Hùndùn

Chapters

Prologue
I-I. Twilight Sparkle
I-II. Avalon
I-III. The Summer Sun Celebration
I-IV. The Everfree Forest
I-V. Nightmare Moon
I-VI. Twilight's Mission Begins
I-VII. The Ticket Master
I-VIII. Twilight's Dilemma
I-IX. Pinkie Pie
I-X. Gilda
I-XI. The Cutie Mark Crusaders
I-XII. Sweetie Belle
I-XIII. Scootaloo
I-XIV. Apple Bloom
I-XV. Zecora
I-XVI. Soul Toxin
I-XVII. Twilight's Slumber Party
I-XVIII. Photo Finish
I-XIX. Fluttershy and Rarity
I-XX. Spike's Memories
I-XXI. Spike and Twilight
I-XXII. Rarity
I-XXIII. Rainbow Dash and Applejack
I-XXIV. The Running of the Leaves
I-XXV. The Grand Galloping Gala
I-XXVI. The Best Night Ever
II-I. The Autumn Winds
II-II. The Gathering Storm
II-III. The Doll Collection
II-IV. Scorpan
II-V. Rainbow's Master
II-VI. The Challenge
II-VII. The Duel
II-VIII. The Knighting
II-IX. Twilight's Madness
II-X. Betrayal
II-XI. The Letter
II-XII. The Order of Celestia
II-XIII. Introducing...!
II-XIV. ... the Great and Powerful... Tr-r-r-r-rixie!!
II-XV. The Greatest Showgirl

Prologue

There were four races of Beings:

Angels, a dauntless, militant race of winged Beings who could walk upon clouds and take to the skies in flight;

Humans, a hardy, stubborn race of Beings gifted with great strength and a deep bond with nature;

Elves, a scholarly, mystical race of Beings who could practice Sorcery through the manipulation of their Chi;

And Gods, the immortal personifications of primal forces who ruled over the mortal Beings as paragons of wisdom, strength, beauty, and power.

The oldest and most powerful of the Gods was Discord, the God of Chaos. The Age of his rule over the world was one of tyranny, mayhem, and despair.

However, one Goddess saw the suffering of the mortals and took pity on them: Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun. She united the other Gods and led them into battle against Discord, the cruel Lord of the Gods. Their battle was great, hard, and devastating, and though Discord vastly outmatched the other Gods they were able to narrowly escape the jaws of defeat and claim victory against him. The Gods prepared for him Tartarus, the great prison of Hells, and Sealed him in stone in its Deepest Hell.

Following Discord’s downfall, the Gods waged another great War amongst themselves for his now-empty Throne. Celestia emerged victorious, and Sealed five more Dark Gods in five more Hells of Tartarus: in the Second Hell she Sealed Tirek, the God of War; in the Third Hell she Sealed Chrysalis, the Goddess of Lust; in the Fourth Hell she Sealed Sombra, the God of Darkness; in the Fifth Hell she Sealed Sonata, the Goddess of Music; and in the Sixth Hell she Sealed Scorpan, the God of Storms.

Celestia then divided the world’s lands amongst the remaining Gods, ruling over them as High Princess. What followed was a more civilized and peaceful Age, though the mortal races were still divided in resentment and hatred.

Celestia ruled in the city of Olympus over the land of Equestria along with her younger sister Luna, the Goddess of the Moon. However, Luna began to grow envious of her sister, for their subjects adored and honored Celestia as they did the day while they feared and shunned Luna as they did the night. Though Celestia cautioned her sister against denying the mortals their freedom, Luna demanded their adoration and honor on pain of divine retribution. When Celestia stood against her, Luna renamed herself High Princess Nightmare Moon and declared war against her sister for the world’s Throne.

The Gods all took sides between the sisters, and so there was a third great and catastrophic War of the Gods. Celestia rallied the mortal races to unite against Nightmare Moon, and together they were able to defeat her. Though it caused her unspeakable sorrow, Celestia Sealed her sister in the Seventh Hell of Tartarus.

The Gods all returned to ruling over their lands, and the mortals all celebrated Nightmare Moon’s defeat. Thus began an Age of Unification, when all of the mortal races coexisted in harmony. From that day forward, the Festival of the Summer Sun Celebration was celebrated on the first day of each Summer to commemorate Celestia’s victory against Nightmare Moon and the beginning of the friendship between the mortal races.

I-I. Twilight Sparkle

BOOK ONE

Reclining on her favorite armchair in the castle library, Twilight Sparkle was absorbedly rereading The Elements of Harmony. It was the first book every parent read to their children, introducing them to the world’s history, the universally-dreaded God of Chaos Discord, and the Elements of Harmony; the traditional teachings of Princess Celestia for achieving inner peace.

When Twilight was a child, her parents had read the book to her and her older brother Shining Armor every Summer Sun Celebration. Twilight loved the tradition so much that she continued to read the book at the beginning of every summer, even now that she was an independent teenager. The young Elf girl was especially excited for this year’s Summer Sun Celebration; it would be the thousandth one held since Celestia’s defeat of Nightmare Moon, and the millennial Festival to come in a week promised to be the most spectacular Celebration the world had ever seen.

It was a bright, sunny day outside, with warm late-Spring sunlight pouring in through the enormous windows in the library’s outer walls. The chamber was circular and tall, as it was the interior of a high tower, with many floors and lustrous crystal stairs winding up between them. Ancient scrolls and thick tomes filled the fine oaken shelves that lined the walls behind smooth, polished marble pillars.

Twilight, the library’s sole occupant, was curled up on a plush leather armchair, resting the open picture book on the chair’s right arm. She was of average height and build, with dark brown skin that betrayed her father’s Shangri-Lan heritage. She was wearing purple sneakers, loose blue jeans, a short pleated skirt, and a lavender t-shirt bearing an intricate, delicate tree design. Her violet, pink-streaked hair was tucked behind her pointed ears too keep it from obstructing her purple eyes, which were set on the illustrations of the ancient tapestries of the master weaver Tale Spin and the words of her distant ancestor and hero, the Royal Court Magician Star Swirl the Bearded. On the back of her hands was her Mark of a purple, six-pointed star superimposed over and surrounded by smaller, white stars.

As Twilight turned to the last page of the book, she heard someone pantingly run into the library. She looked up to see who it was. It was Spike, her apprentice.

Spike was a head shorter than Twilight, with light skin and electric-green hair and eyes. His hair was rather long for a boy and was tousled into a small faux hawk, which along with a pair of fangs gave him an endearingly youthful appearance. Like Twilight, he was dressed in sneakers, loose jeans, and a t-shirt. On his shirt was a dragon, and over it was an unzipped purple hoodie. He too was an Elf, and therefore like Twilight had pointed ears and his Mark on the back of his hands: a green flame.

“Hey, Twilight,” Spike said breathlessly.

Twilight smiled. “Hi, Spike.”

After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Spike pointed out of the door and said, “Celestia wants to see you.”

Twilight immediately jumped to her feet. “She does? What for?”

Spike shrugged. “No idea. She said it was important, though.”

Twilight nodded. "Alright," she said. She then cried, "Thanks, Spike!" as she ran past him, threw open the library's front door, and rushed out into the courtyard of the Castle Camelot.

As Twilight sprinted through the castle’s fragrant gardens of fruit trees and flowers, she felt the crisp, cold wind of the mountaintop bite at her face. The view from Camelot was spectacular; from the peak of Mount Olympus, the highest point of the Olympian Range, the sky was always clear; and so you could freely see for kilometers in every direction without even stray clouds obstructing your vision. Gazing down the mountainside from a perch upon Camelot's walls gave you a perfect sight of the city of Olympus; its lustrous stone streets, its delicate-looking wrought iron street lamps, and the buildings of crystal, limestone, and glass situated on the mountain’s face. Floating just over these precarious structures were great, vast clouds; upon which were founded magnificent buildings of Sky Marble that drifted slowly through the air like hovering glaciers. Beyond the mountain’s base were the vistas of the vast Everfree Forest, as well as the rushing rivers that cut through its trees and the plains beside it. In the Westward distance, you could see situated just next to the edge of the Forest was the small farm town of Avalon, connected to the city of Olympus by a long steel train track that winded through the plains and zigzagged up the mountain.

Olympus was abuzz with activity; Twilight saw Elves telekinetically stringing colored paper lanterns between the street lamps and Humans carrying crates of food and other supplies through the streets as Angels darted over their heads between the clouds. All of them were decorating and preparing for the festival.

Twilight had to dodge the Castle’s servants as she approached the Throne Room, as they were preparing the shining marble Palace of Camelot for the coming Celebration, as well. However, Twilight was stopped by three of the hold's teenaged servant girls.

“Hey, Twilight!” one of the girls, whose name was Molly, said. She was Human, as evidenced by her rounded ears and the cocktail glass Marks on her thighs. She continued, “We’re gonna be having a dance at the Plasma Orb tonight. You wanna come?”

Twilight smiled apologetically. “Sorry, not now,” she said, pushing past them as politely as she could. “I have to see Princess Celestia.”

Twilight made it through them and continued running. She heard one of them huff indignantly behind her. “My gosh, Twilight, can’t you learn to have a little fun?” that girl shouted, though Twilight ignored her.

Twilight approached the Castle’s central fortress's entrance, which was flanked by two guards. They would have stopped her if she were nearly anyone else, but they barely glanced at Twilight as she sprinted past them, up the stairs, and into the great front doors.

Twilight had only to ascend the stairs of the Grand Hall to reach the doors to the Throne Room. Pushing past them, she was greeted by the intimately familiar sight of a long, columned marble hall. Installed throughout both side walls were dozens of tall, colorful stained glass windows depicting the most critical events of the world’s history. A red carpet stretched between the doors and the golden Throne; behind which was a massive, round, clear window that overlooked the East horizon. Princess Celestia was standing before it, gazing out into the blue sky.

Twilight walked past several guards stationed at the columns and came to a stop a few meters away from Celestia. She then fell to her knee, bowing to Celestia with her right hand over her heart. “You summoned me, Your Highness?” she said deferentially.

Celestia turned to her student, smiling cheerfully. “Hello, Twilight.”

The Gods were agreed by all to be the most beautiful Beings in the world, and Celestia was widely considered to be the most beautiful of the Goddesses; rivaled in this even remotely only by her niece, the young Goddess Cadance. Celestia was tall, even for a Goddess, with a perfectly-sculpted figure and a flawless, fair complexion. Her large eyes were a soft violet, and were as hypnotic as her smile was enchanting. Her white, feathered wings were so enormous she could envelop her whole body within them. Her hair was so long it nearly reached the ground and flowed through the air like a liquid, seeming to hold a starry night sky of blue, green, and pink nebulae. Her green bangs obscured her left eye, and the rest of her hair was kept out of her other eye behind her pointed right ear. Her Mark consisted of a golden sun on her thighs, shoulders, and the backs of her hands, between which were intricate weaves of auroras the same colors as her hair. She was dressed casually in a white tank top, denim short shorts, and leather sandals that wrapped up around her calves. Twilight found herself blushing slightly, as Celestia’s outfit showed off the intoxicating shape of her body quite nicely.

“Is there something you require, Your Highness?” Twilight asked, still bowing.

“Rise, my faithful student,” Celestia said. Twilight stood, then Celestia commanded the guards, “Leave us, please.”

The guards all bowed. “As you wish, Your Highness,” they chorused in unison, then they marched out of the Throne Room, telekinetically closing the doors behind them.

“We must speak in privacy,” Celestia explained, stepping before Twilight.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“No, dear Twilight. At least, not yet,” Celestia replied.

“What do you mean?”

“Twilight,” Celestia said, turning her head to gaze at a window depicting Star Swirl the Bearded. “Do you remember how a Ritual is performed?”

Twilight grinned confidently. “Of course!” she answered. “A Ritual Circle is laid down, then the Sorceress uses its designs to aid her channel and fashion her Chi into a specific substance or energy.”

“Very good,” Celestia said proudly. “And where can the Circle be placed, and with what can it be drawn?”

Twilight recited, “A Ritual Circle can be placed anywhere, so long as it is stable. It can be drawn on a floor, wall, or ceiling, and it is even possible to suspend a Circle in midair. A Ritual Circle can be drawn with anything, so long as it is visible and stable for the duration of the desired spell.”

Celestia nodded. “That’s right, Twilight. A Ritual Circle can be drawn with anything.”

Celestia walked to her Throne, then sat. “A Ritual can even be performed if the Circle wasn’t drawn- but appeared naturally– so long as the Circle’s shapes fit the desired design.”

Celestia gazed somberly at her apprentice. “That is the reason I called you here, Twilight. On the eve before the Summer Sun Celebration, the stars will be in a unique position to act as a Circle to aid in the performance of a specific Ritual. If a God or a powerful Elf were to use the stars’ alignment that night to perform this Ritual, it would grant them access to an enormous pool of Mana; enough to power the release of one of the Sealed Gods.”

Twilight flinched, and felt her body fill with dread. “Release… one of the Sealed Gods?” she whispered. “Which one?”

“Nightmare Moon,” Celestia replied gravely.

Twilight began to feel panic overcome her. Of the Sealed Gods, Nightmare Moon was by far the most powerful, second only to Discord. Her release would be a sign of catastrophe; that the world would soon feel the wrath of the Moon’s power wrought upon it. “Do… do you think it might happen?” Twilight asked worriedly. “That someone would try to unseal her?”

Celestia smiled comfortingly. “I doubt it, and even if someone tried there would be little chance that they would succeed. The Seal upon my sister is strong- and even with the Mana this Ritual would provide, only a God or an exceptionally powerful Elf could succeed in breaking it. In addition, few know of even the existence of the Ritual- or of the other Rituals necessary to channel the energy to release her, for that matter- and so it is quite unlikely that such an attempt would be successful.”

Celestia’s expression became serious again. “Nonetheless, we cannot allow anyone to even attempt it. For that reason, the other Gods and I have each stationed a trusted servant in all of our kingdoms’ settlements to oversee the Festival and ensure the Ritual is not attempted or succeeded. Twilight, your diligence is unequaled and I trust you completely. Will you take up this task, as well?”

Twilight nodded determinedly. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Only your apprentice Spike may know of and aid you in your mission, and you might face danger while performing it. You must be prepared for the possibility of great peril, and to defend your own life and especially the life of your student should it occur. Do you still accept this mission?”

Twilight nodded again. “I do, Princess.”

Celestia nodded, smiling. “Very well. You will oversee the Festival in the town of Avalon, and I will dispatch you there tomorrow morning. Your task is to oversee the townspeople, their preparations, and the Celebration, and report to me any suspicious activity and ensure any attempts at releasing Nightmare Moon are stopped before they can be completed. Tell Spike and your family of your mission, then prepare for your journey. I will arrange for your accommodations and for the town to send someone to collect and guide you.”

Twilight bowed to Celestia once more. “As you wish, Your Highness,” she said.

As Twilight stood, Celestia said, “Farewell, my faithful student.”

Twilight began to walk away, but stopped when Celestia called, “Oh, and Twilight?”

Twilight turned back to Celestia. “Yes, Princess?” she asked.

“Try to make some friends while you’re there,” Celestia said with a concerned smile. “It will do you good.”

Twilight groaned internally, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at Celestia, but instead she replied with another bow, “I will, Your Highness,” and walked out of the Throne Room.

Twilight returned to Camelot’s library, where she found Spike sitting in one of the chairs reading a Steam manga volume. “Hi, Spike,” Twilight said.

Spike looked up. “What did Celestia want?” he asked.

“She asked us to go to Avalon to oversee their Summer Sun Celebration,” Twilight replied. “We’re leaving tomorrow. Come on, we need to pack.”

Spike stood, gaping indignantly at Twilight. “What?! But my birthday’s then!”

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said with genuine sympathy. She smiled reassuringly as she added, “We’ll celebrate your birthday when you get back.”

Spike closed his book, sighing with great disappointment. “Damn it. We were gonna have a Steam party night with my friends.”

“We can play with them when we get back,” Twilight replied. “Let’s go.”

“Alright….” Spike moaned, then he shelved the book and went with Twilight to pack for their trip.

Twilight and Spike’s bedrooms were next door to each other in the Servants’ Hall, connected by a bathroom that the two of them shared. The rooms’ layouts perfectly mirrored each other; with a desk, chair, and a bed, as well as several bookshelves and a wardrobe lining each of their walls. Each also had a tall stained glass window that could be unlatched and swung open to reveal the East skyline, which were the only permanent contrasts of the room; Twilight’s window depicted a colorful field of flowers while Spike’s held the likeness of a bowl of fruit.

However, the occupants themselves could not have kept their rooms in more opposite conditions; Spike’s was chaotic, with a bed that looked like a nest of blankets, and all around it were piles of carelessly-stacked books and discarded clothing. Twilight’s room, on the other hand, was tidy and organized; with her bed always made and her floor always clear.

As Twilight was taking a pair of folded pajama bottoms from her wardrobe and laying them in a trunk, she heard knuckles sharply rap on the door. “So, Celestia asked you, too, huh?” she heard a young man’s voice say behind her.

Twilight grinned, then turned to face her older brother. “Hi, Shining!” she cried happily.

Shining Armor was leaning against the doorframe, his arm draped around his girlfriend: Princess Cadance. Shining was the stunningly handsome Elvish Captain of the Olympian Royal Guard, with brown skin the same shade as Twilight’s and stylishly messy hair that was gradiated in several shades of blue, matching his eyes. He was wearing his military uniform: white trousers tucked into high, brown boots; a white jacket with a standing collar fastened with golden frogs; a blue sash; dress gloves; and a white beret decorated by an embroidered Royal Shield bearing a phoenix. The beauty of Shining, however, paled next to the surpassing loveliness of the bare-footed Goddess of Love Cadance, who looked like a younger version of Celestia. The only differences between Celestia and Twilight’s former mentor were that Cadance was more youthful and small (but still larger than most mortal girls); her skin was caramel; her wings were a violet-tinged pink; and her hair was still, didn’t obscure her eyes, and had three stripes of purple, pink, and cream that curled at the end. Her Mark was a sapphire heart flanked by gold flourishes, and like Celestia she had auroras up her sides and down her arms. She was wearing a peach sundress, leaving the Marks on her hands, arms, and shoulders uncovered.

Shining and Cadance were almost inseparable; they were together any moment Shining was off-duty and Cadance wasn’t studying under Celestia. It was to the point that Camelot’s servants wondered why Shining still had his own bedroom, since he slept with Cadance in her chambers every night. Beings all over the world envied him, though they resentfully admitted that only a God would look better with her.

“My aunt asked you to watch over a Festival, as well?” Cadance asked, stepping into Twilight’s room.

“Mm-hmm,” Twilight replied. “She asked me to go to Avalon.”

“Avalon, huh?” said Shining. “Doesn’t sound too dangerous. Mom and Dad are going to help me and the Guard keep an eye on Olympus. Is Spike going with you?”

“Yep!” said Spike, who was standing behind them. He entered Twilight’s room as well.

“But isn’t your birthday on the same day as the Celebration?” Cadance asked.

Spike leaned against a wall. “Yeah. We can celebrate it when I get back, though.”

“I’m sorry, Spike,” Shining said sympathetically.

Spike shrugged. “Eh, it’s alright.”

“Is there any way we can make it up to you?” asked Cadance.

“Now that you mention it,” said Spike, grinning at her, “I’d really love to have a nighttime pool party when I get back.”

Cadance laughed. “Alright, Spike.”

Shining interjected, “We should probably let you two finish packing. Hey, Twily, do you want us to bring Mom and Dad to the station to see you off tomorrow?”

Twilight smiled gratefully. “Yes, thank you, Shining.”

“Alright. See you, Twily,” Shining said, waving once at her.

Shining took Cadance’s hand, and Cadance said, “Bye!” as she left with Shining back down the hall.

Spike turned to Twilight. “So, you finished packing yet?”

“Just about,” Twilight replied, walking to one of her bookshelves. She took down some of her favorite light reads, placed them in one of her suitcases, then zipped it shut. “There.”

“Well, I’m not quite done yet,” Spike said, turning and walking out of the room. Twilight followed him to his significantly-less-clean room, and found that his clothes were stacked carelessly in haphazard piles in his suitcases. She groaned, “Spike, you need to fold them and stack them neatly.”

Spike sighed, pulling his clothes back out and morosely beginning to fold them. Twilight stood next to him. “Here, I’ll help you,” she said, picking up one of his shirts.

Spike smiled at her and said, “Thanks, Twilight.”

As they were folding, Twilight asked, “Did you pack your soroban and textbooks?”

Spike groaned with great irritation through his teeth. “Come on, Twilight! It’s summer!”

“Spike,” Twilight said patiently, “if you don’t review what you’ve learned, you’re going to forget it and have to re-learn it next year. You don’t have to do very much; you just have to go over the material once in a while and keep it fresh in your mind. I promise, you’ll have less work than if you don’t.”

Spike sighed wearily. “Well….”

Twilight draped her arms around his shoulders. “Please,” she said, pouting. “For me?”

Spike blushed, looking away. “Um… o-okay. I will.”

Twilight beamed. “Thanks, Spike,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. As they returned to packing his supplies, Spike continued to blush with a small smile. He was glad he chose Twilight to be his mentor; there was nothing that was was more motivating to him than pleasing such a brilliant, cute girl.

After they had completed packing Spike’s things, Twilight said to him, “Come on, let’s get some donuts and eat out tonight.” She winked. “My treat.”

Spike grinned. “Alright! Thanks, Twilight!”

Twilight and Spike exited Camelot together into the streets of Olympus. Unlike other cities, the magnificent Olympian streets consisted- not only of shining stone roads- but also wide, long staircases that connected these roads to each other as streets, in and of themselves. It was necessitated by the steep upward incline of the mountain, and so carriages and trains were forced to gradually move upward by weaving back and forth across the roads on Mount Olympus’s face. While some complained of the strenuous labor of scaling the steps, new Olympian residents quickly found that the effort soon granted them great endurance as well as some of the longest lifespans in the world.

Twilight and Spike, having climbed Olympus’s millions of stairs their entire lives, expertly and swiftly scaled them and crossed the roads and bridges over the rivers until they came to Donut Joe’s shop on an upper platform in the market district. Joe, being a good friend of Twilight’s parents, gave them a heavy discount for six cream cheese donuts sprinkled with crushed rock candy (Spike’s favorite kind). Spike and Twilight then went to a nearby soup kitchen where they bought two bowls of spiced potato stew. For beverages, Spike got iced peach tea and Twilight got a daiquiri, then they sat on stone benches at a small marble table in a nearby plaza to eat.

As they were dipping bread sticks sprinkled with parmesan into their soup, Spike asked Twilight, “So, why are we monitoring the Festival in Avalon?”

Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper as she gazed with deep gravity at Spike and answered, “Celestia wants us to ensure that a potential Ritual to release Nightmare Moon from Tartarus is not performed the night before.”

Spike’s eyes widened with fear. He stammered, “T-Twilight, I know that you don’t make jokes very often, but that’s really not funny.”

“I’m not kidding,” Twilight said. “The stars will align to make the Ritual possible the night before the Festival. Celestia and the other Gods are sending their servants throughout their kingdoms to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Spike trembled. “So… Nightmare Moon could really be released…?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. But you can’t tell anyone else.”

Spike leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Are Shining and your parents watching the Celebration here, then?”

“Yes.”

“Does Celestia think that anyone’s really going to try to unseal Nightmare Moon?”

“No. She doesn’t even think that anyone but the Gods knows how to do it, let alone has the power to. But we still need to be prepared in case someone does.”

Spike sighed relievedly. “Alright. So that’s all we have to do? Go to Avalon and make sure no one tries to unseal Nightmare Moon the night before the Festival?”

“Yes.”

Spike smiled. “Doesn’t sound too bad. This might be fun.”

Twilight frowned. “Spike, this is serious. We can’t take this mission lightly. We have to make sure we do a good job.”

Spike shrugged. “Alright. Sounds like we don’t need to worry too much, though.”

A nearby clock tower began chiming, and Twilight and Spike turned to it. It was nine o’clock.

“We’d better go home,” Twilight said. “We need to get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow.”

“Alright,” Spike said, and they finished their soup and walked back to the castle. They both brushed, took turns bathing and putting on their pajamas, then retired to their beds for the night.

Twilight was awakened the next morning by a knock on her door. As she yawned and sat up, her family’s butler Frederic opened her door. “Good morning, Miss Twilight,” he said. He was carrying a tray bearing Twilight’s covered breakfast, a sealed envelope, and two train tickets. “Princess Celestia regrets to inform you that she will be unable to accompany you to the train station this morning, as she is busy overseeing preparations for the festival. However, she bids you a safe journey and has sent you your tickets and a letter to be read when you’re settled in at the inn.”

“Thanks, Frederic,” Twilight said, taking the tray from him.

Frederic continued, “I will be here in half an hour to assist you in bringing your bags to the carriage. The train is scheduled to leave at eight o’clock,” and with a bow he exited her room.

Twilight ate her breakfast (which today was a cheese sandwich with tomato soup) and got dressed. After combing her hair and brushing her teeth, she went to Spike’s room to see how he was doing. He was ready, as well, and so in a few minutes Frederic came back with a couple more servants to help them carry their luggage to the black horse-drawn coach that was waiting outside.

When Twilight opened the door, she saw that Shining, Cadance, and her parents Twilight Velvet and Night Light were sitting inside. She smiled. “Hi, mom! Hi, dad!” she cried, running forward to embrace them.

Like his son, Night Light had blue hair and dark brown skin. His wife, however, had the fair complexion of an Athenian, with purple-and-white-striped hair, but was aside from that a spitting image of their daughter. They were both dressed in fine formal suits, as Velvet was Camelot’s head librarian and Night Light was the Royal Astronomist, leaving Twilight the only member of her family not yet in Celestia’s court.

Twilight stood back and sat next to Cadance while Spike sat next to Night Light. Once the door was closed, the driver urged the horse on and the carriage began driving to the station.

“Our daughter,” Night Light said, “to Avalon on a mission from Princess Celestia herself. We’re so proud of you.”

“Not as proud as I am,” Shining said, reaching across Cadance’s shoulders and rubbing Twilight’s head.

“Cut it out!” Twilight laughed, swatting his hand away.

“Be careful, though, Twilight,” Velvet said. “It could get very dangerous out there.”

“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Twilight insisted.

“Besides,” Spike interjected, pointing at himself, “she’ll have me!”

Shining laughed. “Yeah. I’d hate to be the one who messed with Twilight with you around.”

“Oh! I almost forgot-” Velvet said, reaching under her seat. She produced a colorfully-wrapped parcel, which she presented to Spike. “Here is your present from Night Light and me. Just don’t open it until your birthday!”

Shining slapped his forehead. “Shit! Cadance and I forgot our present!”

“Watch your mouth, Shining!” his father chided.

Cadance took Shining’s hand in hers. “Don’t worry; we’ll mail it to Twilight when we get back home,” she said.

Twilight blushed and chuckled nervously. “Um… do you think you could send my present, too, Shining?”

Spike scoffed, rolling his eyes. “My gosh, did everyone forget my presents?”

“We didn’t,” Velvet said, sniffing indignantly.

“Oh,” Spike said, grinning sheepishly. “Right. Sorry. Thanks, Mrs. Velvet.”

In about fifteen minutes they arrived at the Olympus Train Station. Shining and his parents helped Twilight and Spike pull their luggage off of the carriage and roll it to Platform Nine, which was the number listed on Twilight’s tickets. They came to a black luxury steam train that Beings were filing into as its conductors cried over the clamor, “All aboard for Avalon! All aboard for Avalon!”

Twilight turned to her parents. “Well, see you all in a week,” she muttered, her eyes a little misty-eyed.

She embraced them again.

“We love you, Twilight,” her father said.

“Love you too,” Twilight said, giving her parents each a kiss on the cheek.

Twilight gave Shining a hug, as well, before she turned smilingly to Cadance. They both danced in place, covered their eyes, then peeked through their fingers, singing, “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake.” They then played patty cake before turning and shaking their hips at each other, concluding, “Clap your hands and do a little shake!”

They laughed and embraced, and Twilight said, “I’ll see you next week.”

“Bye, Twilight,” Cadance replied, releasing her.

Spike rolled his eyes, though his expression remained good-natured. Twilight gave Spike’s shoulder a gentle punch in mock retaliation, then accompanied him onto the train. As the whistle blew and the engine lurched forward, Twilight stood on the stairs and enthusiastically waved at her family. “Goodbye!” she called.

Twilight’s family waved and called farewells back to her as they moved further and further away until they disappeared into the distance.

I-II. Avalon

The train gently rumbled over the tracks as trees and cliffsides rushed past its windows. The luxury car’s interior walls were a pleasant yellow with a deep maroon ceiling. An intricate, long Shangri-Lan carpet was rolled down its hall, and branching off from the hall were several windowed, polished oaken doors opening onto private booths with cushioned leather seats flanking square stone tables. Each booth also had a wide window for gazing at the lush landscapes the train rushed through.

Twilight and Spike pulled their bags and suitcases down the hall until they found an unoccupied booth. They pushed their suitcases under the seats and hoisted their bags up onto the overhead compartments before sitting on opposite sides of the table.

“So, you wanna play some Chess?” Spike asked.

Twilight answered with a nod. “Yes, that would be nice.”

As Spike pulled down one of their bags and produced a folded wooden chess board from it, a conductor rapped on their window. Twilight opened the door, allowing a bespectacled Elf sporting a tufty mustache to enter their booth. “Tickets, please,” he said, and Twilight pulled the two tickets Celestia had provided her from her pocket and handed them to him. The conductor tore both in half and handed two of the halves back to her. “Thank you, Miss,” he said before moving on to the next booth.

An aproned Human stewardess entered immediately after the conductor’s exit, and with a polite smile asked them, “Would you like any beverages this morning?”

“Spiced tea would be lovely,” Twilight said.

“Just regular tea for me. Two spoons of sugar, please,” Spike said.

The stewardess bowed. “I’ll bring them in a few minutes,” she said, and she too moved to the next booth the conductor had visited.

As Spike and Twilight were arranging their pieces on their fine maple board, the stewardess soon returned and gave them their tea, as well as a small plate of snickerdoodle cookies. They thanked her, then began playing their game.

As they took turns moving their pieces between the checkered squares, Spike began to notice that during his moves Twilight would gaze concernedly out of the window. Shortly after they had begun the mid-game, he said, “You alright, Twilight?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. I just wonder- what if someone really does try to release Nightmare Moon?”

“Celestia doesn’t seem to think it’ll happen, so you should relax,” Spike replied. He lifted his hand to move one of his knights. “Maybe you should try to make some friends in Avalon to take your mind off things when we’re not monitoring it.”

Twilight groaned. Already Celestia had bothered her about making friends, as she often did; Twilight did not need Spike putting his nose in her business, too. “I’m just going to quietly read in my room or their library,” she said. “You can make some friends if you like.”

“Friendship is one of the six Elements of Harmony, you know,” Spike pointed out. “It’ll bring you greater peace, strengthening your soul and granting you more Chi.”

Twilight frowned at Spike. “I already have Cadance, Shining, and you,” she said. “I don’t need any more friends.” She moved one of her bishops into a square that placed Spike’s king in check.

Spike sighed and advanced one of his pawns, defending his king.

Though Twilight was already a very powerful Sorceress, she was always inquiring how to unlock more of her potential. Her family, her close friends Spike and Cadance, and Celestia all insisted that the best way for her to deepen her spirituality was to spend more time around others, but Twilight stubbornly held to her position that her emotional needs were perfectly fulfilled already, and that expanding her knowledge of Magic was simply a question of finding the right book. Books had never failed her before, and she was growing stronger even without looking beyond them. Making new friends couldn’t be anything more than a frivolous waste of time, at best. Twilight had lied to Celestia that she was going to try to make friends to appease her, and she was determined to spend the week studying and doing other, actually useful things, instead.

Twilight won four of the six games she played against Spike in the few hours they were on the train. They were given a small lunch of cucumber sandwiches with more tea halfway through the trip, and Spike didn’t bring the subject of friend-making up again. When they approached close to Avalon, they packed up their game and pulled their bags down, preparing to move back off of the car.

Twilight said to Spike while they were rearranging their luggage, “Here’s our basic schedule: we’re going to go to the inn, then we’re going to put our bags in our rooms. We’re going to ask our guide to show us around the town and help us look for anything suspicious. When we get back, we’re going to unpack, and then we can do whatever we want for the rest of the day. We’re going to check around the town every morning, and spend the remaining time however we like until the Celebration, and when that’s over we’re going to pack back up and then go home.”

Spike nodded. “Alright. How are we gonna monitor the town?”

“I don’t know yet,” Twilight replied. “Celestia gave me a letter to read when we’re settled in that should give us instructions.”

In a few minutes the train shuddered to a stop, and the conductors began shouting, “All off for Avalon! All off for Avalon!”

Twilight and Spike stacked their bags on top of their suitcases and rolled them down the hall. It was a little crowded and took some time for them to disembark from the car, but soon enough they were stepping out into the station.

