Twilight was busily making some soup in the kitchen with Fluttershy was nearby in her highchair. Twilight wore nothing but an apron and her diaper and Fluttershy was wearing a green onesie adorned with cute frog faces. Twilight hummed as she stirred the large pot and then used the spoon to taste the soup. She gave a happy smile and covered the pot with a lid and brought the temperature on the stove down.

“It’s ready Rarity,” Twilight called. Rarity could be heard making her way into the kitchen. While she was on her way Twilight picked up the crystal ball that she had set on a nearby table and looked into it . It gave a view of everything the wards she placed yesterday could see but nothing interesting was happening around the forest's edge.

“Anything yet?” Rarity asked as she entered the room to see Twilight staring into the crystal.

“Nothing,” Twilight said. “But it’s only been a day.”

“I’m sure it’ll turn up eventually,” Rarity said as she lovingly patted Fluttershy’s head while making her way over to Twilight’s soup pot.

“It’s chicken noodle,” Twilight said pouring some out for Rarity into a bowl. “It’s not as good as when Fluttershy makes it, but I did my best.” Rarity took a sip and her face lit up.

“Well if Fluttershy makes it better than this then color me impressed.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said as she brought a bowl of the soup to Fluttershy. She tied a large bib around Fluttershy’s neck and tried to feed her carefully, but even with her care Fluttershy still managed to make a mess. Twilight just smiled and cleaned Futtershy up when she needed to. “I need a diaper change after I finish feeding Fluttershy and I eat, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Rarity said nonchalantly. “It’s about the only thing I have left to do you seem to have everything under control.”

“Don’t sell yourself short Rarity,” Twilight said “You’ve been a big help.” Fluttershy finished her soup but Twilight left her in the high chair giving her some toys to occupy her while Twilight ate.

“If you want I can change you I the living room,” Rarity said while Twilight quickly slurped her soup down. “It’s just us here now.”

“Oh yeah that’s right,” Twilight said her voice muffled by a mouthful of crackers. “Pinkie had to go and run sugar cube corner. Don’t you have a store to run too?”

“Don’t worry about it dear. I’m letting the brand rest this season. It’s a fashion thing.” Twilight shrugged her shoulders not getting it at all. “Don’t worry yourself with the details point is the shop’s closed for now.” Twilight rolled her eyes as she finished her soup.

“Well let’s get me changed because I’m sure Fluttershy needs one too.” Twilight and Rarity made their way to the living room within earshot of Fluttershy who was still playing with her toys. “I’m sorry but I might be messy.” A look of dislike flashed across Rarity’s face before she composed herself.

“It’s alright, this was an eventuality.” Twilight gave a half smile.

“Yeah I tried to make it but these diapers are hard to take off and I ...”

“You don’t need an excuse Twilight. I’ll just try not to think about it too much," Rarity said as she was about to begin but Twilight stopped her.

“Uhh do you think I could have a pacifier?” Twilight asked slightly embarrassed.

“Of course dear,” Rarity said placing a pacifier in Twilight’s mouth. Twilight greedily started suckling a look of relief on her face because it had been so long. Rarity was happy to have Twilight quiet while she tried her best to clean Twilight without getting anything on her. While it took some time Rarity did manage to clean Twilight and change her diaper while keeping herself clean as well. As Twilight was getting up she felt a familiar vibration coming from her cutie mark.

“What is it?” Rarity asked seeing the look of concern on Twilight’s face.

“The map is calling me somewhere,” Twilight said anxious. “Ugh this is the worst possible time. I’m sorry but I need you to take care of Fluttershy while I take care of whatever the map wants.” Rarity sighed not really wanting to change another messy diaper this soon.

“I’ll take care of it just please hurry back.” With that Twilight made her way to the map room. She saw her, Rainbow Dash’s, and Applejack’s cutie marks circling around a clearing in the Everfree Forrest. On cue Applejck and Rainbow Dash came running into the map room.

“We’re here,” Applejack said panting.

“Yeah what’s the sitch,” Rainbow Dash said anxiously. Twilight was studying the map.

“It looks like the map is sending the three of us somewhere in the Everfree Forest.” there was a pause as Twilight tried to discern where exactly they were to go “It looks like the tree of harmony.”

“The tree of harmony?” Applejack said perplexed.

“What else do we have to do there?” Rainbow Dash said a bit annoyed. “I hope it’s not another box.”

“Yeah I’m still tryin’ to wash the red out of my mane from the last time,” Applejack said rubbing a part of her mane.

“I don’t know what it is,” Twilight said hurriedly. “Hopefully it’s something quick I need to get back to taking care of Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes angrily at this.

“For once I’m with Twilight,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Let’s get this done as quick as possible so I can go back home and get actual work done and not just play around." This jab was directed at Twilight but she ignored it.

“You know usually when the map sends us somewhere there’s some friendship lesson to be had,” Applejak said. “Could you two think of any friendship lesson that might happen between us?” Applejack asked hoping to avoid listening to Twilight and rainbow dash bicker the whole way.

