Optional Chapter 2: Wysteria's chapter (New and improved: now with 200% less Heathspike!)

Wysteria smiled, rising slowly from her bed, and taking a nice long, wide stretch. "It's today!" She said, the familiar line to herself, that all the ponies used when they got up. It had already been an interesting night, with Minty running around like a crazy pony for some reason (course she didn't blame Minty, she always got eager at Christmas and besides being goofy, Christmas was kind of like her special thing!)

And what a day it was, Christmas Eve. And a beautiful one to boot, with a beautiful pristine fresh snowfall, and more on the way. And, of course, Pinkie had all kinds of fun last minute tasks planned, and she'd finally get to decorate the flower shop -- and maybe there would be enough time for her to go sledding or skating! And, of course, there would be carrols, and the hanging of the Extra Special One of A Kind Here Comes Christmas Candy Cane! And tonight: Santa was coming! And she was secretly hoping that, maybe, Spike would return today. Yeah he'd been kind of a bad person/dragon the last spring when he was 'training her to be a princess', but after she was 'deposed in a coup by Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Sunny Daze', he became an outstanding and upright guy.

Oh it was going to be a wondrous day! And a wondrous day, like Christmas calls for one thing! An extra special flower for her hair. "That's right!" She thought to herself, looking at the flower that she had been saving next to her nightstand for just such an occasion. The very special flower that she got from Spike last spring -- the one that started the promenade. The strange thing is that it looked, and smelled even better nine months later then it did before -- and it was so beautiful that it practically glowed.

"I'll just put you in my hair." She said, to the flower, gently cradling it in her hoof, as she gingerly put it into her hair. "Oh you'll look so beautiful up there!" She said, to herself, brandishing a sweet smile. "Well I best be going." She said to herself, softly as she left the house, closing the door behind her. Nothing but good could come out of the day.

********

Braeburn frowned, apparently all kinds of horse apples hit the fan whenever sheriff Silverstar had to leave town, and today seemed to be no exception.

Apparently the Sheriff had been called away by some high falutin bureaucrat back in Canterlot to make a report of his management of the settlement over the last couple of years. Lord knows Braeburn -- as well as everypony else -- had hoped he didn't have too, but funding was running short, especially because of how many trees they had to chop down last year to make peace with the buffaloes (and apparently as a result they didn't make as many bits as they needed to to trade for the supplies they needed, and well, something had to give.)

And to make matters worse, there had been murmurings from the town drunk that there was a purple alicorn, with 'a bunch of flowers for a cutie mark' running around town. This, of course, was ridiculous because there were only four alicorns, and the only purple one was still in Ponyville. And she certainly didn't have no sissy flowers for a cutie mark!

But it all just added to the general anxiety that was, already, going around. And, like most small towns in Equestria, the town had never needed too much of a reason to get whipped into a panic.

So naturally, today, even more trouble started.

The crowd stood around, anxiously, growing ever more impatient with the town elders, and it's mayor.

"But major!" Cried a grey stallion, with a light Mexicolt accent. "This is unacceptable! Ju're just going to let someponies just waltz off with my signature Poncho without even so much as a basic search party?" He shouted, frantically. "I means: how can I be called the Poncho if I have gots no Poncho?" The stallion, griped, becoming ever more agitated. "The varment done stoled it right out from under me! And worse still he had the guts to gives me this ridiculous calling card!" He shouted angrily, pulling out a piece of paper with some kind of illegible graffiti on it.

"Look!" The mayor said, calming down the crowd that was beginning to become agitated. "We have bigger problems! I've heard that King Longhorn and the Cattle Rustlers have somehow escaped from the hoosegow, and they're out looking for blood! Apple Blood! And so: as much as I want to look into this, we're one sherriff short, and we need every able bodied stallion to be ready for the worst and -- "

"Mayor Law!" Another stallion cried out in a Mexicolt accent. "Some varmints just ran off with my sombrero!" He shouted angrily. "What are you going to do about it mayor!!!" He shouted, pulling out the thief's calling card, a piece of paper with that odd graffiti on it.

At this point the crowd began to panic.

"Oh no! We have a maniac on the loose! Hide anything that isn't nailed down!"
"No it's the Cattle Rustlers they're already making themselves at home!"
"No the buffaloes! They aren't happy with just some of our trees! They want the whole town!"
"It's Nightmare Moon! She's returned!"
"It's aliens, they've -- "

Braeburn let off a loud whistle, and pointed to the mayor. "Let the mayor speak! Ah'm certain he'll come up with something!" He said, bowing slightly, as the mayor thanked him.

"Relax my little ponies! There is no Nightmare Moon, and no aliens! And I'm sure King Longhorn isn't here yet!" He said, mingling with the crowd. "You just need to relax!" He said, sternly, speaking over the crowd. "Look! If it would make things any better, then I'll organize a posse to look for the varmints!"

A cheer rose from among the crowd. The mayor would fix this! He'd ride out personally with his number two and three men and --

"Course I'm going to need some volunteers!" The mayor said, matter of factly, to a sea of jaws dropping. "Look!" He said, chastising the mob. "I need to be planning for the possibility of King Longhorn and his men coming here in search of revenge! I can't have our best stallions off searching for petty thieves!" He sighed, as the crowd began to whip back into a fervor. "And I have to be here to organize the town defenses, should the worst occur!"

"Where's Canterlot?"
"We've been abandoned by Princess Celestia!"
"No it's worse! Somepony finally got her and --- "

Braeburn let out another quick whistle, and animatedly stamped on the ground. "Ah volunteer!" He said. "Anypony want to join meh?" He said, enthusiastically, looking arround at the crowd (and probably fully expecting them to soak up his enthusiasm, and join in -- sadly... He was out of luck!)

In the crowd there was a great murmur, and then a deafening silence.

"Fine!" He said, with a defeated sigh. Probably asking himself just what he had gotten himself into! "Ah'll do this ahll by mahself!" He shouted, stamping off -- sighing again. Sometimes a stallion needs to do what a stallion needs to do!

********

And naturally, as always, Christmas Eve didn't disappoint. No! From the decorating of the flower shop, to decorating the town with the poinsettias she had been growing all year long. Everything was just so green and beautiful! And fragrant! But why poinsettias? Because, silly, they represented Christmas, of course! That and she never, ever, needed a reason for more flowers! They were, after all, her special thing -- and she loved them so!

But, even so, Christmas wasn't just flowers! No, silly, there were, also, the carols -- which Triple treat led everyone in an impromptu round of. And, afterwards, the Candy Cane hanging ceremony. And what was even better was that? Why another round tomorrow! Led by Twinkle Twirl, the reigning queen of the carol, herself, who would lead them in another round or three.

Oh and then there was the positively magical placing of the Here Comes Christmas Candy Cane -- and, of course, Sweet Berry, Triple Treat, and Cotton Candy had really outdid themselves this year! Oh, she felt sorry for anyone who couldn't be there, because it showed so majestically!

Sadly, she ended up leaving early -- during the ceremony -- inspired to finishing planting all the poinsettias that she had left to plant! And that was ok with her, because flowers! Flowers! Flowers! That is if she could find enough to decorate the town.

And then Minty decided -- that crazy rascal -- to play Santa this year, probably in honor of the real santa, or something, and left behind a really delightful purple sock with a flower pattern on it for her, which she appreciated terribly -- not that she wore socks mind you, but anything related to flowers was a good thing in her book.

Unfortunately, things started to go very wrong sometime around ten o'clock, when there was a horrible crash that woke her up. And it appeared, to her horror, that some horrible person had hurt the Christmas Tree, knocking it over -- but what horrible person would be so cruel as to do that?

Of course, the answer came quickly. When, apparently, Minty felt so bad about breaking the Here Comes Christmas Candy Cane earlier that day (apparently in the festivities, no one noticed) that she decided to go flying on her own, out in the freakish storm that seemed to be brewing. I guess she must have been really shook up about ruining Christmas by preventing Santa from coming. Why else would she do it? Because she was a very poor flier (and she knew it), and even an experienced flier like Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash, would avoid flying in a storm like that one!

Even so, it was only natural that Pinkie would organize a search and rescue party (her and her parties) to go searching for the poor misguided green pony. And the whole situation left Wysteria deeply worried (though by the look on Pinkie's face, she was worried worse) seeing as it was well known that the Minty was a very poor flyer (just ask Kimono, Minty transported her via balloon to her birthday surprise party), and to make matters worse she was flying alone -- in the storm (a storm so big and scary that even experts like Pinkie and Rainbow would think twice about doing so.)

But what were they going to do? Were they going to leave their mint green friend to her fate in the cold darkness? WHY CERTAINLY NOT! NOT ON CHRISTMAS!!! Besides, what were they going to do with her house and all her green stuff if she went away? So, although, Wysteria was slightly upset that she hurt the tree, then she would go too! Why? Because Minty needed their help! And Wysteria wasn't about to let her down! So into the storm and off to the north pole they flew, hoping to find Minty along the way.

The good news was that they found her in the knick of time -- hanging treacherously from her balloon (which was tearing off at the top), with the pegasus sent to search for her, Thistle Whistle, bound by its ropes. Even so, the good news stopped there, as it became obvious that Pinkie, who had sent her balloon into a dangerous dive to catch the green pony in mid fall, had arrived too late! And it left them with nothing they could do but watch in horror, as their green friend fell from her balloon and into the lake -- at terminal speed. Oh it was horrible! She couldn't bear to watch, opting instead to cover her eyes in horror! Leaving her with nothing but the urge to vomit! Oh it all made her felt so ill! Never the less, no one seemed anywhere near as hurt as Pinkie did, who just kept ranting "Please Minty don't be broken!" at the top of her lungs. Oh, It all just broke Wysteria's heart!

And then, just when everyone was on the verge of a good cry, Thistle Whistle and Star Catcher started to pull everyone away. How could they do this? Why would they do that, when Minty was over there -- in the cold unforgiving waters? And the more they cried and moaned, the faster their pegasus friends pulled them away! Why were they doing this? Did they hate Minty? Had something bad happened to them? Of course the answer came, like a bolt of lighting (well more like a pillar of light), when a pillar of light came shooting out of the lake. Leaving everyone pleasantly surprised, that noone went blind. And the sound the pillar of light made?... Well it was really scary! Wasn't that pillar coming from the spot where Minty fell in? Oh dear! Was she still ok down there? Or had even more bad luck befall the unfortunate pony?

The answer would come when, as the light started to clear, and it quickly became obvious that the gully was no longer there! Heck, the pool was gone too! But, the good news was, as if due to some Christmas magic, their green friend was still there, lying at the bottom of the pool. Well half of her anyway! The other half was weird looking, and black. It had misshapen pegasus wings, and some kind of a really jagged something or another sticking out of its head! It was all just a really horrifying sight -- Wysteria had to close her eyes, and look away again! And, to make matters worse, the misfortune didn't end there, as she began, almost immediately, to feel an itch in her head -- as if something was scratching her head!

And did the bad things top there? Oh! No! No! No! Minty's voice began to echo out of that strange black form! At least, she thought it was Minty's voice! Heck! The creature had her flank and symbol! But was it even possible that that was Minty? It had to be! But that only let other questions! Like, what did that explosion do to her? And how badly hurt was she? And was it even possible that she was black from the burns that explosion caused? Or was something else wrong with her -- like a witch's curse, or something? Oh dear! They had to find a safe place to treat Minty's boo-boos! But where? Maybe they could find Santa's workshop? Of course! They had to! That would be the most obvious place! And maybe Santa was still home? Maybe he could help out?

Truth be told, it was the most obvious place. The problem? Santa was no longer home, having already left for the day! Oh dear! What were they going to do? And, make matters worse, Minty's condition was getting worse not better! And it just left Wysteria starting to blame herself! Apologizing about everything! It just wasn't right! All she could do was sit and contemplate -- she was, after all, never much of a talker, preferring quiet days with her flowers to the rambunctious fun that some of the other ponies prefered.

Rainbow, of course, (as always) knew what to do! She started to encourage the green pony -- following up by giving her a careful hug. And, at that moment, the warmest light beamed from somewhere. Leaving everything feeling just so loving and kind, and warm! Heck! Even the flower in her hair agreed, giving off a pleasant warmth itself!

Oh how she wanted to stay forever in this magical, Christmassy place! But that they had to go home! Because, for one thing, they couldn't just stick around with Santa gone! Minty's condition may have been better (she looked like herself, not like a half burned mess with bug features), but it was still horrible! And getting worse again! So they had to rush home! Kimono (the Wisest Pony in the Land) was the only one who would be able to help now! And then, to make matters worse, the most horrible thing happened: their kind friend Star Catcher started making fun of their green friend! Singing something about 'the magic of christmas', while their friend was in such horrible straights. On the other hand, Wysteria didn't want to blame her, as she looked kind of ill herself (maybe it was just Wysteria's eyes, but, for a second, Star Catcher even looked practically translucent.) Maybe she wasn't feeling well herself? Of course she was feeling ill too! That was the only thing that made sense! After all, Star Catcher was a kind, and majestic pony! Yeah! That made sense! After all, all of them were feeling bad! Heck! She seemed to be starting to get a slight headache from the pressure -- at least, that's what she hoped it was!

But at least, despite all the bad news, Santa still came through! Having somehow found his way to Ponyville, even without the Candy Cane -- probably led there by their shining friendship! And boy did he bring the Christmas magic with him! Having fixed the tree, and leaving really generous gifts! Heck, Santa even moved the socks that Minty left behind, filling them with goodies! Even hers!

Oh it was really magical! Her sock was just filled with so many beautiful, and fragrant, freshly picked lilies and tulips. It left Wysteria just so overjoyed, even bringing a tear to her eyes! (She just loved flowers so! Especially when they were picked fresh, and smelled so beautiful! And Santas were both!) And it was really sweet of him to give her these particular kinds of flowers. I mean he was practically calling her a princess (in a good way, not in a bad way like Spike had last spring!) Because both tulips and lilies represented royalty -- and lilies were, in fact, the symbol of the French crown!

"Oh wow!" Her friend Daisyjo exclaimed, seeing Santa's gift for her. "Santa must really like you!" She said, cracking a smile. "He only left me some bulbs and gardening supplies!" She said, ribbing her friend lightly.

Wysteria shrugged. "Maybe it's a joint gift?" She said, having every bit as much faith in Santa now as she ever had in the past!

"Maybe!" Daisyjo responded, sniffing the flowers herself (Daisyjo was Ponyville's number two gardener and, as such, shared quite the comradery with Wysteria.) "Nice flower in your hair, by the way!" She said, pointing at Spike's flower. "How do you make it glow like that though? Did you cover it in dyes -- like Triple Treat, Sweetberry, and Cotton Candy did the Candy Cane?"

Wysteria looked at her friend crosseyed. "What do you mean? This is Spike's flower from the promenade!" She said, getting up onto only her hind legs (standing like a bi-ped), her hooves on her hips. "And I would never do anything horrible to a beautiful flower like this, like covering it in dyes!?"

Daisyjo shrugged. "Sorry about that!" She said, sheepishly. "It just caught me by surprise! Especially considering how old that flower is!" She exclaimed, giving the flower a closer look. "I mean, I've never had a flower last even a tenth as long!"

Wysteria simply shrugged uncomfortably -- why was her head tingling like this? It felt like her whole scalp was itching now! And she felt some minor discomfort in her forehead. Maybe she needed to go to bed? Yeah that must be it! It was, after all, probably after three in the morning!

So while the rest of the ponies were out enjoying the shared wonder of what Santa left behind, she yawned tiredly, and headed off to bed. Having almost forgot something important! (in fact, she had even done so one before this evening!) She needed to get Spike's flower out of her hair! Why? Well, because, if she left it in her hair, then she might hurt it! She thought to herself, trying to gently pull the flower out of her mane.

Unfortunately, It wouldn't budge. And, to make things worse, the harder she pulled, the more it felt like she was trying to pull her scalp off!

"Ouch!!!" She shrieked in pain as she pulled less gingerly. That flower just really didn't want to leave her head! What was she going to do now?

"Please come out?" Wysteria begged the flower -- worried that it didn't realize what could happen if it didn't come out of her hair. "If I leave you there I might squish you while I sleep!" She pleaded, tugging harder. All it did was make her feel like her ear was going to tear off.

She sighed, feeling defeated! This was one stubborn flower! Maybe she should sleep with it in? After all, maybe it just wanted to keep her company for just a little while longer? She thought to herself with a chuckle.

"Good night flower!" She said, talking to the flower that still, stubbornly, remained attached to her mane.

********

Braeburn grumbled to himself. Except for the greeting of new ponies to their fine little town of APPLELOOOOOOSAA he never, ever, took point on anything -- let alone chasing after dangerous desparattos. And yet, somehow, this time, he done it to himself! So there he was, searching every last nook and corners of their town for the thief (even under the outhouse -- not much fun at all!)

He sighed, frustration starting to rear it's ugly head. If he were a thief, where would he be right now? Dead cactus gulch? probably not -- too far away! Scorpion gulch? Unlikely. The bad lands? Nah too far south!

Maybe he'd be living with the buffalo? Nah! They didn't like thieves any more then the good people of Appleloosa did! Especially considering that, for a while, felt that the people of Appleloosa had stolen their lands from them!

No maybe... Nah? And then there was the 'small matter' of him not even knowing what this hombre looked like! So, then, how was he supposed to find them? He asked himself, standing outside the Salt Block ('the town watering hole'.) He stood there, stamping his hoof. He supposed that they might be in the saloon. Except for the fact that he never went to places like those, something he promised his mother in her final days. He sighed noticeably, hanging his head, contemplating whether he was a stallion of his word, or if the occasion deserved an exception. But while he was weighing his options, the decision was made for him. when, inside the saloon, he could hear some indiscriminate shrieking from a female voice -- probably one of the saloon girls. Followed by a clamor, as a tall drink of water came racing out of the saloon, galloping at high speeds, his hoof wrapped unnaturally around some pastries.

"Braeburn! There ee ees! There's the thief!" The saloon's purveyor shrieked, pointing his hoof at the fleeing varmint -- pushing the orange apple slightly, with his other hoof. "There he goes! After heem!" He shouted, pushing the apple slightly.

"Ah'm an mah way!" The yellow apple replied, springing into action -- chasing after the thief as fast as his legs could carry him. However, whomever this varmint was, they sure were speedy. Now Braeburn wasn't a rodeo pony like his cousin Applejack, but he still fancied himself built from good strong apple blood! And even so this thief laughed at him, galloping like lighting -- all the while only running on only three hooves, the last one, somehow, holding all his loot.

It was definitely the thief, as the varment was obviously wearing Poncho's poncho (it was, kind of, one of a kind!), and Sombrero's sombrero! And it looked like the thief must have had a bum hoof as they were somehow holding all those pastries with their hoof and pastern wrapped around them (like a viper) -- all unnatural like. Course the hombre also seemed to have a bum back, as they had a huge hump sticking out of the poncho in back (almost making them look like a pegasus -- cept, of course, the bulge was in all the wrong places for that) -- causing the poncho to ride up almost to their cutie mark.

But despite it all, the thief was surprisingly agile, as he ducked and dodged almost as well as Jackie at the rodeo! And yes, for those of you who didn't know, it was obvious the thief was a stallion, I mean he had a large square muzzle just like one. And believe you Braeburn, the hombre was bigger than cousin mac and, other than the princesses, they didn't make mares that big!

So this meant that Braeburn's work was cut out for him, so -- and it looked like, naturally, that there was only one option to keep up with the thief -- and that was to plow straight through the obstacles the thief circumnavigated.

Braeburn hoped, beyond all hope, that he brought his rope, because he might need to see if he still remembered (let alone was able to perform) any of those rope tricks Jackie showed him. Otherwise he was going to have trouble catching the thief, especially if they made it into scorpion gulch!

********

Wysteria yawned quietly, as she rose, stretching slightly. "Good morning flower." She said, sweetly, greeting the small flower which had, up until now, remained forcefully glued in place. "I hope you are doing well." She said to the flower, feeling it necessary to waddle over to the mirror to get a closer look at it. Why did everything hurt so badly today? And if it wasn't bad enough that she was still suffering from that migraine that had suffering with since the early morning, she now had the fiercest pain in her shoulders as well! (It felt like a cramping pain that seemed to came in spurts.)

Oh well! At least her little passenger still looked good! In fact, if anything, it positively glowed, looking really beautiful sitting Right next to the giant lump on her head!

GIANT LUMP ON HER HEAD?!?!?!

"Oh dear." Wysteria exclaimed, trying to rear up onto two legs to get a better look, only to find that the pain in her shoulders prevented her from doing so.

But she was not going to give up! No! Not in the slightest! She just had to rear up through the pain. "Urrrg!!!!" She exclaimed, tears in her eyes (and her teeth gritted in a not very appealing manner.)

So naturally, to finish the deed, she was forced to brace herself with one hoof! (Yes bracing was good!) So, there she stood, one hoof bracing herself against the wall -- in a shameful display -- and the other touching the bump. It was hard as bone! Was it possible that she had hit her forehead at some point, and didn't know it? No! Of course not! But what else could explain how big this bump was? Of course, it could also be a doozie of a zit, but there was no redness, and it didn't really hurt all that much to the touch. So what was it then? And why was it so big and ugly?

And that, of course, made her glad that there was no one around -- because this was very embarrassing! And the shock would have been even bigger, had she been a pony like Sky Wishes, Scooter Sprite, Coconut Cream, or Twinkle Twirl who prided themselves in their dancing ability -- that wasn't to say that it didn't still hurt her pride slightly, being unable to rise to a standing position.

And as the morning went on the pain in her sides simply got worse. And was it just her, or did it feel like her head was on fire too? (as if the crippling pain in her back wasn't bad enough!)

Then, as time dragged on, ever more slowly, it grew harder, and harder, and harder still to move around, and soon, all she wanted to do was sleep. What was going on? Maybe she should see if she could stumble over to Kimono's? No Minty's in a lot worse shape! She shouldn't impose! Maybe she should just rest a while? Yeah! A couple of hours sleep would fix it right up!

After a couple of hours, she could hear a knocking on her door, and the voice of her friend Daisyjo. "Wysteria!" She called, her voice showing some concern. "You feeling ok?" She said, knocking on the door. "I was expecting to see you out watering your flowers this morning (After all, in g3, with a little love and care flowers bloom year round), but you never came out. Are you sick?"

Wysteria sighed, uncomfortably -- not wanting to worry her friend by having her see Wysteria like this. Nevertheless, Daisyjo was a close friend of hers! "Come in." She shouted, as loud as she was able. "The door's unlocked. Feel free to come in."

Her friend wasted no time in opening the door, and proceeded to walk up close to the bed, and hover over it like a concerned mother. "How are you feeling?" She asked, with great concern. Suddenly noticing that Wysteria hadn't taken the flower out of her mane, she asked another question. "And why's your flower still in your hair? Aren't you worried about squishing it?"

Wysteria sighed, not sure how to phrase the whole situation. "It's nothing really." She said, quietly. "I've just got the nasty headache, and my sides and back hurt something fierce!" She said, trying to rise, but being unable to because of the pain. And to demonstrate the validity of her claims, she grabbed the flower in her hoof, and tried to yank it (unsuccessfully.) "Also I've tried removing that nice flower, but it won't come out!" She said, with a frown. "And I'm starting to get concerned!"

Daisyjo frowned, not knowing what to say (flowers were her thing, not medicine!) "Maybe we should get you to Kimono!" She said, trying to pull her friend out of bed by the arm. "She might know what's going on! And maybe she can help you with your flower!"

Wysteria got up for a second, her body finally responding, but her legs feeling extremely wobbly, before collapsing into a heap -- apparently only experiencing temporary success.

"Oh dear!" Daisyjo cried, in shock, turning around to see her friend crumpled in a heap -- panic flaring on her face. "Can you get up?" She asked, her voice jittering. "I can't get you to Kimono if you can't stand!"

Wysteria shook her head. "No! I can't seem to get anything to move right! I'm sorry." She said, almost accepting her fate.

Daisyjo started walking around her friend, her frown getting deeper and deeper. "That bump on your head looks really, really, bad! And those look like some nasty cramps!" She said, tapping Wysteria's back, and shaking her head. "Please try to get up!" She exclaimed, starting to sob violently. "Please Wysteria! Please!"

"I don't think so!" Wysteria said sadly. "I just can't do it!"

"Don't worry!" Daisjo said, starting to shake. "I'll think of something!" She shouted, pacing violently -- her mind racing faster then she could process her thoughts. After a mere moment she opened her mouth again. "I'll be right back with Kimono! She'll know what to do!" She said, with renewed enthusiasm, galloping out the door -- as fast as her legs would carry her -- leaving the door wide gaping open behind her. "Don't worry! I'll be right back!"

"Ok!" Wysteria said to herself, lying on the ground -- like a lump. Maybe she could count the floor tiles?

After a few minutes of futilely trying to stand up, Wysteria sighed. Maybe Minty wasn't the only one who was in trouble! Maybe she should have seen Kimono, when she had a chance! She sighed, maybe she should cry out for help?

She pondered her dilemma for more than a few more minutes, until Daisyjo, at last, came back, ranting incoherently. "Don't worry Kimono! Wysteria's on her way!" She said incoherently to her friend, hovering supportively. "Can I get you anything? Like a pillow, or some water, or -- "

"Give her some space." Kimono said, with an understated smile, as she slowly walked in the door. Her hair appeared to be frazzled, and there were obvious bags under her eyes. "I apologize, Wysteria!" she said, with a muffled yawn. "Minty's still feeling under the weather, and I spent most of the night helping her!" She said, approaching the purple earth pony with the tri-color purple, pink, and white mane, and took her sweet time looking at Wysteria from top to bottom before finally opening her mouth. "So tell me Wysteria, how long have you had these cramps for? And do you remember doing anything to cause that nasty bump on your head to appear?"

Wysteria attempted to shrug, but the horrible back pain she was feeling wouldn't permit it -- opting instead to shake a head, an act that made her a little dizzy. "I don't really know." She said, with a frown. "I had a pain in my head last night but no bump; and the bumps on my side are brand new."

Kimono stood for several minutes, thinking carefully. "And the flower? How long has that been there, are you experiencing any itching."

"No not really, Kimono." Wysteria said, with a smile. "Besides, this flower is a real cutie." She said, with an infatuated smile. Her face dropped a little, with a hidden sigh. "Except for the fact that it won't come out of my hair any more."

Kimono stood there for a second -- her mouth gaping open. "Yes..." She said, an invisible wind blowing through her mane. "You wore that flower last spring at the Promenade..." She said, contemplatively. "And yet, it still looks good as new..." She said, curiously. "In fact, I would say, it positively glows." She said, listening once more to the wind. "I think the three conditions might be related..." She said calmly, grabbing one of Wysteria's kitchen knives, her hoof distorting around the handle. "I believe that this flower's magic might be interfering with your own." She said, raising the knife towards the purple earth ponies head. "I'm afraid that I have no option but to remove it." She said, looking straight into the earth pony's two tone green and yellow eyes -- her own eyes filled with determination.

Wysteria shook her head now, struggling to get away from her friend. "Find another way!" She exclaimed furiously, her face growing angry. "That poor innocent flower didn't mean any harm! And I won't let you hurt it!"

Kimono stood up on only her back two legs, her front legs on her hip point -- using her most serious angry face (normally used for when ponies were being inconsiderate in the library.) "I'm sorry Wysteria! But it's the only way." She said, grabbing the flower with one hoof, and raising the knife with the other. "You shall understand, my friend after I -- "

"YOU SHALL DO NO SUCH THING!" Wysteria said, her voice booming like lightning. "THIS FLOWER IS TO BE LEFT ALONE!" She said, blushing. Where did that come from?

Kimono stepped back, with a look of pure shock and at least a little surprise. "But Wysteria, we're worried about you. What happens if your condition continues to worsen? Rainbow, Pinkie, and Minty have already left town! The storm is still really bad, and We have no one else who's good enough with a balloon to get you help outside of town, in a storm like this!"

Wysteria shook her head. She wasn't going to comply. "Find! Another! Way!" She reiterated, firmly.

Kimono sighed, shaking her head -- contemplating other possibilities. She could try a potion, but that wouldn't fix the root of the problem. Nevertheless, if Wysteria didn't want her to remove the flower then she wouldn't force her, no matter how misguided Kimono felt she was being. "Let me mix up some herbs then." She said, mixing up a foul smelling concoction. "Drink this, if you could." She said, smiling politely at the purple earth pony. "It should increase your body's own magic, and will hopefully allow your body to expel the foreign magic." She said, putting the dreadful looking black potion to the earth ponies mouth. "Now please drink quickly!" She said, as the earth pony quickly quaffed the foul mixture -- gagging more than a few times. "Hopefully this will be good enough."

********

Braeburn panted slightly -- keeping up only by pure force of will. He'd never seen a pony with this much stamina. Heck he wasn't sure that he'd ever seen buffallo with such stamina. And wouldn't be surprised if even Princess Celestia herself had as much stamina as this hombre! So it meant that If he had any chance of catching this hombre, Braeburn needed to stop him here and now! But how? He meant, a tough hombre like this wouldn't give up without a fight! And he certainly didn't seem interested in giving up!

Looking at the sign in the distance pointing to Cactus Ridge gave him an idea: maybe he could convince the hombre to go the wrong way, and then corner him at the ridge? The bonus was, Braeburn guessed, that with that bum hoof and hunchback that this strange stallion might have trouble fighting a tough stallion like him (well, at least he hoped!)

But how could he trick this strange stallion into taking the wrong route through Scorpion Canyon? Maybe one of Jackie's old tricks? Yeah! The one she used to herd things, he thought to himself, with a vibrant smirk as he poured on the gas (well, just enough to run to the hombre's left.) Much to his surprise, the thief started to gallop right.

Braeburn actually blushed. He was fully expecting the thief not to fall for such an obvious trick -- or at least to try harder to go left, anyway. Either that ludicrous trick actually worked, or the thief wasn't very good at reading; either way it was good news for Braeburn! Soon enough the thief would start running through a narrow gully, and right up against the ridge. And from there he'd either have to surrender to Braeburn or fight -- a fight, that Braeburn was certain, the thief couldn't win.

And sure enough, there the hombre went, right through the gully, and right up against the ridge -- leaving them cornered. And, for the first time since he saw the thief, Braeburn could finally slow down a little and let himself recover (which was a good thing as his legs -- all four of them -- were killing him!)

He stood a fair distance from the thief, incase he did decided to charge Braeburn, and asked the thief one final question. "Ya ready to surrender, hombre?" He asked, putting on his most serious expression. "Or ya wanna fight?" He asked, preparing for the showdown in Cactus Ridge.

The thief looked at Braeburn, with their devious green and yellow eyes, which were filled with an absolutely terrified expression that made Braeburn almost want to let them go -- almost! The thief opened their mouth, and made like they were talking, but Braeburn couldn't hear them say anything.

Braeburn looked on. Was he wrong, and where they actually going to surrender after all?

After a few seconds the thief reared up onto their back two legs. Braeburn smiled -- ok fight it is! Braeburn braced himself, preparing to rear up in the traditional art of fisticuffs, but before Braeburn could so much as blink, the thief jumped some number of feet into the air.

"Dang it!" Braeburn exclaimed -- in disbelief. "That was a doozie of a jump!" He said, as the thief rose higher and higher, propelled by their inpony jumping powers. And, to make things more complicated, If they got away now, then Braeburn would never catch them! No! He had to stop them here and now! And there was only one way now! Only one hope! By Faust, he hoped that his lasso skills were still any good (or maybe that he inherited something from the same source as cousin Applejack!)

He tried jackie's signature trick roping, and her award winning quick throw, and sent the lasso flying like lightning. And to his glee, he roped the varment perfectly, catching them clean around the barrel -- excellent! Now there was no way he wouldn't be --

CARRYING HIM AWAY!

What was this thief, a pegasus or something? couldn't be, but how could they jump like this if they weren't? But if they were then why didn't they take to the air a long time ago? (Sadly there was no time to speculate because hombre jump good.)

********

Wysteria yawned tiredly (a poor night's sleep will do that to someone), and attempted to get up (note the word 'attempted'.) Apparently not just did Kimono's potion not fix the issue but, if anything, the pain was worse today than it was yesterday! Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let this stop her! No! Today, she would press ahead! Today she was on a mission! Today, she had her flower friends to take care of! And she wouldn't let them down again!

And that meant that today she would ~~jump~~ ~~hop~~ ~~rise~~ ~~crawl~~ slither from bed and tend to her flowers! So ~~jump~~ ~~hop~~ ~~rise~~ ~~crawl~~ slither she did -- all the way to the mirror! Taking a page from yesterday, she carefully used her front legs to prop herself up so that she could see her face.

Not just did the bump on her head still appear to be there but was, in fact, even bigger than before. And worse still, her bump now had a small white spot at the top. Oh no! It wasn't a bump! It was worse than a bump! It was a zit! "A horrible, disgraceful, distasteful, horrible ugly thing! Ooh... I can't even say it! Oh! No! You don't!" She said, chastising the horrible nameless thing -- and dragging herself over to the medicine cabinet to get any anti zit products that she could find. It was hard, because she could swear the cramps on her side were even worse then yesterday! In fact, a quick feel of them, with her hoof, revealed that they were even bigger and lumpier than before! But she couldn't abandon her flowers! Not again!! And she certainly couldn't leave her house with that ghastly eyesore on her forehead!

so she gathered up as many items as she could, wrapping them in her hoof and wither, and crawled to the mirror. She grabbed the zit-b-gone magic cream, and tried to open it (it's hard to open bottles like those with only one hoof.) Only to find that she didn't have enough hooves to apply it! Well... unless she wanted to get onto her belly and apply it to one hoof -- how would she get back up to the mirror when she finished? And --

Where did her flower go? Spike's beautiful flower! It was gone! Poof! Vanished into thin air! That was it! The final straw! If it turned out that Kimono took it away then she would give her a piece of her mind! And there was only one way to do that! She would have to drag herself out the door, and find Kimono, and ask her point blank if she'd taken her flower! And for her sake the answer better be no! Or she'd be forced to give that woman a piece of her mind -- or, maybe rather, try to, as moving seemed to be a challenge.