The Avalon Train Station was rather small, but still clean and quite nice; it was built of deep red bricks and was covered by a domed glass ceiling, allowing the sun to brightly light the tiled ground beneath them. Only two trains, one facing east and the other west, could be stationed there at any given time. The conductors at the stopped trains always shouted the same calls, depending on the direction they were facing; the conductors on the eastward trains always called, “All aboard for Olympus!” while those facing west cried, “All aboard for Dragonscale!” There were two tall clocks installed in the station floor, informing the many Beings moving past them that the time was now one twenty-two.

“Where do you think we go?” Spike asked Twilight.

Before Twilight could answer, she heard a girl’s voice, clear enough to be heard even over the great bustle of the station, shrilly crying, “OLYMPIAN AMBASSADORS!! OLYMPIAN AMBASSADORS!!”

Twilight gazed slightly nervously in the direction of the voice for a moment. “I think that’s us,” she said, and she and Spike began rolling their suitcases toward the voice.

Soon they found the shouts’ source; it was a Human girl in her early teens holding a large card sign over her head between her hands. She was lightly tanned, with bright pink hair kept in two pigtails that swirled in ringlets. She was wearing white sneakers with pink soles and laces, a white t-shirt spotted with polka dots of every size and color, and a short ruffled skirt that showed off the Mark on her thighs, which was a yellow balloon over a pair of baby blue balloons. She was jumping in place while waving the sign, which read, “Olympian Ambassadors,” with an enormous grin as she continued to shout with deafening loudness, “OLYMPIAN AMBASSADORS!! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Twilight hesitated, staring at the energetic girl for a moment, before she nervously cleared her throat, smiled, and called, “Um, hello?”

The girl turned to them, gasped, and cried, “Are you two the Olympian ambassadors…?!”

“Yep, that’s us,” Spike replied with a nervous chuckle.

To Spike and Twilight’s great shock, the girl immediately rushed forward and caught them both in a rib-cracking embrace. “Welcome to Avalon!” she cheerfully yelled before releasing them. The two young Elves gaspingly, astonishedly stared at the Humam girl as she said, “You must be Twilight and Spike, right? I’m Pinkie Pie! It’s nice to meet you!”

Pinkie Pie flashed them an enormous grin before fluttering her blue eyes at them, rocking back and forth between her heels and toes.

Twilight caught her breath in stunned silence for a moment, then tried to smile politely. “Are… you our guide…?” she asked.

Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Yep! I’m gonna take you to where you’re gonna be staying, and show you around town!”

She rushed forward, picking up some of their bags. “Here, let me help you!” she said as she did so. “Your carriage is this way!” she said, walking towards the station’s south exit. Twilight and Spike glanced concernedly at each other, both wondering where she had put down her sign to pick up their bags, before following after her.

As they were pushing past the huge, rotating glass doors, Pinkie asked, “Have either of you visited Avalon before?”

“No, this is our first time here,” Spike said.

Pinkie gasped. “You’ve never been to Avalon before?! Oh, you’re going to love it here! It’s not very big, but it’s really pretty and fun and everyone here’s really nice!”

As they stepped outside, Twilight saw that Pinkie was correct about at least one thing: Avalon was quite pretty. They were on a street lined with brick town houses and shops, and all of the windows were decorated with colored lanterns and flowers. Nearly all of the houses had well-tended front gardens guarded by wrought iron fences, and the wide windows of the shops displayed everything from shoes to toys to vinyl records of pop stars and the world’s finest classical musicians.

The stone roads were busy with Angels, Elves, and Humans (with Humans being the slightly most numerous) out and enjoying the beautiful day as young children played jacks and hopscotch or hitched rides on the backs of carriages. Twilight could see that just down the street was a large, wooded park where more children were swinging across monkey bars or having picnics with their fathers and mothers (Twilight noticed that some of the parents were quite young; one or two were even in their mid teens).

Pinkie walked to a small, stopped carriage, which stood beside a black street lamp and was pulled by a white, brown-spotted workhorse and was driven by a rather elderly Human man. As Pinkie pulled her guests’ bags onto the top of it, the old man asked, “These the ambassadors, Miss Pinkie?”

“They sure are, Jack!” Pinkie replied.

“So, where to?” Jack said.

“Take us to Town Square!” Pinkie answered excitedly.

Jack the coachman nodded, and once Spike and Twilight had helped Pinkie fasten the rest of their luggage to the roof of the carriage, they stepped inside and sat down as Jack urged the horse forward.

As they rode, Pinkie spoke much and with great speed. “… and you two are gonna be staying at the inn I work at! I didn’t have anyplace to stay when I first moved here, so my employers let me stay in one of their rooms! You’re gonna love your rooms! The beds are so warm and soft and they have great views of Town Square! Town Square is so amazing during the Summer Sun Celebration! I’m the head planner of the festivities, and this year is gonna be the best Celebration EVER!!”

“Do you think you could lower your voice a little?” Twilight said, holding her head with one hand and wincing a little as her ears lightly rang.

“Oops! I’m sorry!” Pinkie said. “It’s just that, I get so excited whenever there’s a party, and the Celebration’s the biggest party of the year, and there’s dancing and music and games and oceans of pink lemonade (pink lemonade is my favorite kind of lemonade, but come on, whose favorite lemonade isn’t pink lemonade?) and my friend Dashie puts on an amazing stunt show and Rarity makes us these adorable party dresses and Applejack gives all of us jugs of apple cider and some of the best caramel apples you’ve ever tasted-”

But at that moment the coach stopped and Jack called down, “We’ve arrived, Miss Pinkie.”

“Oh, great!” Pinkie cried, squealing excitedly. “Yay! Come on, we’re here!”

They all exited, and Pinkie skipped to the back of the carriage to pull down their bags. Twilight saw that they were at a huge cross-section of road before a tall, circular tower, which was surrounded by four large fountains with stone statues spitting water into shallow, glittering basins down beneath them. There was a busy shop at each corner; one, which was clearly a pub, had a sign over its door with a frothing mug painted on it; another had a sign with a steaming ceramic coffee mug; another had a sign with a platter bearing a browned turkey and buttered peas. The one that Pinkie led them towards, however, was easily the most eye-catching of the group; it looked like a large, pink cake, with its brown shingles arranged to resemble frosting. It was capped with a cupcake-like turret that had a small yellow flag on a striped pole sticking from the top of it like a lit candle. “This is the Sugar Shack and Inn!” Pinkie exclaimed, and indeed Twilight saw written over the door in elegant gold letters, “Sugar Shack and Inn” with the subtitle beneath them, “Bakery, Confectioner’s, and Overnight Accommodations.” Twilight saw that in the windows were lovingly frosted birthday and wedding cakes that were so large and delicious-looking that she felt her mouth watering at the sight of them.

When Pinkie pushed open the door, a bell heralded their arrival and Twilight heard a man call, “Oh, hi, Pinkie! I see you have our guests!”

Twilight looked around the shop. It was cheerfully colored and decorated, with cream wallpaper and pillars with swirling stripes of hot pink and white. She could smell the temptingly sweet scent of baking cakes and melting chocolate, which she could tell was coming from a kitchen closed behind swinging doors. One corner of the shop was surrounded by a long glass counter, in which Twilight could see row upon row of small chocolates, dipped fruits, and cupcakes of every size and flavor. Standing behind the counter, attending to a young helmeted Angel girl with small orange feathered wings and short, boyish hot pink hair, was a rather plump but lovely Human woman with swirling, frosting-like pink hair and who looked to Twilight as though she were in the early stages of pregnancy. With her was a teen Human girl in a blue t-shirt and short shorts with curled blue and pink hair that was preparing new chocolates on small, square pieces of wax paper and had three wrapped candies on each of her thighs. The man that had greeted them was carrying a crate of flour into the kitchen; he was a tall and rather wiry Human with an angular face, orange hair, a face full of freckles, and a red-and-white striped bowtie around his neck. All three were wearing brown aprons and were smiling warmly at Spike and Twilight.

“These,” said Pinkie, indicating at the elder man and woman, “are my employers Mr. and Mrs. Cake.” She pointed at the confectioner girl and continued, “That’s my coworker Sweetie Drops, but everyone calls her Bon-Bon.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” all three said together, and the women bowed while Mr. Cake nodded at them.

As the young Angel ran out of the shop to her scooter parked outside with a poppy seed muffin, Mrs. Cake said, “So, we’re told you two are here to oversee the Celebration?”

“That’s right,” Twilight said.

With slight concern, Mr. Cake asked, “Is there something wrong? Does the Princess think something dangerous might happen?”

“We doubt it,” Twilight replied. “We can’t tell you much, just that you probably don’t need to worry but we’re here just to be safe.”

“Okay. Come on, I’ll show you your rooms!” Pinkie said.

Twilight gazed anxiously at Pinkie for a moment, then said, “Just a second.” She turned to Mr. Cake. “Do you have any drinks?”

Mr. Cake smiled. “Certainly! We have sodas, iced tea, cider-”

“I’ll have some cider, please. And a glass, if you don’t mind,” Twilight replied.

Mr. Cake nodded. He said to his wife, “Honey, could you get those for her?”

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Cake replied, and she walked into the kitchen. In a few moments she returned and gave Twilight a glass bottle filled with cold golden liquid and a small glass cup.

“Thanks,” Twilight said, taking them. “How much?”

“Oh, you can have it, dear,” said Mrs. Cake. “Consider it a welcome gift on us.”

“Thank you very much,” Twilight said, and she placed her glass on the counter and then held her hand up in the air. Her marks glowed with violet light, and purple Ether began to materialize in her palm and transmute into a spiraling screw of aluminum.

Twilight used this screw to remove the cork as Pinkie continued, “I have so much to show you guys! That tower outside is the Town Hall, and that’s where we’re gonna see Princess Celestia! We’re gonna set up goals in the park to play football, and we… um….”

Pinkie had nervously come to a slow stop, as while she was speaking Twilight had poured herself and downed a glass of her cider. However, as Pinkie was continuing to rapidly describe her plans for their tour around the town, Twilight had stared with annoyed weariness at her for a moment before lifting the bottle directly to her lips and chugging it until every last drop had rolled down her throat. As Twilight made a small gasp upon finishing it off, Pinkie continued with less enthusiasm and sounding a little hurt, “Um… so we’re, uh… gonna have lots of fun today.” She made another smile that seemed slightly forced.

Twilight smiled back. “That’s nice.”

After a moment of tense silence, Pinkie said, “So, um… I’ll just, uh… help you bring your bags up.” She did so, and soon Twilight and Spike had moved their luggage into their rooms. Pinkie then said to them, “My room’s right next to yours, so we’re gonna be neighbors while you’re here for the week! Whenever you’re ready, just tell me, and I’ll show you around town! If you need anything else, just ask, and I’ll be happy to help!”

Her cheerfulness was back, and Twilight took a deep breath and said with as much genuine appreciation as she could muster, “Thanks, Pinkie. I will.”

Twilight pulled Celestia’s letter out from her pocket, and after gazing at it said, “Give us about fifteen minutes, and then we’ll be ready.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said, and with an energetic wave and an enormous grin she skipped back down the stairs to the shop.

Twilight sighed relievedly. “Finally, some quiet,” she muttered.

“I like her a lot,” Spike said, smiling. “She’s really nice.”

“Good for you,” Twilight said, walking to her bed. It was quilted, with an oak nightstand bearing a square, wooden alarm clock beside it. Spike followed her, and both sat at the bed’s foot. “Let’s see what Celestia’s instructions are,” Twilight said, ripping open the envelope. She read it aloud:

“My dearest, most faithful student Twilight,

I hope you enjoy your time at Avalon. Regarding your mission, I recommend that you monitor the town by regularly asking its citizens about any unusual or suspicious activity that’s occurred recently. Please send me a written report daily of anything you’ve found, and I’ll reply with any further necessary instructions. You can send your reports directly to my chambers via burning. Remember: only Spike may know of your task, unless in the case of dire emergency.

I have also enclosed a check which should provide you enough funds to provide essential provisions for your stay. I wish you the best of luck.

Hoping you’re well,

High Princess Celestia.”

Twilight reached back into the envelope and produced a check that read, “For a withdrawal of seventy silver pieces from the Royal Equestrian treasury, by the order of and signed by High Princess Celestia.” Seventy silver pieces; enough to eat comfortably throughout the entire week, and then some.

Twilight placed the check and the letter back into her pocket and said to Spike, “Alright, let’s do this. We just need to ask some people if anything strange has happened, then we can come back here and unpack. We’ll go over your spellcasting material a little, then you can go do whatever you want.”

“Sweet,” Spike said.

Twilight led Spike back downstairs, where Pinkie was patiently waiting for them while eating a white cupcake. “So, we’re ready for that tour now,” Twilight said, wearing a polite smile.

Pinkie jumped up, beaming. “Okie dokie lokie! Let’s go!”

“Just one thing- while we’re out, do you think you know anyone who would know what’s going on around town?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yep! My best friends can help you; they’re just the girls you’re looking for!”

“Do you think you could take us to them?” Twilight asked.

“Sure thing! That’ll be perfect; I can introduce you to them while I’m showing you around town!” And with that Pinkie hummed a cheerful tune as she led them out the door.

Pinkie brought them westward, skipping and singing to herself. She pointed out shops to them as they went along, to which Twilight politely nodded and acknowledged them while Spike listened with more genuine attentiveness. In a few minutes they began approaching a massive farm; it was surrounded by a wooden fence, and at its center was a tall red barn beside a small orange farmhouse. There were pastures and pens filled with sheep, pigs, cows, and chickens in close proximity to the barn, and Twilight could also see horses and ponies galloping across a nearby ranch. But the most prevalent feature of the farm was the staggeringly vast apple orchard that surrounded it all- it was almost large enough to be a small forest, and indeed only the fence around it prevented it from merging with the wild Everfree Forest beside it.

The farm was abuzz with activity; Twilight saw a huge number of Humans of all ages there walking, playing, or riding the horses on the ranch. They were clearly all related; they all had hair that varied between red, yellow, or green, and many of them were freckled. “This is Sweet Apple Acres!” Pinkie said excitedly. “My friend Applejack and her family live here. She’s my cousin!”

Twilight nodded. In her studies, she had learned more than a little about the major families of Equestria; she knew that this was the main farm of the Apples, a large but somewhat new clan of Human farmers that was the world’s largest producer of apple cider. The clan had begun in this farm, and the head of the family continued to reside there. “I know,” Twilight said. “Aren’t the Apples a splinter clan of the Pie family?”

Pinkie flinched. “Yeah….” she said, somewhat uncomfortably.

Twilight raised a brow in confusion, but before she could inquire further Pinkie quickly said, “Come on, let’s go meet her!”

With that Pinkie took Twilight’s hand and began running to the front gate. “H-hey!” Twilight protested, but Pinkie only grinned manically as she pulled the gate’s latch open and pushed past it. Spike ran to catch up with them, and they soon came up to another teenaged girl. She was blonde, with green eyes and a spray of freckles across her nose. Her hair was long and kept in a loose ponytail, and she was rather muscular and well-tanned. She wore a brown cowgirl hat as well as a pair of brown leather boots, denim short shorts, and an autumn-colored shirt with its sleeves rolled and its bottom tied, revealing her belly. On her thighs were three red apples, which didn’t surprise Twilight at all. She was busy leaning against the barn, talking to a slightly older boy who looked remarkably like her; he also had long blonde hair and green eyes, and like Applejack he was also wearing blue denim trousers, leather boots, a buttoned shirt, and a brown cowboy hat.

“Hey, Applejack!” Pinkie cried, releasing Twilight’s hand to wave at her.

Applejack turned to them. “Hey, Pinkie!” she said with a southern Arcadian drawl. “These here the Olympian ambassadors?” she asked, smiling at Twilight and Spike.

Twilight sighed, stepping forward. “Yes. Good afternoon. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

Without warning, Applejack suddenly rushed forward and gripped Twilights hand in both of hers, shaking it with great vigor. “Well, howdy do, Miss Twilight Sparkle? A pleasure makin’ your acquaintance. Ah’m Applejack. We here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin’ new friends!”

When Applejack released Twilight’s hand, Twilight winced and began gently messaging it while Spike suppressed a snicker.

“Let me introduce you to the family,” Applejack said.

“Actually, I-” Twilight began, but Applejack indicated at the boy she’d been talking to and said over her, “This here’s my favorite cousin Braeburn.”

Braeburn tipped his hat with a, “Howdy, Miss Twilight. Spike, sir.”

Applejack then walked towards a cluster of her other relatives, forcing Twilight and Spike to follow her. She pointed at a large, freckle-faced, heavily muscled young man with strawberry blonde hair who was leaning against a tree with a blade of grass sticking out of his mouth. “That’s my big brother, Big Macintosh,” Applejack said, before moving towards the ranch. Once they reached it, she indicated at a young girl with peach eyes and cherry-red hair kept up in a ponytail with a large, pink bow who was riding one of the ponies. “That there’s my sister Apple Bloom,” she said, before turning towards the house. Upon stepping onto the porch, Applejack pointed at a tiny, scrawny, ancient old woman with white hair kept in a tight bun and wearing a long, green cotton dress, who was sleeping with soft snores on a wooden rocking chair. “And this is my grandma, Granny Smith,” she said, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb her.

Applejack turned back to Twilight. “Ah think that’s enough to go on for now. So, what can Ah do you for?”

“Well,” Twilight said, smiling politely, “my apprentice Spike and I are here to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration. We’re here to ensure that nothing causes any disruptions to the Festival. You clearly have a large family; have you or any of your relatives seen any strange or unusual things or activities around the town?”

Applejack scratched her head, looking up and humming. “Uh, nope. Nothin’ springs to mind.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright. Well, thank you. That’s all we needed to know. It’s nice to meet you, Applejack.”

“Nice to meet ya’ll too,” Applejack said, cheerfully tipping her hat.

Spike waved at her. “We’ll see you later!” he said.

As Pinkie led Twilight and Spike back out of the farm, Applejack called after them, “Don’t be strangers, ya’ll hear?! Come back on the Festival; my clan and Ah are havin’ quite the jamboree, and they’re only stayin’ here this week for the millennial Celebration!”

Spike left in quite a cheerful mood, but Twilight was quite tired. She hoped that Pinkie’s other friends wouldn’t be quite so exhausting to talk to. Nonetheless, Applejack was far less bothersome than Pinkie. That was a start, at least.

As they were walking back down the roads, Twilight saw that Pinkie was staring up at the clouds. “Um, what are you doing?” Twilight asked.

“I’m looking for my friend Dashie!” Pinkie replied. “Her house should be somewhere around here today.”

“She lives in a cloud house?” Twilight said.

“Mm-hmm!”

“Why doesn’t she just live on the ground? Or in Asgard or another Angel city?”

“She moved here with our friend Fluttershy from Asgard a couple years ago because they were bullied there and people are nicer here. But Dashie still loves being in the sky, and her dad is rich, so he had a house built over Avalon for her.”

This made Twilight grow curious, so she continued to follow Pinkie and began to look up at the clouds as well. After a few minutes, Pinkie abruptly shouted, “Aha! There she is!” while pointing at a small cluster of low-hanging clouds at the edge of Twilight’s vision.

The clouds bore a shining white sky marble house that was elegantly built with classical roofs, pillars, and friezes. Twilight was impressed; the small mansion would indeed have taken no small amount of gold to have constructed. Near the house was a smaller cloud, upon which Twilight could distantly see a figure lying across it.

Pinkie ran down the road to get closer, then shouted up in a piercingly loud scream, “HEY, RAINBOW DASH!!”

Twilight and Spike jogged to Pinkie as the girl poked her head over the cloud’s edge. “Hey, Pinkie!” Twilight heard her call to them with a raspy voice. She jumped off of the cloud and hovered to the ground.

The Angel Rainbow Dash was rather small and skinny, but well-toned and athletic. Her slightly narrow magenta eyes; straight, messy, rainbow-colored hair; and soft brown skin tone suggested to Twilight that she was of Dragon Imperial descent. Her feathered, sky-blue wings were large and powerfully-built, which along with the multicolored lightning bolts flashing from clouds on each of her shoulders caused Twilight to also conclude that her special talent was great speed in flight. She was wearing a basketball jersey, shoes, and shorts, which were all electric blue with hot pink lining, and her jersey also had her Mark emblazoned prominently on its front and her name over the number twenty displayed on the back.

“What’s up, Pinkie?” she said. “Are these the Elves from Olympus?”

“Yep!” Pinkie said. “This is Twilight and Spike!”

“So,” Twilight said, “You’re Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow smirked, striking a pose and pointing her thumb at her chest. “The one and only. Why, you heard of me?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to Rainbow Blaze, the former captain of the Wonderbolts?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, he’s my dad!” Rainbow said proudly.

Before Twilight could reply, however, she heard a low hum come from Rainbow’s pocket. The Angel sighed and pulled the source of the sound out: it was a plastic card, which was vibrating and magically glowing as it displayed some text. Rainbow sighed again. “Hold on, give me just a sec,” she said, and she placed the card back into her pocket and darted into the air with astonishing swiftness. Twilight and Spike stared open-mouthed after her as she flew over the buildings until she dived down out of sight. In less than a minute, Twilight saw her soar over their heads again while carrying a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine. She flew a fair distance and then dived down somewhere else, and in seconds she flew back into the air and dived back down to the road where Pinkie, Twilight, and Spike stood.

Rainbow slowed herself down, but she was still going frighteningly fast. Twilight yelped in fright as Rainbow suddenly fell headfirst towards the ground before her. To Twilight’s surprise, however, Rainbow expertly rolled across the ground and came to a stop meters away from her on one knee.

As Rainbow stood up, she dusted herself off and said, “Sorry about that. I had to deliver a stupid package.”

Spike and Twilight continued to gape at Rainbow. “Oh my gosh! That was unbelievably fast!” Spike said.

Rainbow smirked arrogantly. “Yeah, I’m one of the fastest fliers in the world, if not the fastest.”

Twilight continued to silently stare open-mouthed at Rainbow for a moment, causing Rainbow to snicker. “You should see your face, Twilight. You’re a laugh.”

Rainbow smirked, narrowing her eyes at Twilight. “You’re pretty cute, too.”

Twilight blushed, and Rainbow chuckled. Twilight understood now; she had begun wondering why Rainbow had faced bullying in Asgard, despite being such an incredible flier. Now it was clear: Rainbow was an aggressively flirtatious lesbian, which would easily cause her great tensions with her hierarchical, judgmental fellow Angels.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, I wanted to ask you if you’ve seen or heard about anything strange or suspicious.”

Rainbow raised a brow. “Why? Is there something going on?”

“We can’t tell you,” Twilight replied. “I’m sorry. Have you seen anything, though?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah. Everything’s been pretty smooth.”

“Alright. Well, thanks anyway.”

“Anytime. Well, I gotta go train. Catch you later, Twi.” With another flirtatious smirk, she added, “I can’t wait to hang out some more.”

She took to the sky, and Twilight found herself blushing a little again. “She’s amazing,” Spike said, and Twilight turned to see that he was grinning broadly at her. “I can’t wait for us to hang out some more with her, either.”

Twilight frowned. “Why, so you can see her hit on me some more?”

“To be honest, I actually hope I get to see you two make out,” Spike replied, grinning.

“Not happening,” Twilight said flatly. As Spike groaned in mock disappointment, she testily began walking again. “Take us to your next friend,” she said to Pinkie.

Pinkie nodded. “Okay!”

Pinkie took them nearly back to town square, then turned right so they were going southward. They soon came to a shop with a small, silvery carousel turning over its door. Inside its windows were mannequins displaying lavish, brightly-colored summer dresses, some of which were encrusted with precious jewels. Twilight looked up and saw a sign over the door that read in golden, lavish letters, “Carousel Boutique.”

“Let’s go in!” Pinkie said, opening the door. A bell rang, then Twilight and Spike followed Pinkie inside.

Everything but the dresses in the shop was some shade of purple, pink, or gold. There were body-length mirrors in two of the corners, as well as a pair of folding screens for customers to change behind. In the far right corner was a drafting desk piled with fabrics and scissors and surrounded by partially-dressed mannequins, and to its left was a carpeted set of spiraling stairs that led up to the second floor. In the center of the boutique was a raised platform, upon which stood a mannequin bearing a dress being worked on by a young Elvish woman.

She was a little older than Twilight, as well as several centimeters taller. She had long, luscious violet hair that curled at the end of her back and bangs. She was wearing a loose, sleeveless blouse; a tight miniskirt; soft, brown leather high heeled boots; and a pair of golden hoop earrings. As she stitched the dress, her sapphire-blue eyes inspected her work through a pair of red cat-eyed spectacles. Her eyes were matched by the three blue diamonds on each of her hands. She was stunningly gorgeous; Spike found himself blushing intensely as his eyes ran down her voluptuous hourglass figure and long, shapely legs. Her pale face was just as lovely, with long black eyelashes, light pink blush on her cheeks, and full lips painted a passionate crimson.

“Hi, Rarity!” Pinkie called, waving to her.

Rarity looked up, then smiled. “Oh, hello, Pinkie!” she said. Twilight immediately identified her high class-sounding accent as Athenian.

Rarity levitated her needle to her desk as she removed and folded her glasses. “You must be the ambassadors from the city of Olympus,” she said.

Twilight smiled. “We are,” she replied.

Rarity made a low curtsy to them. “It’s an honor.”

She stepped forward, towards Spike. “Is this your apprentice, Dear?” she said, to which Spike nervously looked away.

“Mm-hmm,” Twilight replied. “His name is Spike.”

“Oh, you’re such a darling little gent!” Rarity cooed. “Are you studying under her remedially?”

At this, Spike stopped blushing and frowned irritatedly at Rarity. He always hated being mistaken for being younger than he was. “No. I’m almost twelve,” he said.

Rarity covered her mouth, flushing. “Oh, I’m dreadfully sorry!” she said.

Spike shrugged. “It’s alright. Happens all the time.”

Rarity smiled apologetically. “Well, I’m mentoring my own sister remedially. Here, I’ll introduce you.”

As Rarity called up the stairs, “Sweetie Belle! Come down, please!” Pinkie turned to Spike and said, “You’re almost twelve? When’s your birthday?”

Spike made a pleased smile as he replied, “June twenty-first.”

Pinkie gasped. “That’s the day of the Celebration!”

“Yep,” said Spike.

“Oh, we’re gonna have to throw you a birthday party! Please let me plan it; I’m reeealy good at planning parties; it’s my Talent, you know!”

Spike nodded. “Sure, you can plan my party!”

As Twilight heard someone coming down the stairs, Pinkie said, “Can I throw it the night before the Festival? I mean, it’d be a little hard to have them both at the same time…”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Spike replied.

An Elf girl about Apple Bloom’s age stepped before them. She was in a white sundress, and had light green eyes framed by soft pink and lavender curled hair. There was no Mark yet on her hands, explaining to Spike and Twilight why she was already apprenticed to her older sister. “Hi!” she greeted them cheerfully. “I’m Sweetie Belle!”

Twilight smiled at her. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is my apprentice Spike.”

Rarity gasped dramatically. “You’re Twilight Sparkle?! As in Duchess Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Duke Night Light and Duchess Twilight Velvet, the Royal Astronomer and the Royal Librarian to Princess Celestia?!” She continued with mounting excitement, “As in the sister of Shining Armor, Captain of the Olympian Royal Guard and lover to the Goddess of Love Princess Cadance?! As in Twilight Sparkle, apprentice of High Princess Celestia herself, who is studying to become Her Highness’s Royal Court Magician?!”

Twilight sighed. “Yes, that’s me.”

Rarity squealed delightedly and danced in place. “Oh, this is simply fabulous! Twilight Sparkle, one of the most important noblewomen in the entire world, here in my boutique! Oh, you simply must tell me all about life in the Royal Court and that stunning Castle Camelot! Oh, the intrigue, the glamour, the romance!”

She embraced Twilight, rubbing their cheeks together. “We’re going to be the best of friends, you and I!”

Twilight nervously chuckled, gently pushing Rarity away. “Ooo-kay, well, I, um….”

Twilight cleared her throat. “We were just wondering, have you seen anything suspicious or unusual recently?”

Rarity clapped her hands together. “Why yes, Darling, I have!”

Twilight’s eyes widened surprisedly. “R-really? What is it?”

“I’ll tell you all about it while I’m fitting you,” Rarity replied. She turned and said to her sister, “Sweetie Belle, would you mind getting my measuring tape?”

“Sure, Sis!” Sweetie Belle replied enthusiastically before running to one of Rarity’s cupboards.

“F-fitting me?” Twilight said. “For what?”

“Why, for your party dress, Darling,” Rarity replied as Sweetie returned with the tape.

“Thanks, but I don’t-”

“Oh, don’t worry, Dear. Consider it a gift; I make all of my friends dresses for the festival!”

Twilight sighed wearily. “Fine.” As Rarity began to wrap the tape around her form, Twilight added, “Just so long as you tell me what suspicious activity you’ve seen.”

Rarity laughed. “Of course, of course! Well, just yesterday, I saw a Human girl named Daisy out having breakfast with an Angel I know isn’t her boyfriend…”

Suddenly realizing what she was actually about to hear, Twilight made a small groan.

As Rarity continued to gossip away to Twilight as she measured her, Sweetie Belle walked up to Spike, gazing at the backs of his hands. “Are you a pyromancer?” she asked wondrously.

Spike grinned. “Yep,” he said, holding up his hand.

“That’s so cool!” Sweetie said. “Can you show me?”

Spike chuckled. “Not in here. I might burn the shop down.”

“I wish I had my Mark,” Sweetie muttered enviously. “Almost everyone else in my class does.”

“Who doesn’t?”

“My friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. We’ve started a club to get our Marks together.”

“What do you call yourselves?”

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Sweetie cried, holding her fist in the air in a victorious pose.

Spike nodded, smiling. Cutie’s right, he thought; he thought Sweetie was almost as pretty as her sister. Spike was having a very good day; already he’d met a lot of really cute girls, all of whom were very friendly, fun, and likable. They also all seemed delighted to become friends with him and Twilight, so he was enormously looking forward to spending a long summer week with them all. He only wished that Twilight would join along with them, as well.

Rarity concluded, “… and I said, ‘Oh, that beast! I hope a cockatrice petrifies him!'” Rarity rolled her tape up as she said, “There, you’re done.”

Twilight sighed relievedly. “Thanks,” she said. “Well, we’d best be on our way.”

“Bye!” Spike said, and he and Pinkie exited the shop with Twilight as Rarity called back, “Au revoir, Darlings!”

Pinkie led them westwards. Twilight was very tired and in a very foul mood. She’d been walking all day, and all of her guide’s friends had been bothersome and absolutely exhausting to talk to. “Is this next one your last friend?” she asked Pinkie as politely as she could.

“Yep!” said Pinkie.

They were silent for a while after that. However, as they drew close to a cottage on the edge of the Everfree Forest, Spike suddenly gasped and pressed his face against a shop window. “Oh my gosh!” he cried. “It’s a limited edition Platinum Clock Dragon Steam figurine! And it’s on sale for twenty silver pieces!“

He turned to Twilight and Pinkie. “Can I hurry in and buy that?” he asked.

Pinkie nodded. “Sure! We’re just going to that cottage over there. Meet us in front of it when you’re done!”

“Okay!” Spike said, and he rushed into the door.

Twilight sighed as she and Pinkie closed the remaining distance to the cottage.

The little house was yellow, and had a very lovely little garden with several birdhouses and fruit trees bearing beehives all around it. Crouching before the house and feeding some birds was an Angel of almost godlike beauty; she was slender and willowy, with sweet blue eyes and pink hair that was so long that it nearly reached the ground while she crouched. She wore leather sandals and a soft, pink miniskirt. Her feathered wings were the color of custard, matching her t-shirt that had small, flared sleeves that showed off the Marks of pink butterflies on her shoulders. Like Rainbow, she looked as though she were Dragon Imperial. Twilight deduced that she was Fluttershy, the girl who had moved to Avalon from Asgard with Rainbow.

Fluttershy was gently singing as she scattered seeds, and while hearing it Twilight felt her breath stop; it was so sweet it was heartbreaking.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Pinkie shouted, and Fluttershy yelped as the birds around her scattered into the air.

“Pinkie!” Fluttershy said, her voice quiet and soft. “Please don’t scare the birds!”

Pinkie covered her mouth. “I’m sorry!” she said.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and smiled. “It’s okay. Just be more careful next time, please.”

“Okay!” Pinkie replied, flashing her a grin. “Anyway, this is my new friend Twilight!”

Fluttershy looked at Twilight, then blushed and looked away, hiding behind her long bangs. “Umm, hello,” she whispered.

Twilight made a pained smile, then said, “Umm, hi, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy only made a quiet squeak in reply.

“So, uh…” Twilight continued, “have you seen anything strange or unusual recently?”

Fluttershy silently shook her head.

“Ooo-kay,” Twilight said. “Well, I’ll be on my way then. Nice to meet you.”

