Janice Adjusts to Ponyville

Chapters

Part One: The Trouble Isn't Over Yet
Part Two: Heroics Don't Mean Everything
Part Three: Let's Make A Deal
Part Four: Minor Setback
Part Five: Playing The Long Game
Part Six: Time To Change Up The Game
Epilogue: The Game Has Scarcely Begun

Part One: The Trouble Isn't Over Yet

Shortly after Maestro had left Ponyville, Janice, the prized pupil of Princesses Celestia and Luna, took aside her other friends, and went into the Whitetail Woods. She then sighed. “I know that you all already know that I’m a Kirin, so I think you guys deserve to know what I look like.”

Surprised by this assessment, Mellia tried to convince her otherwise. “Listen, you don’t have to do this, Janice.” She then looked over to their other friends. “I believe that we all agree that maybe you should wait a bit to show us.”

However, Janice was not to be deterred. “No. You guys are my friends. I want you to be comfortable around my Kirin face, not just my pony face.” Gathering her courage, Janice then breathed deeply. “Here we go.” All of a sudden, an azure glow expanded from her horn, and extended across her body. Her limbs and features then started to contort in ways that were quite unnatural. Fur started to give way to scales, her muzzle lengthened into a snout, her teeth sharpened, her forehooves morphed into claws, her eyes became draconic, and her tail was replaced with a reptilian one with cyan and lavender spines alternating. She then stood on her hind hooves, which had become burlier so as to properly support her bipedal form. She then spoke. “So? What do you think?”

Mellia was the first to get over the shock of the reveal. “You look… Well, It’ll certainly take some getting used to. Seeing you like this, I mean.” She smiled brightly. “I’m certain, that with enough time, we’ll be more comfortable around you like this.” She then looked back to the others, who were just shaking off the shock as well. “Isn’t that right, girls?”

Inclining her head, Zecora replied. “Indeed, you must forgive us if at first we balk. For ‘round you this moment we uneasily talk.”

Smiling brightly, Cloudkicker piped up. “It’s great that you want us to be comfortable around you no matter what. We’ll try our best to adapt.”

Pondering for a while, Roseluck eventually commented. “I hope the rest of the town will be as accepting. It might be rough, but we’ll support you.”

Curious about something, Concerta spoke up. “Say, how old are you?”

Raising an eyebrow, Janice replied. “Around 17. Why?”

Sighing in relief, Melia voiced her excitement. “So I’m not the youngest of us! Sweet.”

Chuckling at Melia’s response, Zecora explained to Janice why. “She is of 18 and the others 19 of age. I am of 20, the oldest of this range.”

Shaking her head, Janice revealed a bit of information. “Not quite. Maestro’s 21, going on 22 in May.”

Blinking, Cloudkicker spoke up. “So when he was in town he was the fourth oldest out of the entire town, only behind Granny Smith, the mayor, and Filthy Rich. That’s quite something.”

Confused a bit, Janice voiced it. “Huh? What about the teachers, and the business owners?”

Chuckling, Roseluck explained. “Most of them are somewhere in the 18 to 20 range. There’s a few ponies in town that are your age, like Applejack and that Fluttershy mare. The only ones younger than you that live in town are the school children.”

Sighing deeply, Janice spoke out. “I wish that I could have everyone be a bit more comfortable with me walking around like this. Maestro may praise me for how good the polymorph’s gotten, but I’d rather not walk around in that fake body if I can help it.”

A thought occurred to Concerta. “Say, why don’t we walk back to town with you like this? That might ease a few ponies’ nerves. Besides, you said you wanted to open a jewelry store, right?”

Janice seemed hesitant, but realized that it was probably the best way to get the town to overcome the stigma. She sighed. “Alright. Let’s get this show on the road!”

My Little Pony,
My Little Pony,
Ah, ah, ah, ah...
My Little Pony!
I never took Friendship seriously.

My Little Pony!
But here you are, and I truly see!
A uplifting tune,

A steady breeze,

A scented gift,
A gentle touch,
A true heart,
The vision of true art,
And magic makes it all complete!
My Little Ponies,
I'll treasure these good friends!

The ponies of town were wary when they saw Janice stroll through the town in her kirin state, but remembered that she did save the town, so she couldn’t really be a monster, right? So a few brave souls went up to speak to her, and were genuinely surprised when she acted just as friendly as she had before the town found out about her kirin blood. Their surprise abated, and a few more approached, and apologized. Janice batted a claw bashfully, and told them not to worry about it. However, Janice noticed that some of the townsfolk still regarded her with looks of disgust and/or mistrust. She sighed, and hoped she could change their minds somehow. Soon, the group of six found their way to Town Hall, and entered. At the receptionist desk was quite the sight- a periwinkle pegasus was demanding to see the mayor. But that wasn’t the surprising part- He looked to be made of crystal. They overheard the conversation. “Look! I can commune with spirits! It’s what I’m good at! If you’ll just let me, I can set up a spirit barrier to keep stray monsters from wandering into town! Just let me talk to the mayor!”

