me do the sonic rainboom!” Rainbow Dash suggested. The others vigorously nodded.

“Can you imagine how much publicity your boutique would get when we show off your dresses in front of all of Canterlot?”

“Oh, my!” Rarity swooned at the notion.

“My sister. Is getting married. In a castle! This is officially a fairy tale wedding!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everypony freeze!” The whole room fell silent. “I don’t think we’re going to the castle, you guys.”

“WHAT?!” Pinkie screeched, nose pressed to mine. I gently pushed her away.

“What? Why not?” Twilight interjected, puzzled and worried.

“I don’t know that I want our wedding to be publicized like that. Torchwood keeps saying how nice a quiet countryside ceremony will be. And to be honest, I agree. I don’t want a lot of big wig ponies sticking their noses into our affairs. This is our special day, not theirs. I just... you know... want to keep it private.”

“Acrylic, darling, consider what you’re giving up!” Rarity implored. “This is your chance to be recognized! To be married in the Palace for all of Equestria to see!”

“Exactly! I don’t want them all to see.”

“How could you not want them to see? You’re an artist, aren’t you? You make things for ponies to look at!”

“My weddding isn’t a painting, Rainbow. It’s the biggest day of my life! I just don’t want the whole world watching when I make that huge step. I want my closest friends with me, but no more.”

“I understand that,” Fluttershy nodded. “I don’t like lots of ponies watching me, either.”

“Well, I suppose it’s understandable...” Applejack rubbed her neck.

“But are you absolutely sure you want to give that up? It’s not often that the Princesses personally ask to oversee a wedding!” Twilight exclaimed.

“You’re right, Twilight. And I’ll talk it over with Torchwood, but don’t get your hopes up, okay? I want our wedding to be held where we decide, not where somepony else chooses. It’s our wedding, after all.”

“Okay, but you better make up your mind soon! I don’t like to keep the Princess waiting,” Twilight consented. I began to head out the door, a lot of new questions nagging at my mind. Nova rejoined Wild Flower, and Spike with Twilight to help finish cleaning up, but Blaze followed me. Mom stepped out of the crowd as well. She caught up to me on the cobblestone road.

“You did the right thing,” she assured, falling into step alongside us. “You should choose how your wedding is going to be managed. I don’t care if she is royalty. Princess Celestia can only make suggestions, she can’t organize your big day for you.”

“I know I made the right choice, but I can’t help but feel like I’m letting somepony down. Twilight’s right- how often do the Princesses personally request to conduct a wedding ceremony? And Rarity really wanted us to host it there.”

“But it isn’t their wedding,” she reminded. “If you and Torchwood are happy with a wedding right here in little old Ponyville, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is a decision for you two to make and yours alone.”

“You’re right,” I sighed. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re my daughter, Acrylic. I just want you to be happy.” We paused long enough for a mother-daughter hug. Art Life was just up the road.

“Well, time to see if our wedding plans changed,” I noted, making off for the familiar shop. “See you at dinner!”

“Canterlot Palace?” Torchwood repeated after me. He started pacing as soon as I brought out Celestia’s letter. I now offered it to him to confirm the message.

“That’s what it says.”

“Well... I suppose it’s a great honor...”

“But inadvertently insulting?” I finished.

“Exactly! I know the Princesses and I don’t see eye to eye after all that’s happened, but this is our wedding day. I don’t want them planning it for us.”

“Neither do I, Torch. And it’s only a suggestion. Nothing’s been written in stone. We can always decline.”

“But how do we decline something like this without sounding arrogant?” he sighed.

“I’m not entirely sure it’s possible...” I admitted, “but it’s worth a shot.”

“Where do we start?” he groaned, pacing again.

“Blaze? Take a note, please,” I called into the back. He was there in an instant, eager to begin his new assistant duties with quill and paper in claw. I noticed that it was a sheet from one of the many sketchpads in the room instead of a scroll, but he looked so proud I decided not to point out this mistake. He was still getting the hang of this whole secretary business.

“Her Highness, Princess Celestia,” Torchwood began.

“Is that too formal? Twilight always begins her letters with ‘Dear Princess Celestia.’” Blaze looked up, unsure what to write.

“Her Dear Highness, Princess Celestia?” he corrected. I looked to the floor with a nod to conceal the ensuing giggle. The scratching of pen to paper told us that Blaze was keeping up. “We are honored by your invitation, and greatly appreciate your thinking of us.”

“But, I’m afraid we cannot accept such a priveledge” I went on.

“That makes it sound like we’re disappointed in not being able to attend,” Torchwood argued. “I’m tired of lies. Just write, ‘I’m afraid we cannot accept,” he told our scribe. Blaze made a few edits to the message, and nodded when he was ready for us to go on. “We’re afraid this event has evolved from a personal celebration to a public spectacle. We wish to keep it a private event. So thank you, but respectfully, no.”

“Do you think we should invite them?”

“Invite the princesses?”

“They showed enough interest to try and invite themselves,” I pointed out.

“Alright. Your highnesses, of course, are still invited to attend,” Torchwood went on.

“Your... loyal subjects?”

“We don’t exactly have a spotless record in that respect,” Torchwood mused. “Your respectful subjects?”

“Good,” I approved.

“Your respectful subjects, Torchwood and Acrylic.”

“Can I send it now?” Blaze asked.

“Yes, Blaze.”

“I’ve never sent a letter to the Princess before,” he grinned, excitement gleaming in his eyes. “I hope it gets through okay.”

“It’ll be fine, Blaze,” I assured. With that, he whisked the scroll away in a burst of twinkling ruby red flame.

“Now what?” the baby dragon asked.

“Now we wait,” sighed Torchwood.

“In the meantime, the girls had some suggestions for the wedding.”

“And our parents are making plans for the engagement party I want to run by you.”

And so we finalized our flower choices, picked out stationary, chose the perfect archway for the ceremony, decided to hold the wedding itelf in Ponyville Park where we had our first date, and attended to all the last minor details. I’d been with the girls looking over decoration choices, but Torchwood was such close friends with Mr. Cake that he got to preview the food spreads. By the time we were finished, we still hadn’t gotten a reply, so Torchwood told me of the plans for the engagement party. Our parents were in charge of arranging most of that (though I heard they were consulting with the local party planner Pinkie Pie), so we didn’t have much work to do. It was almost another hour before a reply finally got through.

“Dear Torchwood and Acrylic,” Blaze read,

“Sister and I will respect your decision to remain in Ponyville. It is perfectly understandable, and I hope you do not think we were trying to intrude on your special day. However, I must bring to your attention that as the first thestral wedding in centuries, some ponies expect this to be an event to involve royalty. In this respect, might it be alright if I still conducted the ceremony? We both thank you for the invitation; I am happy to announce that Luna and I will both be attending regardless.

“Signed Princess Celestia.”

“She’s just not going to let up, is she?” Torchwood sighed.

“She does have a point, though,” I glumly pointed out. “Ponies are making expectations of our wedding. Those rumors we heard at the Hayburger are only going to spread as the big day gets closer.”

“You’re right,” he realized.

“And ever since the... incident... the princesses feel like they owe me- us- a debt. I already told you that they gave me an open house invitation to the castle anytime. They must think that this is another one of those little things they can do to ease their guilt.”

“You think this is some kind of peace offering?” I nodded.

“So in that case, how are we supposed to respond? Give into what they want or do what we want?” I asked, looking defeated. There was a long pause.

“Well... how bad could it be?”

“Come again?”

“What’s the worst that could happen if we let Celestia conduct the ceremony?” I opened my mouth in protest, but no words came out. I shut it again as I pondered this question.

“Well...”

“And, it would be rather interesting to be able to brag that we were married by royalty,” he weakly chuckled. I let a half-hearted smile show. That would be an interesting story to say the least.

“I guess... but who’s going to break the news to the mayor?”

“I will, if you like. But that pony practically worships the princesses- I’m sure she’ll have no problem stepping down for Celestia to take over.”

“If she’s alright with it... then I guess I am too.” Torchwood was right. After all, we were just going to have her conduct the ceremony, nothing more.

“Good. I’ll have a word with the Mayor Mare.”

“Shouldn’t we write back to the Princess first? They’d probably like to get an answer back right away.”

“Just tell them it’ll be fine,” he told me, pecking my forehead on his way out.

“Me?” He’d been so specific with the last letter that I almost couldn’t believe he was asking me to do this one myself.

“If you don’t mind,” he added, stopping in the doorway.

“No, that’s alright,” I replied, still slightly baffled. He smiled.

“Everything will turn out alright.” With that, he headed back out into town. I turned back to Blaze.

“You ready?”

“Hold on; I need to get another sheet of paper!” he dashed off into the studio for one. I smiled after him.

Chapter 27: A Great and Powerful Crash

Chapter 27
A Great and Powerful Crash

Life was going well. Business at the shop was steady, Torch was busy with his new apprentice, and I sensed that Blaze and the girls were really getting something out of their class, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

My friends were well, though Twilight had behaved a bit strangely around me as of late, sometimes offering to run errands or just acting overly-sweet. She often asked if there was anything I wanted to tell her, though I was always at a loss as to what she meant. Come to think about it, she’d been acting that way since the incident in Canterlot. I thought she was trying to stay on my good side after I snapped at her that day, though I must’ve apologized for it a thousand times. She insisted it was fine, but continued her sugary act. So I brushed it off and assumed all was well.

Now that life had slowed down a bit, Torchwood and I were finally able to sit down and have a good look at the book gifted to us by Current, the hippocampus. We tried to keep the research quiet at first, but it didn’t take long for most of Ponyville to learn that we’d been looking into the legend and lore. Thankfully, they shrugged it off as a new fascination the newlyweds had taken up pursuing together. After that, it became more of an open hobby.

The newspapers only brought more good news. It had finally been announced that Princess Essence had returned and now watched over the Everfree. Another article proclaimed that Celestia’s White Tail Woods construction project was now underway. When we had a slow day at the shop, Torchwood sometimes volunteered there. He came back with great reports about the sheer scale and majesty of the project, though he did say they were in dire need of volunteers. I was usually held up working or watching Blaze, but I did have the opportunity to help once.

I was just leaving the library with some books on old hippocampi legends and I happened to mention it. Twilight then chose that opportunity to have a weird moment and insisted it was far more important that I help her and Spike with something back in the Castle of the Two Sisters. I wasn’t going to agree until she suggested that it might be possible to find other books on hippocampi. That turned into a mini-adventure, as all the other girls had also come for some reason or another, and Pinkie managed to scare them all by pretending to be an old organist from myth. We did find an old diary from the two sisters, which inspired Twilight to start a journal of our own.

The other girls were finally beginning to notice her odd behavior too. Whenever we asked, she refused to provide an explanation. My concern for Twilight was beginning to weigh more and more heavily on my mind, and began to become a distraction during my art classes.

“Mrs. Acrylic? Mrs. Acrylic?”

“Uh, Acrylic? Hello?” Blaze waved an orange claw in front of my face, jolting me back to reality. The unfinished hippocampus painting before me came back into focus, but I looked down to my little dragon friend.

“Sorry, I must’ve phased out. What were you saying?”

“Glitter’s been trying to get your attention.”

“I told him it could wait; you were busy,” she apologized, ears flat.

“I’m glad he got my attention. I should be busy helping you. I’m sorry Glitter, what were you saying?”

“I finished.” She turned over her latest project back over to me. I was impressed. After only three classes, I saw improvement.

“You’re doing great, Glitter.”

“How’s mine?” Scootaloo proudly held up a new batch of scribbles. I was trying to come up with a polite and encouraging comeback when Apple Bloom rudely interrupted.

“What is that?”

“It’s the flower vase Acrylic set out for us. Duh.”

“It looks more like a moose,” Sweetie Belle contributed.

“Oh yeah? And what about yours? Yours looks like a... a...”

“Like a vase,” Apple Bloom smugly finished.

“Why, I oughta...” I swung around and caught her mid-jump before she could tackle her friend. I’d grown rather accustomed to their little bouts over the past month. I returned the pouting pegasus to her seat, letting her know with my eyes that this was her last warning. She grumbled in frustration, but turned back to the table and half-heartedly rolled a pencil along the tip of her hoof.

“Okay, now-”

“Uh, Acrylic? You might wanna take a look at this.” As it turned out, Blaze had never actually returned to his seat. He was standing on a stool by the window, urgently pointing outside. I made it to his side in a few quick steps, and looked where he was pointing. The entire wall was a window, but my view was inhibited because my sister had recently planted a hedge along the side of the road to give us a little privacy. Even so, I could see the top of a red-roofed wagon rolling far too quickly down the hill.

“No, no, no! Watch out! Runaway wagon! Somepony, help!” a vaguely familiar voice screeched. I didn’t have time to place it.

“You all stay inside,” I called back, already out the door.

I looked around for the escaping cart to see if I could help, only to have it collide with me head-on. It gradually bumped to a stop when my bulky form blocked it from rolling further. “Ow.”

“Oh, thank you! The Great and Powerful Trixie is very grateful for the retrieval of her wagon!” A light pink aura finally surrounded the cart, rolling it back a little further so I could get up.

“Trixie?!” I rolled over into the face of the blue unicorn who had made herself so unwelcome her last two visits. I’d only been present for her first stay, where her bark proved to be bigger than her bite. Twilight had shown her up and exposed her as a fraud in saving Ponyville from an ursa minor. Evidently, things hadn’t gone her way after that, because she returned to Ponyville a year or two later with the alicorn amulet. Using it made her powerful, but it also corrupted her, and she made Ponyville’s citizens miserable. Again defeated by Twilight, she’d been humbled to the title of ‘the Great and Apologetic Trixie.’ I’d been in exile when she returned a second time, and therefore had a far more pleasant memory of her than most. Even then I hadn’t really been upset; show business was tough, and she was trying to promote her act.

“Acrylic?” Her surprised purple eyes looked down on me with worry. “Are you alright?”

“Still in one piece,” I grunted. I allowed her to help me to my hooves, but almost tipped back over. “I think.”

“The Great and Apologetic Trixie deeply regrets having hit you with her cart!”

“That’s okay,” I dizzily tried to clear my head. “It happens.”

“Are you alright?”

“Uh huh.” By the way I teetered when I walked, she could tell that wasn’t true.

“Please allow Trixie to take you to the doctor!”

“I can’t leave my class,” I protested, turning back to the doorway. I thought I was home free when the doorway came up faster than I expected, and I ran right into the wall.

“Oh dear. This is Trixie’s fault! Come with me. I’ll walk you to Nurse Redheart.”

“Acrylic! Are you okay?” Blaze rushed out ahead of the girls as I rubbed my head.

“Fine.”

“You always say that. But you’re not fine- you just ran into the wall!”

“What happened?”

“I’m afraid she was hit by my cart.”

“TRIXIE?!” Sweetie Belle shrieked, jumping back.

“Ya got some nerve, showin’ up here again. Why, I oughta...” Blaze held her tail as Apple Bloom angrily tried marching off.

“Who is she?” Glitter quietly whispered to Scootaloo.

“Only the meanest pony alive!” the orange filly angrily buzzed.

“Not to mention a fraud!”

“And a bully!” Trixie’s ears flattened and she backed away with each insult.

“Girls! That’s enough. Where are your manners? That was a long time ago and she’s not like that anymore. And right now, she’s our guest, and I expect you to treat her as such.”

“But!”

“No ‘buts!’ Go on. Apologize to Miss Trixie.” The three sighed in defeat.

“Sorry Miss Trixie,” they all mumbled.

“Alright. Now let’s get back inside. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Blaze still need to finish their work.” The three original members of the CMC shuffled back inside, but Blaze lingered a moment longer, as did Glitter. She wasn’t sure what to make of the new mare that had aroused such heartfelt emotions from her friends. Her eyes shone with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

“I’ll get you some ice,” Blaze offered, also reentering the shop but turning for the kitchen.

“I’m sorry about the girls, Trixie,” I apologized, sidestepping the wall and finally (successfully) finding my way inside. “Would you like to come in?”

“Trixie appreciates the offer, but she really must be going. Are you sure you’re alright?” She was answered when I clipped the side of the table. Then she strode in as-a-matter-of-factly and led me to the back studio. “Girls, class is dismissed for today. I don’t think Acrylic is up to it today.” For once, I didn’t argue.

“Wonder who’s fault that was,” Apple Bloom hissed under her breath. I glared at her, and she obediently shut up and collected her things. Trixie eased me into one of the vacant chairs as Blaze returned with a small baggie of ice.

“Thanks, Blaze,” I smiled, taking it and gently pressing it against my temple.

“Bye, Mrs. Acrylic.”

“I hope you feel better.”

“See you next week, girls. And thanks for the help, Trixie, but really, I’ll be fine.”

“It’s the least I can do. Now, it’s Blaze, right? Where’s the kitchen? We should set a pot of tea on the kettle.” Blaze looked to me for direction.