After more than a few unsuccessful attempts to drag herself out the door -- being stopped by the terrible pains she experienced all over --, she had only one option left to her. And she perished to do this but. She opened her mouth, anxiously, preparing for the loud sounds that would come out of her mouth. "HELP!" She shouted, as loudly as she could -- hoping someone would hear her. "Is anyone there!?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing! But she wasn't going to give up! Why wasn't she going to give up? Well, because she wasn't a pony that gave up easily, that was why! Oh! And also laying at her doorstep wasn't a great way to spend a day! So she covered her ears, and tried again. "HEY!!!" She shouted, louder -- practicing the shout she used to get the ponies attentions back before the promenade.

Still nothing... She frowned deeply -- desperation starting to set in. what was she going to do now? She guessed there was only one option. 'If at first you don't succeed...'

After a few attempts her voice was just about shot. Was anypony going to come to her aid? Did anyone care? Was anyone out there to help her -- other than Sunny Daze? ... SUNNY DAZE? ...

"Sorry 'bout that 'Steria! I didn't hear you." She said, with an embarrassed smile. "You feelin' under the weather?... You need some help?"

Wysteria simply nodded, sadly. "I can't seem to get up, and my flowers need me." She sighed. "could you get Kimono for me? And see if there's anyone around with time to help tend my garden?"

"Don't worry 'bout it 'Steria!" Sunny said, with a smile. "I've got time to help you with your flowers, girl friend." She said, smiling honestly -- eliciting a frightened expression from the flower pony. The fun-in-the-sun-holds-the-record-for-most-pony-somersaults pony was the one that was going to help with her garden? Wysteria shuttered in fear. Sunny Daze responded to her friend's anxiety by smiling reassuringly. "Trust me, 'Steria! I'm sure I'll do a good job girl!" She said, with enthusiasm, turning around again halfway out the door. "Heck! I'll even get 'Mono for you!" She said, galloping off, again, with a serious expression -- the expression of someone on a mission (ok it would have had more effect if she wasn't either somersaulting her way there, or walking on her front hooves, upside down.)

Wysteria nodded. "Thank you." She shouted, gratefully, as the white earth mare raced out of range. Wysteria's thoughts turned, leaving her suddenly worried about what evil she had just unleashed on her beautiful gardens (and whether or not the surfer mare would even remember to get Kimono.)

Her fears were partially assuaged when, after a few minutes, her friend Daisyjo came racing in -- as fast as her legs could carry her. "Are you ok Wysteria?" She asked, her face wrinkled in concern. "I heard from Sunny Daze that you were still not feeling well! And I just started to imagine the worst!" She said, starting to hyperventilate.

"Relax." Kimono said serenely, slowly following the earth pony into the little house. "It will do Wysteria no good for you to panic." She said, chastising the blue pony with the blond mane. "Now please go to the kitchen, and I shall get you when I finish." she said, pointing at the kitchen with her hoof -- taking her stern stance.

"So." She said, walking around the purple earth pony. "You're still having trouble, I presume." She said with a frown, resisting the urge to pinch the bump on Wysteria's head with her hoof. "And I presume that my potion did not fix your issues." she said, looking at Wysteria's head a second time, a pleased expression starting to creep up her face. "Though it did seem to free you of young Spike's flower."

Wysteria gave her a sour expression regarding the flower, before giving a defeated sigh. "Sorry," she said, with a frown, feeling worthless. "I don't mean to be a nuisance..."

"No it is I that should be sorry." Kimono said sadly. "I should have guessed that this would happen." She said, before putting on a fake smile. "Shall we see what troubles you?"

"Sure." Wysteria said, sorely. "The bumps on my side are much worse now, and the bump on my head actually appears to be an enormous zit." Wysteria said, slowly pointing at the zit on her forehead.

Kimono's frown turned to a hopeful smile. "Well perhaps there is something I can do about that." She said, feeling the zit good and well with her hoof, muttering silently. "... Interesting... What is your nature friend... It doesn't feel like an infection... This head almost feels like bone..."

********

Yeah... apparently Braeburn didn't quite have the same level of acumen with the rope as his cousin Applejack -- and it showed. Where as she would probably have stopped this varment cold by now (hog-tying them in well under a minute), instead he was the one who was stopped cold -- being dragged along, as he stubbornly held onto the rope for dear life (hoping beyond all hope that all the extra weight he'd been meaning to lose would stop -- or slow -- the thief somehow.)

Braeburn could scarcely guess what force kept this hombre going -- only that he was capable of not only dragging a fully grown stallion along at breakneck speeds, but he was capable of doing so without being slowed down in any discernible fashion.

And was it just him, or did the thief keep looking back at him with an expression of stark terror as they ran along? Braeburn would have scratched his mane, had the circumstances been different. Shouldn't the thief be laughing at Braeburn's dreadful condition? Oh well! In the end it didn't matter, because, there was no way that Braeburn was going to let go or giving up! No! Not in the slightest!

"Ok Braeburn!" He thought to himself. This stallion might move like a steam driven locomotive. But there had to be a way to stop him, because there was no way he could show his face in AAAAPPPPLLLEOOSA again without catching this hombre... So that only left the question of how!

"Ok first plan." Braeburn thought to himself. As he dangled helplessly. "Hold on for dear life an' hope the hombre wears out."

Problem? The hombre didn't really slow down, and after a nasty set of rope burns all over (even in some places that Braeburn would rather me not speak of) which were caused when the jostling of the rope caused by the thief jumping a short rock formation caused Braeburn to roll around helplessly for much longer than he was willing to admit (involving plenty of both log rolls and somersaults) before finally getting wrapped up in his own lasso (curse this five strand hemp hanging rope that he bought, for cheap, from a traveling scam artist with an axe to grind! Now he was coming along whether he wanted to or not! Maybe he should have listened more closely when Jackie told him about the proper rope to use for hogtieing!)

Another problem? Up ahead was cactus gully and he guessed being dragged along by his belly through there would be a mite painful!

"Ok! New plan!" Braeburn thought to himself. "I roll to mah feet and plant them as deep as ah can as suddenly as ah can!" He thought, hoping to maybe use the hombre's own momentum against him to maybe flip him prone, so Braeburn could finally subdue him!

Excellent plan! Right down to the part where the thief literally started carrying Braeburn and a hunk of dirt, about the size of a full grown stallion, that he was, now, standing on. Leaving Braeburn surfing a giant hunk of dirt along the country.

Did anything slow this hombre down? Braeburn asked himself, beginning to be filled with otherworldly terror -- what level of Tartarus did this nightmare spring from? Could even Molly or Faust stop this hombre? Let alone him! What chance did he have?

He sighed a slight sigh of relief, noticing something. Maybe he had a chance, after all! The hombre was finally starting to pant! This was great news! This meant that his dogged persistence was finally paying off! Now hopefully he would remain in one piece long for it to matter! things were finally looking up...

Right up to the point where the thief looked back again, their mutant two color green and yellow eyes looking back at him filled with mortal terror!

The thief put his neck down, and charged forward with all his might

"Well here we go agaaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!" Braeburn shrieked, as he and his hunk of dirt continued to be dragged along, at breakneck speeds.

********

Wysteria yawned slightly, rising much more easily than the last couple of days. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed to herself. "Kimono's second potion did wonders!" She felt great, like a million bucks! And, better still, she finally felt like she was able to rise out of bed normally -- though she wondered how she ended up with her legs sitting over the base of her bed. Had she slid down the bed over the course of the night? Impossible! Plus how could she have done that if her head was still at the bed's head?

However, despite the eerie feeling in her chest, she decided to press forward -- there was no time for fretting about that now! And why? Because this morning she could finally care for all of her flower friends! (Oh how she missed them so!) Heck with everyone sleeping in, she might be done before anyone gets up! And, after that, maybe she could start planning next year's Spring Promenade -- or maybe open the flower shop again! And maybe after she got back from her garden she could get herself some cereal, or maybe pancakes, or maybe sneak one of Sweetberry's cakes -- or five -- because she felt absolutely famished! It was a very funny thing, because she was normally almost never hungry (one of the reasons that she was one of the thinner ponies in town.)

"Oh well." Wysteria said to herself. Attempting to walk out the door on only her two back legs, as was the custom in Ponyville, only to find that she was now too tall to do so. "What in the?" Wysteria wondered, being forced to duck down to squeeze through the door (and doing the old fallback of pushing the door open with her hoof.) "Naughty door!" She said, chastising the mean door as she squeezed out. "It's not nice to shrink on people!"

But at least the town's flowers were still nice to her (and it looked like they missed her as much as she missed them.) And to top it all off, it looked like Daisyjo had done a wonderful job doing both their jobs (at least as well as she could considering that she was only one pony!) And Wysteria could tell by how well she had maintained the gardens, she would definitely have to thank Daisyjo later.

And it looked like Sunny had done... an... ok job. She thought, comparing the ~~disastrous~~ work that Sunny had left behind to the absolutely beautiful job that Daisyjo had done. Oh well! All she had to do was fix some of Sunny's more obvious mistakes. Wysteria sighed, the mare meant well, but there was apparently a reason her thing was 'fun in the sun' and not gardening.

Wysteria sighed, feeling incredulous. How could one pony have made everything so wrong? Oh well, she shouldn't be so mean. Sunny didn't have to help her, and she was a huge help while Wysteria was sick, after all -- not to mention that she did the best she could; and regardless, Wysteria only had one more bed to look into and...

IT LOOKED HORRIBLE!!!!

Wysteria frowned, angrily, guessing that her sun loving friend had either gotten distracted halfway through and started somersaulting, or she simply just didn't know what she was doing (Wysteria guessed the second.) No! No! Where were these mean thoughts coming from? Sunny was her friend! Sunny would never let her down! And then there was, of course there was always the possibility of... gasp... rodents!

"Oh dear!" She cried, pleading with the flowers. "Please be ok!" She gingerly cupped one in her hoof. Oh dear! It was all squished and wilted, it might already be gone to be big garden in the sky. "Oh dear! It's all my fault!" She thought to herself, with melancholy. "It only I hadn't gotten myself sick!"

"Please be ok!" She cried out to the flower, pleading with it to be ok. She just cradled it with her hooves, her eyes closed, just hoping. "Please oh please be ok!" She cried, closing her eyes and dropping to her knees to mourn for her green friends.

After a couple of minutes she was done weeping, it was time to -- hey! She couldn't believe her eyes! Not only was the flower in better shape than she thought it was, but the whole garden looked wonderful -- like at The Spring Promenade. Heck, maybe Sunny didn't do as bad a job as Wysteria thought? Heck, the whole garden was looking good. Maybe she should ask the girl to help more often!

Speak of the devil... Whom should show up? That was right! Sunny Daze! And she looked really sorry. Wysteria was mystified as to why. Seeing as she did such a good job (leaving Wysteria apologizing inside for being so mean to her!)

"Hey 'Steria, I'm glad I ran into you..." She said, apologetically, sounding and looking unusually sincere (the mare usually prefered to go with the flow, and normally didn't get worked up, so you know this must have been serious.) "I kinda wanted to apologize 'bout your garden. See..." She said rubbing the back of her head with her hoof. "I kind of messed up and... I'm sorry 'bout that." Sunny said with a frown. "I kinda --"

"Don't worry about it." Wysteria said, with a kind smile. "You did a fine job. See?" She said, waving her hoof at her garden. "In fact, I might have to ask you to help more often." She said as she trailed off, going home for eggs and bacon and milk and cereal, and maybe a cake or five.

Sunny looked at the Purple earth pony with a puzzled expression. What was Wysteria talking about? "I swear I wrecked this garden yesterday." she said to herself, taking a close look at the flowers and wondering if she should bring in Puzzlemint -- because she was pretty sure she messed the garden over, real good, the other day. "And is it just me or does 'Steria look different today?" She said, staring blankly into the distance, deep in thought.

Wysteria felt relieved, her life was slowly returning to normal. And it was so great to be back to her flowers -- especially after how much of a bummer the last couple of days were (especially Christmas, which she spent in pain, instead of enjoying Santa's gifts.) But, oh well! She was feeling better now, and she was hungry as a horse!

She walked up to the door of her house, and eyed it cautiously. Was the door still feeling like a bully? Or had it finally grown back to full size? Maybe she should go ahead and walk in the door on all fours? (you know, just in case.)

So she demeaned herself by opening the door with her hoof, and opted to push it open, while remaining on all fours, and ... bumped her nose against the door frame.

"Ouch!" She shouted in pain. What in the? Had the door shrunk again!

"You mean old door!" She cried, cradling her sore nose with her hoof. "Why are you being mean?" She asked, looking at the door incredulously. She swore she got through just fine by dropping to all fours not more than an hour or two ago! Oh well! In any case, she should take a look in the mirror and see how badly the door hurt her nose.

She sighed, lowering her head to walk in the door (how very sad...) Once behind her own door, she closed the door carefully behind her, and walked over to the mirror.

She looked back to chastise the door -- with an agitated face. "See door! I haven't grown at all!" She said, snidely, admiring her face in the mirror -- before realizing that she was still on all fours. Was it possible that she had actually grown? (Of course, maybe her house could have shrunk... That was a scary thought!)

She took a second to admire herself (well as best as she could, seeing as standing on only two hooves would probably make her miss the mirror entirely.) Finally she looked on her head to see if the zit was still there... Not just was the zit was still there, but it wasn't a zit. It looked like the tip of an ice cream cone, and it was about as tall as one of her eyes -- and about the same diameter. She felt it with her hoof, and it was hard like bone -- in fact, it felt like bone! What in the? What was happening to her?

She turned to the side to admire the bumps on her sides. Except they weren't bumps. For one thing, she saw little tufts of feathers sticking out of her skin. And was that a little tip of bone sticking out of her side? What was going on? What had happened to her to cause her to start turning into a freak!

Wysteria gasped in horror. There was only one logical explanation for what was going on -- and it was not exactly what someone would call logical.

"OH NO! I'M MUTATING!!!!" She exclaimed to herself in pure and unadulterated panic. Before fainting dead away -- hitting the floor with a thud that could be heard from outside.

********

Braeburn sighed, hurting all over. What was it going to take to stop this hombre? He spit rocks out of his mouth -- his last attempt to stop the thief by galloping the opposite way around a rock formation only ended in him carrying the rock formation with him (apparently the old con artist wasn't lying about the strength of that rope!)

"Ok!" He asked himself. "Where are we at?" He thought, looking for landmarks that he could use (he had to find his way back home somehow), and he guessed that, by the way the thief moved, they would be seeing mount Canter pass on their right any second now.

Braeburn was beginning to wonder if the thief's mother dipped him in the waters of Tartarus at birth, or something; because it was becoming increasingly obvious that the thief just couldn't be stopped! Not by rocks, or dirt, or Celestia -- heck! He wouldn't be surprised if Molly and Faust themselves couldn't stop this hombre! Yup! That was right! Nothing could stop the thief! No nothing! Don't even think that could stop him! Because it couldn't stop him! Not even --

The thief tripped on a rock while galloping along, causing them both to go flying forward and finally crashing into a wall. Braeburn, fully expected the thief to start running again, or to charge at Braeburn, but instead the thief simply laid there, motionless. Braeburn couldn't believe his eyes -- were tears actually streaming out of the thief's eyes?

Braeburn got up, and wearily wobbled over to the thief -- his everything hurting like the dickens! (And not just from having galloped halfway across Equestria.) At the moment, It looked like the thief was done running, and wouldn't fight -- but he could change his mind at any time, and Braeburn knew it!

He stared directly in the thief's large two color green and yellow eyes -- ready to give the thief a final piece of his mind. "We don't take well to thieves over here in AAAAAPPPPPPLLLLLLEEEEEEOOSA!!!" He stated sternly, looking the thief straight in their eyes (which looked back, sadly.) "An' that sombrero belongs to somepony else, so ah'll be taking back that sombrero!" He said, angrily ripping the Sombrero off the thief's head. He fluttered his eyes off and on for a minute or two -- was he even seeing what he thought he was? Laying before him wasn't the earth pony that he was expecting to see, but instead a unicorn -- seriously some bookworm unicorn spent the better part of a day beating an experienced rodeo earth pony.

Braeburn was surprised, because, among the kinds of ponies the unicorns were almost universally the least athletic, and, to top things off, the thief looked like a bookworm not an athlete, too boot. So it came as a great surprise that a unicorn could commit super-pony acts of athleticism. Nevertheless, Braeburn wasn't going to let this hombre get into his head -- he had to take back poncho's poncho before the thief got ideas.

"Ahhh! A big city unicorn! Well I ain't going to let you take advantage of the good ponies of AAAAAAAAPPPPPLLLLEEOOSA!!!" He said loosening the lasso, knowing full well, that if the thief wanted to run, he could now. "So ah'm going ta take back Poncho's poncho!" he said, starting to pull the poncho back.

Braeburn expected to see a scorpion cutie mark, or maybe a sword -- instead it was the symbol of some kind of a flower. What was the hombre -- some kind of a gardener? (Guess that explains the life of a bandit... Not much use for a gardener out here.) Good question though was, didn't unicorns usually have the symbol of a star or a gem or something for their cutie marks? Oh well, he needed to get Poncho's poncho back so he gave a quick yank, and yanked the poncho off the hombre's back, head and wings.

HOMBRE'S WINGS!?!?!?

********

Wysteria frowned, staring into her mirror for an extended period of time. She almost couldn't stand the sight. And over the last week her mutations had just gotten worse, and worse, and worse, precipitating frequent, almost hourly appearances from Kimono.

Things had been bad seven days ago when she first noticed that she was mutating, but they were much worse now.

At first it was just tufts of feathers, and a small bone, but over the course of the week, two neverending creasantlike rods of bone grew out of her back, behind her shoulders. Bringing with them large, finger like strands of feathers. Each finger like strand was longer than the last until the fourth finger came out, which was blessedly shorter than the others, as each fingerlike wingtip tore out of her back -- more painfully than the last. Finally, the rod ended, along with the fingers tapered into a small shell like object at the end. She had wings now!! Really real for real pegasus pony wings! What was going on? Had someone been experimenting with magic again? (Like Minty and the mystery mask, or Sunny Daze and those glasses, or even Kimono and that Christmas wand?)

Over the course of the days, the wings weren't the only thing that grew. The bump on her head also slowly grew into some kind of white bone-like icecream cone. The long spiralled object slowly drilled its way out of her head, slowly and painfully. It looked, kind of like a ice cream cone except that it was bone white, and was constructed of bone, not cookie. It grew out the top of her forehead, between her ears, like that artist that Pinkie met while on a walk in the woods last summer, (except that the artist's bump was phony.) What did the artist call that thing again? Wysteria asked herself. That was right! She called it a horn! Wysteria had a horn?!?!?! Oh no! she was getting a horrible horn! Like a deer! She panicked, running in circles, ranting in abject panic. She was mutating into a really real for real pegasus deer! Whatever was she going to do? (yeah, she was irrational, but a horn the same height as you head, and the same diameter as your giant mutant eyes drilling itself out of your skull, and tearing through your skin? Well... It does not lead to rational thinking!) Finally the color of the horn slowly changed in color from a white bonelike color to more of the same shade of purple as her coat (once again, unlike the artist whose 'horn' was a much darker blue then her coat.)

So, out of increasing embarrassment and shame, she spent her time hidden in her house, only allowing Kimono -- who grew increasingly more concerned over time -- to visit her.

Wysteria's condition seemed to defy all reason, and laughed at all treatments -- as any medicine given to the purple pony served only to speed up and exasperate the process. Eventually all Kimono could do was give her medicines and creams to ease her pain, and cleanse the holes where the wings and horn had tore themselves out of her body.

"What is happening to you, my friend?" She asked, scouring the library day in and day out for some kind of an answer. But none came! Eventually Kimono was forced to throw up her hands. "i'm so sorry Wysteria! I couldn't figure it out!" She said, lowering her head in defeat. "The only one who might know is Spike! After all, it was his flower that caused this!" She said, mentally shooting daggers at the small blue dragon. "Not to mention that he has access to books, somehow, that neither I, in my library, nor Storybelle, in hers, does." She said, hiding her disgust at the dragon who had made Wysteria's life so miserable last spring, and was now doing so again.

It was if Spikes flower had changed her somehow... And Kimono was none too happy!

********

And at that point, Braeburn's brain simply broke, causing him to shake violently.

What had he just done? He just chased, and hogtied a prince of Equestria! Heck! This could be counted as assaulting a deity of Equestria! "Oh no! The hombre's an alicorn! Ah'm doomed!" He thought to himself, trying to determine what he was going to say!

He meant? What was he going to do? How was the prince going to respond? This could be classified as high treason! There was a punishment for that! And Braeburn desperately wanted to have every part of himself remaining right where they were.

"Ok Braeburn." He thought to himself. "Think positive! Maybe things ain't as bad as they look!" He thought trying to avoid the all consuming panic that was starting to swirl. "Maybe this was a test? Maybe the prince wanted ta test our compassion an -- " His face paled. He just chased a prince 'with a bum hoof and a hunchback for miles, and hogtied said prince over a poncho, a sombrero, and some bread.

Braeburn's knees resumed wobbling violently. What was he going to do? Would apologizing be enough, or would he need to grovel? That should work -- except for the fact that the prince was still there bauling away like a child. Maybe the prince wanted to make sure they were going to go for broke for truth, justice, and the rule of law? Ummmm.... 'chased a prince with a bum hoof and a hunchback for miles'! And he still had not forgotten around the part where he played 'sidewalk surfer' with a chunk of rock under his feet (yeah... Didn't make justice in Appleloosa look too competent, did it? And that was exactly what filled the orange pony with terror!)

Maybe he should try running now! 'Cause if he started running now, then maybe he could get a good foot or two before the prince banished him to the moon or something!

Ok! Positives! Maybe this is an evil prince! That would explain the common thievery! Yeah! Celestia would be here any second and --

WHO WAS HE KIDDING HE'D BE A POTHOLE LONG BEFORE THAT POINT!

Now what Braeburn meant to say was "Your majesty, your subject wishes to subject himself to your merciful judgement, and humbly requests the return of all items taken in tribute from your humble servants, in exchange he will submit willingly to your most generous judgement." What he actually said, looking at the tall alicorn stallion and his square muzzle was. "Puh... puh... puh... puh... puhpuuhpuhpuhpuhpuhpuhpuh... prince...." Yeah not terribly smooth, he thought as he started bowing deeply.

However, mid breath, a very soft female voice came out of the ~~stallion's~~ mare's mouth -- one that kind of reminded Braeburn of his cousin's friend Fluttershy's voice. "Please don't call me that!!" She begged, starting to cry violently. "I don't want to be a princess! I just want to be me!" She cried out, sobbing more loudly than before. "It's depressing and boring to be a princess! And they can't have friends, or sniff, or water their plants, or dig in the dirt, or organize events, or do anything!" ~~He~~ She said, weeping violently.

Oh great! Now Braeburn needs to add defamation of a PRINCESS to his list, because he just called the princess a prince, and so Braeburn did the only thing he could do. "...Cess!" He finished hoping the senorita didn't notice (also not to mention being in complete confusion, because he was absolutely certain that this was a stallion -- though this didn't appear to be the case.)

And, worse yet, it turned out that the princess (yeah, apparently, not prince -- princess) didn't much appreciate being called by her title as she started weeping uncontrollably while babbling something about 'just wanting to be my'...

Oh Horse Apples! Braeburn cussed, to himself. Maybe he should reconsider the turn tail and run option?

********

Wysteria sighed, looking at the long spiraled monster horn on her head, and the really real for real pegasus wings that ripped their way out of her body this week. What was she going to say to the others? What was she going to do? Where was she going to live now that she was a pegasus? Would she have to live with them? Or could she still even live in Ponyville? Her head was just full of questions, and the more she thought about it, the more melancholy she became. A then there was the fact that she hadn't been able to tend her garden since the changes started in earnest, and now she was too self conscious to do so,

While she was thinking to herself, she could hear a knocking at the door. Did she have the heart to answer? Or would she pretend she was asleep? Of course she could just pretend that she wasn't home! She shook her head! That was no way to treat any of her friends! Maybe she should answer it and --

"Are you home?" Daisyjo said, shouting through the door, her voice showing concern. "I've been so worried about you!" Did Wysteria hear her sobbing in concern?

Wysteria frowned. She felt really bad! She really did! But she couldn't face her friend looking this way! She simply couldn't bear to do it! Not like this! What would her friend think? And what would she say? Wysteria looked back at her wings -- they were so hideous! She hated those ugly wings and that horrible horn! And she would give anything to rid herself of them.

Therefore, one course of action remained. She would remain quiet, and hoped that Daisyjo would think she was gone! She held her breath, hoping -- desperately -- that her friend to leave. Was this what she had come to?

But Daisyjo didn't go away! Instead she called out more loudly, her sobbing was so loud that it could be heard even in the house. And her voice was absolutely permeated her voice, and panic -- as she started to beg desperately for Wysteria to be ok. The pony called out, becoming ever more frantic. "Are you ok? You haven't been tending your gardens in days, and I'm beginning to imagine the worst!"

Wysteria sighed, Daisyjo was a good friend, and she'd been very helpful with her gardens while she was ~~mutating~~ sick. Maybe she should swallow her pride and come out and take her medicine. No! She couldn't do it! She couldn't be seen this way -- she thought to herself, breaking down into tears.

She sat down, unable to move, as Daisyjo's voice became ever more frantic.

Outside, she could hear Kimono's footsteps. "Hello Daisyjo." Kimono said, outside, coming to Wysteria's rescue -- she said calmly, bringing peace even to the fearful purple pony. "Wysteria's is still feeling a little under the weather and is, as a result of her condition, feeling a little self conscious -- but I'm sure she'll be out after I have a chance to borrow some of Spike's books. I bet one of them contains the solution to her little problem." She said, looking forward to Spike's return the next afternoon (originally he had promised Christmas day, but pushed his return back till a week and a half after Christmas, for some reason.)

Outside she could hear Daisyjo leaving. "Sorry to hear, that you aren't feeling well. And I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happened to you that all of us are your friends, and that you don't need to feel self conscious." She said, trotting away, sadly.

Wysteria frowned, maybe she would sleep, and hopefully, when she woke up tomorrow everything would be better -- or so she thought, as she slept on her side because of the giant wings that stuck straight out from her shoulders...

********

The next day didn't bring much good news and, in fact, it did exactly the opposite, bringing only more trouble. When, in the early morning, the skies were filled with a sea of odd flying bug ponies, and the air filled with the buzzing of their wings. They were the strangest things, that looked like a cross between a pony and an insect (well with the strangest and tinyest muzzles), and they lacked the warm smiling faces that characterized the ponies of Ponyville ponies, as well as their warm friendly attitudes and faces, opting, instead to keep a mean and surly demeanor.

To say that events were any better in Ponyville would be to deceive oneself, as they were no better than those in Unicornia (and if anything, might have even been worse.) The only difference was how quickly everyone figured out there was a problem (It didn't take Puzzlemint to figure out this one -- what with the bugs accosting all ponies in sight, and definitely when they were not afraid to use force, even if not necessary.)

"Nopony is to feed, and all ponies are to be taken alive!" Ordered Captain Raphanus, reminding his men of their unconventional orders (normally raids were conducted against the fluttering ones, but usually none of them were taken alive.) "This order comes straight from Prince Vladímir and any changeling that disregards this order is to be sent to be liquidated!" (Another unconventional order, the forces of the hive were never prohibited from feeding before -- except for those places corrupted by the fluttering ones, or traitors from the hive.)

The ponies of Ponyville, who very quickly began to smell a rat, and immediately took the most logical course of action: panic. However, running was futile (a G3 pony escape a trained changeling warrior?... Forget about it!), and ponies in Ponyville weren't all that good at hiding (a blue earth pony with yellow hair, and an ice cream cone for a cutie mark tried, unsuccessfully, to hide behind a potted fern.)

Some were caught in the streets, others fled indoors, only to discover, much to their dismay, that trained changeling warriors don't knock! (They simply bash doors off their hinges instead of knocking -- not that it would have made a difference, G3 ponies didn't normally lock their doors -- frequently preferring to push them open to using the door knob.)

"Do not let anypony escape!" The captain exclaimed. "Lord Vladímir does not permit failure!" He hissed, pointing towards the Cotton Candy Cafe. "Leave no stone unturned." He said, laughing heartily. "How pathetic. They simply run, or hide piteously -- they don't even consider the fight option. I almost feel sorry for these creatures!... Almost!!"

"Hello." Cotton Candy said anxiously, standing behind the cash register, and greeting four -- rather large changeling drones. "So." She said, in her squeaky voice. "Would you like some rainbow berry tarts, or maybe, would you prefer something to drink?" She gestured subtly with her shoulder as all four warrior stood there distracted by her statements (probably staring at the seventies jukebox that sat unused in the corner by a window.)

"No!" One of the warrior drones stated mindlessly. "You are to be taken to Prince Vladímir for judgement. And he shall decide your fate!"

"Well gee!" She stated, waving the bottom of her hoof at the drone's face, with a smirk as Sky Wishes snuck out a back window -- unnoticed by the drones. "How about a free sample?" She said, holding out a plate. "And maybe I can regale you with one of my stories, and maybe we forget this whole business, and be friends?"

"Incorrect, we feed on love and friendship!" The drone retorted. "And feeding has been explicitly prohibited for this operation by direct order of the prince! So please, do as you have been instructed, and turn yourself in for judgement."

Cotton Candy sighed. "I hope Skywishes is right about her special wishes working this time! Heck, this had better work overwise everyone's in big trouble!" She said quietly, mentally turning her head to the fleeing earth pony. "Here's hoping your special wishes allow us to get out of this one!" She muttered, as the changeling drones carted her away.

Meanwhile, back at Wysteria's place...

"What's going on out there?" Wysteria asked herself, as she heard frantic shouting nearby, and endless amounts of loud buzzing. "Maybe I should see what's going on?" She asked, before freezing at the door, still unable to face Ponyville, in her current state -- she just couldn't do it! She just couldn't leave! She was too self conscious! She thought, beginning to cry in terror. She didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, it sounded bad!

Outside she could hear frantic knocking, and Daisyjo's voice -- which was shaking in terror. "Wysteria we really need to go!" She shouted nervously. "There are ugly, mean bug ponies everywhere. And they are taking everyone!!!" She shouted, her voice getting ever more frantic. And before long, struggling could be heard outside, and a scream from Daisyjo.

"Oh no!" Wysteria said to herself, in dismay. "Daisyjo's in trouble!" She shouted, fear for her friend finally overcoming her insecurities as she bolting out of the house. "I'm coming!" She shouted, terror present in her voice.

Before her stood her friend Daisyjo, being carried away by weird bug ponies with tiny muzzles. The moment Daisyjo saw her friend, her eyes went as big as saucers. "Wysteria? Is that you?" She said, hardly recognizing her friend.

Wysteria just nodded sadly -- turning to the bug ponies. "Umm..." She said meekly. "Could you please let her go?" She asked politely.

"Negative!" The changeling drone replied. "She is to be brought to Lord Vladímir for judgement. Please surrender yourself, alicorn, for judgement before the prince's great black throne."

Daisyjo responded. "What are you talking about, she's not 'alicorn'! She's Wysteria!" The pony said, increduously -- angry at the disrespect being handed to her friend.

The drone responded mindlessly. "Very well then, Wysteria, the alicorn, please submit yourself to Lord Vladímir's noble judgement." He announced, motioning the changelings that currently restrained Daisyjo forward.

"Please stop." Wysteria asked kindly. "Please stop being such a meanie!" She begged, shuttering and cowering as the changelings moved forward, fearing what they would do to her. But instead of the inevitable crash... nothing happened...

Wysteria removed her hooves, uncovering her eyes. Had something happened to the monsters? Indeed, it had, as two drone's wings were bound in multiple places by ten or twenty foot flower stems. And another got a face full of dandelion seeds, causing them to run blindly into a building. A fourth was crying out in pain, as their legs and lower body were completely covered in brambles.

What was happening? Were the flowers responding to her emotions? Rediculous!... Absurd!... Right?

The drone with the brambles still attached, rose back to his hooves, gritting his teeth. "All changelings in range please come to our aid! A nascent alicorn has revealed herself, and is resisting Vladímir's righteous judgement! Drop all other quandaries and give aid." He said, as a large group of changelings chasing Skywishes ceased, allowing her to continue chasing after two kites.

Half of the changelings in Ponyville descended on the horned pegasus. "Please surrender to the noble judgement of Prince Vladímir, alicorn, you are greatly outnumbered." They chanted, each in order, as they were attacked and neutralized by the army of flowers, that Wysteria didn't even know she had.

Wysteria frowned. "What are you talking about? And what did we ever do to you?" She cried, stamping her hoof on the ground in a temper tantrum -- going temporarily feril. After a few seconds, the ground where her hoof stamped was now a giant crater. What was happening to her? The earthquake toppled half of her pursuers over, the other half were tangled in ivy that grew out of the crater.