Janice’s eyes were wide. Crystal pegasai were thought to be extinct! Yet here one was, demanding to see the mayor. The secretary shook her head, causing her seafoam mane to sway a little. “Look, Mister Howler. Mayor Ivory Scrolls may have a bleeding heart for freaks, but not me. It’s my job to protect her from herself. Now, you can just--”

Janice cleared her throat to get the attention of the secretary. Once she had it, she wore her most winning smile. “Hello there. I’m looking to speak to the mayor about something of importance regarding a more… permanent residence in this town.” She then pulled out an official document from Celestia and Luna, and handed it over to the secretary. “It’s all there. All the permissions I need. So if you’ll excuse me…”

The secretary was visibly livid. She knew that no matter how much she wanted to, she could not go against documentation from the crown. Her dark mulberry coat was standing on edge, and one of her dark green eyes was twitching. But, she drew in a deep breath, and collected herself. She breathed out, and adjusted her wire-framed glasses that had gone askew. She tipped her head slightly in acknowledgement, gave the documents back to Janice, and turned back to the crystal pegasus as Janice walked to the mayor’s office.

Lumbering up to the office door, Janice knocked a few times. She heard the mayor call out. “Come on in!” Janice went inside, and as Ivory looked up, she blinked to ensure she wasn’t seeing things. When she was sure that she wasn’t hallucinating, She looked at Janice, studying her for a bit, before smiling. “Ah, Janice. Good to see you’re trying to be more open with us. So, were you thinking of getting more a permanent residence?” Janice nodded, and handed over the document from the Princesses. “I see. This document will move things along quite nicely, I think. Normally, I would have to jump through a few hoops just to do this for a pony that is not of the three tribes, or a hybrid- let alone a non-pony, seeing as the Noble in charge of our region of Equestria is not as open-minded as I, but with this, we can skip that headache entirely.” with mirth in her eye, Ivory chuckled. “Though Baron Greenfield will not like it, he’ll have his hooves tied in this matter. I’ll get our best on it. I presume you’ll want a storefront as well, so I’ll show you a few layouts to choose from.” Janice smiled as they discussed her new residence in town. Things were looking up. Maybe, she could get some downtime before the Elements were needed again.

Ice Temple, Frozen North

Looking through his Gazing Orb at the situation, Cold Heart couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh sweet, naïve, little Janice. I’m not through with you by a long shot. Just because I’m getting ready for the next pawn’s arrival doesn’t mean I won’t send trials your way in the meantime. After all…” He clutched Chessmaster’s locket with a claw. “The trouble isn't over yet!

Author's Note

Finally, it's here! The long promised sequel to End of Days, End of Nights! If you haven't read it, I suggest you read it, just to get some context. And for those of you who have, but it's been a while, why not go back for a refresher? Anyway, this is planned to have eight chapters, so I hope you'll stay for the ride. If you liked/disliked/faved, please tell me your thoughts below. Constructive criticism is encouraged. I'll be seeing you when chapter two drops.

Part Two: Heroics Don't Mean Everything

After the meeting with the mayor was over, Janice went back to the lobby, where her friends had waited for her. They seemed to be trying to talk sense into the Secretary. Melia was the one ripping into her at the moment. “There’s nothing wrong with somepony wanting to see the mayor! Just-!”

However, The Secretary huffed, slamming a hoof on the desk. “I don’t have to take this from a thestral, even if you did help save the town! I am looking out for the town here! Mister Howler is a disgusting freak, just like you and your friend that went to see the mayor. I may not have been able to stop her, but I sure as Tartarus can bar him entrance! I-!”

Just then, the mayor came out of her office. “Miss Ardent Valor! That’s quite enough!” She stormed down the stairs, and glared at her secretary. “I’ve given you chance after chance, Miss Valor. Pack your things. You’re fired!”

Eyes full of shock, Ardent Valor tried to reason with her. “B-but Misses Mayor! I’m only trying to-!”

Eyes full of disdain and anger, Mayor Ivory Scroll leered at Ardent as she leaned over the desk. “No. I don’t need protecting from Mister Howler, or any of the residents of Ponyville. I will see Mister Howler, and you can not do anything about it. Now get out of my sight.”

At that, Ardent knew that the mayor meant business. She packed her things, and stood. She went to the front door of Town Hall, and then looked back. “You’re making a grave error, Misses Mayor. But I see that you will not be persuaded. I bid you farewell, for now.” With that, she left while slamming the door.

