The Wonderful Pony of Ozby 19BrumbyChaptersKansasMunchkinlandThe ScarecrowThe Tin WoodsponyThe Cowardly LionKansasThe purple unicorn raced down the dusty road, her blue and white chequered skirt billowing behind her. She stopped to catch her breath, and levitated a small purple dragon from one of the baskets attached to her back to the ground in front of her. "Are you OK, Spike?" she asked the dragon, still panting. "She didn't hurt you, did she?" She used her hooves to inspect his arms and head. "I'm fine, Twilight. She didn't-” "She almost did, though," she continued as she pulled him into a hug. This only lasted a second as she quickly levitated him back into the basket and set off again down the road. Within a few minutes her destination appeared on the horizon: a small farm with a barn, a few paddocks and little group of surprisingly luscious apple trees. A few farm workers were moving about the farm, feeding the animals, carrying crops and cleaning the pens. They turned their heads as the unicorn rushed passed them to a white wooden house and threw open the front door before charging inside. "Granny Smith! Granny Smith!" she yelled as she ran through the house. "Twilight, would you keep yer voice down a tad?" replied a creaky voice belonging to an elderly green earth pony. "Yer thunderin' could shake th' whole o' Kansas!" The elder mare was very slowly climbing down the stairs. "But Granny Smith!" said Twilight, not waiting for her to reach the floor. "Spike and I were walking passed Mrs Chunga's place, and Spike accidently set fire to her-" "Shush yer worriyin'," snapped Granny Smith, now making her way to the front door. "Yer always gettin' yerself in a hussle over nothin'. Now, we have some real troubles." When she made it outside, she slowly but surely marched towards the tiny orchard. "Applejack found worms near the trees, and we need to save as many apples as we can before any damage is done." "Oh dear. Maybe I can find a spell..." "Them Dust Apples are magic enough without you zappin' 'em with yer unicorn hocus-pocus! How's it lookin', Big Mac?" she asked a large red stallion. "Eenope," he replied, shaking his head. "Granny Smith, I really think you should listen to me," said Twilight, trying to regain Granny Smith's attention. "Mrs Chunga said she was going to-" "Twilight, ya'll haven't been causin' trouble with Chunga again?" The new voice came from an orange earth pony mare wearing a Stetson. Her back was heaped with several empty baskets. "Hey, Twilight," said Spike, jumping from Twilight's back. "Why are we living with the Apples? I mean, shouldn't we be with Shining and Cadence or something?" "It wasn't our fault, Applejack," Twilight answered. "Spike must be coming down with a cold or something." "Ya'll know how Mrs Chunga hates trespassers," said Applejack as she set the baskets down. "Ya'll need to be more careful when you go near her place." "I mean, I know the Apples are farmers," continued Spike, "but they're not related to you. Actually, wouldn't it make more sense if Applebloom was Dorothy? Then Winona could be Toto." "We were being careful," replied Twilight, now very frustrated. "After last time we have to be." "It's because I was a dog in Equestria Girls, isn't it? But the author prefers the pony universe so I'm in my dragon form." "Just apologise next time ya see her." Applejack was now loading the baskets with apples that had been brought down by Big Mac. "But-" "Twilight! Quit yer whinin' and find someplace where ya'll won't get in th' way!" shouted Granny Smith, also loading the baskets. The unicorn opened her mouth to say something but then sighed in defeat. She walked away with her head low to the chicken coop, Spike following close behind. "Someplace I won't get in the way," she wondered aloud. "Maybe somewhere far away from this dusty farm. Somewhere filled with magic and colour, and ponies who will actually listen to me. Do you think such a place could actually exist, Spike?" "Oh, now you notice me," retorted Spike, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "Spike, it's a non-speaking role. You're not supposed to answer back." "What's the point of being able to speak if you can't speak?" "Don't get angry with me. I didn't cast this thing." "I know, I know," replied Spike, letting go of his anger. "Aren't you supposed to do your song now?" "They've been cut. The author didn't want to bother with songs." "But-it's a musical!" Whatever Twilight was about to say next was forgotten, as she saw a dark shape speed down the road towards the farm. It was a black open top carriage pulled by two ponies of the same colour. Sitting in the carriage was a fearsome mare, her coat like ebony and her green mane sitting just beneath a dark blue bonnet. Her eyes were hard and cold, and were focused only on the path ahead. "Oh no," gasped Twilight as she watched the carriage's progress. "It's her." Spike immediately clutched on to Twilight's leg in fright. The carriage had now stopped and the dark mare stepped out and walked briskly to the orchard. "Smith!" she called as she approached the farmers. "Smith!" "Mrs Chunga!" exclaimed Granny Smith as she noticed the new comer. "What brings you to our farm?" "Vandalism!" Mrs Chunga spat. "Your ward and that dragon of hers damaged my fence this afternoon." "Now listen here!" replied Granny Smith, her anger flaring. "Twilight may have a penchant fer trouble, but she is certainly no vandal!" "Three feet of my fence was burned to a crisp," Mrs Chunga continued. "The sheriff came to inspect and has given me a warrant-" "Granny Smith!" The two mares turned to Twilight who had rushed over. Spike made sure Twilight was safely between him and Mrs Chunga. "I tried to tell you earlier. Spike didn't mean to burn down the fence. It was an accident! Besides, only a couple of posts caught fire-" "Alright, Twilight," Granny Smith interrupted. "We'll sort this out." "That is why I'm here." Mrs Chunga pulled out a piece of neatly folded paper from her dress and handed it to Granny Smith. "The sheriff is on my side and has given me permission to take away the dragon and have him destroyed." "What?!" shouted Twilight and Spike in horror. Granny Smith read the paper over and over. Eventually her face became one of resignation and she turned to Twilight. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, "but we can't go against the sheriff." "Granny Smith, you can't!" pleaded Twilight, tears forming. "You can't do this!" said Spike, overcome with panic. "I can talk! I'm sentient! I'm-! " He was cut off as Mrs Chunga levitated him towards her so he was floating helplessly next to her. Though the smile she was wearing was small, it was unmistakably one of triumph. "Spike!" Twilight was ready to charge but she was held back by Big Mac and Applejack, both looking disgusted at Mrs Chunga. "Twilight, maybe you should go," said Granny Smith wearily. Twilight took one last look at Spike and burst into tears. She ran into the farm house. Once she was gone Granny Smith turned back to Mrs Chunga. "Now you have what you want, get yer flank off my property!" Mrs Chunga's eyes widened in shock and quickly narrowed again. She marched back to the carriage and put Spike in a cage at the back before climbing on to the seat. "Aren't there laws against this sort of thing?" asked Spike desperately as the carriage pulled away. "Help! Isn't there anybody listening?" As soon as Twilight had reached her room, she flung herself on the bed and cried furiously. She was sure that she would never see Spike again, and there was nothing she could do about it. How could she ever be happy again... "Um, is there a point to this scene?" Her pillow grew heavy and damp as it absorbed her tears, however Twilight didn't care. All she could think of was Spike's terrified face as he was taken away. "Nothing's happening. I'm just sad." There was no hope in going after him as they would be too far away by now. She wondered how scared he must be, stuck in that small cage, speeding towards his end. "Finally, a segue." "Let me out!" yelled Spike, banging his fists against the side of the cage. "I wanna see a lawyer!" He gave the cage an extra hard pound which caused the bars to fracture. "Wait. This is a wooden cage." After one burst of fire, he fell to the dusty road, and the carriage pulled on without him, the drivers and rider none-the-wiser. Spike gave his bruised limbs a quick rub down and raced back home. Twilight was still sobbing on her bed, a small puddle of tears beneath her... "Ew!" She seized crying when she heard a tapping at her window; she looked up and saw Spike waving at her. "Spike! You're OK!" She threw open the window and pulled him inside, hugging him tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again!" "It's great to see you, too," replied Spike, returning the hug. After a short while, Twilight drew back. "When she finds out you escaped, she's sure to come back for you. We have to get away." She pulled a bag from beneath her bed and began packing. "Somewhere far away. Maybe somewhere without so much dust." "Do you even know where we are?" asked Spike, adding some of his belongings to the bag. "Are we in Equestria? Granny Smith mentioned Kansas earlier. It would be nice if we could have some clarification." He looked pointedly at the ceiling. "This will have to do," said Twilight, sealing the bag and placing it on her back. "Let's go." They climbed out of the window and made their way towards the road, being careful to avoid the farm workers. Twilight gave once last look at the farm, then turned and walked determinedly along the path, being sure to go the opposite way from Mrs Chunga’s house. Spike rode on her back, giving several worried glances behind. “So...are we just gonna keep going until we come across something?” asked Spike after several minutes. “I guess,” answered Twilight. She searched around her, hoping to see something other than the vast stretching planes of dust in all directions. She wished she had packed more water. Spike began rummaging through the bag for a snack. “Is Kansas really like this?” “I don’t know. I think the author is just going by what they remember from the movie.” “Really? They didn’t bother to do any research?” “This is just the beginning. The good stuff comes later.” “I’d wish we’d get there already,” said Spike, withdrawing his claw from the bag. It was hard to find anything when Twilight was moving. A short while later something eventually emerged over the horizon. It was a travelling caravan, parked on the side of the road. Slightly faded letters painted on the side spelled out ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’, and the rest of the caravan was decorated with stars and moons. There was a campfire next to the caravan, a pot of something cooking over it. Tending to the fire and pot was a blue unicorn wearing a purple cape covered with stars to match the caravan. “Great, food!” Spike hopped off Twilight and ran towards the fire. “Spike, wait!” Twilight shouted as she chased after him. The blue unicorn raised her eyebrows as they approached. “Trixie is afraid there will be no show today. You must wait until she has reached the next town.” “That’s OK,” replied Spike. “We just wanted something to eat.” “Spike, don’t be so rude!” Twilight reprimanded. Her frown quickly disappeared as her stomach growled. Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie supposes if you must share her meal...” She levitated three bowls and filled them with the soup from the pot. “What brings you two out here?” she asked as she gave them their bowls. “We’re running away,” answered Twilight, sadness creeping into her voice. “Maybe we could join you. We could be your assistants. I know a little bit about magic.” Trixie rolled her eyes again and muttered something incomprehensible. “Sorry?” Twilight asked. “Er...would you like Trixie to tell your future?” Trixie quickly pulled an orb from her belongings and set it on the ground between her and her guests. “That’s a snow globe,” said Spike. “Are you an expert on divination?” snapped Trixie. Spike shook his head. “Then let Trixie concentrate.” She put on a pointed purple hat and waved her hooves over the globe. “Trixie sees...a farm...with workers. One in particular stands out. An older mare.” Her eyes flicked towards Twilight, watching her face carefully. “Her name begins with...B. No, D. G?” “Granny Smith?” asked Twilight. “Yes. She is looking for somepony. Somepony she cares for very much. She cannot find her. She is putting her hoof on her chest. There is something wrong with her heart.” “Is she OK?!” “Trixie cannot see. It has gone black.” Trixie took her hat off and put the snow globe back. “Oh no!” Twilight stood up and gathered her things. “I have to go back immediately.” “Trixie thought you wished to become Trixie’s assistants.” “I’m sorry, but I have to make sure Granny Smith’s OK.” “What about me?” asked Spike. “I thought we were running away so Mrs Chunga didn’t get me.” His comments were ignored as Twilight levitated him on to her back. “Thank you, Trixie,” said Twilight as she started running back down the road. “Goodbye!” Trixie allowed herself a smug smile as she watched the two disappear from sight. The smile vanished when she noticed the wind suddenly pick up. When she realised what this meant, she sighed. “Trixie does a good deed and a twister shows up. Why does Trixie bother?” The wind was soon felt by those on the farm and the alarm went out. “Everypony head to the shelter! There’s a twister comin’!” yelled Applejack. No one needed telling twice, as the twister was now visible and whirring towards them. The animals were herded into the underground bunker, and were followed by the farm workers, some carrying baskets with the apples they had managed to save earlier. Granny Smith and Big Mac stood at the entrance, making sure all were accounted for. The winds were now so powerful it was hard to make out what they were saying. “Applebloom, move yer keister!” shouted Granny Smith to an earth pony filly. “Why did we move here again?” Applebloom shouted back, entering the shelter. Applejack soon joined them. “Is that everypony?” she asked. “Twilight!” Granny Smith exclaimed. “Twilight’s missin’! We have ta find her!” Applejack and Big Mac scanned the area. The fence around the chicken coop was already being pulled apart by the storm. “There’s no time, Granny! Maybe she’s already inside?” suggested Applejack. “Twilight!” Granny Smith called out. “Twilight!” “Big Mac?” Applejack looked at her brother. Big Mac nodded. They hated the idea, but they had no choice. They grabbed Granny Smith and pulled her into the shelter, closing the doors securely behind them. It was then Twilight and Spike managed to reach the farm. The small dragon had to hang on to Twilight for dear life for fear of the winds picking him up. “Granny Smith! Granny Smith!” Twilight searched the farm frantically for any signs of life. The chicken coop was now completed destroyed and the barn was swaying dangerously. Beyond the barn was the twister which was incredibly close. “What about the shelter?!” shouted Spike, his eyes screwed tightly shut. When Twilight found it, she pounded the shelter with all her might, but it was no use. The doors refused to budge. Even her magic made no effect. She tried to shout to the ponies inside, however she couldn’t even hear herself over the racket caused by the storm. With nowhere else to go, Twilight leaped into the house and went to her bedroom. “Is this the best place to shelter from a twister?” asked Spike, hopping down. “I-“ Twilight began, however the house suddenly lurched, sending the unicorn flying into wall. Fortunately the bed was beneath, and she collapsed upon it. She slowly got herself up, groaning at the throbbing pain in her head. Spike had joined her and was now staring disbelievingly at the window. Twilight followed his gaze and her mouth dropped in shock as she noticed the barn. The fact that the barn was on the wrong side of the house was not the surprising thing. It was the fact that it was no longer connected to the ground, and was spinning in the wind. Twilight realised the twister had finally arrived, and that it had picked up the farm house, and it was flying in the air along with the barn. The barn soon left the view of the window, and was replaced by a cow, still chewing away nonplussed, as if this were a regular occurrence. The cow looked directly at the house’s occupants, and Twilight felt compelled to wave back. The cow too was swept away and was followed by a black carriage. The two ponies pulling it didn’t seem to realise they were in the sky as their hooves kept running against the wind. Twilight looked at the rider and instantly recognised her. “Mrs Chunga!” As she tried to get a closer look, the carriage suddenly disappeared. The three ponies outside were now flying with newly adorned insect wings, and their legs were covered with small holes. Mrs Chunga’s bonnet and dress had also vanished, allowing her green cobwebbed mane and tail billow behind her. She emitted a large cackle before flying past the house. Before Twilight or Spike could recover from the shock, the house lurched again, and it started to fall. Twilight and Spike held on to each other tightly, waiting for the crash. It wasn’t at large as they were expecting; more like a small thump. The two looked about them. The bedroom was still intact. “So, how come we’re not dead?” asked Spike. “I don’t know,” replied Twilight. She left the bedroom and nervously approached the front door, Spike close behind. She raised a hoof and slowly pulled the door open. A bright light shone into the house and they had to close their eyes because of it. They opened them again and stepped outside. They had landed in the middle of a small village. There were several buildings, each a different colour, which seemed to have been designed for ponies of a short stature. On the right was the town hall, no larger than the farm house, and instead of trees lining the streets were large flowers of different varieties. The village was situated in a valley, surrounded by bright green hills. In the centre the ground was decorated with a spiral made of yellow and red brick. Twilight had trouble trying to take it all in. “Spike, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.” “Oh, you think?” MunchkinlandTwilight took a nervous first step into the strange world she and Spike had landed in. Though very different to anything she had come across before in her lifetime, it didn’t seem dangerous, and so she began to explore, though still slightly wary. Spike stayed close beside her, his suspicious eyes raking over everything. They jumped as a strange noise emerged from some bushes on their right. It sounded like several fillies giggling. Twilight moved closer but could see nothing. “I don’t like this,” said Spike. “It’s alright,” Twilight reassured him. “We just need to find somepony who can help us.” “What about that?” asked Spike, pointing at something in the distance. It was a pink, glowing bubble that was slowly floating towards them, getting bigger and bigger. It was twice the size of Twilight when it reached them, and it gently melted away to reveal a tall white alicorn. A silver crown adorned her head and she was wearing a gold necklace set with a large pink jewel. “Aw,” groaned Spike, disappointed. “I was hoping it would be Rarity.” The alicorn smiled sweetly and asked “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” “I’m...sorry?” replied Twilight, confused. “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” the alicorn repeated. “I saw your house kill the Wicked Witch of the East, and only another witch is powerful enough to accomplish such a feat. So, are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” “I’m not witch at all,” Twilight tried to explain, though still thoroughly bewildered. Another burst of giggles sounded, this time from the flowers. “Wait. Did you say ‘kill the Wicked Witch of the East'?" "See for yourself." The alicorn pointed to the bottom of the house. Poking out beneath the wall were two hind legs of a black pony, covered with holes and wearing red, glittering shoes. Twilight gasped in horror. "I-I didn't mean to! I wasn't controlling the house! It was the twister!" "What's a twister?" Twilight swung around to see a white unicorn filly emerge from behind a large tulip. She was wearing a small hat that resembled a plant bulb. A few more fillies and colts also revealed themselves, all wearing bulbs on their heads. "These are the Munchkins," explained the alicorn. "They were under thrall to the wicked witch, and you have now liberated them. They would have thanked you earlier, but were understandably a little scared." "We weren't scared!" said an orange pegasus filly, rather indignantly. "We were just-er-being cautious!" A colt covered with patches bounded up to Twilight. "It was really amazing how you flew your house to destroy the witch!" "But I didn't!" replied Twilight, exasperated. "A twister came to my farm and picked up our house with Spike and me inside it. Then it just landed here." "So, in a way," began the white filly, "the house was defying gravity?" The other Munchkins groaned in unison. The alicorn coughed softly. "Before we go any further, perhaps introductions are in order. I am Celestia, the Good Witch of the North." "I'm Twilight, and this is Spike," replied Twilight. "Hello," Spike said politely. "I'm Sweetie Belle," exclaimed the white filly. "I'm Scootaloo," said the orange filly, jumping into the air and flapping her wings excitedly. "And I'm Applebloom!" a yellow earth pony stepped forward. "Applebloom, you can't be a Munchkin," Scootaloo told her. "You're part of the family on the farm." "I only had one line!" Applebloom replied. "And if you two are Munchkins then I should be one too! Besides, aren't the farm workers supposed to reappear later in Oz?" "The author wants to use different characters," said Spike. "Sorry." "I knew I should have been Dorothy!" spat Applebloom, stomping off. "Err...where were we?" asked Twilight, turning towards Celestia. "I believe the villain should be making their appearance in a few moments," replied Celestia, looking expectantly to a clear spot in the middle of the village. Everyone else followed her gaze and waited. There was about ten seconds of silence, and then a large cloud of purple smoke appeared in the place everyone was watching. Like the bubble before it, it too dissipated to reveal an alicorn, except this one was black with translucent insect wings. A tall, pointed hat sat just behind her horn. Twilight's eyes widened as she recalled the strange pony she saw during the house's flight within the twister. "I thought you said she was dead," Twilight murmured to Celestia. "That was Chrysalina, the Wicked Witch of the East," explained Celestia. "This is her sister, Chrysalis, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Queen