“It’s alright, Blaze. But only if Trixie stays to have a cup with us.”

“Me?” She looked really and truly flabbergasted.

“As a thank-you for your help?”

“Well... if you insist. But first let me make sure my cart is secure this time!” She turned to hurry out the door, but found herself face-to-face with Glitter, the only remaining filly. “Didn’t you hear me? Class is dismissed.”

“I know. I’m waiting for Torchwood to come home. Is it okay if I stay here until he gets back, Mrs. Acrylic?”

“Sure, Glitter. Would you like a cup of tea, too?”

“Yes please!.”

“Blaze? Could you make that four cups?”

“You got it,” he called from the kitchen.

“I already checked your cart for you, Miss Trixie. It’s safe.”

“Is that so?” she disbelievingly raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah! Come look!” Glitter eagerly led her outside, hoping for approval. I peered out the door after them and noted that eight large stones had been placed under the wheels to keep it from moving, two per wheel. It wasn’t going anywhere.

“B-but... how did you-?”

“Mr. Torchwood’s been teaching me how to teleport stuff,” Glitter proudly announced. “So I just moved the rocks there for you! Is that okay?”

“Er, um, yes, that’s perfect. Thank you.” With this note of praise, Glitter happily bounced inside. Trixie took one look back at her cart before reentering the house. “Who exactly is this Torchwood?”

“He’s my husband. I don’t think you’ve met him,” I replied, gratefully taking a cup of steaming tea from my dragon. “Feel free to pull up a seat,” I gestured. Trixie carefully nudged a couple of stray papers out of the way before setting her teacup on the table.

“Oh, that’s right. I read in the paper that you’d been married. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Blaze hopped up into the seat next to me, still suspiciously eyeing Trixie. Glitter, on the other hoof, seemed to instantly warm up to our guest, and sidled up next to her. Trixie was finally beginning to wrap her head around the idea of somepony who didn’t absolutely despise her, and smiled back down at the beaming filly. When she turned back to me, I could tell it took a lot of effort to keep her eyes trained on my face, and not my wings. She’d been sneaking glances at them for a while now, still not used to seeing me with them.

“You aren’t mad, are you?”

“What reason would I have to be mad?” she exclaimed.

“You know, that I lied about my wings the first time you came around.”

“Oh, that. The Great and Powerful Trixie did mean to stare. Of course I’m not angry; I probably would have done the same. I’m just... surprised.”

“Well, you’re not the only one.”

“But Ponyville seems to be taking it well,” she pressed.

“Thankfully, the Princesses made the whole transition easy,” I agreed. “Not everypony is settled back in, but we’re getting there. Can’t complain. So, how’s life treated you after... you know...”

“Taking over Ponyville?” she ruefully finished. She blankly stared at her teacup. “Not exactly well. I left the rock farm, and with nothing left but my wagon, I tried performing again. Times are tough, I’m not going to lie. The only places I can earn even a little money are rural areas where the rumors haven’t reached them. Normally Ponyville would be the last place I visit, but with so many new faces, I thought it might be worth a try.”

“You’re a show pony?” Glitter gasped, eyes wide with fascination.

“I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria!” she announced, letting her ego temporarily take hold. She proudly looked out into the middle distance, head held high and chest puffed out in memory of the good old days. Then she sagged back into the seat as reality rudely set back in. “Or, at least, I used to be.”

“Wow,” the filly excitedly gasped. “Can you show me?”

“You want to see my show?” Trixie looked down at her in shock.

“Please?” Glitter begged.

“Why don’t you wait until Trixie’s show, Glitter?” I suggested. “After all, it wouldn’t be fair to all the other ponies if you got an exclusive preview.”

“Okay,” she disappointedly pouted. Then she perked back up a bit as a new thought crossed her mind. “When is your show, Miss Trixie?”

“Well, I was going to perform tonight in the square,” she replied, still in a bit of a stupor.

“Can we go? Please, please, pleeeaaaassseee, Mrs. Acrylic?”

“You’re going to have to ask your parents about that,” I chuckled.

“Okay!” she jumped out of her seat. “I’ll be right back!”

“Where are you going?” I laughed.

“To go ask them!” She was almost out the door when she nearly crashed into Torchwood and Twilight who were just entering.

“Whoa! What’s the rush, squirt?” Torchwood fondly ruffled her hair.

“I’ll be right back for my lesson, Mr. Torchwood! I have to go ask my parents if I can go see Miss Trixie’s show tonight!”

“Trixie?!” Twilight exclaimed, finally noticing my guest. “I thought that cart was familiar. What are you doing here?”

“It’s nice to see you too, Twilight,” Trixie ruefully sniffed. “Since you did me the courtesy of not banishing me the last time we met, I thought I might stop by and put on one last show.”

“I assumed that much. I mean what are you doing here with Acrylic?”

“Well, that’s a funny story, actually...” I dryly chuckled.

“There was an incident with my runaway wagon,” Trixie uneasily began.

“Acrylic got hit and we had to cancel art class!” Blaze offered.

“WHAT?!”

“Are you hurt?”

“It was a bump on the head,” I waved off Torch’s concern. When he saw that a measly ice pack was all that had been required, he let the matter drop. Twilight, on the other hoof, freaked out.

“Are you crazy? You have to go see a doctor! Come on, we’ll take you to Nurse Redheart.”

“I already offered to do that,” Trixie spoke.

“Then why isn’t she there? You need to be resting!”

“Whoa, Twilight, what’s the big deal? I’m fine. After a good night’s rest I’ll be as good as new.”

“At least let me do a quick scan,” she pleaded.

“Twi-”

“Honey? It couldn’t hurt.” Torchwood’s eyes begged me to go with it, if just to shut her up. I groaned in complaint but stood.

“Alright, alright. Fire when ready.” I felt the same tingling pass over me as when I caught Twilight casting her spell when we left Canterlot. Now that I was expecting the sensation, I could pinpoint exactly where she was checking. She thoroughly checked my head for concussion, then moved down my neck, left foreleg, right foreleg, my chest, but I noticed she lingered a little longer around my stomach region. Only then did she relax and give a little sigh of relief.

“Twilight? Is everything... okay?”

“Yep! Everything’s fine!” Her pink aura was extinguished, and she gave a very convincing expression of innocence. I was even more confused when she gave a little wink. “It’s like you said; a bump on the head. Get some rest, keep it on ice, and drink plenty of tea. You’ll be fine.” She gave a wide smile that creeped us all out.

“Good to know,” Torchwood slowly said, as though she might attack at the first sudden movement.

“Trixie is quite relieved,” the blue unicorn broke the tension. “I don’t know that insurance would have covered that medical bill.” We all laughed at her joke.

“Wait a second.” Twilight accusingly pointed a hoof. She then proceeded to invade Trixie’s personal space until they were nose-to-nose. “You said that your wagon ran away, but if that’s true, why didn’t you just catch it with your magic? After all, a feat like that should be a piece of cake for the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie.’ Were you trying to hit somepony? Then you could act all sorry and sappy and take advantage of Ponyville’s hospitality!”

“Twilight!” I burst, aghast at her wild accusation. “Trixie would never do that! Apologize!”

“Excuse me, Element of Forgiveness, but you’re not my mother. And you don’t know Trixie like I do. You weren’t here when she banished me and took over Ponyville.”

“Well, Element of Magic, maybe you’d prefer to settle things through another magic duel. At least Trixie’s trying to make up for what happened. And from what I understand, it wasn’t really her fault either. That was the amulet. So why can’t you just let the past stay in the past?”

“It seems to me like the past has a way of finding its way to the present.” She glared at my wings.

“Oh, you’re going there, are you Twilight? Real mature.”

“Ladies!” Torchwood thundered, breaking us apart. We were both steaming by then. “What’s gotten into you two? You both need to cool down.”

“I’m not the one who needs to-” Trixie nudged me from behind, breaking off my sentence. She cleared her throat and nodded to the corner where Blaze was huddled. He looked at me with scared wet eyes. My heart melted. I’d never raised my voice in front of him before. “Blaze... I didn’t mean...” He just scurried off to his bed in the other room. I looked to Twilight, who had also simmered down. We cast each other apologetic looks, but no formal amends were spoken. I just shame-facedly turned away and headed for the door.

“I’m going for a walk.”

“I better check on Blaze,” Torchwood offered.

“I should leave too. Goodbye, Trixie.” Twilight turned down the opposite road and trudged home.

“Acrylic?” Trixie called from beside her cart. I paused for a moment. “For the record, I didn’t mean to hurt anypony. A couple ponies stopped to call Trixie some rather obscene names. While I was distracted, I didn’t notice the cart rolling away. By the time I realized what happened, it was out of reach. I’m sorry. I’m just so, so sorry.”

“I know you didn’t mean to, Trixie. You don’t have to explain yourself to me, but thank you. And don’t listen to Twilight. She just can’t see that you’ve really changed, yet.”

“You can?” I glanced at my wings, then looked back to her.

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” She gave a half-hearted smile.

“And... thanks for standing up for me. I don’t think anypony’s ever done that for me before.” I just acknowledged her with a smile.

“Miss Trixie! Miss Trixie! My parents said I could go!” Glitter had taken off shortly after Twilight and Torchwood arrived, and now came bouncing back, out of breath and panting but no less excited.

“I’m glad to hear it,” the blue unicorn smiled.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Er, yes, um... the Great and Powerful Trixie must get ready for tonight’s show!” She didn’t want to let on to Glitter what had just transpired.

“Oh, okay. Mr. Torchwood promised to teach me more cool fire dancing tricks now. I’ll see you later!”

“Wait!” Glitter froze at the urgent tone. “Er... Mr. Torchwood is a bit busy at the moment. Why don’t you show me what he’s taught you while we wait for him?”

“Okay!” her eyes shone with glee. I smiled to myself from the top of the hill as I looked back over my shoulder. They looked so cute, playing in the grass without a care in the world. I wished I could trade places with one of them.

Chapter 45: Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

Chapter 45
Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic

“Torch? Blaze? Oh, for Celestia’s sake! Why is no one ever home?” I growled. Ever since Charcoal’s fire surge at the Cake’s, his powers had only gotten stronger. Usually, a thestral foal’s abilities would become less sporadic and powerful as they gained more control over it, but not Charcoal. Perhaps it was his dragon genes, or maybe he was just destined to be a fire dancer (his father was quite thrilled at this possibility), but at just two months, my son was going out of control. Even my parents found him a handful, as did Meteor and Rose. Wild Flower and I usually managed to wrangle the child, but she couldn’t stay every day. Torch always seemed to be at work, and since Blaze had discovered flight, there seemed no way to tie him down. He had gone off to visit his brother today, and there was no way I was going to let my friends assist with Charcoal’s surges flaring up as they were. I was unpracticed in the art of fire dancing, true, but even I should be able to put out the fire of a two month old baby.

“I’ll even take Heckley right about now,” I muttered, quenching the blue blaze on the dresser just for another one to spring up in the crib. An obligatory hiss sounded from beside me, and I realized that Heckley had indeed arrived to see how he could be of assistance. My scowl finally showed the hint of a smile. At least there was one I could always depend on. “Alright, Heckley, here’s what we’re going to do. You go around and try to distract him with some of his favorite toys. I’ve got to get these fires put out before he burns down the house!” Heckley responded with a dutiful nod of acknowledgement.

The snake was incredibly fast, and I only saw a blackish blur zip across the hardwood floor, nimbly picking his way through the maze of flames criss crossing the floor. I focused my efforts here to try and give him a clear path. I just had to be careful; sometimes instead of taking over Char’s fire, he’d take over mine, which only made the blaze bigger. But Charcoal seemed to realize that Heckley was nearby, and being rather fond of the snake, voluntarily gave up some of the fire that could be potentially dangerous. While he welcomed the visiting snake, he didn’t put the other fires out.

Heckley tried his best to offer toys in exchange for extinguished flames, but Charcoal wasn’t buying it. Heckley then left the cradle and wound up the dresser in search of a weightier peace offering. He sifted through the toys and supplies stored on top, and accidentally knocked over a stack of Rarity’s baby bibs (we hadn’t been using them because if he didn’t like the fit, he’d burn it off). Most of the stack bounced off the edge of the crib and onto the floor, but one found its way onto Charcoal’s head. With his vision obscured beneath the cloth, all fire went out. I felt about ready to wilt with relief when I realized we’d won, but then he began to cry.

“Char,” I groaned, wearily shuffling forward to tend to the foal. I lifted the bib off his head, which only made his screeches more ear-piercing. “Shh!” I tried bouncing him on my shoulder, offering his baby bottle, his binky, his ferret toy and even resorted to Pinkie’s method of peek-a-boo. Nothing worked.

“Why are you acting like this?” I exasperatedly sighed, almost ready to break down myself. “You wouldn’t do this if your father were home. Why can’t you behave for Mommy?”

“Uh, hello? Is anyone coming?” My heart dropped like a stone when I realized a customer had been ringing the bell downstairs for service. I hastily returned the wailing baby to the crib.

“Watch him, Heckley.”

“Ugh, it’s about time,” a rather snobbish customer growled as I rushed behind the counter. The mare waiting behind her didn’t appear to be in the best of moods, either.

“Sorry, I’ve been busy. So, is this all for you?” I began ringing up the merchandise placed on the counter as quickly as I could to make up for lost time. In my rush, though, I ended up dropping a box of colored pencils, and they scattered about the floor. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. Here, let me get you a different box, in case the leads broke.” She irritably rolled her eyes and audibly huffed, but said nothing when I worked my way back around the counter.

“You know, we could’ve just walked out with this stuff,” the mare behind her pointed out, obviously hoping for conversation for their wait. Unfortunately, that was something I wasn’t in a position to afford.

“Well, I’m sincerely glad you didn’t. Thank you for waiting,” I matter-of-factly replied, selecting an identical box of pencils from the shelf. She frowned, trying to formulate another approach to barter for a lower price. As I pushed back through the gate and resumed punching numbers in the register, the first customer gasped in horror.

“That’s the foal that almost killed Pumpkin!”

“The devil child?!”

“What?” I turned and realized that Charcoal had followed me downstairs, and Heckley was doing a pitiful job of herding him back. Finally accepting that blocking his path wouldn’t work, the snake wound around his body, hoping that if he pulled hard enough, he could steer Char back upstairs. Charcoal didn’t actually go anywhere, but Heckley was succeeding in tipping them both over.

“That thing is choking him!” one of the ladies shrieked.

“What kind of madhouse are you running?” the other agreed, thoroughly horrified.

“No, it’s not like that!”

“Don’t count on my service anymore,” the first one declared before charging out the door, dropping her would-be-purchase on the ground.

“Me either,” the second also abandoned her goods and stormed out. I felt like I’d been slapped in the face.

“Well, good riddance! I wouldn’t sell to you anyway! And NO ONE calls my son a devil!” I screamed. It was probably a very good thing they were out of earshot by now, because my tantrum was concluded with several remarks I’d have regretted if anyone else was listening. Actually, I wasn’t even all that sure of what I had said or done. The next thing I knew, I was curled up on the floor in a salty puddle of tears, trembling with anger and frustration. Heckley had given up on reigning in the baby altogether, and wove his way into my mane instead. The sensation brought back memories of the time we’d spent together in the Frozen North. He’d always been there when the world seemed to be crashing down, and this was no exception. The reassuring gesture put me a little more at ease, but even this couldn’t bring a real smile to my face.

“Hello? I’m home. What in Equestria-?” The bells jangled at the front door, and I recognized Torchwood’s voice. I shot up from my contorted position on the floor, anger renewed.

“Where have you been?” I accused, eyes blazing and ears flat. “Your shift ended hours ago!”

“What happened here?” he asked, completely ignoring me to better take in the chaotic scene before him. Books, pencils and brushes were strewn all over the floor from the ladies’ visit not long before. Between the mess and my crazed state, it must’ve looked like I’d completely lost it. “Did you do this?” he dazedly indicted.

“Do you really think I would trash my own shop?! Of course I didn’t do it, but you would know that if you’d come home after work!” His expression darkened to reflect my own anger.

“I see, so I’m under lockdown now?”

“Where were you? Off gallivanting with your pals again while I’m left to watch Charcoal all day by myself?”

“By yourself? Why wasn’t Blaze with you? Blaze?” he called out for the hatchling, just to be sure I wasn’t exaggerating.

“Oh, no. Don’t you bring Blaze into this. It’s not his job to take care of the baby, it’s ours. Why aren’t you ever home to take responsibility for your own son?”

“You want to talk about responsibility? I go out there every day and work my hindquarters off to keep food on the table!”

“Not as though Art Life wouldn’t provide enough as it is!”

“In this state I don’t think you can even call it a proper shop!” he countered, gesturing to the mess. We were both screaming by this point.

“I’m doing the best I can!”

“Well, you’re going to have to do better!”