The Mayor sighed, and then addressed Mister Howler. “I’m terribly sorry about her attitude towards you, Phantom Howler. It was inexcusable.”

Shaking his head, Phantom smiled slightly. “It’s alright, I’m used to it.” He shrugged non committedly. “I have a very… odd… talent, to say the least. It’s why I’ve adopted the name Phantom Howler, as opposed to telling everyone my real name.”

Mayor Scroll’s eyebrows shot up in intrigue. “It’s not your given name, then? Then what is your real name?”

Phantom shifted on the spot a bit, nervous at the question. “W-wind Shard, ma’am. Th-though, I really don’t mind if you call me Phantom. I actually kinda like it, to be honest.”

Smiling, Mayor Scroll nodded. “Well then, Phantom. How about we talk more on this idea of yours in my office? I’m quite intrigued with it!”

She led the way back up to her office, Phantom following behind with excitement. Before entering the office, he waved to the girls. “Wish me luck!” He then entered, the doors closing firmly behind him.

The girls sighed collectively, and Roseluck shook her head. “That was something, alright. That Ms. Valor really needs to get out more.” She then looked to Janice. “So, what news do you have for us?”

Smiling widely, Janice led them out of Town Hall. “Well, everything’s going to go smoothly thanks to those documents. I picked out a storefront too, so I could sell my jewelry. Mayor Scroll helped me draw up the plans for the house, and I couldn’t be happier!”

The friends travelled over to the contractor’s place to give the plans over to them. Once inside, they found a very friendly member of the team at the front desk. “How can I help you fine ladies today?” He smiled, his soot gray coat accentuated by the lighting.

Janice had to compose herself at the sight of him. He had pinkish-purple eyes, and a mane and tail of off-white blue. Controlling the thoughts going through her head, Janice set the forms on the counter. “I’m here to have you construct a house for me.”

Lighting his horn, the cheerful lad took a look. “Certainly! Let’s see here…” For a moment, the lad went over each page carefully. After a few minutes, He nodded his head. “These look alright. Gotta get an appraisal of cost, though. Not just money, but time as well. Hey, Boss!”

A burly jade Earth Pony came in, and took a look at the papers himself. After a bit of deliberation, he nodded quickly. “Right. The construction materials… the labor… the time… according to our rates, it’ll be 4 stampede coins for the cost.”

Janice took out her purse, and fished out four platinum coins of about two inches in diameter and set them on the counter. “There you go. The papers have the ideal location details on there. Anything else?”

The boss shook his head. “Not from us, no. If ya want some furnishings ya’ll need to go to Quills & Sofas to get some.” Before going into the back, his face showed a bit of concern in his ivory eyes. “Hey, if the owner of the place gives ya any trouble… Let ‘em know that Steady Ground sent ya. He’ll shut up then.”

Janice nodded, and waved. “Alright then! See you!” The girls then left the building.

After a bit of silence, the lad spoke up. “She’s kinda cute. What do you think? Do I have a chance with her?”

Sighing, Steady rolled his eyes. “Don’ go doin’ anythin’ stupid, Clear Record. Ya’ve done this sort ‘o thing ‘fore, and it didn’t go so well for ya. I’ve told ya agin an’ agin-”

Clear sighed deeply. “I know, boss. ‘Don’t go datin’ the customers!’ I get it, but… Something tells me that this might be different. I mean the cool factor of her saving the town-”

Stomping a hoof, Steady caused Clear to jump a little. “Listen here, and you listen good!” Clear shook a little as he looked into his boss’ eyes. “There’s somthin’ that you best learn ‘fore ya get yaself in truble! She may be a hero, boy. But there’s a sayin’ about trustin’ heroes.” He paused a bit, and turned away. “‘Heroics don’t mean everything.’”

Author's Note

Chapter two is finally here! A little less than a full year, and I finally update this. Sorry about that, I had so many things going on that I had to cut back somewhere. Anyway, this means this story is off hiatus, at least for now. Please give me your thoughts below!

Part Three: Let's Make A Deal

The group travelled to the shop with Janice to show their support. By now, more of the townsponies had become comfortable with approaching Janice in her true kirin state. Sure, there were still some that had their qualms, and there were those that did not want anything to do with her, but it was progress nonetheless. The Quills & Sofas store was a block and a half away, so the amount of ponies that saw Janice out and about was nothing to scoff at. Even Applejack saw her, and gave a respectful nod before trying to cool off the hotter heads among the crowd. Janice smiled, knowing that Applejack was appreciative of the honesty that Janice was showing and the risk she was taking here. She pushed those thoughts away as she entered the shop, and took a quick look around. Despite the name, sofas weren’t the only furnishings the store sold. From tables and lamps to couches and chandeliers, they carried just about everything that one might want to adorn the inside of their home with, and in varying styles to boot.