"Daisyjo please run!" Wysteria cried, as afraid of herself, as she was the bugs. Daisyjo nodded sadly -- leaving her friend hesitantly, and only after much cajoling from Wysteria -- as she started to gallop away, frantically.

Behind her she heard crazed laughter. "Oh wow!" Cried a disembodied voice. "When the K -- Prince sent us here, I thought it was going to be another boring mission, with all kinds of mediocre queries, and meaningless busywork!" The voice said, like it was crying due to how much laughing it was doing. "But apparently, instead, I get to take on a princess!" It said, their enthusiasm apparent in their voice.

Wysteria went pale. Endless scenes of her 'princess training' came to mind, and her slow isolation, as her list of acceptable places, people, and things got ever shorter. "p...p....please -- " She stammered. "Don't call me a princess please." She begged. "I just wanna be me." She cried, her innocent smile returning.

"Heh..." The middle aged changeling stallion with the greying mane exclaimed, as slowly began to seemingly materialize out of thin air. "And I wanna be king, but we don't all get what we want." He said, levitating five long needle like objects in his magic. "And face it girl!" He shouted, sharply. "You are a deity of Equestria and that makes you a princess!" He said, crossing his front legs (the flapping of his wings keeping him upright.) "Like it or not!"

'Princess': the word hurt even worse the second time. It reminded her of Spike. "You were the first to touch the flower, and that makes you a princess -- whether you like it or not."

"Nooooooo!" She shouted, feeling the rage growing -- for some reason. What was this horrid feeling?

"Yessssss!" The changeling mocked, readying his first needle. "But since you are in denial!" He hissed. "I'll give you till I run out of these needles to wake up and fight..." He smirked. "And then I start hitting organs." He reiterated, with glee.

The first needle whizzing by, seemingly aimed poorly -- despite the training of the assassin --, missing her completely.

She gasped in horror. Trying to run -- only to find that the changeling was already right in front of her route of escape.

The changeling shook his head, angrily. "Too slow!" He exclaimed, wrinkled his nose. "Are you kidding me? Where is that deity like speed? Your super pony strength?" He frowned, feeling deprived of his epic victory. After a few seconds his demeanor changed, giving into a hellish rage. "Do you mock me, princess?" He asked, feeling very disrespected. "Or are your powers still asleep?" He asked, teleporting by her head, and wispering in her ear. "What will it take to wake you up?" He asked, returning to his original position, and sending the second needle flying -- which missed her by a lot less (apparently the first shot had been intentionally wiffed.) "Next one will be closer still!" He said, voicing a certain amount of agitation.

In the distance, Skywishes was being chased by an oddly feline changeling.

"Please stop!" Wysteria begged. "What have we done to hurt you?" She begged to a shrug from the assassin. "Why are you being so mean?"

The changeling smirked, sending the third needle flying, which missed her by mere inches.

"Wysteria! Wysteria! Wysteria!"The assassin remarked, his smirk turning into a sadistic smile -- his fangs showing. "This is my job!" He remarked, shrugging his withers, once again held upright by the flapping of his wings. "Oh and it's fun!" He said, sharpening his next needle on a rock. "Got to get these things good and sharp!" He remarked, taking a careful look at his needle.

Wysteria felt herself beginning to become frantic, she felt a tide of anger growing in her head. "STOP!" She shouted, her eyes growing crazy. "CEASE THAT THIS INSTANT!!!" She demanded, growing ever more angry by the moment.

In the background, Skywishes, wrestled in the changeling's magical grasp, trying to pull her first kite out of a tree.

"The princess begins to stir." The changeling hissed. "But she still refuses to do anything!" He announced rhetorically. "What shall we do?" He asked the princes, with a smirk. "Oh I know!" He exclaimed, enthusiastically. "I'll make her madder!" He shouted, with glee, sending another needle flying. "Oh and princess!" He said, his tone turning serious. "If I don't get a fight... well... then I will be extraordinarily disappointed -- and then I'll have to take my disappointment out on you friends!" He smirked, as Wysteria winced, causing the needle to miss -- if she hadn't have moved then it would have hit her dead on,

"You...You...you... you knock that off!" Wysteria stammered, shaking violently, feeling a new emotion -- blind rage. "Or you'll be sorry!" She exclaimed, her pupil color beginning to change from green and blue to a blood red color -- a eerie red aura beginning to materialize around her.

In the background Skywishes managed to grab hold of her kite. And mouthed some words very deliberately.

"Last chance princess, next one takes off that tumor that you call a wing!" He said, setting the fifth needle to fly. "I suppose the prince said to take everypony alive," he said, with a shrug. "But, of course, our kind has an inherent hatred of Celestia and Luna, so maybe he wouldn't mind..." He said, his voice containing a mix of sadism and anger.

The needle grazed her wing causing a very small cut -- causing Wysteria to cry out in pain.

"Heh!" He exclaimed, sounding like he'd finally had enough. "Apparently you won't wake up," he said, turning to her, and speaking sternly -- his eyes growing wide. "So I'll have to take my disappointment out on your friends!" He said, looking at Skywishes, in the distance.

All Wysteria could feel was blind rage, and another new feeling for her -- hatred...

The changeling sent a sixth needle flying -- aimed straight at her wing. An apple tree sprang up in an instant to take the blow.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN OUR FRIENDS, AND HURT THIS BEAUTIFUL FLOWER!!!" She bellowed, feeling her body begin to float.

The changeling smiled manically. "It's coming!!!" He exclaimed, readying his seventh needle.

"What am I thinking!" Wysteria exclaimed in her head -- her eyes returning to normal, and the aura receeding. Suddenly feeling like her symbol was on fire -- as it glowed strongly.

The changeling chucked the next needle, which was aimed at her heart. It never even came close as she disappeared into a puff of smoke...

"Nuts!" The changeling exclaimed with disappointment, stamping his foot. "We'll have to finish this later!"

********

All arround Wysteria smoke billowed and swirled, not that she could hardly notice, as she had passed out from the horrible burning pain that was emanating from her mark some time before. She awoke, sometime later, to find herself in the middle of an odd apple orchard, somewhere.

"Where am I?" She asked herself, looking around -- none of this looked familiar at all. A narrow river passed through one side of the orchard, and a vast mountainous desert extended into the distance.

"Oh dear!" She said to herself, in puzzlement."Where am I? This looks nothing like Ponyville, and I don't see Breezie Blossom, or the woods anywhere!"

She began to fret, and that caused her to feel slightly sick. "Ok... Wysteria relax!" She exclaimed to herself, taking a moment to center her mind. "I just need to find someone who can give me directions back to Ponyville!" She exclaimed, taking solas in that fact, at least. "I'm sure that if I look real carefully I'll find someone, as I'm sure that someone lives around here! I mean there's always some random house around somewhere." (She said, thinking of some of the odd houses and cottages that could be found even fair distances away from civilization -- sometimes even in the middle of the woods.)

And over the ridge, in the distance, she could see, what looked like some buildings.

"Oh maybe someone lives over there, and they can tell me where I am!" She said, galloping over with glee.

In fact, she was in luck, as she could see a ~~mare~~ stallion approaching.

It appeared to be a brown earth pony stallion (she could tell by the shape of the face) with a pickaxe symbol.

Wysteria gulped, continuing to feel self-conscious about her wings and horn. "Maybe I should hide these?" She thought to herself. "No!" She thought, shaking her head, and gathering his confidence. If she was ever going to get over her self-consciousness about her horn and wings, then she would need to face him.

"Um... excuse me sir." She said, cautiously approaching the brown stallion, wearing a fine vest and pretty non descript farmer's hat, which was currently being used to hide his wispy blond mane, which had begun to go white. "But I'm looking for Ponyville, and I was wondering if you had seen it."

"Howch dare they throw me ohut of the schaloon without giving me schome water to drinhk!" He said, his empty toothless mouth opening, his lips covered in salt, as he stumbled around, drunkenly -- his voice as much full of agitation as bemusement.

Wysteria frowned, maybe he didn't hear her. But she hated so to shout! But she might have to. She tapped like she did back at the promenade intro. "HEY!!!" She shouted -- her voice echoing off into the distance --, stamping her hoof -- the whole orchard rattling and shaking with each tap.

"Woah!!!!" The stallion shouted, as he was thrown up and down by literal waves of earth. "Schomepony need schomthing?"

"Ah yes I -- " Wysteria started saying -- having finally got the stallion's attention --, before the eyes on the stallion went wide like saucers as he glanced back and forth continuously between her horn and wings -- his usual clueless expression replaced by an expression of mortal terror, and a folding of hooves.

"Ah'm scho schorry Princshesch! Ah'll schober up I promish!" he shouted, drunkenly, as he started to waddle and scrape his way back towards the buildings in the distance, making like he was Paul Revere. "It'sch hard to believe but A Princshesch is in town!"

"Oh dear!" Wysteria said, crying again -- feeling utterly defeated, her efforts to fight her self consciousness coming crashing down in front of her face. "It's my ugly wings and horn!" She sobbed. "I have to hide them!" She exclaimed, starting to formulate a plan. "They scared that poor man off..."

********

"Oh Horse Apples!" Braeburn screamed to himself mentally. Just what had he gotten himself into? The ~~prince~~ princess still laid there, weeping her eyes out. What was he going to do? He was sure that she was probably not going to be happy with him.

There was only one thing to do. The only thing Braeburn could do! He bowed low -- as low as he could, lowering his front legs, and crouching his head against the ground in a full bow. "Ah'm terribly sorry yer majesty. Ah didn't know that yah were ah princess, and ah apolergize for causin' ya to crash into the side of a mountain, ah promise that I didn't mean ta!"

Unfortunately this didn't seem effective as the princess seemed to cry worse. "Please don't call me that! I just want to be me!" She bauled, sounding more desperate. "Being a princess is horrible!"

"Ok!" Braeburn thought to himself. "Ok! new plan! I bow and scrape lower!" He thought, bending down to a full kneel. "Ah'm terribly sorry majesty! I didn't mean ta chase ya halfway to Mount Canter, and fer mah im-pew-dance, ah apologize! Ah promise ta do everything in mah power ta make up fer my misdeed's against yer majesty!" He said, hoping to ingratiate her majesty.

Yeah pretty much as effective as before (if not even less so.) Yup... Even less so! She appeared to be bauling even worse, and her voice sounded even more desperate than before. "Please don't call me that! I'm not a princess! I just want to be me!" She said, begging more fiercely, her voice growing ever more desperate.

Ok! Braeburn was in deep! He was up to the tip of his cowboy hat in trouble. Ok! new plan. He would bow and scrape all the way till he was laying flat against the dirt -- bowing as low as he was anatomically able. "Ah'm terribly sorry for hogtieing y'all and ah wish to make amends in any way I can! Ah promise, yer majesty! Please fergive yer foolish subject, and ah -- "

The mare sounded even more upset, and desperate -- her pupils starting to change from green and blue to a blood red. "Why are you apologizing! Why do you hate me! Why do I have to be a princess! Why can't I just be me!" She shouted, thorns slowly growing from the ground. "Why do you want to force me to be a princess!"

Braeburn shook violently, apparently apologizing wasn't helping, and apparently she didn't want to be called what she was -- no matter how much he was trained to call her a princess or a deity. Therefore, only one option remained. "Ah'm terribly sorry! Ah didn't mean ta upset you, yer m...! Please fergive meh! Ah have a reunion to attend, in fifteen moons, and ah don't wanna be squashed like a bug! So what can ah do to make it up ta ya!"

She looked on in puzzlement -- vacillating from anger to complete confusion, what was he talking about? "Why do you think I would 'squish you like a bug'?" She said, her voice filled with a mix of sorrow, offense, and confusion.

He frowned. "Cause I chased ya half way to Mount Canter, hog tied ya barrel with a five hemp strand hangin' rope, an' caused ya to get squished against a wall!"

She looked at him shivering in fear, and frowned -- starting to shiver herself. "Please don't do that! I don't mean any harm!" She cried, bauling some more -- but alot less desperately. "I'm scared!!" She cried, in utter confusion and desperation. "Why's everyone afraid of me!?" She asked, never experiencing this before... ever! "Why does everyone hate me now!? Is it these horrible wings and this miserable horn!?" She said, falling down onto her plot, with her legs jetting out in front of her perpendicular to her barrel, and her tail running out the opposite direction -- her face cupped in her hooves, which distorted slightly to bend to the contours of her face.

Braeburn frowned, apparently he wasn't the only one afraid, apparently the princess was alone and afraid as well. And he couldn't abide a mare being left alone, afraid, and vulnerable like this! No! This offense to her would be corrected! "Ah'm terribly sorry pri -- " He swallowed the word that came from every fiber of his being, and forced himself to use another, his body shaking violently in opposition to the act. "ma'am. Ah didn't mean ta upset ya!" He said, leaning in, with a smile. "And I apologize fiercely pr -- " There it was again... "ma'am for being un-neighborly towards y'all. So could ya forgive me?" He asked, putting his hoof out for her to bump in a traditional greeting.

"Ok." She said, her pupils quickly returning to normal, but the rest of her eyes remained a blood red (from all the crying), and her face was still covered with tears and filled with sorrow. She reared up onto only her back legs, standing there effortlessly, her legs standing at a one hundred and eighty degree angle to her barrel. She reached out her hoof, the joints in her front legs bending all unnatural like, and cupped her hoof around his -- her hoof distorting to facilitate the motion. And she shook his hoof up and down -- bending his leg and hoof in relatively uncomfortable ways. A smile slowly started to creep up her face. "Oh I'm so glad we can be friends now!" She said, her good spirits returning. "My name is Wysteria! And what is yours."

Braeburn smiled. "Mah name is Braeburn, it's nice to meet you pr... Wysteria!" He said, leaning in again to give her a nice close smile (his body still shaking from the swallowed use of the word 'princess'.) "An' ah'm glad to meet you." His smile quickly turned into a frown as he recalled that he had some tough business to attend to. "Ah'm terribly sorry pr... Wysteria, but I need ta know why ya went an' stole Poncho's poncho, and Sombrero's sombrero!" He said, sternly. "Oh... An' all that bread?" He said, pointing to the bread that now lay scattered across the plains.

"Steal?" She said, her face showing fear and confusion. "I didn't steal these! I went to borrow them to hide this horrible horn, and these miserable wings, " she said, her voice sounding confused. Didn't they read her notes? "But they weren't home and so I left a letter explaining that it was an emergency, and that I was borrowing them for a couple of days!"

Braeburn looked on in awe. So that was what that weird graffiti was all about. "An' what about the bread pr... Wysteria?"

Wysteria frowned. "Well I went and grabbed a bunch that was lying out, and asked the man behind the counter if I could purchase them from him." She said, grabbing some kind of a tri-fold bag from somewhere and brought out weird slips of paper with some really weird looking faces on them that looked like a mix between a monkey's face, and a minotaur's face (and hairless to boot! -- Well except for it's bizarre mane! -- It was so disgusting and ugly, It almost made Braeburn want to throw up!) "But instead of answering my question, he started yelling at me, and started chasing me saying I was a thief or something." She said, crying again. "I didn't mean to steal anything! All I meant to do was purchase it, but instead I scared him for some reason. And then I got scared and ran away! I'm so sorry!" She said, starting to cry again.

Braeburn sighed, this pony really needed help. Not just was she scared, and alone, but also, apparently, utterly broke because whatever varment gave her that 'currency' stuff needed to be sent to the hoosegow.

Braeburn frowned, oh he was going to regret this but...

"So what brings you to town pr... Wysteria?" He said, with an honest smile.

"I don't really know. I was at home, and then these nasty bug ponies attacked, and then everything disappeared in smoke, and then I appeared here, and I don't know where I am!" She said, starting to cry again. "I'm scared!" She reiterating, crying into her hooves some more.

Braeburn frowned, apparently the changelings were back to their old games. And apparently they attacked her town no less. "Could I get the name of your town?" He asked, reading the map of Equestria in his mind.

She nodded. "Yeah, I come from Ponyville." She said matter of factly. "And I, actually, came into town to see if you could give me directions back home."

Braeburn frowned, and shook his head on the inside.It wasn't that he didn't believe her story -- it was the only thing that made any sense. It was more that he didn't believe the town she claimed to be from -- that part was absurd. Most likely the mare's town was attacked (not something that was unreasonable, as he had heard rumors, from the sheriff, of some of the movements of the changeling forces, as of late) and the stress probably caused the poor thing to ascend (believe you Braeburn, those wings and horn were bizarre, but one hundred percent authentic!) And, guessing by how she felt about both her wings and her horn, she was an earth pony -- so if her magic were to activate unpredictably like Jackie's friend Twilight's tended to do, then she might be a little confused -- especially if this was a long range teleportation, which tended to scramble the caster's mind among other things (including drive the caster into the ground.) And what was he even talking about? He was a gardener, not a wizard! All he knew is that the dear wasn't lying, that she was an Alicorn, and she couldn't possibly be from Ponyville! Course it still begged the question of why Ponyville? And how had she heard of the town? Maybe a letter to the town was in order, because maybe pr... Wysteria had relatives in Ponyville.

Question still remained though of where she should stay until Sheriff Silverstar could return and they could get to the root of this enigma.

"So pr... Wysteria. Do you have any place to stay until I can get a hold of someone who can help you get home?" He asked, though he suspected, by the innocence of the mare, that he already knew the answer.

She nodded,with an innocent smile. "Actually, I was just planning to ask all the nice ponies of your town until one let me stay with them for a few days."

Braeburn frowned, and shook his head, vigorously -- terrible idea! Even though she looked kind of like a stallion, an innocent mare like her was an easy mark (especially once somepony figured out that she was really a she), and even Braeburn had to admit that some of the fine ponies of AAAAAPPPPPLLEEEELOOSA were actually not, at all, as fine as he boasted they were! Plus, then, there was the whole matter of them thinking she was a thief again -- he'd rather she not experience frontier justice first hoof, thank you. He frowned again, gulping slightly, granny was probably going to skin him and send him to the glue factory for this (he knew if his mother probably would if she was still on this plane), but sometimes a stallion has got to do what a stallion has got to do. "Well if you need somewhere ..." He said, skillfully avoiding the 'p' word! "ta stay Wysteria, then y'all can stay at mah place fur a spell." He said, removing his hat and using his magic to adhere it to his hoof, lowering it to his chest for a spell.

"Thank you." She replied innocently. "That's very nice of you." She said, smiling gratefully, but only for few seconds, before it quickly started to sink. "But if I stayed at your place, then wouldn't I be a bother?"

Braeburn quickly swallowed a chuckle -- if that had been a problem, then she'd have already been one a long time ago, what with him having to chase her halfway to Mount Canter. Of course he wasn't going to let her know that, though, as the she seemed fragile enough already. "Nah! No trouble at all." He said, with a smile. "Course we're going to need to return Poncho's poncho, and Sombrero's sombrero!" He said, counting the 'stolen items' in his hooves. "Oh and that bread." He said, with a wink, remembering the bread suddenly.

Wysteria looked at the poncho, and sombrero, longingly, before looking back at her wings -- a self conscious expression forming. "But -- " She started saying, until Braeburn put a hoof to her muzzle, nodding knowingly.

Braeburn smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry." He said, taking off his coat. "Ya'll can borrow my coat and hat." He said, sticking his hat, as best as he could, over her horn -- it was kind of a rough fit, especially with how large her horn was, and he was sure ponies would ask why she was wearing her hat at quite that angle.

But the trickier business was trying to figure out how to squeeze his vest over her wings. "Could ya -- " He said, grunting at the vest refused to get anywhere remotely near her back, let alone her front. "Maybe -- " He said, at the wings sprung back, sending him flying a couple of feet. "Fold your wings?"

"Fold?" Wysteria said, with a confused expression. "These wings can flap, but I don't think they fold..." She said apologetically -- blushing slightly.

Braeburn looked at her cross eyed. What did she mean don't fold? "Ya mind if I take a look?" He asked, to a nod from the alicorn (oh his mother was probably rolling in her grave again.) First off, the wings were connected at the wrong dang position -- on her back, over her withers instead of on her upper flank where they should be (that already meant that her wings weren't going to fold like Jackie's friend Fluttershy -- let any other pegasus in Equestria --, that's for sure.)

He gave a light press at various points in the wings, looking for where the joints were, until he could figure out where you folded them at (this would have been easier, had he been a pegasus.) He found the wings only bent slightly (to about a ninety degree angle or so) in the outermost third of the wing -- right under the finger like tips, which themselves jutted straight out perpendicular to her barrell and perpendicular to her legs -- and in the conch shaped bump at the base or her wings, basically making Wysteria's wings natural position -- that's right! Straight out from her back like a tower.

"Ummm... Wysteria..." He said, blushing with embarrassment. "Ah can hide those wings, but it ain't going to be comfortable!" He said, already contemplating what he was going to have to do. Ah think we should visit mah friend Poncho first, so's we can get you into something a little more comfortable." He said, bending her wing tips into their lowest possible position, and bending her wings at their single pivot as low as they would go -- effectively trying to wrap her wings around her barrell, instead of folding them -- as Wysteria gave an uncomfortable expression, which alternated between pain, discomfort, and it tickling.

********

"Now Wysteria!" Braeburn cautioned to the purple alicorn with the wisteria cutie mark. "When the other ponies look are you, they're gunna think you're a stallion." He said, with a sly wink. "Just don't talk, and let them think that!" He said, formulating his plan. He would tell them that his cousin had dropped in unexpectedly when he was in Dry Gulch looking for the thief, after the thief got away, and that he was going to be taking care of 'his cousin' for a few days. It was the perfect plan! Ponies would start to ask tough questions if he had a mare staying with him, but nopony would even bat an eyebrow if his stallion cousin was staying with him.

"Braeburn! Amigo! Come ins!" Poncho said, with enthusiasm. "It looks like the hombre gave you some troubles!" Poncho said, grabbing a chair -- and taking a careful look at all the bruises, bumps, and scrapes on the earth pony stallion. "Please have a seats!" He said, motioning at a couple of chairs that he kept near by. "So did ju manage to bring back my poncho?"

Braeburn smiled mischieviously, pulling the poncho out from his saddle bag. "Here it is!" He said, to great relief from Poncho.

"So didju manage to catch the thiefs?" Poncho asked, looking at Braeburn anxiously -- worried about a repeat visit later.

Braeburn frowned. "Nope! The thief got away while ah was chasing him through Scorpion Canyon, but I doubt he'll be back." He said, with a smile. "Ah scared him off pretty good."

Poncho winked back. "Ju lying." He said, with a wink, and a smile. "I cans tell by how much snot the thief knocked out of you." He said, whistling at a couple of Braeburn's bigger scrapes. "Though I guess you're probably right that he's done stealing from us, now that he's at Dry Gulch," He said, with a smile. "So I guess that he's their problem now." He said, noticing something moving just outside the door -- Braeburn brought a friend? "So ju going to introduce me to your friend?" He asked Braeburn, with a smile.

"Well actually." Braeburn said, blushing slightly. "That's mah cousin, an' I was hoping you could try h... him out for a poncho," he asked, as politely as he was able, holding his hat to his chest solemnly.

Poncho smiled eagerly. "Certainly amigo." He said, motioning Wysteria in. "Come in amigo! Any cousin of Braeburn's is a friend of mine!"

Wysteria stepped in slowly, and nervously, not sure what made her most uncomfortable, her wings, the way her wings were 'folded', or the how the tacky vest was, very poorly, keeping them hidden.

"Wow!" Poncho said, whistling slightly. "Jour Cousin is huge!" He said, looking 'the stallion' up and down. "I think he mights be bigger than your giant red cousin -- what was his name -- amigo?" Poncho said, stamping his foot slightly.

Braeburn smiled. "Macintosh..." He said, finishing the old stallion's sentence. "Though we ahl call him Mac!" He said, with a smirk. His face turned serious. "Now Poncho," he said to the stallion, as sternly as he could. The stallion nodded back. "can you keep a secret?" He said, walking over to Wysteria -- putting one hoof on the vest, that he had lent to the alicorn.

"Sjur!" Poncho said, with a smile. "I won't breathe a word to anyone."

"Ok!" Braeburn said, sternly. "But remember y'all promised!" He said, reminding the stallion of his word, and unbuttoning his vest -- which was immediately sent flying against the ceiling by the sudden, and rapid unraveling of wings.

"Wow!" Poncho said, with a bemused expression. "Mudj be the black sheeps!" He said, with a smirk. "Now let's get you fitted for that ponchos amigo!" He said, pulling some measuring tape from the wall. "So tell me hombre what's your name?" He asked, as Wysteria turned to Braeburn, diligently following his instructions to her.

"He's kind of shy." Braeburn replied. "So I'm sure he wouldn't be surprised if he isn't ready to speak yet."

Poncho smiled. "Of course." The pony replied, with a suspicious smile. "But with wings like those I would understands." He said, sticking out his tongue and winking slightly. "So Braeburn what's his name."

"Um it's um..." Braeburn said, searching for a name. 'Fuji Apple', 'Jack fruit', 'apple flower', 'apple bud', 'White Cherry', 'Mandrine Orange', ... "Um..."

"You ok hombre?" Poncho said, quirking his eyebrow. "You need the doc to look atju head?" He said, walking circles arround the apple, and leaning in to get a close look at all the bumps and shiners on the earth pony's head. "How many hooves ams I hjolding up?" He asked, holding up one hoof.

"No! Ah'm fine!" Braeburn said, smacking the stallion's hoof back.

Poncho's face held a concerned expression. "Then what's his name?" Poncho asked, pressing the issue. "You having trouble remembering amigo?" Poncho asked, with worry showing on his face, looking up at down, again, at all the doozies on Braeburn's head -- resisting the urge to whistle at some of them.

At this point Braeburn's apple pride began to emerge. "Ah can remember his name just fine! It's Wysteria! Poncho!" He said, immediately puckering his lips, and slamming his mouth shut. Dang it! That's the one piece of information he didn't want to give out.

"Wow! That's a mare's name!" Poncho said, ribbing Braeburn slightly. "Guess that's why ju didn't wanna say his name." He said, turning to Wysteria. "I bet ju got beat up a lot in the schools before jour growth spurt a amigo?" He asked, looking at Wysteria with a mischievous smile.

Now was Wysteria's turn to shoot her mouth off. "Well actually I was well liked in school, and everyone wanted to be my friend because Flowers! Flowers! Flowers!" She said, with enthusiasm jumping up onto only her back hooves and throwing her front legs up.

Poncho fell back, in utter surprise at the tone of her voice, falling to his flank -- suddenly staring right between her legs. "That ain't no hombre! That's a seniorita!" He said, on the verge of fainting.

"Ah cain explain." Braeburn said, with a nervous twitch. "You see..."

"No need amigo." Poncho said, regaining his composure. "I knew jour mother when I was just a young stallion." Poncho said, with a smile. "And I figjured that she wouldn't --"

"No, your wrong!" Braeburn proclaimed. "That's mah cousin!" Braeburn lied, hoping desperately to dissuade the stallion of what he just saw. "And ~~she's~~ he's just staying with me for a couple of days."

Poncho nodded, winking cattily. "Uh huh amigo." He said, pulling up to Braeburn's left, and putting his hoof on Braeburn's shoulder. "And is it normal for jur stallion apple cousin to be a pegasus mare widj a flower cutie mark?"

Braeburn gulped. "She's... um... mah... mah... mah cousin... in law... to ... um... Cousin Apple Bud!" He lied poorly. "Yeah that's right!" He said, his eyes darting around the sides of his eyes at mind blowing speeds.

Poncho winked, giving up the issue for now. "Well I suppose ju...r cousin can't choose he loves! Right Braeburn!" He said, tapping Braeburns bruised ribs with his shoulder. "Don't worry, Braeburn!" He said, with an honest smile. "Jur 'cousin' is in good hooves!"

********

"Ok!" Braeburn thought to himself. "It could be much worse! Poncho's kind of an outsider like the town drunk so. nopony will take him too seriously. We just have to be more careful with sombrero!" He thought, holding the sombrero. The old stallion was, after all one of the town elders, and mayor long ago at the town's founding. He just needed to make sure he didn't say too much.

"Jello!" Said the old stallion, who was missing his signature sombrero that normally adorned his head -- revealing his mane... or rather lack of mane. "So!" He exclaimed, looking Braeburn up and down. "I'm guessing the thief got away!" He said, looking at the young stallion, who looked like he'd been run over by the train that went by town once a day.

Braeburn, simply nodded sadly.

"Jwell no matter!" He said smiling greatfully. "J...You did the best you could!" He said, looking away sadly. "We'll get that varmints as soon as the sheriff returns from Canterlot." He said, looking at his balding head in a mirror. "Djo I was really hoping that dju would be able to gets back my sombrero!" He said, with a sigh.

"An' who said ah didn't!" Braeburn exclaimed, bringing said hat out of his saddlebag.

"Excelent!" The old stallion said, with a smile. "I knew I could count on d...you!" He said, happily placing his namespace hat on top his brow. "This deserves a favor!" He said, with great enthusiasm. "Name something!" He said, giving Braeburn a grateful hug. "Anything! And I'll see if I can get it for you!" He said, dragging out some very valuable vintage wine that he had been saving. "Course regardless! We should drink to your success!" He said, pouring out two glasses. "So what do d...you need?"

Braeburn smiled, blushing slightly -- scaping one of his front hoofs against the other front leg. "Ah was kind'a hoping y'all could, maybe, get ah new hat fur my cousin." He said, motioning Wysteria in. "Ah ran into him while ah was in Dry Gulch, after that varmint got away, and ah was hoping ah could get him something to remember the fine city of AAAAAAPPPPPLLLEEEEEOOOSA by." He said, motioning at one of the display hats on the wall.

"But uv course!" Sombrero said, with a smile. "Take off that hat amigo so I can get dj...you sized!"

Braeburn frowned, swallowing slightly. "Actually before my cousin does that, could I ask you for another favor?"

"Another faj.. favor?" Sombrero said, with a smirk. "I d-only planned on giving you one, but why not! This is, after all, a moment of celebration! What dju you need my friend?"

"Ah was hoping you could keep what's under the hat between us." Braeburn said, blushing slightly. "He's kind of sensitive about it." He said, putting one hoof to his mouth.

"But of course." Sombrero said, pulling the hat off Wysteria's head slowly. "I fjigured it was at kind of an odd angle." He said, as the hat slowly revealed the long spiraled horn benief. "Wow!" He said, whistling loudly as the horn's full size was finally revealed. "That's a long one." He said, looking at the horn -- which was at least as large as the alicorns head. Sombrero smiled. "A fine horn for a fine stallion." He said, with an honest smile. "Heck! That might be bigger than that prince's horn. Djwhat's his name? Blue-something or anodjer! Nevertheless, the apples are a family of almost all earth ponies -- even cadet branches like the oranges, and the peppers. So I can see with a horn like that why you would be anxious." He said, to silent nodding by the earth pony turned alicorn.

Sombrero took some careful measurements, taking careful care to note the size and shape of the horn versus the pony's head. "I may have just the hat for you amigo." He said, with a smile. He turned to Braeburn. "Don't worry! Dju... Your cousin's in good hooves!" He said, getting a tape measure from one of his desks. "And I'm sjorry 'bout leaving you with that hombre." He said, turning to Braeburn, with a frown -- which caused Wysteria, in turn, to wince slightly. "I had no idea that djat old snake was so toughs!" He said with some agitation -- not noticing the growing frown on Wysteria's face. "Course I hopes that now that he's gone that he'll stays their problem."

Wysteria winced noticeably -- having finally had enough silence on the matter. "Well maybe he's done stealing, now?" She asked, to a stunned silence. "And maybe he never meant to hurt anyone in the first place?" She asked, causing Braeburn to wince noticeably -- Things just got a whole lot harder!

Sombrero winked his eyes a few times, rolling his head in a double take. "What jdid you say amigo?" He said, looking Wysteria in the eyes.

"Well maybe he's done stealing and -- " She said, before noting that the old mexicolt stallion had turned and walked over to Braeburn with a bemused expression on his face.

"Stallion huh?" He said, with a smirk, and a wink. "What's the amiga's name Braeburn? Djur friend?"

Braeburn frowned. "Well ah guess ah've been found out. That's my cousin in law Wysteria." He said, his face turning red.

"Oh ho!" Sombrero said, hiding his smile behind a faux sternness. "'cousin' huh?" He said, putting a hoof on Braeburn's wither, and making sure to get his face good and close to Braeburn's ear. "Well, Braeburn, I think 'your cousin' could do better! Because, frankly, she might, possibly, be the ugliest mare I've ever seen." He said, ribbing Braeburn playfully. "No worries though. I can guess why you wanted us to think that she was a he." He said, smiling slightly -- thinking about Braeburn's mom. "Don't worry though, by the time I'm done, she'll look like the princess 'your cousin' probably thinks she is!"

********

Braeburn had been surprised by how fast the word had spread. And what was even more baffling was that, after he had finished with Sombrero that he was still completely able to get away with calling Wysteria his 'stallion cousin', but, by nightfall, he had been forced to completely abandon the narrative, as word had spread quickly, too quickly, that 'his cousin' was actually his mare 'cousin in law'. Luckily, at least, as of that moment, Poncho and Sombrero had kept the matter of her wings and horn to themselves -- which was good because Braeburn didn't really want ponies putting two and two together (especially with how terrified the mare seemed to be of the p-word -- not that he could imagine why.)