“Hey, Twilight!” Spike shouted, coming in behind her.

Fluttershy looked at him, then suddenly gasped. “Is this your apprentice?” she cried elatedly.

Twilight sighed. “Yes,” she said. “This is Spike.”

Fluttershy ran forward, coming to a stop just before Spike, who was carrying a bulging brown paper bag. “Oh, he’s sooo cute!” she gushed, eliciting a self-satisfied smirk from Spike.

With a glance at Twilight, Spike said, “Well, well, well!” and folded his arms, closing his eyes.

“Hi, Spike! I’m Fluttershy! It’s so wonderful to meet you!” the Angel girl cried. After glancing at his hands, Fluttershy asked, “Are you a pyromancer?”

Spike began, “Why, yes, I-”

But at that moment Twilight grabbed Spike’s ear and began dragging him away. “We’d better get going,” she said. “It’s getting late, and we’ll need to get settled in at the inn and get some rest.”

Fluttershy blushed again. “Oh. O-okay,” she said, nervously touching her forefingers together.

“Goodbye,” Twilight said, and Pinkie and Spike waved at Fluttershy as they followed her back to the inn.

Once they were back in their rooms, Twilight and Spike unpacked their bags. They reviewed Spike’s spell casting for about fifteen minutes in Twilight’s room, then Twilight dismissed Spike to do whatever he pleased until six o’clock, when he agreed to come back so that they could go and get dinner.

Spike left the inn to visit Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres. When he was gone, Twilight picked up her copy of the first Daring Do volume, Daring Do and the Philosopher’s Stone, and laid across her bed and began to read it. She was determined to enjoy a relaxing, quiet week in this room alone with her books.

I-III. The Summer Sun Celebration

When Spike returned to the inn that evening, he and Twilight went to a nearby bank to cash in Celestia’s check (the teller was enthralled to handle a document with the Princess’s signature), then they went to the diner with the turkey dinner sign across the street from the Sugar Shack to eat with the silver. When they finished their meal, they returned to their rooms in the inn and sent a message to Celestia informing her that they had found nothing to report that day. Once Spike had written and burned the letter, he and Twilight took turns bathing and putting on their pajamas, bid each other good night, then went to bed.

Pinkie baked complimentary raspberry muffins for them the next morning, which Twilight found absolutely delicious and sincerely thanked Pinkie for. Once she had eaten and gotten dressed for the day, Twilight asked Spike if he would be visiting Pinkie’s friends. When Spike replied that he was, Twilight asked him to gather reports from them about any trouble before picking up another book and sitting back on her bed, returning to her reading.

For the next two days, Twilight spent all her time reading in her room, except when she went to eat. She always ate alone; Spike was invited to join Pinkie or one of her friends for every meal. The first few times, Spike told Twilight she could come, too, but each time Twilight replied that she was fine and that he could go on his own. When his new friends asked him concernedly if there was something wrong, Spike could only express uncertainty and pining for his mentor and closest friend.

Soon enough, however, Twilight ran out of reading material from the books she’d brought with her, so she went into the bakery downstairs and seeked out Pinkie, who she found frosting a small, loudly decorated child’s birthday cake. With a polite smile she said, “Hey, Pinkie.”

Pinkie looked up, grinning. “Hi, Twilight!”

“So,” Twilight said, “can I ask you a favor, Pinkie?”

Pinkie nodded. “Sure, Twilight! What do you need?”

“Well, I’m out of books. You have a library, right?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yep.”

“Can you show me where it is, please?”

“Okie dokie lokie! Just give me about five minutes….”

Twilight folded her arms and watched Pinkie finish decorating the cake. Upon completion, Pinkie pulled her apron over her head and hung it on a nearby hook. “Follow me!” she said, gesturing forward at Twilight. She led Twilight out the door.

They walked eastward, and soon they began traversing the park Twilight had seen when she’d first arrived from the train. It was just as lively as when she’d seen it last; Twilight passed by young children firing water guns and hurling water balloons at each other or swinging across monkey bars and screaming down the slides of the playground while young couples (many of whom Twilight noticed were same-sex) were sitting on benches feeding pigeons or lying on the grass, gazing up at the clouds.

“Would you like an ice cream?” Pinkie suddenly asked Twilight, startling her.

Twilight turned to Pinkie and saw that she was holding two double scoops of vanilla ice cream in waffle cones. “Where did you get those?” said Twilight.

“I bought them!” Pinkie cheerfully replied. “Want one?”

Twilight blinked at her, astonishedly wondering at how Pinkie had disappeared and returned with the frozen treats so quickly. Nonetheless, she smiled gratefully and said, “Yes, thank you, Pinkie,” as she took the one Pinkie was holding out to her.

As Twilight licked melted drops off of the cone’s side, she looked at Pinkie and saw that she seemed happy to have pleased her. It was at that moment that Twilight realized that Pinkie hadn’t spoken to her nearly so much since the afternoon she and Spike had arrived; it seemed that Pinkie had seen that she was annoying her, and so had honored her wishes and talked to her less.

“I’m sorry I bothered you so much,” Pinkie said, again startling Twilight. Had she spoken her thoughts out loud?

“I know you didn’t really want to listen to me, and that’s okay,” Pinkie continued. “We can talk as much or as little as you’d like.”

“Oh. Well, um… thank you,” Twilight replied. She gazed down at her ice cream. She began to feel guilty over hurting Pinkie’s feelings by openly drowning her out with cider when she first came.

“It’s okay,” Pinkie said, for the third time startling Twilight. Twilight turned with a stunned expression back to Pinkie as she continued, “I should’ve seen that I was making you uncomfortable. You don’t need to apologize.”

“Have… have I been talking?” Twilight said.

Pinkie shook her head. “No. I can see what you’re thinking by looking at you.” With a bittersweet smile, she continued, “I’ll be happy if you’re happy. If you need anything, just let me know.”

Twilight nodded, then looked back at her ice cream. Why’s she doing this? she wondered. Why is she being so nice to me? I’ve been at best decent, or even rude to her. Why does she want to be my friend so badly?

Twilight started to get a little angry. She didn’t ask Pinkie for anything. She didn’t want to be Pinkie’s friend; Pinkie should just leave her alone. All she had to be was Twilight’s host and guide; nothing more.

Twilight glared at her ice cream cone. She was upset at herself for accepting it from Pinkie. She decided then and there that she would accept no more favors from Pinkie and make it as clear as she could that they would not be friends.

Soon after they finished their ice cream, Pinkie stopped before an enormous oak tree at the end of the road. It had a balcony, several windows, and a red door installed in it. The door had a candle painted on it, and to the left of the walk up to it was a wooden sign bearing a book and the bold words, “Golden Oak Library.”

“Here it is!” Pinkie said, gesturing at it.

With a gleeful smile, Twilight pulled open the door and entered. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her nose was filled with her favorite scent: that of thousands of books.

The library was rather small and circular, with shelves hallowed out from the tree’s wood that were stacked nearly to bursting with tomes and scrolls. Twilight could see a few chairs and desks placed around the room, with a small writing-desk and a stool standing to her right as she entered. In the back, there was a set of stairs leading to a pair of wooden doors as well as a set of glass doors that opened onto the balcony.

There was a middle-aged Human woman in a long, simple brown dress standing on a ladder, sliding books into one of the shelves. She had a pair of small, round jade earrings and had thick, curly brown hair.

“This is our librarian, Matilda!” Pinkie said, entering behind Twilight. “Hi, Matilda!”

Matilda turned, and smiled at the two girls. “Hello, Pinkie,” she said. “Who is this?”

“This is Twilight!” Pinkie replied. “She’s an ambassador from Olympus!”

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Twilight,” Matilda said, stepping down. “What brings you to Avalon?”

“I’m here with my apprentice to oversee the Celebration,” Twilight replied.

Matilda nodded. “I see. Where is your apprentice now?”

“Out with Pinkie’s other friends.”

“Alright. What can I do for you?”

Twilight approached one of the shelves. “I’d just like to browse,” she said.

Matilda smiled. “You like books, dear?”

“Oh, I adore them. I read all the time.”

“Well, you can come and read in here whenever you’d like.”

Twilight smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”

“Do you need anything else, Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m good. Thanks, Pinkie.”

“So,” Pinkie said, “Spike is having a picnic with me and my friends at noon. Would you like to-”

“No, thank you,” Twilight said, frowning.

Pinkie’s smile faded dejectedly. “Oh,” she said. “Okay. Well, um… are you at least going to come to Spike’s birthday party the day after tomorrow?”

Twilight sighed. “Yes, I’ll come to his party.”

Pinkie grinned. “Alright! I’ll go tell him. Well, see you later!” With an enthusiastic wave, she exited the library.

As Twilight selected some books from the history section, she said to Matilda, “How long have you been working here?”

“Oh, almost thirty years,” Matilda replied. “I’m actually going to retire in about a year or so. Only problem is, no one’s lined up to fill in after me.”

Twilight nodded. “I hope they find someone.” She took the stack of books she’d chosen to a nearby armchair, where she placed them on the desk beside it and sat down. She picked up the volume at the top of her stack, opened it, and settled comfortably into her seat to begin reading it.

Until the day before the Celebration, Twilight spent many blissful hours sitting in the armchair of the Golden Oak Library, devouring volume after volume until the sun sank beyond the horizon. However, on the day before the Celebration, she had to regretfully forgo another day of reading for a long day of sleeping; she had promised to come to Spike’s birthday party, after all, and she also had to be on the lookout for attempts to unseal Nightmare Moon with the stars’ alignment that night. For that reason, on the morning of the twentieth day of June, Twilight remained in her pajamas as she had a large breakfast along with several mugs of beer, brushed her teeth, and then closed the curtains of the windows in her room before returning to bed.

Twilight was awakened by Spike shaking her. “Get up, Twilight!” he said. As Twilight sat up and yawned he continued, “Get dressed; Pinkie’s just about to throw my birthday party!”

Twilight nodded. “Alright…. Just give me a few minutes,” she said, stretching.

“Hey, Twi,” Twilight heard a familiar raspy voice say from her door. She turned to see that Rainbow was standing in her doorframe, a stack of parcels at her feet. “Packages for ya,” she said.

Twilight stood up and walked forward. Rainbow pushed the tower of parcels toward her with her foot. Twilight said, “Thanks, Rainbow.”

“Any time,” Rainbow said, walking away with a wave.

Twilight turned to Spike. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Spike smiled and nodded. “See ya,” he said, walking out of Twilight’s room and closing the door.

Twilight pulled open the twine for the first parcel; beneath the brown paper was a colorfully-wrapped gift with a note attached to its ribbon bow that read, “To Spike from Night Light and Twilight Velvet: Happy Birthday!”

Twilight set the present aside and opened the next parcel. This present was wrapped with golden-and-scarlet paper that seemed to dance like flames in the light and was tied with a coral silk ribbon bow, attached to which was a note that read in breathtaking calligraphic characters: “To Spike, I hope you have an absolutely wonderful birthday. Love, Celestia.”

Twilight raised a brow in puzzlement. “Love“? Why had Princess Celestia signed off the note in such a way? Not even Twilight had received a gift from her teacher that had the word written to her.

Twilight shook her head, then moved on to the next parcel, which was Shining and Cadance’s gift to Spike, and the next four were the birthday presents from his best friends, including Twilight.

However, Twilight found one more parcel. She didn’t know who else would have sent Spike a present, so with great curiosity she opened it as well. This present was rather large and heavy, and attached to its bow was a note that read in handwriting Twilight didn’t recognize, “Spike, I hope you have a happy birthday. I miss you and love you with all of my heart.”

Twilight looked at the back of the note, but couldn’t find a signature. Growing a little suspicious, she took a stick of chalk from her pocket and drew two Ritual Circles on the ground. She placed the parcel over one, stood, held her hands over it, and her marks glowed for a few seconds as she directed some of her Chi into it. Once she felt that the Circle was filled, she snapped her fingers, activating it. The Circle glowed blue for three seconds before dying down and laying dormant. So there was no metal inside it.

Twilight placed it over the next Circle, then activated that as well. This Circle too glowed blue, indicating that there was no poison in it either.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully. No bombs or poisons; so the parcel was clean. With some weariness still remaining, Twilight carefully opened the wrapping paper, taking care while pulling the tape away not to rip it. Her eyes widened in shock at what it was: it was a box set of three mint-condition first edition Steam rulebooks. She opened up the Player’s Handbook and saw that on the cover page was the autograph of Gaben Bellevue, the late creator of the game.

Twilight was absolutely stunned. These books were collector’s items of tremendous value; many dedicated Steam players and book collectors would have payed tens of thousands of gold pieces to get ahold of these incredibly rare volumes. Twilight immediately excitedly wondered who could have simultaneously had enough affection for Spike and enough wealth to get them for him.

Twilight’s first thought was of Spike’s sister, Sunset Shimmer. However, she quickly dismissed the idea; after all, Sunset had been kidnapped long ago and was likely long-dead by now. Besides, where would she have gotten all the gold from? In addition, if Sunset had somehow escaped from whoever her captor was or was even merely still alive, wouldn’t she have come to see Spike herself or written to him that her heart was still beating?

Perhaps it’s their mother, or their father, Twilight thought. However, this raised the same question as Sunset: why hadn’t they come to give this to him personally? Besides, their father was likely dead too, and nobody knew anything about their mother. Hell, they knew hardly anything about their father, either; all they had were some vague descriptions that Sunset had told Spike of when she was barely old enough to remember and Spike was a baby.

So perhaps the books had been given by a secret admirer. Twilight knew that many girls had crushes on her sweet-faced apprentice and she wouldn’t have put it past them for one to secretly send him a gift to show her devotion to him, but what twelve-year-old girl could even begin to afford these, or even convince her parents to get them?

It was a fascinating mystery, and Twilight found herself growing quite excited over it. Whoever had sent Spike the gift knew him very well; he would be absolutely delighted at receiving it. She carefully wrapped the books back up and tied the bow back over them. She then picked up about half of the parcels and levitated the rest, and with the gifts stacked in her arms or hovering beside her, glowing purple with Ether, she exited her room.

It was just as tiring to carry some of the parcels telekinetically as it would be to carry them all with her arms, the only difference being that Twilight felt her energy drain directly from her body and she began to feel faintly lightheaded, so she sighed with relief when she placed all of Spike’s presents on the table designated for them by the presence of his other gifts provided by his new friends. “Oh, good, you’re here!” she heard Pinkie cry, and Twilight turned to see her standing beside Rainbow and Spike, who were leaning against the glass selling-counter.

Pinkie and Rainbow were both wearing small, colorful party dresses that suited them and their figures perfectly; Rainbow was in a rainbow-striped shoulderless top and a short, straight blue skirt with purple, ruffled edging. Up her arms were long, fingerless gloves that reached up past her elbows halfway to her shoulders. Completing it were a pair of winged magenta boots and a matching loose belt with a golden buckle shaped like her cloud Mark. Pinkie’s dress similarly had a blue shoulderless top and a two-layered skirt; this one, however, had a purple layer over a pink layer. Around her waist was a yellow bow, and on her wrists were a pair of blue bracelets. She wore a small, blue top hat on a pink headband and small, bowed purple dancing shoes.

Pinkie was also holding a pink dress with a ruffled skirt and striped top in one hand, and in the other a pair of tall, high-laced matching pink boots. “Here’s your dress!” said Pinkie. “Go try it on!”

Twilight nodded and took the items from her. She went back up to her room to change, and when she came back down Spike grinned upon seeing her. “You look beautiful,” he said.

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight said, smiling back. She turned to Pinkie and asked, “Where are the others?”

“They all have to finish their jobs before they can come,” Pinkie replied. “Rainbow finished all of her deliveries and I’m going to be working all night tonight, so we’re both on break.”

Twilight nodded. She helped Pinkie arrange the treats and set up the games for Spike’s party while they waited for Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity to come. Since they were planning on having their businesses closed for the festival the next day, they all worked until eight that evening, and began to arrive as twilight was descending upon the town.

Fluttershy was in an elegant spring-green dress, and Applejack was too dressed in green. Rarity wore a sparkling, light blue ruffled minidress with only one shoulder. Everyone thanked her many times for the dresses, and the party began.

They started with cake and games. At Pinkie’s specialized birthday parties, there wasn’t a single large cake and a communal tub of ice cream; instead, the main celebrant was given a small, unique cake with their name and the words “Happy Birthday!” beautifully written in elegant frosting topped with a number of lit candles matching the number of years they’d lived. Once they’d made a secret wish and blown out the candles, they were given the cake to eat on their own while everyone else was allowed to consume as many of any of the cupcakes in the shop as they liked. As for the ice cream, there were no bowls or spoons; they were served on large platters by the confectioner Bon-Bon as small, round balls covered in hard chocolate Alchemically designed to keep the insides cold until the shells were broken. As a whole, Twilight had to admit that this arrangement was a brilliant idea; there was little mess and everyone could have as much or as little dessert as they liked. Spike was provided with a cake of swirled peach and chocolate flavored batters topped with twelve sea-green candles. Once he’d closed his eyes, made a wish, and blown them out, he began eating it with a silver fork while the girls selected cupcakes, popped open glass bottles of soda, and popped a few ice cream balls into their mouths.

The first game they played was Blind Man’s Bluff. Spike was able to catch Rarity and Rainbow once each (though Rainbow had gotten close to him several times to taunt him, and when Spike had caught her it was because she didn’t jump back fast enough). He caught Pinkie four times, though it was clear to everyone that she was letting him, and Twilight began to think that she liked getting caught more than she liked getting away.

After everyone had gotten a little tired, they began playing Twenty Questions instead. They found that Twilight was uncannily good at the game; with her encyclopedic knowledge she guessed every one of the others’ items, and they also found that the items she chose for them to guess were so obscure and well-picked that they could never figure them out, even though it seemed obvious when Twilight revealed the answer to them (the item that Twilight most enjoyed using was the night sky, and she laughed hysterically when the others failed to guess it).

Once the games were over, it was time for Spike to open his presents. Pinkie gave Spike her present first; it was a box of assorted rock candies, as Spike had told her that they were his favorite kind of sweet. Next was Rarity, who had given Spike a woven leather bracelet with beads of colorful corals, shells, and smooth, semiprecious stones. Fluttershy had gotten him a fine framed oil painting of a sleeping dragon, and Applejack had given him a brown leather cowboy hat. Rainbow’s gift was a professional-quality vibrantly colored football, which prompted Spike to challenge her to a juggling contest. Rainbow went first, and was able to keep it in the air for seven minutes before she attempted a trick and dropped it. Spike was able to juggle it between his feet for five minutes, but in the end he kicked it a little too hard and was unable to catch it before it touched the ground again.

“I win,” Rainbow gloated smirkingly.

“Best two out of three,” Spike replied.

“Maybe later,” Twilight said. “You still need to open the rest of your presents.”

Spike nodded. “Alright.”

Twilight handed him his gift from her parents. It was a golden pocket watch. After all his friends had admired it for a while he opened his present from Shining and Cadance, which was a large hardcover piano songbook.

“You play the piano, Spike?” asked Pinkie.

Spike nodded. “Yeah.”

“You’ll have to show us sometime!”

“Sure,” Spike replied as Twilight handed him the gifts from his Olympian friends. They were booster packs of Steam figurines.

“You’re a Steam player?” Rainbow said when she saw them. “Man, what a geek!”

“I’ll still kick your ass at football,” Spike replied.

“In your dreams, nerd!” Rainbow teasingly replied, playfully punching his shoulder. They both laughed, then Twilight handed Spike his gift from Celestia. It was a beautiful, hand-bound book of poetry in masterful, calligraphic characters of black ink brush strokes. Spike read the first two aloud, and as he did so he and his friends’ smiles gradually faded away.

“My heart, it aches so
Knowing how long we’re apart
My tears always flow

Trees grow, and flowers bloom
The sun rises high in the noon
The wind rushes through the trees
Rustling the green grass and dewy leaves
Bees hum as they hurriedly fly
And pollen drifts from their legs into the sky
Though I wish I could say it is a perfect day
The music is silent and the flowers are gray”

“That’s… kinda damn depressing,” Rainbow said.

“It’s beautiful, but…” Fluttershy said, frowning down at her hands folded in her lap, “why is it all so sad?”

“But still…” Spike said, running his fingers over the characters, “for some reason, it makes me… a little happy, too.”

“Why’s that?” Twilight said, raising a brow.

“I don’t know,” Spike said. “I guess… I guess it just… well, feels very heartfelt, somehow. Like whoever wrote this really loves whoever they’re talking about.”

Twilight smiled. “I’m glad Celestia could tell you would appreciate it,” she said.

Spike smiled. “Yeah.”

He carefully set the book aside as Twilight gave him her own present. Upon seeing it, his face immediately brightened; it was a full-color Steam art book. “Thanks, Twi,” he said.

Spike stood up, but Twilight said, “Hold on, you still have one more present.”

Spike’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Really? Who’s it from?”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said, handing him his anonymous gift.

Spike read the note, then said, “What?”

“What does it say?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“‘Spike, I hope you have a happy birthday. I miss you and love you with all of my heart,‘” Spike read aloud.

“Do you know who you think it might be?” Rarity asked.

Spike shook his head. “No idea.”

“Do you think it might be Sunset?” said Twilight.

“No. Her handwriting’s different,” Spike replied.

“Who’s Sunset?” asked Rainbow curiously.

“She’s my older sister,” Spike replied.

“Where is she?” said Fluttershy.

Spike looked down, frowning with deep sorrow. “She was kidnapped a few years ago. Nobody knows what happened to her.”

The girls gasped, and Rarity said, “Oh, dear… I’m terribly sorry, Spike, I didn’t know-”

“It’s alright,” Spike said, wearing a false smile. “It’s just….”

“We understand,” said Fluttershy. “We’ll only talk about it if you want to.”

Spike smiled sadly at her. “Thanks.”

With very low spirits, Spike opened the present from the mysterious giver. His eyes widened, however, when he saw what it was. “First edition Steam rulebooks?!” he cried. He hurriedly pulled out the Player’s Handbook and opened it to the title page. “Oh, Celestia, it’s signed by Gaben Bellevue!!” he shouted, grinning with tremendous excitement.

“Who’s that?” said Rainbow.

Spike closed the book and held it up, pointing at the bottom of the cover, below its illustration of a band of grizzled bandits in tattered brown waistcoats wearing brass goggles and adorned with belts filled with clock-like gadgets. “He’s the game’s creator!” he said, running his finger over the words, “Written and created by Gaben Bellevue.”

“There’s only maybe a hundred signed first edition sets out there, and a dozen mint ones!” Spike continued, his voice growing louder as he went on. “Oh my gosh, these are worth twenty thousand gold pieces, at least!”

The girls all gaped at him. “Twenty thousand gold pieces?” Rainbow said unbelievingly. “You’re kidding, right? Those books cost twenty thousand gold pieces?”

“At least!” Spike said. He spread the books over his lap, wondrously admiring them. “Who could’ve gotten these?! This is the best present ever!”

Pinkie grinned. “So you had a good birthday, Spike?” she said.

Spike nodded vigorously. “Yeah! This is the best birthday ever!”

Pinkie pumped her fist. “Yes!” She leapt into the air, crying, “WHOO-HOO!” She produced a cannon from seemingly nowhere and fired it, sending confetti and streamers flying through the air.

Spike individually embraced each of the girls, thanking them for the gifts, then went upstairs to put his presents in his room.

Sounding a little sad, Pinkie said, “Well, party’s over.” With a dejected frown she continued, “I have to get ready to sell cake and candy to people tonight.” Her smile returned, however, as she added, “But the Celebration’s just about to start! Two great parties, one right after the other! This is gonna be the best night ever!”

When Spike came back down, Rainbow said to the others, “Come on, let’s go to the festival! We’re gonna rock all night long!”

As Rainbow led the others out, however, something in one of the windows caught Twilight’s attention from the corner of her eye. She turned, and saw that gazing into the shop was a pair of turquoise eyes. Twilight could see no more of the Being’s face, as her mouth and nose were obscured by a black knitted ski mask and her hair was shadowed by a black hood. Twilight only saw the hooded Being for a few seconds, however; when Twilight looked in her direction, her eyes widened and she bolted out of sight.

Puzzled, Twilight followed Spike and the other girls out of the door. She looked behind herself as they went outside, and she thought she saw a black boot disappear into one of the alleys.

“Uh, Spike?” she said.

The others all stopped and turned to her. “Yes?” Spike said.

Twilight gazed at him for a moment, then shook her head, deciding against telling him; Celestia had commanded her not to endanger him, and there’d be less chance she’d be seen if she investigated alone. “Never mind,” she said. “I need to go.”

“Why?” Spike said confusedly.

“I just need to check something,” Twilight replied. With a smile she assured him, “I’ll be right back.”

Spike nodded with slight apprehension. “Alright….” he said.

With a nod, Twilight ran into the alley beside the inn and entered the opening she saw the hooded figure turn into.

Twilight walked down a long stretch of alleyway, but fortunately there was only one turn at the end. She treaded over discarded newspapers and old rubbish until she came back out into an empty street, where she could see a few blocks away that the hooded figure was turning at the corner of the block. Twilight cast a spell to silence her feet as she ran to catch up with the figure, and when she reached the corner she saw the figure walk down a few more meters before entering a small, abandoned house.

Twilight approached the decrepit, crumbling brick structure until she stood at its doorstep. She carefully placed her ear against the door and her Marks glowed as she amplified the sound from beyond it. She could hear breathing and a heartbeat from the other side; someone was standing guard at it.

Growing deeply suspicious, Twilight stood back and looked up. The windows were shattered, and many of the bricks had chipped or weathered away, leaving several handholds. She silenced her footfalls again as she stepped up onto an exposed brick on the side of the wall and grabbed one above her head, pulling herself up. She climbed up to the windows, and as there were still some jagged pieces of glass in their frames she telekinetically lifted them away and gently laid them on the ground beneath her before climbing in.

She was in an old, dusty bedroom with a moth-eaten bed in one corner and a shattered lamp in another, and on the ground between them was a frayed, filthy rug. Twilight laid on her belly and pressed her ear against the rug, again amplifying the sound beyond it.

She heard a man say, “… have you been? It has been an hour since you left.”

She heard a teenaged girl reply, “I’m sorry, Master. This has really drained me, and I had to steal a lot of cakes and take a long rest before I got my energy back.” Twilight’s eyes narrowed; the girl’s voice was familiar, though she couldn’t quite place it.

“Well, it is nearly done,” she heard the man say. “Just a little more.”

“Yes, Master,” the girl replied.

There was a moment of silence, then Twilight heard the girl and the man, joined by a few more voices, begin chanting in Elvish, “Supernatural Etherial Iron, rust and weather away. Supernatural Etherial Iron, rust and weather away.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. She recognized the incantation; they were performing the Rusting Ritual. Deciding that this called for further investigation, she carefully stood back up and walked out into the hall.

As Twilight stepped down the dark passage, she moved extremely slowly to minimize the creaking of the boards beneath her feet. At the end she came to a dimly-lit spiraling staircase. She carefully crept down the steps, holding onto the wooden banister to support herself, and when she was low enough to see the first floor clearly she looked down at the room beneath her.

In what must have once been a parlor, Twilight could see seven black-clad figures standing at several spots around the room. All of them were uniformed in boots, jeans, gloves, and hoodies, all as black as pitch. Their hoods were drawn up over their heads, which along with the ski masks over their lower faces hid their identities. One was clearly an Angel, as Twilight could see a pair of dark green wings protruding from his back; he was standing beside a wingless figure at the edge of the room, and both of them were leaning against the wall, watching the center.

Twilight supposed that the four figures in the middle of the room were Elves; they were standing around a ritual circle, continuing to chant the Rusting Incantation with their hands crossed over it. Twilight could hear that two of them were adult men and the other two were teenaged girls, one with the familiar voice Twilight had heard from upstairs. Behind them, guarding the front door was a massive eighth figure without wings who was intently watching the Ritual, as well.

There were several lit candles placed around the spellcasters, casting an ominous orange glow around the house. Some of the light dimly lit Twilight, who was a little worried that she would be seen, but fortunately the figures all seemed to be too focused on the Ritual to look in her direction.

Twilight looked around the room, and saw that there were two more Ritual Circles drawn on the ground. Though she recognized the one the hooded figures were using at the moment as the Rusting Circle, she had never seen the other two before. However, she recognized some of the shapes and characters they were composed of, so with a few minutes of careful study she came to the tentative guess that the purpose of one was to break or dissolve some kind of “barrier” and the other was for establishing some kind of “connection.”

A thrill of panic coursed through Twilight. A horrific idea had immediately come to her mind: that this group of hooded Beings were attempting to secretly unseal Nightmare Moon. She deduced that the “barrier-breaking” Circle was to make it possible to magically access her prison, and that the “connection-forming” Circle’s purpose was to allow them to release her from this remote location. The only thing that didn’t make sense to Twilight was that they seemed to be trying to free Nightmare Moon with the Rusting Ritual, which implied that they thought that she was imprisoned in Tartarus with only simple Etherial Iron shackles and chains.

Nonetheless, Twilight knew they immediately had to be stopped. But what could she do? She couldn’t interfere alone; they outnumbered her by a vast margin. She thought of running and telling a guard, but by then it might be too late. She thought of burning a letter to the Princess begging for help, but she didn’t have parchment or a pen, and anyway Celestia could never act quickly enough.

However, the thought of burning a letter gave another idea to Twilight: she could start a fire, and escape in the shadows as the house collapsed around these hooded Beings.

However, just as Twilight was raising her hand to snap and ignite a spark, the chanting hooded figures suddenly grew silent and let their hands fall to their sides. “There, it is done,” she heard one, the man the girl had called “Master,” say.

The figure standing guard at the door looked up from the Circle, and suddenly flinched as his eyes fell upon Twilight behind the bannister. “Hey, someone’s spying on us!” he shouted in a deep, intimidating voice as he pointed at Twilight.

The figures all looked up at her, and Twilight froze in place. A second of absolute stillness hung in the air before Twilight hastily scrambled back up the stairs.

“She’s seen us! Assassin, kill her!” the Master shouted, and one of the figures who was aiding him perform the Ritual drew a knife from her belt and flung it at Twilight.

Twilight abruptly stopped just before the blade could plunge into her abdomen, but it cut open her arm as it rushed through the air and lodged itself in the wall. Twilight screamed in pain and held her arm, but kept running back up to the second floor as blood seeped through her fingers.

“I missed her!” Twilight heard an unfamiliar girl’s voice shout.

“Never mind her!” the Master shouted back. “Our work is finished. We have to leave.”

Twilight heard many boots rapidly hit the floor as the figures ran out of the house and into the street. She went into one of the bedrooms and leaned her head out, looking down below, and saw that the hooded Beings were sprinting in the direction of the Everfree Forest. She angrily groaned in great frustration; they would be impossible to find in there.

Nonetheless, Twilight had to tell the Princess immediately. Still holding her bleeding arm she ran downstairs, out the still-open door, and back towards the Town Square.

The night was vibrant in Olympus. Its shining crystal buildings were glowing bright with lights as jugglers, clowns, and acrobats were entertaining the citizens of the city while they sang and danced and awaited the awakening of their High Princess.

The guards all wished they could join in the celebrations, but they were all on-duty and instructed to be especially vigilant tonight. Celestia had commanded them to wake her immediately if anything seemed even remotely wrong, and so they were all on the very highest alert.

Celestia was wise to take such precaution.

A shadow slinked through the streets of the city, darting between dark corners and avoiding the gaze of any of the merry celebrators it passed. It approached Camelot slowly, carefully; Olympus had changed quite a bit since the shadow had last been there, and it didn’t want to take any chances or encounter any surprises.

Its patience paid off; it reached the gates of the castle unnoticed. The entrance was brightly lit, and two guards were standing watch at it, so the shadow didn’t dare pass between them. This hardly delayed it, however; it simply moved around to the castle’s side and teleported past the iron fence that walled the garden in.

There were two guards patrolling around the flowerbeds, so the shadow hid behind one of the trees and waited for them to pass by. Once they had gone, it dashed to the fortress’s wall and climbed the vines clinging to it up to the window.

Once the shadow had entered, its mind eased a little; Camelot hadn’t changed at all. It knew its way to the Royal Bedchamber as well as the Mark on the back of its hand, so it was simple work avoiding the guards patrolling the halls to reach it.

Once the shadow had pushed past the tall doors into Celestia’s bedchamber, it silently, slowly approached the massive, circular bed upon which the Princess slept. Soon the shadow could see the curled, unspeakably beautiful figure of Celestia, clothed and blanketed in fine, cool silks, slumbering peacefully as the moon gently shined through the window upon her face.

The shadow melted away, revealing a massive pair of dark, feathered wings. Their owner smiled as she reached towards Celestia, the white crescents on the backs of her hands glowing blue.

Twilight frantically knocked on the door of the Golden Oak Library. “Matilda! Please let me in!” she cried. “It’s Twilight!”