Janice found her way to the counter, and rang the bell on it. She didn’t have to wait long for somepony to come. From the back room, a surly navy blue Earth Pony emerged. He took one look at Janice, and scoffed. “Well now. Look who it is.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Listen- I don’t care if you did save the town. You are not welcome here, so I-”

Before the store owner could go much further, Janice smiled. “Steady Ground sent me. He said you’ve got what I’d be looking for…”

At that name, the store owner blinked his green eyes. He had a sudden change of demeanor. “Steady sent you? Well then, pardon me.” He bowed slightly, his off-white red mane rustling slightly. “I’ve always respected him, so if he’s vouching for you, then that’s a different story.” He procured a list of items from behind the counter. “Please, take a look at these. Some of my prime stock, if I do say so myself.” He let Janice look it over for a while before asking her opinion. “See anything you like?”

Nodding, Janice pointed a few things out. “The silver chandelier and the mauve couch. There are a few more things that I’ll come back for when I have more money.” She took out her purse and counted out the bits she needed. “100… 200… 300… 400… 500… 600… 700… 800! That’ll do it, right?”

The manager nodded. “Yes, that is enough for both of them. You probably don’t have a place to put them just yet, so I’ll mark them off in a box under your name, Miss Dazzle. You can pick them up when you have a place to put them. Any of my more common furnishings you might like, or is that all?”

Janice glanced around the store, and saw a darling white reading desk with small flower decorations on it. Its paint was fading in many places, revealing the light wood underneath. Yet, it looked almost… sad there. She decided that she would buy it, and pointed a claw in its direction. “How much is that one?”

The manager glanced at the desk, and his eyes widened slightly. “That? It’s one of the older things here. It’s never been sold, not since the store opened. It’s practically an antique! It’s in bad shape though, so I can’t charge much. How does 30 bits sound?”

Janice took out 30 bits, and placed them on the counter. “Deal.” She waited while the manager placed the bits in the register and printed out her receipt. Once he hoofed it to her, she went over to the writing desk. She carefully lifted it off the sales floor, and took her leave of the store. Her friends helped her get it into the hotel room she was staying in, even if they would still have to move it later into her completed house. She looked around at them, smiling. “Thanks for your help today, girls. I can take things from here.” They bade their farewells, and Janice wound down for the night. She was actually going to have a shop! She felt very nervous about it, but excited as well. She’d have to ask Maestro for advice on a few things to be sure, he had a good head for business. She resolved to send him a letter in the morning, and drifted off to sleep.

Through his Gazing Orb, Cold Heart saw what had occurred that day. He scoffed. Things were going far too smoothly for Janice, and he couldn’t abide that. He considered the chessboard in front of him. He had already sacrificed one pawn, and now they had a slight advantage. He wasn’t quite ready to bust out the next one, for he still had some preparations to make. He let himself deep in thought, considering his next move. He then turned his attention to the Everfree. It would be rather simple to influence some of the creatures there to attack the town, but it seemed a bit pedestrian for his taste.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard an alarm go off. Impossible! Who could have found me here? Cautiously, he shifted the Gazing Orb’s attention to the front room. What he saw was something he never thought possible. “A Wendigo? But they were supposedly eradicated! But this means…” His face grew a sinister grin. Yes, this would be quite useful indeed. He traversed the many halls of the ruined castle, making his way to the front room. He entered, and saw the creature for himself. It looked starkly different from how they were described in that infuriating play, to be sure. It looked far paler, if it was possible, and it looked far scrawnier as well. The creature was on its last legs, and likely to die soon. Cold Heart smiled as he went to the creature. “Peace, servant of the Only. I will correct this grievous error. Now, let’s make a deal…”

Author's Note

Chapter 3! Took a while because my computer wasn't liking the internet. At least it's on time, though.

Part Four: Minor Setback

Janice woke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. She got herself a bit of breakfast, and headed out for a stroll. As she ventured through the town that morning, she waved at some passersby; some of which returned the wave hesitantly, while others chose to ignore her. She sighed internally, thanking her lucky stars that at least nobody was- She shook her head. No, even thinking that would probably jinx it. Gotta think ahead, Janice. She made a turn, and headed for Sugar Cube Corner. Once she went inside, she saw quite the scene. Ponies that she knew at least got along were bickering harshly. Some of her friends were there too, arguing with one another. It took her awhile to appraise herself fully to it, and when she had, she spoke up. "What is going on here?"