of the Changelings. She is far worse." "Chrysalina?" asked Spike, confused. Chrysalis glared at the Munchkins surrounding her, and they drew back in fear, whimpering. She then strode over to where Celestia, Twilight and Spike were standing, her face murderous. "Who killed my sister?" she demanded. "Was it you, Celestia? Or did one of these midgets decide to try their luck?" "Actually, it was Twilight here," Celestia replied, smiling and gesturing towards the unicorn beside her. The colour quickly drained from Twilight's face. "Err-" Chrysalis rounded on her. "Why you little-!" "Aren't you forgetting something?" interrupted Celestia. "The slippers?" "Of course!" Chrysalis rushed over to her sister's corpse and reached for the red shoes. Just as she was about to touch them, they suddenly vanished and the legs that were wearing them withered away. Letting out a cry of anger, Chrysalis stormed back to Celestia. "Where are they?!" Chrysalis screeched, her horn glowing. "Give them back this instant or I'll-" "Too late," replied Celestia, who seemed to be enjoying herself despite the enraged witch threatening her. "They've chosen a new home." She gestured towards Twilight who looked down at her own hooves and gasped at the four bright ruby slippers she was now wearing. Chrysalis turned her anger on to Twilight. "Give those back to me! They are of no use to you!" "And what will you do if she refuses?" asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "You have no power here. I suggest you leave, before another house lands on you, too." Chrysalis looked up and scanned the skies briefly. She scowled again at Celestia. "Very well, but this isn't over. I will get those slippers!" She turned to look Twilight squarely in the face. "I'll get you, and your little dragon too!" "What did I do?" asked Spike, affronted. Chrysalis cackled and summoned another whirlwind of smoke, which soon disappeared along with her. "Oh no!" Twilight collapsed on the ground, overcome with despair. "What do I do? Maybe I can just give her the slippers?" "Those slippers must have some very powerful magic," said Celestia. "I fear you will be worse off if you give them up so willingly. Your best course of action would be to leave Oz and go back home where you'll be safe." "But I don't know how to get home! I don't even know where I am!" "Currently you are in Munchkinland, which resides in the great land of Oz. Your best hope for getting back home would be to travel to the Emerald City and meet the Wizard of Oz. She should know how to help you." "The Wizard of Oz?" asked Twilight, standing up again. "Emerald City? How do I get there?" "All you have to do is follow the yellow brick road," answered Celestia as she started to conjure her bubble. "Maybe we could hitch a ride with you?" suggested Spike. "Just follow the yellow brick road," repeated Celestia, now floating away into the distance. Once she was out of sight, Spike sighed heavily. "Looks like we're walking." Twilight looked around her and her eyes settled on the ground. She was standing directly in the middle of the red and yellow brick spiral. She positioned herself at the tip of the yellow section and started to follow the path, Spike plodding along beside her. "Where does the red one go?" he asked Sweetie Belle. She shrugged in response. As they marched through town, several Munchkins came up to them to thank them for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Twilight responded by smiling uncomfortably, whilst Spike had no trouble accepting their gifts of sweets and flowers which he added to Twilight's bags. "Maybe this place won't be so bad," he mused. "Y'know, aside from the witch wanting to kill you for accidently stealing her sister's shoes." Twilight groaned. Soon they had reached the end of the village and the Munchkins waved them off as Twilight and Spike continued down the yellow brick road into the hills beyond. "Thank goodness that's over," said Scootaloo, throwing her hat off. "That thing was really itchy." The ScarecrowTwilight trotted along dutifully down the yellow brick road, eager to reach the Emerald City as quickly as possible. Occasionally she would scan her surroundings for any sign of Chrysalis, the witch's terrible cackle still ringing in her ears. "Could you slow down a little?" wheezed Spike, struggling to keep up. "I don't want to wait around too long," replied Twilight. "You heard Chrysalis." "Yeah, but I have really stubby legs." Twilight rolled her eyes and levitated him on to her back. "Come on. The sooner we get this story over with, the sooner...we get this story over with." The yellow brick road was now leading them into farmland, though they couldn't see any other ponies or creatures of any kind. The only sign of civilisation they found other than the crops was a pink scarecrow, tied to a stake and standing in one of the cornfields. The scarecrow's presence however was overshadowed by the fact that the yellow brick road had now divided off into several different directions. Twilight groaned heavily. "Now what?" "You could go that way." Twilight and Spike snapped their heads towards the sudden high pitched voice. They couldn't see anyone, although the scarecrow seemed like it was pointing down one of the many paths. "Who said that?" asked Twilight, looking around her. "That way's a nice way, too." The unicorn spun around again to the scarecrow, who was now pointing down the opposite path. Twilight walked around the scarecrow's field to see what was controlling it. "Of course, some ponies go both ways." The scarecrow was now pointing in both directions. "What do the Munchkins put in their lollipops?" said Spike, staring at the scarecrow. "Um, hello?" Twilight nervously approached the scarecrow. "Have you been talking?" "Of course I've been talking!" Twilight jumped back in shock as the scarecrow started moving as if she were a normal pony not stuffed with straw. "Do you see anypony else around here?" the scarecrow continued cheerfully. "I'm Pinkie Pie, the scarecrow of these fields. As you can see, I do a pretty good job." She gestured to the fields devoid of crows. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't so good at it. It gets pretty lonely. Who are you guys?" "I'm Twilight, this is Spike. We're trying to get back home to Kansas, so we're going to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard." "The Wizard?" asked Pinkie Pie excitedly, who had managed to remove herself from the stake and was now on the path with Twilight and Spike. "The Wizard of Oz? Do ya suppose she could get me a brain?" "A what?" "A brain! Y'know, that thing that's sits in your skull and helps you think," explained Pinkie Pie, tapping Twilight's head. "If you don't have a brain, how come you're able to talk? And move?" asked Spike. "Duh! I'm a magic scarecrow, silly!" "Then why do you want one?" "Like I said, I'm lonely. Most of the folks that stumble across my field run away when I try to talk to them. If I had a brain, I could find out why, and maybe make some friends." Twilight felt a tug of sympathy for the scarecrow. "We can be your friends, Pinkie. And you're more than welcome to travel with us to the Emerald City. I have a feeling we're gonna need some help getting there." "Really?!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, jumping in the air in delight. "Thank you! Thank you!" She gave Twilight and Spike a tight hug. "Come on! I think it's this way!" She started to bound down on of the paths. "That's where we just came from," said Spike. "Oopsie Daisy!" Pinkie turned about and choose another path. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Spike asked Twilight quietly. "We have nothing else to go on," replied Twilight, though she was slightly concerned herself. "Let's follow her before she gets too far ahead." Fortunately Pinkie realised that the other two were lagging behind and so waited dutifully for them to catch up. They then continued at a steady trot, Spike again on Twilight's back, and made conversation. Twilight told Pinkie about her farm on Kansas and the Apple family, and Pinkie told them about the many varieties of corn that grew in Oz. She also demonstrated how she could dislocate her limbs completely by simply pulling them off. Though she assured them that she felt no pain as her insides were made entirely of straw, Spike still needed to take a moment to throw up in some nearby bushes. "We'd better end the chapter now," said Pinkie, now back together again."The next part's with the Tin Woodspony." "But this chapter isn't even 1000 words long!" replied Spike incredulously. Pinkie shrugged. "Oh well. What're ya gonna do? See ya next time, folks!" The Tin WoodsponyAfter about half an hour, Twilight, Spike and Pinkie Pie had finally left the cornfields and entered a bright and airy forest. The trees mostly resembled the ones back in the world Twilight had left, however there were a few that were completely new to her. She asked Pinkie about them. "Sorry, I don't know," the scarecrow replied, sadly. "I've spent my whole life in that cornfield. Everything else I learned from ponies who happen to pass through it, and like I said they don't stay long enough to talk to me. When I have a brain I'm sure I'll know everything about these trees and tell you." "Thanks, Pinkie," said Twilight, "but I don't think that's how-" A low rumble from her stomach interrupted her. "Excuse me." She rummaged in her bag for something to eat, only to it completely devoid of anything edible. "Spike! You ate all the food!" "Sorry," said Spike, looking guilty. "I get hungry when I'm tired, or transported to magical lands, or threatened by witches." Twilight gave the biggest eye roll she could muster, and then looked around. There was a group of apple trees to the left, and each were laden with luscious, bright red fruit. Each of them shone like rubies in the sun. "That's fortunate." Twilight approached the nearest tree and picked on of the apples with her magic. Just as she was about to taste it, a branch smacked it away from her face. "What's the big idea?" said a gruff voice coming from the tree's mouth. "Sorry, I was just so hungry and-" Twilight shook her wildly and looked at the tree again. Situated in the middle of the trunk was a face. "You can talk?!" "Magic!" said Pinkie Pie mysteriously, waving her front legs around in a whimsical manner. "Yeah, we can talk," replied the tree, "and we don't appreciate ponies taking our apples." The other trees all voiced their agreement. Twilight tried to reason with them. "But apples are supposed to be taken away and eaten. That way the seeds are exposed and planted, so more apple trees can grow and spread across the land. It's part of your reproductive cycle." "Huh. We didn't think about that, Ted," said one of the apple trees. "Shut up!" the first one retorted. He snatched one of his apples and threw it at Twilight. "Go away!" "Ow!" Twilight grabbed her shoulder where the apple struck. "Let's get out of here!" yelled Spike, his hands over his head as he too was pelted with apples. "Hang on!" Pinkie grabbed Twilight's bag and held it open in front of them like a shield, catching all the apples that came their way. Once the bag was full, she closed and raced down the path, the other two running after her. Once they were out of range, they stopped to catch their breath. "Good thinking, Pinkie," said Twilight, catching the apple Pinkie tossed to her. "Hey," called Spike, a