“I can’t, Torchwood! That boy is out of control! Between Charcoal’s fire surges, unhappy customers, taking care of the house and teaching Cheerilee’s art class-” I froze as I realized I’d forgotten all about class today. Unfortunately, Torchwood read my mind.

“You didn’t go in to class today, did you?”

“I’d like to see you balance two jobs, household chores and a baby!” Behind me, Charcoal had obviously become fed up with our yelling by this point, because he contributed a yelp of his own, attracting his father’s attention.

“What’s the baby doing down here?”

“He’s down here because he feels like it. He won’t listen to me!”

“You’re his mother! You need to instill a little more discipline into him than that!” Torch crossly strode past me to tend to the baby himself. In his father’s arms, Charcoal finally stopped crying. I couldn’t take any more.

“FINE! I’d like to see you watch him for an hour!” I marched across the room, sure smoke was streaming out my ears.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s your turn to watch the baby,” was my only retort. Slamming the door behind me, I was finally gone.

I didn’t really know what to do next. I’d already cried myself dry. I nap on a nice, soft cloud far, far away sounded nice, but I soon realized that after a long day alone, I sought company rather than solitude. But which of my friends should I turn to? Mom would probably have marital advice, but I really didn’t feel like a lecture about how I shouldn’t yell at my husband. I already knew it was wrong, and felt bad, but I was still too angry to apologize. So who else would have sound advice on resolving family problems?

Applejack. The Apple family was so extensive that surely she’d run into a few spouts over her lifetime. With this destination in mind, I took to the skies.

“Well, howdy-do, Acrylic! What brings ya to the farm?” Granny Smith had opened the door.

“I was hoping to ask Applejack for some advice,” I admitted.

“Well, she’s gone down by the waterin’ hole with Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh to swim. I told ‘em I’d join ‘em in a bit, soon as I dug out my old aquapony duds! You’re welcome to tag along.”

“That’s okay,” I declined, not wishing to take her away from a fun family activity to dump all my problems on her. “Actually... you might be able to help, if that’s alright.”

“Me?” she looked surprised, perhaps because we didn’t often speak. But then her whole disposition brightened. “Well, I’d be pleased as punch! Take a seat!” She gestured to one of the rockers on the porch, and completely exited the house herself. I purposefully avoided the nearest one, as that was the rocker I always saw Granny in, and took a seat at the far end of the porch. “Now, what seems to be the problem, youngin’?” It took me a moment to actually work up the gumption to say anything.

“It’s my husband,” I confessed at last. Once I opened my mouth, however, I couldn’t seem to shut up. Granny listened intently, empathetically, compassionately the whole time I poured my heart out. I told her everything, about Charcoal’s stubbornness and desultory fire surges, about the overwhelming stress and responsibility being a mother had proved to be, and even about the vulgar, low, disrespectful behavior of those two customers this morning.

“This has been our third fight this month. I know kids put stress on the marriage, but this is getting out of hoof. I just can’t do it all anymore,” I concluded. “I feel like Torchwood’s never home. I know it was wrong of me to yell at him, but... I just... I feel...” I bit my lip and abandoned the thought for lack of proper words.

“Like the world’s collapsin’ ‘round ya and if ya gotta put up with another minute of that doggone husband o’ yours or the baby you’ll break?” Granny finished. I could only stare at her a moment. Those wouldn’t have been my exact words, but they relayed my thoughts perfectly.

“Exactly.”

“Oh, dearie, every mother feels that way at some point,” Granny sympathetically chuckled. “Believe me, I went through it twice, raisin’ my kids and then my grandbabies.” I just bowed my head in submissive agreement, not sure how to respond.

“So what do I do?”

“Well, I’m not so sure how you’d tackle a thestral colt,” she rubbed her chin. “He does sound like an awful handful.”

“I just don’t have the energy to keep up with him,” I agreed. “He’s turning my mane gray.”

“Say! I’m afraid I can’t help ya with your kid, but that’s somethin’ I can fix!” She got up and moved back inside.

“What, my mane? I refuse to use hair dye,” I called in after her.

“Good, good. I don’t like that stuff either,” she had something in her mouth, so the response came out a bit muffled. When she emerged again, Granny Smith offered me a bottle of some green fluid.

“What’s this?”

“The Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic!” she proudly presented, shoving the vial into my hooves. “Ever since I’ve been drinkin’ this, I feel as young, confident and spritely as ever! I ain’t even afraid of the water no more! If it worked for me, I’d betcha anythin’ it’ll smooth out them bags under your eyes.”

“Really?” I doubtfully raised an eyebrow and considered the tonic. “Didn’t the Flim Flam Brothers try to take over your farm the last time they were here?”

“Pfft! That was years ago!” she casually laughed, dismissing the matter as a trivial matter of the past. “They’re honest business ponies now! Try it! This here tonic is Granny Smith tested and Applejack approved, after all.”

“Applejack says it works?”

“Absolutely!”

“Well... that’s good enough for me.” Trusting in the Element of Honesty’s judgement, I uncorked the bottle and took a swig. It was strangely tangy flavor that reminded me a bit of apples, but perhaps that flavoring was just an ode to the Apple family sponsors.

“Oh, go ahead and down the whole thing, sugar cube,” Granny winked. “We got plenty to spare!”

“If you say so.” I shrugged and sucked down the rest of the solution.

“And? How do ya feel?” she prompted. It worked that fast? I considered the question a moment, mentally running a diagnostic on myself. Now that I thought about it, the troubles and stress of the day didn’t seem to matter so much.

“Better,” I decided. “Much better, actually! Thank you, Granny Smith!”

“Glad I could help,” the elder pony grinned. “I guess you’d better get back to it ‘fore the tonic wears off. Best of luck!” I bolted off the porch with renewed energy to begin the return trip home.

“I don’t know what you were whining about. He’s been fine the whole time,” Torch rigidly commented as I returned home.

“You know what? I’m not even going to argue with you.”

“That’d be a first.”

“Now who’s whining?” He clenched his jaw and moved on to the next room. I stopped by the nursery just to see how Charcoal was, and found him asleep. Spirits soaring ever higher, I quietly shut the door and returned downstairs. The nursery had been tidied up, but the lobby had not. I quietly began picking up the mess, wishing not to provoke my husband. Though he was just on the other side of the doorway reading the newspaper, neither of us spoke.

“Is Blaze coming home for dinner, or should I put something together?” after the nerve-wracking eternity of five minutes, he shattered the silence.

“I don’t know. He’s been spending a lot of time with his brother lately... you might want to write him and find out.”

“How will he respond? He doesn’t carry paper and pen on him at all times like Spike.”

“He’s smart. He can just use the back of your paper.”

“And the pen?”

“Send one with the letter,” I shrugged. He got up to fetch the supplies without another word. I released a breath I wasn’t aware I’d been holding. I heard a puff from the back room, and Torchwood shortly returned to his paper. The letter had been sent.

I finished picking up the mess, and even went as far as to dust the shelves and sweep the floor. If I couldn’t put the tonic’s energy to use caring for the baby, at least I could still do something constructive. And at least now Torch couldn’t complain that it didn’t look like a ‘proper shop’. I heard the quiet eruption of fire, and the crinkling of paper as Torchwood unrolled the scroll. I put the broom away to wait for the final verdict.

“What’d he say?”

“He said, ‘Sorry, lost track of time. Coming home now’.”

“He’s just now on his way? It’s getting awfully late.”

“I’ll just go pick up takeout from the Hayburger. If you can handle Charcoal on your own, that is.” I glared at the jibe, and returned it with my ‘challenge accepted’ look.

“We’ll be fine,” I muttered through gritted teeth. I wasn’t sure if he’d heard me, but he was already in the process of grabbing his saddlebags. He left without so much as a glance back.

Determined to prove my capability, I strode back into the kitchen to set the table. We could at least use proper plates with the fast food. I heard Charcoal rousing upstairs, so I hurried up rather than wait for him to start crying for me. He seemed to be in a far more pleasurable mood when he woke, and greeted me with light gurgling. I hadn’t quite finished downstairs, and still bent on confirming my own worth, I went ahead and placed Charcoal in the highchair. I knew he didn’t like the thing, so before he could protest, I provided a little white torch on the tabletop to entertain him. I usually reserved fire dancing as a last resort to counter his fire, so the freely provided fire came as a pleasant surprise.

“No bigger than that, Charcoal, I mean it,” I warned, fishing a jar of applesauce out of the refridgerator. Charcoal just laughed, and I felt my hold on the flame vanish as he took it over. When I turned around, I found the flame about the same size as I’d allowed. Rather impressed with his good behavior, I nodded in satisfaction.

I felt like I still had some energy left from that tonic, and with the baby occupied and the table set, I decided to get caught up on some paperwork. After all, it couldn’t hurt to come back to school with a peace offering after missing today without giving Cheerilee so much as a heads up. I deposited the saddlebags reserved solely for the school in one of the empty chairs, pulled out a couple of papers, the gradebook, along with a red pen, and got to it. I periodically looked up to check on Charcoal, but he was still entertained, so we each minded our own business and got along fine.

“So... sorry,” Blaze panted, the door slamming open as he tripped inside. “Lost track of... time. Only meant... to stay... an hour.”

“Well, I think you overshot it a little. It’s already seven,” I calmly pointed out, not even looking up from the papers.

“I’ll start dinner,” he hastily offered, as though this would make up for staying out.

“That’s alright. Torchwood already went out to pick up takeout from the Hayburger,” I informed.

“He did?” he sounded slightly disappointed.

“We didn’t know when you’d be back.”

“Charcoal! Don’t play with that!” Blaze noticed for the first time that Charcoal was tampering with a blue tongue of flame.

“It’s okay, let him play.”

“Uh... sorry, could you say that again? Because it sounded like you said to let him play with it.”

“Yes, I did.”

“But for a whole month, I’ve heard nothing but ‘don’t play with that,’ and ‘no fires, Charcoal!’ Now, just like that, it’s okay?”

“He isn’t hurting anything right now. If it gets out of hoof, I’ll put it out.”

“You feeling okay, Acrylic?”

“Actually, I feel better than I’ve been in a long time,” I almost laughed.

“What’s different?” he grinned, hoisting himself up into the seat beside Charcoal.

“I went to talk to Applejack today, just to visit,” I added a little too quickly, covering up the fact that Torch and I had been fighting again. He shot me a queer look to tell me he wasn’t buying it. “Anyway, I ended up having a nice conversation with Granny Smith. She introduced me to a tonic she’s been taking to give her some energy back. It seems to be helping.”

“Well, it must be doing something, ‘cuz you’ve sure been acting different. Good different, but different. I mean, all last month you and Charcoal were just about at each others throats, but today I walked in the door and you’re getting along just fine! How crazy is that?”

“Order up,” Torchwood gingerly held the door open while trying not to drop the bag of food.

“I got it,” Blaze slid out of his seat to get the door.

“Welcome back,” Torchwood somehow juggled the food to ruffle the hatchling’s spines. I put the papers away to clear space on the table. Blaze and Torchwood unloaded the bags, and I distributed it equally among the plates.

“Charcoal, it’s time to put that fire out, now. We have to eat,” the boy’s father instructed, putting out the flame with a mere flash of his own orange and green. Charcoal began to tear up at the rude extermination of his toy, but knew he was no match for his father.

“Hey, Charcoal, what’s this?” Blaze tried to distract him with a spoon of applesauce before he became too distressed.

“So what did Garble have to say, Blaze?” I asked, taking the first bite of my hayburger.

“The usual,” he shrugged. “Gilda was there. She’s actually pretty cool when she’s not trying to rob everyone blind. They’re all still eager to meet Charcoal, though.”

“And they’re all still welcome to come here.”

“Acrylic, maybe it’s time we let him go,” Torchwood suggested.

“These aren’t ponies, Torch, they’re dragons.”

“We’ll be gentle,” Blaze vowed.

“And besides, if he can hold his own against you, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Face it, Acrylic. You can hold your own in a whole flock of dragons, but you couldn’t wrangle your own child,” Torch light-heartedly chuckled. I, however, wasn’t taking it so lightly.

“I can now,” I argued. He dubiously raised an eyebrow.

“Really? You can turn things around just like that?”

“Granny Smith gave her a tonic to give her more energy,” Blaze explained.

“I see,” he laughed.

“It works,” I insisted. “Granny Smith tested it, and even Applejack approves.”

“Is that so?”

“Granny said after taking it, she’s even swimming again. You know how terrified of the water she was before. Said she’s felt younger than she ever has.”

“I don’t care what kind of tonic it is- no potion can make old ponies young again. Where did she get it, again?”

“The Flim Flam brothers.”

“The Flim-” Torch almost choked on his food laughing. “The twins that tried to jip the Apples out of their farm? You really think their tonic is going to give you more energy? Acrylic, I really think you’d be better off taking an extra cup of coffee.”

“Are you calling Applejack a liar?”

“I didn’t say that-”

“But you don’t believe her, either,” I narrowed my eyes.

“I’m just wondering if she has all the facts.”

“It’s Applejack! She wouldn’t risk her reputation and give it her stamp of approval if she wasn’t sure.”

“Hey, could someone pass the ketchup, please?” Blaze interrupted, feeling another fight coming on. I never looked away from Torchwood as I reached for the bottle. “Thanks.”

“I’m not really hungry.” I put the remainder of the barely-touched-sandwich in the fridge and dumped my dishes in the sink. I was just going up to the bedroom to sulk, but the tonic must’ve worn off, because I didn’t wake up until morning.

Chapter 51: Rainbow Power

Chapter 51
Rainbow Power

“Well... what about Princess Essence? Do you think she could help?” Still waiting and trapped in our bubbles, we had plenty of time to try and conjure up escape plans.

“Probably. She is an extremely powerful destral princess. Unless Tirek’s already gotten to her, too?” We all looked at Discord for confirmation. He dismissively waved a paw.

“No, no, I don’t think he even knows about her yet. She never came up in conversation, anyway.”

“Why should we trust anything he says?” Rainbow groaned. “He already sold us out. For all we know, he could be spying for Tirek right now! What if that ‘betrayal’ thing was all an act?”

“Rainbow Dash, I don’t approve of what he’s done either, but I think he’s telling the truth this time,” Fluttershy quietly sighed.

“Okay, back to Princess Essence. How do we contact her?”

“WE CAN’T!” eight irritated voices shouted back.

“There has to be some way to warn her!”

“I think the ground shaking under Tirek’s weight will be enough,” Rainbow jibed.

“We are kinda right on her doorstep,” Applejack pointed out. “She’ll probably catch on herself.”

“Let’s hope,” I sighed, folding my hooves and leaning against the bubble.

“We’ll get out of this,” Torchwood assured beside me. I smiled and rolled over to face him. I pressed my hoof to the barrier.

“Together,” I agreed. He reached out to touch my hoof, but was inhibited by the bubble.

“Whoa!”

“Hey!” I flipped back around to see a bright light welling up in the middle of all our bubbles.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Tele-” Discord didn’t get a chance to finish before we were instantly whisked away. “-port.”

Unlike most teleports I’d undergone, we seemed to exist in some sort of white void for a moment before flickering back into existence above Tirek. Twilight was also down below, facing off with the centaur. We appeared to have interrupted their showdown, for she looked almost as tired and beat up as the surrounding terrain.

“Their release for all the alicorn magic in Equestria,” Tirek demanded. Now I understood what he needed us for. We were nothing but bargaining chips in his eyes. “What’s it going to be?”

“Don’t do it, Twilight!”

“You can’t!”

“We’re alright, sugar cube!”

“Don’t worry about us!”

“Charcoal.” My voice came out as a croak. Though I realized it was completely unreasonable for her to give Tirek the one thing that could make him unstoppable, There was an innocent child- my child!- at stake here. “Charcoal!” I cried again, more loudly this time. He had stopped crying, and was curiously looking down at the world from this new perspective. It would have been adorable under different circumstances.

“We aren’t worth it,” Fluttershy quietly wept.

“Oh, but you are, Fluttershy,” Discord quietly spoke. “You’re the pony that taught me friendship is magic. I had magic and friendship... and now I don’t have either.”

“ENOUGH! I want an answer, and I want it NOW!” We all held our breath as Twilight considered the offer. Meanwhile, I prayed for a miracle, if just to save my son. After an eternity, Twilight finally spoke.

“I will give you my magic in exchange for my friends,” she boldly proclaimed. The rest of us gasped in shock, astonishment, and in my case, relief.

“As you wish,” Tirek triumphantly chuckled. With a snap of his fingers, our bubbles dropped to the ground and popped. Luckily, my bubble popped just before Charcoal’s, giving me just enough time to leap out and catch him. Torchwood also rushed over, and embraced the two of us. The baby gurgled happily upon finally seeing his father again. When we looked around to make sure everyone else was alright, it was noted that Discord had not yet been released. He kept his back turned and refused to look at any of us, hunched over in his tiny bubble.