However, it seemed that everyone there was a bit too preoccupied with their petty feuds to notice. Snorting a bit, she barrelled through the crowd, grabbing the two friends of hers that were bickering: Melia and Cloudkicker. She glared at them, getting them to snap out of it, they looked around, and looked back at Janice. Melia chuckled in embarrassment. “Ehe. Um, I’m not certain what came over us.” She looked towards Cloudkicker. “What were we arguing about? I can’t seem to recall…”

Cloudkicker place a hoof to her chin, and tried to remember. “Umm… well, if we can’t recall, it must’ve been something stupid or trivial.” She looked around the shop, concerned. “So, how are we gonna snap the rest of them out of it? Doesn’t seem very simple…”

Janice considered the situation for a moment. How were they supposed to fix all this? She then recalled something Maestro had told her. “Wait a minute! A lot of these ponies are friends with somepony else here, so all we need to do is remind them of their friendships! Let’s do this thing!”

Nodding, they went over to another bickering set of friends, Lyra and Bon Bon. Cloudkicker tapped Lyra’s shoulder, and Melia tapped Bon Bon’s. The two turned away from one another, and focused on the pony that had taken their respective attention. Cloudkicker spoke to Lyra first. “Hey, what’s this all about? You and Bon Bon have been buds for ages! What’s got you at one another’s throats?”

Lyra huffed. “Bon Bon knows what she did! She just won’t admit it!”

Bon Bon growled lightly. “For the last time! It’s you who knows what you did! I did not do whatever it is that you are accusing me of!”

Melia responded to Bon Bon before Lyra could. “So, each of you is accusing the other of doing something that the other insists that they did not do. What exactly is it that you’re accusing the other of doing?”

Bon Bon was about to yell again, but blinked. “Uh…. what was it again?” She scratched the back of her head. “I can’t seem to recall.” She turned to Lyra. “Say, what was it you were accusing me of doing? You never told me.”

Lyra was about to object when she realized something. “You know, you’re right. I can’t seem to remember what it was. What’s up with that? You’d think that I’d remember what I was accusing my best friend of doing…”

Janice shook her head. “Not necessarily. Pops always said that if arguments about things one can’t recall were prevalent, that it was a sure sign that a starving wendigo had been in the area. I know most consider them a legend, but…”

Bon Bon’s eyes widened. “Well, if King Eclipse turned out to be real, who’s to say what else might be? So, we just break the rest of these ponies out of it, then?”

Janice nodded slightly. “It’s a start. Starving wendigoes can’t usually go very far. Once we’ve finished restoring friendships, we should follow the energy trail that one would leave behind. It’s quite distinct and easy to identify. Lyra, Bon Bon, will you help us get the rest back to their old selves?”

Both nodded, and Lyra huffed. “Nobody messes with the friendships of Ponyville! Let’s do this!”

The group spread out to reason with the rest of the patrons of the shop, and they made staggering progress. It wasn’t long before all of the patrons were back to their old selves. Pinkie came from behind the counter and pawed at the ground. “Pressuring ponies into being meanies is just not cool! Make sure to teach that no-good wendigo a lesson from all of us, okay?”

Janice nodded at the door, Melia and Cloudkicker in tow. “You got it. One wendigo whooping, coming right up!” The trio then exited the shop.

Cold Heart chuckled as he watched through the Gazing Orb. They really thought that they would track down his new pet? How ludicrous that was. Speaking of his pet though, he gazed over to it. It still looked rather starved, but that was to be expected at this venture. After all, the minor bickerings of one town was far from enough to satiate a wendigo. It still wasn’t quite enough, though. They’d fixed the conflicts in record time, which irked him. That didn’t really matter, though. He had time to test the limits of their friendship. He would tear them apart piece by piece, and leave them high and dry. He turned back to the Gazing Orb, and sighed. “Such naïvete you have, thinking that you can defeat me.” He shook his head. “Oh well. When I defeat you, you will see the error of your ways. It’s only a matter of time before the end. Just accept it. You’ve already lost, but you just don’t know it yet...” He turned his attention to the chess board, and smiled. “You’re all just pawns in my game…. You may have defeated one of my pieces, but trust me...” His smile became a manic grin. “That was just a minor setback.”

Author's Note

About halfway through this now, unless I decide to extend or shorten how long this fic will be. Well, I'll see you next chapter.

Part Five: Playing The Long Game

The trio worked together, trying to find the rouge wendigo. Though, it was a bit harder than expected because of the state of the town. Everywhere they looked, more and more ponies had been affected by the rogue wendigo than Janice had first realized. They soon found their other three other friends, and they were bickering. Zecora huffed out in rhyme. “Out of my way pony of the earth! I would really prefer if you give me a wide berth!”

Roseluck rolled her eyes heavily. “Excuse me, but it is you that is in my way! Or maybe if Concerta were not quite so rude…”

Concerta scoffed audibly as her wings buzzed in agitation. “Oh, please! I was here first, so the both of you just need to back off!”