After a few moments of silence, Twilight heard footsteps approach the door. It opened, revealing the drowsy, robed form of Matilda. As she sleepily rubbed her eyes she said, “What are you doing here, Twilight? It’s one in the morning.”

She looked down at Twilight’s arm and gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh, Celestia! What happened?”

“No time,” Twilight said. She pushed past Matilda and asked, “Do you have any alcohol and bandages?”

“Yes, they’re up in my bathroom,” Matilda replied, breathing deeply with her hand over her heart.

Twilight ran up to the bathroom next to Matilda’s bedroom, and in one of the lower cupboards she found a first aid kit with bandages, cotton swabs, and a glass bottle of rubbing alcohol. She held her arm over the bathtub and poured some alcohol from the bottle onto her dripping wound. She cringed and grunted as her arm began to sting with pain, but she quickly cleaned it, bound it with bandages, and washed her blood down the drain.

When she came back down, she said to Matilda, “Do you have a pen and parchment I can use?”

Matilda nodded. “Yes. On that desk over there,” she said, pointing at the writing-desk beside the front door.

Twilight sat at the desk, took the feather quill from its inkwell, and hurriedly scratched onto the top sheet,

“Celestia,

It’s Twilight. I think I saw an organization attempt to unseal Nightmare Moon. I didn’t see who they were, and I don’t know if they succeeded. Please answer as soon as you can.”

Twilight then telekinetically lifted the parchment into the air and snapped. Purple flame quickly enveloped the parchment and consumed it until it vanished. Twilight then stood, turned back to Matilda, and asked, “Can I put a Ritual Circle on the ground here?”

“What?” Matilda asked worriedly. “Why?”

“I can’t tell you,” Twilight replied. “I’m sorry. It’s in case of an emergency. Can I draw it?”

After a moment, Matilda nodded. “Of course, Twilight.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, and she held her hand up and conjured a long, cylindrical stick of black carbon into it. She knelt down and drew a long-range Teleportation Circle on the wooden floorboards beneath her, then stood and held her hands over it. Once she had filled it with Ether, she said, “Thank you so much, Matilda,” and ran back out of the library.

In a few minutes, Twilight returned to the town square. It was loud and lively, with fiddles and singing filling the air as actors staged simple plays on wooden platforms and teenagers danced around the fountains under glowing paper lanterns.

Spike’s bright green hair made him easy to locate, and Twilight soon pushed through the crowd to find him dancing with the pink-haired Angel girl that they’d seen at the Sugar Shack when they first arrived.

“Spike!” Twilight shouted.

Spike and his partner turned to Twilight. “Oh, hey, Twi!” Spike said. “This is Scootaloo. She’s best friends with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle!”

“You’re Twilight, Right?” Scootaloo said, grinning at her.

Twilight nodded. “Yes.” She turned and said to her apprentice, “Come on, Spike, we have to-”

“What happened to your arm?” Spike said, pointing at the red-soaked bandage tied around Twilight’s knife wound.

“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Twilight replied. “Come with me.”

Spike anxiously nodded and followed Twilight as she led him back to the inn.

The Sugar Shack’s bakery was very busy; Pinkie, Bon-Bon, and the Cakes had their hands quite full selling sweets, pastries, and drinks to the partygoers. When Twilight and Spike entered, Pinkie called to them, “Hey, guys! Would either of you two like a cupcake?”

“Not now, Pinkie,” Twilight replied, pushing past the other Beings to get to the stairs.

When Pinkie noticed Twilight’s arm, she cried, “Twilight! Are you hurt?”

“It’s just a scratch,” Twilight replied. “I’m fine.”

She rapidly scaled the steps with Spike right at her heels, and once they entered her room she shut the door. As she turned to Spike, he said, “What’s going on, Twilight?”

“Spike,” Twilight said, trembling with worry, “I think I saw someone try to unseal Nightmare Moon.”

Spike froze up, his eyes widening with terror. “W-What?!” he cried.

“I saw a group of black-hooded Elves perform the Rusting Ritual,” Twilight whispered. “They also had Circles for Rituals I think were for allowing them to reach her.”

Spike glared as he said, “Were they the ones that hurt you?”

“Yes. I’m fine, though.”

Spike was quiet for a moment. “Did they actually do it?” he said softly.

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied. “I sent Celestia a letter, though.”

“Did she send one back?” Spike said.

Twilight flinched, and realized that she hadn’t received a reply. “Well… n-no,” she said.

“Oh. Well, she… she might still be sleeping,” Spike said, trying to give her a comforting smile. “And even if they did unseal Nightmare Moon, Celestia’s way more powerful than her. I’m sure she can handle it.”

Twilight nodded, though she still felt quite uneasy.

“Come on,” Spike said, turning to the door. “We’ll see Celestia at sunrise. You can talk to her then.”

Twilight took a few deep breaths, then smiled. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m sure everything’s going to be fine. But just in case, I’ve set up an escape Teleportation Circle in the library. If anything goes wrong, take my hand and I’ll take us there.”

Spike nodded. “Alright, Twilight.”

They went back outside, and Twilight tried to take her mind off of things. However, she found that her anxiety only grew every minute; as the hours went by, she continued to wait for a reply from Celestia, but one never came.

While she was sitting on a bench, Rainbow approached her, flushing a little with intoxication, and said to her, “Hey, wanna dance?”

“Not now,” Twilight replied.

Rainbow frowned concernedly at her arm. “What happened?” she said.

“I fell,” Twilight replied. “It’s just a scratch. I’m okay.”

Rainbow nodded, shrugged, then went to talk to another girl. Soon they were dancing together, and Twilight decided that she needed to be alone for a while. She returned to her room, where she tried to read. However, she found that she couldn’t take her mind away from that hooded group, Celestia’s failure to answer her letter, and that terrible possibility that Nightmare Moon had returned….

It seemed to be an eternity before the first lights of dawn broke over Olympus in the distance around five o’ clock, but once it did Twilight closed her book and returned to town square, where the dancing had stopped and the town’s children and adults had gathered, as well. Everyone was excitedly chattering, and the children were laughing at clowns as they performed magic tricks for their amusement from the temporary wooden stages set up on the streets.

Twilight found Spike with Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy at the central ring of the crowd. Spike was saying to the girls, “… and Celestia’s going to spend the entire week visiting every settlement in the world to personally welcome them to their thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. We’re right after Olympus.”

“This’ll be so cool!” Rainbow cried excitedly. “I’ve never seen the Princess before, except in photos and paintings.”

“Nor have I,” Rarity said. When she saw Twilight, she said, “Ah, hello, Twilight Darling! You see Celestia every day, don’t you?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes.”

Rarity looked down at Twilight’s arm. Before she could speak, however, Twilight said, “Don’t worry; it’s just a scratch.”

Pinkie jumped up and down, squealing excitedly. “Ooh, I can’t wait, I can’t wait, I can’t wait!”

At that moment, a pair of guards marched in from each of the four streets, each with a trumpet in hand. They lifted the horns to their lips and blew a regal fanfare, and upon their sound all the crowd’s chatter died down.

When the fanfare had ended, one of the guards cried out, amplifying his voice with his magic, “Ladies and gentlemen, please lend your ears to the honorable Mayor Meyer!”

The crowd applauded, and a white-haired, middle aged, bespectacled Human woman in a fine suit stepped out from the town hall’s front doors. She shouted over the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to our one thousandth festival of the Summer Sun Celebration!”

There was wild applause, and when it died down the mayor continued, “On this day, we celebrate a millennium of peace, harmony, and friendship that began with the mortal races of Beings uniting behind High Princess Celestia to end the tyranny of the dark Goddess Nightmare Moon one thousand years ago!”

There was more applause, and the Mayor concluded, “Without further ado, it is my honor to introduce our ruler, Her Esteemed Royal Majesty, the High Princess Celestia, Goddess of the Sun!”

The trumpets blew another fanfare, and the curtains in the doorway of the town hall’s highest balcony were pulled back.

However, there was no one there.

After a few moments, there was anxious murmuring in the crowd. “What’s goin’ on?” Applejack said, and Spike exchanged a worried look with Twilight.

As the crowd began to grow more unrestful, the Mayor said, “Please, please, remain calm, everyone! There must be a reasonable explanation for this!”

“Ooh! Ooh! Maybe she’s playing hide-and-seek!” Pinkie cried. “I’m really good at this! Maybe she’s under- ah, ah! AHH!!” she screamed, pointing at a dark fog that was swirling at their feet. “What’s that?!”

Cold, sinister laughter echoed through the square, and the crowd fell silent. The same cold voice boomed over them, “You want your High Princess, my beloved subjects? Well, look no further!”

The clouds gathered up to the balcony of the Town Hall, and the crowd thought they could hear thunder rumbling in the distance. “Oh no,” Twilight whispered, and after a few moments the clouds suddenly melted away, revealing a tall, dark, intimidating winged Being.

She looked like a smaller, dark-skinned version of Celestia. Her intense eyes were a piercing blue, and on her head was a black crown-helmet that opened at the top to allow her flowing, starry blue hair to blow behind her. Her vast wings were a deep midnight blue, and she was wearing very little; the only true clothing she had on was a bikini-like top of black metal plate, chain, and leather, and a long tapestry loincloth embroidered with a rearing blue alicorn superimposed over a round, white moon. Aside from this, she had a pair of snake-like iron bracelets and an iron necklace with a large sapphire as its centerpiece, as well as black leather sandals that wrapped up around her calves. Her almost-complete lack of clothing showed off the vibrant aurora markings up her sides and down her arms, as well as the Mark on the black ink-like splotches on her thighs, shoulders, and hands: a white crescent moon.

She spoke again, her voice ringing throughout the square: “It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious little Sun-loving faces.”

She climbed up onto the railing and leapt down, flapping her wings to slow her descent to the ground. The crowd backed away from her, and someone shouted, “What did you do to our Princess?!”

“Why, I am your Princess,” the Goddess said, feigning innocent puzzlement. “Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?”

The crowd said nothing as they continued to back away from her. With a smirk, she teleported forward, coming to a stand centimeters away from Fluttershy. As the shy Angel girl yelped and hid behind her arms in fear, the Goddess said, “Does my crown no longer count now that I’ve been imprisoned for a thousand years?”

She teleported again, this time before Rarity. She took Rarity’s chin in her hand and smiled as she said, “Did you not recall the legends? Did you not see the signs?”

“I did,” Twilight said, glaringly stepping towards her. “And I know who you are. You’re the Goddess of the Night, Nightmare Moon!”

The crowd gasped, and Nightmare Moon made a satisfied smirk. “Well, well, well, someone who remembers me. Then you must also know why I am here!”

“You’re here to-” Twilight said, but dread suddenly filled her and words failed her. She trembled as she said quietly, “to….”

Nightmare Moon laughed. “Remember this day well, little Beings; ’tis the first day of High Princess Nightmare Moon’s reign over the world! From this day forth, the rule of the night shall last forever!”

I-IV. The Everfree Forest

Rainbow dashed towards Nightmare Moon, attempting to punch her face. With only a sideways glance at her, Nightmare lifted a hand and caught Rainbow’s fist. Rainbow immediately shouted and swung her leg, attempting to kick her, but Nightmare simply lifted her knee and blocked this, as well.

With great speed, Rainbow directed several strikes at Nightmare’s vital areas, only for Nightmare to almost lazily parry away each of them. When Rainbow tried to clap Nightmare’s ears, Nightmare pushed her arms away and struck her palm against Rainbow’s forehead, sending her flying backwards with a pained grunt. However, Rainbow recovered quickly; she expertly allowed the blow to send her into a graceful backwards flip, and upon touching back to the ground she leapt towards Nightmare, screaming as she directed a kick at her head.

Nightmare ducked away, then when Rainbow landed again Nightmare jumped up and landed a roundhouse kick into her belly. Rainbow was sent skidding backwards, wrapping her arms around her abdomen, doubling over, and crying out in agony.

“Ready your arms, men!” the captain of the guards shouted, and they all drew their swords. “Charge!” he cried, and they rushed at Nightmare Moon from all directions.

Nightmare sneered. “Stand back, you fools!” she growled, and her Marks and eyes glowed blue for an instant before she spun in place, swinging her arms in a circle around her. A wave of force emanated from her hands, pulsing outwards and sending the guards sprawling to the ground.

By this time, Twilight’s wits had returned. She turned and ran towards Spike, who was now some distance away from her. “Spike!” she shouted, gathering up her Chi.

“Girls, grab me!” Spike shouted, and his five new friends all placed their hands on his shoulders. Twilight’s hands and eyes glowed purple with Ether for a moment, then she reached forward and grasped Spike’s outstretched hand. There was a bright, violet flash, then Spike, Twilight, and the other five girls vanished.

There was a flash of purple Ether over the escape circle in the Golden Oak Library, and Twilight, Spike, and their companions materialized on it.

They were all wide-eyed and shaken, and Rarity shouted, “What happened?! Where are we?!”

Twilight swooned in place. “Uuhnn….” she groaned, and her eyes closed and she fell forward.

“Twilight!” Spike cried, rushing forward and catching her in his arms.

As he gently picked Twilight up and carried her to a sofa, Pinkie said, “Is she alright?”

“She used a huge amount of energy to bring us here,” Spike replied. “She’s going to be fine, but she needs to rest and rejuvenate herself.”

Looking around, Rarity said, “She brought us all the way to the library? My, she’s a powerful Elf!”

Spike ran into the library’s little kitchen, where he located a glass and filled it with water. After opening a jar of sugar and shoveling several spoonfuls into the glass, he returned to Twilight’s side and gently shook her awake. “Twilight,” he said.

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, and she tremblingly pushed herself into an upright sitting position. “Drink this,” Spike said, handing her the glass.

Twilight slowly gulped down the water, then gave the glass back to Spike. As he set it down, Fluttershy anxiously stuttered, “W-what’s going on? Was that r-really N-nightmare Moon?”

Twilight held her head as she nodded. “Yes.”

“But how did she escape from Tartarus?” Rarity asked worriedly.

Rainbow glowered suspiciously at Twilight. “Yeah, and how did you know about her?” She stepped forward and pointed an accusatory finger at her. “Are you a spy?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rainbow,” Applejack said, taking her arm and pulling her away. “Of course she ain’t.”

She looked back at Twilight. “But you do know somethin’ ’bout all this, don’t you?”

Pinkie suddenly gasped. “That’s why you came here, isn’t it? You were on the lookout for Nightmare Moon!”

After a moment of hesitation, Twilight sighed and nodded. “Yes. Princess Celestia sent me here to warn her if I saw any sign of Nightmare Moon. I was warned that she might turn up tonight.”

“But where is Celestia?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight anxiously looked away from her. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think that Nightmare Moon has captured her. I don’t know where she’s keeping her.”

“Well, we have to find her, then!” Rainbow said.

Twilight shook her head. “Nightmare Moon could be keeping her anywhere in the world.” Her eyes widened with sudden realization. “Wait….”

“What is it?” Pinkie said.

Twilight gazed hard out of the window for a few moments. “Why did Nightmare Moon come here?” she said. “Why is she in Avalon?”

Twilight was silent again, then she turned to her apprentice. “Get me a map, Spike,” she said.

Spike nodded. “Right away, Twilight,” he said, then he ran to one of the library’s shelves and began scanning over the books.

As Twilight turned and placed her feet on the ground, Pinkie repeated, “What is it, Twilight?”

“I think Celestia’s being kept somewhere close to here,” Twilight answered.

Spike returned with an atlas. “Here, Twilight,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight said, opening the book. She turned to a page marked, “Avalon and Surrounding Areas,” then placed her finger on a point in the southern part of the nearby section of the Everfree Forest labeled, “Castle of the Two Sisters.” “This,” she said, “is the castle in the city where Celestia and Nightmare Moon lived before Olympus was built. When Nightmare Moon declared war against Celestia, she returned here and made it the capital of her empire. I bet she returned there and it’s where she’s keeping Celestia.”

She turned to Spike and said, “It’s about fifty kilometers into the forest. We need to get camping supplies for a two-day hike. Get a parchment and pen for a list, Spike.”

Spike nodded. “Yes, Twilight.”

Once Spike had retrieved a parchment and quill, Twilight dictated a list to him of the following items: two bedrolls, two jackets, two water skins, two backpacks, and six days’ worth of rations.

Once Spike had written the list, Twilight said, “Go and buy all of that. I’m going to rest, and then we’ll get going.”

As Spike folded and pocketed the list, he said, “Yes, Twilight.”

As he was just about to exit, however, he stopped when Rainbow said, “Hold on, you two are going after Nightmare Moon all by yourselves?”

“No,” Twilight said. “We’re going to rescue Celestia.”

Rarity raised a brow. “Shouldn’t you tell your brother to ready a siege of Nightmare Moon’s castle?”

Twilight gave an annoyed and slightly angry look to Rarity, as though she’d just uttered something unimaginably stupid. “Are you out of your mind? Nightmare Moon is the Goddess of the Moon.

Rarity’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What does that have to do with it?”

“The Moon,” Twilight repeated, pointing up. “As in the planet-sized rocky satellite that’s orbiting the Earth. She’s the personification of that object. What you saw her do in Town Square wasn’t even the tiniest fraction of what she’s capable of. If she wanted to, she could blast the whole world into bits. We could rally every single God and mortal Being together to fight her, and she’d still crush us all like ants. Our only hope to stop her is Celestia, and the only way to rescue Celestia is to sneak into the castle and release her under Nightmare’s nose.”

Rainbow nodded. “I get it,” she said, smiling. “So we have to infiltrate and bust Celestia out of the castle with stealth. I like it.”

“Wh-what?” Twilight said confusedly. “‘We’? What makes you think you’re coming with me and Spike?”

Rarity gave an incredulous look to Twilight. “Why, of course we’re coming with you, Darling!”

“Darn tootin’!” Applejack added. “We ain’t lettin’ no friend of ours wander into the Everfree Forest alone!”

Twilight glared at Applejack. “You’re not my friends,” she growled through her teeth.

The girls all stared astonishedly at her. “What? Why not?” Pinkie asked distressedly.

“I don’t need any more friends,” Twilight replied. “And you’re not coming with us to rescue Celestia. The more there are, the slower we’ll move, and the more likely Nightmare will find us.”

Rainbow folded her arms, frowning at Twilight. “Well, whether we’re your friends or not, going into the Everfree Forest alone is suicide. You need someone who can fight.”

“You got your ass sorely kicked by Nightmare Moon,” Twilight replied sharply.

Rainbow bared her teeth. “Listen, Twi, Nightmare would’ve been crying like a baby and begging for mercy if she were anyone else.” She pointed at herself. “You’re talkin’ to a lower intermediate kung fu master. Come at me if you think I’m all talk. I dare you.”

Twilight shrunk back under Rainbow’s fierce gaze, and she found herself at least partially believing her.

“Ya’ll will need cooks,” Applejack said, pulling Pinkie towards herself.

Rarity tossed her hair. “I might not be a very strong magician, but I can also hold my own in a fight, and it can’t hurt to have another Elf in your party.”

Fluttershy nervously blushed and touched her forefingers together. “Umm, I’m not very good at fighting,” she said softly. “But, um… I’m pretty good at healing, and you might need a medic.”

After a few moments of silence, Spike said, “They have a point, Twilight.”

Twilight sighed. “Fine,” she muttered. “You can all come with me and Spike, then.”

Pinkie cheered, then Twilight said, “But, Spike and I are setting out at noon. If you’re not all back and ready by then, we’re leaving without you. Got it?”

They all nodded and replied, “Yes.”

Rarity added, “Applejack and I need to go and be sure our sisters are safe, anyway.”

“And I’d probably better check on Scootaloo,” Rainbow said.

“Ah’ll go get mah guns!” Applejack said, grinning.

Twilight nodded. “Alright. Go get our supplies, Spike.”

Spike nodded, but Rarity placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Actually,” she said to Twilight, “Why don’t you have Pinkie get you a change of clothes from the inn and buy your supplies? Spike can lookout for you while you recover.”

Twilight groaned irritatedly. “Fine. Pinkie, you may get our supplies. But if you’re not back by eleven, I’m sending Spike instead.”

Pinkie nodded. “Okie dokie lokie,” she said softly, then she turned and exited the library. The other girls followed after her, leaving Spike and Twilight alone in the great hallowed oak tree.

Twilight trembled and swooned again. “Whoa, Twilight,” Spike said, gently laying her back down. “I’ll cut up some apples for you, then I’ll take you to bed.”

Twilight nodded, her eyes half-open and rapidly blinking. “Thanks, Spike,” she said, and in a few moments her eyes closed and she gently snored as she fell back into slumber.

Once Spike had gotten some apples from the kitchen’s pantries and removed their cores and divided them into slices, he returned to Twilight and woke her to feed them to her. He then put her arm around his shoulders and supported her weight as he guided her up to Matilda’s bedroom. He laid her on the bed, covered her with the patchwork quilt spread over it, and said, “Sleep well, Twilight.”

Nightmare Moon stared astonishedly at the place where the Elf had made all the young Beings vanish. To be able to teleport such a large group, that Elf girl must have been extremely powerful. She had as much strength with Magic as a minor Goddess.

Shaking her head and putting the sorceress out of her mind for the moment, Nightmare looked back up at the inhabitants of Avalon gathered at its town square. “Now that you are under my rule, here are my commands, which are simple and few: honor me, adore me, and obey me. Do these things, and you will have nothing to fear.”

She snapped her fingers, and several small squadrons of armed, grizzled mercenaries marched into the square from the streets and surrounded the citizens. As the Beings worriedly backed away from them, Nightmare said, “These mercenaries will act as my temporary enforcers until I can form a proper Royal Guard. They have been instructed not to harm any of you unless you defy me. You may go back to your usual routines; I shall send heralds with any more of my commands.”

She spread her wings, then she took to the air. She glided over the town and the thick, wild Everfree Forest, until she located her capital’s ruins and the crumbling remains of the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Once she had descended past the mercenary archers standing on the black stone turrets and landed before the great iron front gates, two more of her hired guards opened them and allowed her in. She walked into the castle; navigated to and went down the set of steps into the dungeon; and after striding down its dark, torch-lit passages, another set of two guards unlocked the iron, barred door to its deepest cell for her to enter.

Kneeling with her head bowed in the circular chamber’s center was Celestia, whose arms were both shackled to the walls on either side. She was still in her soft white silk pajamas, though they had been stained all over with dirt. When Nightmare Moon entered, Celestia glaringly looked up at her.

Nightmare smirked. “Hello, Sister,” she said, folding her arms.

“It’s been a thousand years since last we met,” Celestia replied.

“Yes,” Nightmare said, stepping forward. As she stroked one of Celestia’s chains, she said, “You cannot imagine what it is like to be shackled and unmoving just like this for an entire age.”

“It caused me unspeakable sorrow to have to banish you to Tartarus,” Celestia said. “You left me no choice.”

“You had a choice,” Nightmare said, glaring back at her. “I was the mortals’ Princess, as well, and yet they hated and feared me while they loved and honored you. You should have stood by me when I demanded the honor I was due.”

“You proved them right to fear you by denying them their freedom,” Celestia answered.

Nightmare scoffed. “They forced my hand. I’d never given them reason to hate me before then. Mortals are superstitious and cowardly, and hate what they do not understand. Fear is the only way it is possible to bring peace and order to them; that they only ended their absurd racial feud when I gave them a common enemy testifies of this inescapable truth.”

Celestia’s expression softened. “Mortal Beings have more courage and goodness than you realize, Luna. Treat them with kindness and gentleness, and you will see it. Win their friendship willingly, and you will show them that they were wrong to despise you.”

Nightmare laughed. “‘Luna‘? I abandoned that gentle name along with your foolishly optimistic philosophy long ago. However, I fully intend to win their adoration and be a fair ruler.”

Nightmare knelt down, so her eyes were level with Celestia’s, and she wore a sincerely sorrowful expression. “We were meant to rule together, dear Sister; simply vow to defer to my firmer wisdom and I shall release you so you can return to my side.”

Celestia sighed sadly. “You still have much yet to learn, Luna. I hope that you shall awaken from your blindness before my apprentice liberates me.”

Nightmare’s eyes widened. “Your apprentice? … Ah, so she is the powerful sorceress who recognized me, is she not?” Nightmare smiled. “Powerful though she is, it amuses me that you believe she can best me and unseal you.”

“Twilight will release me,” Celestia replied confidently.

“‘Twilight’ is her name, then,” Nightmare said, smiling softly and standing up. “She studies to become your Court Magician, no doubt.”

She turned around and placed her hand on her cheek, gazing into the darkness. “I can see why you’ve taken an interest in her. She has power enough to match a lesser God. She’s quite beautiful, too. She would indeed make an excellent Court Magician. Her companions interest me a great deal, as well- particularly that rainbow-haired Angel. Also quite the beauty, and a cunning warrior as well. My Guard could well use a Captain like her.”

She softly chuckled. “Yes, they will make excellent consorts, I think.”

Spike shook Twilight awake. “Get up, Twi. They’re back,” he said.

Twilight stretched and sat up. In the corner of the bedroom she saw Matilda sitting in one of the chairs, smiling at her with a book in her lap. “Did you sleep well, Twilight?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’m sorry I used your bed.”

Matilda nodded. “You’re fine. Just be sure to mop up the coal you drew on the floor downstairs when you come back.”

Spike laid a pile of folded clothes and a pair of sneakers on Twilight’s lap. “Go get changed, and then we can leave,” he said.

Twilight sighed. “So all of your friends are back?”

“Yep, and we’re all ready to go,” Spike replied.

Twilight stood up. “Alright. I’ll be down in a minute,” she said, and she went to Matilda’s bathroom to change.

Once Twilight was in clothes more suitable for travel, she went downstairs to find Spike and the other five girls standing around the room, also dressed for the journey. Each was wearing a large backpack with a bedroll strapped on top, and Spike was leaning against the one obviously meant for Twilight.

Twilight also noticed that all of them were wearing hoodies tied around their waists- except Rarity, whose hoodie was draped over her shoulders, and Fluttershy, who instead had a yellow knitted sweater tied around her waist.

Spike tossed a purple hoodie to Twilight, saying, “Here. It’ll get cold at night.”

Twilight nodded and tied the sleeves around her waist. “So, your little sisters and Scootaloo are fine?” she said to Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity.

Rarity nodded. “Yes. Scootaloo is with her father and Sweetie and Apple Bloom are with Applejack’s family.”

Applejack smiled and patted the two holsters loaded with revolvers at her sides. “And Ah got mah guns!”

Pinkie said worriedly, “It was hard to avoid the mercenaries Nightmare brought to town, though! Bon-Bon told me they were looking for us!”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Th-they were?! Why?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Who knows? We got rations and sleeping bags, though, so we’re all ready to go!”

“I also have medicine,” Fluttershy said, placing her hand on the beaded satchel at her side. “I can treat cuts, burns, frostbite, bruises, and some infections and poisons.”

Twilight nodded. “Alright,” she said, pulling her backpack onto her shoulders. “Let’s get going, then.”

“Good luck, and be safe!” Matilda called after them as they left.

Once they were outside the library, Twilight said, “Alright, we should split up and meet at the path at the edge of the forest. Don’t let any of the mercenaries see you, and be careful.”

They all nodded, and set off in different directions. Twilight moved slowly, hiding behind alleys whenever she saw one of the mercenaries until they passed by. After a good half hour, she arrived at the path to find that Pinkie and Fluttershy were already there.

They hid in the shadows of the trees until- one by one- the others arrived, as well. Once all seven of them had gathered up, they set off deeper into the woods.

The Everfree Forest was the largest, wildest, and oldest forest in the world. It was always growing bigger, which was only marginally slowed by the attempts of loggers to weather its boundaries away. At this point it had encompassed nearly a third of the entire continent of the Central Pillar, stretching from the tip of its southernmost peninsula all the way up to the Northern Roof. On the Earth’s equator it was tropical and rainy, and as it rolled to the icy, mountainous north it grew steadily more deciduous until pines began mixing in and formed tundra land in the Roof. The section that stood within Equestria was deciduous, and sometimes children would go to the edge to pick its juicy, fragrant fruits. They dared not go beyond the edge of the Forest’s trees, however; their parents gravely forbade them from venturing further in, often with the common and old saying, “Losing your life to the horrors within will be punishment enough for disobeying me.”

It was said in an ancient legend that Discord himself had planted the first trees of the forest, and it was easy to guess why; reality seemed to bend and twist in mysterious ways within that wood. It was incredibly easy to get lost in it, and cartographers who had attempted to map it found recording its layout to be impossible; they would find that once they had drawn out the paths and the landmarks, when they tried to retrace their steps the paths and trees had somehow become radically dissonant from their maps.

The deeper you ventured into the forest, the darker, stranger, and more dangerous it became. Few who went far into it returned to tell about it, and those who survived would often bring with them tales that were bizarre and horrific, and it was difficult to tell which were true and which were the fantasies of madness-induced hallucination. Some of the horrors that were known for a certainty to reside in the Everfree Forest were cockatrices that could turn you into stone by gazing into your eyes; chimeras with three heads: that of of a lion, goat, and snake; and great Rocs with wings as wide as hills and whose eggs were as large as boulders.

But the most horrible stories were of abominations that defied the known laws of nature itself. Some said that such things couldn’t accurately be called creatures, for they were not truly living- reanimated corpses and spirits bound to the world by dark forces were among the things rumored to lurk within the forest. But other, even worse things were also said to sleep in the forest’s deepest and darkest depths; things that could tear apart the very fabric of reality and would destroy the world were it not that they were forever trapped in the endless maze of the Everfree Forest’s trees. These legendary monstrosities were dreaded almost as much as the Sealed Gods, and Beings would often compare the two with the old proverb, “As the Sealed Gods are to mortal Beings, so are the abominations of the Everfree Forest to ordinary animals.” One such legendary creature, the draconequus, was second only to Discord in frequency as the subject of horror stories; they were said to have the head of a horse and the bodies and limbs of many different animals both mystical and nonmagical, and could warp the world around them with an ease surpassed only by the Lord of Chaos himself. No one knew if they truly existed, but it was said that the first ones were Discord’s pets, and that they were the animal he had chosen as the beast-attendants of his Coat of Arms.

Twilight and each of her companions had heard stories of the terrible undead corpses, chimeras, and draconeqii in the forest throughout their entire childhoods, so all of them entered it with great reluctance and foreboding. Twilight, who had the least dread and was the least hesitant to enter, was deathly terrified of it; though she doubted that there were any more draconeqii in the world- if they had ever existed at all- and was certain that the notion of the presence, or even mere existence of zombies and ghosts was ridiculous and absurd, she was well aware of the presence of monsters and hazards still most perilous that science had verified to reside there. Spike and the girls huddled closer together as the trees grew denser and the forest floor grew more shadowy. They followed Twilight, who navigated the paths with the map in her book.

As the day began to wane into late afternoon, Applejack asked, “Are you sure we’re goin’ the right way? Ah mean, the Everfree Forest ain’t ever still, right?”

“Its layout shifts more slowly the closer to the edge you are,” Twilight replied. “If we’re lucky, the map should be fairly accurate for a while.”

“Why don’t I fly up and see?” Rainbow asked. “Just hand me the book and I can see how well they mach up, or maybe even look for the castle.”

“No,” Twilight said firmly. With a serious frown at Rainbow, she said, “Nightmare almost certainly has lookouts watching the skies. We have to stay below the trees.”

Rainbow groaned, “Aww, alright….”

Twilight continued to lead the way, and slowly the paths they followed began to differ slightly from the charts of the atlas. A few times Twilight had to double-check behind them to be sure they were still in the right general direction, but on the whole they seemed to still be approaching the Castle of the Two Sisters.

The oppressive atmosphere grew ever thicker, however, and the party’s hopeless dread only grew. Rainbow Dash, though she was just as fearful as any of the others, wanted to appear to be the most undaunted of any of them, and so to do so as well as ease some of the tension within her she cleared her throat and said, “So, you guys wanna hear a story?”

Fluttershy’s gaze darted between the shadows. “Um… not now, Rainbow,” she said quietly.

“I’m bored, though,” Rainbow said. “Don’t tell me you guys aren’t bored, too.”

“Ah’m more piss-nervous,” Applejack said.

Rainbow snickered. “Aww, you scared, AJ? You can hold my hand if you like; I’ll protect you.”

Applejack sniffed and frowned at her. “No thanks,” she said.

Twilight took a deep breath. She would actually like to ease her mind a little, and hearing a story might help. “Yes, Rainbow, let’s hear one,” she said.

Rainbow grinned. “Hey, you’re cooler than I thought, Twi,” she said. “Anyway, so I’ve heard from a friend that her friend went into these woods one time and met an old hag-”

“Um, Dashie?” Pinkie interrupted her. “I don’t think a scary story is what we need to hear right now….”

“Actually,” Twilight said, “scary stories can be cathartic when you’re frightened. It might relieve some of the tension. Keep going, Rainbow.”