“ALL of my friends,” Twilight demanded again.

“After the way he has betrayed you, you still call him a friend?” Tirek exclaimed.

“RELEASE HIM!”

“If that’s what you want...” With one last snap, Discord was brought crashing back to the ground.

“Thank you, Twilight,” Discord humbly said. Then he turned back to Fluttershy. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” I sighed. Even Fluttershy had forgiven him... or at least I thought she had. I gave Charcoal over to Torchwood and marched over to the draconequus. He seemed to know that he was about to endure my wrath, put presented no opposition. I lifted a wing and roughly cuffed him behind the ear. He took the blow without so much as a whimper, accepting it as just punishment for his crimes. What he wasn’t expecting was for me to pick him up and practically drape him over my shoulder in a hug.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” I lovingly scolded. It took a moment before he returned the hug.

“I won’t.”

“Your turn,” Tirek greedily growled, targeting Twilight with his magic. The power was ripped right from her horn

“Yah....aaah....aaaAAAaaah!” the princess quietly whimpered, trying not to complain too much in order to hold up her end of the deal.

“Twi,” I tearfully shuddered. Torchwood’s wing curled around me once more, and I took refuge in his presence. At last, the blank-flanked Twilight toppled, tiredly blinking dull, lifeless gray eyes.

“REAH.... RAAAAAAAAAH!” Tirek bellowed, springing to twice, no, thrice his previous size upon acquiring the most powerful magic in Equestria. Tirek was no longer concerned with us, and we were now free to check up on our friend.

“Twilight,” Spike gently helped up his friend. “What were you thinking?!”

“Tirek tricked me into thinking he could offer me something more valuable than friendship,” Discord remorsefully admitted. “But there is nothing worth more. I see that now. He lied when he said this medallion was a sign of his gratitude and loyalty, but when I say that it’s a sign of our true friendship, I am telling the truth.” Discord carefully, even ceremoniously lifted the medallion back over his head, and draped it around Twilight’s neck.

“Ya think that might be the last one we need?” Applejack wondered.

“Last what?” Torch whispered. I giggled.

“Fill you in later.”

“We have to get to the chest,” Twilight directed. She took the lead, and the rest of the group charged after her.

“You should get Charcoal to a safe place,” I advised.

“And what about you? Are you just going to run off into danger again?”

“I don’t have a choice. Equestria is depending on this.”

“We’re a family. We’ll get through this together,” Torchwood took my hoof. “And after this is all put behind us, we’ll go back for Blaze and be whole again. Alright?”

“I don’t want Char anywhere near that Tirek,” I insisted.

“Don’t worry. We’ll hang back and show Charcoal what a brave, tough, monster-fighting-pro his mama is. Right, pal?”

“Ma MA!” he clapped. I giggled, and pressed my nose to his.

“Okay. But be safe.” I took off at top speed to catch up, and Torchwood kept us in sight but had to keep a slower pace for Charcoal’s sake.

I ended up taking the lead through the Everfree simply because I knew it so well. I vaguely noticed how unnaturally quiet the place seemed. Princess Essence’s doing or Tirek’s? Either way, it unsettled me. And speaking of the destral princess, where was she?

Though I had taken the lead, we all entered the Tree of Harmony’s hidden gorge about the same time. Unfortunately for us, this almost caused a pile-up when I had to make a sudden stop. The destral princess, mane still flowing and radiating with power, stood at the base of the steps.

“Princess?”

“Hello, Princess Twilight and friends. It is good to see you again.”

“Princess Essence!” Twilight pushed her way to the front of the pack to formally greet her fellow princess. “You’re alright!”

“Thestrals were ‘extinct’ by the time Lord Tirek and his brother first attempted to steal Equestrian magic,” Essence explained. “I do not believe he knows I exist. I have managed to remain hidden here under the safety of the tree.”

“Thank goodness he hasn’t gotten to you, too. He’s already taken all the alicorn magic in Equestria. Who knows what he would do with destral magic too!”

“Indeed.”

“Is destral magic as strong as alicorn magic?” Rarity asked.

“Can you defeat Tirek?” Dash added.

“No, no,” Essence sadly shook her head. “Even I cannot match the equivalent power of four alicorns.”

“But you’re connected to the Tree of Harmony! That’s the most powerful known magic!”

“Is it?” Essence lifted an eyebrow. She gracefully turned, and regally walked with us to the chest. “I am connected to the Tree, yes, but the Tree is also connected to the Elements, which are connected to you. We all share it’s power.”

“So what you’re sayin’ is that we all gotta work together to defeat this guy?”

“In a way, I suppose you could say that, Applejack,” the princess mused. “You must all work together to defeat Lord Tirek.”

“It’s up to us?” Pinkie exclaimed. “Gee, no pressure or anything!”

“The Tree of Harmony does possess powerful magic,” Essence laughed, “but I can only tap into a small portion of this power. Only you can unleash enough power to stop Tirek once and for all.”

“With the magic of friendship!” Twilight’s eyes widened.

“Exactly,” Essence beamed. The ground trembled above us as Tirek continued rampaging. We all nervously looked up as the walls began to crumble, Essence included. “Hurry, now. There is no time to lose.”

“What about you?” We watched in stunned horror as Princess Essence rushed out the way we’d just come in.

“I cannot unleash the power of friendship myself, but I can use the Tree’s power to buy you some time. Come, Jasper, with me!” As I’d seen her do once before, her wooden armor disassembled to become a fearsome timberwolf. It snarled in defiance and charged after her, willing to do anything for its master.

We hurried to the chest as Essence had instructed, Torchwood, Charcoal, Discord and Spike, as promised, keeping their distance. Twilight held Discord’s amulet up to the chest, where, like the rest of our trinkets, was accepted and transformed into a gleaming golden key. Twilight proudly looked it over before the battle above caused her to regain focus.

“Together! I think we have to do this together,” she proclaimed. With affirmative nods from all around, we all stepped up, gripped our keys, and simultaneously turned them. The chest began to hum and glow, and finally fired off a pale rainbow... almost. As a stickler for color, I noticed with some confusion (and mostly irritation) that the colors were off. This wasn’t a genuine spectrum! Purple, blue, -GRAY AND WHITE?!- yellow, orange, and pink all made up this imposter rainbow. How was gray or white even possible? Granted, upon closer examination the gray did appear to have a tint of blue to it, but it was still too dull to be included in a rainbow. These were neutral colors, really considered not a color at all by some. As an artistic pony, I’d sometimes been teased about having a gray coat as a filly...

My coat color.

Rarity’s coat color.

Fluttershy’s coat color.

Applejack’s coat color.

Pinkie Pie’s coat color.

Rainbow’s coat color.

Twilight’s coat color.

They each made up a stripe of the rainbow shooting from our chest. Don’t tell me that’s coincidence.

The ‘rainbow’ arched over to the tree, striking right in the center of the Element of Magic at the heart of the tree. From there, the power seemed to flow right through the branches, interconnecting to all of our minor elements. In turn, the power from our elements shot out as beams of light to each of us. I felt new power being restored to my body, and welcomed the invigorating energy.

Wait, too much energy!

My body became so full of the current that it was being overtaken. I became the energy! Reduced to a pulsing orb of glowing light, we all felt ourselves being sucked into another one of those mysterious voids, not unlike the one Essence had used to switch us back to our rightful bodies or Tirek’s odd teleportation method. Even magical bubbles surrounded us againn. Only, instead of the fear and confusion inflicted by Tirek, we all felt safe, reassuring vibes, perhaps from the Tree itself. Surrounded in a blue-ish gray orb, I let the magic run its course, reworking me, transforming me. When I opened my eyes again, my friends and I had all rematerialized into solid forms, but looking completely different than before. Everypony else had streaks of new color in their hair, often the twisted-rainbow color scheme but not always. Feathered wings had been decorated with new layers of color, accessories had been upgraded, and our hooves were decorated with the most interesting markings. Even our cutie marks had been enhanced; three-part cutie marks had been consolidated to one large mark and accented by tiny symbols.

I was no exception. Though I had no feathers, white, fiery patterns adorned the edges of my wing membrane and my hooves, though the flames were outlined with a blue glow (I again noticed fire rather than paint). My mane had not only grown longer, but was now streaked with large stripes of white and accented with smaller strips of orange to add a pop of color. My white hair ties had been upgraded to silvery-blue ribbons with extra-long, free-flowing tail ends. Even my beloved beret gifted to me by Rarity had been enhanced; it lost not only the plaid pattern but the worn, fuzzy texture altogether, replaced by a silky, new-looking royal violet hat. Though my cutie mark hadn’t really changed much, give for a few extra paint platters and a glowing blue backdrop.

Meanwhile, Twilight had gained sparkling, star-spangled hooves ever so faintly dipped in pink, and a few extra twinkling lights in her cutie mark. Her wings were striped with bold layers of pink and purple, and seemed to have increased slightly in size. Her mane was long and flowing, striped yellow, pink and purple.

Rainbow Dash’s mane and tail both were wild and free, blown back like some sort of gigantic rainbow lightning bolt. Indeed, multicolored bolts lined her dark blue tinged hooves, cutie mark, and even the corners of her eyes. Her wings were now layered with the entire spectrum of colors, red at the interior and gradually making its way to purple.

Rarity’s mane grew as well, but had also gained three additional layers of curls. Four were now stacked atop one another draping down her neck, and the big one arching over her eyes had merely increased in size, now with pink, blue, and yellow stripes running down the middle. Blue, purple and yellow gems bedazzled her ankles with one by her eye as well.

Applejack’s blond hair gained red and pink stripes, had filled out a bit, and was now tied with shiny green ribbons. An apple button decorated her favorite stetson, which also looked to be in better condition. Her hooves were red-tipped and speckled with apples.

Fluttershy looked more beautiful and graceful than ever, with a full flowing mane of pink, purple, bold teal, light blue, and orange. She was positively covered in butterflies, all over her legs and flanks. Her hooves were just barely edged in pink, as were her wings, though an interior layer of feathers was outlined in teal.

Lastly, wild Pinkie Pie’s mane had exploded into a pink, blue, orange and yellow mess, partially contained by a new hair clip. It resembled a blue ribbon with a yellow star in the middle. Her hooves were tinged yellow, which made pink and blue balloons stand out a little better.

The magic was still keeping us airborne, but now that the transformation had been completed and unlocked our full power, we finally rose into the sky. The energy pulsed around us like unbreakable protective shielding. Tirek sure wanted to put this to the test, however. Upon spotting this new opponent, he immediately lost interest in blank-flanked Essence, who was mourning her shattered timberwolf, and concentrated his fire on us. It didn’t even put a dent to our shield.

“How is this possible? You have no magic!” he angrily, perhaps even nervously cried.

“You’re wrong, Tirek! I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all!” Twilight began to harness our full power, unleashing it one beam at a time. The seven threads latched onto Tirek, and finally drew taught to recreate a replica of the ‘rainbow.’ By the way he grunted and growled and even began to shrink, I could only assume he was getting a taste of his own medicine. At last, the power imprisoned him in a cell not unlike the one we had been caged in, and banished him back to his rightful place in Tartarus.

The girls and I all exchanged mutual grins of success, pride and sheer joy. We were somehow tied into the Tree’s magic both physically and mentally, and it was like I could feel what the Tree planned to do next. In order to restore harmony and power, it would emit a pulse strong enough to send us all across Equestria so we could return Tirek’s stolen magic to their rightful owners. As I would know best how to restore thestral abilities, my work would be focused around the Everfree.

The pulse was quickly building enough energy to send us off. But first, I beamed down to my husband, who foolishly smiled back. I waved him up.

“Come on!”

“Me? I-I don’t think I’m supposed to-”

“Oh, come on! The Tree won’t mind!” I swooped down to grab his hoof just before the pulse sent us off.

“Whoa!” As soon as the pulse washed over him, Torchwood’s cutie mark returned, and he was able to sail along through the sky beside me. Charcoal straddled his neck, and laughed hysterically as the wind fluffed his mane. We first whizzed past Essence, who proudly beamed on as the magic repaired Jasper.

I was supposed to be restoring peace and harmony, and I did feel the Tree’s power flowing through my body, but I was too preoccupied with my husband to really notice. We soared, childishly spinning and frolicking through the sky, playing with Charcoal and giving him his first taste of flight. He loved it. It felt so good to have Torchwood back, nothing else mattered.

But all good things must come to an end, and the Tree eventually summoned us back, landing us all right back where we started. Everyone exchanged nods of satisfaction over a job well done. Yet, the magic had not yet completely run its course. The unlocked chest rumbled and shook, emitting one last ‘rainbow’ that burst through the roof and carried the chest with it.

“Where’s it going?”

“Well, come on, y’all! Let’s get on after it!” Applejack was rearing to go, but it was a magical teleport that caught us up to the relocated chest rather than our own hooves or wings. Finally having successfully completed our mission, harnessing the tree’s power was no longer required, and in a shimmer of energy, our transformations were lifted. I was regular old Acrylic again.

The teleport had landed us in front of an enormous castle on the edge of Ponyville no one remembered seeing before. The architecture was very closely based on that of a tree, with massive, twisting roots and branches supporting the rooms. The trunk almost appeared crystalline, with a giant spire that resembled Twilight’s cutie mark proudly standing in the back.

“Sweet Celestia! Are you all seeing what I’m seeing?” Rarity exclaimed.

“But... whose is it?” Twilight wondered.

“I believe it is yours, Princess Twilight.” Princess Celestia appeared behind us, accompanied by Luna, Cadance, Essence, Jasper, Spike, and even Discord.

“Wowie zowie! A castle all to yourself?!” Pinkie burst. “THIS IS SO EXCITING!”

“I’m sure you are as eager as we are to see the interior,” Luna prompted, taking a few steps forward.

“Indeed,” Essence concurred, donning Jasper as armor once more before proceeding.

“O-of course,” Twilight agreed, still getting over the fact that she now had a castle to herself. Torchwood and I both chuckled before following after them, still walking hoof-in-hoof.

“You’ve been wondering what you are meant to do as a Princess,” Celestia began as we wandered the huge and mysterious halls. “Do you know now?”

“As princess, I believe I have the power to spread the magic of friendship across Equestria. That is the role I am meant to have in our world! The role I choose to have! But I didn't defeat Tirek on my own- it took all of us to unlock the chest!” Twilight gratefully teleported back to the center of us, and we pressed close in a group hug.

“Then it is unlikely you are meant to take on this task alone.”

“Wowee!” Pinkie gasped. Celestia opened the doors to what couldn’t have been anything but the main throne room. Seven regal-looking chairs ringed the center of the breathtaking chamber. The best part was, we all had our own throne, marked by the cutie mark embellished upon it. There was a small, unmarked seat beside Twilight’s, most likely reserved for Spike. The one with my symbol above it was actually two seats conjoined, designed to seat myself as well as my husband. We all giddily trotted in to try them out for size.

“You are now Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship. But what is the princess of friendship without her friends?” Twilight spotted Discord still lingering outside, and dragged him over with her levitation spell. He grinned, and embraced us all.

“Wait a minute, where's my throne?”

“I don't think you're quite there yet,” Fluttershy gently, almost jokingly reminded. He took the comment lightly and chuckled along with her.

“Yes, well, I suppose not.”

“See? We told ya everything’d turn out alright,” Rainbow smugly knocked my shoulder. Torchwood leaned closer in agreement.

“We’re not quite finished, yet,” I gently nudged him off. He caught on immediately.

“Blaze.”

“Finally!” Spike threw his claws up. I giggled.

“Hey, Twilight? Would you mind tagging along for this one?”

“Me?”

“Just in case we need another transformation spell. I kind of promised to shred a certain dragon if he got too rough with the boys again.”

“Bran?” Torchwood’s eyes widened.

“He cuffed Garble a little too harshly for my taste.” Torchwood’s expression darkened to a fierceness even I’d never seen before. Twilight nervously giggled.

“By the looks of things, it looks like you’ve got everything under control.”

“So? Wanna go to the Lava Geysers?” Clump boredly suggested.

“Nah. We went there yesterday.” Fizzle tossed yet another pebble out into open space.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Garble huffed.

“Yeah, I don’t hear you coming up with any ideas,” Vex agreed.

“There’s a cool spot up on Foal Mountain we could check out,” Gilda suggested.

“Too far,” Blaze complained. The lot were lounging around the same spot I’d found them last time, bored out of their minds.

“Want to come home?” I landed lightly in their midst, Torchwood gliding easily beside me. Blaze’s face lit up.

“YOU’RE BACK!” He practically tackled Torchwood, and it was all he could do not to topple. Thankfully, I carried Charcoal, and was able to watch from a safe distance. Tears of joy streamed down Blaze’s cheeks.

“That’s right, I’m back, Blaze. For good, this time.” I didn’t notice Garble had walked up behind me until I received a sharp cuff to the ear.