As the argument started to get heated and was about to come to blows, Janice stepped in to break it up, grabbing Roseluck and Zecora with her claws and Concerta with her magic. She glared at the three of them in disappointment. "Snap out of it! This is not like you! Any of you!" She shook her head. “We are all friends here! Just take a step outside your heads and calm down!” She huffed as the three of them looked around and saw what was going on. They looked back to each other, all having guilty looks on their faces. Janice sighed as she set them down. “This is all the work of a wendigo. We need you to stick with us as we track it down!”

Zecora sighed deeply. “It was childish of us to argue so. But after this menace we need to go.”

Concerta nodded in agreement. “Quite. Now, where would a wendigo go after feeding? That is the trouble…”

Janice beckoned to her friends. “Come on. The arguments are a trail. Let us follow them.”

The girls followed her as they continued to reason with the ponies as they went. But then, they found themselves in an alley, and what they saw shocked them. Melia spoke out first at the sight. “Is that… the former secretary, Ardent Valor?”

The former secretary was up against the wall as a pony-like creature that seemed to be made of winter winds was cornering her. She looked beyond her assailant to see the girls. She growled. “What do you want, huh? Go away!” She winced. “Ah!”

They saw as black energy wisped from her form and into the creature. This was how wendigos fed. Janice grabbed the wendigo with magic, struggling to pull it off of Ardent. “We are here… *grunt* to help you, Ardent! Just try and keep… *huff* your thoughts positive! Wendigos… only can feed… on negativity!”

Ardent glared at them with suspicion in her eyes, but saw that the girls had all combined their efforts to try and pull away the creature. Why were they doing this? She had treated most of them like garbage! Weren’t they supposed to leave her to be consumed by this creature? She did not understand. As her thoughts went away from their negative tone, she saw that the creature started to wane in strength. Those girls… they really were helping her, after what she had done to them? Maybe… she had been a tad too hasty… she saw them subdue the wendigo, and Janice trapped it in some kind of magical jar that drew it in. She stood, and looked at each of them in turn. They smiled hopefully. Ardent cleared her throat. “Do not think this changes anything. I still do not approve of the freaks among you.” At Zecora’s glare though, she squirmed a bit, then sighed deeply. “Though, since you are the bearers of the Elements… I suppose that I should cut you a break. I will be going now. Farewell.”

Ardent left in a huff, squeezing past the girls with little trouble. Janice sighed. “Well, at least the wendigo will not cause us more trouble. Now, how to properly dispose of it…” Janice considered a few options before teleporting a paper and quill to her. She started to write a letter...

A talon banged against a table in frustration as Cold Heart gazed at the scene from afar. “So they have managed to capture my new pet already? That is quite irksome and unfortunate…” He turned his attention to the former secretary of the mayor, and grinned. “Though, I could use her… yes, given the right push… this will work out quite well…” He nodded to himself, and turned to face a wall. “These ponies think that they have me beat, but they have yet to see the full capabilities of my superior strategic might.”

He ran one of his talons across the wall, and a few cubbies made themselves visible. He searched through them for a brief moment before he pulled out a scroll from one of the wall cubbies, and unsheathed it. He smirked with sinister glee as he looked upon the familiar scroll. “Yes, just perfect. All will be going according to plan. Once I find all of the shards, I can reconstruct the artifact that will bring back the one who ruled so long ago…”

He turned back to the Gazing Orb and shifted its focus to see what Maestro was up to. He glared as he saw him helping King Eclipse adjust to modern times. “Such a troublemaker you are, Maestro. You refuse to see things my way, and that is what makes you so irksome.” But then he shook his head as he saw a letter from Janice appear in front of Maestro. “It does not matter, you can do as you will. In the end, all events will serve to further my grand ambition…” His grin returned, and grew upon his face as he turned off the gazing orb. “After all…” He glanced at the locket of Chessmaster as it hung from his wall, a small sicker escaping his beak. “I am quite accustomed to playing the long game…”

Author's Note

Now, how will things go from here? it's all building to a certain conclusion...

Part Six: Time To Change Up The Game

Just after Janice had sent off the letter to Maestro, she looked back to her friends. “Well, hopefully he replies soon. Never thought that a wendigo would pop up here, certainly not this soon.”

Melia quirked her head at that remark. “Wait, did you somehow know that one would eventually come to Equestria?”

Janice shook her head. “No, but it made sense that one might eventually. After all, most legends do come from a modicum of truth. At least, that’s how Maestro explained it to me.”

Roseluck sighed. “Regardless, we have to deal with it now before any more trouble comes of it. If the wendigos fully rise up again, it could tear Equestria apart!”

Concerta nodded her head grimly. “We have to prevent that at any cost. These things are dangerous, and they can’t be allowed to return.” She turned towards Janice as Maestro’s reply letter appeared in front of them. “Well? What does it say?”