little way ahead. "What's this?" The mares reached Spike who was prodding a blue metallic statue in the shape of a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail. It was leaning against a tree, and the amount of rust upon it suggested it had been abandoned years ago. "Strange," said Twilight, tapping the statue's head. "Urrrl kin." All three of them gasped when they heard the sound. It seemed to have come from the statue. "What the-?" "Urrrl kin." "She's saying 'oil can'," said Pinkie. "I speak muffled," she explained when Twilight raised an eyebrow. They looked around and saw an oil can on the ground a few steps away. Spike retrieved it. "I guess she means this." The oil can was quickly put to work, lubricating the metal mare's legs, wings, neck, jaw and any other joints they could find. Gradually the metal loosened, and the statue stretched out every inch of her body. "Aah!" She opened her mouth to its fullest extent. "Thanks a lot. I thought that I would never move again." She flapped her wings vigorously and hovered a few feet above the ground. "It feels so good to be able to fly again! I'm Rainbow Dash, the Tin Woodspony." "I'm Twilight, and this is Spike and Pinkie Pie." Twilight gestured to each member of their group in turn. "What happened to you?" "I was practising some of my moves," explained Rainbow Dash, performing a few somersaults to demonstrate, "and then I saw somepony on the path, watching me. I decided to show 'em my best stunts, and she seemed impressed. We talked a bit about how awesome I am, but after a few minutes she got kinda...annoyed. I asked her why and she said that I was arrogant." The pegasus landed and looked downwards. "I tried to brush it off, but I started believing her. I thought about other times where I was kinda self-absorbed, and I felt a pain in my chest. Not a normal kind of pain. More like...something was missing. I tapped myself a few times and realised that I was hollow. That I didn't have a heart. It explained why I'm not so good at emotional stuff, why I'm not so considerate of others, and why I don't have any friends." She slumped onto the ground. "I guess I got so bummed out I didn't notice that I was rusting." Pinkie Pie, who had been struggling not to cry during this tale, suddenly let out two fountains of tears from her eyes and wailed uncontrollably. "That is so sad!" "Yeah," agreed Spike. "I thought this was supposed to be a comedy." Twilight walked to Rainbow Dash's side and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You have friends now. You can come with us to the Emerald City." "We're gonna see the Wizard!" exclaimed Pinkie, who had now perked up. "She's gonna get me a brain!" "The Wizard?" asked Rainbow Dash, curiously. "Maybe she could get me a heart!" "Then what're we waiting for?!" Pinkie Pie immediately started bouncing again down the yellow brick road. "You're gonna have to get used to that," Twilight told Rainbow Dash as she put the oil can into her bag. "I don't think I'm used to it yet," muttered Spike. "This is gonna be sweet!" Rainbow Dash took to the air again and started following Pinkie. "Come on, you two!" All four were in high spirits when they managed to catch up with each other. They swapped back stories and discussed what the Emerald City would be like. "Duh!" said Pinkie Pie. "Made of emeralds, of course!" "Sounds delicious," sighed Spike, licking his lips. "Is the poor baby dragon hungry?" They stopped at the new voice. Then, right in front of them, a burst of green flame appeared then settled to reveal Chrysalis, cackling cheerfully. "I see you've made some friends." She sneered at Twilight. "Unfortunately they won't be able to help you, and if they knew what was good for them they wouldn't try to anyway." "Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash flew higher and raised her hooves threateningly. "You don't look so tough!" A beam of green light narrowly missed her, and she flew back down again. "If you do try and help this girl," said Chrysalis, addressing Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, "you will be taken care of just like her." She pointed at Pinkie. "You will be thrown into my fireplace." She pointed at Rainbow Dash. "And you will be melted down into paperweights. Have fun on your little trip!" She cackled again as another burst of green fire enveloped her and disappeared. "That's the witch that's after you?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Yikes." "What was the point of that?" asked Spike. "She didn't really do anything." "It's probably so the audience doesn't forget about her," answered Twilight. "Who could forget that?" Pinkie Pie gestured wildly at were the witch had just been. "Well, no matter how scary she is, I'm still gonna help ya, Twilight." "Me too," said Rainbow Dash. "I'm not gonna let her stop us from meeting the Wizard!" "Thank you so much," replied Twilight, her spirits lifted again. "I'm sure together we'll get through this." "Woohoo!" cheered Pinkie. "Weeeee'reeeeee-" "This isn't a musical, remember," Spike told her. "Oops. Sorry!" The Cowardly LionThe four friends trotted happily along the yellow brick road, all excited about meeting the Wizard and getting what they wanted. Their up-beat mood diminished slightly, however, when they realised that the wood was now getting thicker and darker. The sunlight was blocked so much that there was only enough to see a few paces ahead. The knots in the trees formed strange and twisted faces, and Spike stayed firmly in the middle of the group, fearing another attack. "You sure we're going the right way?" he asked, his voice quivering. "We're still on the yellow brick road," answered Twilight, though she too was growing worried. She lit up her horn. "Ah, don't worry," said Rainbow Dash. "There's nothing to be scared of. Except all the dangerous animals." "The what?!" "These woods are full of 'em. If we're lucky, we might run into a manticore! Or a chimera! Or a bugbear! Maybe even a huge ferocious dragon! Then we could have a totally awesome fight!" Spike coughed. "Oh, don't worry, Spike. You're not nearly ferocious enough for me to fight." Spike rolled his eyes. Pinkie Pie seemed just as excited as Rainbow Dash. "Oh! Oh! Oh! What about a hydra? Or a blast-ended skrewt? Or a sea cucumber?" "Sea cucumbers don't-" Twilight was interrupted by a low, threatening growl. "Wh-What was that?" asked Spike, clutching on to Twilight's leg. The group huddled together, keeping their eyes peeled. Suddenly, a huge shape burst through the trees and landed on the path in front of them. It was an enormous lion, with two large red bat wings and a shining scorpion tail that twitched dangerously. "It's a manticore!" exclaimed Twilight. "First guess!" Rainbow Dash grinned in triumph. The manticore let out a mighty roar. Steeling herself, Rainbow Dash took to the sky and prepared herself to attack. Twilight also took on the offensive and charged up her horn. The two mares and manticore stared at each other, daring the other to attack. The manticore took one step forward but was stopped when a blast of magic struck the ground before it. "STOP!" Everyone jumped at the voice. They turned their heads as another figure jumped out of the trees and in front of the manticore. It seemed to be a pony covered in patches of cloth sewn together to form a homemade lion costume, and it was now petting the manticore as if it were a confused puppy. "There, there," the newcomer said soothingly to the manticore. "I won't let anypony hurt you." The manticore immediately relaxed and sunk down to the ground to allow the pony to scratch behind his ears. A contented purr rumbled from him. The pony turned to the thoroughly confused Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Two yellow wings poked out of the costume, and a few whiskers had been drawn on her face. "I'm so sorry about Bert. He can be quite territorial, but he's really a big softy when you get to know him." "Err...I'm sure he is," replied Twilight, eyeing the scorpion tail warily. "That thing tried to kill us!" shouted Rainbow Dash, still in attack mode. "Oh no," the lion-pony argued. "He was just trying to scare you off. He would never do anything mean." "Uh huh." Wanting to keep things positive, Twilight put on a smile. "Let me introduce ourselves. I'm Twilight-" "This is Spike, Rainbow Dash, and I'm Pinkie Pie," the scarecrow quickly took over, pointing to each member of the group in turn. "We're off to see the Wizard in the Emerald City so I can get a brain, she can get a heart, and these two can go back home before the Wicked Witch of the West gets them and steals her shoes!" "Oh my," gasped the lion-pony. "That sounds scary." "Sure is," replied Pinkie Pie, cheerfully. "What's your back story?" "Oh, um." The lion-pony fiddled with her hooves, suddenly nervous. "I'm Fluttershy. I live in the forest with all the critters. I made this costume so I could fit in with the manticore pride. I haven't been able to find anything for the scorpion tail, though." She glanced at her long, pink tail that she was now curling around her like a protective shield. "Why do you live in the forest?" asked Spike. "Why not with other ponies?" "Other ponies make me nervous," she replied, softly. "I feel safer in the woods. Except when there's a thunderstorm. Or a strong wind. Or when there's strange noises in the night. Or-" "You sure get scared a lot," said Rainbow Dash. "Duh!" said Pinkie Pie. "She's the Cowardly Lion." "Isn't she dressed like a manticore?" asked Spike. "The title for this chapter is 'The Cowardly Lion'," explained Pinkie, "so that's what we're sticking with." "So," said Twilight, loudly, "you live all on your own?" "Oh, I'm not alone," replied Fluttershy. "I have lots of animal friends. Though, I guess it would be nice to have some pony friends. I'm just so scared of everything. If only I had some courage." "Maybe the Wizard could get you some!" suggested Pinkie. "I hope she won't think we're being too greedy." "Really?" asked Fluttershy, hopefully. "That would be wonderful! I do hope she's not too scary." "Don't worry," said Twilight. "We'll be right there with you." "But going to see the Wizard would mean...leaving the forest." "Look, Flutters," said Rainbow Dash, stepping forward, "this could be your only chance. If you really want something, you have to go for it. Otherwise, nothing will ever happen." "That was...oddly profound," mused Twilight, slightly taken aback. Pinkie Pie pulled them all into a hug. "Well, the gang's all here so we can finally get to the Emerald City! Let's go!" With that, she let them go and raced down the yellow brick road. After Fluttershy shared a tearful goodbye with Bert, the rest of the group hurried after. Meanwhile, in a castle atop a high mountain surrounded by mist and fog, the Wicked Witch of the West was watching the team through her large crystal ball. As she saw them set off once more down the yellow brick road, she slammed her hoof down in anger. "Bah! That unicorn and her friends have already forgotten about my threat. I shall have to remind them." Chrysalis' horn glowed and the vision in the crystal ball changed to the field outside of the Emerald City. A green bottle hovered over and was opened. "Something to slow them down before they get too close, yet attractive." Smoke poured from the bottle and over the crystal ball. The field was just about visible, and flowers could be seen sprouting at such a rate that the view was covered in them. "Yes. That will do nicely. HA HA HA HA HA!"