“Nope,” Rainbow Dash said bluntly.

“Yeah I can’t think of one either,” Twilight said with obvious disdain. Applejack sighed defeated. “Ok then let’s go.”

*****

“Are you sure this is the right tree? ” Rick said as he and Tom emerged from the shrubbery into the glade surrounding the tree of harmony.

“What kind of question is that,” Tom said as the two raccni approached the tree. “It’s a giant white magical tree with glowing rocks on it what other tree do you think would have invisible sap?” Tom was in a different shell than his last one. This one had four legs and two pincer arms and closely resembled a crab. Rick was in his usual shell, lightweight with beetle like wings in the back.

“Ok well how do we get that sap you were talking about?” Rick asked as he flew up to one of the branches.

“Well last time it grew this weird box thing with locks on it, and it was in a jar inside the box.”

“Oh do we have to go on some quest to find out about ourselves and earn the keys by mastering some new kind of friendship?”

“What? No! that would be dumb. I’m going to break the box open. That's why I borrowed Cindy's shell. I'm going to open it with these," Tom said clacking the pincers menacingly.

“Oh yeah that does seem like it would be a lot easier,” Rick said flying around and examining the tree.

“But first we have to get the box to show up. Just start poking at those rocks until something happens, that’s what I did last time.” The two of them began furiously poking at the tree with their appendages.

*****

Applejack was walking along a path in the Everfree Forrest being continuously annoyed by Twilight and Rainbow Dash who were fluttering behind her throwing mean spirited quips at each other.

“Would ya’ll be quite,” Applejack finally yelled. “Or do you want every manticore and hydra in the forest to know where we are?” Twilight and Rainbow Dash pouted at each other.

“Well she started it,” Rainbow Dash huffed.

“I didn’t start anything!” Twilight complained. "You started it."

“Yer both acting like babies!” Applejack yelled. Rainbow dash was about to state something but Applejack stopped her. “That was a poor choice of words.” Rainbow Dash and Twilight nodded. “But that doesn’t make it not true and you both …” Applejack stopped as the three of them heard something over the ridge. They immediately got quiet and watched from behind a bush where they could see the clearing ahead of. They had reached the tree of Harmony and were looking from their hidden perch as two Raccni cntinued to fiddle around with parts of the tree of harmony.

“That’s the creature that bit Fluttershy,” Twilight whispered.

“Are ya sure?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight pointed to the head of one of the Raccni. “See that’s the elongated head I was talking about. I don't think it's the exact same one, they both look different, but it' the same species no doubt.”

“Alright!” Rainbow dash said. “What’s the plan here?”

“Well we need to capture at least one of them if we want to make an antivenom.”

“Right so what’ the best way a doin' that?” Applejack asked.

“Well,” Rainbow dash said evaluating the situation. “It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try and grab them with our hooves. The poison and magic make it too dangerous, so I’m thinking Twilight here should trap one with a spell. Something that keeps them from using their magic.”

“That’s good thinking Rainbow,” Twilight said, “I think I have just the spell in mind, but I can’t do it on something that large.”

“Well it’s just the shell that’s big right?” Rainbow said thinking aloud. “What if we cracked the shell and pulled one out?”

“That’s pretty dangerous Rainbow,” Applejack pointed out. “You might be bitten if you get that close.”

“No I can do it. I’ll grab the one without wings and drop him from the air. Then all you guys have do to is take care of the other one.”

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked concerned.

"I don't need to hold him for that long," Rainbow Dash said confidently. "I'll be dropping him from 50 feet before he even knows what's happening."

“ok," Twilight said some concern still in her voice. “Just be careful I’m not sure how powerful their magic is, and I don't want to see anypony else get bit.”

“Don't worry Twilight,” Rainbow dash said clapping her hoofs together. "We got this. Let's go girls."

With a nod the three ponies jumped out of the bush they were hiding behind and stormed into the clearing with a yell. The two Raccni jumped startled at the pony’s yelling and Tom began screaming when he saw Twilight.

“That’s her. That’a the quadrupedal equine!” Tom said beginning to run away.

“Are you serious?” Rick teased. “They don’t look that tough to ufff.” Rick was interrupted as a purple blast from Twilight hit him and sending him flying into the tree. Tom had already begun running away before the first shot was fired, but he wasn’t nearly fast enough for Rainbow Dash who caught up to him in a matter of seconds, picked him up by one of his back legs, and began flying upwards. At the same time Applejack was busy keeping Rick pinned to the tree and punching at his head each time it came up.

"I knew I should've gotten one with wings," Tom cursed as he struggled. Seeing his struggle was in vain, he began to extend his head from his shell and tried to bite Rainbow Dash on her hoof, but she dropped him before he could extend it far enough.

“Incoming!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Twilight gathered that Rainbow Dash had dropped the other Raccni and grabbed Rick with her magic tossing him in the air. Applejack jumped up and gave the airborne Rick a strong kick sending him careening far away into the forest.