Rainbow’s grin broadened. She was liking Twilight more every second. “So he met a hag in these woods, in a little rotting hut. He was hungry, so he went in and asked her if she had any food. She gave him some meat pie, and asked him for a few copper pieces for it. He said he didn’t have any, so she said he could pay her later. Once he’d eaten it, he asked if he could pay her the copper in a few days, but she said that he couldn’t pay her with copper anymore; the meat in the pie was from a Being’s arms!”

Fluttershy squeaked in fright as tears welled in her eyes. Rainbow didn’t notice this, however, and continued, “So she said he had to go cut off someone’s arms to pay her back. He was horrified, and refused to do it. So she said that she had to have her payment… AND SHE PULLED OUT A KNIFE AND SLICED HIS ARM OFF INSTEAD!!”

With this last shout, Pinkie and Fluttershy both screamed in fright while holding onto the girls nearest to them. Rainbow laughed, “You should’ve seen your faces!” as she wiped some tears away from her eyes.

“Rainbow, that wasn’t funny!” Pinkie shouted angrily.

At that moment, however, there was a crack beneath them, and they all fell silent. There were a few more small cracks, and then suddenly the floor broke beneath them. They had been walking on a massive, rotting fallen log disguised by dirt and moss as the forest floor, and the wingless Beings began sliding screaming down a landslide as Rainbow and Fluttershy hovered in the air.

“Come on!” Rainbow shouted to Fluttershy, and both of them dived down towards the others. Fluttershy grabbed Rarity’s hand and pulled her to a stop as Rainbow caught Pinkie and Spike and strained against their weight as she slowly lowered them through the air to the ground.

Applejack caught a branch sticking from the ground and came to a stop, but beneath her Twilight continued to slide towards the edge of the cliff. “Twilight!” Applejack cried, and she released the branch and began to rapidly slide down to her.

Twilight hit her head on one of the stones, knocking her unconscious, and just meters from the cliff’s edge Applejack grabbed her hand. As they slid and fell off, Applejack reached up with her free hand and grabbed a jagged stone on the cliff’s lip, catching herself just in time.

Applejack screamed in pain as Twilight’s weight pulled against her arm as they dangled over the deep drop below, but with a mighty grunt she heaved Twilight back up. Applejack pulled herself over, as well, then rolled onto her back and panted exhaustedly.

After a few moments, Twilight awoke and sat up, holding her head. “You- you saved me,” she said quietly. “You could have died.”

Applejack nodded. “Yep. Ya’ll might not think of me as your friend,” she said, smiling, “but Ah ain’t lettin’ you meet your untimely end if Ah have somethin’ to say about it. When Ah said Ah considered you to be my friend, Ah meant it.”

Twilight looked away, blushing slightly. “Well… thank you,” she said.

“Anytime,” Applejack replied.

Rainbow flew up over them and landed at their side. As she helped them up, she said, “Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, “I’m fine.”

“My arms are a might sore,” Applejack said, rolling her shoulder, “but they’ll be alright.”

Once the party had regrouped, Fluttershy had treated and bandaged Twilight’s wound, and Twilight had retrieved the atlas, they set off again.

Spike and his new friends began talking to each other to keep the mood lightened as they followed behind Twilight, but they were more vigilant for any signs of further trouble.

When they had gone forward a few more kilometers and the sun was nearly setting, Rarity suddenly stopped them, holding up her hand. “Wait,” she said.

They all fell silent. There was some faint rustling coming towards them, and in a few moments they heard a low growl.

“Look out!” Fluttershy shouted, and there was a great roar as a manticore leapt out of the bushes and charged towards them.

Fluttershy threw a phial to the ground, and as it shattered a cloud of smoke billowed out and rose up over them. “Quick, up the trees!” she cried, and the other Beings all obeyed her and rapidly scrambled up the branches nearest to them.

None were more astonished at the manticore’s appearance than Twilight; in her research she had learned that the silent predators with lions’ bodies and scorpions’ tails usually hunted only at night, and made no noises as they stalked their prey. That one announced its attack as it approached them during the daytime was highly bizarre to her.

“Ah’ll handle this,” Applejack said, and she unholstered one of her revolvers and pointed it at the great cat as it scratched her tree and roared up at her. “Right between the eyes,” she muttered, closing her left eye and steadying her gun.

There was a sound of glass shattering, and the manticore suddenly rolled its eyes and fell unconscious to its side. Applejack lowered her gun and gazed confusedly at it. “Huh?” she said.

“You didn’t shoot it, AJ?” Rainbow called to her.

“No, Ah didn’t,” Applejack replied, deeply puzzled.

Twilight saw Fluttershy slide down one of the trees, then approach the manticore, which was still breathing. “Fluttershy, get away!” Twilight yelled worriedly down at her.

“It’s unconscious,” Fluttershy said. “I threw a tranquilizer at it. It’ll be out for a few hours.”

Her companions all sighed and slid down from the trees, as well. “Let’s get out of here, then!” Rainbow said.

Spike nodded. “Yeah, let’s go, Fluttershy!”

“Not yet,” Fluttershy said, kneeling beside the sleeping beast. “It shouldn’t be this aggressive….”

“What are you doing, Fluttershy?!” Rainbow shouted. “We should go!”

“I think something’s wrong with it,” Fluttershy replied calmly. “I’m going to try to help it.”

“Ugh, why?!” Rainbow shouted. “That thing almost killed us!”

“It doesn’t want to hurt anything; it’s just trying to survive,” Fluttershy said. She inspected the manticore’s body and head before lifting up one of its front paws. “Oh no,” she whispered tremblingly. “It’s been poisoned.”

Twilight knelt beside Fluttershy and looked at the paw. It was a sickly blue color, and there was a thorn in a bleeding wound on its pad. “That’s a moonrose thorn, isn’t it?” Twilight said. The poison of moonroses caused creatures pricked by their thorns to grow mad and aggressive in a manner similar to rabies, which could easily cause such a strange attack.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. I know how to treat it, though….”

She reached into her satchel and pulled out a pair of tweezers. She removed the thorn, then rummaged in her bag until she found a bottle and syringe. She uncapped the syringe’s needle, drew some liquid from the bottle, then injected it into the manticore’s wound. She then handed the syringe to Twilight and said, “Can you clean and sterilize this, please?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course,” she said, and she telekinetically lifted it into the air. She channeled some Chi into it, then transmuted the resulting Ether into intense heat. Once all residues and contaminations had been cooked away, Twilight cooled the syringe and slid the plastic cap back over the needle. While she was doing this, Fluttershy was wrapping and tying a bandage around the manticore’s wound.

“There,” Fluttershy said, standing up. “Help me move it,” she said to the others.

Rainbow sighed, but said, “Alright….” and she and Applejack assisted Fluttershy move it to a shadowed, difficult-to-find hallow in one of the trees.

As they began walking, Twilight asked Fluttershy, “Why did you help it?”

Fluttershy gave Twilight a small smile. “Have you heard the fable of the mouse and the lion?”

Twilight nodded.

Fluttershy continued, “The Lion spared the Mouse’s life, and the Mouse returned the favor by helping it escape from a hunter’s net by chewing through the ropes. You must always be kind; you never know when you’ll need it repaid.”

Twilight looked forward, her brows furrowed in deep thought. Spike’s new friends were demonstrating themselves to be surprisingly deep and moral….

Twilight sighed. Even if she wanted to be friends with them, it would be a wasted effort; she and Spike would be returning to Olympus soon anyway, assuming they even returned from this quest alive.

Shortly thereafter, it began to grow dark. They set up camp, and built a fire over which they cooked some canned vegetable stews. After they had eaten, Rainbow volunteered to be first watch and patrolled around the camp while the rest rolled out their sleeping bags, draped their blankets over themselves, and attempted to sleep. However, everyone was far too frightened by the despair woven deep within the forest to rest, so for several hours they all remained wide awake.

Once a significant portion of the night had passed, Pinkie said to the others, “Hey, guys, you all still awake?”

She was answered by a unanimous chorus of, “Mm-hmm.”

Pinkie sighed. “Okie dokie lokie.” She slid out of her bag and stood up. “This is ridiculous. We need to get some sleep. This calls for a SONG!”

Pinkie began humming an introductory tune as Twilight groaned, “Tell me she’s not.”

Pinkie began,

“When I was a little girl and the Sun was going do-o-o-own”

“She is,” Rarity smilingly said.

Pinkie continued,

“The darkness and the shadows, they would always make me fro-o-o-own”

She began skipping around the others as she sang the lines,

“I’d hide under my pillow from what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way to deal with things at all”

She stood majestically on a tree stump as she continued,

“She said, ‘Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears
‘You’ll see that they can’t hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear’”

She backflipped off of the stump, placed her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and leaned forward with a “Ha, ha, ha!”

Spike and several of the girls giggled, and Twilight found herself smiling, as well.

Pinkie danced and jumped between the trees as she continued,

“Sooo, giggle at the ghostly
Guffaw at the grossly
Crack up at the creepy
Whoop it up with the weepy
Chortle at the kooky
Snortle at the spooky
And tell-that-big-dumb-scary-face-to-take-a-hike-and-leave-you-alone
And-if-he-thinks-he-can-scare-you-he-has-another-thing-coming
And-the-very-idea-of-such-a-thing-just-makes-you-wanna”

Here she laughed so hard she had to wipe away a tear.

“Laaaaaaaaaugh!”

The others hysterically laughed with her, and after a good minute or so they calmed back down. “Thanks, Pinkie, I feel a lot better,” Fluttershy said.

“Same here,” said Applejack.

As Pinkie slid back into her bedroll, she said, “Goodnight, everybody!”

Spike yawned. “Yeah, good night, Pinkie….”

And so they were all able to quickly fall asleep.

However, as the night drew on, Twilight woke up again and began trembling; her blanket was too thin, and couldn’t shield her from the forest’s supernatural cold.

Twilight stood up and went to the fire pit, but found that it had completely died down. Miserably, she returned to her bedroll and attempted to curl up and wrap her blanket around herself tighter as her teeth chattered.

Rarity had been awakened by the sound of Twilight’s movements, and after seeing her return to her bag and shiver under her thin blanket she stood up and draped her thick, handmade quilt over her. Twilight looked up to see Rarity smilingly standing over her. “Good night, Darling,” she said, and she returned to her own bed.

Twilight turned and gazed melancholically away from Rarity. Her new companions were surprising her again and again with how generous they were, and she was beginning to regret that she’d be leaving them soon….

I-V. Nightmare Moon

When Twilight and her companions awoke the next morning, Applejack and Pinkie cooked them some pancakes in a cast iron oven over the fire pit. They ate them with canned fruits, then they packed up their camp and continued moving.

Rainbow, Applejack, and Spike were all still rather tired, as they had alternated keeping watch during the night, but otherwise everyone was well-rested. They were still a bit fearful of the dark forest around them as they hiked ever deeper, but as the day drew on they encountered few more obstacles. Aside from the occasional bruise or scratch and a few swift tussles with small carnivorous plants and animals, their greatest challenge was not getting lost; the maps of the atlas began to differ significantly from the layout of the woods, and several times Twilight had to stand and study them and the position of the sun for several minutes before choosing the direction for them to go.

The day was long and very hot. They were all sweating profusely, and Spike took off his shirt while the girls pressed bags of ice against their heads created from stream water that Twilight and Rarity had frozen. Spike noticed as he levitated his shirt into his backpack that Applejack was a little flushed and wouldn’t look at him while Rarity would cast quick, admiring glances at him from the corner of her eye. He made a small, satisfied smile, taking pleasure from the attention he was getting.

As the Sun sank down and the air began to cool, they took long drinks from their water skins and ate a small lunch of nuts and baked potatoes while Spike put his shirt back on. Applejack seemed relieved and Rarity seemed a little disappointed, which pleased Spike well. He only wished he was a few years older so that he could put his looks to better use with them.

Once they were well-rested and full, they set back off. In a few more hours, Twilight muttered to herself, “It should be close to here…. It should be close….”

After making a few more turns and hiking a few more kilometers, they came to the edge of a cliff. Upon reaching it, Twilight smiled as she looked down at the river running below. “This is the North Canyon,” she said. “There should be a bridge a bit east of here, and on the other side is the castle.”

With renewed spirits at having come nearly to the end of their journey, the girls followed Twilight as she led them alongside the cliff. In a few more minutes, they began to see the ruins of medieval houses and workshops on the other side, which prompted Pinkie to ask, “Is that Nightmare’s old capital?”

“Yes,” Twilight said, looking down at her map. “And that means we should see the bridge any minute now….”

As she predicted, they soon saw ahead of them a long, wide, arched stone bridge crossing over the canyon, with a crumbling road laid over it and winding into the city. In the distance the travelers could see a tall, crumbling black medieval castle looming ominously over the city’s ruins.

“We made it,” Twilight said, and her companions all cheered. She placed the atlas in her bag and said, “Come on, let’s go.”

They began walking across the bridge toward the overgrown remains of the world’s former capital. They had only gotten halfway across, however, when they saw stepping out of the shadows of some old stone workshops was a group of muscular, leather-clad mercenaries. They were all tattooed and scarred, and each of them had one-shot pistols strapped to their chests and old, beaten swords at their sides. Most of them were Humans, though there were a few Angels and one Elf. One Angel, who was one of the only females among them, said to Twilight and her companions, “The High Princess thought you might be comin’ this way.”

Stunned, the party stopped. Applejack looked over her shoulder, behind herself, and saw that more bandits were emerging from the trees behind them and blocking the way back, as well.

Rainbow, who was right behind Twilight, stepped forward and shouted, “You have another thing coming if you think you can take us out!”

The female bandit laughed. “Oh, the Princess doesn’t want you dead,” she said. “In fact, she sent us to make an offer to you.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened in confusion. “R-really? Why?”

“The Princess has grown interested in the lot of you,” the woman replied. “She doesn’t yet have servants who have sworn their loyalty to her.” Here she chuckled. “At least she knows our loyalty begins and ends with her gold. In any case, High Princess Nightmare Moon invites you to serve her and become her consorts.”

Twilight and her companions all said astonishedly, “Consorts?!”

“Oh yes,” the woman said, smiling. “She needs staff for her castle, and she’s learned of your professions and skills. She’ll need someone to tend her horses, to prune her gardens, to cook her meals, to make her clothes, and to manage her household. And to you two,” she said, pointing at Rainbow and Twilight, “she offers an especially prestigious honor. She offers to you chairs in her Royal Court, as her Court Magician and Captain of the Guard.”

Her smile widened. “As her consorts, you’ll also sometimes be invited to share her bed. As someone who’s experienced it, take it from someone who knows; even if you don’t care for women, there’s nothin’ half so pleasurable as makin’ love to a Goddess.”

Applejack scoffed. “No way!” she shouted. “I ain’t gonna be anyone’s consort, or whatever ya’ll call it!”

The others soon loudly voiced their agreement, but Rainbow remained silent. Twilight looked over at her and softly said, “Rainbow?”

Rainbow looked down, as though she were thinking deeply.

The mercenary woman smiled again. “Eh? So you accept Her Highness’ offer, Angel?”

Rainbow looked up, smiling back. “As awesome as that sounds,” she said, “I’m afraid I have to say no. I’m not gonna leave my friends hangin’.”

The bandits laughed. “Well,” one who stood beside the woman said, “you’re all comin’ with us- either the easy way, or as our prisoners.”

Applejack pulled out her revolvers and pointed them at the bandits before them. She fired them, but the bullets ricocheted off a shield the Elf mercenary had conjured up. “Get them!” the woman shouted, and the bandits charged them from both directions.

Fluttershy threw down another smoke bomb, then flew up into the air. As two of the Angel mercenaries flew up after her, the rest fought hand-to-hand with her companions on the bridge. Twilight found that Rarity and Rainbow had spoken the truth; both were capable fighters, and Rarity was able to knock out three of their assaulters while Rainbow got a headcount of ten. After Rainbow, Spike and Twilight were the best combatants, successfully defending themselves against four and six bandits, respectively. Fluttershy lured her pursuers to the ground and then threw tranquilizers at them, instantaneously rendering them unconscious. Pinkie and Applejack held their own, as well, and so together the companions subdued and won a complete victory against all the mercenaries.

Rainbow laughed haughtily. “You mercenaries are pussies,” she said, placing her foot on one’s head, “and you don’t know shit about loyalty.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy carried each of the mercenaries to the bottom of the canyon, where they laid them down. “They won’t be bothering us anytime soon,” Rainbow remarked when they returned to the others. Once they were all reunited, Twilight led her companions into the city.

The old capital had once been an Elf city, as evidenced by the large number of libraries and decrepit signs along all the streets. Many of the signs were unnecessarily long and elaborate, advertising in peeling mideval Elvish such things as “The Great, Welcoming, and Hospitable Inn, Tavern, and Restaurant of the Phoenix Claw, owned by the Generous and Wealthy Master Jolly Ale, Son of Hearty Ale, its Former Master, who Himself was Son of Warming Ale, also a Former Master before its Current One,” and “The Shop of Ink Drop, Seller of Ink, Pens, Quills, Parchment, Measuring-Sticks, and Other Tools for the Arts of Writing, Calligraphy, Drawing, Drafting, and Other Related Crafts.” This was because Elves were in previous ages the only mortal Beings who were widely literate, and made such signs to spite the more-uneducated Humans and Angels, who they viewed as inherently uncivilized. Many of the books in the city ruins’ libraries were still filled with illustrations of caricatures that painted Angels as warmongering, thieving barbarians and Humans as filthy, stupid, apelike oafs. Elves, in contrast, were portrayed in medieval Elvish books as being wise, educated, beautiful, and enlightened, while in those same times the Humans and Angels would speak of Elves as wicked warlocks and witches who slaughtered animals to use their blood to curse each other and reanimate the dead, had great drunken orgies in which the activities were often of homosexual and other natures often called “perverse,” and engaged in pederasty with their child apprentices.

When the mortal races of Beings put aside their differences and joined together in friendship, they were all deeply ashamed of the utterly dishonorable manners in which they had painted each other. Of the three none were more guilt-ridden than the Elves, for unlike the Angels or Humans they had thousands of libraries of carefully-preserved ancient records proudly proclaiming their unquestionable superiority over the other races. Their vast pride had come to sting them most terribly, for the great wisdom and enlightenment they had laid claim to and boasted of for centuries was in fact much emptier than they thought. For an age of thousands of years, known then as the Civilized Age but later humbly renamed the Divided Age, they had been blind to a blatantly obvious truth: that all Beings were by far more alike than they were different.

In self-loathing, Elves abandoned their streets of boastful signs and libraries of libelous manuscripts, leaving them to be forgotten and lost to the ages. The buildings of the old capital of the Earth were some of the longest-abandoned, and so had more vines and were more crumbling than nearly any others. Twilight and her companions were deeply uncomfortable traveling through the city’s rough streets; these libraries and signs were deeply entrenched in all of their minds as symbols of intolerance and hatred. Twilight’s mother had told her that collecting the spiteful manuscripts of libraries like these was the most unpleasant part of her job, but also one of the most important; “We shouldn’t run away from our mistakes, Twilight,” she had said. “We Elves tried to hide and run away from ours. But we must preserve these records and remember them, so that we do not forget and repeat those mistakes, however painful remembering may be.”

It was twilight when they finally came within sight of the castle gates, but there were about half a dozen mercenaries standing guard there. Twilight and her companions hid in a nearby house to discuss how they were to get past them.

“We need to neutralize them. Can we use your tranquilizers?” said Twilight to Fluttershy.

“I don’t think so,” Fluttershy replied. “It must be taken through the skin. That means that we’d have to hit them all at the exact same moment.”

“So,” Twilight said, “you don’t have anything that can be ingested via inhalation?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No.”

Twilight hummed to herself, gazing out one of the windows. “Can you tell me the chemicals you have in your satchel?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes,” she said.

Fluttershy listed off every item she had in her bag, and Twilight hurriedly wrote them all on a piece of parchment. Once she had it, she said, “I think I can Mix something with these. Spike, do we have a chemistry set?”

Spike shook his head. “No.”

Twilight sighed. “Alright. Fluttershy, can you empty two of your phials of gum-herb and four of your red soils?”

As Fluttershy did so, Twilight took some chalk from her pocket and drew a simple Ritual Circle on the ground for the conjuration and binding together of silicon and oxygen. She then sat back for about a minute, closing her eyes, and Spike knew that she was calculating measurements in her head.

When Twilight opened her eyes again, she reached into her bag and pulled out three granola bars. After eating them, she held her hands over the circle, snapped, and her Marks glowed as she began creating silica.

Once Twilight had transmuted enough of the white, powdery substance from her Chi, she levitated it up into the air and began heating it. Once it had melted, Twilight formed the molten glass into several delicate beakers, flasks, and retorts. She then asked Rarity to create some iron holders for her equipment, and while Rarity was busy with this Twilight measured several of Fluttershy’s substances into her flasks.

Twilight began Mixing the substances, at points channeling some Chi into one or asking Spike to heat one over his flames at a specific temperature and for a specific period of time. The others were quite impressed at how precisely they worked, and soon enough Twilight at last fused two flasks together at the lips and tipped the resulting hourglass-like container to one side, allowing the two substances they contained to mix together. She then heated the flasks’ lips and telekinetically pinched them closed. She then set aside the now-empty flask and held up the remaining filled one, saying, “This tranquilizer, when exposed to air, will evaporate immediately and knock out anyone who inhales it. The flask is very delicate, so we need to be careful with it, and we have to get far away before we drop it on the guards.”

The others nodded, and Twilight led them a few blocks down, where they hid behind one of the buildings. Twilight then looked around the corner and telekinetically lifted the flask, levitating it several meters into the air. She then directed it to move just over the heads of the guards, where she dropped it. After the flask shattered against the ground, the guards all immediately fell.

After waiting about a minute to allow the vapors to disperse, Twilight and her companions went to the guards and dragged them into the house, where they hid them. They then went past the gates and approached the fortress proper.

Much of the decrepit castle was missing, so it was a bit difficult for Twilight and her companions to find cover to sneak through it. However, it was night, so they had the cloak of darkness working for them. Guards were easy to spot, as the party could hear their footsteps approaching and see them light their way with torches or Ether-light, so Rainbow was able to silently knock out any they came across with choke holds.

Twilight knew the layout of the ruins well, having long studied them in Camelot’s library, so it was far easier to lead her companions to the stairs into the dungeon than it was to navigate the forest. As they went through the halls and grand chambers, they quickly admired the statues of stone and metal that stood around them and the intricate tapestries so masterfully woven they nearly rivaled Tale Spin’s work that hung above them. Rarity wished to complain of the disrepair the tapestries had fallen into due to the neglect they had faced, and resolved to do something about them after their quest was over.

They reached the doorway to the stairs to the dungeon, where Twilight said to Fluttershy, “Give me your tranquilizers, please.”

Once Fluttershy reached into her bag and handed them over, Twilight whispered to her and all the others, “Wait here.” She then magically silenced her steps as she descended into the darkness below.

There were lit torches occasionally on either side as Twilight stepped down, so before going into their light she magically extinguished each of them. Before long she reached the dungeon, where she used a small, purple fire to light her way as she went through a very long, dark, cold hall with rows of dozens of cells of etherial, rustless iron bars lining either side.

In a few minutes, Twilight saw two distant points of light at the end of the tunnel. She crept forward, allowing her fire to go out. She soon saw that the two lights were torches mounted on the walls, under which were two Elvish mercenaries guarding a great, arched door of etherial iron bars.

Still in the shadows out of the guards’ sight, Twilight took two tranquilizer phials from her pocket and telekinetically flung them at the guards. Her aim was true, and the phials shattered against their faces and caused them to immediately collapse. Twilight then ran forward to the door and grabbed the bars, looking inside. In the circular, stone cell she saw Celestia, kneeling with her wrists chained to the walls on either side of the chamber and her head bowed as her body slowly rose and fell with the steady breathing of slumber.

Twilight smiled, gasping delightedly. “Princess Celestia!” she cried.

Celestia’s eyes fluttered open, then she looked up at Twilight. Upon seeing her young student, she smiled. “Twilight,” she said softly. “I knew you would come.”

“What happened?” Twilight asked worriedly. “How did you get captured?”

“Nightmare Moon came into my chamber on the eve of the festival and sealed me in etherial iron as I slept. Perhaps I should have been more cautious, and remained on guard throughout the night.”

“No, it’s my fault, Your Highness. I saw the organization that released her perform the ritual, but I didn’t stop them in time.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “You saw the ones responsible?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes.”

“Did you see their faces?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. I saw that one had green wings and that one girl had turquoise eyes, but otherwise their faces were all hidden.”

Celestia’s mouth opened slightly. “Turquoise eyes?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Do you know something about that, Princess?”

“Perhaps, but I cannot be certain.”

“Who do you think it is?”

Celestia sighed. “Any suspicions I have will remain with me, at least for now. In the meantime, have you come alone?”

Twilight gasped, suddenly remembering her companions. “No! Spike and his friends are just upstairs!”

“His friends?” Celestia asked curiously.

Twilight nodded, smiling. “Yes! They helped us reach you!”

Celestia smiled back. “I would be delighted to meet them.”

Twilight ran back down the hall and up the stairs, where she found Spike and the other girls still waiting. They all sighed relievedly upon seeing her. “Thank Celestia!” Applejack said. “We thought ya’ll’d been captured or somethin’!”

“Funny you should mention Celestia,” Twilight said with a sly smile. “I found her down there.”

They all gasped again. “Celestia’s down there?!” Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight nodded. “Yep. Let’s go!”

They all ran back into the dungeon, and soon Twilight returned to the door to Celestia’s cell with them. Upon seeing Celestia, all of Twilight and Spike’s companions gasped in amazement. “Well, Ah’ll be…” Applejack muttered, taking her hat off and kneeling to her.

The rest soon followed suit, and Celestia in turn nodded respectfully to them. Once they all stood up, Rarity said, “These bars are infused with Ether! How are we going to get in?”

“I know of a ritual that can create a key that opens these cells,” Celestia said. “Twilight, follow my instructions.”

Twilight nodded, pulling her chalk from her pocket. “Yes, Princess.”

Celestia directed Twilight in drawing a circle on the ground beside the cell which Twilight and the other Elves had never seen before, but they recognized as being for the “forging” of iron into something. After Twilight had carefully written the characters Celestia dictated to her in position around the circle’s shapes and designs, Celestia instructed Twilight to create two cubic centimeters of iron and lay it over the circle. Once Twilight did so, Celestia said, “Good. Now, initiate the ritual, then chant:” she spoke in ancient Elvish, “Iron, be forged into the shape of a key conforming to the commands of my hands.” Celestia returned to speaking Eastern Dragon Imperial as she continued, “While you do this, look at the cell’s keyhole as you sign, Accept a shape that will open that lock.”

“Yes, Princess,” Twilight replied. She clapped her hands together, then her marks and the circle’s lines glowed violet as she began chanting the first command and staring at the door’s keyhole while performing with her hands the second command in the Ancient Elvish Signs. The others gazed wondrously at the cube of iron over the ritual circle as it floated up into the air, glowed red and turned molten, and began forming itself into the shape of a key. Once the key was formed, its shaft slowly warped until its teeth settled on a final design, at which point the iron turned black again as it cooled and the chalk lines glowed blue, signifying the ritual’s completion.

Twilight then levitated the key up to her hand and inserted it into the lock in Celestia’s cell door. After turning the key and pushing it open, Twilight ran to Celestia and embraced her.

Twilight’s companions followed her in, and as Twilight stood back Celestia said, “It’s wonderful to see you, Twilight. And it’s an honor to meet all of you.”

“The honor is ours, Princess!” Rarity laughed.

“We need to get you out,” Twilight said, placing her hand on one of Celestia’s chains. “These are Etherial Iron, aren’t they?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, the same substance I used to Seal Nightmare Moon in Tartarus.”

“That’s all you Sealed her with?” Twilight asked astonishedly.

Celestia nodded. “Yes. It was all I used because I thought it would be all that was necessary, among other reasons. However, those can wait for another time. Our first priority at the moment, of course, is stopping my sister before she can seal me more thoroughly and further cement her claim of rule over the world.”

Twilight nodded. “Right!” she said as she drew her chalk back out of her pocket, turning to Spike. “You have yours, too?”

Spike smiled and drew his own chalk from his pocket. “Yep.”

Together Twilight and Spike drew the Rusting Circle on the ground around Celestia. Once they had finished, Celestia said, “You have until dawn to release me, as my sister will come down to inspect the dungeons then.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she gasped worriedly. “W-what?! But that’s in only a few hours! I can’t possibly rust through these chains by then!”

Celestia smiled gently. “Nightmare Moon hasn’t channeled an enormous amount of her power into them; it would’ve exhausted her.”

“But still,” Twilight argued, “a tiny fraction of her power is still many times more than all of mine! I’ll never do it in time!”

“Twilight,” Celestia said patiently, “you are strong, and I can see that you’ve grown even stronger since your journey to Avalon. Your strength is greater than you realize. In addition, you have Spike here to help you, and he is rather powerful himself. Believe in yourself, for I promise: you can do it!”

After a moment of hesitation, Twilight apprehensively nodded. “Alright,” she said quietly. “I’ll try.”

Spike produced some bread and cheese from his bag and handed some to Twilight. As both were eating, Celestia said to their companions, “The key Twilight created will open every cell in this dungeon; I suggest you lock those guards in one, then go and watch for my sister.”

“Uh, Princess?” Pinkie said, raising her hand. “Shouldn’t Rarity help unseal you, too?”

“Of the three Elves you’ve brought, two will work to release me,” Celestia replied. “I think it best if Rarity goes with you, so that you might also have an Elf to aid you.”

Pinkie grinned. “Okie dokie lokie!”

Twilight and Spike stood at the edges of the circle, opposite each other, and lifted their hands over it. They snapped, then their marks and the circle glowed as they began chanting in Elvish, “Supernatural Etherial Iron, rust and weather away. Supernatural Etherial Iron, rust and weather away.”

As Twilight and Spike performed the Ritual, the others dragged the unconscious guards at Celestia’s cell door into one of the nearby empty cells, locking them in. They then went back up the stairs and stood guard outside the door.

The night was long, tedious, and thick with tension. As the hours crawled by Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinky, Rainbow, and Applejack occupied themselves by playing small rock-paper-scissors tournaments. Once they grew bored of the game they began idly speaking to each other, but soon this lost their interest as well as they steadily grew more tired.

Every hour or so Twilight and Spike would take a break from rusting Celestia’s shackles to eat and replenish their energy, though their Chi’s flow still slowed as their weariness grew. On these breaks Spike or Twilight would go up the stairs to see how the others were faring, but each time all was well and otherwise uneventful.

It was incredibly dull work to compel Celestia’s shackles to redden with rust, and the process was agonizingly slow, but as the hours passed Twilight and Spike began to see layers of the iron peel and weather away. They had gotten nearly though when Rainbow looked out of one of the windows upstairs and saw the first light of day shine from the east horizon.

“Oh no,” Rainbow said, then she turned and ran down into the dungeon. When she reached Celestia’s cell, she shouted, “Guys, the morning’s starting!”

Twilight and Spike lowered their hands, gazing at her anxiously. “What?! But we’re not finished!” Twilight cried.

“You’re almost there,” Celestia said softly. “Keep going. Rainbow, you and the others go and find my sister. If she begins to come here, delay her as much as you can.”

Rainbow nodded with a “Yes, Your Highness!” then sprinted back up. Once she reached the rest of the girls, she said, “Come on! We have to find Nightmare!”

Fluttershy squeaked fearfully and lifted her hands to her mouth. “Is she coming?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “But if she is, we have to slow her down. Come on!”

So the others followed Rainbow as they looked around the castle. They checked the halls and rooms they passed, but saw no one inside them. Eventually they returned to the castle’s grand front hall, where they saw two mercenaries at the top of the grand staircase, guarding the tall doors to the castle’s throne room.

Fluttershy hurled tranquilizers at each of the guards, which shattered against them and immediately knocked them out. The girls then crept up to the doors, where they pushed them slightly open and peeked inside.

At the end of a long, columned hall, beyond an ancient, decaying blue carpet stretching between the stone pillars was Nightmare Moon, sitting with a bored expression upon an elegant iron throne. She was holding up a book with one hand and reading it, occasionally looking out of the window, watching the night fade away.

Rarity sighed relievedly. “She’s not coming yet,” she whispered to the others. “For the moment, we’re safe.”

They silently watched Nightmare wait for several minutes, until at last the sky began turning pink as the sun peeked over the eastern mountains. When a ray of light shined upon Nightmare’s face, she turned to the Sun and sighed. “Well, it is dawn,” she muttered. She stood up, set her book on her throne, stretched, then began walking toward the doors.

The girls outside tensed up with panic. “What do we do?!” Pinkie whispered worriedly.

“Fluttershy, give me a tranquilizer!” Rainbow whispered. Fluttershy fished her last phial of the foggy liquid from her satchel and handed it to Rainbow, who motionlessly watched Nightmare approach for a few moments. Rainbow then suddenly pushed open the door and flung the tranquilizer at Nightmare, whose eyes widened with surprise as the phial sailed through the air towards her.