KansasThe purple unicorn raced down the dusty road, her blue and white chequered skirt billowing behind her. She stopped to catch her breath, and levitated a small purple dragon from one of the baskets attached to her back to the ground in front of her. "Are you OK, Spike?" she asked the dragon, still panting. "She didn't hurt you, did she?" She used her hooves to inspect his arms and head. "I'm fine, Twilight. She didn't-” "She almost did, though," she continued as she pulled him into a hug. This only lasted a second as she quickly levitated him back into the basket and set off again down the road. Within a few minutes her destination appeared on the horizon: a small farm with a barn, a few paddocks and little group of surprisingly luscious apple trees. A few farm workers were moving about the farm, feeding the animals, carrying crops and cleaning the pens. They turned their heads as the unicorn rushed passed them to a white wooden house and threw open the front door before charging inside. "Granny Smith! Granny Smith!" she yelled as she ran through the house. "Twilight, would you keep yer voice down a tad?" replied a creaky voice belonging to an elderly green earth pony. "Yer thunderin' could shake th' whole o' Kansas!" The elder mare was very slowly climbing down the stairs. "But Granny Smith!" said Twilight, not waiting for her to reach the floor. "Spike and I were walking passed Mrs Chunga's place, and Spike accidently set fire to her-" "Shush yer worriyin'," snapped Granny Smith, now making her way to the front door. "Yer always gettin' yerself in a hussle over nothin'. Now, we have some real troubles." When she made it outside, she slowly but surely marched towards the tiny orchard. "Applejack found worms near the trees, and we need to save as many apples as we can before any damage is done." "Oh dear. Maybe I can find a spell..." "Them Dust Apples are magic enough without you zappin' 'em with yer unicorn hocus-pocus! How's it lookin', Big Mac?" she asked a large red stallion. "Eenope," he replied, shaking his head. "Granny Smith, I really think you should listen to me," said Twilight, trying to regain Granny Smith's attention. "Mrs Chunga said she was going to-" "Twilight, ya'll haven't been causin' trouble with Chunga again?" The new voice came from an orange earth pony mare wearing a Stetson. Her back was heaped with several empty baskets. "Hey, Twilight," said Spike, jumping from Twilight's back. "Why are we living with the Apples? I mean, shouldn't we be with Shining and Cadence or something?" "It wasn't our fault, Applejack," Twilight answered. "Spike must be coming down with a cold or something." "Ya'll know how Mrs Chunga hates trespassers," said Applejack as she set the baskets down. "Ya'll need to be more careful when you go near her place." "I mean, I know the Apples are farmers," continued Spike, "but they're not related to you. Actually, wouldn't it make more sense if Applebloom was Dorothy? Then Winona could be Toto." "We were being careful," replied Twilight, now very frustrated. "After last time we have to be." "It's because I was a dog in Equestria Girls, isn't it? But the author prefers the pony universe so I'm in my dragon form." "Just apologise next time ya see her." Applejack was now loading the baskets with apples that had been brought down by Big Mac. "But-" "Twilight! Quit yer whinin' and find someplace where ya'll won't get in th' way!" shouted Granny Smith, also loading the baskets. The unicorn opened her mouth to say something but then sighed in defeat. She walked away with her head low to the chicken coop, Spike following close behind. "Someplace I won't get in the way," she wondered aloud. "Maybe somewhere far away from this dusty farm. Somewhere filled with magic and colour, and ponies who will actually listen to me. Do you think such a place could actually exist, Spike?" "Oh, now you notice me," retorted Spike, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. "Spike, it's a non-speaking role. You're not supposed to answer back." "What's the point of being able to speak if you can't speak?" "Don't get angry with me. I didn't cast this thing." "I know, I know," replied Spike, letting go of his anger. "Aren't you supposed to do your song now?" "They've been cut. The author didn't want to bother with songs." "But-it's a musical!" Whatever Twilight was about to say next was forgotten, as she saw a dark shape speed down the road towards the farm. It was a black open top carriage pulled by two ponies of the same colour. Sitting in the carriage was a fearsome mare, her coat like ebony and her green mane sitting just beneath a dark blue bonnet. Her eyes were hard and cold, and were focused only on the path ahead. "Oh no," gasped Twilight as she watched the carriage's progress. "It's her." Spike immediately clutched on to Twilight's leg in fright. The carriage had now stopped and the dark mare stepped out and walked briskly to the orchard. "Smith!" she called as she approached the farmers. "Smith!" "Mrs Chunga!" exclaimed Granny Smith as she noticed the new comer. "What brings you to our farm?" "Vandalism!" Mrs Chunga spat. "Your ward and that dragon of hers damaged my fence this afternoon." "Now listen here!" replied Granny Smith, her anger flaring. "Twilight may have a penchant fer trouble, but she is certainly no vandal!" "Three feet of my fence was burned to a crisp," Mrs Chunga continued. "The sheriff came to inspect and has given me a warrant-" "Granny Smith!" The two mares turned to Twilight who had rushed over. Spike made sure Twilight was safely between him and Mrs Chunga. "I tried to tell you earlier. Spike didn't mean to burn down the fence. It was an accident! Besides, only a couple of posts caught fire-" "Alright, Twilight," Granny Smith interrupted. "We'll sort this out." "That is why I'm here." Mrs Chunga pulled out a piece of neatly folded paper from her dress and handed it to Granny Smith. "The sheriff is on my side and has given me permission to take away the dragon and have him destroyed." "What?!" shouted Twilight and Spike in horror. Granny Smith read the paper over and over. Eventually her face became one of resignation and she turned to Twilight. "I'm sorry," she said sadly, "but we can't go against the sheriff." "Granny Smith, you can't!" pleaded Twilight, tears forming. "You can't do this!" said Spike, overcome with panic. "I can talk! I'm sentient! I'm-! " He was cut off as Mrs Chunga levitated him towards her so he was floating helplessly next to her. Though the smile she was wearing was small, it was unmistakably one of triumph. "Spike!" Twilight was ready to charge but she was held back by Big Mac and Applejack, both looking disgusted at Mrs Chunga. "Twilight, maybe you should go," said Granny Smith wearily. Twilight took one last look at Spike and burst into tears. She ran into the farm house. Once she was gone Granny Smith turned back to Mrs Chunga. "Now you have what you want, get yer flank off my property!" Mrs Chunga's eyes widened in shock and quickly narrowed again. She marched back to the carriage and put Spike in a cage at the back before climbing on to the seat. "Aren't there laws against this sort of thing?" asked Spike desperately as the carriage pulled away. "Help! Isn't there anybody listening?" As soon as Twilight had reached her room, she flung herself on the bed and cried furiously. She was sure that she would never see Spike again, and there was nothing she could do about it. How could she ever be happy again... "Um, is there a point to this scene?" Her pillow grew heavy and damp as it absorbed her tears, however Twilight didn't care. All she could think of was Spike's terrified face as he was taken away. "Nothing's happening. I'm just sad." There was no hope in going after him as they would be too far away by now. She wondered how scared he must be, stuck in that small cage, speeding towards his end. "Finally, a segue." "Let me out!" yelled Spike, banging his fists against the side of the cage. "I wanna see a lawyer!" He gave the cage an extra hard pound which caused the bars to fracture. "Wait. This is a wooden cage." After one burst of fire, he fell to the dusty road, and the carriage pulled on without him, the drivers and rider none-the-wiser. Spike gave his bruised limbs a quick rub down and raced back home. Twilight was still sobbing on her bed, a small puddle of tears beneath her... "Ew!" She seized crying when she heard a tapping at her window; she looked up and saw Spike waving at her. "Spike! You're OK!" She threw open the window and pulled him inside, hugging him tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again!" "It's great to see you, too," replied Spike, returning the hug. After a short while, Twilight drew back. "When she finds out you escaped, she's sure to come back for you. We have to get away." She pulled a bag from beneath her bed and began packing. "Somewhere far away. Maybe somewhere without so much dust." "Do you even know where we are?" asked Spike, adding some of his belongings to the bag. "Are we in Equestria? Granny Smith mentioned Kansas earlier. It would be nice if we could have some clarification." He looked pointedly at the ceiling. "This will have to do," said Twilight, sealing the bag and placing it on her back. "Let's go." They climbed out of the window and made their way towards the road, being careful to avoid the farm workers. Twilight gave once last look at the farm, then turned and walked determinedly along the path, being sure to go the opposite way from Mrs Chunga’s house. Spike rode on her back, giving several worried glances behind. “So...are we just gonna keep going until we come across something?” asked Spike after several minutes. “I guess,” answered Twilight. She searched around her, hoping to see something other than the vast stretching planes of dust in all directions. She wished she had packed more water. Spike began rummaging through the bag for a snack. “Is Kansas really like this?” “I don’t know. I think the author is just going by what they remember from the movie.” “Really? They didn’t bother to do any research?” “This is just the beginning. The good stuff comes later.” “I’d wish we’d get there already,” said Spike, withdrawing his claw from the bag. It was hard to find anything when Twilight was moving. A short while later something eventually emerged over the horizon. It was a travelling caravan, parked on the side of the road. Slightly faded letters painted on the side spelled out ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’, and the rest of the caravan was decorated with stars and moons. There was a campfire next to the caravan, a pot of something cooking over it. Tending to the fire and pot was a blue unicorn wearing a purple cape covered with stars to match the caravan. “Great, food!” Spike hopped off Twilight and ran towards the fire. “Spike, wait!” Twilight shouted as she chased after him. The blue unicorn raised her eyebrows as they approached. “Trixie is afraid there will be no show today. You must wait until she has reached the next town.” “That’s OK,” replied Spike. “We just wanted something to eat.” “Spike, don’t be so rude!” Twilight reprimanded. Her frown quickly disappeared as her stomach growled. Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie supposes if you must share her meal...” She levitated three bowls and filled them with the soup from the pot. “What brings you two out here?” she asked as she gave them their bowls. “We’re running away,” answered Twilight, sadness creeping into her voice. “Maybe we could join you. We could be your assistants. I know a little bit about magic.” Trixie rolled her eyes again and muttered something incomprehensible. “Sorry?” Twilight asked. “Er...would you like Trixie to tell your future?” Trixie quickly pulled an orb from her belongings and set it on the ground between her and her guests. “That’s a snow globe,” said Spike. “Are you an expert on divination?” snapped Trixie. Spike shook his head. “Then let Trixie concentrate.” She put on a pointed purple hat and waved her hooves over the globe. “Trixie sees...a farm...with workers. One in particular stands out. An older mare.” Her eyes flicked towards Twilight, watching her face carefully. “Her name begins with...B. No, D. G?” “Granny Smith?” asked Twilight. “Yes. She is looking for somepony. Somepony she cares for very much. She cannot find her. She is putting her hoof on her chest. There is something wrong with her heart.” “Is she OK?!” “Trixie cannot see. It has gone black.” Trixie took her hat off and put the snow globe back. “Oh no!” Twilight stood up and gathered her things. “I have to go back immediately.” “Trixie thought you wished to become Trixie’s assistants.” “I’m sorry, but I have to make sure Granny Smith’s OK.” “What about me?” asked Spike. “I thought we were running away so Mrs Chunga didn’t get me.” His comments were ignored as Twilight levitated him on to her back. “Thank you, Trixie,” said Twilight as she started running back down the road. “Goodbye!” Trixie allowed herself a smug smile as she watched the two disappear from sight. The smile vanished when she noticed the wind suddenly pick up. When she realised what this meant, she sighed. “Trixie does a good deed and a twister shows up. Why does Trixie bother?” The wind was soon felt by those on the farm and the alarm went out. “Everypony head to the shelter! There’s a twister comin’!” yelled Applejack. No one needed telling twice, as the twister was now visible and whirring towards them. The animals were herded into the underground bunker, and were followed by the farm workers, some carrying baskets with the apples they had managed to save earlier. Granny Smith and Big Mac stood at the entrance, making sure all were accounted for. The winds were now so powerful it was hard to make out what they were saying. “Applebloom, move yer keister!” shouted Granny Smith to an earth pony filly. “Why did we move here again?” Applebloom shouted back, entering the shelter. Applejack soon joined them. “Is that everypony?” she asked. “Twilight!” Granny Smith exclaimed. “Twilight’s missin’! We have ta find her!” Applejack and Big Mac scanned the area. The fence around the chicken coop was already being pulled apart by the storm. “There’s no time, Granny! Maybe she’s already inside?” suggested Applejack. “Twilight!” Granny Smith called out. “Twilight!” “Big Mac?” Applejack looked at her brother. Big Mac nodded. They hated the idea, but they had no choice. They grabbed Granny Smith and pulled her into the shelter, closing the doors securely behind them. It was then Twilight and Spike managed to reach the farm. The small dragon had to hang on to Twilight for dear life for fear of the winds picking him up. “Granny Smith! Granny Smith!” Twilight searched the farm frantically for any signs of life. The chicken coop was now completed destroyed and the barn was swaying dangerously. Beyond the barn was the twister which was incredibly close. “What about the shelter?!” shouted Spike, his eyes screwed tightly shut. When Twilight found it, she pounded the shelter with all her might, but it was no use. The doors refused to budge. Even her magic made no effect. She tried to shout to the ponies inside, however she couldn’t even hear herself over the racket caused by the storm. With nowhere else to go, Twilight leaped into the house and went to her bedroom. “Is this the best place to shelter from a twister?” asked Spike, hopping down. “I-“ Twilight began, however the house suddenly lurched, sending the unicorn flying into wall. Fortunately the bed was beneath, and she collapsed upon it. She slowly got herself up, groaning at the throbbing pain in her head. Spike had joined her and was now staring disbelievingly at the window. Twilight followed his gaze and her mouth dropped in shock as she noticed the barn. The fact that the barn was on the wrong side of the house was not the surprising thing. It was the fact that it was no longer connected to the ground, and was spinning in the wind. Twilight realised the twister had finally arrived, and that it had picked up the farm house, and it was flying in the air along with the barn. The barn soon left the view of the window, and was replaced by a cow, still chewing away nonplussed, as if this were a regular occurrence. The cow looked directly at the house’s occupants, and Twilight felt compelled to wave back. The cow too was swept away and was followed by a black carriage. The two ponies pulling it didn’t seem to realise they were in the sky as their hooves kept running against the wind. Twilight looked at the rider and instantly recognised her. “Mrs Chunga!” As she tried to get a closer look, the carriage suddenly disappeared. The three ponies outside were now flying with newly adorned insect wings, and their legs were covered with small holes. Mrs Chunga’s bonnet and dress had also vanished, allowing her green cobwebbed mane and tail billow behind her. She emitted a large cackle before flying past the house. Before Twilight or Spike could recover from the shock, the house lurched again, and it started to fall. Twilight and Spike held on to each other tightly, waiting for the crash. It wasn’t at large as they were expecting; more like a small thump. The two looked about them. The bedroom was still intact. “So, how come we’re not dead?” asked Spike. “I don’t know,” replied Twilight. She left the bedroom and nervously approached the front door, Spike close behind. She raised a hoof and slowly pulled the door open. A bright light shone into the house and they had to close their eyes because of it. They opened them again and stepped outside. They had landed in the middle of a small village. There were several buildings, each a different colour, which seemed to have been designed for ponies of a short stature. On the right was the town hall, no larger than the farm house, and instead of trees lining the streets were large flowers of different varieties. The village was situated in a valley, surrounded by bright green hills. In the centre the ground was decorated with a spiral made of yellow and red brick. Twilight had trouble trying to take it all in. “Spike, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.” “Oh, you think?”
MunchkinlandTwilight took a nervous first step into the strange world she and Spike had landed in. Though very different to anything she had come across before in her lifetime, it didn’t seem dangerous, and so she began to explore, though still slightly wary. Spike stayed close beside her, his suspicious eyes raking over everything. They jumped as a strange noise emerged from some bushes on their right. It sounded like several fillies giggling. Twilight moved closer but could see nothing. “I don’t like this,” said Spike. “It’s alright,” Twilight reassured him. “We just need to find somepony who can help us.” “What about that?” asked Spike, pointing at something in the distance. It was a pink, glowing bubble that was slowly floating towards them, getting bigger and bigger. It was twice the size of Twilight when it reached them, and it gently melted away to reveal a tall white alicorn. A silver crown adorned her head and she was wearing a gold necklace set with a large pink jewel. “Aw,” groaned Spike, disappointed. “I was hoping it would be Rarity.” The alicorn smiled sweetly and asked “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” “I’m...sorry?” replied Twilight, confused. “Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” the alicorn repeated. “I saw your house kill the Wicked Witch of the East, and only another witch is powerful enough to accomplish such a feat. So, are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” “I’m not witch at all,” Twilight tried to explain, though still thoroughly bewildered. Another burst of giggles sounded, this time from the flowers. “Wait. Did you say ‘kill the Wicked Witch of the East'?" "See for yourself." The alicorn pointed to the bottom of the house. Poking out beneath the wall were two hind legs of a black pony, covered with holes and wearing red, glittering shoes. Twilight gasped in horror. "I-I didn't mean to! I wasn't controlling the house! It was the twister!" "What's a twister?" Twilight swung around to see a white unicorn filly emerge from behind a large tulip. She was wearing a small hat that resembled a plant bulb. A few more fillies and colts also revealed themselves, all wearing bulbs on their heads. "These are the Munchkins," explained the alicorn. "They were under thrall to the wicked witch, and you have now liberated them. They would have thanked you earlier, but were understandably a little scared." "We weren't scared!" said an orange pegasus filly, rather indignantly. "We were just-er-being cautious!" A colt covered with patches bounded up to Twilight. "It was really amazing how you flew your house to destroy the witch!" "But I didn't!" replied Twilight, exasperated. "A twister came to my farm and picked up our house with Spike and me inside it. Then it just landed here." "So, in a way," began the white filly, "the house was defying gravity?" The other Munchkins groaned in unison. The alicorn coughed softly. "Before we go any further, perhaps introductions are in order. I am Celestia, the Good Witch of the North." "I'm Twilight, and this is Spike," replied Twilight. "Hello," Spike said politely. "I'm Sweetie Belle," exclaimed the white filly. "I'm Scootaloo," said the orange filly, jumping into the air and flapping her wings excitedly. "And I'm Applebloom!" a yellow earth pony stepped forward. "Applebloom, you can't be a Munchkin," Scootaloo told her. "You're part of the family on the farm." "I only had one line!" Applebloom replied. "And if you two are Munchkins then I should be one too! Besides, aren't the farm workers supposed to reappear later in Oz?" "The author wants to use different characters," said Spike. "Sorry." "I knew I should have been Dorothy!" spat Applebloom, stomping off. "Err...where were we?" asked Twilight, turning towards Celestia. "I believe the villain should be making their appearance in a few moments," replied Celestia, looking expectantly to a clear spot in the middle of the village. Everyone else followed her gaze and waited. There was about ten seconds of silence, and then a large cloud of purple smoke appeared in the place everyone was watching. Like the bubble before it, it too dissipated to reveal an alicorn, except this one was black with translucent insect wings. A tall, pointed hat sat just behind her horn. Twilight's eyes widened as she recalled the strange pony she saw during the house's flight within the twister. "I thought you said she was dead," Twilight murmured to Celestia. "That was Chrysalina, the Wicked Witch of the East," explained Celestia. "This is her sister, Chrysalis, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Queen of the Changelings. She is far worse." "Chrysalina?" asked