And even Sombrero's silence on her horn didn't do much to help protect her from the whistles and catcalls that some very inconsiderate ponies were giving her. The good news, however, was that, for now, the mare's shield of ignorance did seem to keep her safe from the worst of it. Though, he fully suspected that the mare did, however, notice at least some of the silent stares and whispering (though he didn't know if it was because of her being shy, or if she had an idea what was being discussed.) He suspected that, to make things worse, the mare normally prefered to quietly fade into crowds -- using her words sparingly -- rather than to stick out of them! (And if ponies knew about her princess status, she would definitely stand out -- no doubt in his mind.)

And then there was the matter of the disapproving looks he was getting; both from the old mares and stallions that knew his mother -- and probably felt he was making a mockery of her, and their honor -- and the young stallions who 'felt he could do better'. And then, what was worse was that, all of them were wrong -- and this was precisely why he wanted them thinking of her as his 'stallion cousin'. Oh well! That opportunity was passed now!

And then there was the fact, that, if anypony were to get a look under her sombrero and poncho, at those wings and that horn -- odd and distorted though they were --, they would automatically feel the insatiable need to bow and scrape -- Celestia knew that he still did, and that it was taking every ounce of his willpower not to bow and scrape, even just thinking about those things. And he strongly suspected that she would probably take all the bowing and scraping poorly.

Oh well! In any case, this wouldn't matter, because the sheriff would be back in a few days, and they could sort out this mess, at that point. Maybe he could get the word out to Celestia or maybe get some letters out to someponies who could help. Of course, he could always get her on the next train -- somewhere. Though, it all gave Braeburn pause. Why hadn't deputy Bronze Star shown back up yet? Were the meetings back in Canterlot really going that poorly?

In the end, though, he didn't have time to wonder long before Cherry Strudel, an old friend of his mother's, showed up. And he, most certainly, appeared none too happy. How could Braeburn tell? He could tell, just by the look of him! Though the stamping, snorting, and ranting was a very strong indication! The stallion walked up to Braeburn giving him his very most disapproving glare -- and making good and sure to get right in his face. "What would yer mother think, if'n she saw you like this?" He snarled, with a frown, pointing, vigorously, at the mare standing next to Braeburn. "For that matter, what would yer pa think?" He said, slobbering slightly, his attention turning back to the departed apple mare. "Oh that mare was the epitome of style and grace! A beacon of morality! A paragon of virtue! She was just such a shining example to us all!" He said, looking up -- probably hoping to be better heard by the pony he was talking about. "And just look, at what you've done to her name! You and that dame have soiled her beautiful name." He said, with tears in his eyes, which were both shooting daggers at the young mare.

Braeburn grunted silently -- starting to seathe slightly. He was normally not a pony who got mad, but, in this case, he might make an exception! How dare that stallion drag his poor departed mother into this! And how dare he make these unfounded accusations and insinuations about somepony who had taken refuge under his roof -- accusing him was one thing, but accusing that poor innocent, lost mare, was a whole nother thing!

"Oh dear." Wysteria said, with a frown. "What did he do? He seems like such a nice person to me? And what does 'dame' mean?" She asked, with concern showing in her voice. "I don't believe I've heard that word before." She said, innocently -- obviously unaware of what was being leveled at her. "And it sounds mean, and scary!" She said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm not scary right?!"

Cherry turned back to Braeburn, his face showing even more anger. "And apparently you are taking advantage of this poor innocent -- " He said, making sure to stick his muzzle closer and closer to Braeburn's face.

That was it! That was the final straw! He had heard this man fling his accusations long enough! It was time for Braeburn to give this blowhard a piece of his mind! "Sir! How dare you say such things! And insult, not just my honor, but the honor of -- " He started saying, before he got drowned out by a ruckus emanating from nearby.

"King Longhorn is coming!" The town drunk shouted at the top of his lungs, running through town. "I done saw them! There I was, down up at Saddlesore Ridge -- trying to get away from the bottle -- and I done saw them movin' camp! Plain as day." He shouted to all who would listen, only to have them avoid him at all costs. Most ponies just shook their heads in pity at the poor old coot.

He turned to Braeburn, desperately trying to get his attention. "Braeburn! You have ta' believe me!" (That would be hard as the pony had a history of telling tales.) He said, stepping up to Braeburn, and trying to hold himself up by the pony' withers. "Ah saw him! He's here! And he's lookin' for somepony ta k-- " He started saying, before noticing that nopony seemed to believe him. "Ain't nopony listening! Ah'm not lyin' he's here!" He shouted, expecting something... even whispers. Instead the ponies turned away, returning to their day to day existence.

Cherry Strudel rolled his eyes -- and interrupted the old geezer. "You've done been on the bottle again -- haven't ya'all!" He said, switching his berating partner from Braeburn to the old coot. "How many have ya had already today?"

"Ah swear!" The old guy said, with conviction. "Ah haven't had one since I done sawd the princess!" He said, with an honest expression. "And I done sawd Kind Longhorn! And if nopony believes me then I'm-a hightailin' it outta town!" He said, making for the rails in utter panic. Screaming "The cattle rustlers are coming!" At the top of his lungs -- until he finally galloped out of earshot.

Cherry Strudel and Braeburn both traded puzzled expressions, this had to be another one of the old codgers stories right? He couldn't possibly be telling the truth this time? Right?

********

"So, Wysteria, this will be your room, while you're staying with us in AAAAAAAAPPPPPLLLLEEEEOOSA!" He said, motioning at the door, of what would normally be his room. His face dropped the moment that he peaked into the room. "But first." He said, with a blush -- having just now realized something. "Ah need ta check on somethin'." He said, rushing into his room -- making good and sure to close the door behind him (at least he thought he did.)

What followed, soon after, was a flurry of activity (and what sounded like the sounds of heavy equipment in a construction zone.) After a few minutes he wiped his brow -- satisfied in the quality of his work, and the smoothness of his save. "Good thing ah remembered mah room." He said, with relief. "Ah would be mortified if ah had a mare seein' mah messes." He said, blushing slightly, until a shadow cast itself upon a nearby wall, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. "She's right behind me, ain't she." He thought, turning around, very slowly -- fully, and apprehensively, aware of what was probably back there. "Oh... hello Wysteria!" He said, his face turning red. "So... um... how long ya been standin' back there?" He asked, awaiting her response. Maybe she wasn't there long?

She smiled. "Not long." She said, innocently.

"Really?" Braeburn asked, hopefully.

"No... Not really," she said, with a blush, and a playful smile -- causing the apple to bow his head in shame. "I was standing there the whole time."

Braeburn frowned. "Sorry bout' that, ah wasn't expecting company -- especially not by a ... mare." (Ha! Take that instinct! There was no way he was going to use the p-word!) "And ah apologize 'cause things were a mite messy! And ah wanted to fix it before ya had ta see it." he said holding his hat to his chest.

"Oh that's ok!" She said, smiling slightly. "It's no worse than Spike's place! In fact, it reminds me of his room -- well.. maybe with less books than his, and more other stuff, but still similar." Wysteria responded.

"Spike?" Braeburn asked, doing a double take. "Ya mean that little pet dragon of Applejack's friend?" He asked, to familiar nodding from the alicorn. "The little purple one that visited with them last year?" He said, the wheels in his head turning -- could it be possible that, maybe, she was from Ponyville after all? (Especially if she knew Spike -- after all, not many dragons live in Equestria.)

She nodded, up until the point where Braeburn said the words 'last year'. "Yes, well except for the part about him visiting last year." She said, matter of factly. "Because he was sleeping under the castle last year." She said, causing Braeburn to shake his head on the inside. "And actually he's blue, not purple!"

Braeburn sighed. Everytime he believed the princess' Ponyville talk was real, she said something to change his mind. Though, he was really wondering, at this point, if she could indeed, come from Ponyville -- but then why were memories all mangled? Could that have been caused by the changeling attack? Maybe, after she went to bed, he would go and see if Mr. Saltworthy had any dragon's fire left. Because maybe it was time to send an emergency letter to his cousin Applejack!

"But, Braeburn?" She asked, looking out into the only other room, in the place. "Where are you going to sleep?" She asked, with concern. "You only seem to have one bed and one room. Does that mean that you will have to sleep on the floor?" She asked, her face growing ever more concerned.

He smiled, reassuringly. "Don't you worry none! Ah'll probably just sleep an the floor." He said, beginning to close the door behind him. She looked at him disbelievingly. He smiled, reassurinly. "Ah'll be fine!" He said, winking on the way out. "It's better fur mah back anyways, an' ah'll see you in the morning!" He said, managing to coax a smile back onto the mare's giant muzzle.

"Wait!" She shouted, causing him to turn around. "Why don't you just sleep in here with me? This bed is more than large enough for the two of us. And that way you won't get cold." She said, looking guilty. "I mean I really don't want to inconvenience you!"

Braeburn chuckled -- a stallion and mare alone in the same room and the same bed? Yeah, not a good idea! Besides, he'd already angered his dear departed mother enough already -- "Oh, that won't be necessary!" He said, with a thankful smile. "Ah'm awfully grateful for the offer, but ah'd feel better if you were comfortable." He said, with a smile -- which quickly turned into a frown upon closing the door behind me. "Such an innocent mare!" He thought, feeling his anger slowly kindling again. "When I find the hombre that turned her mind to scrambled eggs, then ah'm going to scramble their face!" He thought, tapping his foot with great enthusiasm -- secretly, imagining his hoof stomping the face of the no good hombre that hurt her into the dirt.

Wysteria pulled the sheets up as high as she could, making sure to snuggling in as fully as she could, it was a bit harder -- especially considering the fact that she wasn't used, just yet, to sleeping on her side or belly as the wings wished. Oh well, sleep came quickly, and easily -- giving her a nice respite from the day. She smiled happily; hopefully she would wake up tomorrow, and everything would be normal again.

********

In the middle of the night she woke up with a start, hearing a thumping below -- and someone bellowing Santa's signature phrase. Wait! Santa's catch phrase? In Minty's voice? Below!? Was it possible? Was she back home? Oh she simply had to find out! She popped open her eyes. Oh it was true!! It was all true! She was back in her own room. Looking down only brought more good news! She really was back home! She could hardly believe it! There she was, lying in her own bed!

Could it really be true? She wasn't sure, but there was only one way to find out! She lept out of bed, and galloped straight out the door. What she saw below filled her eyes with wonder -- she almost couldn't believe what she saw! But it was true! Oh it was! It really, truly, was her house -- her beautiful purple flower themed house! Everything was exactly where she had left it Christmas Eve -- including Spike's flower! It had been just a nightmare! A horrible, terrible, miserable nightmare!

And do you what would go with this wondrous moment? A beautiful flower! And most beautiful one she had was right there! So naturally she took the flower and put it into it's proper place, in her hair, at the front of her head. Oh how wonderful! Now that everything was back to normal she could resume her normal gardening rituals, and she could help Daisyjo with her garden again, and she could go back to playing chocolate checkers with Sparkleworks! Oh it just made her so giddy -- especially considering how bad her week was!

Oh she just hear the fire burning in her chimney! The festive Christmas fire! Wait... Christmas fire? She killed the fire before she went to bed! So why did she think she heard a fire? She turned around to verify that she hadn't imagined it! Strange -- she thought she could smell smoke, and hear popping! Oh dear! Had something bad happened downstairs? However, taking a look out her door revealed nothing, but the color of her Christmas lights, and a smell of incense. Was she imagining things? So why would she still smell smoke and hear the sound of popping, when nothing seemed to be on fire?

Oh well! She could start her planning for the next spring promenade, with all of it's flowers! Flowers! Flowers! And what was even better was that she wouldn't have to be in that nice Braeburn's way any longer. It really was turning out to be a Christmas miracle!

She rushed up to her bathroom to look in the mirror. And it just got better! Her monster horn and wings were gone! Her nightmare was over! Up until the point she heard a sound...

"Princess! Princess! Princess!" Spike said, rebuking her from behind. "Rule 37: a princess never stays up past her bedtime!" He said, causing her to turn around -- her face going pale.

How did Spike get into her home? And, more importantly: when did spike get into her house? And why, in heaven's name, was he in her bathroom? Of course, in the end, the fact that he was was beyond debate, as there he stood, claw wagging, plain as day. And he looked none too happy!

"If you are going to be a proper princess, then you need to follow the rules." He said, chastising her, with emphasis. "Imagine what would happen if you didn't!" He said, with a shutter.

"But Spike! I thought we both agreed that everyone was a princess now, and we didn't need all these rules!" She said, feeling betrayed by a dragon that she thought was her friend.

"I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but that is impossible!" He said, as she suddenly found herself back in the top floor of one of the towers of the friendship celebration castle -- a place she still couldn't enter, due to all the bad memories! A place also known as 'her royal chambers!'

"Why would everybody be a princess? Not just anybody can be a princess." Spike lectured, dryly. "Especially not Sunny Daze!" Spike said with a noticeable shudder.

"No!" She shouted, dropping down to her knees to beg Spike -- the neverending barrage of images flowing through her head. "Please! I don't wanna be a princess! I can't stand all these rules! I just wanna be me!" She begged, remembering her eating lessons with all of the spoons, and all of their 'proper alignments'.

She could still remember his words: "Princess! Princess! Princess! This is a tabouli, and requires the tabouli spoon -- and the tabouli fork! And the alignment of the pudding spoon is all wrong! When eating a tabouli: the pudding spoon must be held at an one hundred seventy five degree angle! And this is obviously at a one hundred seventy six degree angle! Please try again!" She began to shake in fear, panic starting to set in.

But the tiny blue dragon wouldn't relent, shaking his head, and wagging his claw. "Princess! Princess! Princess!" He said, taking a snooty tone. "That is simply impossible now!" He said, chastising her like a small child. "The moment you put my flower on you became a princess! And now, to add to that, your body has grown the proper accoutrements, thus making your princessification inevitable!"

"Spike, what are you talking about?" She shouted, growing ever more frantic. "What accoutrements?! What do you mean?" She asked, the panic attack slowly growing worse! "Isn't there anything we can do?" She begged, her pleas falling on deaf ears.

Spike shook his head -- as if unaware of what she was saying. "Just take a look my dear." He said, snapping his talon. "Oh ladies in waiting!" He shouted to Tiddly Wink and Tra-La-La, who flew up, with vacant expressions on their faces -- smiling like something out of the village of the darned. "Wait no longer!" He said, with his own smile -- motioning at Wysteria. "The princess requests a mirror!"

"Sure thing!" Both breezies shouted in unison, flying over with a hand mirror, that they had procured from a nearby room. "Here you go!"

"Oh I'm so glad we can be of use to princess Wysteria!" Tiddly Wink said, to Tra-La-La. "She's so lucky! And I'm just so glad I got this splendoricious opportunity!" She said, giddily, rubbing her hooves together.

"Here you go princess!" He said, eagerly holding up the mirror. "So as you can see -- " Spike said, his voice fading behind the murmuring of her own thoughts -- which grew ever more chaotic.

"No! It can't be!" She shouted, falling to her knees -- right before her was that horrible horn and those miserable wings, not just back, but bigger than ever. "No! I don't wanna be a princess." She shouted, beginning to back away, dragging her plot along the ground behind her.

Spike shook his head again. "Princess! Princess! Princess! When will you finally understand? You are a princess, you simply need to learn to live with it!" He said, turning his back to her, as he grabbed something off a desk. "Ahh! This is it!" He said, eagerly -- turning, once more, back to face her. "But don't worry my dear!" He said, with an honest smile.

"I don't?" She said, sniffing slightly, her smile slowly returning. Had her friend the nice Spike came back? Did he have something to help? Wait! Maybe he had something that could fix this? Oh how splendid!

"Yes!" He said, waving his claw. "Because!" He continued, causing to draw more closely -- her heart filled with hope.

"Because?" She said, eagerly, her smile grow like one of her plants.

"Yes! Because I brought this new princess book back with me!" He said, causing her mouth to drop in dismay. "And it's even bigger and more princessy then the other one!" He said, pulling out an enormous book, that was almost as big as she was. "Oh! All the princessing we will be doing! All the new rules you can be following! Won't that be wonderful!" He said, sounding like an enthusiastic schoolboy.

Wysteria stood there, panic had turned to hope, and now blind rage, as her fear and panic continued to grow and spread. "NO!" She shouted, stamping her hooves, causing everything to tremble like lighting. "I HATE BEING A PRINCESS! I JUST WANNA BE ME!" She said, turning from begging and pleading to demanding as fight or flight took over.

"Oh pshaw!" Spike exclaimed. "You don't know what you want!" He said, speaking like an adult talking to their rebellious child. "Eat something! You'll feel better!" He said, the words sounding familiar to her.

Wysteria felt herself dying inside, as fear and panic began to mix with rage. She HAD to make this stop! She couldn't be a princess! Not again! If she had to be a princess again, then it would be the end of her! There was only one option! She hated it, but all of a sudden it seemed like not just the only option, but also the best one! "NO!" She exclaimed, smirking wickedly. "I don't plan to eat something! I won't be a princess, and do you know why?" She asked, getting in the dragon's face.

"And why is that?" The dragon responded back, remaining unfazed.

"Because I quit!" She said, waiting eagerly for the inevitable. "That's right! I quit, now you can go back to sleep for another thousand years, and leave me alone!" She said, her smirk growing ever darker, expecting to see him get woozy, and fall over like last time. "That's right! I don't care! I'm through!" She said, enthusiastically, crossing her front legs definitely. "Now leave me alone, and never come back!"

Instead of the reaction she was expecting, the dragon simply laughed a high pitched laugh -- one that sounded more like a wicked witch then his normal stuffy noble laugh. "Oh Princess! You can't quit! It's much too late now! The princessformation is too advanced!" He said, causing her smile, and all her mirth to suddenly stop; and just as suddenly, as she suddenly found herself standing amongst her friends --towering over them, at double the size of the next tallest pony. Her hair floated in the wind, blowing against an unknown force.

"I'm sorry Princess Wysteria!" Sunny Daze said. "But you're totally a princess now and totally more important then we little ponies are!" She said, disappearing.

"Guys don't you recognize me?" She asked her remaining friends, her eyes filling with tears. "It's me Wysteria!" She asked, in vain.

"Don't worry princess! We won't let you down!" Pinkie said, as she, Minty, and Rainbow Dash disappeared.

"NO! Come back!" Wysteria cried out as her friends disappeared one at a time. As Spike simply stood there in the ground laughing louder, and louder, and more, and more wickedly.

"NOO!!!!!!!!" Wysteria shouted, as she felt herself being shaken.

"Wysteria! Wake up!" Braeburn shouted over her dream. "WAKE UP!!!"

"Say what?" Wysteria asked, waking with a start. "Where am I?" She asked, finding her head and chest dripping in sweat. Standing over the bed was her new friend Braeburn, and his face looked like he'd just been chased by that monster in Daisyjo's garden.

"Ya'all must have had one heck of ah nightmare!" Braeburn said, beginning to calm down. "Ya'all was shouting like a banshee, and yer magic was going all wonky -- causing flowers and thistles ta shoot up everywhere, and the ground was shake'n like the dickens!" He said, as she began to cry.

"Oh Braeburn! It was horrible! I was me again! But then Spike came, and he turned me into a princess! And took them away from me!"

Braeburn glanced back with confusion and concern. "Who did he take away?" He asked, with concern, desperately trying to comfort the frantic alicorn.

"My friends!" Wysteria wailed back, the tears streaming again. "He took them all away! Every last one! And then he left me all alone! And I couldn't do anything! And he had a million rules for me to follow!" She wept, beginning to hiccup. "I miss my friends so!" She said, weeping desperately, the rest of her words becoming incoherent.

Braeburn frowned. 'Spike caused her friends to leave'? Why would she think that? And why would she be having a nightmare of all her friends being taken away? Could she have been abandoned by her family? But why? And why would her friends have abandoned her? Could something have happened to separate her from her friends? Didn't seem right! Somepony's friends and family turning on them like this? But why would somepony, anypony -- especially somepony's family -- turn on a princess like that? Where these unicorn or earth pony supremacists or something? Didn't seem to be the case, so what happened here?

In the end, he was glad that the local bartender, Morton Saltworthy, had promised to give him a bottle of dragon's fire, if he came in first thing in the morning, because it looked like he was going to definately need to send that letter. Maybe he needed a princess to help him here? As he was in over his head! And, to top things off, he had no idea how to detangle the mares mangled memories.

Braeburn smiled. "Ya feeling better?" He asked, kindly turning to the alicorn. "Or would ya like somethin' to drink?" He said, smiling warmly.

"Some grape juice would be nice." She said, hiccuping slightly. "If you don't mind." She said, shivering slightly.

"Sure." He said, with a smile, turning to walk out the door. Of course juice wasn't something he would be drinking after a dream like that, but whatever.

Wysteria frowned, opening her mouth, once more -- her voice filled with concern, and uncertainty. "Braeburn?"

"What is it?" He asked, turning around with a comforting smile. "Do ya need somthin' else."

"Would it be ok if you stayed in here with me tonight?" She asked, like a frightened child, causing Braeburn to frown anxiously -- rubbing his right hoof against his left leg.

Ok. What was he going to do? He had a feeling that she would probably be unable to sleep if he didn't. But if he did, his mother would probably haunt him forever (and, probably, with good reason.)

"Please mr. Braeburn." Wysteria begged and pleaded -- probably still seeing whatever she dreamed about. "I'm scared!" She said, like the small child who needed to sleep in theirs parent's bed after a nightmare.

He sighed, maybe if he slept on the floor -- but he was risking an awful lot. Especially if ponies found out -- or worse still, his worst parts got the better of him. In the end, though, he decided to take the risk (Maybe he could pull it off, especially if he could keep himself busy finishing that letter!)

********

Luna took flight rushing through the dreamscape at top speeds -- one of her little ponies was suffering terribly, and it was her job... (nay her duty!) To do everything in her power to assist them! Well, assuming that she arrived on time (she hated it when she was late, especially after the week's failures.)

In the distance, she could see the dream unfolding before her -- it appeared that her little pony was suffering dreadfully from nightmares, and was shouting desperately (which broke the Princess of the Night's heart.) As she drew closer, the dream began to come into clarity -- at least the details of this dream could be seen from the outside, unlike that poor pony in Ponyville. Perhaps if she stayed and watched, then she would be able to find out something that would allow her to unravel the mystery of this pony's torment.

Before her, she could see a pegasus. "Ahh..." She thought. "Must be a dream about flying..." Problem? it Wasn't a pegasus before her eyes! No! Instead it was another alicorn! Luna stopped in astonishment. Why would her little pony be dreaming that he...? no wait... that was a she! Why would this little pony be dreaming that she was an alicorn? And, for that matter, why was she so afraid of them?

Did not all the subjects love their princesses of moon and sun? And for that matter, wouldn't she wish to be a princess, like them? So why was she so afraid? And, for that matter, Luna had never, once, in her two thousand year reign run into a pony that had nightmares about being a princess! (Well maybe not entirely, Sombra probably had nightmares of them, but certainly never of being a prince/princess.)

As Luna watched on, the ponies oppressor began to come into focus: a small blue dragon with a purple mohawk. The tiny blue dragon reminded her of Twilight's little dragon son/brother. Luna fluttered her eyes, in confusion. This little pony's oppressor was Princess Twilight's son/brother Spike? No! That was impossible! Of this she was certain! So why did the little dragon look like a blue version of Princess Twilight's little dragon? Or was it all merely a coincidence? And for that matter, why did she get the impression that something very fishy was going on? For instance, why did she get the impression that she recognized that dragon? And another thing, why was it that the ponies fears didn't seem to stem from the teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite creature standing before her, and Instead seemed to stem from a sense of betrayal? And why? Was it possible that this purple alicorn knew the baby dragon that stood before the Princess of the Night, in this young pony's dream? Or was this a creation of her own imagination? In either case, the question still remained of what this little blue monster had to do with her being afraid of being a princess? Was Luna dealing with mental imagery? Did the dragon represent power and authority? The forces of nature? Of Tartarus?

In any case, the dream grew darker, and the pony's mood more desperate! There was no more time for Luna to think, or speculate, as it was now time that she intervened! This nightmare had gotten out of control, and there was no more time to wait! She had to intervene, and only afterwards could she resume her contemplations! The time had come! Her horn glowed as she began to pierce the dream walls. She looked at the scene, and began to look for an object that she could replace in the dream's continuity. Her spell would drill into the dream, and it's walls would crumble allowing her entry. Well... normally... Except this time, once again, it didn't!... Ok!... Undetered, she decided to take another course of action! She would force her way in. She decided to gallop at the dream's walls at full speed -- only to find herself crashing into the wall that separated the dream from the dreamscape.

Luna sighed, mentally face hoofing. Again? This was the second time that night that she had found her entry into a dream blocked. And it appeared that the pony couldn't hear her -- as if things weren't difficult enough already. This, to the princess of the moon, represented a catastrophe! Not just did it make her doubt her own magic, and her life's calling, but it also meant that there would be nothing the princess of the moon could do but stand by helplessly, as the dream continued to get worse, and worse. Leaving Luna to mourn for the young pony as their dream turned to take a turn for the worse, as the poor pony's friends began to disappear into the dreamscape one at a time.

No! She would not accept this! She had to get in! And she would! So help her Faust! At this point Luna made a promise to herself, this poor pony, and Faust herself! She would gain entry -- even if it was the last thing she did!

"ENOUGH!" She shouted, using her full powers to blow away the foul blue beast. The source of this ponies sufferings would be stopped, and through his defeat Luna would gain entry into this nightmare! The beam of magic left her horn, and struck the beast and ...

Nothing occurred! Nothing! Nothing at all! However, it was not for not, as the true nature of the dream began to take hold as the blue nightmare began to laugh wickedly.

Luna's face began to pale, and her knees began to wobble. "No! This canst not be!" She shouted out of panic. "The nightmare is dispelled! Nightmare Moon is no more!" She shouted, feeling herself grow cold. This couldn't be Nightmare Moon! They dispelled the nightmare when they drove it out of generous Rarity! It was gone, blown into tiny bits! It would never rise again! But it had to be right?

Luna stopped to think, calming her mind, and clarifying her thoughts. No! This couldn't be Nightmare Moon -- for, if it was, then she would know immediately, due to the connection they shared. But that left another question, that begged to be asked: if that wasn't Nightmare Moon, then who was it? And, for that matter, why did she feel was the insatiable need to flee? What manner of nightmare was this? What manner of creature was out praying on their little ponies' dreams! No! She must awake! She had to warn her sister! She had to tell her now!

"CELESTA!" She shouted, running down the corridors, rudely ejected from the dreamscape. "CELESTIA! SHE'S BACK!" She shouted, like a scared filly. "THE NIGHTMARE IS BACK!" She shouted, playing Paul Revere. Shouting as she galloped down the halls, like a mad pony, until she literally ran into a very unhappy Kibitz.

"Luna!" Kibitz barked, looking very perturbed. "You need some rest!" He cautioned, giving the lunar alicorn some unwanted advice. "I don't know what happened during your dreamwalk; but it's time for Celestia to rest! If you are going to act this way, then you are obviously going to achieve nothing more tonight!" He barked, dragging her down the hallway by the tail. "I suggest you take a break." He said, with a frown. "Maybe find something else to occupy yourself with."

Luna frowned, thinking about things. After a second she nodded -- she must have been imagining things? Maybe all the pressures of modern rule were, indeed, getting to her."I suppose." Luna responded, going into denial. "It was just a nightmare..." She said, trying to convince herself. "Yes! You were just imagining that dreamwalk." She said, walking away nervously -- struggling with what she swore to be the truth.

So why didn't she believed herself? Why did she believe a nightmare had been born?

********

"What do ya mean 'I don't have any dragon's fire left'!? Ya said that ya had plenty last night!" Braeburn said, his voice containing a fair amount of agitation. "Ah really need that dragon's fire!" He shouted at the local bartender, Morton Saltworthy, feeling the pressure. He had planned this since that letter since the purple alicorn had mentioned Applejack's friend Twilight's pet dragon, but Wysteria's nightmare last night had lit a fire under his hooves, and now he felt he had to get this letter to Celestia (via his cousin Applejack), as quickly as possible.

"Well I apologize monsieur, but apparently I was meestaken about that." The old bartender said, with a frown. "I thought that I had some of thees, but apparently not so." He said, calmly, using a key to open a locked cabinet to reveal a set of empty shelves. "It may also be possible that the theef, or one of my dancers 'borrowed' it for their own purposes." He said, shrugging his withers. "What do you need thees for so badly anyway?" He said, quirking an eyebrow. "Certainly this cousin Applejack can wait, can she not?" He asked, turning to go back to his work.

"Actually..." He said, with a frown. "It's urgent. Ah need to git in contact with her." He said, with a blush, rubbing one of his front legs against the other.

"Let me guess, monsieur." Morton said, his face remaining unmoving. "Eeet has to do with the thief?" He said, pouring a drink out for one of his customers.

Braeburn frowned. "Kind of..." He said, with a frown. "But ah really don't want ta say anymore."

"But, of course." Morton replied, knowingly. "However, I fail to see the need to request the elements over a petty thief, no matter how badly he hurt you." He said, looking at all the bandages, bumps, bruises, and cuts on the apple -- possibly a bruised or broken rib or two.

"Ah suppose." Replied Braeburn -- not wanting the reveal the real reason: he was dealing with a very emotionally disturbed alicorn. This greatly complicated things... What was he going to do now? And how was he going to help the poor dear, if he had no idea how? However, in any case, the best course of action would be to leave his mouth shut for down, lest things get complicated for the dear.

"Of course, monsieur." The bartender replied, with a faint smile. "I can still send your letter, if you wish," he said, calmly. "I can even send thees free of charge," he said, with a wink. "Would thees do?"

Braeburn nodded, reluctantly. What else was he going to do?

********

The next couple of weeks moved along relatively quickly, with him spending most of his nights on the floor of his own room (also known as the guest room.) It wasn't so much that he wanted to (he had originally planned to sleep on the couch, but the alicorn's constant nightmares had resulted in him spending a lot of time there instead) And apparently having someone else in the room seemed to ease her nightmares (after the third or fourth night, he noticed that being in the room seemed to prevent the nightmares from occurring, was it possible she had fears of abandonment or something?)

Which, of course, made things more difficult. Especially, as he started to find the mare kind of pretty (though that may have had more to do with the fact that she was a princess, or the time of year -- hard to say for sure.) Which, of course, left him desperately searching for things to keep himself busy with at night (he was now starting to talk about his childhood in his 'catching up' letters.) In the end, though, it all felt worth it to keep the mare happy. Hopefully Applejack could get somepony that could help.

The Irony of it all, was that all of her nightmares had to do with her being a princess, something about 'princess training' (though the whole concept was lost on him -- not to mention that he was pretty sure that AJ's friend Twilight didn't have any princess training.) And as a result, had left his mother's house kind of a jungle (literally, there must have been forty-five different kinds of trees, bushes, and shrubs piled up around his house.) And, admittedly, it made his neighbors kind of agitated.

"So, first you trick that innocent dear! -- " Old Cherry Strudel gripped, pointing -- with his hoof -- to one of the many large tropical trees. "And now you make a mockery of yer old mother's house!" He shouted, with indignation. "Yer mother cared about her house, instead of turning it into some kind of jungle," he shouted, poking Braeburn with his hoof.

"Ah understand Cherry." Braeburn said, apologetically, holding his hat to his chest (he couldn't tell the old man that his guest's nightmares seemed to cause out of control surges of her earth pony magic, resulting in this mess.) "Ah'll try to get them cleaned up quick as ah can."

"Ah hope so!" The old stallion retorted -- turning away. "And ah hope you ah're done exploitin' that innocent young filly," he said, with disgust.

"Of course sir." Braeburn replied honestly -- bristling on the inside that this old coot was making these unfair assessments about him.

The old stallion sighed, and trotted off -- muttering to himself angrily.

"I'm terribly sorry, Braeburn." Said a sobbing Wysteria, trotting up slowly. "I really didn't mean to do this to you," she said, with a frown. "I had no idea that I was going to cause them to hate you," she said, sobbing some more -- beginning to trot off.

"Oh Wysteria." Braeburn replied to her, with a smile. "Ya haf to ignore old Cherry, he kin git a smidgen crotchety at times -- ah think it's 'cause he had a crush on my mom, in his youth, and he get's a smidge protective of her," He said, with a chuckle -- putting a hoof on her wither.

"I suppose," He said, calming down a little. "Is there something I can do to help?"

"Nothing." Braeburn said, with a smile. "Unless you can tell all the plants here to go away." He said, with a chuckle.

Wysteria chuckled back. "But I kind of like them," She said, looking at the jungle. After a few seconds, she nodded her head reluctantly. "But I can try, though."

Braeburn did a double take. "What do ya mean, 'try'?"

Wisteria frowned. "I made them appear, so maybe I can make them go home," she said, staring at the forage. "Could you all go home?" She asked of the forage. When nothing happened, she frowned. "Please!" She begged.

Braeburn stared for a second, feeling like he was going to laugh at her pitiful attempt, up until the point where her horn, along with her eyes, started to glow a neon glow.

"PLEASE FRIENDS!!!" She shouted, tears of pain flowing from her eyes. "GO HOME!!!! YOU'RE MAKING THINGS HARD FOR MY FRIEND BRAEBURN!!!" She shouted, in the Royal Canterlot voice, causing storm and wind to spew -- throwing Braeburn up against his own home.

When the plants didn't respond, she began to look uncharacteristically agitated. "WE COMMAND YOU!!!" She shouted, her pupils changing from their normal green and yellow color, to a blood red. "DO YOU DISOBEY THE ORDERS OF YOUR QUEEN!!!" She commanded, beginning to go ferryl.