“Ow! What the-”

“That’s for splitting up in the first place.” He sternly crossed his arms. I readjusted Charcoal and rubbed my head.

“Well... fair enough, I guess.” Then he threw his arms around my neck.

“And... that’s for keeping your promise. Thanks.” I happily tucked him under my free wing.

“I have to look out for my boys, don’t I?”

“What do you say, Blaze? Will you come back home with us now?” Blaze looked up to Torchwood, then back to me.

“No more fighting?”

“No more fighting,” I vowed.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly...”

“Stick a cupcake in my eye,” we both finished together. Blaze’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Good enough for me!”

“Well, it was good having you, Rookie,” Clump clapped a claw on the younger dragon’s shoulder.

“But I guess it wasn’t the place for you after all,” Pierce finished.

“Yeah. Thanks, guys. And girl,” Blaze hurriedly added. Gilda laughed.

“See ya ‘round, squirt,” she playfully bumped him.

“You take care of those three, alright?” I realized Garble was talking to Charcoal. The baby shifted to dragon form for him without having to be told, and Garble touched their fists to seal the deal.

“Garble? Boys? Where are you? Oh, it’s you again. Didn’t I tell you to scram?” Bran’s huge form lumbered over to the boys’ hideout. Torchwood whipped around to the dragon who had allegedly struck his adopted son.

“Bran,” he viciously growled.

“Another one?” the orange beast exasperatedly sighed. “One was enough. Get out of here, and stop pestering my boys. This is no place for ponies.”

“They might be yours by blood, but if you ever mistreat my boys again, I’ll make sure you never underestimate the power of us ponies ever again.”

“Your boys? As I recall, they both came back and chose me over you,” Bran amusedly sneered.

“I’m going back to Ponyville, Uncle Bran,” Blaze declared, fluttering up onto my back. “That’s where I belong.”

“What?” Bran looked genuinely taken aback. His expression gradually darkened. “Ungrateful brat! I care for you. I look out for you. I provide for you here!”

“And I appreciated it, but they look out for me there. They have been for two years, actually.”

“And you, Garble? Are you going to live with the ponies, too?”

“My place is with the flock,” Garble narrowed his eyes. “But Acrylic and Torchwood’ve sure been better parents than you. I’m proud to call them family.”

“How dare you associate our family name with them? You bring dishonor to us!”

“If that’s considered dishonorable to dragons, then maybe I’d rather be a pony!” he shot back.

“INSOLENCE!” Bran bellowed in frustration, rising up on two legs to display his frightening full height. He looked like me might crash back down on us, whether intentionally or accidentally. Either way, we all scattered. The teens nervously shifted behind me, but Torchwood fearlessly stepped out in front. Bran’s eyes burned with hatred, and locked onto him.

“I’ll just be a minute,” he promised.

“Don’t look, Charcoal.” I covered the baby’s eyes with my wing.

“Let’s see if your bite really is as big as your bark,” Bran seethed.

“Let’s.” A ring of flame exploded around Torchwood, growing as large as he could possibly make it until it overtook even Bran’s size. A fire that large couldn’t be that hot or dangerous, but it sure put on a good show. Bran watched the growing pyre with increasing uncertainty. Torchwood formed the flame to the shape of a roiling, flaming dragon head. It reared, and as soon as the real thing would have hit the ground, Torchwood sent a shockwave through the earth that unbalanced Bran.

“GRAH!” He caught himself at the last minute, and came back with a tail lash. “Enough show!” Torchwood ducked the tail easily, as it had been coming in too high to begin with, and spun around Bran. Directing his fire in far more concentrated, heated amounts, he began roasting the dragon. As the creatures were fire proof, it wouldn’t really cause lasting damage. But that wasn’t to say it didn’t sting.

Bran howled in anguish, and flailed desperately as he searched for his victim. But Torchwood kept him confused with a blinding mask of fire, which made things very hard. Yellow flame spewed from Bran’s maw, and finally found its target. But Torchwood folded his wings into a protective shield, neatly somersaulting through the air and effectively blocking the fire.

The two went around like this for a while, the rest of us just watching in both wonder, amazement and in some cases, amusement. Bran was getting absolutely creamed! At last, Torchwood had had enough. He ended the scuffle by swooping in directly to Bran’s chest, and landing a powerful kick that sent him sprawling across the ground.

“Oooh!” we all winced. Torchwood came gliding nonchalantly back as though nothing had ever happened.

“So? Ready to head home?”

“You bet!” Blaze slid from my back and primed his own wings.

“Uh... you said something about Foal Mountain?” Pierce looked to Gilda.

“It’s this way,” she turned to head the opposite way from us.

“Headed to the Foal Mountains?” Torchwood casually asked.

“Nothin’ better to do,” Vex shrugged.

“Maybe we’ll join you one of these days,” he suggested.

“Uh...” Gilda looked a little uncomfortable.

“We will?” I inquired, just as surprised.

“You know all that time I spent out? Well, I was looking into something. It was supposed to be a surprise until I found something conclusive...”

“You mean until you found the hippogryphs?”

“You-?!”

“I found your map,” I chuckled. “You left it on the table.”

“Oh.”

“Wait, hippogryphs? Why so interested in hippogryphs? I mean, they don’t actually exist,” Gilda suddenly seemed very interested in our conversation.

“Oh, it’s just a hobby of ours. Tracking down where mythical creatures are allegedly said to live. Makes for a fun vacation, anyway,” I giggled, remembering our honeymoon.

“Hippogryphs were supposedly spotted somewhere in the Foal Mountains,” Torchwood further explained. “As well as a ton of other places. I’ve still got to narrow down where the most reliable evidence has been spotted.

“You guys are so weird,” Soot laughed. “They’re not real!”

“’Course not, Soot,” I winked. “It’s just for fun. Anyway, see you around.” I nudged Garble goodbye. I’d already spread my wings before remembering one last thing. “Oh, and Gilda? Thanks again for that ruby you gave me. It turned out to be one of the seven magical keys we needed to stop a power-hungry centaur!”

“Wait, what did I miss?!” Blaze exclaimed.

“Uh... you’re welcome... I guess...” she confusedly stuttered.

“You coming, Acrylic?” Torchwood impatiently called.

“Gotta go. See you!”

“...Bye...”

By the time we got back, the new castle was swarming with visitors intrigued by its mysterious appearance.

“You’re back!”

“Sure took long enough,” Applejack playfully chided.

“BLAZE!” Spike tackled his friend headlong.

“Hello to you too,” he groaned from beneath the purple dragon.

“What was that all about? Leaving without even saying goodbye?”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I didn’t completely think things through,” Blaze bashfully scratched the back of his head.

“Well, no matter. You’re back now. For good, right?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“We did it! We got the family back together!” Pinkie Triumphantly declared.

“How wonderful,” Discord materialized in back of us, and I felt a weight lifted from my back. The missing mass was Charcoal, who was currently being cradled by the Lord of Chaos. “You all are just so adorable together. It’d be a shame for you to split up.”

“Never again,” Torchwood definitively declared.

“There! That’s the Torchwood I know!” Satisfied, Discord folded his arms, levitating the baby this time instead of dropping him. “As far as you go...” he examined Charcoal one last time. “I guess I’ll put up with him.”

“Deecore,” Charcoal booped Discord’s nose, and the draconequus’ expression softened.

“Look out for that one, won’t you? And bring him to visit more often! I think I might come to like him yet.”

“Will do.”

Everyone joyfully watched as he handed Charcoal back. Our relationships had all been repaired, the evil had been vanquished, and at last, all was right with the world. And Twilight was going to let the whole world know.

...

“Each one of us has something special
“That makes us different, that makes us rare.”

...

“We have a light that shines within us,
“That we were always meant to share.”

...

“And when we come together-
“Combine the light that shines within,
“There is nothing we can't do,
“There is no battle we can't win

...

“When we come together.
“There'll be a star to guide the way.
“It's inside us every day.
“See it now! See it now!”

...

“Let the rainbow remind you
“That together we will always shine.”
“Let the rainbow remind you
“That forever this will be our time.”

...

“Let the rainbow remind you,
“That together we will always shine.”

...

---End Part One---

Chapter 54: The Glass Blower

Chapter 54
The Glass Blower

“Charcoal, Charcoal! Come see this one! They’re blowing glass!” Lilac excitedly squealed, urgently beckoning her brother to yet another hoof-made crafts shop. Charcoal audibly groaned and drowsily trudged over to the dancing pink filly, tired of trekking after her all day long. He’d been on his hooves for hours, interrupted only for a snack break that in his opinion, hadn’t lasted nearly long enough.

Charcoal hung around in the doorway, not very interested. Lilac, in contrast, couldn’t get enough. She stood on the tips of her back hooves, propped up against the viewing window to get a good look. Her bouncing was causing the oversized red winter hat to slowly slide off her head. Just watching it caused Charcoal to tug at his own blue scarf. The accessories were compliments of Aunt Rarity, of course, but Charcoal hated wearing any clothing. The only reason he wore the ridiculous scarf and hat at all was because his parents made him- thestrals were very sensitive to the cold, after all. But... his parents weren’t here, were they? With a sly grin, he clenched the scarf between his teeth, yanked the hat off and stuck both in his saddlebags.

Charcoal was wondering whether or not he could sneak off for a nap as the glassblower wrapped up his current project. The gray-maned black stallion within the workroom set down his current project and dug out tools he could use to safely shape the glass. Charcoal yawned, but Lilac was still dancing.

“Do you think he’d let me buy the one he’s working on now?”

“I dunno. How long does it take to cool? I doubt it’ll even be ready by today. What is it, even?” Charcoal squinted a little more intently at the artist’s crafsmanship. It looked like some sort of decorative bulb with an extremely skinny neck.

“It’s going to be a flower vase... I think. But it would be perfect in my room!”

“The last thing you need is more flowers.”

“I love flowers!”

“No kidding. It’s only plastered on your flank.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“In all honesty, yeah, I am, a little.”

“Aww! Charcoal wants flowers on his flank!” Lilac innocently giggled. Charcoal narrowed his eyes, especially when a random group of teenagers at the other end of the shop started sniggering.

“Do not,” he grumbled, tuning the world out again. This was precisely why he didn’t like to hang out with other ponies.

“Well, I’m going to get one anyway,” Lilac decided.

“You mean you haven’t already spent all your bits at some other shop?” Charcoal teased. He instantly regretted the words spewing out of his mouth. He probably shouldn’t be talking about money in front of strangers. His sister, on the other hoof, didn’t know any better.

“No! I didn’t see anything I wanted until now.” She turned back to watching the glassblower. Charcoal eyed movement from the corner of the shop, and moved out of the doorway as the other teens started to file out. They almost made it to the door.

“Hey, kid. Wanna lend me a few of those bits?” a cobalt blue pegasus teen with stormy gray hair snickered. Lilac looked him over. He was a little larger than Charcoal, probably a year or two older.

“No,” she wrinkled her nose and turned her back on him. The group chuckled. Charcoal’s heart pounded as he sized them up. There were three of them, all older and bigger than he was. Plus, he had Lilac to look out for if they started causing trouble.

“Aw, come on, doll,” another red unicorn pressed.

“Yeah, we’ll pay ya back,” the third yellow, freckled earth pony winked.

“I don’t believe you,” she flatly stated.

“Come on, Lilac. Let’s go meet Mom and Dad,” Charcoal hurriedly suggested, sensing danger.

“But I didn’t get a vase.”

“We’ll come back later,” he promised, pushing his way through the ring and tucking her under his wing. “Excuse us.”

“What’s the rush, pal?” The red unicorn stepped in his way.

“We’re only havin’ a bit of fun with her.”

“Well, we don’t appreciate it, and we really need to leave.”

“So soon?”

“Our parents will come looking for us if we don’t turn up soon,” Charcoal tried.

“What kind of parents would leave their kids all out on their own?” Charcoal was silent. The colt did have a point- what good parents left their children alone in an unfamiliar town?

“I wonder if they actually have parents.”

“Of course we have parents!” Lilac spat from beneath her brother.

“And the last thing on a homeless kid’s shopping list would be a hoof-blown glass vase,” Charcoal quickly added.

“Eh... fair enough.”

“Look, why don’t you just go your merry way and we’ll go ours?”

“Sure. Just give us the saddlebags and we’ll leave ya alone,” the blue ringleader bargained.

“Not happening.” Charcoal stood firm. They might be outnumbered, but he still held an advantage.

“Char?” Lilac shuddered from below him.

“You really want to take this outside?” the pegasus shoved his nose to Charcoal’s.

“Who said anything about taking this outside?” Without giving the pegasus time to respond, Charcoal burst into a fiery blue inferno, causing the teenagers to squeal like girls. They tried making for the door but ended up entangled in each other. When they looked back, a very angry dragon had taken the place of the thestral colt, still guarding the pink filly.

Charcoal wasn’t very large- about the size of Garble when Acrylic originally took him in. But boy, was he fearsome. The saddlebags had been discarded, giving no hint to the domestic pony he really was. Charcoal was now a wild beast. His longer-in-the-front haircut translated to a frightening mohawk of lime green spines on his neck, and pearly whites gleamed as he bared his teeth. Outstretched claws twitched in anticipation. He stretched out his wings to their full length in order to make himself look bigger and more threatening. With yellow eyes burning in anger, Charcoal wielded his sharp-pointed tail carefully, currently raised and ready to strike.

“What’s going on in-” the glassblower froze when he found a dragon preparing to face off with a pitiful cluster of teenaged colts.

“Get. Out.” Charcoal growled. Without another word, the boys all fled the premises, knocking into a table on their way out. One of the glass creations sitting on the edge wobbled, wobbled... and shattered to the floor.

“What in the world do you think you’re doin’?!” the grouchy older pony demanded. “Scaring off my customers like that. Why, I-” he stopped again when a trembling pink filly buried her face in the dragon’s stomach. He was even more confused when the dragon tenderly accepted her into his embrace. The dragon’s scales lightly flickered blue, and became lost beneath the blanket of fire for a moment, finally coming back into view as a green thestral colt. He turned to face the glassblower.

“Sorry about the mess, sir. We’ll get out of your hair before we cause any more trouble. Come on, Lilac.” He gently picked up his sister’s bags as well as his own, and still coddling the filly, turned for the door.

“Wait,” the elderly pony called. Charcoal and his sister paused. “I can’t let ya go out like that. Why don’t ya come in an’ sit down for a moment?” Looking to his frightened, shivering sister, Charcoal readily agreed.

“Thank you.” The stallion gestured to a far door which Charcoal promptly led Lilac to. The shopkeeper, meanwhile, sidestepped the shattered mess and flipped the sign on his door to read ‘Closed.’

The room the stallion had indicated opened up into his living space. A warm furnace heated the room opposite two worn couches. It was cozily decorated, with glass pieces and rustic ornaments lining the mantle and even taking up a bit of space on the bookshelves. There were two other doors that presumably led to his other rooms. Charcoal was careful not to invade the stallion’s privacy further, neatly stacked their bags next to the couch, and sat down with trembling Lilac.

“Sorry you kids had to be so unfortunate as to run into Cool Draft’s gang,” the old pony croaked, striding in. “They’re always stirrin’ up trouble. I’ve had to boot ‘em outta my shop more than once.”

“They’re scary,” Lilac barely managed. The stallion sympathetically looked her over.

“How ‘bout some tea? That always settled my nerves,” he offered, moving off to one of the doors. Propping it open with a door stop, he didn’t wait for an answer and headed off to what was presumably the kitchen.

“Please,” Lilac sniffed.

“We don’t want to be any trouble, especially after that mess,” Charcoal spoke over her. “Which we’ll be happy to pay for, by the way.”

“We’ll worry about that later,” the pony shrugged, coming back into the room. “Burr. Comin’ out of that firin’ room to this chill isn’t good for my old bones. Ya mind fetchin’ some more wood for the fireplace, son?”

“Not at all, Mr.-?”

“Blow Pipe.”

“Blow Pipe,” Charcoal repeated. “I’m Charcoal Stormwood, and that’s my sister Lilac Bud.”

“Pleasure ta meetcha,” the black pony dipped his head. “There’s firewood outside in the shed, there.” Charcoal noticed another door partially hidden by the bookcase.

“Sure thing, Mr. Pipe. I’ll be right back, Bud.” Charcoal quickly ducked outside.

Blow Pipe looked again at the nervous filly on his couch. She stared at her hooves in silence. Pipe looked for a way to break the ice.

“So tell me, darlin’. Where’re yer parents?”

“I don’t know,” she truthfully confessed.

“Ya don’t know?” he raised an eyebrow. “Well, where do you live?”

“Ponyville. We’re on vacation here for a few days,” she informed.

“And ya don’t know where your parents are?”

“We were going to meet them for lunch.”

“So you’re meanin’ to tell me yer parents just got up and left ya alone in a strange town?”