Before Nightmare could block or dodge away from it, the phial shattered against her cheek. “Ahh!” she cried, stumbling and holding her face. Rainbow made a small smile as Nightmare swooned and nearly lost her balance, but soon her footing stabilized and she stood up straight, taking her hand away from her cheek and inspecting it. “A sleep-poison,” Nightmare observed, smiling at the mortal girls. As they fearfully backed away from her, she continued, “A rather potent one, too. However, a poison is still a poison, and I am immortal; any harm you inflict upon me will immediately be healed by the Chi in my soul, which is as vast as the Moon itself.”

Nightmare laughed. “I must admire your courage, however. You have the audacity to challenge the Spirit of the Moon, and for that I commend you. However, I must ask: why do you rebel against me?”

Though Rainbow was quite frightened, she smiled back. “Because you stole the throne from our High Princess. She’s good to us, and I won’t let you seize her power.”

Nightmare Moon scoffed. “Tell me this, valiant Rainbow Dash; what have I done to to earn the ire of you mortal Beings?”

“You threatened to punish us if we didn’t love you.”

“No, you hated me even before I issued that command. Can you tell me why you did?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but said nothing. As she looked down, she realized she had no answer.

“No…?” Nightmare said, frowning. “Very well. Allow me to tell you why: it is because I am a Dark Goddess. Yes, I am Dark indeed; Dark, mysterious, strange, and frightening. I am all of these things, true, but I am not evil. I am the night, and Beings fear me, for I am dangerous. But though it is true I am dangerous, I am not malicious or cruel, any more than a bat or owl is. You mortals hated me because you did not understand me, and knew little about me. Rather like yourself, Rainbow.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, and Nightmare chuckled. “Oh yes, I can see it in your eyes, fair Angel. You know pain and loneliness much like my own. What have you done to earn their ire, sweet girl, except be different? Except have that forbidden desire for the intimate companionship of other girls? You have grown strong to shield yourself against the shunning and scorn of your kin. Yours is a righteous battle; join me, for I am on your side. Though my sister and I both wish to see hatred and intolerance banished from the world, I am the only one prepared to do all that is necessary to accomplish it. Come with me, and aid me fight against those who would harm the innocent and downtrodden.”

After a few silent moments of very deep thought, Rainbow smiled back at her. “Sorry, but you’re on your own,” she said. “If the world’s gonna treat me like shit for no reason, let it. But I have my friends, who accept me and stand by me. Celestia made that happen, and it wouldn’t’ve if you tried to force everyone to stop being assholes.”

Rainbow’s friends shouted in agreement, “Yeah!”

Nightmare was frowning again. “Very well,” she growled. “It seems I’ll simply have to demonstrate the truth of my philosophy. Observe my reign, and watch as I bring an age of unparalleled peace to the world.”

“Your reign ends here,” Rarity countered, and she, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie assumed combat stances against the Goddess.

Nightmare chuckled again. “If you stand against me,” she said, “you shall be imprisoned for high treason. But I shall be merciful, and your sentences shall not be long, for I shall be a fair and wise ruler. You shall soon see the error of your ways.”

Applejack swiftly drew her revolvers and fired them alternately at Nightmare, who calmly raised her hand and conjured up a translucent, blue Etherial shield that deflected them. Rainbow then ran towards Nightmare, directing a knife hand strike at her. Nightmare parried Rainbow’s arm away and struck her chest, sending her flying backwards. As she was distracted by Rainbow, however, Applejack sent a bullet through her elbow, leaving a bloody hole and causing her to cry out in pain.

As Nightmare held her arm and glared at Applejack, Rainbow rebounded against one of the nearby pillars and darted back towards her. She kicked Nightmare’s head, sending the Goddess flying across the chamber.

Nightmare sprawled to the ground, but quickly leapt back up. The wound in her elbow was closing up, and she was quite enraged. She raised one hand to deflect the bullets that Applejack continued to fire at her, and with the other she levitated a nearby hunk of stone that had fallen from the wall and shot it at Rainbow, who dodged away from it.

Rarity and Pinkie attacked her at the same time, and though it was only minimally difficult to defend herself against them, Nightmare found Pinkie a bit troublesome to fight; her style of combat seemed carefree and inexperienced, but it was surprisingly effective. With her cheerful, nonchalant dodges and unconventional attacks- some of which seemed to defy the very laws of physics- she was almost able to connect two or three blows to Nightmare between the hits that she and Rarity received.

When Nightmare attempted to direct a kick at Pinkie, Pinkie seemed to vanish away and reappear behind her. “Hi!” she cried buoyantly, kicking her in the back. Roaring in fury, Nightmare spun around and raised her hand, sending a torrent of blue flame towards Pinkie. Pinkie gasped in fright, but just before it reached her Rarity conjured up an Etherial barrier that shielded Pinkie from the fire. Nightmare raised her hand, gathering her Chi for another attack, but before she could complete her spell Fluttershy hurled a smoke bomb between them. As Nightmare coughed in the gray cloud of smoke suddenly billowing around her, Rarity and Pinkie escaped through the front doors while Applejack sent another bullet through Nightmare’s back.

After screaming in pain, Nightmare spun towards Applejack, raising her hand and preparing a massive fireball. As she was throwing it, however, Rainbow dived down from the air and kicked her again, causing her to miss and hit the wall beside Applejack, who then turned and fled as well.

Rainbow darted between the pillars, spinning around them as Nightmare flung more fireballs at her. After missing the extremely swift Angel several times, Nightmare engulfed one of the pillars beside her in blue telekinetic Ether. With only a small movement of her wrist, the pillar cracked and pulled itself out of position. Rainbow gasped in fright as Nightmare swung it at her, giving her only a fraction of a second to fly out of its path. The levitating pillar collided with the one Rainbow had been hiding behind, shattering it and sending hunks of stone flying in all directions.

Nightmare smiled, then struck away a few more pillars. The chamber’s now-unsupported roof began to collapse around them, and Rainbow was forced to dodge away from pieces of falling ceiling and fly out the door after her friends. Nightmare cast her massive stone club aside and sprinted after Rainbow.

As the Throne Room collapsed to the ground behind her, Nightmare looked in every direction for the mortal girls. “Hey, Moon Pie!” she heard Rainbow call from down one of the halls. She looked over and saw Rainbow waving at her from behind a corner. “Over here!” Rainbow taunted, laughing and running away.

Nightmare smirked and flew towards her. However, as she turned the same corner Rainbow had, she collided with another barrier Rarity had conjured up and fell to the ground.

As Nightmare stood back up, holding her head, Fluttershy threw down another smoke bomb, and she and her friends vanished again. Nightmare conjured a gust of wind that blew the smoke away, then flew down the hall. “We’re back heeere!” she heard Pinkie cry from behind her, to which she turned and ran at her. However, while she was pursuing Pinkie she passed by another hall, in which Applejack suddenly pulled up a rope, tripping Nightmare and causing her to fall again.

“So long!” Applejack shouted, throwing another smoke bomb down. Nightmare growled and stood back up, then Rarity called from down the hall, “Over here, Darling!”

Nightmare teleported ahead, then turned to see all five girls running towards one of the castle’s exits. She began to pursue them, but after she’d followed them outside a realization struck her and caused her to suddenly stop: they weren’t trying to defeat her; they were merely drawing her attention to themselves. She also noticed that Twilight and Spike weren’t with them.

As the girls heard Nightmare’s footsteps stop and turned back to look at her, Nightmare furiously shouted, “You were distracting me!” then turned around and ran back into the castle.

“No!” Rainbow cried, swiftly flying towards her. However, Nightmare simply caught her in a levitational field and flung her aside, causing her to strike her head against a wall. As Rainbow cried out and fell to the ground, Nightmare continued running to the dungeons.

There was only a thin amount of rustless iron remaining around Celestia’s wrists, and as Twilight and Spike continued to chant Celestia said softly, “Just a little more.” However, they heard the sound of footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs, and Celestia cried, “Hurry!”

Panic overcame Spike and Twilight as they reached deep into their souls and channeled Chi as quickly as they possibly could into the circle. Celestia began straining against her chains, and they could hear Nightmare’s scream grow louder as she rapidly approached them.

With a loud grunt and a mighty tug, Celestia shattered her shackles and stood up. An instant before Nightmare hurled an enormous fireball into the cell, Celestia raised her hand, conjuring up a large pink etherial shield that prevented it from reaching Twilight and Spike.

As the flame subsided and the barrier shattered, Nightmare gave Celestia a gaze of pure terror. Celestia then thrust her palm forward, and her Marks glowed for a moment as a powerful pulse of energy shot forward and threw Nightmare tumbling and sliding back down the dungeon’s dark hall.

Celestia turned to Spike and Twilight. “Stand back,” she said, then she dashed towards Nightmare.

Celestia came to a stop just before Nightmare, where she stood and gazed down at her. Nightmare slowly stood up, growling, then she suddenly shouted as she directed a strike at Celestia, who calmly blocked it.

Watching Nightmare fight Celestia was like seeing a repeat of Rainbow’s first attempt to attack Nightmare, except it was Nightmare who was on the receiving end of the rout this time. Though Nightmare’s movements were unimaginably fast, Celestia was able to neutralize each of her strikes with astonishing ease. Between her punches and kicks Nightmare also attacked Celestia with powerful magical spells, each of which Celestia either cast aside or blocked with small Etherial shields.

The battle between the two Goddesses was truly something for Spike and Twilight to behold, as their spells produced a great amount of magical light as they rapidly shifted around the dungeons. The rest of Twilight’s companions came down the stairs and stopped to watch the Princesses, gaping in awe at the spectacle as well.

“I do not wish to fight you,” Celestia said gently as she continued to block Nightmare’s attacks. “Please, dear Sister, listen to me. I beg you: not make me banish you back to Tartarus.”

Nightmare responded by attempting to blast her sister with another enormous fireball, which Celestia parried aside. Celestia continued, “Our subjects were wrong to hate and shun you, Luna, but you cannot gain their love by force; attempting to do so will only cause them to hate and fear you more.”

Nightmare roared and spun, attempting to kick Celestia, who said, “Only kindness and patience can bring compassion, and the world has grown wiser, Luna. There is less hatred and fear in the world.”

Nightmare continued to strike at Celestia, but her blows seemed to grow weaker and more hesitant. Celestia said, “I promise, dear little sister, you will no longer be alone if you simply give our subjects the chance to prove the goodness within themselves. You were right, Luna; we were meant to rule together. I beg you: please choose the path of gentleness. You can have friends now. You can let the pain go.”

Nightmare kept her fists up for a moment, but then slowly let them fall to her sides. “R… really…?” she whispered.

“Yes!” Twilight said, smilingly running towards her. “I met my new friends only a few days ago, and they’re already soamazing and kind to me.”

Pinkie gasped, smiling elatedly. “So, we’re… w-we’re your friends, Twilight…?” she whispered through watering eyes.

After a moment, Twilight smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, you are my friends.” As her friends cheered, she turned to Nightmare and said, “And… I’ll be your friend, too, Luna.”

“Really…?” Luna whispered, gazing in Twilight with stunned disbelief.

“Same here,” Applejack said. Nightmare turned to face her and Twilight’s other friends, who all voiced their agreement with her.

“Even… even after I…?” Nightmare said, looking down as tears welled in her eyes.

“Of course, Princess!” Fluttershy said. “We know your heart’s in the right place. You were just a little lost, that’s all.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow said. “You’re way cool, Nightmare! I mean- Luna. It’d be awesome to be your friend.”

“It would be my honor,” Rarity added with a polite bow.

Luna made a small smile, trembling. “Oh…” she said. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she turned and embraced Celestia, who hugged her back. Luna sobbed, “I missed you so much, Big Sister! I… I was… wrong….”

Celestia gently stroked Luna’s hair and kissed her on the forehead. “I have missed you too, Little Sister. More than I can bear.”

Luna sobbed a little more, and Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight wiped away tears that had rolled down their cheeks, as well.

Luna stood back, then brought her hands to her crown-helmet and began sliding it off of her head and through her hair. “I do not like being wrong,” she chuckled. “But I’m glad it’s my bleak view of Beings’ fundamental nature that I was wrong about.”

“Yay!” Pinkie cried, excitedly bouncing in place. “This calls for a PARTY!”

“Maybe later,” Spike said, yawning. “I’m exhausted.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chuckled. “I could really use a long, long nap.” Her friends all voiced their agreement with her.

Once Luna’s long blue hair was out of the helmet, she set it on the ground. Celestia said, “I think you all have wellearned a lengthly rest. Let us return to Olympus, Luna. We have much to do to prepare to celebrate your return home.”

Luna smiled and nodded. “Yes, Celestia, I will return to your side. I will also henceforth call myself by my true name: Luna. And to all of you,” she said, tearfully glancing at Twilight, Spike, and their friends, “I gladly accept your friendship. I cannot thank you enough for offering it to me.”

I-VI. Twilight's Mission Begins

“I’ll go dismiss the mercenaries I sent to occupy your town,” Luna said with an apologetic smile to Twilight and her companions. “By the way, Twilight, you used a Teleportation Ritual to escape with your friends, did you not?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Would you mind telling me where the Circle is? I can return you all to town quickly with it.”

Twilight smiled. “Of course. It’s in the Golden Oak Library, at the eastern edge of Avalon.”

Luna nodded. “Very well. Sister, I will give you a signal when the Ritual is ready.”

“Thank you, Luna,” Celestia said, then Luna flew off.

Twilight, her companions, and Celestia exited the castle ruins and watched the sky. It was a beautiful, sweet red dawn in the Olympian mountains in the eastern horizon, and they all gazed enraptured at it as they awaited Luna’s signal.

In less than half an hour, a blue aurora spread through the sky, and upon seeing it Celestia said, “Alright. Gather around, please.”

The young mortals all obeyed, and Celestia’s Marks glowed for a moment before she snapped, then there was a pink flash and they all vanished.

They materialized over the coal-drawn Ritual Circle in the Golden Oak Library, where Luna and Matilda were waiting for them. Matilda bowed to Celestia with a, “Your Highness.”

Celestia gave a smiling nod to her, then turned to Twilight. “I suggest that you and your friends rest,” she said. “You have my eternal gratitude, my faithful student.”

Twilight blushed and bowed to Celestia. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Celestia turned to Spike and the rest of Twilight’s other friends. “Thank you all. If ever I can do anything to repay you all, only ask.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty!” Applejack said as she took off her hat and she and the others knelt and bowed their heads to her.

Celestia turned back to Twilight. “My sister and I will return tomorrow morning, and then the Summer Sun Celebration will begin in earnest. I will see you again then, dear Twilight.”

With that, she snapped her fingers, and with a pink flash she and Luna vanished.

Twilight turned to her friends, her eyes tiredly blinking. “Let’s all get some sleep,” she said.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said, yawning. “We need to get some rest for the BIG party tomorrow.”

“See ya’ll later,” Applejack said, turning and waving at them.

“Until tomorrow, darlings,” Rarity added, following after Applejack.

The others said their farewells as well, then they all exited the library. Twilight and Spike followed Pinkie back to the Sugar Shack and Inn, and upon entering the shop Pinkie was immediately embraced by the Cakes and Bon-Bon, who expressed great relief that she, Spike, and Twilight were still alive and safe. Twilight and Spike followed Pinkie upstairs, and when they reached the doors to their rooms Pinkie said, “Well, good night. Except it’s not night anymore, it’s morning, so good morning, I guess.”

As Pinkie giggled, Twilight stepped forward and embraced her. “Thank you so much, Pinkie. For everything,” she whispered.

Twilight stepped away from Pinkie, who was grinning enormously. “You’re welcome,” Pinkie answered. “Sleep well!”

“You too, Pinkie,” Spike said, then they all entered their rooms. Twilight wearily kicked off her shoes and climbed into her blankets, and as she closed her eyes she hummed blissfully at the unimaginably welcome feeling of the warm, soft bed she immediately fell into a peaceful sleep in.

Spike shook Twilight awake just before the dawn. “Get up, Twilight!” he said excitedly.

Twilight sat up, yawning and stretching. She hadn’t slept so deeply in a while. Spike nodded towards a chair in the corner of the room, where Twilight’s pink party dress was laid with her high-laced pink boots standing beneath them. “Rarity sent it back up. Get dressed, and come down.”

“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight said, then as Spike left her room she locked the door behind him and changed into her dress.

When Twilight went down to the shop, all of her other friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were there, wearing Rarity’s party dresses, and Pinkie was serving muffins to everyone. “Hey, Twilight!” Pinkie called to her with a wave.

“Hi, Pinkie,” Twilight said, waving and smiling back at her.

Pinkie walked over to the Crusaders and handed them some muffins before walking to Twilight. The Crusaders were listening attentively to Rainbow as she energetically relayed to them, “… and then Nightmare hit the other pillars, and the entire place was coming down! I flew right out of there, and Nightmare came right after me, but just after I turned a corner Rarity made a barrier that Nightmare ran headfirst right into!”

The Crusaders laughed, then Scootaloo said, “That’s awesome, Dash! What happened next?”

Rainbow smirked at Twilight, then said, “Then this little lady here and Spike freed Celestia from her chains, then Celestia had this epic duel with Nightmare! It was so sweet! There was light and fire and both of them were moving as fast as lightning!”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned to Spike. “You really Unsealed Princess Celestia?!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

Spike laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. “Actually, Twilight did most of the work.”

“That’s amazin’!” Apple Bloom cried. “Ah can’t believe it, Sweetie! Our big sisters and their friends saved Princess Celestia!”

“I wish that I was there….” Sweetie muttered.

“Yeah, me too,” Scootaloo said. “Maybe one of us could’ve gotten our Mark in rescuing!”

“So what happened next, Rainbow?” Apple Bloom said.

With a fierce smile, Scootaloo said, “So did Celestia kick Nightmare’s butt and throw her back down into Tartarus?”

“No,” Rainbow replied. “She convinced Nightmare to rejoin her, and now she’s the Princess of Equestria again.”

The Crusaders all gasped, “What?!”

“So Nightmare’s our Princess again?” Apple Bloom said.

Rainbow nodded. “Yep. And she’s calling herself Luna again. She’s not a Sealed God anymore.”

“Why did she decide to stop fighting Celestia?” Scootaloo asked.

“Because we offered to be her friends,” Twilight interjected. With a smile, she added, “We proved to her that she doesn’t have to rule us with fear. She was just lonely; we mortals shouldn’t have been so awful to her before she was Sealed.”

“It’s sort of like how the other kids treat you guys, even though you’re awesome the way you are,” Rainbow said, rubbing Scootaloo’s head.

“We all just need to be a little kinder,” Fluttershy quietly added with a soft smile.

Twilight and her friends talked and laughed for a few more minutes before going out into the town square. When all of the townspeople had gathered around, Mayor Meyer stepped out from the town hall’s highest balcony and shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to introduce- in earnest- our High Princess Celestia!”

The crowd applauded, and fireworks whistled and burst in the sky. As the people’s attention was drawn skyward, they gasped wondrously as a golden chariot flew in from the east and circled overhead. It was pulled by two alicorns, one dark blue and one white, and riding it were Celestia and Luna, standing side-by-side in magnificent, colorful, elegant, flowing dresses.

As the chariot descended, the crowd parted and backed away to allow it a space to land. As it came to a stop, the mortals stared at Luna and murmured among themselves. They grew silent, however, when the guards blew a regal fanfare and their captain cried, “Hear, hear, the words of the Princesses Celestia and Luna!”

There was silence for a moment. “Welcome!” Celestia cried, throwing her arms out with an enormous smile. “Welcome, my dear subjects, to our thousandth Festival of the Summer Sun Celebration!”

The crowd cheered and applauded, and once their clamor subsided Celestia continued, “On this day, we celebrate a millennium of peace; an age of harmony and friendship that began one thousand years ago!”

The crowd cheered again, but Celestia’s smile faded as she continued, “However, a great price was paid for that peace. The races unified to face an enemy that they had created with their own fear and hatred. The war that they fought was great and tragic, and many lost those they loved to it. My own greatest sorrow was losing Luna, my beloved sister.”

Celestia smiled again. “But nonetheless, you have learned from these tragedies and have grown better and wiser than you were before. Because of the kindness and friendship that you found, I am unutterably delighted to say that my sister Luna, Princess of Equestria, has returned home!”

The crowd cheered again, then Luna spoke. “Fair subjects,” she said, “I regret eternally the woe and hardship I have caused you. I did not see the virtue and hope you all had, and from this ignorance I made a most grievous error. But I can see now- that Celestia was right, and that it was wise of the Gods to make her High Princess of the World. I now make a most solemn oath to you all: I, Luna, Goddess of the Moon and Princess of Equestria, hereby swear to forever rule as fairly and wisely as I am able; to honor your rights and freedoms; to also defend them with every sliver of my strength; and aid you to the best of my ability in realizing your dreams and living a joyful life!”

The crowd cheered as loudly as they could as banners bearing the Princesses’ Coats of Arms were unfurled from the windows. The crowed roared, “LONG LIVE PRINCESS CELESTIA!! LONG LIVE PRINCESS LUNA!!”

Luna closed her eyes and smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Twilight stepped up to the alicorns, who neighed happily at her approach. “Hi, Vega. Hi, Ganymede,” she said.

She held the head of Ganymede, Luna’s blue stallion. As she stroked his mane, she saw that he seemed happier than she’d ever seen him before. “Are you happy Luna’s back home, boy?” she whispered to him.

Ganymede tossed his head and cheerfully neighed as his horn glowed blue. Twilight giggled, then turned to Vega. “Your mate hasn’t been this happy for a thousand years, has he?”

Vega snorted as she shook her head.

“Thank you for bringing Ganymede’s master back, Twilight,” Celestia said down to her. “We cannot thank you enough.”

Celestia took hold of the chariot’s leather reins. “We will see you at home, my faithful student.”

The alicorns affectionately nuzzled Twilight, then spread their wings. Twilight stepped back with the rest of the townspeople, then Celestia urged the immortal horses forward and they took to the air, flying into the western horizon.

Everyone had an amazing time at the Celebration. Throughout the day energetic music of fiddles and guitars filled the air, and there was plenty of food and drink to go around.

Twilight and her friends spent a great deal of time dancing. Rainbow was one of her partners, and while they swayed with the music Rainbow laughed that Twilight was adorably bad at it. As the day drew on Scootaloo hurled a water balloon at Sweetie Belle, beginning a long water fight (in which a great deal of magic was used) that raged down many of Avalon’s streets. They then played Football in the park, and though Rainbow’s team won it was only by four to two; though Rainbow had Spike on her side, Twilight’s team had Applejack and Scootaloo, who weren’t bad players themselves.

They ate cakes, pies, and sweets, and attended poetry competitions and some of the plays performed on the wooden stages. They played many more games, and they danced some more in the barn at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack’s family. It was a long and very merry day, and Twilight, Spike, and their friends all returned to bed very tired but veryhappy.

The next day, however, Twilight and Spike had to pack up to return home. As Twilight folded her clothes and stacked her books, she lamented over only being among her new friends so briefly, and having to leave them so soon.

Twilight was zipping the last of her suitcases closed when Spike rapped his knuckles on her door. “You ready?” he said.

“Yeah,” Twilight said. “I’ll be out in a second.”

Once she had stacked all of her luggage, Twilight exited her room and followed Spike down the stairs. All of their new friends, including the Crusaders, were waiting for them at the bottom. “Hi, Twilight. Hi, Spike,” Fluttershy said with a small smile.

Twilight smiled back at them. “Hey, girls,” she said softly.

“You want some help with those?” Rainbow said, pointing at Twilight’s bags.

“Yes, thank you, Rainbow,” Twilight replied.

Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie helped Twilight carry her bags out of the shop, while Rarity, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders helped Spike with his. There was a large carriage waiting outside for them, and once Twilight and Spike’s bags were stacked on it they all entered it and closed the door as the coachman drove them to the train station.

Everyone was silent on the way to the station, and Twilight spent the ride gazing at the shops and town houses that passed by. After a few short minutes, the carriage stopped and the driver said, “We’re here.”

Twilight sighed, then opened the door. She and her friends climbed out, then pulled the bags and suitcases past the station’s glass doors.

There was an Olympus-bound train waiting for them, and Twilight’s friends helped her and Spike load their bags onto it. Once their luggage was all on, Spike and Twilight turned back to their new friends, and they all stared quietly at each other for a few moments.

“Will… will ya’ll come and visit us?” Apple Bloom said, pouting with the beginnings of tears welling in her eyes.

Spike smiled at her. “Yeah. We’ll come visit you guys,” he said.

“When?” Sweetie Belle said.

Spike shrugged. “In a couple months, maybe?”

Scootaloo ran forward and embraced him. “You two are so cool!” she cried, grinning.

Spike hugged Scootaloo back, then the other Crusaders went to him and embraced him as well. The older girls joined the group hug, as well, then they all looked expectantly up at Twilight, who stood a meter away from them. “Come on, Twilight!” Pinkie shouted.

After a moment of hesitation, Twilight smiled, stepped forward, and hugged them, as well. “I’ll miss you all so much,” she whispered, and when she stood back they saw that tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Rarity sniffled, pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, and dabbed it at her eyes. “It was amazing to meet you, Darlings,” she said.

“All aboard for Olympus!” a conductor cried. “All aboard for Olympus!”

Twilight swallowed and wiped her cheeks. “Thank you all so much. For everything,” she murmured tremblingly.

Spike and Twilight climbed up onto the train, and Applejack shouted, “Don’t be strangers, ya’ll hear?!” as the train began rolling away. They all waved vigorously at each other until they could no longer see each other.

Twilight silently gazed out of the window throughout the entire ride back to Olympus. When the train pulled back into the mountaintop city’s station, Twilight and Spike exited to find that Shining, Cadance, Twilight’s parents, and Spike’s three old friends were all waiting for them.

As Spike greeted his friends, Twilight was embraced by her parents, brother, and former mentor. “Thank Celestia you’re safe…!” her mother cried.

“My aunt told us everything you did!” Cadance said.

“You rescued Princess Celestia,” Shining said, grinning proudly at her. “You’re absolutely amazing, Twily.”

Twilight smiled at her family. “Thanks,” she said.

Cadance, Spike’s friends, and Twilight’s family helped load their luggage onto a carriage before Spike’s friends walked home and Twilight and Spike returned to the castle with Cadance and Twilight’s family.

Celestia and Luna didn’t return for six more days, during which time Spike got both the Steam party and the nighttime pool party he’d been promised. Though Twilight had a great time at them and was glad to be home, she found herself often sitting melancholically alone in Camelot’s library and her room, reminiscing about the days she’d spent in Avalon with her new friends. For the first time in her life, she was aware of how lonely she felt; though she still had Cadance, Shining, and Spike, she could spend only a little time with her brother and former mentor, as Shining’s days were spent mostly attending to his duties as Captain of the Guard and Cadance’s were largely devoted to studying economics, Magic, law, ethics, and diplomacy to prepare to rule the island kingdom of Eden that Celestia was preparing for her. And though Twilight spent a great deal of time with Spike, she now realized that as much as she enjoyed it, she saw that they shared only a limited number of common interests and found herself desiring the company of others who shared some with her that Spike didn’t.

Twilight waited for most of the remainder of Celestia’s absence by reading and contemplating the friendships she had formed in Avalon. When the day at last came for the Princesses’ return, Twilight went into the castle stables to await the golden chariot’s arrival.

It was about seven o’clock in the afternoon when Vega and Ganymede pulled Celestia and Luna into the castle stables, and both Goddesses smiled down at Twilight upon seeing her.

“Hello, Princesses,” Twilight said, kneeling to them.

“A thousand greetings, fair Twilight,” Luna said, disembarking from her chariot. She unhitched Ganymede and continued as she led him to his stall, “I think I shall go about Camelot and Olympus and see what has changed in my absence. I will return soon, Sister.”

Celestia nodded, then turned to Twilight as Luna closed the stall’s wooden gate and exited the stable. “Hello, my faithful student. Are you well?”

Twilight nodded with a small smile. “I am, Your Highness.”

Celestia’s brow furrowed concernedly. “Are you alright, Twilight? You seem sad.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah. I’m… I’m alright.”

Celestia was silent for a moment, then made a small, kind smile. “Come, let us go to my chambers. We can speak there.”

Twilight grinned. “Thank you, Princess,” she said gratefully.

Celestia led Twilight through the castle to the tower in which the Royal Bedchamber was. When they entered Celestia’s bedroom, Twilight was greeted by a comfortingly familiar sight: inside a circular, violet chamber with a small fireplace was an enormous set of glass doors opening onto a large balcony overlooking the east horizon; a massive, circular bed blanketed by silk and bearing many plush, soft pillows; and a stand by the bed upon which stood a perch with a large, unspeakably beautiful bird with feathers as scarlet as fire and golden as the sun that was sleeping with its head tucked under its wing.

“Hello, Philomena,” Celestia said, holding out her hand.

The phoenix awoke, then trilled happily as she flapped to Celestia’s hand and stood upon her finger. Philomena nuzzled Celestia’s cheek, then hopped to her shoulder as Celestia walked to the foot of the bed and sat on it. Twilight likewise sat on a cushion at Celestia’s foot, where she had spent countless hours listening to Celestia and Cadance as they taught her the laws of Magic and the intricacies of spellcasting, alchemy, and Rituals. She had begun sitting on the floor when she was first apprenticed so that she could write and read on the ground, and though she was welcome to sit on Celestia’s bed with her she remained on the cushion due to the affinity she had grown for it.

As Twilight looked up at her mentor, Celestia said, “What is the matter, dear Twilight?”

“Can I ask you a question first?” Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded. “Of course.”

“Why did you seal Luna with only Etherial Iron shackles?”

Celestia smiled. “In truth, it was because I wanted her to be released,” she said.

Twilight’s eyes widened surprisedly. “W-what? You wanted Luna to be Unsealed…?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. I wanted to be reunited with her, and I wished to make a way for me to know if any mortal Beings had both the knowledge and willingness to release one of the Sealed Gods. Because I wanted my sister to return, and also because she was the least dangerous of the Sealed Gods, I decided to make her prison the lightest.”

“Luna’s the least dangerous?”

“Yes. The order the Sealed Gods are bound is not by the amount of power they have, but by the danger they pose to you mortals. Of the Gods in Tartarus, Luna was the least malicious, and would have been the fairest, kindest, and wisest ruler if she had successfully managed to completely usurp me. The only tyranny she would have enforced is that you mortals would no longer have had the freedom to speak ill of her, which is a small injustice when compared to those that the other Sealed Gods would bring.

“I actually planned on releasing Luna on the eve of the Celebration myself, but I waited to see if any others would attempt to do it before me. I did not expect anyone to, which is why I was unprepared for Luna’s arrival at Camelot.”

Twilight blinked. “Why did you want to release her now?”

Celestia stroked Philomena as she silently thought for a few moments. She then said, “Because I believed that the world had changed enough that she could find her way again. It seems my guess was correct; as you’ve seen, all she really needed was a little kindness and friendship.”

Twilight looked down. “Yes. And… and you were right about me, too. You were right that I also needed friends.”

Celestia nodded. “I’m glad you made them, dear Twilight.”

“But….” Twilight said, gazing out of the tall glass doors to the balcony, “I already miss them. Just when I realized how much they mean to me, I had to say goodbye to them….”

“So you are filled with sorrow at having to leave them,” Celestia replied in understanding.

“Yes,” Twilight said.

Celestia stroked Philomena again, humming as she thought for a few moments. At last she said, “Twilight, would you like to return to them?”

Twilight gave a shocked gaze to Celestia. “What?”

“I need a trusted servant to be stationed in Avalon for me,” Celestia said, kindly smiling. “I thought that perhaps you would like the task.”

Twilight gasped elatedly, but then a sudden realization caused her smile to fade. “Wh- why do you need to send someone to Avalon?” she asked quietly.

Celestia frowned gravely as she continued to stroke Philomena. “You have witnessed a group of mortals succeed in Unsealing Luna. I thought- and hoped– that none would have the knowledge, ability, or desire to, but it seems that someone did. It is as I feared. When Luna and I returned after the Festival, the other Gods and I immediately tasked our servants with searching for this organization, but we have yet to find them.”

Twilight sat absolutely still, staring fearfully at Celestia. Celestia stood up and walked to the glass doors, continuing, “There are Beings who are both willing and able to free at least one Sealed God, and they may desire to Unseal more.”

“Even… Discord…?” Twilight whispered tremblingly.

“Perhaps,” Celestia replied, her voice foreboding and grim.

Twilight’s heart pounded more quickly as she gasped, placed her hands over her mouth, and trembled with great horror. Discord’s return was something from her deepest and darkest nightmares; only with the combined might of every other God was the Lord of Chaos defeated eons ago, and even then they were still so outmatched that his defeat was nothing short of a miracle. If the sadistic, mad King of the World returned, he would make the Earth a Hell and bring it into an age of chaos and despair that would last until the very end of time. It would take another miracle for even the tiniest hope of defeating him again, but even then the chance would be unimaginably bleak.

