Twilight Sparkle was galloping at her top speed down the hallway of her Castle. She abruptly halted and was out of breath. The hallway began to spin lengthwise and Twilight was forced to Trot just to stay in place. Twilight immediately began to recall the clue that was given when all this started.
“Spinning castles, you’re on the right track. How to stop? Just go ask Mac. A Colt of few words, some may say, but to getting him talking just requires some hay. Yes from the large apple you’ll get your next task but getting to him may require a blast.”
Twilight realized what her next step must be. She struggled to navigate the spinning corridors of her still new castle. What seemed like hours later to Twilight, she finally found herself at the entrance to her Castle. With trepidation, and more than a little disorientation, she took aim with her horn as best she could and used a powerful spell to burst the doors open. With relief she strolled out of the Castle expecting the world to stop spinning around her. To her visible dismay when she left the structure, the world kept spinning around her. Requiring her to use her wings to keep herself right.
With a groan of exasperation, Twilight did her best to navigate her way to Sweet Apple Acres to find Big Mac. With all Equestria tumbling around her, it was difficult. More than a few times Twilight found herself slamming into buildings and trees as she struggled to get to the oh, so familiar apple orchard.
She frantically searched the house, then the barn, and finally the fields. She finally spotted Big Mac beneath a large apple tree in the west field. She was almost to him when she remembered the clue.
“A Colt of few words, some may say, but getting him talking just requires some hay.”
Twilight quickly grabbed some hay from a stack nearby careful no to let any go flying as everything spun around her. Carefully flying towards Mac, she offered him the hay and he munched on some. She then asked, “Can you help me stop?”
Big Mac smiled in is gentle way, and gave her a “Yup.” Big Mac grabbed Twilight by the shoulders.
To Twilight's great relief, everything finally stopped spinning all at once. Twilight allowed herself to collapse for a moment while the dizziness wore off. When she recovered, she looked at Big Mac expectantly. Big Mac looked back and blinked. He then pointed to the distance, back towards the barn. Twilight sat confused for a moment. She once again thought about the clue.
“Yes from the large apple you’ll get your next task but getting to him may require a blast.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide and her pupils contracted as she came to the realization. She smiled and shook her head as she flew in the direction Big Mac pointed. Twilight came to land near Apple Jack’s latest prized apple. An apple nearly twice her own size, in fact. As Twilight strolled over to the produce bending its tree to near its breaking point she asked, as if to no one, “what is my next clue?”
The apple itself began to speak with a familiar sly baritone voice, “A sister in law is what you seek. Your brother’s mare is not prone to shriek. Have no fear she is in no peril. In fact it's you who goes places quite feral. Familiar vines may block your way. You seek a mare from far away whose rhyme may help you find your way.”
This clue made it quite clear what the next step was. Twilight flew immediately toward the Everfree Forest. As she neared its edge, she landed and began walking. A few minutes into the forest she heard a rustling. This caused her to be on guard. Carefully Twilight continued through the forest mindful of the many inherent dangers, and the specific ones the clue may alluded to. Before she could react a large black vine wrapped itself around her hoof and pulled her off the path. Her horn glowed as she blasted it with her magic. Twilight, remembering a few tricks from her last encounter with such vines, darted about. Causing the persuing vines to get tangled and knoted. Twilight pushed through the vines, bucking and biting as she went. Finally she came in sight of Zecora’s cottage. With a final large burst of magic, Twilight dispatched the nearby vines an rushed into Zecora's home.
Zecora, apparently complely unsurprised by Twilight's entrance greeted her with a knowing smile. “ Come now Princess, and find some rest. I know you find yourself on quite the quest.”Zecora mused ladling some tea into a small clay cup and giving it to Twilight.
Twilight took the tea, and breathed in the pleasant aroma. Resting and drinking the tea gave her energy back. After the brief respite, Twilight asked Zecora, “Alright, now, what is next?”
Zecora smiled and stirred her caldron. “Though your path may be blocked by a stary bear. A purple serpent with orangish hair may aid you in getting from here to there. The place you seek you may know well. For its location, you’ll need no spell. To find your next clue you need only look in the place where you entered Spike’s comic book.”
Twilight smiled and embraced Zecora. “ Thank you” she said as she set out once again.