Janice opened the scroll, and her friends heard Maestro’s voice speak from the scroll.

“Janice. I have received your letter asking about how to get rid of wendigos. It is quite simple, actually. They might feed off of negative thoughts and help them grow, but the key to defeating them is to emulate what the founders of Equestria did so long ago; that being unleashing the power of Friendship throughout the area. Little more can be done though, seeing as this is only a temporary solution. I will continue to delve into the mysteries of this question, should this situation arise again. Keep well, Janice. Until we see each other once more.”

Janice rolled up the scroll, and looked to her friends. “Alright, girls. Time to work some magic!”

Zecora and the others nodded, and they went off to round up all of the people in town. It took some doing, seeing as some of them were still shaking off the effects of the wendigo’s power. But eventually, all but the former secretary had been gathered in one place. Janice looked across the crowd, and held aloft the jar. “I have captured the wendigo responsible for causing mischief in town today. In order to drive it out from amongst us, we must band together, and fully put aside our petty grievances. Are all of you with me?”

As she looked across the crowd, she saw that many of them were discussing amongst themselves what to do. Though, one did step forward first to speak, that being Rarity. “Well, if you are serious, it wouldn’t bode well for us to ignore your call to action. So I say, I am for it. I strongly implore you all to put a little faith in Janice here- after all, she has helped us before.”

Some among the crowd started to nod their heads in agreement. But then Ardent Valor came from the crowd, and a stir arose. She glanced at Cloudkicker, then Rarity, then all amongst the crowd that supported this movement. She shook her head and scoffed. “You lot are fools. She’s using this as a bargaining chip to gain further favor! She doesn’t have our best interests at heart! She’s part dragon, a thing of filth! We should not listen to her, not now or ever!”

While a portion of the crowd did agree with her, the majority had decided to support Janice. It was then that Janice looked straight at Ardent, and gave her a piercing look of disappointment and hurt. “Miss Valor, look at what you are doing! Don't you see how wrong this is?" She shook her head. “You were there! You felt its power first-hoof! How can you say that I’m out for personal gain, when I helped you despite how I know you feel about me and other hybrids! Bringing contention will only make the wendigo stronger, perhaps even release it! Don’t you think that we should band together to nip this problem in the bud now?”

Ardent backed away slowly as the few that had agreed with her walked away to join the majority, saying things such as: “Why would she lie to us?” “How can we trust her now?” “I’m disappointed that she doesn't feel the spirit of the founders flowing through Janice as she speaks.”

Ardent shook her head. “I only want to protect you from her! Ponies that are not purely one tribe are only trouble! The founders never intended for us to mingle like this with creatures such as her!”

It was then that Mayor Scrolls came out of the crowd, and looked upon Ardent with disgust. Ardent shied away from the Mayor’s gaze as she spoke. “Pack your things, and get out of our town. You are no longer welcome here, until you can put aside your petty biases. Now leave.”

Ardent took one last look across the crowd, seeing them all look at her in much the same way. She sighed, and chuckled slightly. “Fine. I’ll be off then. But don’t come crying to me when it turns out that I’m right.”

She left to pack her things. Mayor Scrolls turned back towards Janice as Ardent departed. “Now, let us all join hooves and claws, everypony.” They all formed a large circle as Janice levitated the jar to the middle. She took a deep breath, and counsciled the townsfolk. “Focus on your positive thoughts about all of those around you. Feel the camaraderie grow. Now, channel it, like mana. Focus it into a spell.” They followed her instructions, those without horns channeling through others, and those with horns lighting them brightly as they could without blinding. Janice nodded, and they cast the magic forward, drowning the wendigo completely as it withered away. A cheer went out, and the townsponies chattered with those that they had misjudged before, to get to know them better. Janice smiled.

Cold Heart scowled. They had destroyed the wendigo. He sighed, shaking his head as he turned his attention to Ardent. “Now. Time to change up the game…”

Author's Note

Now we are reaching the end of this story. It feels like yesterday that I put up the first chapter...

Epilogue: The Game Has Scarcely Begun

The cheers died down, and Janice sighed. “Well, that was certainly an experience. Let’s just hope that we don’t come across a wendigo again…”

One of the townsponies that had given her the evil eye earlier that day came towards her, head hung low. “Sorry that I was so hostile towards you. I hope that you can forgive my rudeness.”

Janice batted a claw through the air. “No harm done. I’m not one to hold grudges anyway.”

Melia raised an eyebrow as the pony that approached walked off. “Are you sure that you should just let him go like that?”

Janice nodded. “It’ll be fine, Melia. I think that the ponies here are finally starting to really accept me- plus, if every week has at least one day as hectic as this…” She grinned. “I think that I’ll fit in just fine.”

