Shadows

Pinkie Pie hopped over to her chair and sat in it, as Rainbow Dash looked to Twilight skeptically. "Uh, Twilight, why did you call us here?" She asked, tilting her head to the side, then pointed to her flank. "As far as I know, my flank isn't glowing like when the Cutie Map calls us," she then set her hoof down on the table, "and neither is anypony else's." Twilight then sighed and looked to each of them, throwing a book in the middle of a table.

"Twilight, darling, I don't see how this book is a prob-" Rarity was cut off by Twilight's magic flipping to a page with a pony in front of a shadow of a manticore.

"This is a Shadow Puppeteer. They're supposedly gone." Twilight said. Rainbow then gave her an annoyed glance.

"If this is the problem, and they're gone, then why are we here?" Rainbow then stood up. "Now if you don't mind me I'll be out fly- Oof!" Twilight had dragged Rainbow back to her seat with her magic. Rainbow groaned and looked down at the book.

"As I was saying," it was then Twilight's turn to give Rainbow the annoyed glare, "these ponies were supposedly gone. However, I saw one just today." Apple Jack looked at Twilight confused.

"Shouldn't you be, ya' know, happy? I mean, ya did find out that an extinct species of ponies was still here, not to mention that you were probably the first to see it?" Apple Jack asked. Twilights ears dropped.

"I should, but, things are different." Twilight was about to speak, when she heard Fluttershy's voice.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Twilight sighed and looked at the book.

"There was a pony in Canterlot that got attacked by one. Thank Celestia that I had gotten there in time, or she might not have lived to see the light of day." The rest of the ponies in the room gasped. Twilight then cleared her throat. "That is why I have called you here today. Celestia has asked us to find, and destroy them." Fluttershy then spoke up again.

"Are you sure that we can't just ask them politely if they could stop? I mean, don't you think that it's a little... Extreme to destroy them?" Fluttershy asked, then hid behind her mane as Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof down on the table.

"Fluttershy! Are you kidding me? They nearly killed somepony? Are you telling me that they deserve to just be talked to? Do you think that this is a joke or something?" Apple Jack then walked over and put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.

"Dash! Calm down, she didn't mean any harm." Apple Jack said as Rainbow calmed down, but still seemed angry. Twilight then picked upu the book and set it down onto the floor next to her.

"Alright then, let's leave it to a vote. All in favor of going after the ponies, and getting rid of them for good, raise your hoof." Twilight along with the rest of her friends, minus Fluttershy, rose their hooves. "All in favor of leaving this alone, raise their hoof." Fluttershy rose her hoof, then looked down at the floor. "It's settled then." Twilight said as she grabbed her saddle bags, picking the book back up, and placing it in her bags. "We're heading off."

Fluttershy looked down defeated, and Twilight turned to her. "Fluttershy, you can either stay here, or come with us. It's your choice." Fluttershy then looked up and sighed.

"Fine. But I won't do any fighting." Twilight smiled, seeming please with Fluttershy's answer, then nodded.

"Alright girls, we'll meet back here in an hour. I expect you to be ready by then." The rest of the ponies nodded and left the room, getting prepared for their long journey.

Apple Jack finished putting the last of her normal items in her saddle bags, as Apple Bloom stood dejected at the door. "'S not fair." Apple Bloom whined. Apple Jack then sighed and trotted over to her little sister.

"C'mon Sugar Cube, ya' know that sometimes I have to leave when problems arise." Apple Jack said, patting her sister's head. Apple Bloom then looked down at the floor.

"I know, but did it really have to happen just a couple of days before the girls' and ah's performance at the talent show this year?" apple Bloom then made a pouty face at the floor. Apple Jack then tilted her head upwards so that she was staring straight into her eyes.

"How 'bout this, once I get home, you and the girls can show me your performance." Apple Bloom then smiled.

"Alright, but only if you promise to make an apple pie, too." Apple Jack giggled a little bit, then nodded.

"Alright, it's a deal." Apple Jack said.

Rainbow Dash strapped on her saddle bags as she began to walk towards Twilight's castle. She was suddenly stopped by a small hoof tapping her shoulder, she turned around to find Scootaloo staring up at her. "Oh, hey there Squirt. What's up?" She asked. Scootaloo then removed her helmet and placed her Scooter on the ground.

"I was just wondering where you were going." Scootaloo said in a cheery tone.

"I'm heading off to Twilight's place, I need to go and save Equestria and stuff. You know, the usual." As Rainbow finished the story, Scootaloo had looked at the ground and sighed.

"But," Scootaloo began, "what about the performance? Didn't you say that you were going to be there?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow then ruffled Scootaloo's mane.

"And I will be there." Rainbow said. "I promise that I'll make it in time to see it okay?" Scootaloo finally looked up and sighed.

"Pinkie Pie promise?"

"Promise." Rainbow said as she did the motions for the Pinkie promise. She mentally apologized to Pinkie Pie, seeing as this might be a Pinkie Promise that she'll break.  Scootaloo smiled and picked up her things as Rainbow finished.

"Alright. Thanks Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo squealed. She placed the helmet on her head, and picked up her scooter.

"You're welcome, Squirt!" Rainbow said, waving as Scootaloo left.

Twilight had just finished packing and was sitting on the couch when she felt something tap her back. She looked around to find the source of the tap, and found that it was Spike. Twilight shifted on the couch to a more comfortable position as she made room for Spike. Spike then hopped up on the couch to sit next to her, he had a worried expression on his face. "Spike," Twilight gave a looked at the baby dragon concerned, "what's wrong?"

"Well, I was just thinking, if these ponies are so powerful, then why doesn't Celestia herself go and get rid of them? Why does she have to send you and your friends?" Twilight sighed.

"Because Spike, think of it like this." Twilight then produced a piece of paper, scissors, and some books. She then stacked the books into a large, shaky tower. Using her magic, she picked up the paper and scissors and cleared her throat. "Princess Celestia is this piece of paper," She shook the paper a little bit, "and this," she shook the scissors, "is the Shadow Puppeteers."

"Because Celestia has already tried to get rid of them, she is vulnerable to attack. Meaning that if she were to go into battle, they would most likely destroy her on sight." Twilight then used the scissors to cut the paper in half. She then turned to the stack of books.

"Now, since Princess Luna does not know how to raise the Sun," Twilight grabbed another piece of paper, "Equestria would be left without it." She then magically grasped one of the books towards the bottom. "Now, because we need Sun, our civilization as we know it would," Twilight pulled out the book as the tower collapsed, "fall apart."

"Oh." Spike said. He then sighed and hopped off the couch, heading towards his room. "Just," he turned around to face Twilight, "promise me that you'll come back okay?" Twilight smiled.

"Okay."

When Rarity had finished packing, she was surprised to find that her sister, Sweetie Belle, was sound asleep in her room. Knowing that Sweetie Belle might worry that she had left for good, she left a small note by her sister's bed, telling her that she would be away for a while. She then turned to the door, and opened it, trotting to Twilight's.

They had finally all arrived at the castle, when Twilight had sat them all down in the living room. "Everypony brought a weapon, right?" Twilight asked. All except for Fluttershy, which Twilight had already known that she wasn't going to bring one, nodded. "Alright. We'll head out immediately." They nodded again, when Apple Jack then spoke up.

"Uh, Sugar Cube, where we headin'?" Twilight giggled.

"Oops, guess I forgot to tell you guys. Our first stop is Canterlot."