Twilight made a terrified whimper. Celestia smiled comfortingly at her, however, and reassured her, “Don’t worry, dear Twilight; it is extremely unlikely that anyone could succeed in releasing Discord even if they tried. Perhaps this organization doesn’t even want to Unseal Discord; perhaps they only wish to make an ally of anyone of the Sealed Gods, or perhaps they even simply wished to release only Luna, and have no intentions to attempt to release another.”

Celestia expression once again turned serious. “Nonetheless, the possibility remains that they do, and as long as they remain free we must search for them and ensure they do not succeed again.”

Twilight anxiously took a deep breath, then said as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, “So you want me to go to Avalon and watch for them?”

Celestia nodded, smiling. “That is correct.”

“But…” Twilight said, looking down, “I didn’t even stop them from Unsealing Luna….”

“Finding them was, alone, far beyond what most others could achieve,” Celestia replied. “You must also remember that you and Spike succeeded in breaking a spell that she cast. I have complete faith that this task lies within your ability, my faithful student. However, this mission is yours only if you choose to accept it.”

Twilight thought for a moment, then nodded. “I do, Princess.”

“Once again, only Spike may know of this mission. If you accept it, you must also continue to protect and tutor him. You two will live in Avalon for three years, until you both complete your studies, after which I will station another there and your mission will be considered completed. You must be prepared for tremendous danger, and to devote yourself completely to this task. What I ask is no small thing, Twilight; your very life could be laid down performing it. Do not choose lightly. Do you still accept it?”

Twilight looked down, thinking very hard for a few moments. However, she at last looked up and nodded determinedly at Celestia. “I accept, Your Highness.”

Celestia nodded. “Very well.” She went to her bed and sat back down on it, then said, “Due to the secret nature of this mission, you must have an ordinary occupation to mask your involvement in it, preferably one that can aid you in performing it. Do you know of anything that might be suitable?”

“Hmm,” Twilight said, then she smilingly gasped and snapped. “I’ve got it! Their librarian, Matilda, said that she’s retiring in a year and that they don’t have anyone to fill in after her!”

Celestia smiled. “Yes, that would do very well. It’s a logical profession for you, it’s discreet, and it will also allow you to better research for your task and continue your studies. Shall I command an early retirement for the current librarian?”

“Only if she wants to,” Twilight replied.

Celestia nodded. “Very well. I will write her a letter immediately. Go and begin preparing.”

“Yes, Princess! Thank you!” Twilight cried, jumping up. She ran to the door, but before she exited she skidded to a stop and turned back to Celestia, adding, “Oh, and can you ask her not to tell my friends?” She grinned. “I want to keep it a surprise.”

Celestia smiled back, then nodded. “Very well. Farewell, Twilight.”

Twilight excitedly ran down the hall, but slowed to a stop as she made a realization: she was about to leave her family for three years. She wouldn’t see her parents, brother, or even Cadance until Spike graduated from his apprenticeship and she was nineteen. Did she really want to leave them for that long?

Twilight leaned against one of the walls, and took several minutes to think it over. Ultimately, she still decided that she would go; after all, most Elves left home when they were eleven, and Olympus wouldn’t be far away. Celestia needed her to perform this mission, and she could always visit Cadance, Shining, and her family. Besides, her own studies of Magic weren’t yet complete, and she’d be better able to continue pursuing them and strengthening her Soul by living independently and fostering her new friendships than by staying in Camelot.

Her course decided, Twilight walked the rest of the way to Spike’s room. When she knocked on his door, she heard Spike cry, “Just a minute!”

She heard some rustling, then the door opened and Spike smiled at her. “Oh! Hey, Twilight!”

“Hey, Spike,” Twilight replied. “May I come in?”

“Sure,” Spike said, stepping aside.

Twilight walked in, then sat on Spike’s disorderly bed. “Come sit, Spike,” she said, patting the mattress beside herself. “I have something to tell you.”

Spike nodded, then sat next to Twilight. “What is it?” he said.

Twilight smiled, then said, “We’re going to move to Avalon.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “R-really…?!”

“Yep,” Twilight said. “We’re going to live and work at the Golden Oak Library.”

Spike grinned, then pumped his fist, shouting, “Yes!”

“We’d better start packing everything up,” Twilight said, standing.

As she was walking towards the door, however, Spike said, “Wait- why are we moving there?”

Twilight turned back to him. “Celestia still hasn’t caught the ones responsible for unsealing Luna. We have to make sure they don’t release any more Sealed Gods.”

Spike stared at her. “Really? We’re gonna be field agents for Celestia?”

“Yep,” Twilight said. “But once again, you can’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t,” Spike said. As he knelt down and pulled a suitcase from beneath his bed, he smiled and added, “This is gonna be awesome. A secret espionage mission for Princess Celestia.”

Twilight smiled back. “Hurry up, then we’ll go have dinner,” she said, then she walked into her own room.

Once Spike and Twilight had finished packing, they went to the dining hall to eat with Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining, Twilight’s parents, and the rest of the Royal Court. Cadance and Twilight’s family were all excited and proud to learn of Twilight’s mission from Celestia, but they also expressed great sorrow at her leaving.

“I’m gonna miss you a lot, Twily,” Shining said, softly smiling at Twilight, who sat beside him.

“Don’t worry; I’ll come visit you,” Twilight replied.

“You’d better come on Hearth’s Warming, at least,” Shining said, rubbing her head.

“I hope your mission goes well,” Cadance said.

Luna chuckled, folding her arms. “You’ll do excellently, no doubt.”

“Please make sure you’re both safe, Twilight,” Velvet said.

“I will, Mom.” Twilight replied, taking a bite of her salad. She grinned. “Thanks, everyone.”

The next day, Twilight was accompanied by her family, Cadance, and Celestia as she and Spike piled their luggage onto a large carriage and they drove into the city.

They stopped at the homes of Spike’s three friends, where he invited them to come see him off. All three accepted, so each entered the carriage when it stopped for them and then they all drove to the train station and made their farewells to each other along the way.

Once they had gotten off, Spike gave a goodbye hug to each of his friends and then he and Twilight hugged and said goodbye to Cadance, Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Shining.

Celestia was the last to embrace both of them, and after she had hugged Spike she held Twilight and said to her, “Best of luck, and may you return home safely.”

“Goodbye, Celestia,” Twilight said, then she stepped onto the train’s car. Once she and Spike had entered their compartment, tears welled in Twilight’s eyes as she waved goodbye to the Princesses and her family.

When Twilight and Spike arrived at Avalon’s station, there were movers waiting outside to bring their things to the library. Twilight and Spike helped them move their bags and boxes onto moving-carts waiting on the street, then entered a coach cab that drove them to the library.

When Twilight and Spike stepped past the library’s door, they found Matilda standing there, smilingly waiting for them. “Welcome back, Twilight,” she said.

Twilight grinned. “Hi, Matilda! Are you excited about retiring?”

“Oh, yes,” Matilda chuckled. “As much as I’ve enjoyed running this library, it’s time I rested and enjoyed myself a little.”

Twilight and Spike went upstairs to the bedroom, where they found that Matilda’s bed, books, and other belongings had been removed and that two brand-new beds had been moved in. Matilda walked up behind them and said, “Celestia also sent some gold for you to buy your own bedding.”

“Thank you, Matilda,” Twilight replied with a grateful smile.

Twilight and Spike assisted the movers in bringing their belongings into the library, then they filled the bookshelves in their room with their own books and magazines and filled the oak dresser with their clothes (Twilight got the upper drawers and Spike got the lower). Spike also set a glass display cabinet in one of the corners, then took all of his Steam figurines, battle mats, and dice, and arranged them carefully upon its shelves.

“Now that we both share one room,” Twilight said to Spike as she was folding her socks, “you’ll have to start keeping it clean and making your bed every day.”

Spike waved his hand dismissively. “Sure, whatever,” he said.

Once they had arranged all of their belongings in their room, Twilight said, “Let’s go see our friends now, shall we?”

Spike nodded, grinning. “Yeah,” he said.

They walked down the streets to Town Square, where they entered the Sugar Shack and Inn. They found Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy sitting around one table and the Cutie Mark Crusaders eating ice cream around another while Pinkie frosted a cake behind the counter, and all of them were conversing. When the bell signaled Spike and Twilight’s entrance, however, Pinkie looked up and gasped elatedly upon seeing them. “Twilight? Spike?”

The other girls turned to them, and gasped as well. Twilight smiled. “Hello, everyone.”

Twilight and Spike’s new friends all ran to them and embraced them. When they had all laughingly backed away, Rainbow said, “What are you guys doing here?”

“We’re moving in,” Twilight replied. “I’m going to be Avalon’s new librarian.”

“You are?!” Pinkie cried excitedly. “You’re gonna live here?!”

“Yep,” Twilight said.

“I’m gonna go tell Rarity!” Sweetie Belle cried, running out the door. Rainbow snickered. “Our new librarian, huh? I should’ve guessed. Of course a nerd like you would decide to do that.”

“Wait a second,” Applejack said, narrowing her eyes. “Why did ya’ll decide to move here?”

Twilight hesitated for a fraction of a second, then with a tinge of nervousness laughed, “I just wanted to be with you girls, that’s all! Except for Spike and Princess Cadance, I’ve never really had friends before….”

“You haven’t?!” Pinkie said. “Oh, that’s so sad! You must be so lonely!”

Twilight shrugged. “Yes, I guess I am a little.”

The door opened, and in the doorframe stood Rarity. She gasped, smiled, then ran forward and embraced Twilight and Spike. “Spike! Twilight! You’re back!” she cried joyfully.

As Sweetie Belle came back into the shop, Twilight nodded. “Yep. I’m gonna be Avalon’s librarian.”

Rarity stood back, stunned. “You’re a librarian?” she said.

Twilight nodded. “Yep. As part of my training to become a Court Magician, I had to get certification as one so that I can handle all the books.”

Rarity smiled. “That’s simply wonderful, darling! How long are you going to be here?”

“Three years,” Twilight replied.

Rarity beamed. “Truly, Twilight? Three years? Oh, this is simply marvelous! I look forward enormously to spending them with you two!”

Twilight smiled back, nodding. “Yeah. I do, too.”

I-VII. The Ticket Master

The birds' chirping as dawn rose over the Golden Oak Library awoke Twilight, who found that like most mornings a book was laid across her chest. She usually read until she fell asleep, and then as her arms fell her book would rest over her blankets until morning came. The book she had been reading was a horror play called Song of the Spider by Ellen Nevermore, which was one of her favorites.

As she yawned and closed the book, she sat up and called across the room, "Get up, Spike."

There was some light moaning from the bed against the opposite wall, then Spike rolled over and looked at Twilight. His hair was dreadfully messy, and he still looked rather tired. "Come on, Spike," Twilight said, turning and standing up. "I'll take my bath first, and while I'm doing that you need to get ready for your turn."

Spike nodded blearily. "Alright...." he muttered, then he sat up and stretched as Twilight went to their dresser and gathered some clothes and retrieved her black Mary Janes from under her bed.

Once Twilight had gotten some towels, she entered and locked the bathroom. She set her clothing and towels on an aluminum clothes rack in the opposite corner from the tub, then turned the tub's hot water on and allowed it to begin filling as she turned on the shower and sat on the stool beneath it.

Twilight pleasured herself, soaped her body down, shampooed and conditioned her hair, then rinsed herself off. She then stood up and stepped into the tub, where she relaxed for about ten minutes before stepping back out, picking up one of her towels, and drying off her body. She then wrapped the towel around herself and picked up the other one, which she used to dry her hair.

Twilight put on her underwear, then buttoned a short-sleeved light blue blouse over her torso and slid her pleated skirt over her waist. She then pulled a pair of long, purple, diamond-patterned stockings over her legs before sliding her feet into her polished black shoes.

Twilight gathered up her laundry and exited the bathroom, and just outside the door she saw Spike waiting with a pile of his own clothes held under his arm. "Your turn," she said, then Spike entered the bathroom as Twilight placed her towels and pajamas in their woven wicker laundry hamper.

Twilight opened her top drawer of the dresser and pulled out her purple hairbrush, which she used to straighten out her hair. She was often told that her hair was beautiful and would look absolutely stunning if she would style it in something other than her usual plain straight cut, but she didn't much care about that, so she usually only styled her hair for formal occasions.

Once Twilight had combed out her hair, she placed the brush back in her drawer. She then drew a wide violet ribbon from it, which she tied in a bow beneath her blouse's collar.

Spike took some time to style his hair after he was done bathing, so Twilight went downstairs and began cooking breakfast; she and Spike had the understanding that Spike would wash the dishes once they had finished eating. Once Twilight had finished their eggs and hash browns, Spike came downstairs as well, then they ate.

At eight o'clock, Twilight flipped the "Closed" sign nailed to the outside of the front door around to read "Open." Spike sat at the writing-desk, where he read manga volumes while Twilight reentered the library and took inventory of the books.

A few patrons came to the library, who Spike attended to. He stacked the books they returned on the desk and listed the books they checked out on some parchment, and at eleven o'clock Twilight took the list and added it to her records. After she had shelved and took note of the returned books, she made peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches that they ate for their lunch break.

At twelve thirty, Twilight dismissed Spike to spend the next few hours as he pleased. During the school year he would be spending this time studying Magic, and last year he had spent every day since he began his apprenticeship to Twilight sitting with her on her bed, studying spellcasting textbooks while she read one of her recreational books. Since they had studied in Twilight's bedroom together, Spike had been able to ask her questions about any concept he was having trouble with during their schooling hours. Now that they'd moved to the Golden Oak Library, Spike would probably have to continue his studies on one of the library's cushioned chairs while Twilight did research for her mission from Celestia at the library's writing-desk.

When her mission first began, Twilight devoted the hours between twelve thirty and five in the afternoon every day to researching organizations dedicated to releasing Sealed Gods. She had chosen the perfect profession, as being a librarian allowed her to order rare and ancient manuscripts relating to the subject from other libraries to search for anyone who might have wanted to release Luna. As it turned out, organizations dedicated to releasing the Sealed Gods had existed since they were first imprisoned; as Twilight poured over the ancient Elvish writings on the delicate, crumbling pages of millennium-old volumes and the primitive cuneiform characters of primordial tongues etched perhaps ten thousand years ago into clay tablets, she saw the genesis of many such ideologies, some of which still had adherents to that very day.

It seemed natural to Twilight that even the Sealed Gods would still have followers who swore loyalty to them and their ideologies- after all, each of the Gods was the personification of a primal force; an aspect of nature. Beings had an instinctive longing to be one with nature; that was why most Beings accepted Gods as their leaders and modeled themselves in appearance and behavior after them. However, as Celestia had taught Twilight, nature is always in conflict with itself, and each force has a will; likewise, every God had their own vision of how the Earth should be, and if left unchecked by the others, they and the forces they personified would battle for the planet's complete domination.

"Everything must be in balance, Twilight," Celestia had once said to Twilight as she was sitting on her bed and Twilight was sitting on the cushion beneath her. "It's very delicate, and it's very hard to tell what the right balance is. The Earth needs the Sun, for instance, but if it got too much sunlight, it would become dry and unable to support life. Likewise life needs the Sea, but if the oceans grew too great then the world would become over-flooded.

"The Gods cannot die, Twilight, any more than the sea or sky or life itself can. That is why the Dark Gods are Sealed; they will never die, at least not while there is still lightning or war or lust or chaos. Even the Sealed Gods have a purpose; lightning storms create ozone, which defend the world from my Sun's harmful rays; lust is the attraction that allows new lives to be created; and chaos is how everything was first created; the stars and planets and skies and even life itself. All things were born from conflict and chaos, and they allow life to continue. Life, in fact, is conflict and chaos.

"However, Twilight, though we Gods are nature, you must still sometimes rebel against us. We rule you because we are wiser and more powerful- but we are not all-knowing or all-powerful. There is much we know, but mortals and immortals alike are equals in all that we don't know. That is why we Gods share rulership over the world; though each of us has a vision of how the world should be, none of us are- nor ever will be- correct, and so we must depend upon each other to provide us the wisdom that we ourselves lack. Likewise, you mortals each possess within you a little wisdom that is yours alone. After all, you mortals are nature, as well- smaller parts of it, of course, but still parts of it, just like we Gods are, nonetheless. The other Gods and I rose up against Discord because we all believed that the world would be better without his rule, and each of the other Sealed Gods believes- like I do- that they themselves are best suited to ruling the world in his stead. I believe that they are wrong, and I have acted upon that belief, though I might myself be wrong and have myself committed the error. Decide for yourself what the truth is, Twilight, and work to be in harmony with that truth."

Each of the world's kingdoms reflected in its make and culture the God who ruled over it; Atlantis, the kingdom of the Sea-God Poseidon, was a beautiful tropical island nation of swimmers and fishermen; Shangri-La, the kingdom of the Goddess of Flowers Persephone, was an extremely ecologically diverse land at the southern end of the Eastern Pillar vibrantly filled with wildlife that its Being inhabitants shared a close bond with; the Dragon Empire, the domain of the God of Philosophy Kong, was a vast kingdom deeply seeped in tradition and populated by cities of inquisitive scholars and scientists and temples of contemplative, martial monks. Likewise, each of the Sealed Gods once had an empire of their own that reflected them and the ideologies they espoused when they were free; Scorpan had once co-ruled the city of Asgard with his twin, the Sky-God Horus; and Scorpan's passion, impulsivity, and focus still resonated through the Asgardian civilization's modern culture. Griffonstone was the Angelic mountain-kingdom founded and once ruled by Tirek, whose inhabitants had since Tirek's imprisonment remained violent and barbaric and refused to accept a new leader, and thus remained perpetually in anarchy. And of course, the entirety of the Earth was once the domain of Discord, and naturally during his rule it was filled with mayhem and destruction, the echoes of which continued to be felt to the present day.

Twilight's first guess as to who had Unsealed Luna was that it was a group of ideological descendants of the citizens of one of the Sealed Gods' old kingdoms. Such movements were known as "cults," and their devotion to their Sealed Gods was known as "worship." There were cults for most Sealed Gods, some first formed immediately after the God they worshiped was imprisoned.

However, there were two exceptions to this: Sombra and Luna, who both were so unanimously hated and feared by all mortals that their Sealing in Tartarus was met with nothing but joyous celebration. Since Luna had never had a cult dedicated to Unsealing her, Twilight had discarded her early theory that it was a cult that worshipped her that was responsible for her release. However, there were some Beings who wished to free Luna when she was first Sealed: the Gods who had agreed with her and sided with her in her war against Celestia. Twilight had suggested in one of her letters to Celestia that perhaps one of these free Gods had commissioned the hooded Elves to Unseal Luna, but Celestia had written in reply that it was possible, but unlikely; during the thousand years after Luna's Sealing, Celestia was able to persuade all the Gods who had rebelled against her that Luna was wrong, and they lost their desire to usurp her. With the advise to keep that possibility in mind, Celestia suggested that Twilight look for other ones.

Twilight searched more, and soon came up with another theory: that it was one of the cults for the other Sealed Gods who had released Luna; Twilight speculated that they had freed her because they desired her aid in releasing the God they worshipped in exchange for her Unsealing. When Twilight wrote to Celestia about this theory, Celestia wrote back that it was fairly likely and that it was a line of query worth pursuing, so Twilight immersed herself more deeply in her research of the cults of the other Sealed Gods.

Twilight found that the cults for Sealed Gods had very fascinating and long histories; they were filled with intrigue, infighting, schisms, and mergings similar to those of polities and other ideological movements. The leading figures of cults were prone to passionate arguments over the finer points of their God's teachings, and several wars had broken out between the cults of differing Gods, or even rival cults worshiping the same God, though cults worshipping the same God usually had the same general beliefs and practices.

Cults to Scorpan were usually small and ill-organized; they tended to be gangs of violent delinquent Angels who held the personal philosophy: "I'll do as I please and let no one stand in my way." Their preferred method of solving conflicts was fist-fighting, they were highly sexually promiscuous, and they were usually radically homophobic; a large fraction of the few remaining modern hate crimes against LGBT Beings were usually implicated to them.

Cults to Sonata were particularly rigid and controlling of their adherents' lives; they held order above all things and demonized individualism, demanding their members' absolute obedience to the heads of their communities, known as "priests," who acted as their societal, cultural, and intellectual leaders. Members of cults of Sonata were usually identifiable by the long pants, sleeves, and gloves they wore to conceal their Marks. If you were a Sonatian, the priest of your community determined every aspect of your life, from who you were allowed to befriend to whom you would marry to what profession you would have, even if that profession didn't align with the talent signified by your Mark.

Cults to Chrysalis were libertine communities of pure hedonism. At the heart of their cultures was Chrysalis's most fundamental teaching, the simple proverb: "Take who you will, what you will, when you will." They fully lived up to it; all sexual taboos were abandoned by Chrysalists, who would use literally anything or anyone for their own pleasure. They also held the belief that consent wan't a concern, and so Chrysalists had made much progress in such fields of study as the science of predatory drugs, the art of kidnapping, and the economics of trafficking other Beings in the sex trade.

Cults to Tirek were little more than more extreme, compounded versions of cults to Chrysalis and Scorpan; their philosophy was, essentially, "Rape, pillage, and kill whatever you please." Needless to say, Tirek's cults were "cults" only in the loosest sense of the term, and were as such by far the least organized and most violent of the Sealed Gods' followers.

However, Twilight was shocked and more than a little disturbed to learn that even Discord had worshipers who had founded cults to him. She had assumed that, like Luna and Sombra, Discord would be simply too terrifying to have any mortals swear loyalty to him, but nevertheless she found that some such Beings, though surpassingly few in number, did exist. However, she learned one intriguing fact about Discord's cults that differentiated them from those of the other Sealed Gods: that there were two distinct, contrasting schools of thought that they fell into. The first school of Discordian cults, which historians had dubbed the "royalists," worked for Discord to be Unsealed and placed back on the world's throne by virtue of the fact that he was the Earth's King, which was their sole motivation and justification. The smaller, more chaotic, more unpredictable, and more insidious school, which historians knew as the "opportunists," wished to release Discord so that he might then reward them with some of his power when he resumed his rule.

To Twilight's great relief, however, all known opportunist cults to Discord had been discovered and forcibly disbanded personally by Celestia many thousands of years ago, and the royalists had gradually faded away on their own over time. Celestia usually held the tenet to never infringe upon the ideological or behavioral freedoms of the mortal Beings, but the opportunist Discordians were so murderous and dangerous that Celestia made a borderline exception to this rule in their case by deeming them a significant threat to the world and enacting a law that no organization may again be formed for the purpose of worshiping or working for his release. This was the first and only time that Celestia had passed such a ruling, and mortal Beings were permitted to worship any other Sealed God they pleased, though she strongly advised against it; maintained that it was still unlawful to actually release one of them; and personally interfered in any more cults showing signs of attempting to or engaging in any other forms of criminality.

In modern times, the only cults known to remain in the world were to Scorpan, Sonata, and Tirek; the cults to Chrysalis had long ago disbanded of their own volition, as they had eventually realized that there was little point in having dedicated orgy organizations, so what now remained of her cults were individual admirers who continued to espouse her philosophy that life was primarily for the pursuit of carnal pleasures.

The most successful of the cultic movements was Sonatism, which had grown to become a significant philosophical and cultural ideology of the modern era. Many attributed their considerable growth to their high emphasis on evangelization and creating large families, teachings which were motivated by the philosophy that all Beings should convert to it.

A common saying among intellectuals opposing Sonatism was that they weren't so much a cult for Sonata as they were a cult against Discord. Sonatian cults were the first ones to be formed even before the God they worshipped was Sealed; Sonata had organized her first cult by proclaiming that Discord would be Unsealed unless all Beings came together and formed a perfectly orderly and peaceful worldwide society. After gaining many followers, Sonata rallied them into an army, and with them attempted to usurp Celestia and forcibly convert all who didn't follow her (who Sonatians knew as "infidels" or "heretics") into her philosophy to form a perfect world utopia. Celestia, of course, defeated her and Sealed her in the Fifth Hell of Tartarus, but that didn't stop the movement Sonata had started; her teachings lived on, and her followers into modern times continued to evangelize and preach her philosophy.

However, once Sonata was Sealed, there was a great deal of infighting over who should succeed her as the leader of her cult in her absence. The end result was that her single cult fractured into multiple smaller cults; this event was known by historians as the "Great Schism." Several of those smaller cults had died out, and over the ages more schisms and fractures would occur. In modern times, the fragment cult which had grown dominant within the Sonatian movement was known as the School of the Teachings of the Goddess Sonata, though most (including their own members) knew them for most purposes as simply the Cult of Sonata. They were the most orthodox and traditionalist of the Sonatian cults and controlled Salem, the Arcadian city which Sonata had founded as the capital of her empire, which they continued to use as their own cultural and organizational capital.

The Cult of Sonata was Twilight's current primary suspect as the organization responsible for Luna's release; after all, if they could gain Luna's alliance, they would be far more likely to be able to Unseal Sonata and fulfill their ancient prophecy of her glorious return and conquest of the entire Earth. In addition, when Luna was Unsealed, the Cult of Sonata's High Priests had proclaimed it to be proof that Celestia's rule was insufficient to prevent the Unsealing of Discord, and so Twilight concluded that they had also likely Unsealed Luna to lend weight to their claims and gain more followers.

Twilight's current primary area of study, therefore, were the Sonatians. She knew that the Pie family was one of the world's oldest Sonatian clans, so she had asked Pinkie if her own immediate family were. Pinkie, with a rare depressed frown, had replied that they were, but that she didn't want to talk about it further. Twilight's curiosity only grew, but she honored Pinkie's wishes and didn't ask her more.

Twilight had then went to Applejack, inquiring about how her own family had splintered away from the Pies. Applejack had replied that her family was old-fashioned, but the Cult of Sonata was too strictly traditionalist for even her great-grandparents. Applejack had said that when Granny Smith was a little girl, her parents Mud Pie and Applesauce got so fed up with the Sonatian laws forbidding dancing and recreation that they had set off to settle somewhere far away and establish their own clan.

"My Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa traveled across the Central Pillar until they found this land where they could see Mt. Olympus, then they built Sweet Apple Acres here," Applejack had told Twilight. "Our family and farm grew, and soon enough there were enough folks workin' for us that a little town with saloons and blacksmiths and cabins was built around us, and that's how Avalon was founded."

Twilight was fascinated and intrigued, and had further inquired into Applejack's family history. Applejack told her that Granny Smith and her brothers and sisters had married other Human farmers and made families of their own; Granny's family had remained at Sweet Apple Acres while her brothers and sisters went all across the world with their families to start farms in other lands. Granny's niece and nephew, Apple Tart and Apple Bumpkin, had brought their family to a land near the Arcadian capital of Philadelphia and started a farm there that, much like Sweet Apple Acres, had a town grow up around it that came to be known as Appaloosa.

"Wait," Twilight had said, interrupting Applejack. "Granny Smith's niece and nephew started a family together?"

Applejack had hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

Twilight's eyes widened. "So- they're brother and sister...?!"

Applejack turned slightly red. "No, they ain't brother and sister."

"Oh," Twilight said, herself turning a little red with embarrassment. "So... one's only her niece or nephew-in-law...?"

Applejack's blush deepened. "Well, no," she replied. "They're her niece and nephew by blood. Apple Bumpkin's her sister's son, and Apple Tart's her brother's daughter."

"So they're... cousins?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah," Applejack replied, her face now deep scarlet. "My parents are, too."

"Oh," Twilight said. Applejack was now looking away, deeply flushed with embarrassment, and Twilight recognized that this was very touchy territory for her, so she didn't breach the subject again.

Nonetheless, Twilight was able to learn a great deal about Sonatians by talking to Applejack about her family history, so she had spent a great deal of time over the last few days continuing to converse with her about it, though she tactfully avoided bringing the topic of the Apples' intermarriages back up. She didn't need to, anyway; she was able to quickly deduce that marriage between cousins was common in the Apple family because, though they were no longer Sonatians, they still strongly encouraged their children to only marry Beings of the same race, class, and worldview, which were naturally far easier to find within their own family than outside of it.

Twilight planned to go to Sweet Apple Acres to help Applejack with her chores and continue speaking to her about her family once she was done researching at the library and Spike had returned. Until five o'clock, she read about the culture of Sonatians, particularly their daily life. Just before the clock on her wall rang to signal the hour, Spike entered the library and called, "Hey, Twilight!"

"Hey, Spike," Twilight replied. She removed her reading-spectacles and folded them as she said, "What have you been up to?"

"I went with Scootaloo to the skate park. She's fantastic on her scooter; you should she the stunts she can do when she's in the air!"

Twilight grinned. "Wow, she really does idolize Rainbow. Is she as good as her?"

"Not quite, but she's pretty close. She told me that she just wished she could fly so that she could do even better tricks and do everything Rainbow can."

Twilight nodded. She felt a stab of sympathetic pain; she didn't like remembering that Scootaloo's small wings were disabled and that she might never fly.

"Anyway," Twilight said, standing up, "are you ready to go over to Applejack's?"

Spike grinned. "Yeah."

"Alright then, let's go."

Spike and Twilight exited the library, locked its door, and flipped the sign nailed to it around to read "Closed." They then walked to Sweet Apple Acres, and after searching around the farmhouse and barn for a few minutes they found Applejack at a small, wooden shed. She and Bic Macintosh were loading barrels from it onto a donkey-pulled cart, and upon seeing Spike and Twilight Applejack's face broke into a wide smile. "Howdy there, Twilight! Hey, Spike!"

"Hi, Applejack," Twilight replied, smiling back. "We're here to give you any help you'll need. What should we do?"

"Well," Applejack said as she and Big Mac heaved another barrel up onto the cart, "if you and Spike could help us stack these up on the cart, we'd be much obliged."

"Of course," Twilight said, and she and Spike began jointly channeling Ether into the barrels to telekinetically lift them onto the cart. It was significantly more strenuous for them than it was for Applejack and Big Mac, and soon Twilight and Spike found that sweat was rolling down their foreheads. Soon enough, however, the barrels were all loaded on. "There," Applejack said, clapping her hands together to clear the dust off of them. "Can ya'll help us unload these at the market?"

"Of course," Twilight replied. She and Spike climbed up onto the cart and sat on two of the barrels, and Applejack climbed up as well and sat on a barrel beside Twilight. Big Mac went to the driver's seat and picked up the reigns before urging the donkey forward. With a snort, it began trotting forward and jerked the cart into motion.

Twilight and Spike were able to casually converse with Applejack for several minutes. Twilight learned some more of the family traditions the Apples had carried over from their time being Sonatians, such as embroidering, quilting, and playing the guitar and fiddle. One of the biggest reasons the Apples had spun off from the Pies, Applejack said, was that Sonatians were allowed to play and sing songs only from the Sonatian canon of hymns, but her great-grandmother and great-grandfather wanted to play energetic folk tunes to dance to. Since non-hymnal music and dancing were forbidden in Sonatism, or "sinful," as Sonatians called it, Applejack's ancestors had declared, "Well then, we'll be sinners and lead lives full o' sin then!" and embarked in search of new pastures.

Big Mac drove the cart to Avalon's market, which was at the southern end of town. Twilight found going in to be a rather peculiar experience, as it was very old-fashioned; all of the shops were tents lined over a brick plaza, under which the shopkeepers sold their wares from folding wooden counters, upon which were chalkboards displaying their prices. Twilight was used to Olympus's sprawling streets of shining malls of crystal and glass, so coming into Avalon's market of simple canvas tents was a bit like stepping into a previous century.

Nonetheless, Twilight had soon found that she loved it; their vegetables were fresher and their fruits more juicy and delicious than anything she'd tasted in Olympian shops, and the prices were usually far better, too. Twilight said to Applejack as they were driving between the tents, "In Olympus, markets are filled with malls owned by landlords who rent out shop space; does someone own this land, too?"

"Yeah," Applejack replied, nodding. "It's owned by Filthy Rich, our Baron. All the shopkeepers work for him, too; he manages and distributes all the wares. He lives in a small mansion just east of the market."

The cart soon reached a beverage-shop, where it stopped. Twilight and Spike helped Applejack and Big Mac unload the barrels and stack them behind the shop's keeper, alongside other barrels of several different sodas and liquors. After the shopkeeper thanked and paid Applejack and Big Mac, Twilight said to Applejack, "Hey, would you like to come with Spike and me to the library for dinner? I'm pretty hungry."

Applejack grinned. "Why, thank ya'll kindly, Twilight! Much obliged."

Big Mac hopped back onto the cart's driver's seat, then drove it off as Applejack followed Twilight and Spike back to the library.

Once Twilight entered the library, she gestured Spike and Applejack in before closing the door. As she was turning back towards her friends, however, her eyes fell on the letter-box on her writing-desk, in which an envelope bearing Celestia's Royal Seal rested.