She was then approached by the construction ponies that had been working on her house. One of them addressed her. “Miss Dazzle, your new home here in Ponyville will be finished by tonight. Would you like to take a look at it?”

Surprise lit upon her face, and Concerta placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, ponies work fast here in Ponyville. Let’s go and check it out together!”

Janice gave a nod, a grin on her face. “Sure. Let’s go.”

The girls followed the construction pony for a while until they reached the plot of land that Janice’s house had been planned for. The house wasn’t much for aesthetics at this point, the outside just starting to be layered with white beams of wood. The door was finished being put in, but another construction pony came up to meet them. “Can’t let you see the inside just yet Miss Dazzle. It’s still being tiled and floored right now.”

She gave a nod. “Oh, that’s alright.” She took it all in. “So this my place… my own house…”

It was then that the lad from behind the counter came up towards her. “It’s a beauty, isn’t it?”

Startled, Janice turned to see who it was. She took a breath as she clutched her chest. “Don’t do that! I almost-!” She shook her head and pushed the thought away. “Nevermind.” She looked back to the house. “It does look pretty good so far, though. I can hardly wait to see it finished…”

He gave a chuckle. “It’s always nice to see a satisfied customer.” He gave a small sigh. “Boss was wrong about you. I saw what you did with the wendigo situation and… Is till think that you’re pretty great.”

Janice blushed, and rubbed an open palm on the other arm. “Oh, it wasn’t just me. My friends and I work together to solve problems. It’s sort of our thing now.”

He gave an appreciative look at her. No other pony he knew of was quite the way she was. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to ignore his Boss’ advice just once more? First things first, though. “That’s pretty cool. Say, I never told you my name.” He extended his right forehoof. “Clear Record, at your service.”

His name certainly matched his Cutie Mark, which she only now could see. It was a pad of paper with a quill. She extended her right claw, and grasped his hoof. “Nice to meet you, Clear Record. I hope this will be the start of a beautiful friendship!”

Clear gave a slight chuckle. “Same.” They let go, and Clear walked off to help with guiding the construction.

The girls went on their way, and Roseluck had a wide grin on her face as she went astride Janice. “Sooooo…? You gonna ask him out?”

Janice blushed furiously. “D-don’t be ridiculous! I hardly know him.” She shook the red away. “Honestly, you’re almost as bad as Maestro. He would gibe me quite a bit about my first boyfriend.” She gave a sigh. “At the time, I broke it off to make Maestro stop, but… I never thought that the feelings would mellow out. Starstrike was understanding, though. We’re good friends now.”

At that admission, Cloudkicker quirked an eyebrow. “Woah, I wasn’t aware that you had already started dating… Most of the rest of us are a bit too busy for that…”

Concerta sighed deeply. “Well hopefully you’ve got better luck than I do. I’ve dated a few myself, but none have really clicked for me just yet…”

The conversation was diverted when they saw Mayor Scrolls coming towards them, much to Janice’s relief. She went up to her. “Mayor Scrolls! Was there something that you wished to talk about?”

Mayor Scrolls gave a chuckle. “I suppose so, yes.” She then bowed her head slightly. "Janice, if there is anything more that we can do to thank you for what you and your friends have done for Ponyville... just let me know."

At that, Janice blinked. She turned to look to her friends that were here with her. She stepped aside to talk it over with them. “Well? Do we have anything like that as of now?”

Zecora shook her head. “Not at the moment, no. If something should arise, I’ll let you know.”

Melia’s wings twitched. “Um, I can think of something. Make better anti-prejudice laws. I mean sure the ponies here are starting to warm to Janice and myself, but… not all of them will. Not all of them are as vocal as Ardent, you know.”

Mayor Scrolls had been listening in, and she gave a nod. “Consider it done. I’ll push for that bill myself.” She deflated slightly, however. “Ooh boy. Going directly against the Baron’s wishes like this…” She shook her head. “Well, it doesn’t matter. He can moan about it all he wants. He can’t influence the law, seeing as he can’t run for mayor of the town. He only lives here.”

Janice looked a bit concerned, though. “What if he gets you fired?”

A smile came upon Mayor Scrolls’ face. “He can’t do that. The ponies of this town like me too much. He’d have a riot on his hooves, and run out of town.”

The conversation then shifted to idle chatter...

Cold Heart chuckled as he turned his attention away from the Gazing Orb. “Oh, celebrate for now…” He looked at Ardent, suspended in swirling magic. He grinned. “I’ve a new pawn that’ll give you chills.” He turned back to the Gazing Orb once more, this time looking in at Maestro. He scoffed. “You think that you have it all figured out? Not even close. After all, The Game has scarcely begun…”

Continued In: (Story Unknown)

Author's Note

I was planning another chapter, but... this seemed like a good point to cap it off. I don't know what comes next, but... I'll see you then.