“Usually I like going off by ourselves. But those ponies today...” Lilac shuddered. “We don’t have anypony that mean in Ponyville.”

“No, I suppose not,” Blow Pipe clenched his jaw.

“Golly, it’s cold out there,” Charcoal shivered, shaking off a light dusting of snow before reentering the glass blower’s home. Several logs were tucked underneath each of the colt’s wings, even a few balanced on his back. Blow Pipe would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed.

“Just set ‘em down there on the rack.” Charcoal obediently rolled the wood out from under his wings perfectly into the tray, then took the wood off his back and placing it in the fire. “Don’t burn yourself, now,” Blow Pipe cautioned.

“It’s alright. I’m a thestral. We’re fire proof,” Charcoal informed, sticking his hooves right through the flames to set another log down.

“I suppose that makes sense, seein’ as how ya set yourself on fire and transformed into an all out dragon!” the stallion chuckled. “Do all you thestrals do that?”

“Nope! Just my brother! He’s super special!” Lilac piped up, back to her peppy old self at the chance to brag on her brother.

“Is that so?” Blow Pipe took a seat on the opposite couch.

“Mom didn’t know she was pregnant with me when our Aunt- friend- Twilight cast a transformation spell on her. The magic somehow fused into me, so now I can switch back and forth whenever I want.”

“Interesting,” Mr. Pipe mused. “I don’t see many thestrals ‘round these parts. Too cold for ‘em, I guess.”

“For sure,” Charcoal agreed. “We’re not cold-blooded like dragons, but we’re still really sensitive to the cold.”

“You’re welcome ta huddle by the fire, if it helps. Room’s not heatin’ up fast enough for me, let alone thestral kids.”

“I can fix that,” Charcoal offered, concentrating on the fire place. The flames were momentarily converted to his blue color, grew a bit, and a heat wave soon washed over the room.

“Well, I’ll be! Y’all sure can be nifty ‘round here.”

“It’s the least we can do.”

“I wonder, how hot do ya think ya could make a fire?”

“Well, it depends on the size. The smaller the fire, the hotter you can make it. You should really talk to my dad about it. He’s the best fire dancer in Ponyville.”

“In all Equestria!” Lilac corrected. Both stallions chuckled.

“I just wonder... ya think I could hire a young thestral lad to help keep the glass furnace goin’?”

“I guess it depends on if you could convince them to come live up here in this cold. And if they could keep it as hot as you need. I’ve never tried to melt glass before. I bet it’s gotta get pretty hot, though.”

“Try 1500 degrees C,” he chuckled. Charcoal rubbed his chin in thought.

“Maybe... I could try, if you like. Test it out on the one we broke so you aren’t wasting any materials.”

“I don’t want you cutting yourself on those shards,” Blow Pipe sternly denied.

“Would dragon scales get cut by glass?” Lilac wondered.

“I doubt it.” Blow Pipe gave him a dubious look.

“Look here, boy. I ‘preciate what you’re tryin’ to do, but meltin’ glass is dangerous enough when ya do know what you’re doin’. I can’t let an inexperienced kid like you go messin’ ‘round with that stuff. Are we clear?” Charcoal ducked his head in submission.

“Clear.”

“Alrighty then.” The tea kettle soon called the old pony away, and the two were left alone in the living room.

“Charcoal!” Lilac hissed as her brother quickly shifted and crept back out into the shop area.

“The least I can do is try,” he shrugged, barely turning around. Lilac nervously looked after Blow Pipe in the kitchen and scuttled after her brother.

It didn’t take him long to pick out every last shard from the wooden planks, the job made easier by his sensitive dragon eyes and fine-pointed dragon claws. He picked out the largest two shards that looked like they should fit and set the rest on the table. He concentrated, and after all the training his father had given him since he was a foal, it wasn’t hard to focus an extremely small and intense flame along the edge. The glass soon glowed red hot, and a visible seam bubbled up where the edges met. Satisfied when they thoroughly connected, Charcoal moved onto the next piece.

“I forgot to ask you youngin’s if ya’d take sugar in yer tea,” Blow Pipe called from the kitchen.

“Two lumps, please,” Lilac quickly covered.

“And you, Charcoal?”

“Same,” he distractedly called, beginning to multitask and fit several pieces at once. The vase was now halfway reformed, but the gooey glass was beginning to sag in some places. It was especially difficult to find homes for the tiny shards. He ended up just sprinkling most of them along the surface. When he heard Blow Pipe’s hoofsteps returning from the kitchen, he raced outside, careful to hold the bells silent with his tail, stuck the lopsided creation outside by the door in a cushion of snow, which kicked up a geyser of steam as hot met cold. He heard a loud *CRACK* of glass, and cringed. The snow must’ve cooled it too fast and re-cracked the recently repaired creation. He didn’t have time to mourn the loss before remembering he was still in dragon form. He shifted back just in time- Blow Pipe just poked his head in with the tray. He furrowed his brow in suspicion.

“Just admiring your other work,” Charcoal innocently shrugged.

“Hmm...” Blow Pipe squinted and searched for anything out of place, but spotted nothing, save for the two overly sweet ponies grinning at him from the shop. “Well, come sit yourselves back down. Tea’s ready.” Lilac bounded after him, and Charcoal followed a bit more slowly to try and slow his heart rate. That was too close.

“Here you are,” Blow Pipe passed out teacups.

“Thank you!” Lilac chimed.

“Thanks,” Charcoal gratefully reached for the teacup, but was interrupted when a small blue fire suddenly exploded from his hooves.

“Jumpin’ junebugs!” the shopkeeper cried, ducking the smoke and doing his best not to spill the tea. A scroll now rested in Charcoal’s hooves.

“Sorry! I bet that’s my dad,” Charcoal apologized, hurriedly unfurling the scroll.

“Dad’s a mailpony. He figured out how to send letters through thestral fire,” Lilac explained when Blow Pipe didn’t recover from his shock.

“I’d heard ‘bout it a’fore, but I never did see it with my own eyes!” Blow Pipe shakily set the cup back on the coffee table for Charcoal to retrieve himself.

“They’re waiting for us at the café,” Charcoal reported. Lilac had only gotten a sip of her tea, and reluctantly set the cup back down.

“Thanks for having us, Mr. Pipe,” she sighed.

“Hold yer horses, there. I want you to write back and have ‘em pick ya up here.”

“T-that’s okay, Mr. Pipe! We’ll be fine! The restaurant’s only a few blocks away,” Charcoal quickly argued. He really didn’t want his parents finding out about today.

“I insist. Wouldn’t want you two running back into Cool’s gang on the way. And I’d be lyin’ if I said I didn’t want to have a word with yer parents myself.” Blow Pipe began mentally preparing as to how exactly he intended to lay into the irresponsible couple.

“But-!”

“No back talkin’ to yer elders, young colt, it’s rude. There’s stationary over on that table if ya need it.” Charcoal flattened his ears, and left with no other choice, reluctantly sat down at the desk.

Torchwood frantically knocked on the door of the address our son had sent him. Though the sign read ‘Closed,’ an older black earth pony with a grayed mane answered the door.

“Mr. Pipe?”

“I assume you’re Charcoal and Lilac’s folks,” he narrowed his eyes.

“Are they alright?” I hurriedly asked.

“They’re inside,” he held the door open for us. Torchwood’s long legs quickly took him to the center of the room, and he scanned the room. I was right on his heels. At almost the exact same time, we spotted Charcoal’s green and brown form lingering in a far doorway.

“Hey Dad,” he quietly acknowledged.

“Charcoal,” Torchwood sighed in relief, moving over to our son. I followed a little less gracefully, legs wobbly in relief. This made it even harder to keep my balance when Lilac jumped at me headlong.

“Momma!”

“Are you two alright?” I shut my eyes and squeezed her tight.

“Fine,” Charcoal matter-of-factly stated.

“They are now,” the shopkeeper clarified. “But they were almost robbed by a local gang a’fore ya got here.”

“WHAT?!” I stroked Lilac’s purple mane and looked into her apologetic eyes. Torchwood turned a little more sternly to Charcoal, expecting answers. The colt just looked down and refused to make eye contact.

“Which wouldn’t have happened at all, had you been here,” Blow Pipe finished. Torch and I both looked sharply up, not expecting such an accusation from the glass blower. “You shoulda known better n’ ta leave yer kids unsupervised in a strange town! Celestia knows what else coulda happened to ‘em!” Torchwood lifted his chin, and glared down on the undaunted pony.

“I appreciate you taking care of our children, sir, but I didn’t come to be lectured on my parenting methods.”

“He’s right, though. You always go running off and leave us alone,” Charcoal quietly yet bitterly sounded. Torchwood looked aghast that the words had come out of his own son’s mouth.

“Charcoal!” I scolded.

“You do! Sorry if we’re not the ‘real family’ you wanted, but Lilac should still come before hippogryph hunting!”

“What are you talking about, Charcoal? Of course we’re a family,” I tried stretching out my wing to beckon him.

“I heard you last night! You care more about your stupid hobby than us!”

“That’s not true!”

“CHARCOAL!” Torchwood tried to grab him before he could take off, but Charcoal had already bolted out the door. My husband turned back to me. “I’ll go after him. Take Lilac back to the cabin.” He was also gone before I could protest.

“Torch!” I took a step after him.

“You hold it right there. You’re not leavin’ your girl again! Why, back in my day...” I just blankly stared at the stallion as he went on and on, lecturing about what a terrible parent I’d turned out to be. Lilac huddled beneath me, ears flattened as she also tried to tune him out. I felt her form shift and finally leave my side as she returned to the back room, but I was still so numb that I barely registered the fact.

“Here’s the bits for the vase we broke, Mr. Pipe,” she interrupted his spiel, holding up a small pouch of her allowance. She had returned only after donning her bags, scarf and hat, prepared to leave. He paused, looking down at her and remembering that she indeed did owe him a few bits. He took the payment without a word and turned back to me. But before he could continue, he looked over the floor to find said vase. Lilac offered me Charcoal’s abandoned bags, which I took and slid over my own back.

“Thanks for everything, Mr. Pipe.” Lilac took the chance to escape and dragged me out behind her.

“I wasn’t finished!” I shut the door behind us before he could go on.

“Thanks for that, Lilac,” I sighed, relieved to be out of the old grump’s mane. “Now, come on. We need to go.”

“Just a minute.” She crouched by the door, opened up her bags and picked up a few pieces of broken glass.

“What are you doing?” I stopped her before she could put the sharp fragments in her bag.

“Charcoal tried to fix the vase we broke. He melted the pieces back together, but then put it outside before Mr. Pipe caught us. I guess the cold cracked it again.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re trying to put it in your bag,” I took the shards from her, accidently slicing my own hoof in the process. Fortunately, Lilac remained unscathed.

“I want Charcoal to fix it for me again,” she explained.

“Isn’t that stealing?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I just paid for it, remember? And besides, Mr. Pipe would probably just throw it out.” I had almost forgotten about the exchange of money.

“Well... alright, but I’ll carry the pieces.” I emptied a shopping bag we picked up on the way to lunch, and carefully dumped the pieces inside. Satisfied, Lilac led the way back to our cabin. I followed a bit more slowly and robotically, worried about my boys.

“And Momma?”

“Yeah?”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re a great mom.” I smiled.

“Thanks, Lilac. I needed that.”

Chapter 72: Tsunami

Chapter 72
Tsunami

The ocean trembled and swayed, unprepared for so many forms charging for the surface, which created a tsunami of a wave. It was out of this wall of water that Trident’s chariot finally emerged into the night air, announced by a colossal splash. His royal guardsponies followed suit, breaching and arcing from the side of the wave like dolphins. The guards leapt and twisted and swam and dove all in perfect formation, so it was a bit more interesting to watch the random routines of the inquisitive hippocampi trailing behind. Mares, stallions and children alike chased after the royal chariot, gawking after the land ponies seated in the back.

“Hello!” Time Turner enthusiastically waved to one young filly, who sheepishly blushed and waved back.

“We did it! We really did it!” Charcoal cheered, laughing to himself and leaning back into the chariot. He hadn’t realized how exhausted he had become, but entering into the crisp night air reminded him of the time. The full moon hung almost directly overhead; it must be midnight.

“Sure did, lad,” Water Mark agreed, following the form of a rather energetic hippocampus stallion as he silhouetted the moon and soared clear over their heads.

“Land ho!” Trident exclaimed, summoning another wave to carry the troops along.

“Look at all these ponies! We didn’t even know they were here!” Ditzy exclaimed. “Chrysalis won’t stand a chance!”

“Uh, speaking of whom...” Time Turner took his companion by the shoulders and twisted her around. Peering around King Trident at the shores ahead, the ponies were met with a frightful scene.

“Oh, no!” Charcoal exclaimed. Judging by the humongous silhouettes of six dragons poking up from somewhere within the town, the flock had arrived safely. However, they were not the only ones. Chrysalis’ minions had descended upon the village. Trixie had kept up her end of the deal, and created a protective force field of her pale pink aura around the entire town. But even between all of the unicorns, the shields were not holding up. The drones beat and bashed against the force field, creating giant fissures and cracks in the magical wall.

“Faster!” Water Mark urged the king.

“Hurry!” Ditzy agreed.

“Onward!” King Trident ordered the chariot. Charcoal’s eyes were glued to the changelings. There was no way they would make it in time to do anything, at this rate.

“Charcoal, no!” Time Turner just missed as he made a wild grab for Charcoal’s tail. Before Charcoal even realized what he was doing, his wings snapped open, shooting him up amongst the stars. His wings were still heavy with water and the weight of the day, and it took an immense amount of effort to carry him anywhere. But his family and friends were in that town. He had to get to them.

In the air, he was much faster than the hippocampi, and zoomed into the lead. Ditzy had also been recruited by Time Turner and Water Mark to go after him, and followed a little further behind. Still, there was no way the clumsy mare would catch up to the outraged colt at this pace.

“HEY UGLY!” A couple changelings turned away from their work on the barrier to find the source of the voice. Five of them honed in on the rapidly approaching shape of Charcoal Stormwood, son of the Element of Forgiveness and more importantly, one of the most wanted by their mistress. The five changelings sneered greedily and abandoned the wall for the colt, at least a hundred others following suit as the news spread through the hive mind.

Charcoal set his jaw, eyes narrow, seething with contempt for the creatures. He’d teach them to mess with his friends. The charge soon turned into a game of chicken as both parties flew head-on. The changelings’ fangs flashed in the moonlight, blue eyes glowing and piercing the night sky. Charcoal’s amber orbs shot open. What was he doing? One thestral couldn’t take on that many changelings! He spread his wings, hoping to catch air and divert his course, but the changelings were still coming at him. Charcoal’s hooves flared up just in time to teleport him back to his brother’s jaws instead of the changelings’ hooves.

“Oh! Well, isn’t that just a nifty little trick?” Time Turner grinned from the chariot. “I do love a good teleport,” he commented, elbowing Water Mark.

“Doctor?” Water Mark nudged him right back, pointing back to the second form lingering in the sky. Time Turner’s pupils shrank.

“DITZY!”

“Welcome back,” Garble greeted, gently setting the pony down.

“So? Did you find them?” Spectrum eagerly inquired, pushing through the crowd.

“We found ‘em alright,” Charcoal confirmed, pointing out to the dark ocean waters. It was hard to see the traveling sea ponies from here, admittedly, but the changeling swarm now chasing after them was undeniable.

“Is that...?” Spectrum squinted at the night sky.

“Ditzy?!” Charcoal exclaimed. He hadn’t been aware the mare was following him. Now that he was safely inside, she had turned back and was fleeing to the protection of the hippocampi, but Ditzy was not the fastest mare around.

“Get her in here!” Spectrum hollered, shaking Charcoal.

“I’m trying,” Charcoal panted. After everything that had happened today, he was surprised he had managed his own last-minute teleport. Now he couldn’t even seek out the pegasus mare to bring her in.

“Hurry!” The rainbow-maned pony was almost ecstatic. The changelings were almost upon her!

“I’ve got her!” It was not Charcoal that had spoken, but a black thestral with a black mane and a flaming scroll for a cutie mark. The thestral’s hooves flared up with pale yellow flame, depositing the trembling mare on the ground in front of him.

“Ditzy!” Charcoal and Spectrum both pounced her. Only now did she dare open her eyes.

“Charcoal? But how...?”

“We teleported you here. I learned a new fire dancing trick,” he told her. “But that doesn’t explain how Fink got you here.”

“Glitter Shine has been teaching all the thestrals in time how to defend themselves from the changelings,” the disguised changeling explained. More quietly, he added, “Though I am a changeling, in this form, I have the abilities of your kind.”

“So it looks like Trixie hasn’t had much luck with the unicorns here,” Charcoal mentioned, glancing up at the cracked ceiling above him.

“No,” Fink agreed. “Nor have any proved strong enough to relieve Shift of the hive mind.”

“Where is Trixie?”