"Wysteria! Relax!" Braeburn shouted, begging her to stop.

The alicorn practically jumped out of her skin for a second. "I'm sorry Braeburn," She said, with a frown. "I don't know what got into me." She said, walking away again.

"relax Wysteria!" Braeburn said, with a reassuring smile. "Ya just don't know how ta control yer magic yet!" He said, making sure to look her in the eyes. "I'm sure ya'll figure it out soon enough."

"But Braeburn." She said, with a frown. "How can I be casting magic? Regular ponies can't cast magic! Only unicorns." She said, with self-doubt -- suddenly recalling little Rarity, and Cheerilee from the foggy depths of her memories (but why did she remember these ponies she never met before so vividly? And why did she know to call them 'unicorns'?)

Braeburn frowned. How should he put this? "Well yer special." He said, with a smile. "Yah have a gift," He said, pointing at the trees. "Ya just have to learn to control it."

"I suppose," she said, with a frown.

"Why don't ya go in and git something to eat." Braeburn said, with a smile. "Ah'll finish out here." He said, thinking about whether he should be using a shovel, a hoe, an axe, or a machete to clear out the jungle.

Wysteria frowned, walking away, sadly. Braeburn frowned, knowing that he'd have to talk to her again in a minute, he just had to get a path cleared back to his house first.

Within a few seconds, a puff of smoke and fire emerged, above his head, slowly forming into the shape of a sealed scroll -- which promptly hit him on the head.

"That's odd," He said, to himself. "Where'd this letter come from?" He asked, looking the odd parchment up and down.

Sealing the scroll was an odd golden seal -- it looked like a moon. Could this be in response to the letter he sent to his cousin? He frowned, it had to be, but who would have a moon for their seal?

He slowly opened up the scroll, reading the top few lines.

"From the desk of her majesty, Princess Luna, princess of Equestria,"

"Well as a stupid question." He said, to himself, with a frown -- fully expecting to be responded to by Cadance, Twilight, or Celestia, instead of Celestia's crotchety sister Luna. "So what do ya want?" He said, curiously, reading down further.

"We have received word from our fellow princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, and your cousin Applejack -- who sends you her regards --, that you have come into contact with a previously undiscovered nascent alicorn, and we wish to send both you, and her our greetings, and to inform you that you are to treat her as you would any princess of Equestria."

Braeburn smiled. "Well have that under control," he said, to himself, with a chuckle. "What else ya want ta tell me?"

"And we wish to thank you for working so hard to assuage her emotional distress, and to get word to us as quickly as you were able -- "

"Thanks." Braeburn said, with a blush, and a chuckle.

"However..." The letter continued, the writing becoming slightly more jagged (the brainwashing diplomatic letter writing lesson that Celestia gave her beginning to wear off.) "Thou fool!!! Thou noodle noggin!!! Why didst thou not take more steps to get this vital information to us sooner! Thou hast taken it upon thyself not just to endanger her, but all of Equestria!"

Braeburn gulped -- he might be in trouble now.

"We are, therefore, going to be coming to Appleloosa, forthwith! Thou art to meet us in front of the train station in exactly forty four hours, and, In the mean time, thou art to keepest her as calm and comfortable as possible! Furthermore, and this might seem counterintuitive, thou art to do thine best to discourage her from using her magic, as much as possible!" The letter demanded, written with a discernable greater amount of passion.

Braeburn frowned, this was an interesting development. He was expecting his cousin and Twilight to show up, as was customary, instead of The Princess of the Night.

"Failure to comply with these clearly written instructions will be considered treason against the crown of Equestria!

With love, Princess Luna." The letter demanded, before exploding into flames.

Braeburn gulped. "Wysteria!" He said, rushing back indoors. "How would you like a meal out! On me!" He said, eagerly (well, more like anxiously) trying to smile as much as he was able, and more.

********

Meanwhile, in the badlands.

Phytolacca looked around with enthusiasm, tapped his hoof impatiently, waiting for his contact. "That drone had better come on time," he snarled to himself, just about at his wits end. "And he had better have seen what it told the collective it had seen. Or else -- " He snarled, making sure to test the accuracy of his use of weaponry on the word 'else'.

After a few minutes, a newly converted drone came flying in (probably from the changeling's last raid on a nearby village) -- moving robotically towards his superior. After a few minutes, he came to a stop before the high level assassin, bowing to his changeling superior.

Phytolacca returned a smirk -- what a stoodge. "So, did you manage to find the princess?" Phytolacca asked, turning to the drone in front of him. "Did ya? Did ya? Did ya?" He repeated, like an excited five year old -- making sure to jump up and down excitedly on each exclamation of 'ya'.

"While searching for food for the hive." The changeling drone nodded mindlessly. "We encountered an old stallion wandering through the desert. Brief interrogation determined that it would be unsafe and unwise, for the hive, to feed upon him due to instability. We, instead, we decided that it prudent to release him, but not before interrogating him further, and -- "

"And?" Phytolacca asked, impatiently -- growing tired of this discussion (he did, after all, have a princess to find.) "What does this have to do with the princess?" He asked, impatiently, practicing his throwing by tossing a needle against a nearby stone, causing it to rickoshea off a ridge, before taking the top off a distant cactus. The changeling gave a sadistic smile -- and a quick stamp of his hoof. "Just missed... It was supposed to take the flower off the top..." He chuckled, turning a death glare to the drone.

The drone continued, mindlessly. "He was babbling something incoherently about seeing a princess in his town," the drone replied. "We believe that he was telling the truth, though we can't say for certain; because of his mental instability," he continued, seemingly unaware of the growing smile on the assassin's face.

"And that town is?" Phytolacca asked, licking his lips -- maybe round two was coming soon (after all, he was eager to meet Equestria's newest princess, away from her compatriots or any guards.) He started jittering excitedly. "Don't leave us in suspense!!!" He shouted in the drone's face, which remained straight -- causing the assassin to frown.

"Appleloosa," the drone responded, robotically. "However, Phytolacca, didn't the queen command us? -- " The drone started saying, before being shushed by the middle aged assassin.

"Don't worry about our queen," the assassin cooed, putting his hoof to the drone's mouth. "It's not your job to think..." He hinted, with a smirk. "It's mine!" He said, patting the drone on the head with his hoof. "Now be a good mindless drone, and tell the queen, and Vladímir that I was forced to dispatch a princess of Equestria as part of my mission, for the hive, " he said, with a smirk -- agitation beginning to show through his demeanor.

"The orders that we were given do not match those that -- " The drone started, rebuking the assassin.

"Sssshhhh..." The assassin cooed, grinning at the drone. "I have higher orders." He said, throwing a needle straight at the drone, hitting them squarely on the head. After a few seconds of violently shaking, the drone silently stopped moving, and fell to the desert floor. "And I can't have you interrupting my plans." He said, with a smirk, flying off towards Appleloosa. "I'm coming princess!!!" He shouted. "Be ready!" He said, hoping that the princess would have more fight than last time.

**********

"So boss?" Jersey Shore asked, holding up a tightly bound and gagged deputy Bronze Star (who currently looked more like a mummy then a deputy.) "What we going to do with the deputy?" He asked, with genuine curiosity. "I mean we can just let him go, can we?" He asked, contemplating the quick chase by the cavalry that would, inevitably follow.

"Why we're going to let him go." His boss replied, with a false courteousness -- and a faux smile. "After all, we've detained the deputy long enough." He said, shedding a fake tear for the three weeks they had 'detained' the deputy after he had discovered their little encampment, by accident. "How does that sound?" He said, disingenuously, to the deputy.

"Let him go boss?" One of his minions responded. "But wouldn't he tell the sheriff about us?" The minion asked, contemplating his noose size.

"Of course he will, he's a deputy after all." Longhorn said, intending to be ironic. "But, unfortunately, -- " He said, with a snicker. "-- he's going to miss the sheriff's return this afternoon." Longhorn whispered into the deputy's ear, holding a hoof to the deputy's neck. "Do you understand?" He asked, holding his hoof within punching distance of the deputy's face.

The deputy politely nodded, his face looking slightly pale -- muttering some words (or maybe pleas) that couldn't be understood through the gag he was wearing.

"Good!" The big steer said, with a chuckle -- pointing to one of his men to free the deputy. "What time is he arriving?" He asked, turning back to the deputy. "I don't want to be late after all," he said, with a sneer -- making good and sure to extract the original planned arrival date, from the deputy (with force, as necessary.)

"That's a great idea!" Doc Holstein replied, to his boss. "We can be there to meet the sheriff, before anyone else in town even knows he's coming." He said, starting to imagine the possibilities.

His boss nodded, a cruel smile showing across his face -- glad to see his men taking a passion in their employment, for a change. "And then the town will be ours," He continued, with a chuckle. "Heck! We should call it Canter Creek Two," he added, getting onto his brand new goat (the old one kind of abandoned him, after his imprisonment. "Come on boys! We ride!" He shouted, gathering up his gang for their ride into town. "We have a sheriff to meet!!!"

**********

"So is this Luna nice?" Wysteria asked, her friend Braeburn quietly. Hesitating slightly, at the prospect of meeting someone new -- especially a princess (although, she kind of knew, now, how her friends felt, when she was a princess temporarily -- and she hoped to never be again.)

"Well...." Braeburn said, with a chuckle. "Of course she is!" He lied, remembering all the legends about her, and having heard the stories of the last nightmare night the princess attended from some of his cousins, during the last apple family reunion. "She's really... really... friendly!" He said, with a disingenuous smile (hoping the naive young mare wouldn't notice.)

"Oh that sounds nice." Wysteria responded, with a smile. "I wanted to meet another al-i-corn, ever since you mentioned her to me yesterday," she said, sniffing some of the local flora. "Oh the flowers are so nice here!" She chuckled to herself -- using her hoof to gently straighten one of the flowers. "There! All better!" She said, cooing to the flower. "I'll love helping this place to be as nice and green as Ponyville!" She said, returning her focus to Braeburn.

Braeburn frowned, figuring that Luna was probably not going to permit that -- probably opting, instead, to take the princess back to Canterlot for proper training, or something. Of course he didn't dare tell her that, and --

His thought process derailed as he started to notice a relatively uncomfortable feeling. What was with the hot breath? Was somepony breathing on his shoulder? Well that wasn't very neighborly!

Braeburn frowned, maybe he should ask them to stop. "Excuse me gent." Braeburn said, turning around. "But could ya do me a favor, an' not breathe on my shoulder ..." He said, finally getting a good look at the five large bulls who were standing behind him. Causing him to give out a silent gasp (well it would have been a full gasp if he hadn't been putting his hoof in his mouth.)

"Why certainly!" The old bull cooed, drinking full and well of the panic that he saw welling up in the apple's face. "No worries!" He said, disingenuously. "We're just here to meet someone. And then, after they arrive, we'll be on our way... well... for a while..." He said, with a faux politeness.

"Oh course..." The apple replied, trying, very hard, to hide the fact that he was sweating bullets -- not just from Longhorn and the bulls, but also his emotionally fragile friend (whom he figured that telling about the angry, blood thirsty bulls was probably not a smooth plan.)

Braeburn turned to Wysteria. "Wysteria?" He asked, waiting for her to turn to him -- maybe he could convince her to leave without clueing the bulls onto his plan.

"Yes Braeburn?" She asked, with an innocent smile. "What's going on?" She said, entirely unaware of what was going on.

"Could ya do me a favor, and go an' tell Sombrero that mah hat is kind'a lookin' sad. An' that I need a new one?" He asked, hoping she would take the message.

"But your hat looks fine." She said, still unaware of what was going on. After a few seconds, the eco bulb finally started to light up. "Oh! You want to talk to your friends privately?" She asked, thinking he wanted to gossip or something. "I'm sure whatever you want to tell them, you can tell me too!"

When it became obvious that she wasn't getting the message, Braeburn frowned, 'dropping his hat, by mistake', and made good and sure to step on his hat real hard.

"Too bad!" The old bull cooed. "And your hat was looking so nice too!" He said, bunting a nearby water barrel into a nearby building. "Or was..." He stated, with a smirk -- stamping on Braeburns hat a time or two more. "And I think he should totally see this," he said -- motioning 'politely' at the purple alicorn (whom he thought was an earth pony) --, starting to lose his cool. "You understand?" He asked the apple, his voice dripping with animosity -- his hoof sharking vigorously.

"Oh... of course..." The apple replied, starting to sweat. "Ah wouldn't want her to miss out.. an all this... fun..." He said, giving his best fake smile.

"Why are you sweating Braeburn?" Wysteria asked, starting to notice her new friend sweating bullets. "Is something the matter?" She asked, in concern.

"You don't know?" The old bull responded, starting to laugh raucously. The alicorn shook her head. "Well you will!" He said, waiting, patiently, for the five twenty-five train from Ponyville.

Five twenty-five came and left, and finally around five thirty, the five twenty-five pulled into the station.

"All right boys!" Longhorn shouted, ordering his men to get into position. "He'll be getting off any second now," he said, rubbing his hooves together, for effect. "You know what we're going to do right?" He asked of his men.

"Yeah! We're going to beat him up!" Shouted Jersey Shore, with a chuckle -- holding up his hoof.

Wysteria held her hooves to her muzzle, in horror. Beat him up? That wasn't very nice! Why would they want to beat anyone up?

"Oh and kid..." The bull said, to Braeburn, without even turning around. "You'd better not be planning to run!" He said, tossing another water barrel into another building.

Braeburn gulped, wondering who the outlaw was waiting for (hopefully nopony he knew or cared about, thought he bet the old bandito probably was.)

As the last passenger left, and the train pulled away, a discerned sense of frustration flowed through the air.

Causing all four of the bulls to turn their attention to their boss. "Where's the sheriff?" King Longhorn lowed vigorously, filling the air with dread.

"I don't know boss?" Angus (Mcsteer) responded, nonchalantly. "Maybe he got delayed and had to get on the next train? Maybe if we wait till the next train -- "

King Longhorn gave an even longer, and louder low. "Or maybe that lilly livered 'deputy' told him!" He shouted, in a blind rage. "And after he promised not to!.. And now the cavalry will be here any minute now!" He shouted, looking around -- violent intentions showing in his eyes (and an obvious desire to find someone to blame for this affront.)

"But what are we going to do boss?" Jersey Shore replied. "Should we flee again, and see if'n we can find another town?" He asked, as all the bull's minions turned their eyes to their boss for further instructions.

The loud cursing and screaming from their boss was enough for the gang to realize that that was not an acceptable answer to their boss -- who had no intentions of running like a coward (at least without some kind of vengeance first.)

"Hey boss." The orange one continued -- suddenly noticing something profound. "You notice he has an apple cutie mark?" He asked, looking at Braeburn's flank -- eliciting a hiding action from the stallion, involving him covering his flank with his tail, and hiding behind a pole.

"Apple?" King Longhorn replied, turning to the apple. "Did you say apple?" He asked, recalling his earlier imprisonment, and the meddling relative that started it all.

"Yeah boss." The orange one replied. "You think he's related to that other apple?"

"Quite possibly." The old steer responded, his mood slowly returning. "Maybe we can still have revenge." He thought, taking great joy in sticking his two failures square on the head of an apple.

"'Revenge'?" Wysteria responded, with a confused expression. "Isn't that kind of mean?" She asked, quietly -- a curious expression on her face (this was something new to her, something she understood only on a purely intellectual level.)

"Nonsense." The old steer cooed, giving the apple a quick bunt into the side of the train station. "We're just playing!" He said, sarcastically to the alicorn. "So why don't you be a good earth pony stallion and mind your own business! Heck maybe you should go do some stallion things like buck trees." He said, motioning with his hoof. "Well... Once I finish with your friend!" He continued, deciding that 'the stallion' should be here to see this.

"Really?" She replied, as the bulls began to kick the apple around between them. "This seems like awfully rough fun? Why don't you guys play tea party, or with dollies?" She asked, trying to act as negotiator, a role she usually took while organizing and managing the spring promenade.

"'Dollies'?" King Longhorn laughed, his agitation beginning to show. "Why would we want to do that?" He asked, with disgust. "And, for what matter, what kind of yellow bellied, lily livered stallion says stupid things like that?" He asked, bringing his hoof back into position. "Do you need me to help you look any uglier than you do now?" He asked, with disgust.

"Wait boss!" Angus responded. "It's not polite to hit a lady." He continued, naively shaking his hoof.

"That's a mare?" King Longhorn said to himself, doing a double and triple take. "That can't possibly be a mare!... I mean... Shut up Mcsteer!" Longhorn responded, pushing Wysteria over, who began to cry and sob like a little child who had been punched in the face.

"Why are you so mean?" She sobbed into her hooves. "What did we do to you?" She cried, wondering why he was being such a bully.

Longhorn started to laugh. "She's crying!" He laughed to himself. "Boo hoo!" He said, with a chuckle, making faux crying motions -- feeling much better now.

After a few seconds, a thought occurred to him. "Ok! Little ponies, you know the drill!" He said to her -- making sure she got 'her bit's worth for the show'. "Food and water in the bag!" He said, to a confused expression from the alicorn.

"But why would I do that?" She responded, still crying fiercely. "You've been nothing but a big meany! Why should I share my food with you?" She asked, resolve showing in her eyes.

"Oh... And that outfit too!" Longhorn replied, motioning to his men. "That sombrero and poncho would look so good on me!" He said, laughing at the mare's pitious resolve.

"Please!" Wysteria begged, desperately. "I don't want to take off this hat, and this coat."

"I apologize profusely." Angus (Mcsteer) responded. "But this is how it is when the boss gets into this mood." He said, pulling off her poncho to reveal a pair of ridiculous looking pegasus wings. "It's just the way this works!"

"Wow!" Doc Holstein said, whistling at the odd looking pegasus wings. "Who knew a pegasus lived in a hick town like this." He said, pulling off her sombrero to reveal an oversized unicorn horn, the size of the alicorn's entire head.

"Well that's odd." Buffalo Bull said. "I thought Luna, Celestia, and that purple one were the only princesses." He said, blinking his eyes a few times.

"Please don't call me a princess." Wysteria cried, shaking in horror -- everyone could see her wings and her horn! She had to cover them up... Before, otherwise, everyone would find out that she was a princess. She couldn't have the whole promenade disaster! Not again! Everyone was all confused and lost! Everything was all muddled and broken! And oh the flowers! She couldn't take it! She just couldn't!

"You forgot about that other one... what was her name?... Oh yes! Cadance" Angus restored. "And I didn't think there was a fifth princess either." He said, with a polite chuckle.

"I don't want to be a princess!" Wysteria pleaded, desperately. "I just want to be me!" She begged, actually wrapping her arms around one of the bull's hooves.

King Longhorn started laughing maniacally. Oh this was golden! He had a princess right where he wanted her! This would be a double revenge! Heck... Maybe this would be his road to riches as well!

"I think we broke her!" The orange bull said, backing away -- nervously. He wasn't sure he liked the boss this way.

"No!" King Longhorn replied. "Take her with us!" He said, concocting ransom plans. "A princess is very valuable!" He said, pointing at the alicorn. "And we've got ourselves a doozie!" He said, with great glee.

"No please!!!!" Wysteria begged, shaking violently -- her pupils changing color from green and yellow to a blood red. "I don't want to be a princess!" She begged, crying again. "I'll do anything!"

"Yeah boss!" The orange bull continued, chuckling sadistically. "You should give her the royal treatment, and -- " He said, up to the point where his boss' hoof hit him squarely in the face, like a ton of bricks as King Longhorn gave him a quick bunt into a building.

"Quiet!" The head bull shouted, his anger returning (again.) "The would ruin her value!" He cooed, into the orange bull's ear. "I'm looking for a princess' ransom!"

"No! Please! no!" Wysteria cried -- images of spike's princess training flowing into her head. Lonely... Empty... Monotonous... Worthless... She was worthless... All she could do was sit around and look pretty... All while her friends failed... While they needed her!!!

"But boss." The orange bull continued. "If you marry her then she'd be your queen. You are 'King Longhorn', after all!" He said, getting another bunt.

The bulls continued their banter, laughing to each other, and passing princess jokes.

But all Wysteria could hear was 'princess... blah blah blah... princess... queen... blah blah blah... She's a princess..." No!!! She would help her friends!!! She wouldn't allow another spring promenade to become a disaster!

"Ahhh..." The yellow one responded. "Ya broke her boss!" He replied, as the alicorn stood there motionless, like a statue -- a vacant expression plastered across her face.

"I do that to all the ladies." King Longhorn replied, with a chuckle (not noticing the red aura slowly creeping up the alicorn, starting with the alicorn's hooves. "Just ask Moo-re-ella!" He said, with a chuckle. "In any case, shall we go and finish our 'friendly game' with the apple?" He asked his minions, rhetorically, returning to kicking the apple around.

All Wysteria could do was watch in horror as those monsters used her poor friend Braeburn for a soccer ball. And all she could do was stand there like a statue!!! No!!! She wouldn't fail her friends again!!! This year would have a spring promenade!!! And it would be perfect!!! There would never be another year without flowers again!!! And she was no longer going to be a worthless princess!!! She would be a ... She would be something more... She thought, as she slowely blacked out -- her mind giving in to madness.

King Longhorn gave a quick kick, sending Braeburn sliding into... a bush?... What in the hay?

"Where did that bush come from?" He asked, angrily -- feeling thwarted by the unwanted intruder.

"I don't know boss." The orange one replied. "I swear there wasn't any here a minute ago." He said, trotting up to give the bush a good look.

"Excuse me gentlemen?" An assertive female voice raised from among the crowd that had gathered to see the roucas at the train station.

"What do you want?" King Longhorn replied, angrily -- turning to see who it was, that was interrupting him. "This had better be important!" He growled, impatiently. "I'm a busy steer!"

"Do you wish an audience with Princess Wysteria?" The voice asked, seductively.

"Audience with Princess Wysteria?" King Longhorn asked, angrily, looking for which pony to hit next. "I don't need no stinking audience?" He said, raising his hoof.

"Shame..." The voice said, revealing a be-fanged Princess Wysteria standing behind him. "Oh well! She's indisposed anyway." The voice replied, with a chuckle. "And not that you could have one anyway! Because you are a meanie!"

"What do you mean?" The orange bull replied. "What do you mean indisposed? You're standing right in front of us!"

"But if you wish!" The voice continued, seductively. "QUEEN NIGHTSHADE WILL STAND IN JUDGEMENT OF YOU!!!" A loud voice boomed from Wysteria's lips -- bringing with it wind, and thunder.

"Shut up!" The lead steer shouted, charging at the alicorn, only to be stopped by being uppercutted suddenly when a cactus sprung up from the ground, right below his face.

"How dare you dishonor your queen!" ~~Wysteria~~ Queen Nightshade replied indignantly. "Don't you know it's proper to bow and kneel before the queen of all that blossoms and grows!" Her voice thundered -- her face scrunched in incredulity.

The steer lowed violently, punting the cactus with his hoof. "You daughter of a -- "

The queen grunted in outrage. "You dare speak, or act this way in front of a queen! And I can't condone such treatment of a beautiful flower!" She said, stamping her hoof on the ground, causing ivy to shoot out of the hole. "You hate flowers! Don't you!" She said, pointing her hoof at the lead bull.

"What are you talking about g-- " He said, choking on the last word as a sea of ivy and vines wrapped around his neck. "Fill her full of lead!" The lead steer begged, hoarsely, as the vines wrapped around him, from horns to hooves -- starting to constrict.

The goons dutifully agreed, attempting to pull out their weapons. They, however, didn't get that far before their weapons were wrapped in vines, themselves, and yanked out of their hands.

"How dare you!" The queen shouted, herself growing ever more angry. "Flowers detest violence!" She shouted, with indignation. "And nowhere in the princess book is this kind of behavior permitted!!!"

After a few seconds, she smirked. "I know what the problem is," she said, her smile growing like a weed. "It's obvious! There's no denying it anymore! You hate flowers too! Admit it!" She shouted, with outrage. "But don't worry," she cooed, her mood suddenly looking better. "I know of the perfect punishment for ruffians such as you who hate the rules of being a princess, and proper edicate, and flowers!" She said, stamping again -- causing more vines to rise out of the ground. "The flowers will show you how to love!!!"

The vines quickly wrapped themselves around two of the remaining three desperados -- entombing them.

"I'm out of here!" Shouted Angus Mcsteer, running away in utter panic. "I'm sorry!" He shouted, galloping away in pure, unadulterated, panic. "Please forgive me!"

"How dare you try to run away from your judgement!" The queen shouted stamping her hoof as the last set of vines grabbed the white steer by the hoof, and started hauling him back towards her. "I stand in judgement of you! And the flowers will teach you how to love!"

"Please!" He begged, in horror, to 'the queen'. "We give up!"

"Excelent!" She said, with a holier than thou smile, her hoof distorted into a clenched fist. "Then you accept your punishment like a proper gentleman." She shouted, as the vines started to squeeze.

"Please Wysteria!" Braeburn shouted, hoarsely -- staggering, slowly, to his feet. "Let them go!" He stuttered, in horror. "They've had enough!" He said, stepping between 'the queen', and the bulls.

"You betray your queen?" She asked, angrily turning to Braeburn -- looking like she felt betrayed. "They hate flowers! And princesses! And worst of all... process!" She moaned, raising her hoof.

"Look at them, Wysteria." He begged, with a frown. "You're hurting them!" He shouted, looking into her eyes.

"And they deserved it!" She said, pointing at the damaged buildings. "And just look at what they did to those flowers," she said, looking at some of the nearby flora. "They must be punished!" She said, with zeal.

"But they're hurt! They can't take anymore!" He pleaded, on all fours. "You're not a monster!" He shouted, hoping to snap her out of the deranged state she seemed to be in. "You love flowers and friends," he begged. "Please... Let the authorities take care of this."

"You dare betray you queen," she replied, indignantly. "Do you wish me to judge you too?" She asked, stamping her hoof. "Because I will gladly do so!"

"If you must," he responded. "But ah don't think you're a monster," he responded, as the vines started to grow towards him. "An' ah don't think ya have this in ya!" He said, as the vines came to a stop just short of his muzzle.

All of a sudden, it was like a light turned back on in the alicorn's eyes, as they started to fill with tears, as she backed off slowly. "I'm a monster!" Wysteria moaned, the aura starting to recede. "Stay away from me!" She shouted, in fear, as her eyes slowly returned to normal -- the vines falling limp to the ground.

"Ahh Wysteria." Braeburn said, approaching you. "You're just confused! I'm sure Princess Luna -- "

"Don't come near me!" The alicorn begged -- backing away from her orange earth pony friend --, taking a look at reflection in one of the water barrels, as she passed by, before turning around and galloping, at full speed, off into the desert.

Luna shook her head, flying down from above -- a disdainful expression on her face. "Thou couldst not have kept her calm, even for a few days," she said, with agitation. "And what do we see upon our arrival, but the poor foal's flank."

"Sorry princess..." Braeburn retorted, with a frown, bowing deeply. "Ah wasn't expecting company..." He said, motioning at the bulls, who were all busy gasping for air, and feeling very pathetic.

"This doth complicate much," she replied fear showing in her face. "If she falls to the nightmare she hath begot then she might be difficult to restore." Luna said, debating whether to use the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Not to mention the damage that she will wrout..."

**********

Phytolacca stomped his hoof violently. "Dang it!" He shouted to himself, with a chuckle. "Just missed her!" He said, watching from within the crowd as the purple flower alicorn fled off into the distance. "Well off we ... " He started exclaiming -- laughing to himself all the way. Well, that is until he saw the princess flying in -- causing him to cuss loudly. "That complicates things!" He exclaimed with a crazed laughter. "I'd better get the lead out!" He chuckled to himself, starting to race off -- stopping after a yard or two. A thought having occurred to him. "Wait... We can't have that meddlesome princess getting there first, can we?" He said, powering up his horn.

Nope wouldn't do! He couldn't deal with two princesses! Especially not a battle hardened old bat like Luna! (Well and the legion of guards she probably had trailing close behind.) What did that mean? It meant that he'd have no choice but to employ a trick he'd learned while still in Celestia's employ as one of her guards.

Ahh the guard! He hated that so! Well, maybe he should be fair... He had loved it once upon a time... Well, that was until... He'd get to that later.

Like most foals from changeling families, he had been planted into an Equestrian family to insure against the starvation that frequently plagued the hive proper -- and to plant a proper hunger for the love those foolish ponies put towards their families. And, boy, had his mother had chosen well. planting him in one of Equestria's premier military families. A family known for the oodles of generals, captains, and military high muckety mucks that rose from it. So naturally, his parents (both biological, and adopted) had chosen his course early: he was to be one of the princess royal guards -- and he was to do whatever was necessary to obtain it.

Now, it wasn't that the family didn't love him, no he was very well cared for. It was more that they were so garsh darn driven and formal (oh how he hated formal!) But he was, nevertheless very eager to please (so very different than now when he was the sadistic, crazy, old curmudgeon.) And, he was proud to say, he was more or less successful in achieving his goal -- having passed his entrance test by... various methods.

Of course, by bad luck, his real mother had waited until the day before his induction to reveal the truth, of his birth, to him (not that he and his parents didn't already know -- he kind of tended to have transformation accidents as a child -- kind of a bed transforming kind of thing --, often ending up waking up as his father, or mother, or uncle, or the dog.) However, he was not ready to admit the truth -- not yet. He still had duties to complete, and the family honor to uphold (not that he didn't enjoy his job, especially when they eventually put him in charge of discipline, a job he enjoyed endlessly.)

So why did he leave? He'd give you an answer in the form of the royal proclamations that he was endlessly forced to give: "hear ye! Hear Ye! Introducing her boring majesty, queen cake flank -- princess of equestria, duchess of canterlot, high priestess of the bathroom, blah! Blah! Blah!" And if that wasn't obvious, then he'd happily tell you: It was boring and bland! He meant, how many boring events could he attend? With meaningless formalities, and fat, boring, nobles? How many boring tributes and pointless processions?

No! He'd left that miserable mess! He didn't even stop to feed! He just fled out the window when nopony was watching, and never, ever, ever, looked back (well maybe not like that, he did sometimes lie awake at night wondering if he did the wrong thing, to run away, and leave his foster family wondering whether he was alive or not -- though it always evaporated when he performed his duties for the hive.)

Nevertheless, and he diverges, you don't work in the guard, or for Celestia, as long as he had without learning a thing or three. And today that thing was just the spell: a mind numbing spell -- almost undetectable (although, sadly, quite temporary), that he frequently used to cause his top rivals to stumble, and falter, during promotion tests -- ensuring his advancement.

But why cast a spell that would only cause confusion for a minute or two? Why to get a head start, of course! He didn't need to get far ahead, just far enough to get to the new princess first -- so he could finish their battle!

He laughed to himself, out loud, as his horn powered up. "Hope you don't mind too much princess!" He laughed, firing off his spell. "I never liked you anyway..." He said, flying off into the desert -- paying close attention for the emotional vibes that the new princess was giving off (quite loudly.) "I'm coming princess! Hopefully you're ready to fight this time!"

**********

Wysteria ran, in a full fledged panic, through the sands and the cactuses -- a sea of brambles blooming (from seemingly nowhere) and growing behind her. She had to get away! She had to get away from everyone! She couldn't stay! Not after she'd transformed into a monster! She could see it, when she fled out of town. Her dainty canines had transformed into terrifying fangs, and her beautiful yellow and green eyes had transformed a horrid, and monstrous, red.

What was even worse was that, even now, she could hear the voice hissing in her head -- begging her to return to "deal justice to all", and to "show everyone the love of flowers". The voice mocked her, telling her that she had "no choice but to be a princess" and that "she should act like one"! She shook her head it couldn't be true! It just couldn't be! She didn't want to be a princess! She just wanted to be her!

For that matter, she couldn't give in! She couldn't allow it to hurt anyone else! Not like it had hurt those poor cows! Not to mention what she almost did to poor Braeburn.

The voice called back, whispering in her eye. "Those cows hurt your friend Braeburn badly! Who else showed you the kind of kindness that he did!? And they beat him senseless! Please let me come out! I'll bring justice to all! And the deserts will bloom like a rose!"

"Shut up!" She shouted, crying vigorously. "Why are you lying to me?" She asked, as her eyes began to feel heavy, the hot desert, and all the running made her feel dizzy. All she wanted to do was sleep. Maybe she was far enough away... Maybe she could rest for a second?

"Why don't you sleep for a second?" The voice hissed. "A little rest would do you well!!" It said, in a sultry, as vines began to grow up around her.

"No." She said, tiredly, closing her eyes, as the vines began to form a cocoon. Unable to keep her eyes open, any longer.

"And I shall awake, and begin my reign as queen of all that blossoms and grows." The voice hissed merrily.

**********

Luna sighed, collecting her senses. "Oh stupid, thou Princess of the Night!" She sighed to herself, slowly coming to a realization of what had occurred minutes before. "We should have guessed that we weren't the only ones who wanted to find the new princess," she said, to herself, with agitation. "So we shouldest have put up an adequate shield," she said to herself, shaking her head discretely.

"Who would want ta find her?" Braeburn asked. "And why?"

"Probably the same naive that sent a different assassin to hurt princess Twilight." Luna said, pulling the earth pony aside. "And as to why..." Luna replied, sternly. "Thou wishest not to know.

"Somepony wanted ta hurt Princess Twilight?" Braeburn said, with a frown. Wasn't that cousin Applejack's friend? "But why would they want ta do something downright un-neighborly like that?"

