Starburst remained motionless as the white wisps danced about her, coating the foliage and the discarded bits of overgrowth. Anthea was still limp in her hooves, but felt suddenly weightless in her locked muscles.

"Dove..." she managed out, before repeating the motion. "Dove! What happened? What is all this? Are you okay--"

"This is me, mon cherie," Dove explained, her head still low. "The white smoke... it's me. I'm faint, but I'm here. Most of the fog has left my physical form, and I can feel myself again..."

Dove shook her head as if relapsing in and out of a fitful migraine. Starburst tensed to move to her, but her muscles snapped at the excess movement. She pulled her upperbody upright regardless, and propped herself with her front hooves at her side. Dove went still a moment, then raised her head.

"Mon cherie," she continued, "Please, leave... it's coming..."

"Dove! Why?"

Starburst's eyes frothed tears and her mouth bent, trembling.

"Why did any of this happen...?"

"...I'm sorry... Please... hurry to Canterlot. It will be safe."

In a wisp she was gone. Dove vanished in breathless white.

Starburst recentered herself, crying, a mild shake in her legs, but Anthea atop her back. She turned and ran.

In Zecora's hut, the door suddenly burst open.

"Kids!" the mane six shouted.

Golden Delicious found himself in his mother's hooves suddenly. He gripped her back, blinking himself to awareness. The parents hugged and grasped their children, Twilight and Rainbow frightfully channeling their sight here and there. Zecora trampled around the brewing pot and met them. Twilight hurried aside her.

"Everyone," she shouted, "Our mission to stop the fog... has failed. Princess Celestia and Luna are fighting the fog themselves."

"You're horn!" Candy cried.

Twilight hung her head, but wrought it up once more.

"This is not the worst that could happen. We need to regroup together. Where's Star?"

"And Prism?!" questioned Rainbow.

"He said he was going home," Valiant answered.

"Star went for a walk," said Claire, "And Anthea accompanied her to help sort her mind."

Twilight's face took on troubled regret as Fluttershy sighed with relief after flying circles in the home. Twilight sought out the window, and Zecora approached her.

Pelting the ground, Starburst's hooves kicked up mud and plastered trees in their upturn as she heard the animals scatter in all directions. Over root and brush she jumped and skidded and fell and rose and ran, Anthea heavy atop her. The house's bright lights entered past a tree divide and Starburst fell. Anthea sprawled in front of her. Starburst eyed Anthea, motioning to pick her up, but turned her sight to the home and heard her mother's troubled voice within. She patted Anthea and sprinted for the door.

"MOM!" she shouted. Twilight's hooves were upon her.

"Star!" she returned. "Are you okay? Your legs, your wings! Star... what-"

"We need to leave now!" Starburst shouted. "The fog is coming!"

The room went silent. Starburst heaved.

"Anthea's out there," she exasperated. "She's not far! We can-"

Fluttershy was already out the door and Turquoise in her wake. All followed out behind them, finding a massive wall of fog ahead. Fluttershy halted but proceeded and Turqoise as well. Before they could stop them, Turquoise widened his lungs and pressed his neck out. Green flames blazed through. The fog widened. He sprinted in.

Those behind stood wide-eyed but Zecora managed to gain the Apples' attention and prop the the cauldron atop their backs. As Turquoise and Fluttershy burst from the fog, Anthea rested atop him, her horn gone. They hurried on and the group followed their motion, the fog rolling behind. It enraptured Zecora's home. They headed further, to the outskirts of Ponyville, sprinting along the Everfree's edged outline. Rarity caught her eye to her home, finding the fog swirling past. Before it, however, green flames belted their incline, the road clearing with ponies sprinting for Twilight's castle, Spike pressing his breath out around them. She smiled, and continued forward. Rainbow checked her home, the fog yet below, and continued on.

Starburst ran ahead.

"We should head to Canterlot!" she informed. "Dove said something about it! She sent something to me to tell me!"

Twilight ran aside her. The potion brewed behind them, Zecora watching the colored stream shifting from green to yellow to pink. Claire and Turquoise breathed their flames around them as the fog circled in.

"Why... dragon flames?" Applejack mused.

"Dragon flames are incongruous with most forms of magic," Twilight offered, "Maybe it negates or overrides it in some way."

"Regardless," Starburst interjected, "We need to be safe until Canterlot."

Author's Note

Decided to finish this. Even if I rush, I'm gonna finish it.