Spike, confused. Chrysalis glared at the Munchkins surrounding her, and they drew back in fear, whimpering. She then strode over to where Celestia, Twilight and Spike were standing, her face murderous. "Who killed my sister?" she demanded. "Was it you, Celestia? Or did one of these midgets decide to try their luck?" "Actually, it was Twilight here," Celestia replied, smiling and gesturing towards the unicorn beside her. The colour quickly drained from Twilight's face. "Err-" Chrysalis rounded on her. "Why you little-!" "Aren't you forgetting something?" interrupted Celestia. "The slippers?" "Of course!" Chrysalis rushed over to her sister's corpse and reached for the red shoes. Just as she was about to touch them, they suddenly vanished and the legs that were wearing them withered away. Letting out a cry of anger, Chrysalis stormed back to Celestia. "Where are they?!" Chrysalis screeched, her horn glowing. "Give them back this instant or I'll-" "Too late," replied Celestia, who seemed to be enjoying herself despite the enraged witch threatening her. "They've chosen a new home." She gestured towards Twilight who looked down at her own hooves and gasped at the four bright ruby slippers she was now wearing. Chrysalis turned her anger on to Twilight. "Give those back to me! They are of no use to you!" "And what will you do if she refuses?" asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "You have no power here. I suggest you leave, before another house lands on you, too." Chrysalis looked up and scanned the skies briefly. She scowled again at Celestia. "Very well, but this isn't over. I will get those slippers!" She turned to look Twilight squarely in the face. "I'll get you, and your little dragon too!" "What did I do?" asked Spike, affronted. Chrysalis cackled and summoned another whirlwind of smoke, which soon disappeared along with her. "Oh no!" Twilight collapsed on the ground, overcome with despair. "What do I do? Maybe I can just give her the slippers?" "Those slippers must have some very powerful magic," said Celestia. "I fear you will be worse off if you give them up so willingly. Your best course of action would be to leave Oz and go back home where you'll be safe." "But I don't know how to get home! I don't even know where I am!" "Currently you are in Munchkinland, which resides in the great land of Oz. Your best hope for getting back home would be to travel to the Emerald City and meet the Wizard of Oz. She should know how to help you." "The Wizard of Oz?" asked Twilight, standing up again. "Emerald City? How do I get there?" "All you have to do is follow the yellow brick road," answered Celestia as she started to conjure her bubble. "Maybe we could hitch a ride with you?" suggested Spike. "Just follow the yellow brick road," repeated Celestia, now floating away into the distance. Once she was out of sight, Spike sighed heavily. "Looks like we're walking." Twilight looked around her and her eyes settled on the ground. She was standing directly in the middle of the red and yellow brick spiral. She positioned herself at the tip of the yellow section and started to follow the path, Spike plodding along beside her. "Where does the red one go?" he asked Sweetie Belle. She shrugged in response. As they marched through town, several Munchkins came up to them to thank them for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Twilight responded by smiling uncomfortably, whilst Spike had no trouble accepting their gifts of sweets and flowers which he added to Twilight's bags. "Maybe this place won't be so bad," he mused. "Y'know, aside from the witch wanting to kill you for accidently stealing her sister's shoes." Twilight groaned. Soon they had reached the end of the village and the Munchkins waved them off as Twilight and Spike continued down the yellow brick road into the hills beyond. "Thank goodness that's over," said Scootaloo, throwing her hat off. "That thing was really itchy."
The ScarecrowTwilight trotted along dutifully down the yellow brick road, eager to reach the Emerald City as quickly as possible. Occasionally she would scan her surroundings for any sign of Chrysalis, the witch's terrible cackle still ringing in her ears. "Could you slow down a little?" wheezed Spike, struggling to keep up. "I don't want to wait around too long," replied Twilight. "You heard Chrysalis." "Yeah, but I have really stubby legs." Twilight rolled her eyes and levitated him on to her back. "Come on. The sooner we get this story over with, the sooner...we get this story over with." The yellow brick road was now leading them into farmland, though they couldn't see any other ponies or creatures of any kind. The only sign of civilisation they found other than the crops was a pink scarecrow, tied to a stake and standing in one of the cornfields. The scarecrow's presence however was overshadowed by the fact that the yellow brick road had now divided off into several different directions. Twilight groaned heavily. "Now what?" "You could go that way." Twilight and Spike snapped their heads towards the sudden high pitched voice. They couldn't see anyone, although the scarecrow seemed like it was pointing down one of the many paths. "Who said that?" asked Twilight, looking around her. "That way's a nice way, too." The unicorn spun around again to the scarecrow, who was now pointing down the opposite path. Twilight walked around the scarecrow's field to see what was controlling it. "Of course, some ponies go both ways." The scarecrow was now pointing in both directions. "What do the Munchkins put in their lollipops?" said Spike, staring at the scarecrow. "Um, hello?" Twilight nervously approached the scarecrow. "Have you been talking?" "Of course I've been talking!" Twilight jumped back in shock as the scarecrow started moving as if she were a normal pony not stuffed with straw. "Do you see anypony else around here?" the scarecrow continued cheerfully. "I'm Pinkie Pie, the scarecrow of these fields. As you can see, I do a pretty good job." She gestured to the fields devoid of crows. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't so good at it. It gets pretty lonely. Who are you guys?" "I'm Twilight, this is Spike. We're trying to get back home to Kansas, so we're going to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard." "The Wizard?" asked Pinkie Pie excitedly, who had managed to remove herself from the stake and was now on the path with Twilight and Spike. "The Wizard of Oz? Do ya suppose she could get me a brain?" "A what?" "A brain! Y'know, that thing that's sits in your skull and helps you think," explained Pinkie Pie, tapping Twilight's head. "If you don't have a brain, how come you're able to talk? And move?" asked Spike. "Duh! I'm a magic scarecrow, silly!" "Then why do you want one?" "Like I said, I'm lonely. Most of the folks that stumble across my field run away when I try to talk to them. If I had a brain, I could find out why, and maybe make some friends." Twilight felt a tug of sympathy for the scarecrow. "We can be your friends, Pinkie. And you're more than welcome to travel with us to the Emerald City. I have a feeling we're gonna need some help getting there." "Really?!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, jumping in the air in delight. "Thank you! Thank you!" She gave Twilight and Spike a tight hug. "Come on! I think it's this way!" She started to bound down on of the paths. "That's where we just came from," said Spike. "Oopsie Daisy!" Pinkie turned about and choose another path. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Spike asked Twilight quietly. "We have nothing else to go on," replied Twilight, though she was slightly concerned herself. "Let's follow her before she gets too far ahead." Fortunately Pinkie realised that the other two were lagging behind and so waited dutifully for them to catch up. They then continued at a steady trot, Spike again on Twilight's back, and made conversation. Twilight told Pinkie about her farm on Kansas and the Apple family, and Pinkie told them about the many varieties of corn that grew in Oz. She also demonstrated how she could dislocate her limbs completely by simply pulling them off. Though she assured them that she felt no pain as her insides were made entirely of straw, Spike still needed to take a moment to throw up in some nearby bushes. "We'd better end the chapter now," said Pinkie, now back together again."The next part's with the Tin Woodspony." "But this chapter isn't even 1000 words long!" replied Spike incredulously. Pinkie shrugged. "Oh well. What're ya gonna do? See ya next time, folks!"
The Tin WoodsponyAfter about half an hour, Twilight, Spike and Pinkie Pie had finally left the cornfields and entered a bright and airy forest. The trees mostly resembled the ones back in the world Twilight had left, however there were a few that were completely new to her. She asked Pinkie about them. "Sorry, I don't know," the scarecrow replied, sadly. "I've spent my whole life in that cornfield. Everything else I learned from ponies who happen to pass through it, and like I said they don't stay long enough to talk to me. When I have a brain I'm sure I'll know everything about these trees and tell you." "Thanks, Pinkie," said Twilight, "but I don't think that's how-" A low rumble from her stomach interrupted her. "Excuse me." She rummaged in her bag for something to eat, only to it completely devoid of anything edible. "Spike! You ate all the food!" "Sorry," said Spike, looking guilty. "I get hungry when I'm tired, or transported to magical lands, or threatened by witches." Twilight gave the biggest eye roll she could muster, and then looked around. There was a group of apple trees to the left, and each were laden with luscious, bright red fruit. Each of them shone like rubies in the sun. "That's fortunate." Twilight approached the nearest tree and picked on of the apples with her magic. Just as she was about to taste it, a branch smacked it away from her face. "What's the big idea?" said a gruff voice coming from the tree's mouth. "Sorry, I was just so hungry and-" Twilight shook her wildly and looked at the tree again. Situated in the middle of the trunk was a face. "You can talk?!" "Magic!" said Pinkie Pie mysteriously, waving her front legs around in a whimsical manner. "Yeah, we can talk," replied the tree, "and we don't appreciate ponies taking our apples." The other trees all voiced their agreement. Twilight tried to reason with them. "But apples are supposed to be taken away and eaten. That way the seeds are exposed and planted, so more apple trees can grow and spread across the land. It's part of your reproductive cycle." "Huh. We didn't think about that, Ted," said one of the apple trees. "Shut up!" the first one retorted. He snatched one of his apples and threw it at Twilight. "Go away!" "Ow!" Twilight grabbed her shoulder where the apple struck. "Let's get out of here!" yelled Spike, his hands over his head as he too was pelted with apples. "Hang on!" Pinkie grabbed Twilight's bag and held it open in front of them like a shield, catching all the apples that came their way. Once the bag was full, she closed and raced down the path, the other two running after her. Once they were out of range, they stopped to catch their breath. "Good thinking, Pinkie," said Twilight, catching the apple Pinkie tossed to her. "Hey," called Spike, a little way ahead. "What's this?" The mares reached Spike who was prodding