Luna shook her head. "We knowest not why they didst want to hurt her, but there is no time to discuss this further, young Wysteria's nightmare stirs yet again." She said, with urgency. "We mustest move with haste, for time is of the essence."

"How do ya know that her nightmare is stirring again?" Braeburn asked. "Can ya sense it or something?"

"Yes and no, her nightmare resonates with ours." Luna said, shaking slightly. "Further," she continued, motioning the earth pony forward (and further away from the crowd) with her wing. "We can sense that it has not actualized yet, but seekest to do so by transforming her form into something more appropriate; and to wrest control of her body and will, in the process."

"Should ah get a search party?" He asked, with a frown. "Ah mean, with the whole town, we could find her right quickly!" He said, resolutely, turning around towards the crowd.

"No!" Luna shouted, forcefully. "We shalt go alone," she said, her own resolution visible, for all to see. "Even our legion of guards wouldst be in great peril should the monster, itself, become fully actualized." Luna replied, shaking her head. "But worriest not little pony, for we goeth forth, with great force of will, to fixeth thine misdeed." Luna said, loudly -- using her 'royal voice'.

"Please Luna." Braeburn begged, bowing deeply, his hat held closely to his chest. "Ah messed up, an ' ah have to be the one ta fix this somehow," he said, practically begging the princess to let him go.

Luna shook her head, again. "Thou foal! Facing a nightmare, like this one, alone, without the elements or alicorn magic, will serve only to hasten thine untimely end," she said, flapping her wings -- preparing to lift off.

"No," he shouted, galloping right into her path. "Ah messed up, an' ah have ta fix this somehow!" He shouted, his resolve showing. "Please let me go!" He shouted, ever the louder.

Luna shook her head, her stern appearance remaining uncracked. "If thou doth wisheth to enter her sleep, then perhaps we have something thou canst do," she said, sternly (was it Braeburn, or could he hear some tiny amount of bemusement in her voice?)

"What's that?" Braeburn responded, feeling his mood return. "Is there something ah can do!" He shouted, impulsively. "Ah'll do anything ta help her!" He said, putting his hooves on her withers, bowing deeply.

Luna smiled pleasantly (a skill learned during her attempts to) "Perhaps," she said, tapping her hoof on her chin. "But tis risky."

"Please!" Braeburn begged. "Ah'll do anything," he reiterated.

"Very well." Luna replied, politely. "She sleeps now, her consciousness fading for the nightmare's rise. Perhaps she could still be reached by a dreamwalk."

"Great!" Braeburn said, with a smile. "But what do ya need me for?"

"Art though a quick learner?" Luna asked, concocting a plan. "If thou art, then, perhaps, tis something thou canst do!"

Braeburn shook violently, what was the princess planning?

**********

"Oh princess!" Phytolacca chuckled to himself, laughing at the pitiful vine cocoon that the princess had enshrined herself in, which was itself, surrounded by a sea of brambles (sleeping beauty style.)

The changeling started start laughing maniacally. "I've found you!" He said, with a chuckle, preparing his weapons by dipping them in the most powerful poison he had available to him (the juice from the berries of a certain plant that was known to be toxic, even in miniscule amounts, to even the largest of dragons.) He sighed, longingly, taking a moment to admire his work, and to plan the placement, and orientation of the trophy that would soon be appearing on his wall... Ahh... it was a refreshing thought. However, enough of that! But back to business! "And if you think that that's going to stop me time time..." He chuckled, throwing the knife at the cocoon. "You've got another thing coming!" He shouted -- for maximum effect -- as the knife slammed into the cocoon, with force, creating a gaping hole in it.

The changeling assassin listened carefully, cupping his ear to listen very closely for sounds of pain and gurgling. However, much to his chagrin, those sounds never came -- eliciting a very sad frown. He looked down -- his face filled with shame. He had missed! Something he almost never did! However, sighs quickly became shakes when, instead, a scream of pain, a scream of pure rage -- which caused the earth to shake -- could be heard as the vines exploded in all directions (revealing a very peeved ~~Wysteria~~ Queen Nightshade -- apparently unhurt and untouched, but extraordinarily angry -- her eyes not just blood red, but glowing a neon color, and her fangs showing, hungering for blood.)

"WHO DARES ASSAULT THE PRINCESS OF ALL THAT BLOSSOMS AND GROWS!!!!???"
Queen Nightshade bellowed aloud, her voice overflowing with incredulity -- her eyes darting around, desperately searching for the one who dared attempt to hurt her.

A whistling sound (and the sound of a mischievous laughter) could be heard through the silent desert afternoon as another knife went flying through the air -- stopping only when it collided with a tree that suddenly sprang up, protecting it's master: the princess.

"Dang it!" Phytolacca chuckled to himself, manically -- his second attack foiled. "I guess I underestimated the strength of that vine cocoon," he chuckled to himself, a little anger showing through. "And thought it was just chitin," he said, tossing yet another knife out, which rebounded off the tree sent to stop it, against a rock, and then finally embedded in a second tree that sprang up,suddenly, to stop it. "Dang it! I didn't use enough force! (Guess I was trying too hard not to damage that beautiful face...)" He said, solemnly.

The alicorn nightmare gave a very incredulous expression. "WHO DARES ASSAULT US AND PREVENT US FROM UNDERGOING OUR BEAUTIFUL TRANSFORMATION! YOU SHOW NO RESPECT FOR A QUEEN!" Queen Nightshade shouted, violently -- causing vines to shoot up from the ground, searching vigorously for her assaulter. "SHOW YOURSELF!!!!"

"You can't see me?" The changeling said, laughing a mocking laughter. "Well too bad!" He shouted, tossing a needle -- intending to rebound it four times this time, before embedding itself in the alicorn's side. The problem? It didn't make it five feet before it was grabbed by a vine, which sprang up out of seemingly nowhere.

The queen chuckled back -- a very self assured laughter. "You think you're so smart don't you?" She asked the invisible assassin, who simply shrugged, and returned his own laugh. "You think we will permit you to try these sneaky tricks?" The queen asked, giving an angry frown, none too happy about the mocking laughter, and not having received the proper amount of scraping. "So be it!" She shouted as weeds sprang up all around her, spewing out pollen -- in a hellish scene.

"Heh!" The assassin said, sneezing quietly, wondering why 'the queen' thought she could stop him with pollen "She wants me to sneeze to death?" He thought, laughing quietly to himself "You can't see me if I don't wish to be seen," he said, mockingly, with bellowing laughter. "Remember, I'm a member of the praetorian guard! And that makes me invisible to all but the royal family! And even then they can't see us, only detect our presence!" He said, tossing two more knives, one after the other -- deflecting off each other somewhere in mid flight, with the intend of defecting a few times before reaching their target. The problem? The sea of bamboo which sprang out of the ground, stopping both knives.

"We don't need to see you!" The queen chuckled, as some of thorns that grew around her shot up towards the assassin, just being barely dodged, and only by a valiant effort (well not completely dodged, as the thistles still gave the assassin a fairly nasty cut, and more than a few nicks -- all of which led to a fair amount of bleeding.)

"Heh!" The changeling chuckled, still feeling confident. Heh! She missed him by a mile! This was such a great time to rub it in!"Nice try!" He said, giving a mocking sigh, and speaking like he was giving a participation trophy to a very small child. "But remember!" He said, 'instructing the princess in proper perspective.' "I'm invisible!" He shouted, proudly.

"We don't need to see you to hurt you," the queen said, enthusiastically -- feeling quite proud of her flowers, and at least a little bit haughty. "Our friends tell us wherever you hide!" She exclaimed, pointing her hoof at the hole in the layer of pollen. "And now!" She shouted, bearing her fangs. "You do too!" She exclaimed -- loudly -- pointing to the trail of blood following the assassin around.

"Wow!" The changeling shouted, feeling fully invigorated. "You've really woken up princess!" He said, proudly, releasing a shower of needles at the princess (all of which ended up embedded in a thick forest of bamboo.) "But you don't become the second best assassin for nothing!" He snarled, sending out another shower -- this time spread out over a large area so as for some to make it through (though the end result was the same.)

"DO YOU SURRENDER!!!" 'The queen' snarled. "OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO FUTILELY RESIST!" She snarled, sending out her own shower of thorns and thistles which came shooting out from under her feet -- most which were narrowly dodged by the nimble assassin.

"Shoot!" The assassin said to himself -- his frustration and impatience starting to come out. "The princess of the night will be here in mere moments! And this princess just won't face reality and go down, like a good defenseless princess!I mean she can't possibly be this tough can she?" He said, plotting his move. A mischievous twinkle entering his eyes. "Perhaps, all I need is something that can get through her plants!" He thought, using some of his magic to light the next needle on fire. "Too bad my poisons will burn up, but maybe I can keep my damage contained," he said, sending his burning needle flying. It was a suboptimal solution which would burn away the poison, and ruin his trophy's pelt. But... Oh well! Sometimes desperate actions must be taken, if one is to ensure victory!

The needle flew towards the princess, as was customary so far in this fight, and was stopped by suddenly materializing foliage, as before, this time, though, the foliage was set ablaze, a fire, which quickly spread to all of the other plants. The first burning needle was followed by dozens of others, all ablaze, quickly turning the battlefield into an inferno -- causing the queen to let out a grotesque scream, containing mostly rage and vitriol.

Phytolacca smirked, now was his chance! The foliage was gone, and there would be no new foliage coming -- not with all the fires going on! "Heh! Checkmate!" He exclaimed sending the final poisoned needle flying. "This one should do the trick!" he thought to himself, with a chuckle, waiting for the screams and gurgles he'd been waiting for all fight.

After a few seconds, he could, indeed, hear a scream. "Heh!" He exclaimed to himself -- having, finally succeeding in obtaining his trophy -- now was the time that he could finally settle down, having accomplished his grim deed. "Got her!" He said, feeling better -- having ended the hardest part of his mission for the day. "That was much tougher than I thought, -- " he thought to himself, with a smirk. Now all he would have to do is come up with an explanation that would ease the Queen's mind when she asked him what he was doing. Nevertheless, " -- but I still succeeded! Yeah! Number ~~two~~ one assassin! I -- " He exclaimed to himself, being stopped when strange sounds started to emanate from the smoke that was left behind from the unquenchable fires.

Unfortunately, his enthusiasm was short lived, as, from out of the slowly dissipating smoke, a loud scream could be heard -- but not the scream pain that the assassin was expecting. Instead, the scream was a scream of pure rage, which rose slowly from out of the smoke. The sad truth became even more obvious as the smoke cleared to reveal an earthen wall, that had been quickly constructed, by a mere thought, by the very angry alicorn. "... No... It can't be!" The assassin mouthed to himself, his confidence beginning to falter.

"How dare you hurt these beautiful flowers!" She exclaimed, shouting like a street pastor, cupping the charred remains of one of her flowers, in her hoof. "I think I know what the problem is!" She said, coming to 'a realization'. "You hate flowers don't you?!" She shouted, inquisitorially, her words and tone sounding unhinged. "But don't worry!" She said, a crazed expression growing on her face. "We'll fix that!"

"Actually," the assassin replied, nonchalantly. "I don't care for them much, thank you... I more prefer to eat alfalfa, or hey... Maybe some processed grains! Thank you!" He said, thinking quickly. He had only one choice left, dare he use it? No he couldn't! It would be much too powerful -- he would ruin his trophy! And Vladímir would never forgive him for tipping both his hand, and one of the hive's top secrets here. On the other hoof, what could he do?

~~Wysteria~~ Queen Nightshade gave an angry howl, sending a sea of meat eating plants shooting out of the ground. "I will teach you to love flowers! They will teach you to love again!" She shouted, as wave after wave, after wave, of thistles and thorns shot out of the ground (not to mention pony eating plants and killer ivy.)

"Shoot!" The assassin exclaimed, having just narrowly survived the last wave (and not without a fair amount of physical damage). This spell would totally turn his trophy into a pothole (not to mention expend all of his magical energy), but he had no choice. He would have to cast that spell...

Now the spell itself was very simple, more a combination of a few basic spells (the teleportation spell, various levitation spells, his accuracy spell, and a throwing spell.) The real spell here was a actualization spell to materialize (seemingly from out of nowhere) a massive array or knives, needles, darts, scythes, stars, and all other manner of sharp throwing objects that he kept de-actualized, for just such an occasion. The execution was very simple, he started casting his actualization spell to summon objects fifty or sixty at a time and throw them, teleporting around as quickly as he could. The concept? 'The queen' would never know where the darts were going to come from, and 'her friends' wouldn't either. He'd either find a whole in her defenses (and her earthen wall), or the multitude of thrown objects would pulverize it into dust. The sad news was that once they started getting through the spell (which couldn't be stopped, once started, until he ran out of objects or magic -- so he guessed it was a little more complicated than just a regular teleportation spell) they would probably paste the princes...

Oh well...Sometimes a changeling must do, what a changeling must do! He frowned, taking a look at what he had on hand, and considering what he had de-actualized.... He didn't have anywhere near enough things if he had to pound her earthen wall down... (Of course, it could just be panic speaking, but he wasn't sure! And he also wasn't sure that he could actually beat her this time -- and this was probably the first time he'd ever had this feeling, even in his time as a royal guard!) So he did the only think he could think of. He gathered everything he had available, and started casting the actualization spell. Finally he gathered any sharp throwable objects he could find, like rocks, sticks, and stones. Hopefully, this would work -- especially once Luna showed up! He'd have nothing left if he didn't finish this before Luna arrived, and he might, actually, have to flee on hoof.

He frowned vehemently as he started the second spell, teleporting as quickly and randomly, as he could -- eventually the pure magical momentum started throwing him in and out of the magical plain more quickly then his eyes or mind could keep up with his teleportations. At which point, he started the final portion of his spell sending showers of objects flying at pin point accuracy, with each teleport.

At first the plants stopped the objects, as before, but after a while the alicorn's magic couldn't keep up (and neither could the plants.) Bringing a smile to the changeling's face.

Unfortunately, the earthen wall held firm, engulfing the alicorn on all sides. But the assassin remained confident as wave after wave of objects started to pound at the earthen wall, that protected the princess -- causing the battlefield to slowly be covered in a cloud of dust.

After several tense minutes, the changeling's magic finally ran out, as his teleports slowed to a stop. The battlefield was oddly quiet, eliciting a cocky laugh from the assassin as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "Heh!" He exclaimed. "I finally did it!" He shouted proudly. "I'm as strong as any princess! Heck! I'm more powerful than any princess.!"

So proud of himself was he, that he couldn't even hear the sound of laughter, and manic ranting that was rising from the dust (well not until Queen Nightshade started to materialize, unphased, and unhurt.) "I will teach you to love!" She shouted, manically. "The flowers will teach you to love!" She shouted, surrounded by a sea of stone.

All the changeling could do is look on in horror. What made him think he could take on a deity? He turned vainly attempting to flee in abject panic (his right mind returning for the first time in years.) He had to get out of there at any cost! If only he had enough magic for a teleport!

Finally the queen let out one more laugh, knowing that 'justice' was at hoof, before stamping her hoof , which caused the earth beneath her to rend. Our of the chasm came a sea of vines, which all shot out, grabbed the flailing assassin -- and preceded to pull him into the ground (whose final "NOOOO!!!" Sounded a lot like Sombra's cry.)

"There!" 'the queen' exclaimed, feeling vindicated, having rid herself of 'the flower hater'. "That meanie! That flower hater! He got just what was coming to him!" She stated with pride, puffing out her chest.

Luna frowned, having finally emerging from her hiding spot. She had hoped that the assassin would last longer, or probably that the nightmare wouldn't be so powerful -- unfortunately, she was wrong on both counts (the good news was that he prevented the alicorn's transformation, and she was grateful for that.) And this, basically guaranteed that she would have no choice but to face the nightmare now. And this meant that it was vital that young Braeburn had arrived, or would soon arrive in the sleeping alicorn's dream, otherwise there might be trouble. Especially, due to the fact that, she wasn't sure that even she could take the monster on all by herself -- especially not with her hooves tied (due to the fact that she couldn't, in right mind, hurt an innocent like this Wysteria...)

Such a shame... This was not going to be easy...

**********

"Art though a quick learner?" Luna asked, an eerily mischievous smile crossing her face. "T'would only require but a quick spell from us!" She said, her horn starting to glow a dark blue color.

Braeburn gave a gulp, as he started to back away slowly -- what had he gotten himself into? Could he reconsider? Maybe she was right about her being the only pony who could fix this!

"Calm down thou... What was the modern word?... Ah! Yes!... Wuss... This willst not hurt thou any!" Luna replied reassuringly, seeing the earth pony's eyes growing wide -- as her horn glowed a darker and darker blue, the aura around it expanding. "And our guards will takest thou somewhere safe whilst thou takest this dreamwalk!"

Before Braeburn could even contemplate what was going on, everything went blurry, and he found himself standing out in an empty starscape.

"Hello?" He shouted, off into the darkness. "Luna?" He shouted, looking around violently, desperately searching for the princess. "Is anypony here?" He shouted, starting to wonder off -- panic creeping in.

Around him countless dreams played out against the walls of the starscape, and not just the dreams of those who lived in Equestria, dreams from the inhabitants of Griffonia, Zebrica, the dragon territories, and countless others.

Behind him a translucent Luna appeared, holding him back with some of her magic. "We recommendest that thou not wonderest far," she warned him, strictly. "T'would not be wise."

"Why's that?" Braeburn responded, curiously -- wondering if he should have kept his mouth shut in the first place.

"For one thing, -- " she said, stepping in front of the earth pony. " -- this plane contains many wonders and more than a few perils, young Braeburn." The princess retorted, fashioning an object from the dreamscape, in her phantom hoof. "Wondering off would not be advisable," she said, lobbing the object into the void -- which promptly fell off into the ether (like it was just thrown off a cliff.) And no thud was ever heard.

Braeburn gave a gulp. "Then what do you need meh fer?" He asked, with a puzzled expression. "Ya seem ta have this under hoof," he replied, beginning to run his hoof against the back of his head.

"Normally t'would be our privilege, and our duty." Replied shadow Luna, with a defeated sigh. "But we suspect that the only way to help young Wysteria is to prevent her from transforming, ourselves," she said, worried that she had atrophied some during her long imprisonment, and that her well deserved title of monster fighter was now overrated. "And that means that we must keepeth the monster busy, -- lest the monster discover thine presence, and counter attack -- therefore, we needest thou to enter young Wysteria's dream, and reason with her for us," she said, giving him a confident smile. "We believe in thine ability to accomplish this task, young Braeburn."

"Ya mean I just need to walk into her dream, and talk ta her?" Braeburn asked, with perplextion, thinking about how easy this mission seemed to be (heck it almost sounded fun.) "But how do ah find her dream?" He asked, looking off into the vastness of space, and into the numerous dreams that lay before.

"Excellent question, young Braeburn." The princess replied with a smile."But worry not! We shallt leave part of our magic with you to guide you to her dream, and to give you instructions once there -- if we art able --," she stated, taking a breath. "However, entering her dream maybe more complicated," she continued, preparing her next statement.

"Not that simple?" Braeburn replied, in astonishment. "But ain't ya a princess?"

Luna shook her head, sadly. "Yes, but for some reason we canst not enter." Luna said, with a sigh. "We knowest not why. But we're sure that as her friend, thou willst be able to find a way!" She said, a compass materializing from the ether, summoned by her magic.

"Ya think so?" He asked -- feeling apprehensive, one of the deity princesses of Equestria couldn't enter her dreams, what hope did he have?

"We hopest so." Luna replied, now followest, thou, this compass," she said, tossing him the compass. "Its needle will pointest you to where Wysteria's dream lies."

Braeburn nodded, dutifully (all while wondering what he had gotten himself into, and hoping that he was going to come out with all his limbs intact.)

"Good," she replied. "Now I must leave, for time is of the essence," she continued, disappearing into the ether.

"Well..." Braeburn sighed. "It's time, fur me ta get goin'..." He said, with a long gulp, staring into the starscape, the compass pointing off into the distance.

**********

Luna hid her dismay behind a poker face, if things came to battle, it would be far from easy.

However, perhaps, another option remained open to her."Perhaps, just perhaps, there is another way, oh princess of the night..." She thought to herself. "Maybe the pony within can still be rationed with..." She thought, hoping that the flower alicorn's nightmare was of a different nature than hers. Maybe, all she needed to do was greet the alicorn warmly, and tell her to stop. "GREETINGS TO YOU, FELLOW PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA!" She said, in the royal canterlot voice, floating (full wind and storm) towards the purple alicorn. "WE WISHEST TO GREET THOU, ONE PRINCESS TO ANOTHER! "

"Oh splendid!" ~~Wysteria~~ Queen Nightmare responded, a vacant expression on her face. "Have you, too, come to bow down to the queen of all that blossoms and grows?" She said, with glee, expecting her moon themed counterpart to bow down before the smaller flower alicorn.

"Actually -- " Luna replied politely, fighting very hard not to lose her cool. " -- We, your fellow princess, and equal have come to greet you in the name of Equestria and -- "

Queen Nightshade scoffed, proudly. "EQUAL?!" She shouted, in a variation of the royal canterlot voice. "HOW DARE YOU: A MERE PRINCESS REFER TO YOURSELF AS EQUAL TO A QUEEN!!!"

Luna chuckled politely. "But though are not a queen... Equestria has no queens..." She said, her own inner demons beginning to show themselves (twas her own jealousy that gave birth to her nightmare in the first place.) She shook her head, not now Luna! "Thou art not a queen, but a mere princess, like us..." She said, in her softest voice, politely correcting her -- despite her every desire to shout the alicorn's head off.

"How dare you speak this way to us!" The purple nightmare alicorn responded, angrily. "We are a queen!" She hissed, taking a belligerent posture.

Luna chuckled, a little bit of anger showing this time. "THOU SHOULDST KNOWEST BETTER THAN TO SPEAK AS SUCH TO THINE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!" She said, breaking into the royal canterlot voice, an old habit that she'd hoped she had broken -- despite the fact that was exactly what she was doing now.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THIS WAY TO US!" The purple alicorn snarled, growing ever more belligerent. "DO YOU HATE FLOWERS, DON'T YOU?!!!!" She snarled, angrily. "THIS IS YOUR FINAL CHANCE!!!! BOW TO YOUR QUEEN -- OR FACE THE PUNISHMENT FOR TREASON!!!" The 'queen' demanded, forcefully.

Luna gave a loud grunt, the loose fragments of her own nightmare trying to be reborn, and her pride starting to show it's face. How dare this upstart talk to the princess of the night this way! She swallowed a growl. "Remember oh princess of the night: the nightmare has clouded her mind, and tries to take full control. We must be patient with her." She thought to herself, starting to consider her battle plan, as negotiations were failing much too fast.

The purple alicorn bared her fangs -- her patience running out. "What is the hold up?" She said, haughtily at the seeming weakness of the princess."Did I not say this was your last chance? Why don't you bow to the queen of all that blossoms and grows?"

Luna's face crumpled in rage -- finally losing her temper -- how dare she! "ENOUGH!!!" She shouted, hastily, causing the earth to shake for miles. "THOU HAST INSULTED THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!!!! CEASE YOUR RIDICULE NOW OR -- " Luna said, covering her face with her hoof, what had she just done?

The purple alicorn looked on with disdain. "How dare you! It's obvious now!!! There's no other explanation," she said, calmly. "You hate flowers don't you!" She exclaimed, stamping her hoof, and sending up a wall of ivy -- which was quickly obliterated by one shot of the blue alicorn's horn.

The blue princess face-hoofed mentally -- as she blew away another wave of thistles using her magic. So much for diplomacy... Hopefully either the nightmare wasn't as strong as she looked, or that the princess of the night's greater experience would prove superior.

**********

Braeburn looked down, then up again. The compass was definitely pointing right into the images before him. This must be Wysteria's dream.

Ahead of him stood a sea of odd looking ponies. Either Wysteria had a lot of stallion friends, or everypony from her town had an odd muzzle like hers (he guessed the second.) The ponies of the town seemed to be standing around, mindlessly going on and on about how awesome their princess was. This made Braeburn frown, as their 'princess' stood weeping in the tower -- begging them to be her friends again..

Braeburn frowned, he had no idea she felt this way! Was this what it was like, for her, when she was going through that 'princess training' before? Could this be why she was such an emotional wreck? He asked himself, wishing that he had done more before... But what more could he have possibly done?

"Ok..." He thought to himself. "Maybe ah can just push mah way in." he thought, pushing on the scene, softly at first, and then harder -- no such luck. Shoot! What was he going to do? And was there anything that could be done? He sighed, wondering if her was defeated -- if even Princess Luna couldn't get in, then what hope was there for him, a mere mortal stallion?

She started to weep harder, a miniature blue spike holding her back, and whispering some kind of nonsense in her ear -- causing her face to lower.

"Wysteria!!! Wysteria!!!" Braeburn shouted angrily, pounding hard on the surface of the dream. "Don't listen ta that dragon!!! Please let me in!!!" He shouted hoping somepony would take notice. Please Molly, Faust, let this work!

From the tower, Wystera began to stir. "Braeburn?" She asked, looking around. "Is that you?" She asked, wondering if her ears could be playing tricks on her, a smile creeping it's way back onto her face. "Where are you?"

"It's me!!!" He shouted louder, hoping to get her attention. "Let meh in!!!" He shouted, this time unheard. Shoot! Molly! Faust! Somepony! Please let him in!

The apple sighed, feeling defeated. What now? "No!" He thought to himself, shaking his head. "Ah'm gunna get in, like it or not nightmare!" He thought, shouting louder. And even when that didn't work, he kept slowly raising the volume -- hoping something would happen!

Inside the dream, a strange green pony, with a striped pink and light pink mane and a triple mint cutie mark began to stir, and cluelessly walking over, bumping into a two dimensional door that had materialized, in the dream, right next to her.

Minty looked at the door crosseyed. "When did this get here?" She asked herself, looking around. "Pinkie?... Rainbow Dash?..." She asked, wondering if her friends knew what was going on. Shoot! They weren't there. Did she dare look at the door?

She got a gleeful expression as the thought crossed her mind. Maybe she was supposed to find out what was behind the door. She meant that whomever was behind the door was really, super, loud. Maybe they were important? "Hello?" She asked, the door. "Is anyone there?"

Braeburn smiled -- maybe his prayers had been answered? Maybe he could reach her yet? "It's me!" Braeburn shouted, with reckless abandon. "Could ya let me in? Ah have ta see Wysteria!" He demanded, eliciting a confused expression from the green pony.

"Ok!" The green pony responded innocently -- her front hoof wrapping around the door knob like a viper, as she was held up by only her back two legs. "Give me a minute to -- " She said, starting to turn the doorknob.

She didn't get a chance to finish, before a pink earth pony with a light pink mane, and triple balloon cutie mark approached her, with a serious expression -- and a plastered on smile. "Minty! Minty! Minty!" The earth pony,who looked eerily like his cousin's friend Pinkie Pie, said plainly -- her face resembling the one a mother gives when lecturing their child. "We're figments of Wysteria's diseased mind, and we're not supposed to be opening wierd doors," she said, waving her hoof around. "Ok?" She asked, eliciting a nod from the green pony's head, followed by a confused shake of her head.

"What do you mean?" The green pony asked, in utter confusion. "What's a figment?"

Pinkie gave a giggle, like her friend was telling a funny joke. "Remember Minty: you are fictional," she said, with a chuckle -- putting a hoof on the green pony's wither. "And you can't open doors that don't belong to the dream!"

"But Pinkie!" The green one responded -- desperately. "There might be someone important behind the door, like the President of the United States, or the Pope... Or the Dalai Lama!" She said, with a gasp. "Or someone cool like a movie star, or a professional athlete... Or a civil lawyer with a cease and desist!!!!"

"Um Minty..." The pink one replied, with a concerned expression. "That wouldn't be -- "

"Or an insurance salesman!!" Minty replied, with a smile. "Please Pinkie! You have to let me open the door! If I don't get a chance to open the door -- " she said, shaking in horror, " -- then I might never learn the truth of the Book of Mormon!!!" She said, falling on her knees, practically begging Pinkie to let her open the door. "They might want to discuss the bible with me!... And give me a cool lighthouse book, or something!!!"

"Fine..." Pinkie said, with a bemused sigh, rolling her eyes. "Go ahead, " she said, a trace amount of pity in her voice. "But don't blame me if -- " she started saying, before she was rudely interrupted by her green friend.

"Great, Pinkie!" Minty said, with a bright smile. "I won't let you down!" She said, opening the door. "Hello! Guys!!! I'm ready to discuss the bible with you!"

"Umm..." Braeburn said, rubbing one hoof against the other. "Ah don't want ta talk ta you 'bout the book of Moron, or whatever it was, but -- " he started saying, but before the mint green pony could shut the door, he stuck his hoof in it. "Ouch!!!..." He shrieked in pain."But could ah talk ta the princess?" He asked, a pleading expression showing in his eyes. "It's important!"

"Ok!" Minty shrugged. "She's over there in the tower! But Spike says she's not supposed to get any visitors, -- " she said, rebuking him, valley girl style " -- ok!" She said, nodding her head. "But why don't you go down to the Cotton Candy Cafe? It's right that way -- next to the drawbridge to the castle that Wysteria's in and -- "

"Thank you! ... Ah mean... Ok!" Braeburn replied, nonchalantly. "But ah only need ta talk to her fer a minute, would that be ok?" He asked.

"Sure!" Minty replied. "But I'd better this close this mysterious 2D door and -- " She replied, getting interrupted by a motion from the orange earth pony, who stuck his hoof in the door again.

"Actually," he said, resuming the rubbing of one hoof with the other. "Could ah have ya leave the door open?" He pleaded politely. "Ah have a friend that's arrivin' soon, an ah want her to be able ta get in..." He said, remembering the warning Luna gave him to leave her a means to get in, should he get into the dream. "Ah mean... So she won't miss out on any of that .. Um... Cake... and... stuff...."

"Ok..." She said, with a smile. "But now I'll never get that C&D now!!!" She said, bowing her head solemnly, a sigh coming out of her mouth...

**********

Luna sighed, this nightmare was every bit as tough as she had initially feared, forcing her onto an endless defensive, as the nightmare launched wave after wave of thistles, thorns, and killer plants, with no obvious end in sight. And to make matters worse, Luna suspected that, if the alicorn drew her power from the earth itself, as she feared, then the nightmare could become even more powerful still (perhaps even more powerful then the princess of the night, as the earth was much closer, and much bigger, than the moon was, or ever could be.)

That being said, as it stood, she could still quite easily take the nightmare (despite it's quickly growing powers) -- well, at least that would be the case, if her hooves weren't tied trying to avoid hurting her little pony. Curses! Why were her scruples acting up now? She certainly had no problems with them before!... She thought with a frown.

And to make matters worse, any spell that she could cast that was capable of breaking through the nightmare's wall of plants -- let alone her wall of earth -- would undoubtedly hurt (or worse) even the hardiest of alicorns. And this meant that Luna was forced to stay on the defensive, dodging volley, after volley, of projectiles (all of which were summoned by a nightmare whom, unlike the princess, had no problem playing for all the marbles), and increasingly more than just the occasional chunk of earth (the nightmare's power just kept growing, and it had only just started to figure out that it could pull from the earth for power.)

Luna sighed! She had to go on the defensive first! Well... At least until her plan came to fruition, at which point she could finish this. Assuming the exertion wouldn't wear out the grunting Luna first, who would, at the current rate, only serve to wear herself out, if this battle continued as it did now. Hopefully her plan would work the way she imagined it -- though she starting conceiving of alternatives if things went wrong (maybe the rainbow power? No! Too powerful!)

Another wave of plants bit the dust, followed by an attempted headbutt from the purple nightmare.

Luna dodged to the left, with a smirk (smirking was the best option now, for she had learned over many battles not to let the enemy see you sweat -- lest their renewed confidence become your undoing.) She would have to continue to wait. But how could she continue to stall with the waves of plants becoming ever bigger and more impressive (the last wave took a full power blast, and all she did was hit the enemy's earthen wall.)

Ok what were her options? Play for keeps now before the nightmare could become too powerful? No! She would hurt the innocent, not to mention Braeburn, if he had made contact with the sleeping Wysteria's dream. A sleeping spell? The nightmare was too powerful now. Summon the elements? They no longer existed, as they were restored to the tree of harmony, and even if they weren't, it would take them too long to get here!

Another wave of thorns were shot up as well as some unnatural looking plants. This batch actually made contact, or would have, had her shield not been put up at the last possible moment. Though the princess still beared a scratch a two from her near failure.

This battle was beginning to turn against her! She had no choice! She had to do something urgently! But what? She grew ever more desperate, what option was left to her? She asked herself having to shoot up like a rocket to dodge another wave of plants (which almost grabbed her by the hoof, for a split second on the way up, and would have completely ensnared her, weren't it for her blowing the tops off them with a beam from her horn.) The princess bowed her head in shame. She had to do it!... But dared she? There was no way Celestia would approve!

Luna sighed there was only one option if she had only chance to win: she had to slow these plants down -- she had to weaken the nightmare. And there was but one way to do that: something she had vehemently promised Celestia, the day she returned, that she would never do again...

She would have to block out the sun...

**********

Celestia stamped her hoof impatiently, she had been in Unicornia for a over a full week, and was only, just now, being given audience with the pink unicorn lord: Prince Red Sword (well technically red, not pink, but the prince didn't let that technicality stop him from declaring himself pink unicorn lord, and the leader of the four unicorns that ruled over Unicornia.)