As soon as Rick was out of sight Tom hit the ground with a thud and as expected his shell cracked in several places from the impact.

“Oh not again,” Tom said referring to his cracked shell. He didn’t have time to complain long as Twilight forced the rest of the shell apart with her magic and grabbed him, quickly using her magic to surround him in a solid magical bubble. His snake like body seemed to shrink in response to the bubbles small size

“Got him!” Twilight shouted. Applejack and Rainbow Dash cautiously approached. The Raccni seemed to struggle for words for a minute but then spoke up with little confidence.

“I-I-I am a Raccni. Uhh prepare to face the Raccni’s powerful magic honed for over 5,000 years.” Two probes appeared out of the bottom of his body and they began glowing with a blue light. The ponies braced for an impact, but when the spell was released it bounced around harmlessly inside the magical bubble before hitting Tom in the eye and knocking him out cold. The ponies relaxed knowing that the situation was resolved and that they were all not in much danger to begin with.

“Can I just say out of all of the really old mysterious monsters we’ve fought, this one was the lamest.” Rainbow Dash said unimpressed.

“You could say that again,” Applejack echoed.

“Well at least we got him,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. “Now we can get to work on an antidote.” Twilight began squishing the bubble in between her hooves and it teleported away to her castle.

“Well good job everypony,” Applejack said as she slyly nudged Twilight and Rainbow closer together. The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment.

“That was a handy spell Twilight,” Rainbow dash said struggling.

“Well it was all thanks to your good plan.” Twilight said starting another awkward silence. “Look,” Twilight said after a while. “We can’t keep doing this. I don’t know how much longer I can take being at each other’s throats like this.”

“Yeah it is kind of exhausting,” Rainbow dash said honestly. “I’m ready to be over it too.”

“I know it sucks that you have to watch me and Fluttershy flaunt around all of the time, and I’m sorry I just got mad at you instead of trying to see it from your point of view.”

“No I’m sorry. I let my jealousy get in the way. You never would have been good enough for Fluttershy in my eyes and that’s not fair.”

“Friends?”

“Friends.” Twilight and Rainbow embraced in a hug and Applejack gave a sigh of relief.

“Glad that’s over,” Applejack said joining in on the hug. “I didn’t want to put up with all that on the walk back too.” The group began walking back.

“Got any interesting gossip from Rarity for the walk back?” Rainbow Dash asked. Twilight giggled.

“Just one,” she whispered. “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

“Sounds juicy what is it?”

“Well,” Twilight motioned for the other two to lean in close and they did. “It turns out Rarity and Fluttershy were secretly wearing diapers too, they said they were curious.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash immediately moved away from Twilight and started blushing.

“I mean who could blame them right?” Applejack said quietly.

“Yeah you just make it look like so much fun you know,” Rainbow Dash said just as quietly.

“No way!” Twilight exclaimed. “You did it too!” Rainbow Dash and Applejack blushed even more. “Let me guess the smallest you could get was a pack of 20 and you didn’t want to waste them.”

“Alright alright,” Applejack said annoyed. “You found us out you don’t gotta rub it in.”

“I’m sorry it’s just really funny to me,” Twilight said hitting Applejack playfully on the back. “Oh I almost forgot I guess I don’t need the stealth wards anymore I’ll cast the self-destruct spell when I get back home.”

“Won’t somepony get hurt?” Applejack asked.

“Only if they’re standing around looking at garbage next to the most dangerous part of town.”

*****

Derpy stood in front of a mirror stuck in the ground. She didn’t know why exactly but she was always fascinated by mirrors. She had spent the last few hours trying different ways to get her one off center eye to finally line up, or at least find a way to style her mane that covered the fault up. Just like every other time though she couldn’t find a way to hide it. She sighed as she looked in to the mirror focusing on her imperfection when all of the sudden the mirror started glowing with a faint purple light. As Derpy looked closer the light grew bigger until eventually the mirror exploded into a cloud of purple smoke. Derpy could hear several other explosions follow this one. When the dust cleared Derpy stood singed but otherwise unharmed. She looked back at the mirror which was now cracked. She looked closer and was amazed. Somehow the explosion worked, it knocked her eye into place. A huge grin went across her face as she started dancing and happily yelling. When suddenly a rock, knocked into the air by another explosion landed on her head with a conk, and Derpy’s smile faded as her other eye slid out of place. She looked in the cracked mirror and confirmed her mismatched eyes. She gave a defeated sigh and kicked the mirror before heading home.

Author's Note

this was my attempt at a comic relief chapter as well as a way to resolve the conflict between Twilight and Rainbow Dash and have their love bloom once again on the battlefield. Originally I planned on the raccni getting the invisible sap from just a random tree, but I forgot that the tree of harmony is still there, so I thought it would be funny to literally poke fun at it a little. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed the chaper. It's going to be ending soon, I've got one or two more scenes left.