a blue metallic statue in the shape of a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail. It was leaning against a tree, and the amount of rust upon it suggested it had been abandoned years ago. "Strange," said Twilight, tapping the statue's head. "Urrrl kin." All three of them gasped when they heard the sound. It seemed to have come from the statue. "What the-?" "Urrrl kin." "She's saying 'oil can'," said Pinkie. "I speak muffled," she explained when Twilight raised an eyebrow. They looked around and saw an oil can on the ground a few steps away. Spike retrieved it. "I guess she means this." The oil can was quickly put to work, lubricating the metal mare's legs, wings, neck, jaw and any other joints they could find. Gradually the metal loosened, and the statue stretched out every inch of her body. "Aah!" She opened her mouth to its fullest extent. "Thanks a lot. I thought that I would never move again." She flapped her wings vigorously and hovered a few feet above the ground. "It feels so good to be able to fly again! I'm Rainbow Dash, the Tin Woodspony." "I'm Twilight, and this is Spike and Pinkie Pie." Twilight gestured to each member of their group in turn. "What happened to you?" "I was practising some of my moves," explained Rainbow Dash, performing a few somersaults to demonstrate, "and then I saw somepony on the path, watching me. I decided to show 'em my best stunts, and she seemed impressed. We talked a bit about how awesome I am, but after a few minutes she got kinda...annoyed. I asked her why and she said that I was arrogant." The pegasus landed and looked downwards. "I tried to brush it off, but I started believing her. I thought about other times where I was kinda self-absorbed, and I felt a pain in my chest. Not a normal kind of pain. More like...something was missing. I tapped myself a few times and realised that I was hollow. That I didn't have a heart. It explained why I'm not so good at emotional stuff, why I'm not so considerate of others, and why I don't have any friends." She slumped onto the ground. "I guess I got so bummed out I didn't notice that I was rusting." Pinkie Pie, who had been struggling not to cry during this tale, suddenly let out two fountains of tears from her eyes and wailed uncontrollably. "That is so sad!" "Yeah," agreed Spike. "I thought this was supposed to be a comedy." Twilight walked to Rainbow Dash's side and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You have friends now. You can come with us to the Emerald City." "We're gonna see the Wizard!" exclaimed Pinkie, who had now perked up. "She's gonna get me a brain!" "The Wizard?" asked Rainbow Dash, curiously. "Maybe she could get me a heart!" "Then what're we waiting for?!" Pinkie Pie immediately started bouncing again down the yellow brick road. "You're gonna have to get used to that," Twilight told Rainbow Dash as she put the oil can into her bag. "I don't think I'm used to it yet," muttered Spike. "This is gonna be sweet!" Rainbow Dash took to the air again and started following Pinkie. "Come on, you two!" All four were in high spirits when they managed to catch up with each other. They swapped back stories and discussed what the Emerald City would be like. "Duh!" said Pinkie Pie. "Made of emeralds, of course!" "Sounds delicious," sighed Spike, licking his lips. "Is the poor baby dragon hungry?" They stopped at the new voice. Then, right in front of them, a burst of green flame appeared then settled to reveal Chrysalis, cackling cheerfully. "I see you've made some friends." She sneered at Twilight. "Unfortunately they won't be able to help you, and if they knew what was good for them they wouldn't try to anyway." "Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash flew higher and raised her hooves threateningly. "You don't look so tough!" A beam of green light narrowly missed her, and she flew back down again. "If you do try and help this girl," said Chrysalis, addressing Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, "you will be taken care of just like her." She pointed at Pinkie. "You will be thrown into my fireplace." She pointed at Rainbow Dash. "And you will be melted down into paperweights. Have fun on your little trip!" She cackled again as another burst of green fire enveloped her and disappeared. "That's the witch that's after you?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Yikes." "What was the point of that?" asked Spike. "She didn't really do anything." "It's probably so the audience doesn't forget about her," answered Twilight. "Who could forget that?" Pinkie Pie gestured wildly at were the witch had just been. "Well, no matter how scary she is, I'm still gonna help ya, Twilight." "Me too," said Rainbow Dash. "I'm not gonna let her stop us from meeting the Wizard!" "Thank you so much," replied Twilight, her spirits lifted again. "I'm sure together we'll get through this." "Woohoo!" cheered Pinkie. "Weeeee'reeeeee-" "This isn't a musical, remember," Spike told her. "Oops. Sorry!"
The Cowardly LionThe four friends trotted happily along the yellow brick road, all excited about meeting the Wizard and getting what they wanted. Their up-beat mood diminished slightly, however, when they realised that the wood was now getting thicker and darker. The sunlight was blocked so much that there was only enough to see a few paces ahead. The knots in the trees formed strange and twisted faces, and Spike stayed firmly in the middle of the group, fearing another attack. "You sure we're going the right way?" he asked, his voice quivering. "We're still on the yellow brick road," answered Twilight, though she too was growing worried. She lit up her horn. "Ah, don't worry," said Rainbow Dash. "There's nothing to be scared of. Except all the dangerous animals." "The what?!" "These woods are full of 'em. If we're lucky, we might run into a manticore! Or a chimera! Or a bugbear! Maybe even a huge ferocious dragon! Then we could have a totally awesome fight!" Spike coughed. "Oh, don't worry, Spike. You're not nearly ferocious enough for me to fight." Spike rolled his eyes. Pinkie Pie seemed just as excited as Rainbow Dash. "Oh! Oh! Oh! What about a hydra? Or a blast-ended skrewt? Or a sea cucumber?" "Sea cucumbers don't-" Twilight was interrupted by a low, threatening growl. "Wh-What was that?" asked Spike, clutching on to Twilight's leg. The group huddled together, keeping their eyes peeled. Suddenly, a huge shape burst through the trees and landed on the path in front of them. It was an enormous lion, with two large red bat wings and a shining scorpion tail that twitched dangerously. "It's a manticore!" exclaimed Twilight. "First guess!" Rainbow Dash grinned in triumph. The manticore let out a mighty roar. Steeling herself, Rainbow Dash took to the sky and prepared herself to attack. Twilight also took on the offensive and charged up her horn. The two mares and manticore stared at each other, daring the other to attack. The manticore took one step forward but was stopped when a blast of magic struck the ground before it. "STOP!" Everyone jumped at the voice. They turned their heads as another figure jumped out of the trees and in front of the manticore. It seemed to be a pony covered in patches of cloth sewn together to form a homemade lion costume, and it was now petting the manticore as if it were a confused puppy. "There, there," the newcomer said soothingly to the manticore. "I won't let anypony hurt you." The manticore immediately relaxed and sunk down to the ground to allow the pony to scratch behind his ears. A contented purr rumbled from him. The pony turned to the thoroughly confused Twilight, Spike, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Two yellow wings poked out of the costume, and a few whiskers had been drawn on her face. "I'm so sorry about Bert. He can be quite territorial, but he's really a big softy when you get to know him." "Err...I'm sure he is," replied Twilight, eyeing the scorpion tail warily. "That thing tried to kill us!" shouted Rainbow Dash, still in attack mode. "Oh no," the lion-pony argued. "He was just trying to scare you off. He would never do anything mean." "Uh huh." Wanting to keep things positive, Twilight put on a smile. "Let me introduce ourselves. I'm Twilight-" "This is Spike, Rainbow Dash, and I'm Pinkie Pie," the scarecrow quickly took over, pointing to each member of the group in turn. "We're off to see the Wizard in the Emerald City so I can get a brain, she can get a heart, and these two can go back home before the Wicked Witch of the West gets them and steals her shoes!" "Oh my," gasped the lion-pony. "That sounds scary." "Sure is," replied Pinkie Pie, cheerfully. "What's your back story?" "Oh, um." The lion-pony fiddled with her hooves, suddenly nervous. "I'm Fluttershy. I live in the forest with all the critters. I made this costume so I could fit in with the manticore pride. I haven't been able to find anything for the scorpion tail, though." She glanced at her long, pink tail that she was now curling around her like a protective shield. "Why do you live in the forest?" asked Spike. "Why not with other ponies?" "Other ponies make me nervous," she replied, softly. "I feel safer in the woods. Except when there's a thunderstorm. Or a strong wind. Or when there's strange noises in the night. Or-" "You sure get scared a lot," said Rainbow Dash. "Duh!" said Pinkie Pie. "She's the Cowardly Lion." "Isn't she dressed like a manticore?" asked Spike. "The title for this chapter is 'The Cowardly Lion'," explained Pinkie, "so that's what we're sticking with." "So," said Twilight, loudly, "you live all on your own?" "Oh, I'm not alone," replied Fluttershy. "I have lots of animal friends. Though, I guess it would be nice to have some pony friends. I'm just so scared of everything. If only I had some courage." "Maybe the Wizard could get you some!" suggested Pinkie. "I hope she won't think we're being too greedy." "Really?" asked Fluttershy, hopefully. "That would be wonderful! I do hope she's not too scary." "Don't worry," said Twilight. "We'll be right there with you." "But going to see the Wizard would mean...leaving the forest." "Look, Flutters," said Rainbow Dash, stepping forward, "this could be your only chance. If you really want something, you have to go for it. Otherwise, nothing will ever happen." "That was...oddly profound," mused Twilight, slightly taken aback. Pinkie Pie pulled them all into a hug. "Well, the gang's all here so we can finally get to the Emerald City! Let's go!" With that, she let them go and raced down the yellow brick road. After Fluttershy shared a tearful goodbye with Bert, the rest of the group hurried after. Meanwhile, in a castle atop a high mountain surrounded by mist and fog, the Wicked Witch of the West was watching the team through her large crystal ball. As she saw them set off once more down the yellow brick road, she slammed her hoof down in anger. "Bah! That unicorn and her friends have already forgotten about my threat. I shall have to remind them." Chrysalis' horn glowed and the vision in the crystal ball changed to the field outside of the Emerald City. A green bottle hovered over and was opened. "Something to slow them down before they get too close, yet attractive." Smoke poured from the bottle and over the crystal ball. The field was just about visible, and flowers could be seen sprouting at such a rate that the view was covered in them. "Yes. That will do nicely. HA HA HA HA HA!"