She sighed, her voice changing slightly -- becoming calmer, and more serene. "Only for you, Lilly Lightly, Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes," she said shaking her head (she meant: to call her reception in unicornia cold was a gross understatement, and she was sure that any hay for brains unicorn, that could, would do far worse than merely hurting her.) "But worry not, my dear friends: I shall bring you back -- consider it done!" She said, silently, nodding her head.

"Are you concerned princess?" Kibitz asked, wondering why the princess was muttering to herself in an odd voice -- an incredulous look starting to grow on his face. "You know how far this puts us behind on your schedule? Right?" He asked starkly -- reminding the princess that she had other duties, and shouldn't be here on some fool's errand. "Let alone how unorthodox this all is!" He stated, looking anxiously around at the sea of angry unicorns that they walked by -- wondering if they should have brought more royal guards (as it was rumored that when prince Red Sword and Celestia talked, they talked as equals -- two deity rulers, one Alicorn, and one Unicorn.)

"I'm aware Kibitz." Celestia replied, with a frown -- herself well aware of the validity of her vizier's complaints. "But lives are on the line, and these are every bit as much out little ponies as any others are," she said, firmly -- doing something unusual for her, going against her vizier's wise advice (it was a very invigorating experience for her.)

"I suppose." Kibitz replied, reluctantly -- knowing better than to bug the princess when she was in this state of mind. "But you have so many duties that we haven't yet even got to! Couldn't we have our customary ambassador do this business? You know! That Blueblood chap," he said, reminding her that they normally sent Celestia's 'cousin' to handle negotiations with the unicorn lords of Unicornia.

Celestia gave her vizier a smirk. "I suppose, but Prince Red Sword has demanded that I show up in person for negotiations for the return of 'my spies'," she said, giving her vizier a wink, and reminding him of the nature of negotiations here (and, probably, just enjoying the act of sticking her finger in her advisers face for all the over scheduling of her time he had done over the years.) "Not to mention that Red Sword is hoping to get more trade concessions in exchange for pony lives, and you know how accommodating of his demands his 104th cousin, Blueblood, is," she said, walking past the numerous portraits of Red Sword that the prince had lined up on the castle walls.

"I suppose," the vizier responded, calmly. "And I suppose prince Red Sword wants some revenge for Equestria's failed invasion of Unicornia, a few decades back, that occurred as part of The War of Unicorn Succession," he replied, thoughtfully (one of several wars that had occurred over the millenniums since Celestia's ascension to the throne where she tried, unsuccessfully, to extend Equestria's harmony -- and hegemony -- over the original unicorn kingdom -- ending eventually with her giving up and consigning herself to simply meddling in their politics.) "Oh and trying to support his sister's claim on the throne by force of arms," he said sternly (Celestia had tried to reassure Prince Red Sword's sister's claim on the throne after he had usurped it, and promptly changed the succession and election laws of the kingdom -- as well as the length of rule -- from one year, to a lifetime. Sadly, the result of her failed invasion was obvious... The poor pink unicorn still lived in exile in Canterlot, an outcast among the unicorn nobles there -- the rightful princess of Unicornia, living in exile in a foreign and hostile land, without her kingdom.)

"I suppose." Celestia said, with a smile, looking out the window. The sky was beautiful, and the day was relatively warm for this time of year (or any time of the year this far north.) That was, until the moon slowly rose over the sky, covering the sun in the middle of the day (resulting in an early night.)

Why would luna cause a solar eclipse? Had she gone rogue again? Hadn't her sister promised never to interrupt her day again? And didn't they agree to schedule eclipses only for special occasions and ancient rituals? Didn't her sister promise never to bring eternal night again? Could it be possible, that she had fallen back under the control of her nightmare? No that was impossible! Luna would never let that happen! And, for that matter, she would have sensed it if Nightmare Moon had returned. So why would Luna do something like this? Why would she break their agreement... Unless.. Celestia's face winced, a slight terror showing.

LUNA WAS IN TROUBLE!!!

The princess started to leap out the window -- she had to get to her sister, before it was too late! Only to be stopped by her vizier grabbing her tail in his magic.

"Are you going somewhere?" His vizier asked sternly. "I haven't the foggiest clue as to why you're so worried! But I'm sure Luna's ok!" He said, putting a hoof on her wither, and motioning the other back towards the Prince's chambers. "You have work to finish here! And I'm sure if there was trouble, than she'd send us a letter via dragon's fire," he reminded his princess -- doing what he did best, keeping her on the task at hoof. "Remember what Prince Red Sword said he would do if 'negotiations' weren't carried out for 'the spies'," he said, stuffily.

"I suppose..." Celestia responded -- reluctantly... "I suppose..." She said, looking out the window, a slight sorrow showing. Had she failed her again? Had she failed again?

**********

Queen Nightshade gave out a pained shriek -- her body shaking violently, and her face scrunched in a pained expression. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS!!!" She exclaimed, in horror, as her flowers started slowly wilting in the moonlight. She cradled them, crying desperately -- whispering gibberish in their ears. Her frown growing rapidly as it became more and more apparent that her wall of flowers would no longer grow or expand. "YOU MONSTER!!!!" She shouted at Luna, bearing her fangs -- desperately attempting to scratch the Princess of the Night with her hooves. "TAKE THAT HORRIBLE OBJECT AWAY AND LET MY FLOWERS BLOOM!!!" She demanded, attempting (unsuccessfully) to bite at the princess of the night, like a rabid dog.

Luna shook her head, with pity, at the laughable scene. "I'm sorry, but this, I canst not do!" She said softly, whispering into the purple alicorn's ear. "Wysteria, thou must seest the truth!!!" She said, once again attempting to reach the alicorn (originally earth pony) within. "Please! The nightmare trickest though!" She shouted, begging to the alicorn. "Listen to me! I hath stood where thou standest! And I, too, hath suffered from the yoke of a nightmare! Thou mustest resist!" Luna said, hoping to speak to the wisteria themed pony. "Thou must cast it out!" She shouted, hoping to motivate the pony to fight the monster that was controlling her.

"SILENCE!!!!" The nightmare shouted, feeling incensed -- the Royal Ponyville voice emerging. "WYSTERIA IS GONE!!! I, QUEEN NIGHTSHADE, SHALL MAKE THE DESERT BLOOM LIKE A ROSE!!!" She shouted, sounding unhinged -- as the winds and thunder bellowing wildly.

Luna shook her head. "Thou speakest nonsense nightmare! Doest thou listen to thineself?" She asked, softly -- a faint amount of pity in her tone. "Is this not a misuse of thine power?" She asked calmly -- her eyes suddenly growing fierce. "Release thine grip over gentle Wysteria, nightmare!" She demanded, fiercely. "Letest her speak!" She shouted, trying the spell that worked so well to loosen the control her nightmare had on Rarity (it would probably be a lot less effective without five elements, but should still be quite effective, especially if the alicorn within was beginning to resist.)

This time, however, the spell did nothing -- and not a peep could be heard from the alicorn within (either she was not fighting, or the nightmare was still powerful for the Princess of the Night to speak through.)

Either Way, all it served to do was make the nightmare angry. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THIS WAY!!!" The nightmare shouted. "OUR FRIENDS SHALL TEACH YOU RESPECT!!!" She shouted, summoning another wave of thistles and thorns -- only to find that they wouldn't grow, or would grow extremely slowly (just as Luna had planned.)

Luna gave a smirk. "Having trouble nightmare?" She mocked back. "Wishest thou to surrender? Simply release gentle Wysteria and -- " She demanded forcefully, hoping the nightmare would see reason.

"SILENCE!!!!" Shouted the nightmare, her face turning a beet red. "WE SHALL TEACH YOU RESPECT!!! FOR THERE ARE FLOWERS THAT CAN BLOOM EVEN AT NIGHT!!!" She snarled, uncracking, and far from giving up. Her horn powering up, to summon another wave of doom.

Luna frowned slightly. "Steady thyself, oh princess of the night... We must prepare ourselves for she comest yet still..."

**********

Braeburn swallowed hard, running past the crowds of mind rotted ponies yammering on endlessly about 'how great it was that a princess was in town' -- and right into the castle (it was surprisingly easy, to get past the crowds, considering how mindless they seemed to be.) And considering how easy it was to sneak past the ponies then this should be no problem!... Right? Wrong!!!... Well not entirely: the problem? He could hear Wysteria crying from the tower, tormented by the most annoying little voice. But he couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how to get up there (somepony would think there would be a stairwell or a hallway behind the drawbridge? But no! There was a ballroom there instead.) However, a careful examination of the ballroom reviewed good news: the mirror, which stood behind the stage, could be moved to reveal another room (despite not looking that way.) The bad news? It only led to a dressing room -- not a stairwell. And, to add to the confusion, he got the impression that there should be a kitchen somewhere in the ballroom, but no such place seemed to exist -- weird!

Meanwhile, the ramblings of the monster upstairs, caused Braeburn's temper grew shorter and shorter, as the beasts ramblings continued to grate on his last nerve -- and to drive the earth pony a little batty. He started to gnash his teeth as the poor alicorn's desperate calls grew ever more fervent, and the little blue pest's rantings grew ever more absurd.

"This chair is at entirely the wrong angle!"
"And this crown simply won't do! You're wearing it all wrong!"
"Remember your posture princess!"

But how did he get up there? And why did this castle remind him of the castle that M.S. Escher (Murakoz Stallion Escher) built? Oh he knew why!... Nothing made any sense at all!

Ok... So the most obvious route of entry, the drawbridge, led directly into a ballroom -- with absolutely no way out. Ok, so did he dare search around back? Or would that serve to only end up running on the underside of a stairwell instead? Of course, he could run up two flights of stairs and end up in the same place he started at! And it was always possible, that there was no other entrance anywhere, and that somepony had to give him access again!

The good news was that he knew just the pony, and she was right over there! He thought to himself, looking at the very pony that gave him access in the first place, just sitting across the drawbridge. And talking to her would probably allow him to put this debate to an end -- his new green friend: Minty.

"Hey'a stranger!" She said, with a vacuous smile. "Isn't princess Wysteria the best?" She said, enthusiastically -- waving her hooves around. "I mean she's all like a princess, and we're all commoners who are below her and I made the greenest of the green float and -- " She started rambling, leaving Braeburn unsure if she even knew what she was talking about it. "Except it kind of got messed up when I built it on the other side of Pinkie's Pinkest of the Pink float..." She said, with a nervous chuckle.

"Uhm... Yah...." Braeburn replied, playing along. "Isn't.... she... the... best..." He said, with a disingenuous smile, rubbing his hooves together, and trying to play natural. "So how would somepony get into her chambers, if they wanted to.... Ya know... ta shake her hand, or ta give her fan letters... or something... " He lied, piteously (carrying along the apple propensity for being terrible liars) -- a thick coat of sweat covering his brow... "Gosh..." He thought to himself in horror. "She's gunna find out now!" He thought, his smile growing ever more forced, and his sweat more obvious."There ain't no way she's gunna fall for this utter huey!" He might have to make a break for it, because she would figure it out any second... heck... he could just hear the horrible otherworldly shriek that would be coming out of her muzzle already, and ...

"No! Silly!" Minty said, with a friendly smile -- correcting her friend's silliness. "We aren't allowed to see the princess: she doesn't have any friends or equals!" The mint pony said, obliviously. "At least that's what Spike keeps saying!" She stated, with an unquenchable enthusiasm. "But you really should take a bath!" She said, holding her nose. "All that sweating isn't good for you!" She said, with a friendly smile. "You can probably borrow the one in Wysteria's tower, it's the the closest one." She said, motioning to the tower with the alicorn sitting in it. "And Wysteria probably wouldn't mind!"

"Yeah... that... sounds... awesome... so... um... how do I get there?" Braeburn asked, once again sweating violently.

"Oh silly!" The green pony said, waving her hoof at him. "You know where it is! Just take the stairs around the back, and then run across the top level counterclockwise -- you can't miss it!" She said, motioning with her hooves. "It's right behind her chambers in the room with the butterfly door!" She said, continuing to prattle on -- unaware of what she was saying. "Good luck! And don't worry! -- " She shouted, as he started galloping around the tower. "I get lost sometimes too!... No wait... Was there a closer bathroom? Oh well! He'll figure it out!... Good Luck!"

**********

Luna's eyes widened suddenly, as she could feel the mare's dream begin to open up to her (her connection to the dream realm showing.) This meant that Braeburn had, indeed, been able to get in, and would soon be in contact with the alicorn within. And this meant that Wysteria wasn't gone just yet, and, more importantly, that the monster hadn't won just yet.

And, of course this meant that, if the monster got wind of Luna's plans then she would, most certainly, put her full effort into thwarting them -- and she hadn't trained the orange earth pony yet in the intricacies of dreamwalking -- let alone the safety precautions that had to be taken to protect one's mind while doing such.

Luna frowned, fiercely. There was, but one, logical conclusion. The nightmare had to be distracted! For there was no way that Luna could allow her to figure out what was going on. Because if Luna failed and the nightmare did find out, then the orange pony would be doomed!

"But how, oh Princess of the Night, should we keep the monster from learning of our plans? What can we possibly do to keep her in the dark of young Braeburn's actions?" She thought, dodging an invasion of night blooming cacti and thistles. A twinkle came to her eye as a thought occurred to her -- and a plan began to be formed.

"How dare you block out our flower's previous sunlight!" Queen Nightshade hissed to the blue alicorn. "How would you feel if I blocked out your access to the moon!" She shouted, summoning an invasion of Japanese Honeysuckle -- something that should be impossible without the sun, but apparently the nightmare's powers continued to grow.

Luna dodged the vine like flowers that the Nightmare intended to strangle out the princess' access to the moon's light (literally.) "We likest it just fine." Luna taunted, with a wink -- hoping to keep the nightmare's attention. "This way we canst fightest thou in the shade." She shouted, blasting a beam from her horn, which was quickly blocked in the alicorn's earthen wall. "And for that, we thankest thou! It wast getting hot under the moonlight! Not to mention the sunlight behind the moon!" Luna smirked -- drinking up the nightmare's growing frustration. Of course her smirk began to fade as she watched the nightmare's face, and actions -- it wasn't enough! She needed something more to keep the nightmare busy! "Perhaps, oh princess of the night, it's time to go on the offensive!" She thought to herself, taking to the air. "Come demon!" The princess shouted, flapping her mighty wings -- causing a gale force wind that threatened to blow the nightmare clean away. Unfortunately, it didn't, serving only to make the nightmare angrier -- just as Luna had planned.

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN YOUR QUEEN!" The nightmare bellowed, angrily -- her hooves remaining firmly planted to the ground. "COME DOWN AND FIGHT YOUR QUEEN ON FAIR TERMS!!!" She shrieked, stamping her hoof, like a spoiled filly, futile, her plants being unable to grow tall enough in the moonlight to come anywhere near the princess of the night.

"WOAHH!!!!!" The queen nightmare shouted, stamping -- herself going ferrill. "STOP DOING THIS TO YOUR QUEEN!!! IT ISN'T FAIR!!!" She shouted -- in full Royal Ponyville Voice -- ferociously stamping her hoof, sending hunks of dirt and stone flying up at the princess.

"Apparently... " Luna sighed to herself. "She learnest with haste." She said with dismay, hoping that Braeburn was going to be able to get to the princess on time (because the battle wasn't getting any easier, and she had yet to see the full extents of the nightmare's power.) The good news, though, was, for now, that the nightmare either shared Wysteria's lack of knowledge about her wings and horn, or was deadly afraid to leave it's element (the earth) -- either way, it was a very good thing for the princess.

**********

Braeburn raced around the castle, forced to endure the continuous nonsense that spewed out of the monster's mouth (hoping and praying, the whole way, that he could find a way to make that miserable little devil stop talking!)

"Tut tut tut Princess! You can't dust! A Princess does not dust!"
"Princess! You can't sniff the flowers! Princesses don't sniff!... Except... they do smell lovely!"
"You can't leave the tower! A princess doesn't leave her royal chambers except for royal business!"
"Don't read that book! Princesses don't read books! -- Except the princess book, of course!"
"You are a princess! Live with it! You will never be anything else!"
"The moment you touched the flower you became a princess! You have no choice but to act as one!"

Now Braeburn was an anomaly, in his family, that he kept a close control of his apple temper (probably one of the few gifts that his dearly departed mother had left him with.) But, nevertheless, he was well on his way to smacking that little blue monster, in the snout, right here and right now...

The monster continued to babble as Braeburn rushed up the back stairway. "Wysteria! Ah'm comin'!" He shouted, galloping down the small hallway, full bore. "Ya don't have ta be alone any longer!" He shouted, hoping she heard him, as he quickly approached her chambers.

And in the distance, his heart picked up as soon as he could hear the sound of her voice. "Braeburn? Is that you?" Wysteria asked, looking around to find the source of the call (this was probably the first time, 'in weeks' that she had heard someone use her name.)

"Yes! It's me!" He replied, hoping she could hear him over her tormentor. "Ah've come ta talk ta ya!" He shouted, even louder -- despite attempts by the blue demon to speak over him.

Unfortunately, he didn't think he was heard, anymore, as, at that point, the little blue troublemaker spoke up, again. "It simply couldn't be princess." He replied, nonchalantly. "You are simply hearing things!" The monster snarled, snutilly. "He's not coming up! For the simple reason that he's beneath you: remember, the rules, and repeat after me -- " He said, wagging his claw.

"Princesses don't have friends or equals." Wysteria said, in consort with the miniature dragon -- a deep frown covering her face, and a look of profound sadness in her eyes -- her depression levels growing towards their limit.

"Good princess," he said, with a smile. "Now go back to your princess training." He said walking towards the hallway -- a piece of chalk in his claw, and a holier than thou expression on his face. "I'll be seeing to something and -- " He said turning around, having stepped just outside the door to the princess' chambers.

"Git out ahv mah way ya little blue demon!" The orange earth pony said, knocking the tiny blue dragon out of his way using his front hoof -- causing the tiny blue monster to fall face forward onto the ground. "Ah have an audience with the princess -- whether ya'll like it or not!" He shouted, rushing past the wretched blue creature, who was still picking himself up.

"Why I never!" The dragon snarled, turning around onto his back, sitting up with an incensed expression on his face.

"Wysteria! It's me Braeburn!" He shouted, running into the earth ponies suite. "Ah'm really here! And ah don't plan on goin' anywhere!" He said, a relieved smile showing on his face.

"Braeburn?" Wysteria said, in shock. "But aren't you down there?" She asked, pointing to his duplicate chanting with the other mindless drones.

"What do ya think?" He asked, eliciting a small smile from the alicorn. "Wysteria!" He cried desperately. "We have ta talk!" He said, applying gentle pressure to her leg, with his hoof. "None of this is real! Some kind of spiritual doohickey is tryin' to take over yer mind and turn yer head inside out!" He said, reaching over to give her a reassuring hoof.

"A magical doohickey like me?" The little dragon asked, in a strong female voice, a manic laughter bellowing from the dragon's mouth. Causing both ponies to turn around in horror.

**********

Luna narrowly dodged a beam of magic from the nightmare's horn. Yup! The nightmare was definitely learning. And although her magic still remained nowhere near The Princess of the Night's (especially after cutting off the supply of sun for her 'friends'), things might become more difficult and more difficult if her power kept growing -- not to mention that this fight might become more interesting still if the nightmare would/could fly, but, nevertheless, Luna would take any blessing she could get. She swallowed a sigh, if only she could use her true power right here and right now before the nightmare actually became a threat to her.

"COME DOWN HERE! HOW DARE YOU MOCK YOUR QUEEN!" The nightmare shouted (in full royal canterlot voice), firing off a volley of magic beams -- followed by a sea of poisonous fungus spores, and a series of rocks fragments, that shot from the ground.

"We, your princess of the night, apologize for this -- our little pony." Luna replied, politely (practicing her quiet speaking lessons.) "But for this we canst not comply... We apologize..." She said, mercilessly mocking the nightmare -- so as to keep the monster too upset to think too hard about the intruder in her victim's dreams.

"Enough! You meanie!!!" The nightmare shouted sounding more like Wysteria, and less like the nightmare -- could it be?

Luna gave a smirk, it looked like Braeburn had succeeded in making contact. Hopefully he would soon succeed in more.

The nightmare looked unamused. "What are you smirking about!" She shrieked, shooting off a very impressive bolt of magic, which fizzled about halfway, when the nightmare starting holding the top of her head, with her hooves (her arms bent at really funny angles, the nightmare standing on only her back hooves.) "RARRRR!!!!! What's.... What's... What's happening to me!!!" She shrieked, a look of pain in her eyes -- as her eyes switched rapidly from blood red, to it's natural two color yellow green color. "What's wrong with me? Why is my head hazy!"

"Yes!" Luna thought to herself, with enthusiasm. "It's working! Braeburn has made contact!"

"What are you doing to us!?!?" The nightmare shouted, shooting a very impressive beam of magic (one, even the battle hardened princess might be well to fear.) Well... had it not fizzled about a third of the way to the princess. "RARRRRGGG!!!!" The queen shouted, holding her head, with her hooves. "Why do we hurt so!? What is hapening to us!?!?!?" She shouted -- sounding less like the confident malicious Queen Nightshade, and more like the shy earth pony turned alicorn.

Luna gave a smirk. "Checkmate nightmare!" She shouted, with glee, taking great joy in the fact that the nightmare was slowly starting to fail. This battle was now all but won! And winning was simply a matter of keeping up the heat until Wysteria began to stir, and could regain control over her faculties.

The nightmare shuttered, before regaining her composure. "I know what you're trying to do..." She said, with a smirk -- causing the princess to do the opposite. "You're trying to trick Wysteria!" She snarled. "You're trying to convince her to leave us!" The nightmare shouted at the blue alicorn. "But you won't succeed! It'll be but a minute, then I'll expunge the -- " She said, preparing to move from back inside the alicorn's dream (her eyes rolling back in her head.)

However, Luna wasn't about to permit that! Having decided, instead, to press the attack harder, fighting to win (or atleast put up an excellent facsimile thereof.) Thus preventing the nightmare from concentrating on her own dream walk (or the nightmare equivalent, anyways.)

"Will you ease up fool!" The nightmare growled, dodging a beam of magic from the princess. "How can we sweep our floors if you keep attacking us?" She asked, dodging another intentionally poorly aimed attack by the blue alicorn.

"That's the plan nightmare!" Luna said, whispering in the nightmare's ear as she flew right by her head. "We plan to keep up until we finish this fight," she shouted, flying just out of the nightmare's range. "And there is naught thou canst do about it, nightmare!"

The nightmare stomped her feet, going ferrill for a second -- feeling not terribly impressed with this turn of events. "WE SHALL NOT PERMIT IT! WE WILL MAKE THE DESERT BLOOM LIKE A ROSE AND NO ONE SHALL STOP US!!!" The nightmare shrieked, flapping her wings, and taking a wobbly flight. Element or not, fears or no... She would fight this blue pretender in the skys.

**********

"A magical doohickey like me?" The little dragon asked, in a strong female voice -- a manic laughter bellowing from the dragon's mouth -- as a thick purple smoke slowly rising from the ground, engulfing the dragon -- causing both ponies to fall back in horror.

"Spike! What's wrong with you?" Wysteria asked, with deep concern, holding her hooves to her face. "What's happening to you?" She asked in utter confusion. "Did I do this to you somehow?" She asked, recoiling in abject terror -- as her blue friend began to disappear into the smoke, a collection of vastly conflicting memories flowing into her head. Was this her friend, or her oppressor? Why couldn't she remember clearly? Why did part of her call him her dearest friend, and the other part wanted him gone permanently? And why was she so afraid of whatever was behind the smoke?

Braeburn frowned, putting his hoof on her wither, trying to push her towards the door. "Ya gotta trust me Wysteria! That ain't yer friend!" Braeburn said, with dismay -- fearing that he would lose his friend again (and he refused to let that happen ever again!) "It's an imposter! Some kind'a monster's pretendin' ta be yer friend! And it wants -- " He said, desperately, being unable to speak as the nightmare cast a spell to temporarily mute him -- breaking into a shout, itself..

"Silence mortal!" The nightmare exclaimed, indignantly. "I only want what's best!" She exclaimed, puffing her chest self righteously. "I simply want to make Wysteria the queen that she was always meant to be: Queen Nightshade!" The nightmare hissed, completely obscured in the smoke. "I just wanted to punish the evil, and make the desert bloom like a rose!" She shouted, zealously -- her sense of righteousness hurt by this misguided fool (and she refused to suffer fools lightly.)

"Ya monster! Stop lyin' to her!" Braeburn demanded, angrily, fighting desperately to regain his speech (coughing, and gagging the whole way) -- pointing an accusatory hoof at the monster. "Stop tryin' ta take control of her!" Braeburn grunted out, taking his best fighting pose (despite the fact that every fiber of his being told him to run.) "She doesn't -- "

"Silence!!!" The nightmare roared, the smoke beginning to clear. "She is a princess! And she shall act like one! Our destiny was decided the moment that we touched the flower!" She said, pointing to Spike's flower, which was suddenly sitting in the purple alicorn's hair. "And now we shall make it a reality!" She hissed, as the smoke began to clear around what used to be the blue dragon, revealing an alicorn with a morbid purplish red color for her coat, a field of thorn plants for a cutie mark, blood red eyes, and long sharp fangs (the kind used by apex predators to rend their prey limb from limb.) "Even now you resist the urge to call her princess! Why Braeburn?" She asked the earth pony, who simply shook -- an expression of panic on his face. "Why do you lie to yourself? Why do you lie to her!?" The Nightmare hissed into the alicorn's ear, suddenly materializing next to her head. "You can't hide from the truth forever!"

"Braeburn?" Wysteria asked in tears -- turning to her friend. "You're going to abandon me too? I don't want you to go! Please don't call me princess!" She cried, a look of betrayal on her face. "You're just like everyone else aren't you?" She screeched in utter hopelessness, falling to her hooves. "Why?" She moaned, quietly. "Why do you hate me?"

"And that is why you need me?" The nightmare hissed. "Give up! That's why you need us!" He whispered, causing the earth pony turned alicorn to nod dutifully -- a vacant expression appearing on Wysteria's face.

Braeburn scowled, furiously. "Ya liar!" He shouted, working up the will to fight. He turned to Wysteria apologetically -- who turned her head, unwilling to look back. "Sorry Wysteria, an ah know that every fiber of my being wants ta call ya that, -- " He said, as his alicorn's friends eyes continued to gush out tears of grief. "But!" He said, turning to the nightmare, the fight in his eyes growing fiercer. "Ah ain't gunna! Because she's mah friend! And if she don't want ta be a princess then ah ain't gunna make her!" He shouted, charging at the nightmare. "So if ya don't shut up -- then ah'm gunna make ya!" He shouted, continuing to gallop blindly forward -- Braeburn would save his friend! No matter how high the cost! And no matter who he had to fight to do so!

The nightmare started laughing wildly -- bemused at the orange pony's utter foolishness (a bemusement that didn't last long before it was covered in indignation.) "You dare approach your queen this way? We shall make you pay!" She shouted, raising her hoof and summoned a sea of thorns and cacti -- which... stopped just short of the earth pony's face -- as time arround the nightmare slowly ground to a halt, leaving the nightmare, and her flowers, frozen in place.

"Braeburn!" Wysteria shouted -- turning back to her friend, in surprise -- the trance the nightmare put her in broken by the sight of her friend in danger. Meanwhile, the orange earth pony staggered backwards, a look of mortal terror materializing on his face -- the gravity of the situation beginning to become apparent. "Are you ok?" Wysteria exclaimed, rushing up to her friend. "That was so scary!" She said, wrapping her hoof and front leg around him. "I was so worried about you!"

"It's ok, Wysteria." He said, with a reassuring smile. "See ah'm ok, ya don't have ta worry any more!" He announced, his face growing ever more sincere. "An ah won't call ya princess, no matter what!" He said, putting his hoof on her wither. "Ah know how much ya don't wanna be called a princess." He said, turning an evil eye to the lying daughter of a dame before him.

"Thank you." She said, with a genuine smile. "I don't want to be a princess! I don't want everyone bowing down to me, and avoiding me! I just wanna be friends." She said, embracing him more closely. "I want to be useful! I want to sniff flowers! And I want to dig in the dirt! And I wanna be me!"

"Well! Molly as my witness, ah promise never treat ya like a princess, unless ya want it!" He said with a smile, before turning again to the nightmare, who remained frozen in place -- ranting like a mad mare at somepony. "But ah think we should go 'fore she wakes up." He said, motioning into a small break between the nightmare and her sea of death, and the door.

"Why's that?" Wysteria asked innocently. "Can't we talk ta her, and make her understand how mean she's being?" She said, with confusion as the earth pony applied a slight amount of pressure to her wither. "I mean how mean could she be? Maybe she just needs someone to talk to her and be her friend!"

Braeburn frowned. "Ah'm pretty sure she ain't in a listenin' mood right now." He said, motioning at the sea of doom that stood frozen before him. "An it ain't like us talkin' ta her is gunna make some disembodied cowpony voice talk 'bove our heads sayin' something 'bout how 'Queen Nightshade knew that trying to forcibly take possession of ponies' bodies was wrong, but sometimes the right thing is just not terribly appealing!'" He said, applying some pressure. "Now we best be goin' 'fore she wakes up!"

"Ok." Wysteria said, reluctantly, as they rushed out the door. "But why?"

"Ah'll tell ya on the way out, Wysteria, 'cause I don't want ta be here when 'the queen' wakes up." Braeburn said, with apprehension. "Ah hope nopony other then that green pony is watchin' the doors, otherwise we might have trouble getting outta here."

Behind him the nightmare began to twitch.

**********

Luna darted to the side, gracefully dodging a bolt of magic from the enraged nightmare alicorn -- stifling a laugh, as the nightmare apparently had atrocious aim when agitated. The bad news, though, was that the nightmare was now fighting (despite losing the sun that fed her plants) at around Nightmare Rarity's level, if not a little more powerful -- with no sign of slowing down, just yet. The good news? Being away from her element (the earth) made the alicorn as dangerous as a kitten, and her blind fury prevented her from either interfering with Braeburn, or being a threat to the princess of the night -- just as she had planned it. Now all she needed Braeburn to do was to convince Wysteria to fight the nightmare, and reestablish control over her own body (a task that might be easier said then done.)

In the meantime though, she had another dodge to do, as the monster began to fire off her magic more rapidly (beginning to create worries that the monster might use up all of Wysteria's magic, leaving her with none to work with, and adding yet another thing for the princess of the night to worry about.)

And to further complicate matters, now the monster was willing to take the air, and that meant that Luna couldn't get away from the nightmare's attacks as easily (naturally, she would permit the nightmare's flight for now as it's inexperience with the motion seemed to force the monster to monopolize their concentration on it, rather than Luna, or Braeburn.) And another silver lining in the situation was that due to the monster dividing its attention that the nightmare's aim wasn't very ...

A bolt of magic struck the princess squarely on the wing, causing her to crash into the ground (well maybe not crash, she landed hoof first, causing a nasty crater.) "Foalish princess of the night!" Luna said to herself, with a frown. "Why didst thou get cocky?" She said, staggering to her feet, the nightmare slowly descending from above.

"Now foolish pretender!" Queen Nightshade snarled. "Thou shalt pay for thine treason!" She said, powering up her horn. "Thou shalt pay for thine hate of these beautiful flowers!" She scoffed, summoning a wave of vines that entombed the princess of the night -- the aura arround her horn growing stronger and stronger, and more and more morbid. "Now that that has been resolved." The nightmare sneered. "It's time to deal with that interloper!" She said, her eyes starting to roll back in her head.

Now an outsider (or the uninformed) would think that it was over and that Luna had... well... I can't say. But she was, after all, the Princess of the Night, one of the deity princesses of Equestria. She wasn't going to be stopped by some stupid vines, no matter how viciously they pressed against her.

And, for that matter, she had to! She had a duty to er little ponies, who were in deep trouble, not to mention Wysteria and Braeburn! And she wasn't going to let her little ponies down! Not even the strange looking ones!

But why would Braeburn be in any danger? Well, dreamwalking could be dangerous if you didn't know what you were doing because harm occurring while dreamwalking -- if somepony wasn't prepared to handle it... well... can you say serious psychological damage? Or worse? And Luna wouldn't have any of that! Besides, with Luna gone, precious little would stop the nightmare's rampage, especially with the elements gone. Maybe the elements could use their rainbow power? Though, she suspected, that they would be as hesitant as she was lest they hurt (or worse yet, vaporize) an innocent pony -- and nopony wanted to do that. And then there was the time that it would take them to arrive.

And then, ultimately... There was her pride! She wasn't about to be the princess that went to the glue factory because of some stupid vines! She just wasn't going to do that! Not going to happen!!!

The vines began to warp and bulge as Luna's magic pushed against them, causing them to warp and bulge, eventually exploding out in all directions. The princess of the night's eyes glowed a red, and the wind bellowed around her as she spoke. "DOST THOU THINKEST THAT THOU CANS'T DESPATCH US THIS WAY NIGHTMARE?" She shouted, the rage building to the same level as that unfortunately nightmare night... that she wished not to think of again... "THOU DAREST MOCK AND DEMEAN THINE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT? WE SHALT ... " She stopped herself, this was not the right attitude, this was the kind of attitude that gave birth to her own nightmare. And she wouldn't have a second! (After all, nightmare's were like children... but worse!!! So a alicorn had, at most, one if it all possible!)

