Even at night, the crystals of the Crystal Empire gleamed and reflected in the moonlight. Pastel Color was walking along a path, admiring the crystals as she made way to her home. She felt the gleaming crystalline path under her hooves, and she sighed in happiness. Her eyes were half-closed, completely relaxed. She would be able to work on a painting when she got home. She greeted a few fillies as she passed. Finally, she got home. As she was standing at her front door, she felt something in her life was missing, but what? She had an amazing house, she was a crystal alicorn for Faust's sake! Still, she felt like there was a missing part of her life.
Candy Cloud hopped around the street of the Crystal Empire, munching on a cupcake she had whipped up earlier. On her back was a large box of cupcakes to be delivered for a party the next morning. Her hooves clopped on the crystals of the path as she jumped. She felt no strain; she had been carrying boxes of baked goods like this ever since her bake sale in fillyhood. However, Candy began to get a sinking feeling that her life was not complete. What was it she needed?
Cracker Curl delicately trotted across the hair styling place where she worked. She grabbed the mirror, and she told the customer that they were free to go. This meant an end to her job for the night. She went through the door out of the shop, and she walked home. As Candy walked home, she looked at the breathtaking scenery around her. The Crystal Empire was truly beautiful, all fabulous ponies wished to live there. Candy luckily had parents living there, so she had lived in the empire all her life. Of course, she had her own house now, and a gorgeous one at that. Come to think of it, though, she felt like there was a missing piece of her. A missing piece that she didn't know of. She had that feeling all through the night.
Kitten Feather fed and watered all of her winged cats, nuzzling them all in the process to strengthen their bond. She brought in the toys she had in the closet, and she levitated a wand with a feather clump at the end. She waved it back and forth, letting all the cats pounce at it and dive from flight. After all the cats had tired out, Kitten Feather went down to get a drink and carrot for herself. That was when a worrying thought came through her mind. All her cats were amazing company and all, but they didn't feel like enough. She needed something, but she couldn't put her hoof on it.
All four ponies did exactly what they were planning, but with a much more negative attitude.
The next morning, all four of them managed to find themselves together at one of the crossroads. They accidentally started up a conversation about where they were going.
Pastel raised a hoof. "I was just taking my morning walk. I enjoy admiring our empire at sunrise. By the way, I'm Pastel."
Candy turned her head to the side, striking a signature pose. "Hey. I'm Candy Cloud, the best baker on Equis! I was going to work until, um... we bumped into each other."
"Hi! You may know me, famous hairstylist Cracker Curl! Same as Candy Cloud, I was going to work." Cracker Curl spun around a few times to flip her mane and look at the others.
Kitten Feather didn't speak up. Everypony stared at her until she finally said, "I'm Kitten Feather and I train cats. Oh, I also can make a cat sprout wings. It's kind of my gift."
They all kept chatting for about five minutes until Cracker felt she was going to be late for her job. However, Kitten cried out, "Wait!"
All the ponies stopped going away and stared at her. "I know we don't know each other, but I was wondering if we could all take the day off to hang out a little bit?"
Candy looked through a long scroll. "There aren't any parties coming up, and this one nut job stallion named Marmalade got hired at the bakery yesterday, so I guess I could take today off."
Cracker flipped out her TwiPhone from her saddle bags and checked out her hairstyle boutique's website. "I don't seem to have a single appointment until tonight, plus we have a bunch of pros ready for walk ins, so I can take the day off as well."
Pastel swished her tail nervously. "I was planning on finishing a painting, but it isn't due until next month. I only needed to add a few more details, so I can hang around with you girls and still have it finished by next month."
Kitten Feather lit up in excitement. "It's decided then! Today we are having a day for the four of us! Any ideas on what we should do?"
Everypony was quiet until Candy yelled, "Let's have a party at my house! It isn't far from here! And I make such amazing apple and berry cupcakes, I get hungry just thinking about them!" She started drooling.
Pastel whipped her softly with her paintbrush-like tail to snap her out of her cupcake daydream. They all agreed to trot on over to Candy's house for a "getting to know my new friends I met at the crossroads while trying to walk to work today and we talked productively and became friends party" as Candy liked to call it.