“She and the other unicorns have set up a headquarters of sorts in the Unbridled Inn’s conference room.”

“Right.” Charcoal nodded his thanks to the changeling and headed for the building.

“I’ll come too,” Ditzy decided. “Or at least walk with you until we get to the TARDIS. The first thing the Doctor is going to want is a new sonic screwdriver. He loves that thing as much as I love muffins!”

“Uh huh.” Charcoal didn’t have time to pay attention to Ditzy and her wild stories of time travel and alien invasions. He had to see how things were with Trixie, pronto. He broke into a gallop upon spotting the hotel, and paused only to ask a maid where the conference room was.

“Charcoal! You’re back!” Glitter Shine rushed from Trixie’s side to offer him a welcome back hug. Normally, Charcoal’s face would have flushed at the gesture, but he was both too busy and too tired to even acknowledge it. Things weren’t looking good, here. Trixie sat at the head of the table, horn aglow but with bags under her eyes. She slumped over the table, head resting on her hooves. Several other unicorns accompanied her, though none appeared to be in any better shape.

“How are you holding up?” Charcoal moved to check on the blue unicorn in charge.

“Not well,” she confessed with a cough. “I’m not practiced enough in the spell to hold it up much longer. It’s because of all the energy we’re getting that we’ve kept it up this long,” she gestured to the many faces around her.

“I couldn’t figure out how the thestrals made their own barriers in the uprising,” Glitter sighed. “It’s just been Trixie protecting us. But they can’t keep it up much longer.” As if on cue, one of the other unicorn stallions in the room finally slumped completely over, eyes shut and horn dimmed as he passed out from lack of energy. “See what I mean?” Glitter hurried to his side and got Charcoal to help hoist him atop her back. “This is the third one so far. They’re all spent. We need someone to properly cast the spell.”

“Runestone refused to come! Who else could we possibly get?” Charcoal wracked his brain, yet came up with nothing.

“Ah!” Trixie yelped, clutching her head.

“Trixie!” Charcoal hurried back as Glitter dashed to deposit her passenger into new care. “What’s wrong?”

“The shield... something’s hitting it... bigger than changelings...” the unicorn panted, veins popping out from the sheer strain as she did her best to hang on. Charcoal rushed to find a window.

“No! No, no, no!” He knew precisely what was wrong. King Trident had finally reached shore, and was fulfilling his promise to help them... sort of. In order for his soldiers to even reach the changelings, they either had to lure them down to the water or make the water go to them. Trident had chosen the latter. Massive waves as large as the tallest buildings crashed upon the shield, achieving their goal of washing away the changelings but putting a tremendous amount of weight on the already cracked wall. “No! Stop!” He wasn’t sure who he was shouting at at this point. Trident wouldn’t hear, and everypony else was too busy frantically running for their lives to pay attention anyway.

No. It just couldn’t end this way! Would his own plan be the very thing that killed them? Water began to spurt from the cracks in the shield, showering the ponies below.

“Char!” A long red tail wound itself around Charcoal’s middle and yanked him back. Recognizing the eminent danger, Garble had begun to collect the ponies beneath his huge bulk. Not that it would help. That much water would still wash them all away.

Charcoal clung to his brother’s ankle. He had done this. It was his fault. Ponies would drown. Ponies would die. All because he-

The roof finally caved in, and tons upon tons of seawater began crashing down. Garble balled up as tightly as he could beside the other dragons in hopes that their combined mass would provide some protection from the weight of the water.

The crushing pressure never came. Charcoal peered out from his brother to see a renewed magical barrier form beneath the falling waves, catching it before it could crush those below. Cheers erupted from the entire town, and only increased in volume as it expanded outward, pushing both water and changelings back. The unicorns even showed off a bit by giving it a sloped roof, thereby allowing all the water to drain off. And with all the changelings already dazed and slumped at the edge of the shield, Trident had no reason to send another tsunami upon the village.

“Great job, Trixie!” Charcoal dashed up to the unicorn, just emerging from the hotel with Glitter’s help.

“It wasn’t me,” the baffled unicorn shook her head.

“But... if it wasn’t you...” Charcoal’s eyes darted around the town, looking for whoever could have possibly managed such a feat. The crowd parted as their hero stepped forward.

“Hope I’m not intruding,” a white unicorn grinned.

“Shining Armor!” Charcoal, Glitter, Trixie, Spectrum, Gilda, and even Gable nosed his way over to greet the newcomer. The prince was followed by a rather long train of his own ponies, mostly crystal guards from his empire. The existing crowds also pressed in to see what was going on, which made for a rather crowded square.

“Your highness!” Trixie and Glitter both respectfully dipped their heads to the prince they had come to know quite well over the years. (The Crystal Empire was by far one of their favorite places to perform, and due to Torchwood’s bragging on his former student, Cadance had invited them to stay at her castle more than once.)

“Trixie, Glitter Shine! Good to see you’re alright! Charcoal?! You too? Thank Celestia you’re all safe!”

“How in the hay did you get down here?” Charcoal laughed out of relief.

“I got worried when Cadance didn’t come home right away,” Shining Armor confessed. “She said it was an emergency meeting and didn’t know how long she’d be, but if she has to stay overnight, she usually writes. I didn’t get any word from her, but I did catch word that the changelings had reappeared. I had to come down and find out what was happening. I took as many soldiers as I could spare on the train down,” he gestured to the many guards behind him. “The train station left us off just outside Vanhoover. They were busy preparing for the changelings themselves, after somepony came back with word that they were already attacking Tall Tale. So we came right down to see what we could do and what everypony knows.”

“Well, you certainly came to the right place,” Gilda chuckled, nudging Charcoal forward. “Charcoal here already has it all figured out.”

“Is that right?” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, not out of doubt but admiration.

“I have a few ideas,” the colt admitted.

“I’m eager to hear them,” the prince assured.

“Well, come inside. It seems like we have a new use for the conference room,” Trixie beckoned.

“Is everypony alright?” Time Turner wheezed, sides heaving as he approached. “Where’s Ditzy?”

“She went back to your TARDIS for a new sonic drill, I think,” Spectrum informed.

“Screwdriver! It’s a screwdriver!” the pony grumbled before changing direction and disappearing inside his blue box. Charcoal just shrugged to the prince.

“Charcoal. There you are.” King Trident slithered through the crowd, gasps and murmurs erupting in his wake. Even Shining Armor’s eyes widened and he took a step back. He set his trident down and took in the faces around him. “I believe we have matters to discuss.”

“Of course, your highness. We’re meeting inside. Glitter Shine can show you the way,” he nudged the purple mare.

“This way,” she obediently lead the stallion inside. The rest of Charcoal’s friends followed after them, though Shining Armor was still gawking where he stood. Charcoal nodded in understanding.

“We have hippogryphs, too,” he commented before walking after them.

“You do?! How- er, at ease, soldiers!” he quickly turned back to release his troops before ducking into the building. “How did you manage...?”

“I’ll explain later.”

“So,” Charcoal began. His friends were all gathered around the conference table, the unicorns since cleared out. (Shining Armor would be able to maintain the shields on his own for now.) Trixie, Glitter, Spectrum, Gilda, Nana (serving as the hippogryph representative), Ditzy, Time Turner, Shining Armor, King Trident, Water Mark, Current, and Fink had all been collected and seated in the same room. (Shift had been excluded as he had not yet been disconnected from the hive.) There had been no more seats after everypony else had been seated, so Charcoal stood as he explained his plan.

“Chrysalis now knows that we have hippogryphs and hippocampi on our side, so she knows what we’re up against. I was hoping we could surprise her, but we’ll just have to work around it.”

“So, young colt? You have collected us. I am more interested in how hippogryphs or hippocampi are superior to the existing pony races for this battle,” Nana hoarsely voiced.

“Well, the hippocampi have numbers, for one thing,” Charcoal nodded to Trident, who proudly puffed his chest as his immense domain was called to attention. “And a very, very powerful weapon at their disposal. Not to mention, they know how to manage the waterways. The Hock Bend River runs all the way from the ocean to Canterlot. And it connects to the Everfree Bogg. We could sneak hippocampi right under the changelings’ noses for a surprise attack!”

“You can’t expect my soldiers to fight the battle for you,” Trident pointed out.

“Of course not. Meanwhile, the rest of us will press forward with more conventional methods, taking back enough ground to rejoin you... say... at the Ghastly Gorge, just before we enter the Everfree?”

“That still does not explain why hippogryphs are required.”

“I’ve watched your kind’s scouting techniques. It’s flawless!” Charcoal praised. “You’ve been so careful not to be spotted in the mountains for so long, it’s like you’re invisible. You’re fast and stealthy, perfect for ambush attacks. If we can inflict enough of those on the changelings just before mobbing them with a frontal assault, they won’t stand a chance.”

“How are we supposed to take prisoners?” Shining Armor wondered. “They’re changelings! Tricky and slippery, or should I say, sticky.”

“We can keep thestrals guarding them. Thestral fire tears right through changeling goo.”

“Assuming we do manage to get as far as the Everfree, and even lay seige to the changeling base,” Trident mused, “what then? How are we to take a changeling as powerful as Chrysalis?”

“There’s also the matter of who’s been raising the sun and moon,” Shining Armor spoke up. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna must have been imprisoned, or we would not face this threat. So who’s in control of the solar bodies? If Chrysalis has gotten ahold of that kind of magic, we’re all in more trouble than we thought.”

“I don’t think it’s Chrysalis we’ll have to worry about,” Charcoal corrected. “I was there briefly with Pound Cake...” his voice grew quiet at the thought of his dear friend, lost to the queen’s spell. “We faced Chrysalis directly. Even if she did learn how to perform the solar spells, I doubt she’s strong enough to achieve something that difficult. Feeding off love gives her strength, and she’s supposedly fallen in love with a pony called Kindling Pyre. But I don’t think he loves her back, which means she can’t be gaining power. She’d be too weak to perform something as powerful as a solar spell. It’s really Kindling we need to worry about. He’s a destral.”

“Another one?!” Ditzy gasped. “I thought Princess Essence was the only one!”

“So did I, but I saw him with my own eyes.”

“It is true. I was Master Kindling’s personal servant,” Fink bowed his head.

“Is that so?” Nana raised an eyebrow.

“Do you know who’s performing the solar spells?”

“It is my master, Kindling.” The whole room quieted as they realized just what they were up against. A destral powerful enough to control the solar bodies, and had Chrysalis’ armies at his command.

“Tell me, young colt. How was it that you came to serve under this Kindling Pyre? I was under the impression only changelings served their cause,” Nana went on. Fink gulped, and looked to Charcoal for direction.

“Fink is a changeling,” the colt confirmed. Fink took this as a cue to revert to his changeling body. Shining Armor instantly reacted, charging his horn, and Trident likewise grabbed his scepter.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Charcoal’s wing blocked their line of fire. “It’s okay. He’s on our side. Kindling cast a spell on him that disconnected him from the hive mind.”

“You trust him?” Water Mark gawked.

“Yes.”

“You can’t trust changelings, Charcoal!” Shining Armor seethed, eyes full of rage and hatred. “They’re dangerous!”

“No, they aren’t! I can’t believe that, Shining Armor. Chrysalis turned all of Ponyville and half of Baltimare into shiny new drones for herself, including my aunt and Pound Cake. Probably more have been enslaved by now.”

“W-what?” The magical glow around his horn dissipated as he took in this new information.

“I don’t care what kind of magic she cast; Pound Cake is not a monster. And Aunt Wild Flower would never hurt me. No magic in Equestria is strong enough to completely destroy what lies underneath.”

“I’m sorry, Charcoal. I didn’t know.”

“Say, Fink?” Charcoal turned his thoughts away from the matter of his lost friends.

“Yes, Charcoal?”

“Do you think Shining Armor is strong enough to complete your spell?” Fink used his meager magic to briefly scan the unicorn.

“If he cannot, then nopony can,” the changeling reported.

“What spell?” Shining Armor inquired.

“We have another changeling called Shift,” Charcoal explained. “But he’s still connected to the hive mind. Fink says he can teach us the spell Kindling used to disconnect him, but it’s a pretty strong one. We need a unicorn powerful enough to perform it.”

“Charcoal, I-”

“We can trust him, I promise,” Charcoal pleaded.

“You should’ve seen how worried he was about accidently giving us away,” Glitter agreed. “He even requested we blindfold him so he couldn’t give away our identities! He wants to help, but it’s hard while the rest of the hive can hear his thoughts.”

“Please, Shining Armor?”

“Alright,” the unicorn reluctantly consented.

“Great! He’s this way! Come on, Fink!” Charcoal began eagerly leading the prince out.

“Wait,” Trident ordered, stopping them in the doorway. “My question was never answered. Assuming we make it to the Everfree, what then? What’s to keep Chrysalis from turning us all to changelings?”

“I guess we’ll have to distract her somehow,” Charcoal shrugged. “Honestly, I’ve been so busy trying to collect everypony that I haven’t put a lot of thought into it.”

“Well, he’s only a boy,” Trident sighed. “Doesn’t even have a cutie mark. Can’t expect him to have it all thought out.”

“What does my cutie mark have to do with anything?!” Charcoal furiously demanded. Yes, he was still a teenager, but dragging his blank flank into the matter was something else entirely.

“What does it have to do with anything?” Glitter concurred, equally offended.

“A cutie mark decides a pony’s destiny,” Trident coolly reasoned. “For example, yours informs me that you are a talented fire dancer, correct? You could be useful on the battlefield. Charcoal’s fate is undecided. Who is he to tell a king or prince what to do? Perhaps he does not even have a place at this table.”

“He’s already done more than you could ever hope to accomplish!” Spectrum pounded a hoof into the wood. “He’s united hippogryphs and hippocampi, dragons and gryphons, unicorns and thestrals, pegasi and earth ponies. Even a couple of changelings! All working together towards a common purpose.”

“True, he united us, but that makes him no more capable of commanding an army. If and when the mark of a war general appears, I will reconsider.”

“If he hadn’t come along, you’d still be hiding out on the ocean floor!”

“Perhaps we would be better off in the safety of my waters,” Trident coldly threatened.

“Oy!” Time Turner threatened to use his new sonic screwdriver to get their attention. “Show some respect! Don’t you know who this is?” Now Charcoal looked as baffled as the rest of them. “This is Charcoal Stormwood! Greatness in the making! None of you know it yet, but one day, this colt is going to grow up to be absolutely amazing! Just brilliant! And it all starts here. I’ve seen it myself.”

“Right, in your time machine?” Spectrum guessed, rolling his eyes.

“It’s a Type-40 TARDIS,” he boasted. “But yes, I’ve seen your future. Believe it or not, the next few days are going to decide your fate, Charcoal Stormwood. And it’s going to be fantastic!” Even coming from somepony as crazy as Time Turner, the genuine words of encouragement touched Charcoal. Was it possible? Would he finally earn his cutie mark soon? He’d waited so long...

“Even if he were to find his destiny, be it a great one, he is still just a boy. He knows nothing of war.”

“It’s true, I don’t know who I am,” Charcoal spat. “But I know one thing: I’m getting my parents back, and that is a fact. Help me or not, that’s your choice. I’ll leave you to make it,” he met Trident’s hard gaze before whipping back out the door.

“Well, whatever they decide, you can rely on the Crystal Empire,” Shining Armor vowed.

“And I’m with you, Charcoal,” Gilda reminded, hurrying to catch up.

“Us too,” Glitter smiled.

“Trident has already showed himself. I cannot imagine him turning back now,” Current put in, also approaching with Water Mark.

“Thanks, everypony,” Charcoal sighed. Shining Armor gripped his shoulder in reassurance.

“So, where’s this Shift I’ve heard so much about?”

Chapter 86: Prince Stormwood

Chapter 86
Prince Stormwood

“Charcoal!” Acrylic and Torchwood both shot forward as soon as Topaz had reversed the effects of the manticore venom.

“Hi,” he grinned, bracing himself for impact as their hooves collided with him.

“Charcoal! You’re-”

“A destral,” Gilda dumbly finished.

“I was going to say ‘alive’, but sure, that too,” Winter shrugged.

“Wowie! You look like a prince, Charcoal!” Pinkie commented.

“Sweet armor,” Spectrum congratulated.

“It’s that timberwolf I made,” Charcoal ran his hoof over the chest plate. “Only... I don’t know how to take him off.”

“Here,” Topaz’s magic removed the timberwolf, reforming him into the bouncy little pup Charcoal remembered.

“Hi, boy!” Charcoal greeted, scratching his back in thanks. The timberwolf’s leaf-like tongue hung out of his jaws as his leg began to flap in pleasure.

“Oh my goodness, he’s so cute!” Fluttershy squealed, eagerly scooping up the pup. “Who’s a good doggy? You are! Yes, you are! What’s his name?”

“Ooh, guessing games!” Pinkie squealed.