She immediately set off in the direction of the ruins of the Castle of the Two sisters. She had a much easier time now, since the vines seemed to have vanished once she arrived at Zecora's. She came to a familiar grove of trees. Trees that once scared her and her friends on that fateful night of the summer sun celebration. Pausing to recall the oddly pleasant memory, she saw it for the first time, an Ursa Major.
Twilight began to hyperventilate from paninc, but stopped herself with a deep breath in and a front hoof raised to her chest and a slow breath out while she extended the hoof, just as Cadence had once taught her. She thought to herself, “No unicorn has ever beaten a ursa major before...but I am not a unicorn now am I?” Studied the sight of the Ursa major. “The Ursa is asleep” she realized. “I don't think I can sneek past it though” she thought. “There has to be a way around this without coming to blows with an innocent Ursa major.” Twilight recalled her latest clue.
“Though your path may be blocked by a stary bear. A purple serpent with orangish hair may aid you in getting from here to there.”
Of course! Steven Magnet! Twilight backtracked down the path towards Ponyville a ways till she came upon the river. She followed the bank up river for quite a while before she found Steven.
“Twilight Sparkle, as I live and breathe, how is my favorite Princess?” Steven asked enthusiastically.
Twilight have a sheepish grin, “Alright I guess, I need your help with something, if you have a little time?”
“Of course, my dear, of course! What do you need?” He asked.
Twilight told the friendly sea serpent about the predicament with the Ursa Major, and asked if he knew a way to get past her.
“Would you believe it, I have just the perfect thing.” Steven replied. He took out an enormous vat that looked difficult for even a large serpent like Steven to lift. Steven explained, “this is bugbear nectar, Ursa just adores the stuff. I’ll go with you and together with this as a gift we can get you on your way, honey!”
Twilight took the vat with her magic and the two walked together back to the spot with the Ursa Major. Along the way, Steven related one of his multitude of stories about his adventures with Cranky. Twilight laughed and told Steven a story about an adventure of her own.
They came to the spot where the Ursa slept. Steven gently, as he could roused the enormous stellar bear. He explained that Twilight merely needed by and that the Ursa and her cubs were welcome to the bugbear nectar they brought for them. The Ursa grunted approvingly, and strode aside.
Twilight thanked Steven profusely for his help. “Thank you, so much! I couldn't have done it without you!”Twilight said.
“Any time, honey, any time. Don't be a stranger.” Steven said as they parted ways.
As she neared the familiar Castle ruins, Twilight once again felt drained from the ordeal. She descended the many stairs and followed seemingly endless corridors till she finally came upon the hidden study near the library where her and her friends were sucked into a comic book spike was reading. She lay there in the center of the room, for a moment when she heard a familiar, friendly voice.
“Twilight!” exclaimed Cadence as she bounded into the room.
Twilight looked over Cadence, who appeared a bit more disheveled than usual. “I see you have been through your own ordeal.” Observed Twilight.
Cadence smiled and hugged her sister in law. “It is wonderful to see you.” Cadence said.
Just then the familiar baritone voice resonated in the chamber. “A happy reunion as promised. In a ruin inside a forest. Rest assured you are not done, there is yet one last one. Down memory lane you find a special gift of a kind. From above and below it makes Twilight's heart aglow. It speaks of happy tones and makes our friends feel more at home. There you'll find the Journey’s end I hope to see you there my friend.”
Twilight and Cadence both looked at each other with tired enthusiasm as the turned to leave. The chatted all the way back to Twilight's castle.
As they entered the throne room, Discord appeared from behind Apple Jacks chair. With a snap of his fingers all of Pinkie Pie’s remaining hidden party cannons went off at once while Discord pulled out a new rare spellbook for Twilight and a bouquet of flowers for Cadence. So, Did you like it?” Discord asked nervously.
Cadence and Twilight stood there for a second and then burst into smiles, “Did we ever!” They said in unison.
“Oh, excellent, excellent. I had so hopped you would” Discord replied excitedly.
“This was a wonderful idea Luna had! I had so much fun!” Exclaimed Cadence.
“Yes it was quite thoughtful of her to devise a way for me to have an outlet that you ponies can enjoy with me.” Said Discord.
“We have to have this game night again sometime soon” Twilight said beaming.
“Oh, it would mean so much to me if we could make a regular thing of this. I know you two are very busy ponies.” Discord said a little too dramatically.
“We'll work it out.” Said Cadence confidently.
The three spent what was left of their evening trading stories about their experiences of the game and exchanging ideas for next time. They all went to bed early. Cadence had a train to catch the next morning.