They all walked to Candy's house, speaking lightly as they walked, and they noticed that her house was indeed NOT close to the place they met. It was actually very far down a few miles away.
Finally, they made it to Candy Cloud's house and were let right in by Candy. This was going to be cool...
To be continued
Pastel looked in awe at how well kept the room was. Her comment on it was waved off but with appreciation.
However, they were all cut off with their party, because Celestia had to make an important announcement.
"Everypony of Equestria, you must stay in your house and not go out! We have a dragon on the loose, and he's mad! We need the Mane Six to deal with him. But for now, you all must stay inside and not come out until it's safe. Now I must go. Trolololololololololol, lololololololololol! Lolololololololololol!" Celestia trololololed off into the distance.
Meanwhile, Pastel was seething with rage. "Why must it always be the Mane Six? Huh? Why can't it be us for a change?"
Cracker curl jumped up and tried to comfort her. "Pastel, they are trained to do this sort of thing. Now will you please calm down and have some sweets." She held a cupcake up to her face. Pastel glared at the cupcake like it had wronged her. Then she exploded again.
"NO! I am tired of sitting idly by while those idiots save the world countless times! I'm an alicorn, we are all friends, WE can defeat this dragon!" Pastel began to calm down and she blushed lightly. "So who's with me?" she said much more quietly.
The other three exchanged worried glances, which soon turned into determined ones. Kitten Feather spoke up first.
"A dragon? Really mad one? Chance to improve our friendship, not to mention our reputation? I'm in!" She pumped her hoof in the air.
Candy jumped high that she nearly banged into the ceiling. "I'm in! It's not like there is anything else to do! This is a way to prove ourselves to all of Equestria!"
Cracker Curl smiled with determination. "We're gonna best this dragon, no matter what it takes. I may even get a bit of inspiration from the dragon scales..."
Pastel Color grinned widely. "You made a great decision. We will not regret this. Now, let's prove ourselves to Equestria! From now on, we shall be called... The Color Four."
She put her hoof put. "WHO IS WITH ME?" she yelled.
All the others joined in the hoof pile.
"Color Four!"
The four ponies approached the place where the dragon was. It was hot and humid, but they didn't care. The only thing they cared about was proving themselves and improving their reputation. As friends, they would unleash power unknown to ponykind.
The dragon saw them and slowly began approaching. When it got too close, they all went nuts.
They went completely nuts.
Pastel began firing lasers at him, but one bounced back and set a tree on fire. Pastel grinned nervously, making an "oops" face. She flew down to the ground and kept firing lasers.
Candy Cloud started to beat his leg up, while the dragon looked down confusedly. Finally, he lifted his leg up and kicked Candy all the way across the dirt, and she landed near the tree that had caught fire earlier. Her mane got set on fire, and she shrieked and ran in circles until Pastel shot water from her horn at her. "Thanks," she said.
Cracker dove down from above the dragon, and kicked his snout so hard he fell backwards. Then he roared and threw her away. She landed on top of Candy, who scowled.
Kitten Feather levitated several rocks and threw them toward the dragon. They hit him, and he clearly stumbled in pain, but then he roared angrily and stomped.
Then Pastel got an idea.
Pastel and Kitten touched horns. Cracker curl wrapped her wing around Candy Cloud and then spread her other wing over Pastel's back. Pastel cast a very large spell from her horn, and it connected to the bodies of all four ponies. They zapped into the sky, and the dragon watched them in shock and anger.
They were all levitated by the magic, and Pastel said some of that cheesy "inspiring" stuff about friendship that Twilight Sparkle always said whenever she defeated a villain. The magic swirled around them all and it cast a pastel colored rainbow beam down on the huge dragon.
The dragon roared and then it disappeared into smoke.
The four mares were lowered slowly to the ground by the magic, then the magic disappeared. They looked around, and the dragon was gone. However, a pony had been trotting along the area, and had stopped to stare at the dragon's defeat.
The light indigo unicorn stared at the four ponies.
"That was a true spectacle. You could really help Equestria."
Pastel exchanged a glance with the other three.
"Color Four! Color Four forever!"