“I love guessing games!” Cheese gasped. “ Is it Leafy?”

“Thorny!”

“Twiggy!”

“Sticks!”

“No, Stickster!”

“Ooh, I like it!” Pinkie declared.

“Stickster?” Whirl Pool and High Tide exchanged glances.

“I never got a chance to name him,” Charcoal confessed, taking the pup back from Fluttershy. “I kind of like... Brambles. Yeah, Brambles! Hi there, Brambles. Hey, Dad, can we keep him?”

“Ask your mother,” the stallion rolled his eyes in amusement.

“I should hope you would say yes,” Essence prompted. “Once a carbuncle has given its gem to a pony, it is bound to him. And because that gem is now also bound to the timberwolf, he is in turn, bound to Charcoal. They now share an unspoken connection.”

“Hey, how’d you know the carbuncle gave me that gem? And where is the carbuncle, anyway?” Charcoal wondered. Hearing its name mentioned, the carbuncle popped up from the rubble where it had been hiding, along with the two sandfish.

“Sandfish!” Fluttershy gasped. “They’re so cute!” She then proceeded to zoom up and stroke the pair.

“A carbuncle!” Cadance exclaimed. “I’ve never seen one in real life! You know, carbuncles are the Crystal Empire’s national animal?”

“Maybe we should take it back with us, honey. You know, as a national symbol?”

“You mean as a pet?” she giggled. Shining Armor blushed.

“That too.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” she commented, stroking the mangy fox. “Though we’ll need to order you a trim once we get back home.”

“Returning to your inquiry, Charcoal, I knew this was your gem because this timberwolf is the only puppy here. Since he is bound to you, he shall age with you as well,” Essence went on with her explanation.

“Then how can I say no?” Acrylic knew she was already outvoted, and heaved a sigh of defeat. “Though, he might make Bandit jealous.”

“Oh! Speaking of whom...” Time Turner brought out a key ring, and pressed a button on it. An echo-ey, electronic noise rang through the castle halls. “Get it? I unlocked the TARDIS like a car. No? Anypony? Why doesn’t anyone ever think that’s funny?” he pouted. While they were trying to figure out the odd stallion, a quiet scampering was heard down the hall.

“Dookookook!”

“Hsss!”

“Heckley!” Acrylic gladly accepted the snake as he slithered up her elbow. “How’d you get here?”

“They hitched a ride in my TARDIS,” Time Turner informed.

“TARDIS?” Torchwood sought clarification. Time Turner threw his hooves up.

“Your name is Torchwood! You of all ponies don’t know?”

“What has my name got to do with anything?”

“Nevermind.”

“A TARDIS is a police box that flies through time and space. Duh!” Pinkie clarified. “I break through the fourth wall sometimes,” she added more quietly to Cheese.

“Actually it’s a spaceship and time machine disguised as a police box, but you were close,” Ditzy said.

“Did I miss the part where somepony actually explained how Charcoal grew a horn?” Gilda still couldn’t get over the new appendage sticking out of his head.

“Topaz can explain it better than me,” Charcoal passed the responsibility onto the crystal pony, as he was already preoccupied with getting Bandit and Brambles used to each other.

“Well...” she began. “As a changeling, I was not getting enough love, so I resorted to feeding on negative energy through a siren’s pendant.”

“Siren pendant?” Current gasped. “That kind of technology has not been seen for thousands of years!” Charcoal realized he was still wearing the thing, and gave it over for her examination.

“I gave it to Charcoal when he first freed me, as ‘insurance’ that I would not betray him. He’s worn it all this time, and when Kindling tried to use his magic against Chacoal, the pendant absorbed all the negative energy radiating from him. However, the pendant took in too much energy for Charcoal to safely handle. But the carbuncle gem in Bramble’s armor is a thing of unity and harmony. It created a horn, or an output, if you will, to dispose of the dangerous quantity of extra energy which would have otherwise killed Charcoal.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Shining Armor nodded.

“Isn’t this just the story of a lifetime?” Trender exclaimed.

“So whatever happened to Kindling?” Twilight wondered.

“He’s still upstairs in the tower, as far as I know,” Pound shrugged. “I knocked him out hard enough that he shouldn’t be up for a while. And even if he is, that pendant thing drained him pretty good. He won’t hurt anypony else for a long time.”

“Flash, come with me,” Shining Armor ordered.

“Gladly,” his fellow guardspony nodded.

“Be careful!” Cadance called after them.

“Even with Kindling out of the way, we still have many matters to wrap up,” Essence pointed out. “Smoky Topaz, you never answered my question. Will you return to the Everfree Castle?”

“Your highness, I know I’m hardly in the position to be making requests, but-”

“You’re kidding!” Rarity’s jaw dropped.

“Hear me out,” Smoky pleaded. “I made a vow to undo the damage I have done. The corruption reaches back to before changelings were first created, when I began experimenting on ponies. Though the research had your approval, and the new powers I granted ponies appeared to benefit them for a short while, the transformation magic I implanted in thestrals and destrals laid the groundwork for the changeling spell. With your permission, I would like to remove the ‘upgrades’ I created.”

“What?! But that would only leave us with fire dancing and cloud-walk,” Acrylic exclaimed.

“Princess, my father relies very heavily on his earth-quaking power in his work- he is a stone mason. And, he’s growing older. Without that ability, I don’t know that he would be able to keep working,” Torchwood argued.

“Many thestrals rely on their many abilities,” Topaz agreed, “which is yet another thing I have to live with. But these upgrades were intended to turn them into war machines. The particular spells I cast back then were also highly reactive, which means that there is high probability that other spells could combine and create catastrophic results. That was, in fact, what created changelings, when my love spell combined negatively with the transformation magic, resulting in an all-new species.”

“Is that what happened with the transformation spell when I was born?” Charcoal’s eyes were wide. Topaz appeared confused.

“Before I knew I was pregnant with Charcoal, Princess Luna cast a temporary dragon transformation spell on me,” Acrylic explained. “Even after I went back to normal, the spell was implanted in Charcoal, giving him the ability to change into dragon or pony form at will.”

“That is most likely what happened, yes,” Topaz nodded.

“If a transformation spell triggered a new reaction in Charcoal, who knows what other everyday spells could do,” Luna fretted.

“I must agree with Princess Luna,” Essence nodded. “This magic you devised is beneficial in the short term, but it appears to be more risky to allow them to retain the ability. Permission to reverse the spell granted.” Topaz nodded, slightly relieved, and began charging her horn. Strengthened by her recent but final gorge on love, she was able to discharge a reversal spell powerful enough to engulf the whole continent. The thestrals and destrals present all suffered a bit of a shock to their system as their very DNA was revised. Upon recovering, Torchwood instantly put the reversal spell to the test.

“No more wing springs,” he confirmed.

“Looks like we’re just stuck with these clunky old things,” Acrylic teased, fondly stroking her large wings. Everyone knew how relieved she was that she wouldn’t actually have to part with them ever again.

“No earth-quaking, either,” Charcoal was hopping up and down on the ground.

“You do realize that if the reversal hadn’t worked, you’d have sent the ceiling crashing down on us, right?” Pound chuckled.

“What will your father do?” Acrylic fretted, clasping her husband’s hoof in sympathy. He tried not to look too worried.

“Oh, I think he was getting ready to retire. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“Hey! I retained my shifting powers!” Charcoal demonstrated by reverting to his dragon body and then back to a pony.

“Your ability is unique. I will have to study it myself to devise a reversal,” Topaz explained.

“No, that’s alright, I’d prefer to keep it, if that’s alright with you,” Charcoal hastily shook his head. “It’s just a part of me, now. Kind of made me who I am, you know, and I’d really just rather keep it.” Topaz scanned him.

“The magic that created your power seems to have fully reacted. It shouldn’t prove to be any more of a problem, unless you want me to remove it, Princess.”

“No, let the boy keep his ability,” Essence smiled. “As he said, it is a part of him, now.”

“Whew,” Charcoal sighed in relief.

“And also, Princess, with your consent, and that of the Wood family, I would like to request that you take Charcoal in as your student.”

“WHAT?!”

“Are you serious?!” Charcoal was ecstatic.

“He will need coaching to control his newfound powers,” Smoky reasoned. “And, I have a theory.

“You earned your mark tampering with Kindling’s recipes, so I naturally assumed you were meant to be a scientist like Kindling and I. But what I told you about the carbuncle representing unity and harmony is also true. Because you united all the different ponies, I now believe it may represent more than your brilliance in the lab. Your transformation into a destral may not have been a complete accident, Charcoal. I think you are meant to be a great leader, Charcoal. Studying under Princess Essence in the palace is the best place for you to learn to become just that.”

“Very well,” Essence slyly eyed the two destrals. “I will take him as my student. But, assuming the Woods also consent, I cannot be expected to deliver all of the training. After all, as you said, Topaz, he also earned his cutie mark as a researcher in the laboratory. I would like to see him further this ability under your coaching, as his tutor.”

“Me?”

“Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes! Please, can I?” he bounded back to his parents. “Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase?” Acrylic and Torchwood looked to each other. Neither wanted to lose their boy, but they couldn’t very well deprive him of such an amazing opprotunity, either.

“But what will we do without you?” Acrylic sadly squeezed her son.

“Aw, Mom, you’ll get along.”

“You promise me you’ll take care of him?” Torchwood glared at Topaz, daring her to lie to his face. Acrylic also hesitantly eyed Smoky. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about leaving her son under the care of a former psychopath. Then again, the same thing had happened to Luna once, and now Acrylic wouldn’t think twice about leaving any of her children under the moon princess’s care. And besides, Essence would be there every step of the way, and she knew they could trust the Tree’s guardian.

“I swear on my life,” the crystal destral bowed.

“Then welcome to the Everfree Palace, Prince Stormwood,” Essence knelt in respect.

“Prince?! That’s a little different than ‘student’!”

“Yet, it is your destiny.”

“Finally! You have no idea how long I’ve waited to witness that! ‘Prince Stormwood.’ Isn’t that a catchy name? Ditzy, wasn’t that great? Ditzy?” The gray mare looked bored out of her mind.

“You owe me muffins.”

“Look, I’d be honored to be your student, but... I’m fifteen. I’m not ready to leave home, and I’m definitely not qualified to perform all the responsibilities of a prince! And I only just got my cutie mark- frankly, I’m not sure what my destiny is anymore.”

“Charcoal,” Acrylic took him aside. “Nopony’s thought more about cutie marks and destinies than you or I. And after all these years, I think I’ve finally worked it out. Your destiny isn’t determined by your name, your occupation, or your species. It doesn’t even rely entirely on who you are as an individual. It’s the ponies around you that count, your friends and family. They make you who you are. And so long as you’ve got your friends with you, you’ll be great, no matter what you choose to do with your life.”

“But most of my friends are going to be leaving, now. The changeling crisis made me get out and... interact with ponies. I don’t want to go back to being a loner.”

“Aw, Char,” Pound slung a wing around him. “Ponyville’s not that far away, and even a trip to Cloudsdale is just a hop, skip and a jump for a thestral... er, destral like you. It’s not like we won’t see each other anymore.”

“And I’ll come visit every day after school,” Spectrum vowed. Soarin’ cleared his throat. “And training.” His father still eyed him. “And homework.”

“The Everfree is that much closer to the Foal Mountains, you know. It’s not such a long flight,” Winter shrugged.

“Hey, what are you guys going to do, then?” Charcoal looked to Fink and Shift.

“Well, we did promise to integrate the ex-changelings,” Shift shrugged.

“A task best completed, perhaps, from the castle?” Essence kindy smiled.

“You mean this castle? Here? In the Everfree?” The proposition had been put to them so fast, the stallions hardly had time to process it.

“You would be welcome here, as both residents and staff.”

“I...” Fink stammered, not sure what to say.

“Yes! Just say yes!” Charcoal hissed, elbowing the orange pony.

“I... er... yes,” Shift dazedly shrugged.

“I suppose so,” Fink also agreed.

“YES!” Charcoal hoof-pumped, cracking up most of the assembly.

“Oh, and Smoky Topaz?” Don’t forget your guardian.” Essence levitated the chips of the timberwolf back over, reassembling the smashed wolf and delivering it by Smoky’s hooves.

“Thistle,” Topaz decided, smiling down on the creature. “I’ll call you Thistle.” The timberwolf gave a low growl of appreciation. Then she beckoned it onto her chest. Adorned in the armor, she looked quite regal.

“It also appears as though we will all have some things to discuss,” Celestia commented.

“Indeed. New negotiations and agreements will have to be reached with the newly-returned hippogryphs and hippocampi,” Luna concurred.

“Yeah, but watch out when you’re dealing with King Trident,” Winter spoke. “He’s a headache.”

“I’m sure it will be a pleasure to meet him,” Cadance optimistically assured. Everypony else groaned in disbelief.

“If you say so.”

“Now, Char, you want to explain to me how you lot found yourselves in the Dragon Craters?” Torchwood inquired of his son. “I need to know how we’re going to get your sister back.”

“I’m also quite eager to see my little sweetheart again,” Rarity sang.

“Oh, don’t worry! I know a shortcut! I’ll just run and get them. Back in a jiffy!” Time Turner summoned Ditzy and dashed for the TARDIS.

“Bye, everypony! And congratulations, Prince Stormwood!” Ditzy waved before hurrying after him.

“See? Prince Stormwood! Isn’t that fun to say?”

“So, while we’re all tying up loose ends,” Discord interjected, “do you suppose I could bring us all back to the matter that got us into this mess in the first place?”

“What might that be?” Applejack scratched her head.

“Why, my dear, Radiance, of course!” Topaz stiffened.

“I’m sorry, Discord, but Kindling told me that it really was just a statue meant to lure you in.”

“She is not!” he stomped. “I feel it’s her! She’s just been petrified, that’s all.”

“This wouldn’t be the first time Kindling has lied,” Cascade pointed out.

“If it really is Radiance, then I don’t even know how to go about freeing her,” Topaz apologized.

“Well, it might help if you actually took a look at her, first,” Discord frowned.

“Alright, back to the catacombs it is,” Twilight sighed.

“No need. When Kindling crumbled, so did his magical barrier,” Discord informed before teleporting off. He reappeared momentarily, coiled around the stone statue.

Charcoal finally got to see what all the fuss was about. The statue (or petrified mare, depending on your viewpoint) was recoiling from some unknown danger, eyes squeezed shut, rearing back. Charcoal wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but his surprise was evident when he noticed she was an alicorn. She was a little taller than most ponies, but not by much. She had a short yet flowing mane like the high princesses, though it flowed in a freer, looser manner than their single wave. In fact, it more closely resembled Nightmare Moon’s tentacle-like masses. The faint imprint of a cutie mark showed through the stone casing, which depicted a brightly glowing heart.

“Whoa... that’s a bit creepy, don’t you think?” Whirl Pool elbowed Cascade.

“Quite,” the mare shuddered.

“Wow,” Spectrum also shivered. “So that’s Radiance.”

“What’s the diagnosis, doc?” Discord himself appeared in a surgeon’s attire, listening to a stethoscope while he waited for Topaz to speak. She scanned the statue many times over, trying to find any discrepancies in the stonework.

“Hmm...” she scratched her chin. “Charcoal, come here.”

“Yes?” he diligently stepped up.

“I want you to try a scanning spell,” she directed. “Just focus on Radiance, and see what you pick up on.”

“Um... okay.” His tongue stuck out as he attempted to activate his magic for the first time.

“Don’t you think a scanning spell is a bit advanced for a beginning student?” Twilight voiced.

“It’s okay. I’ve done it before with fire dancing.” Twilight shrugged.

“I stand corrected.”

After a lot of struggling, Charcoal finally got his horn to spark. Once he’d figured out how the magic worked, it was fairly smooth going from there. “I don’t feel... anything.”

“She is stone- you wouldn’t feel anything. But search her head very carfully. Do you sense anything unusual?” Charcoal strained harder. This would be much easier with his fire, but Topaz wanted to get him used to his new ability.

“There’s... something...” he thought he’d finally isolated whatever it was Topaz was getting at. “Something... living? What is it?”

“It is her mind. You were right, Discord, it is Radiance. I apologize.”

“Can you free her?” the draconequus pleaded.

“Charcoal, that last prick of life amongst solid rock is the marker of a cockatrice attack.”

“Cockatrices can reverse the damage they do,” Fluttershy spoke up. “With a bit of persuasion, that is.”

“But the cockatrice that petrified Radiance a thousand years ago won’t be alive anymore,” Charcoal realized. “Can another cockatrice reverse the petrification, or does it have to be the same cockatrice?”

“I sure hope it’s the former,” Discord gulped.

“Even I don’t know,” Topaz shrugged. “But there’s one way to find out.”

“And I might have a friend who can help. Hey, Fluttershy, will you take a trip into the Everfree with me?” Charcoal looked to the shy yellow pegasus. Her eyes widened.

“Oh dear.”