And then, to make further dampen her enthusiasm, there was the matter that the nightmare stopped moving... Luna gasped. She must have retreated into her own mind... This was very bad news for Braeburn, and quite possibly herself as well...

**********

"Hello there!" Braeburn's new green friend said, with smile. "So you find the bathroom all right?" She asked, walking over, and taking a good wiff. "Ahh..." She sighed, with an honest frown. "You couldn't find it!" She said sadly (but not for long, as she bucked up quite quickly afterwards.) "But not to worry! You can use the bathroom at my house, its -- "

"Nah..." Braeburn said, politely -- looking further back into the castle, anxiously. "Ah didn't find it, but ah'll just take care of it... when... Ah... git... home... Yeah! When ah get home." He lied, pathetically.

"Well ok!" The mint green pony said, politely. "See you later Braeburn!" She said, waving to Braeburn, exuberantly. "See you later Wysteria!" She said, waving to the purple alicorn.

A countdown could be heard somewhere in the background. "Wait... Wysteria?" She asked, angrily. "Braeburn? Why are you taking Wysteria out of the tower?" She said, breathing in to give an otherworldly shriek. "You know she's kind of a princess now and shouldn't be leaving the castle!!"

"Well... Um... Ah... Well... Ah.... Was going to get some cakes from... um..." He stammered anxiously, sweating profusely. Ok... Think Braeburn think! What cake place do you know of? Did Wysteria mention any cake places? What about that place his cousin Applejack kept talking about? Ice Cube corner... or something... "Ta... Umm....."

"Oh of course!" The mint pony said, striking her head with her hoof. "Sorry about that! I forgot about 'Double Cake Tuesday'! You must be trying to take the princess to the Cotton Candy Cafe for 'Double Cake Tuesday'!"She said, with exuberance.

"Yah.. Um... Double Cake Tuesday..." Braeburn lied, uneasily. "So... The princess an' I'll just git goin' and..."

"No wait..." Minty said, filling Braeburn with fear. "Today's Wednesday! Silly!" She said, with an honest smile. "But don't worry! I'll just run ahead, and tell Sweetberry that you forgot! You know -- I forget all the time and she always let's me have it anyways!" She said, rushing off -- leaving Braeburn standing there befuddled. "By the way Braeburn!" She shouted, growing ever more distant. "You really should take a bath! All that sweating can't be good for you!"

Meanwhile... Back in the royal chambers...

The nightmare began to grind back into action. Slowly at first, and then quickly. Muttering to herself angrily. "How dare this peon treat his queen this way!" She muttered to herself, as thorn bushes quickly began to spring from the earth. "How dare he attempt to flee from the righteous judgement of the queen of all that blossoms and grows!" She shouted, as an explosion of plants shot up from the floor, literally blowing the turret of the tower clean off.

"Uh oh!" Braeburn said to himself, in horror, as the purple castle that once stood behind him, no longer did so -- having exploded in all directions -- an angry blood purple alicorn standing in the center of, what used to be, the ballroom. "We've gotta go," he said to his purple friend, with urgency. "Ah dont' think we wanna be this close ta the nightmare right now," he said, applying light pressure to his friend's wither.

"What's going on?" She asked, in confusion, wondering why her friend was being so pushy.

"That!" Braeburn responded, pointing to what used to be the castle.

"Oh dear!" Wysteria said, holding her hoof to her mouth. "Who did that?"

"I did!" Replied the nightmare, with sadistic glee, rising from the ruins of the dream celebration castle. "I did it out of righteous anger!" She shouted, eliciting no small amount of shaking from the other two ponies. "Because your friend, here, was trying to strip us from our rightful place as queen of Ponyville!" She said, motioning to Wysteria's mindless friends who approached mindlessly, blathering about 'the princess that was in Ponyville'.

Wysteria happily galloped over to her baker friend, greeting her warmly. She would definitely recognize her! And Sweetberry was always so friendly! She was sure to finally stop treating her like a princess, and treat her like a friend instead! Sadly the pony didn't respond, opting instead to continue babbling about how great it was to meet the princess.

"Please Sweetberry! It's me!" Wysteria shouted, in despair to her dark pink coated friend, staring directly into her blue eyes. "Don't you recognize me? It's me! Wysteria?"

The purple and green maned earth pony with twin strawberries for a cutie mark shook her head mindlessly. "We should, most certainly, have a special celebration of our princess' presense. Sweet!"

"Please Cotton Candy!" Wysteria said, turning to her pink coated friend with the blue, pink, and white tricolor mane. "Please tell Sweetberry that we're friends! And that I'm no more important then she is!" She begged, hoping that the talkative pink earth pony would talk some sense to her occasional partner in cuisine. Instead the pink pony, too, was unresponsive.

"Yeah isn't this wonderful!" The earth pony with the cotton candy cutie mark, her blue and pink two color eyes staring off blankly. "we could totally do that instead of the spring promenade!"

"Please!" Wysteria begged, hoping somepony would listen, but they all seemed clueless. Why'd she listen to Braeburn? Now she wouldn't even have the spring promenade now! She'd lose the thing she loved most: her flowers and -- "

"Silence!" Braeburn snorted violently, snapping the earth pony out of her trance -- and causing both the nightmare, and Wysteria's dream friends to turn their heads towards him. "How dare ya do this to Wysteria!" He snorted, stamping at the ground, with his hoof. "How dare ya do this ta her friends! How dare ya turn her friends 'gainst her!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, charging headfirst at the nightmare -- plowing straight through thistle and thorn, vines, and even trees. "Bring back her friends, an' apologize fur what ya've done ta her castle!" He snorted, galloping forward -- resolving that nothing the alicorn could throw would stop him.

"You dare challenge your queen? -- " The queen shouted, unphased by the earth pony's foolishness. " -- You dare make claims about Wysteria's 'friends'?" she exclaimed, causing the earth to bellow and shake. "A princess has no friends or equals! And the sooner she realizes this -- the better!"

"But I don't want to be a princess!" Wysteria cried, falling to her knees (yeah, her legs suddenly bent like a bi-peds.) "Please!" She cried, her eyes begging for mercy.

"STOP IT!!!" Braeburn shouted, angrilly, turning to Wysteria. "Ya don't have to be a princess! It don't matter what this monster says, or even that little blue dragon!" He shouted, kicking aside the vines that the nightmare sent to snare him. "HECK!" He said, with furocity. "It don't matter even if Celestia, herself, says ya haf to! It's time ya stood up and said that this ain't what ya want ta do!"

"Really?" Wysteria asked, bucking up. "Is this the truth!"

"It is!" Braeburn said, to chuckling from the monster behind him.

"What platitudinous nonsense!" The nightmare shouted -- surprised that a mere earth pony had such success against her plants. "Is it not your training? Nay! Is it not your very nature to call her as such!? Your nature betrays you fool! It demands that an alicorn like Wysteria to be your princess! Nay! even more!" The nightmare chuckled, with glee. "The very dreams of you lesser ponies betray your nonsense boy! We have seen it every night since our birth, as we have wondered the dreamscape!" She shouted, sending the vines forth to wrap around the orange earth pony. "And now it's time that I put your nonsense to an end!" She said, as the vines slowly covered his head.

"Braeburn!" Wysteria shouted, holding her hooves against her mouth -- shaking slightly. "What are you doing to him?" She asked, with horror -- as the plants wrapped tighter around her orange friend.

"I'm making him shut up, so that he is no longer capable of filling your mind with nonsense!" The dark Wysteria said, sternly. "And once he's gone you will have no choice but to -- "

"Please Wysteria! Ignore her.. ya... ya need ta help them! yer friends are -- " Braeburn struggled to speak, somehow being able to choke out words.

"Quiet mortal! It's time that she acted like the deity queen she -- " The queen nightmare shouted, zealously being interrupted only by her purple counterpart -- all the time wondering how this orange pony was still speaking.

"QUIET!!!" Wysteria shrieked, causing the vines to release, and retract. "IT'S YOU WHO ARE SAD!!!" Wysteria's voice howled -- as the vines slowly started to wither. "WHERE ARE YOUR FRIENDS? DO YOU WANT TO LIVE LIKE THIS FOREVER?" She shouted, her voice booming like a megaphone. "IS THIS WHAT YOU THINK IS JUST? IS THIS WHAT YOU THINK OUR FRIENDS ARE FOR?" She asked, pointing to her friends slowly disappearing. "WELL I DON'T WANT ANY OF THIS!!!"

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" The nightmare shouted. "I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO'S SPEAKING THE TRUTH! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THIS WAY!!!" She shouted, sending her vines to attack... well... herself...

**********

Luna frowned, panting slightly, how much more energy did this monster have? And how could it continue to fight while performing a dreamwalk? And, for that matter, how much longer would it take Braeburn to convince the purple alicorn within to fight against the nightmare? Was it possible that he had failed? Would she need to do the very thing that she had been fighting so hard to avoid? Would she need to banish the alicorn, in hopes a method to free her could be found in the future? But where do you even banish an alicorn, whose element is the earth and who shares a connection with a whole kingdom of living things? She pondered to herself, missing the obvious happening right below her.

Vines creeped up the alicorn's legs, locking her in place. Causing the princess to curse violently -- how did she keep missing the obvious? She asked, struggling futilely against the vines, that continued to creep up her frame, and responded to magic levied against them.

That was it! innocent or not! Luna could no longer play easy on the alicorn! She had to finish this fight before the beast could become any more powerful! She had to end this, no matter the cost! She had to... unwrap her hooves... somehow...

Assuming she could somehow free herself from these vines, at all.

"IT'S OVER IMPOSTER!" The nightmare shouted, with glee -- temporarily switching back from the dreamworld. "YOU'RE FINISHED!!!" She shouted, as the vines began to wrap the princess of the moon, who continued to be unable to free herself, like a mummy.

Now sadly, I can't quote the sea of words that came out of the princess' mouth -- but I can assure you that they aren't fit for young ears (or anyone under Methuselah's age, for that matter.)

The nightmare laughed maniacally... as the vines began to wither. "YOU'RE FINISH NOW YOU WILL NO LONGER!!!" She shouted, suddenly noticing her 'friends' starting to wither. "NO!" She shouted -- staring angrily off into space -- as she started to argue with herself -- her eyes switching from blue red to yellow and green in a rapid pattern.

"IT'S YOU WHO ARE SAD!!!" Boomed Wysteria's normal voice from between her lips -- who was apparently battling the monster, from within (at least in word.)

The nightmare shook her head belligerently -- shaking her hoof. "I'M THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO'S SPEAKING THE TRUTH! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THIS WAY!!!" Shouted the nightmare back, responding to her kinder half. She was apparently not going to give in easily... This might require the dreamwalk that Luna had originally planned.

Luna gave a smile -- resisting the urge to have a laugh at the nightmare's misfortunes. This, however, was excellent news! "Wysteria!" Luna shouted, trying to reach into the purple pony's mind. "Thou must fight the nightmare!" She said, powering up her horn, for a dreamwalk. "Tis a fight that only thou canst win!" she said, with a smile as the nightmare remained motionless, meaning that the monster was now on the defensive (even inside her own mind) -- just where the princess of the night wanted it. Luna gladly brushed the last of brown, withered, the vines off. "Braeburn has done it! I guess our trust in our little pony was warranted, after all!" She exclaimed, to herself, activating her magic, making final preparations for her dreamwalk. "Now it's time, oh princess of the night, to assist young Wysteria, and young Braeburn in banishing the monster!" She said, contemplating how best to banish a creature that exists in an alicorn's psyche. Maybe she could banish the monster to the moon within the dream world? Or, perhaps, she could lock it under the earth? In any case, it was time to move -- and move she would!

She lit her horn, concentrating on the magics of the night - feeling for the purple alicorn's presence on the astral plane (a sad fact: dreamwalking was always easier at night! But oh well! She was more than just a mere princess, and she would not allow the sun to impede her mission!) Hoping that the purple alicorn's mind would open up to her.

Within a flash, she could sense the opening -- Braeburn had, indeed, succeeded in opening the way. This meant that the road was open into the alicorn's dream (for the first time... well... ever!)

**********

"PLEASE GO AWAY!" Wysteria shouted, in full Royal Ponyville voice, beckoning her dark self to leave, "I DON'T WANT OR NEED YOU ANYMORE!" She snarled, actually showing her teeth. "YOU'VE CAUSED ENOUGH HARM!!!" She shouted, belligerently, on the verge of using physical force (something that never believed was even in her.)

The nightmare simply chuckled, summoning a sea of thorns at her normal half. "YOU SPEAK NONSENSE!!!" She shouted, calling the winds and the rain. "THOU ART DESTINED TO BE A PRINCESS!!! THOU SHALT ACT AS ONE!!!" She shouted, motioning to her kind side -- sending a sea of plants flying towards her.

As Wysteria cringed, hopelessly, the plants dutifully obeyed their kind master, and parted from around her -- leaving her unscaved.

This caused an angry snarl and a stamping of hooves from her counterpart, who turned to her plants, ferociously chastising them. "How dare you disobey a direct order from your queen!" She shouted to her green minions -- pointing all the harder (probably hoping her energy would kowtow the reluctant plant matter.) "Now finish her, and her meddling friend!!!" She shouted, causing the plants to advance forward.

Finally seeing her plants obey caused the 'queen of all that blossoms and grows' much glee! She chuckled, manically, as they moved forward... That was, until they stopped -- having moved only precious inches... "Why do you disobey?" She cried, like a small child, at her plants disobedience -- stamping like a two year old having a temper tantrum over the toy their parent's wouldn't buy them. "Don't you like me any more?" She shouted, ranting and rambling -- giving over a childish shriek and an ear blowing wail. "Why! Why! Why!"

Wysteria sniffed slightly. "Now you know how I feel," she said, sticking her hoof out to the nightmare (like they would always do when a pony comes to their senses. She would talk to the pony and they could be friends!) "Let's be friends and -- "

"Silence!!!" The nightmare hissed -- hitting the princess' hoof with hers. "Thou art a princess! Now actest as one!!!" She shouted, her voice booming like thunder. "Why don't you finish your foes?" She frowned, more certain than ever that her counterpart was no longer capable of being a competent queen. "Now you!" She shouted, turning to her plants. "Why dost thou disobey a direct order from thy queen?" She shouted, destroying some of her own precious plants with her magic.

"Hard to say?" A soft voice said, materializing out of what used to be a vase (kind of a tight fit, but Luna was used to this kind of thing.) "Perhaps the problem, oh nightmare, is that thou pittest these plants against their true ruler?" She hinted softly, trotting right over the brambles towards the kind alicorn (the brambles evaporating into thin air upon her mere touch.) "And that you try to pit their true master against her true kind nature?" She said, turning to the nightmare. "Knowest not, the plants, this fact as well?"

"Shut up you pretender!" The nightmare shouted to the blue night princess. "You should know better than to speak to your superior this way!" She shouted, summoning a few long vines, which she attempted to use as a whip -- not that she got very far as the plants disappeared into thin air.

The nightmare stomped up and down, going ever more ferryl. "Why didn't that work?" She asked, angrily. "WHY! WHY! WHY!!!" She screamed, angrily, stamping ferociously, and hopping up and down -- and wailing like a two year old who wanted something they weren't allowed to have. "We are more powerful than you! And we demonstrate as such!" She shouted, summoning all her magic to summon a sea of bamboo...

Which all quickly fizzled into nothingness...

The morbid purple nightmare alicorn snarled, powering up her horn. "I don't care if you've turned Wysteria against me!" She shouted to both Braeburn, and The Princess of the Night. "I don't care if you've turned my plants against me!!!" She shouted, discharging a terrifying beam of magic from her horn. "I'm still more powerful! You only have the tiny, distant, lifeless moon!" She shouted, a self satisfied expression growing on her face. "But I control the vast energies of the planet itself!" She snarled, as the beam hit Luna dead on (who didn't dodge, for some reason.) "Do you think we have not learned much about ourselves during our slumber inside that foolish child, Wysteria?" She said, calming down to the comforting sight of Luna disinvaporated.

Well... Not quite...

A laughing could be heard echoing from the room, as the smoke drawn up by the magic assault began to clear. "This maybe true." Said Luna, nonchalantly, unscaved, unhurt, and without even the hint of smoke. "And yet nightmare, thou drawest no power here in the world of dreams!" The Princess of the Night shouted, with bemusement. "Dost thou still wish to push forward?"

"No!" The nightmare shouted angrily. "Thou liest!!!" She shouted, taking flight -- only to find herself grounded by the princess' horn, which ripped her out of the sky, and slammed her against the earth. "Let us go!!!" She shouted, with an unworldly voice. "We are more powerful! We are more regal!! We are more princessy!!" She shouted, flailing uselessly -- desperately trying to break herself free of the grip of Luna's magic.

"It's over nightmare." Luna said, relenting one final time. "Do you surrender?" She asked, stooping down to get down at the nightmare's level. "We shall give thou, but one more chance!"

"Never!" The nightmare spit. "And soon Wysteria will realize the truth! That she has neither friends nor equals! Only subjects! And that she has no choice but to rule over them as a proper iron fisted ruler!" She demanded, firing off her horn one final time.

A shot which luna effortlessly blocked with her pastern. She turned to Wysteria. "It's time young princess of all that buds and grows." She said, softly to the kind alicorn. "We must seal away this abomination so that she can no longer threaten our little ponies." She said, holding out her hoof. "Dost thou wish to help us?"

"Must we?" Wysteria asked, with a frown. "She looks all sad --" She said, regretfully. " -- and all she wanted was to make me a real princess, just like Spike."

Luna shook her head. "And she almost choked five outlaw bulls, dragged one changeling assassin into the black abyss, and tried to take possession of your body." She said, quietly, making sure to use her best modern equestrian accent. "And let's not even think of what she would have done to our little ponies." She said, a regretful tone in her voice. "Besides, Wysteria, she doesn't really exist... Well... she does and she doesn't... But mostly she exists only because of you -- and only as a part of you. It's best, for everypony, if we seal her away where she can cause you, nor our ponies no more harm."

Wysteria frowned. "Are you sure we have to?"

Luna frowned, nodding her head. "We are sorry, our little pony, but this is for the best!"

Wysteria nodded, belatedly. "Ok..." She said, with a guilty expression. "Can you show me how?"

"Of course!" Luna said, walking over to the purple earth pony turned alicorn. "We shall help thou..." She said, powering up her horn. "Consider this the beginning of the training pr... I will give you to help you control all your new powers."

**********

"Lord Solanaceae!" Shouted a drone, galloping up to the lead assassin as quickly as they could.

"What is it?" The senior assassin asked, impatiently. "I have urgent business with prince Vladímir!"

The drone nodded, mindlessly. "I understand, my lord." The drone said, bowing to his superior. "But this news is extremely important to the hive."

"And that is?" Replied the assassin, rolling his eyes. What possible news, of any import, could come from a drone?

"Another nascent alicorn has appeared, -- " The drone said, causing the color to disappear from the head assassin's head. Hadn't Phytolacca gone searching for a princess? " -- and the hive collective has lost all contact with one of its drones, as well as the assassin Phytolacca." The drone stated, cautiously -- not noticing the assassin's eyes darting around desperately. "We can't even sense his location, and that can mean only one thing." It said, pointing it's hoof upwards.

"Horse apples!" The assassin cussed -- wondering if he could prevent this knowledge from getting out, by eliminating the drone now. "This is very bad news." He said, remembering that he had already lost his right hand mare, the assassin Mandragora, to a nascent alicorn filly. "Vladímir will not be pleased," he thought, to himself. shaking his head -- especially considering that he still had to tell the prince that they still had no idea who the sixth bearor might be (Belladonna swore up and down that she knew who numbers four and five were, and he was sure she wasn't lying -- but it was infuriating that she still refused to give any hints as to who she thought they were.)

Maybe if he mixed the bad news with good news then the changeling prince might take it better? He shook his head. Who was he kidding? The next question his lord would certainly ask was if he had the hive's revenge already planned. And the answer to that was currently no... Not with one of Equestria's deity queens hovering about (especially since Vladímir had explicitly stated that the princesses weren't to be disturbed until he gave the word of his impending final victory over the tyrant princesses of Equestria.)

**********

Luna frowned, having gathered the three ponies -- who were all now awake -- back to a room she had rented in town for the night (well technically she only rented it in case she needed it, but right now it looked like she did.)

"Guards." The Princess of the Night said, to the royal escort that she brought with her, all the way from Canterlot. "Would you ensure that the pr... Wysteria, Braeburn, and I are not disturbed." She said, feeling obliged to keep Wysteria's secret secret, at least a while longer (and plenty of forbidden mind magic on the town's folk also helped, though she suspected her sister was going to banish her to her room for a few weeks for doing that.)

"Very well, princess." the guards said, dutifully, taking a vigilant stance -- fanning their batlike wings across the doorway (while two more kept guard over the window of the rather small room to ensure no looky-loos bugged the princess via the back way.) "But wouldn't you want a bigger space, your majesty?"

Luna shook her head, impatiently. "The space shalt do fine guards." Luna said, finally breaking back into her native accent. "It beest, indeed, small, but a small room shall suffice, for our needs." She said, hoping to convince her guards to leave her already.

"Very well, princess." The guards repeated -- eliciting a relieved sigh from Luna. A sigh that didn't last long. "Do you need us to prepare your chariot for your return to Canterlot, your majesty?"

The princess shook her head, stamping one hoof (on the verge of shouting at her guards.) "Not yet. We needest discuss business with the pr... young Wysteria."

"Very well." The guards nodded. "We shall disturb you no longer." They said, finally returning to attention -- not hearing the sigh of relief that came from the moonlight princess.

Wysteria sighed, remembering the breezies were forced to act while they were her 'ladies in waiting'. How she almost broke up the three of them forever -- and barely prevented the destruction of that year's ~~Spring Promenade~~ Princess Promenade in the process.

Luna returned a reassuring smile. "We can guess what thou thinkest, " she said, putting a reassuring hoof on the purple alicorn's wither. "But worry not! They are free to come and go as they please, and, for their service, they handsomely rewarded." She said, softly -- putting a hoof to the other alicorn's ear. "Plus they consider it not just their joy and duty, but also a great honor -- and a matter of pride -- to serve in this capacity."

"I hope so." Wysteria replied, with a faint smile -- still not fully convinced, but completely willing to believe the princess.

"So tell us, gentle Wysteria." Luna said, in her very softest voice. "What plannest thou now?"

"I didn't really think about that." Wysteria said, dropping to a strange sitting position, with her lower legs jutting straight out, and her back perpendicular to her legs. Her hoof sitting firmly on the chin of her oversized muzzle. "I'd like to find my friends, and return to Ponyville." She said, thoughtfully -- contemplating different options.

Luna shook slightly -- trying very hard not to be seen. Shortly before she got to town, she had received a letter from Flash Sentry, stating that Wysteria's Ponyville was long gone -- and a total wreck. "Hast thou considered training in thine new magic?"

Wysteria shook her head. "Not really. Should I?" She asked with confusion. "I certainly dont' need it when I return to Ponyville, right?" She asked, staring into Luna's eyes. "I mean I won't get attacked by any more bugs right?" She asked, herself suddenly feeling a small amount of terror.

Luna frowned, this conversation was not going her way. "Worry not of 'the bugs'." She said, waving her hoof, reassuringly. "They will trouble you not... However, unfortunately, upon thine ascension, thy magic has been amplified greatly, and connected to the very planet itself -- as well as its fauna. T'would not be wise to continue without learning how to control thine magic -- especially after almost cercumming to thine nightmare." She said, reminding Wysteria of the condition that she just barely escaped from.

Wysteria looked back, with a puzzled expression. "But isn't it gone for good?" She asked how much more she would have to suffer because of these stupid wings, and this ridiculous horn.

Luna sighed. "No... Tis only sleeping, bound within thine psychi." She said, considering that they used a binding spell to bind the monster within Wysteria's dreamscape. "And twill return if thou learnest not to control thine magic."

"Ok..." Wysteria said, with a frown. "But can I return to Ponyville, and learn there, with my flowers?"

Luna shook her head, sadly -- unwilling to go into great detail, lest the pony's condition resurface at an inconvenient time. "Tis not possible," she said, looking away.

"Why not?" Wysteria asked, sadly. "Why can't I go back to Ponyville?"

Luna frowned -- keeping her eyes and face out of sight of the other alicorn in the room, sadly. "We'd rather not discuss the matter right now, please trust us pr... our little pony." She said, putting a reassuring hoof on the purple alicorn's wither -- and choking out a smile. "We shall tell thee, when the time is right, and we promise thou that thou will yet see thine home again!" She said, begging the purple alicorn to trust her.

Wysteria sighed, sadly. She suspected something was up, but decided to trust the blue alicorn's judgement. But what did she mean by 'we shall tell thee when the time is right'? Did something happen to Ponyville? In the end, though, she shook her head -- Ponyville was probably fine. "But can I stay here with Braeburn while I learn?" She asked, looking for the second option (if she couldn't go back to Ponyville, maybe she could stay with Braeburn? She had, after all, become kind of sweet on the orange apple.)

Luna frowned, as the normal answer would be no -- however, she suspected that the earth pony wouldn't do well being transplanted to stuffy Canterlot, especially if some noodle brained paparazzi got wind that there was suddenly a fifth princess (and a second purple one to boot), while looking into Luna's new student. Plus maybe this was for the best, there was less chance of her being prematurely discovered this far from the royal seat of Canterlot.

"Very well." Luna said with a smile -- opting to skip the 'we need a formal ascension, because ponies will treat you as royalty now regardless' seach, for obvious reasons (why the speach? Well the two princesses had tried many things early on to not take the title, in the beginning, but were forced, in the end, to live within the prison of endless bureaucracy -- mainly because their little ponies wouldn't leave them alone unless Luna and Celestia became their princesses.) "However, our guards will see to it that his place is made appropriate for a pr... for you!" She said, with a smile, motioning in one of her guards, and whispered something in his ear. "Could you make sure there is enough rooms in Braeburn's abode for two ponies to sleep comfortably, in different rooms?"

Wysteria gave a smile. "Oh thank you Luna!" She said, eagerly. "You won't live to regret this." She said, shaking Luna's hoof, unnaturally, with hers.

Luna frowned, she already did. "However, young pr... Wysteria. Thou must visit us at Canterlot, until our sister returns from Unicornia." She said, sternly. "Only then canst thou return here."

Wysteria frowned, beginning to fret. How long was she going to have to stay in this Canterlock? Would she be all alone again?

The princess, sensed her dismay. "Worry not." The Princess of the Night continued, pointing out the window towards the town. "Thou canst bring Braeburn along, and t'will only be for a short while!" (Luna hoped it would be only a couple of days, not a few weeks.)

"Ok." The purple alicorn replied belatedly.

"Now!" The Princess of the Night responded, having dispatched the nitty gritty of the situation. "Please rest here for the night, while we guard your dreams," she said, to the two tired ponies. "We shall depart in the early morn," she said, preparing to lower the sun, and raise the moon.

**********

It took about another week for the most senior of all of Equestria's princesses to return -- but return she did, bringing along three very tired unicorns (and an agreement for trade concessions to Unicornia, and an agreement never to meddle in Unicornia's affairs again -- an agreement, that, Celestia planned to disobey as soon as she was able.)

And so the matter came up of what to do with Equestria's newest princess (as well as the young filly alicorn that was still causing mischief in Ponyville.)

"Could you wait for us outside, Wysteria?" Celestia asked, gently, motioning for her guards to escort the three unicorns, and the purple alicorn out of the room. "Please enjoy the feast we have prepared for you, and your friends, Lilly Lightly, Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes, in the dining room, " she said, with a smile (food was, along with sweets, a great comfort to Celestia when she was feeling down.) "We shall be joining you shortly," she said, with a smile, motioning the four ponies away so she and her sister could discuss mattersm, in secret.

Wysteria nodded, as she was escorted out of the room, and to the, rather large, dining room, in the other room.

"So..." Celestia said, turning to her sister. "She doesn't remember anything?"

Luna shook her head. "She rememberest nothing in that timeline post Christmas, except for the friends that she met," she said, with a certain amount of concern. "And even then, she remembers the unicorns only vaguely."

"Perhaps for the best." Celestia said, with a smile. "She has it hard enough already," she said, trotting over to a window. "So tell me, Luna. Is it true that our little Wysteria was stricken with a nightmare?"

Luna nodded."Yes sister, and that is why we thought that it was best that we trainest her in the use of her magic," she exclaimed, waiting for the inevitable blow-up from her sister. "Now! We knowest that thou hast disapproved of us taking students but ... "

Celestia shot her sister a reassuring smile. "Oh No! I fully understand!" She said, drinking up the fact, that her sister's mouth practically dropped to her hooves. "After all, only you and the element of Generosity, Rarity, would have any experience in this matter -- and she would probably be a poor teacher of alicorn magic."

Luna shot her sister a puzzled look. "Didst thou say what I thought thou hast said?" She said, checking her ears. "That we canst be her teacher?"

"Yes." Celestia nodded. "You should be her teacher."

Luna did a double take. "Art thou sure? Normally, when thou diggest in thine hooves... "

Celestia smirked. "You didn't just spend two weeks in Unicornia doing 'hard negotiations'," she said, thinking of all the waiting she did, only to end up doing more waiting, followed by being berated, and then all the fierce arguing. The good news, though, was that she brought Lilly Lightly, Brights Brightly, and Whistle Wishes back to Canterlot. "Besides... Twilight already has her hooves full, with two new students..."

Celestia paced around the room, before returning to her initial position, and faced her sister. "So do we know why Wysteria ascended?"

Luna shook her head. "T'was something to do with young Heathspike's flower," she said, plainly. "We figurest that it reacted against her magic, or t'was an alicorn lily."

Celestia frowned, resisting the urge to pace. "First Rarity, now Wysteria..." She said, lowering her head into a thinking position. "You don't suppose..."

Luna looked back at her sister, she normally never got a chance to see her sister stumped like this. "Discord's last legacy?"

Celestia nodded. "It's possible."

"Perhaps." Luna replied, contemplating the beginnings of her vast memory. "But.. does that mean that?"

Celestia nodded. "Lilly has a lot of magic to begin with, but no control. As I recall she used to think that her horn glowed due a genetic mutation, and that it was responding to her emotions." She said, asking her guard for a stronger drink. "But, I believe that, all that excess magic is what causes her horn to glow like that."

Luna frowned. But wasn't that horn what made her special? Why do you think it was excess magic? Was her head aching?

Luna frowned, turning away again, sternly. "I shall have one of my best teachers tutor her in the basics of unicorn magic, and then we shall stage a 'test for my school' to see if our theories are, indeed, justified," she said, fully justifying her reputation as a chess player (with ponies' lives.) "If she is what we suspect then it'll happen due to the stress of the test, or her magic will act up in power."

Luna frowned. "And, I suppose, t'would be advisable to locate young Sky Wishes, post haste."

Celestia nodded. "That's the plan..." She said, crafting a letter for the captain of her guards. "Guards! Get me the dragon fire! This letter needs to be sent to Princess Cadence immediately!"

**********

Solanaceae stood before his master's door, cowering slightly -- wondering if he dared enter, or if he would turn around and go hide.

Of course, those that work for prince Vladímir don't get the luxury of hiding when summoned -- as the door opened slowly.

The prince's throne was even more ostentatious than before, and his presentation louder.

"Come forth Solanaceae of the south, your prince has requested your presence!" The prince's crier shouted loudly. "Come forth to meet with your lord," he cried, loudly -- doing what the princess had requested of him, drawing all eyes to the prince's throne.

The assassin sighed... Oh how He hated this part! "I bear news regarding your search for the elements Lord!"

"Is it good news?" Asked the young prince, giving the assassin a disapproving look (maybe even a threatening one.)

"Of course!" The assassin said, hesitantly. "As your majesty is aware, three bearers have already been located, and my left hand assassin, Belladonna, has informed me that she has located two more." The assassin said, confidently -- hoping his lord wouldn't ask more questions. "I will spare no resources in the locating of those two bearers, as well as the third."

"Excelent." His lord replied enthusiastically. "Meanwhile, I, too, bring great news. I have heard word that one of the largest, and most influential, of all unicorn houses might be interested in joining our cause -- assuming that we are willing to do away with that deadbeat 'prince' of Equestria."

"That is good news sire." The changeling said, hoping to quietly excuse himself.

"Of course." The changeling prince said, with pride. "As I had planned! And as I had negotiated! It's only a matter of time now!" The prince pouted. "They have agreed to join our cause once that joke Blueblood is gone. And that means that, once we have done so, we will have enough power to finally deal with the pretender to the throne!"

"Well then your majesty, I shall be going to personally supervise the search for ... " Solanaceae said, starting to leave.

"Of course." The prince said, a twinkle coming to his eye. "But let me ask a question first?"

"What is it sire?" The changeling asked, snapping to attention. "What is it that you need?"

The prince shrugged, nonchalantly. "Where's Phytolacca?" The prince asked, suspiciously. "Shouldn't he be here to celebrate his capture of Sunset Shimmer?"

The assassin gulped. "Well... you see sire..."

"He's gone isn't he?" The changeling prince asked, boisterously. "He was dispatched by another nascent alicorn?"

"Yes sire." The assassin said, solemnly -- bowing his head. "But how did you know?"

"Never forget Solanaceae!" The prince replied, angrily. "There is nothing in the hive that escapes my sight! Now you had better find the last three bearers fast, or you are finished!!!" The prince said, ordering his guards to carry the assassin out of his sight, having him literally tossed out of of the room.

"I hope that assassin hurries... for his sake! My allies in Equestria don't accept failure! And neither do I!!!"