Curious, Twilight picked up the envelope, broke its red, phoenix-emblazoned seal, and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. After reading it for a few moments, she gasped.

"What is it?" Spike and Applejack said together, walking towards her.

Twilight smiled, then read the letter aloud:

"My dearest student Twilight Sparkle,

I hereby cordially invite you to the annual ball of the Grand Galloping Galla at Camelot Castle on the evening of the twenty-second of August. You may bring one guest, and I would be delighted and honored for you both to attend.

Yours,
Princess Celestia."

Applejack gasped. "The Grand Galloping Gala?! Celestia invited you to that?!"

"Yep," Twilight said. She reached back into the envelope and pulled out two tickets, pounded from a gold-steel alloy and inscribed with small, elegant writing.

"Land's sakes!" Applejack exclaimed. "That's only the most prestigious party of the year! All the most important nobles come to dance and talk and eat there- why, if Ah was able to sell food there, Ah could drum up a heap o' money for my family! We could finally get new plows, fix that saggy old roof on our barn, and Granny Smith could replace her saggy old hip! Do they let folks sell food at the Gala, Twilight?"

"Of course," Twilight replied. "The nobles are sold some of the finest delicacies there, but they don't pay for it directly; everything they eat is magically recorded on their tickets, then it's billed to them and the shopkeepers are paid by their banks afterwards. Of course, everyone there's so wealthy that they don't have to worry about how much they pay. Shopkeepers just need to register themselves and their menus there before the gala begins."

Applejack's smile faded a little. "Well, Ah hope you two have fun there...."

Spike shrugged. "You can go if you want, Applejack; balls aren't really my thing."

Applejack turned astonishedly to Spike. "R-really?" she said. "You'd give up your ticket for me?"

Spike smiled. "Yeah. If you want it, you can have it."

Applejack embraced Spike. "Thank ya'll so much!" she cried.

Spike grinned. As Applejack released him, however, there was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal that Rainbow Dash stood on the other side.

"Yo, Spike! Yo, Twilight!" she called in with a wave. "You two wanna hang?"

Before Twilight or Spike could respond, however, Rainbow's eyes fell upon the tickets Twilight was holding. "What're those?" Rainbow said, pointing at them.

"They're tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala," Spike replied.

"What?!" Rainbow shouted. She rushed forward, came to a stop before Twilight, then asked, "You got invited to the Gala?!"

"Yeah," Twilight said, her eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"The Wonderbolts are gonna be there!" Rainbow cried, squealing excitedly. "I'd get to meet 'em and talk to 'em if I went there! It'd be so cool!"

Twilight raised a brow. "Why would you want to meet them? Your dad was a captain."

"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow replied, waving her hand dismissively. "But he isn't anymore. Besides, he wasn't the only member; I'd like to meet more than just one."

"Well," Twilight said, smiling, "I do have an extra ticket-"

"Hold on!" Applejack cried, stepping forward and frowning. "Ah thought ya'll were takin' me to the Gala!"

"You wanna go?" Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes. "What the hell for?"

"So Ah can sell some apple treats to help out my family," Applejack replied. "You said you were gonna take me, Twilight!"

Twilight frowned at Applejack. "No, I didn't," she said. "Spike said you could have his ticket, but it was never his to give; it's my ticket, to give to a guest I decide to bring, and I'll decide who I give it to!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow said, smirking at Applejack. "Besides, you're not into girls; I'm gonna be Twi's date to the Gala!"

Applejack flinched, paling, and Twilight blushed. "N-no!" Twilight stuttered. "She wasn't going to be my date! And you might not be either, Rainbow! I still haven't decided who I should give it to!"

"Please, Twilight!" Applejack said distressedly. "We could really use the money!"

"I've been waiting my whole life to meet all the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow cried. "Please let me be your date, Twi!"

Twilight looked between her two friends' imploring faces, then sighed. "I'll... have to think about it," she said quietly. "Can you two leave me alone for a while, please?"

Applejack and Rainbow sighed. "Fine," Rainbow muttered, then both of them exited the library, with Applejack closing the door behind them.

Twilight sat at the table, folded her arms over it, and groaned into them. After a few moments, Spike said, "Hey, you want me to cook us dinner, Twilight?"

"Yes, Spike, thank you," Twilight replied. Spike patted her shoulder, then went into the library's kitchen to finish preparing a potato pie they were having that night.

Twilight sighed, then turned her head. She saw that Pinkie Pie was smilingly standing next to her, causing her to yelp and jump.

"Pinkie!" Twilight gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Pinkie replied, "What do you think, silly? I heard that you got invited to the Grand Galloping Gala, and that you got two tickets to it! Oh, can I go, can I go, please please please pleaaaaaase?" She knelt and pouted to Twilight, giving her the widest, most adorable imploring eyes that she could.

"You want to go too, Pinkie?" Twilight said surprisedly.

Pinkie immediately jumped up, grinning and nodding vigorously. "Of course I want to go, silly! It's the Grand Galloping Gala! It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super-fun, terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always, always, always wanted to go!"

Pinkie began skipping around the library, confetti and streamers raining down around her as she sang,

"Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me
Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me
Hip hip, hooray!
It's the best place for me
For Pinkieeeeeeee...."

She excitedly continued gushing, "With decorations like streamers and fairy-lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pin-cushions! With goodies like sugar cubes and sugar canes and sundaes and sun-beams and sarsaparilla! And I get to play my favoritest of favorite fantabulous games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey!"

She danced around the library as she continued singing,

"Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me
Oh the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me
'Cause it's the most galarrific superbly terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy
Whee!"

Just as Pinkie finished her song, however, the front door was slammed open again by Rainbow, who shouted, "Hey, get in line, Pinkie! I was here first!"

She walked in, and Applejack soon ran in behind her. "Ah'm not here for any special consideration, Twilight! I'm just here to make sure Rainbow here doesn't butter you up!"

Rainbow scoffed. "Fine. Let's settle this, right here, right now," she said, glaring at Applejack.

Applejack nodded. "Ah agree," she replied. "Let's arm-wrestle. Winner gets the ticket."

Both of them stood at opposite sides of a desk, joined hands, and began grunting as they strained to force each other's arms down. Twilight then walked between them and forced them apart, saying, "That's not how it's going to be decided, girls!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted indignantly. "What about me?!"

Rainbow groaned. "Fine. The three of us play Rock-Paper-Scissors, then."

"You're not competing for the ticket!" Twilight shouted. "It's my Gala ticket! Mine, got it?!"

"What's that?" they all heard a voice call from outside. They all looked out of the door to see Rarity standing outside, looking curiously in at them. "Did I hear you say something about a gala, Twilight? You weren't speaking of the Grand Galloping Gala, were you?"

Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie said, "Yeah! Celestia just sent her two tickets to it!"

Rarity gasped dramatically. "Are you taking Spike, Twilight?"

Again, Pinkie interrupted Twilight, "No! Twilight said she's gonna give it to one of us!"

Twilight frowned at Pinkie, but before she could correct her, Rarity said, "Really, darling? Oh, would you please consider taking me? I would absolutely love to go!"

Twilight sighed wearily. "Why do you want to go, Rarity?" she asked quietly.

"Why, so that I can meet him, of course!"

"Him?" all of Rarity's friends chorused in unison.

"Him," Rarity sighed dreamily. "I would stroll into Camelot's ballroom, and everyone would wonder, 'Who is that mysterious Elf?' Of course, they'd never guess I was just a simple girl from little old Avalon. I'd cause such a sensation I'd be invited to meet Princess Celestia herself, and she would be so taken with my grace and elegance that she'd introduce me to her nephew, Prince Blueblood!

"Our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt! Our courtship would be magnificent, and it would end with him asking for my hand in marriage, and of course I'd say, 'YES!!' Ours would be a wedding befitting of a Princess, which, of course, is what I'd become upon marrying him!"

"Blueblood?" Twilight said, looking out one of the library's windows. "I've seen him around Camelot. He doesn't really leave the castle much, though...."

"Which is why that would be my only chance to meet him!" Rarity cried.

There was a small rapping on the door, then they heard a soft voice say, "Umm, Twilight, if you haven't given your other ticket to anyone else yet, would you maybe, um... if it's not any trouble...."

"You too, Fluttershy?!" Twilight groaned irritatedly. "Why do you want to go?"

"Oh, well, um... I don't really, um, want to go to the Gala-"

"Then why are you bothering us about it?!" Rainbow shouted.

Fluttershy anxiously took a step back. "Well, actually, I do, kind of... but, um...."

"Go on, spit it out!" Rainbow shouted.

Touching her forefingers together nervously, Fluttershy said, "Well, see, Princess Celestia has a private garden that nobody else is allowed to go into, except on the Gala. She uses it as a rare animal preserve, and some of those little creatures don't live anywhere else anymore. I'd love to go there and study them and feed them and make friends with them." She beamed as she added, "I can't imagine a more wonderful way to spend an evening."

"Oh, come on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow said exasperatedly. "You can study those things in books or something!"

"Why don't you just get your dad to introduce you to the Wonderbolts if you wanna meet them so much? You don't need to go to the Gala, either, Rainbow!" Applejack retorted.

"It's not that simple, AJ!" Rainbow shouted back. "The Wonderbolts have an extremely tight schedule, and there aren't many other times I can-"

The rest of Rainbow's words were lost to Twilight, as Applejack had started arguing back over the top of her, and soon Pinkie and Rarity joined in. Fluttershy quietly closed the door and excused herself before Twilight shouted, "QUIET!!"

All the girls stopped shouting, except Pinkie, who yelled, "And I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?!'"

"Shut up, Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted, then Pinkie nervously shrank away as she said, "Wha-? ... oh."

Twilight pointed at the door. "You may all leave!" she said. "I'll decide who I'm going to give the ticket to, by myself, then I'll let you all know tomorrow!"

Twilight's friends resentfully relented and grumblingly opened the library's front door and filed out. Twilight closed the door behind them, then slid against it down to the ground with an exhausted sigh.

Spike exited the kitchen and walked up to her, wearing a green apron and carrying two plates of potato pie with forks sticking out of the top of them. "Want some?" he said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

Twilight sighed. "Yeah, thanks, Spike," she replied, gratefully smiling back as she took one of the plates.

Spike sat on the ground beside Twilight, then asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah," Twilight muttered, taking a bite from her pie slice.

"You know who you think you'll give it to?" Spike asked.

"No," Twilight replied. "They all have really good reasons to want to go. It'd probably be Applejack, since her family really needs the money, or Fluttershy, because she was the most polite and civil one. But even if I gave up my own ticket and gave one to both of them, I'd still disappoint my other three friends and hurt their feelings!"

"Yeah," Spike said. He shrugged. "Maybe you just need to sleep on this."

Twilight sighed. "Yeah. I'll figure this out." She groaned, poking her pie with her fork. "Somehow...." she muttered.

I-VIII. Twilight's Dilemma

Twilight hoped that when she woke up the morning after she'd received her Gala tickets from Celestia, she'd at last know who she should bring as her guest. To her enormous frustration, however, she awoke no more sure than she was the previous night.

With a weary groan, Twilight got up and woke Spike, as well. They got ready for the day, catalogued the books, and attended to the patrons as usual. When the library's grandfather clock struck eleven, Spike set his quill down, slid away from the writing-desk, and said, "Want me to make lunch, Twilight?"

Twilight shelved a book, then stepped down the ladder she was standing on as she hummed in thought. After a few moments, she softly smiled at Spike. "Actually, you know what? Let's eat out today."

Spike jumped up excitedly. "Really?!"

"Yeah," Twilight replied. "You've been taking everything really well, and I think you deserve a reward for it. Besides, I'm stressed enough already; I don't want to have to worry about dirty dishes today."

Spike grinned. "Alright!"

Once Twilight and Spike had put everything away, they flipped the library's sign around to read "Closed" before heading to Frappe's, the cafe at town square across the street from the Sugar Shack.

It was a cloudy day out, but it didn't look like it would rain, so when Twilight and Spike reached Frappe's they sat at one of the outdoor tables. A waitress approached them, then said, "Are you sure you want to be out here? It might rain."

"No, we're fine," Twilight said cheerfully to her. "I'd like a deviled egg salad sandwich, please."

"I'd like some fish and extra-crispy chips," Spike said.

The waitress nodded as she jotted their orders down. "Very well. Would either of you like any drinks?"

"Iced tea would be lovely," said Twilight.

"Same," said Spike.

With a nod, the waitress jotted down their drink orders before reentering the restaurant.

Twilight and Spike played Rock-Paper-Scissors while they waited for the waitress to return with their meals. Unlike at chess, Spike was a better Rock-Paper-Scissors player than Twilight, and he was able to win fifty-three and draw twenty-seven of his one hundred two throws against Twilight. They stopped when Twilight saw the waitress push open the cafe's door and return with their orders, but as Twilight smilingly said, "Thank y-" she felt a drop of water hit her head.

Twilight looked up, and saw that it was beginning to drizzle. The waitress said, "Would you two like to come inside?"

There was a dull thump, and Twilight was suddenly shaded by a blue umbrella she saw open over her head. "There's no need," Rainbow Dash said from behind her.

Twilight turned to find Rainbow standing behind her stool, leaning forward with a smirk as she held the blue umbrella over both of their heads. "Hey, Twi," she said.

Twilight sighed. "Hello, Rainbow," she replied.

"We can't have any rain ruining your pretty hair, now can we?" Rainbow said with a slight flirtatious purr.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "How did you know it was going to rain, Rainbow?"

"We Angels have a better idea of the weather than anyone else; we feel the clouds move beneath us and the air blowing against our wings. As big as the brain is behind that pretty face of yours, there are some things even you can't learn from studying, no matter how many books you read."

Twilight gazed with anger and annoyance at Rainbow. "You're not doing this to get extra consideration for my extra ticket, are you?"

Rainbow shrugged. "So what if I am? I've really been wanting to ask you out anyway." With another smirk, she added, "You'll be hard-pressed to find someone more fun at parties than me."

"Rainbow, I'm really not comfortable with accepting any favors. Please go," Twilight said firmly.

Rainbow blinked. "Umm, the rain's about to get a lot heavier-"

"I don't care. Fold up your umbrella and leave us alone, please."

Rainbow sighed, then groaned, "Fine...." as she folded her umbrella back up and began strolling away, exposing Twilight to the rain again.

With a grin, Twilight said, "That's better." She lifted her sandwich up and took a bite out of it, but a few seconds later an intense surge of rainfall descended from the heavens, rapidly drenching her, Spike, and their meals.

With a furious groan, Twilight let her soggy sandwich slide from her hands onto her plate. She heard a dramatic gasp, and when she turned towards it she saw Rarity standing behind her, a ruffle-edged umbrella over her head. "Twilight! You're soaked!" she cried.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "No. Really?" she said flatly.

"Come!" Rarity cried, grasping Twilight's arm. "Let's go to my shop before you catch a cold!"

Rarity ran down the streets to her shop, guiding and shielding Twilight from the rain while Spike jogged close behind them. In a few minutes they arrived at the Carousel Boutique, where Rarity got towels for Twilight and Spike to dry themselves off with.

After Twilight and Spike had wiped down their arms and dried their hair, Rarity said, "There. Better?"

"Oh yes," Twilight said, smiling at her. "Thank you, Rarity."

"Oh, no trouble, no trouble at all!" Rarity replied. "Actually, I needed a little help with something. Do you think you could quickly try on a dress for me? I want to be sure it'll fit."

Twilight raised a brow in puzzlement. "Huh?"

"I'm making it for a client whose measurements are the same as yours. Will you try it on, please?"

After a few moments, Twilight smiled and nodded. "Of course, Rarity."

"Thank you so much!" Rarity said elatedly. She went to a nearby mannequin and removed a light blue ball gown from it, which she handed to Twilight. Twilight went into one of the changing rooms, and found that when she put the dress on it was quite comfortable and fit very well.

"Oh my gosh, this fits perfectly!" Twilight exclaimed. However, she then flinched and frowned with realization. "Too perfectly," she muttered.

Twilight walked back out, and Rarity smiled upon seeing her. "Oh, that gown looks marvelous on you, Darling! Oh, you'd look absolutely perfect at the Gala in that; you'd be the belle of the ball!" She clapped her hands together, then pointed at Twilight. "I've decided: I'll make you a replica of this one at a high discount!"

"And you're hoping I'll repay the favor by taking you with me?" Twilight said flatly.

Rarity laughed nervously. "Why, of course not, Darling! I simply wish to show my affection for my friend! After all, we are the best of friends, are we not?"

Twilight frowned disbelievingly, but after a few moments she nodded. "Well, good. But I'm still not comfortable with accepting any favors while I'm trying to decide, so you can keep the dress."

Twilight went back into the changing room, put her clothes back on, then handed the dress back to a rather anxious-looking Rarity as she and Spike walked back out of the boutique.

Twilight and Spike conjured barriers over their heads to shield themselves from the rain as they returned to the library. Once they were inside, Twilight collapsed in one of the chairs with an exhausted sigh. "Should I make us lunch, Twilight?" Spike asked.

Twilight sighed. "Yeah, thanks. I'm just going to read and try to relax for a while."

Spike nodded, then walked into the kitchen as Twilight levitated a thick tome about nebulae titled Clouds of Stars from the top of one of the bookshelves into her hands. She sat and read as Spike searched their pantries for bread, but he found that only a portion of one loaf, enough for two slices, remained of their stores. "Uh, I can make each of us a half sandwich," he called out to Twilight.

Twilight groaned; she was getting quite hungry, and would have liked more than half a sandwich. However, she called back, "Yes, that'll work."

Spike got some peanut butter and grape jelly from their pantry, divided the hunk of bread in half, spread the fillings over them, then closed the sandwich and divided it in half. He brought one to Twilight, then both of them ate.

Twilight was still hungry after she had finished her half of the sandwich, but her hunger was more bearable. With a sigh, she stood up and said, "You can do whatever you like, Spike; I'm going to study the cults for a few hours, then we'll go to the market to get groceries and the post office to send books back to other libraries."

Spike nodded. "I'll go and read in our room," he said, then he scaled their stairs and opened the door to their bedroom, where he took a Steam manga volume from one of his shelves, lounged across his bed, and read with his head propped up by his pillows.

Twilight sat at her desk, put on her reading glasses, and opened the book on Sonatian cults she was currently studying: a tome on the subject of Sonatian laws and customs.

Twilight was beginning to wonder if there was any aspect of a Beings' personal life the Sonatian priests didn't dictate; she learned that Sonatians prohibited the playing of role-playing games and the reading of comics, speculative fiction, romance, adventure, or horror novels. They weren't allowed to engage in theatre or juggling or any other form of stage entertainment, as they were considered "immodest," "prideful," and "salacious." Sonatians were also prohibited from reading or writing any form of poetry, unless it was a hymn commissioned by the priests. Reading or watching a play, listening to non-hymnal music, or reading an unsanctioned book were all considered serious sins by Sonatians. They also had very strict laws against celebrating holidays of any kind, as they were "gluttonous," "wasteful," "immodest," and "tumultuous." Naturally, this meant no birthday celebrations.

Twilight smirked upon reading that particular bit of trivia. "Well, no birthdays alone would be enough to drive Pinkie away," she observed.

She also learned that Sonatian Beings were strictly prohibited from being alone with someone of the opposite gender who wasn't their sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or spouse. A Sonatian's spouse was chosen by the priest of their community, who would perform a simple, unostentatious wedding ceremony in which the couple were commanded in Sonata's name to never take any other lovers, to have as many children as they could, and to spread Sonata's teachings to them and all the world so that Sonata's empire would at last encompass the entire Earth. Consummating marriages was mandatory for Sonatians, and birth control was strictly forbidden; all sexual activity was required to be exclusively for procreational purposes.

The most disturbing thing Twilight learned, however, was that Sonatian law dictated that some sins were so serious that death was the mandated punishment for them. Such crimes included adultery, homosexuality, incest, bestiality, public nudity, premarital sex (Twilight was at this point awed by how much they seemed to be obsessed with sex), directly speaking against Sonata and her priests' teachings (known as heresy), leaving the Sonatian community altogether (known as apostasy), or breaking a priest's oath or any other oath taken in Sonata's name. To Twilight's relief, however, all Sonatian cults known to actually carry out their law of executing offenders of cardinal sins were personally forcibly disbanded by Celestia long ago, and the remaining cults instead began the alternative practice of forever shunning the committers of deadly sins. The shunning was considered a symbolic execution, as expressed by the proverb: "Until Sonata returns to reign righteously over the Earth and judge and sentence the unworthy to their doom, the heretics and apostates shall be dead in spirit, and shall forevermore be regarded as lifeless and without honor by Sonata's faithful."

Nonetheless, though Sonatians were no longer known to murder heretics and apostates of their philosophy, Twilight was still deeply disturbed that Celestia seemed to be the only thing holding them back from doing so. Worse still, their leaders, the priests, were shrouded almost completely in secrets and mystery.

Though she was only able to learn a little about the priests, Twilight was able to glean a few facts about them from her studies: first, that priests were the only members of Sonatian communities who were permitted to not marry. However, they were required instead to take a lifelong vow of chastity and to dedicate themselves fully to Sonata's service. Beings could only become priests by being chosen by other priests to become one, and once they had the calling they couldn't refuse it. Priests often chose children to become their apprentices, though sometimes they would select teenagers or young adults. A priest's apprentice was required to dedicate themselves completely to studying Sonata's teachings for several years, then they were sent to "infidel" lands to preach and attempt to gather converts. When the apprentice missionary returned, they were made a full priest and were then required to preside over a community, preach Sonata's teachings to that community in a dedicated building known as a "church" every Saturday (a practice Sonatians knew as the "sabbath"), and continue to send missionaries to evangelize to infidels and bring them into Sonata's empire.

There was little else that Twilight could find about the customs of the priests, so her searches for the scarce information regarding them became quite intense. She wished to know what secrets they kept, as those could be the key to discovering who was responsible for Luna's unsealing. As she was busy writing a letter to Celestia asking if she could point her in the direction of more resources on the subject, there was a knock on the library's front door. Twilight hurriedly folded up the letter before turning to the door and calling, "Come in."

The door creaked as it opened, revealing a smiling Applejack, who held a steaming, golden-crusted pie. "Hey, Twilight," she said cheerfully.

Twilight made a small groan. "Hello, Applejack," she replied.

"Ah was bakin' apple pies, but one of my customers canceled their order, and now Ah have an extra one! Ah thought you might like it."

Twilight frowned. "No! I don't want any favors or bribes while I'm deciding who I should give my ticket to!"

Applejack's smile faded. "Oh. Uh, alright...." she said quietly. "Well, can Ah give this to Spike, at least?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, you may give it to Spike."

With a nod, Applejack went to the table to set the pie down. Twilight's stomach grumbled, and she groaned; her hunger made Applejack's bribe more tempting than any the other girls had attempted to give her.

Once Applejack left, Twilight called upstairs, "Spike! Come down!"

Spike obeyed. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, his eyes were caught by the apple pie. "Hey, what's the pie for?" he said, pointing at it.

"Applejack tried to give it to me to bribe me to give her the extra Gala ticket," Twilight answered stiffly. "You can have it."

Spike grinned. "Thanks, Twilight!"

Spike retrieved a fork from their silverware and began digging into the pie as Twilight completed her letter to Celestia. Once she had sealed and burned it, she removed her glasses and turned to Spike, who was about halfway through his pie. "Let's get some groceries and go to the post office, Spike," she said.

His mouth full of pie, Spike grunted and nodded. With a loud gulp, he picked up the remaining half of his pie and placed it in their ice box.

Twilight gathered up some books from around the library and placed them in a satchel, then she and Spike went to the market, where they got groceries to replenish their stores. They then went to the post office, where Twilight traded the books she brought for ones the other libraries had sent her.

When Twilight and Spike reentered the library, Twilight flinched at what she saw: Fluttershy was standing on the ladder, dusting off the bookshelves as she hummed a cheerful tune to herself.

"Fluttershy! You too?!" Twilight groaned.

Fluttershy turned to Twilight, then smiled. "Oh, hello, Twilight," she said. "I came to visit you, but you were gone. I saw that your library was a little dusty, so I've just been cleaning it up a little for you."

"Thanks, but I don't need any help," Twilight said. She went back to the door, opened it, and gestured out, saying, "Now leave, please."

There was a loud sound of a noisemaker blowing, followed by an explosion as confetti was fired into the library, causing Fluttershy, Spike, and Twilight to all jump and yelp in shock. Pinkie Pie cartwheeled inside, then took Twilight's hands and spun around with her as she sang,

"Twilight's my bestest friend, whopee! Whopee!

The cutest, smartest, all-around best girlie, girlie!"

Twilight muttered, "Pinkie-"

Pinkie interrupted her, "I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party"

Twilight said sharply, "Pinkie-!"

Pinkie leapt into the air as she concluded, "She'll give her extra ticket to the Gala to meeeeeeee!"

"PINKIE!!" Twilight screamed.

Pinkie spun around instantaneously to face Twilight. "Yes, Twilight?" she said, grinning and fluttering her eyes.

Twilight groaned frustratedly. "Ugh, at least the other girls tried to be subtle!" Twilight's expression became quite distressed as she said, "The Gala means so much to all of you and I don't want to disappoint any of you, and all these favors aren't making it any easier to decide! I can't stand to disappoint any of you, because you're all my friends and I want to make you all happy!"

Fluttershy and Pinkie both frowned ashamedly and looked away from Twilight as she despairingly made her confession to them. Fluttershy anxiously touched her forefingers together as she softly said, "I'm... I'm sorry, Twilight."

"Yeah, me too," Pinkie said. "I'm sorry we're making things so hard for you."

With an exhausted groan, Twilight covered her eyes with one hand and opened the door with the other. "Please go," she said. "Please leave me alone."

Pinkie and Fluttershy quietly obeyed, then Twilight shut the door behind them. With a weary sigh, she muttered, "Things were easier when I didn't have any friends...."

Twilight sighed again, rubbed her eyes, then said, "Let's go to the pub, Spike. I need a drink."

Spike nodded. "Alright."

Twilight set her satchel on the table, then she and Spike walked to the Town Square's pub. When they entered Twilight was met with a comforting sight: a fashionable, elegant, slightly dimly-lit room with stone tables and booths with plush, cushioned seats and stools. There were dart boards on the walls and billiards tables on the floor, over which lamps with stained glass shades hung from the ceiling.

Martini, the pub's Angel barkeeper, turned to Twilight as she entered, and smiled. "Ah, Twilight!" he said. "The usual for you, then?"

"Yep," Twilight said, sitting at the bar counter. "Daiquiri on the rocks, please."

With a nod, Martini poured rum and squeezed lemon and lime halves into an aluminum cocktail shaker as he said, "Would you like a soda, Spike?"

"Yeah. Orange, please," Spike replied.

Martini added sugar and ice to the shaker, covered and shook it, then poured it into a salted cocktail glass, completing it by placing an orange slice over the rim. As Twilight took her drink, Martini took a glass bottle of orange soda from an iced cooler beneath the bar before sliding it down the counter to be caught by Spike.

Twilight sipped her cocktail as Spike went to an empty billiards table to arrange some balls for a game. As Spike was placing balls in a triangular rack on the table, Martini refilled another customer's glass as he said to Twilight, "Stressful day?"

Twilight nodded. "Very."

After taking another sip, Twilight added, "Princess Celestia sent me two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, and except for Spike all of my friends want to go."

Martini nodded. "That's rough."

Twilight had a couple drinks while Spike sipped his soda and struck the billiard balls with a cue stick into the tables' pockets. Once Twilight felt a bit less anxious, she stood up, thanked Martini, left her charge and a tip for him, then exited with Spike.

They walked back to the library, and as they traveled Spike gazed concernedly at his mentor. He desperately wished that he were allowed to date Twilight; if he were her boyfriend, he could offer her comfort and reassurance at times like these. When Spike was first apprenticed to Twilight, he would often entertain a fancy of the possibility of a romance blossoming between them, but he soon abandoned it; it had gradually become clear that Twilight was a rigid stickler for the rules.

Spike smirked. That didn't stop her parents, though, he thought to himself.

When they reached the library, it was nearly dusk. When Twilight opened the door, she found her five new friends all standing inside, waiting for her.

"Hello, Twilight," Rarity said, smiling apologetically at her.

"We, um... we all came to apologize," Applejack said, anxiously looking away and rubbing her arm.

"Yeah," Pinkie said. "We all wanted to go to the Gala so badly we didn't realize how unhappy we were making you."

Fluttershy smiled, closed her eyes, and said, "You can bring whoever you want, Twilight."

Rainbow said, "Of course, I still wouldn't say no if you invited me-"

Applejack jabbed Rainbow in the side with her elbow. "Rainbow!" she hissed.

Rubbing her side and grinning nervously, Rainbow added, "Of course, I don't need to have the ticket. You do whatever you want with it, Twi."

Twilight blinked astonishedly. "R-really, you guys?"

"Yeah," Pinkie said. With a grin, she added, "There are always other parties, right?"

Tears began to well in Twilight's eyes, and she smiled happily. "You girls are all so amazing...." she said.

She walked forward and embraced each of them. Afterward, she wiped her eyes and turned to Spike, saying, "Can you write a letter for me, Spike?"

Spike nodded. "To who?"

"Celestia," Twilight replied. "I've made up my mind," she added determinedly.

Spike gazed surprisedly at Twilight for a moment, then nodded. "You got it."

Spike sat at the writing-desk, selected a quill, opened the ink well, dipped the quill in, and wrote on a blank sheet of parchment as Twilight dictated,

"Dear Princess Celestia,

I am deeply honored for the invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala. However, each of my friends wants to go, and I cannot go and leave any of them behind. If all of them can't go, I don't want to either. So I am sending the tickets back and respectfully declining your invitation. I apologize and beg your pardon.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight's friends stared astonishedly at her as she took the letter from Spike, placed her tickets on it, folded it, levitated it into the air, and burned it.

"But- Twilight!" Rarity cried. "It's the Gala!"

Twilight shrugged. "There's always next year," she replied.

"Wow. That was... really cool of you, Twi," Rainbow said, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Rainbow," Twilight replied, smiling back.

After a few moments of silence, Rainbow said, "Hey, guys, wanna go to a basketball court and play a match?"

"Sure thing!" Applejack replied, and their other friends voiced their agreement, except Rarity, who said, "I think I'll just watch, if you don't mind."

Twilight, Spike, and all their friends went to the park, were there were several turf basketball courts. All of them except Rarity played a three-on-three match, which quickly raised their spirits and drove the Gala from their memory. They played until the stars began to shine in the early nighttime sky, and when they ended the game Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy had beaten Twilight, Spike, and Applejack by twenty-five to eighteen.

They all went back to their homes. Once Twilight had reached the library with Spike, she yawned as she pulled open the door. "Let's have a quick salad for dinner, then go to bed," she said.

Spike tiredly nodded in agreement. However, as he went to the kitchen to make their salad, Twilight's eye was caught by a letter from Celestia that was resting in her letter-box. She opened it, and read:

"My dearest Twilight,

Why didn't you say so? If I'd known all of your friends also wished to attend the Gala, I would have sent you all tickets earlier.

Hoping to see you all there,

Princess Celestia."

Stunned, Twilight reached into the envelope again, and pulled out seven golden Grand Galloping Gala tickets. With an excited gasp, she cried, "Spike! Spike!"

"What is it?" Spike said, running back into the room.

Twilight held up the tickets and elatedly cried, "Celestia sent enough tickets for all of us to go!"

Spike grinned. "That's great!"

Twilight flinched with realization. "But- you don't want to go, right?"

Spike shrugged. "Hey, if all you girls are going, I think I'd like to, too."

"Really?" Twilight said surprisedly.

Spike nodded. "Yeah. I think it'd be fun to spend the evening with you guys. Besides," he added with a smirk, "I get to see you all in sexy dresses."

Twilight smiled as she gave a look of mock disapproval to Spike, who laughed. Gazing back at her tickets, she said, "We all get to go to the Gala together. This is going to be the best night ever."

I-IX. Pinkie Pie

Pinkie grinned as she brushed her teeth before her bathroom mirror. Considering the amount of candy she regularly ate, she knew that she had to work diligently on scrubbing her teeth after every meal to ensure that they remained as pretty and white as pearls.

After a good three minutes of scrubbing, Pinkie took a swig of water before spitting into the sink. She then flossed and grinned once more at her reflection before stepping back into her bedroom, humming and holding her hands together behind her.

Pinkie's room was cluttered, but organized; her many stuffed animals were arranged neatly over the plush pillows and pastel-pink quilt spread over her bed, piles of craft supplies were arranged on a wooden desk against one of her custard-yellow walls, against another was a bookshelf filled near to bursting with young adult romance and fantasy novels and manga, and hanging on the rest were framed, color photographs of all of her friends.

Pinkie skipped to a tank on a small table at her bedside. Its bottom was lined with fine sand and smooth rocks and pebbles, it had a small pool of water, and just beside the pool was a wide, flat heated rock. Sitting on the rock was a small, green juvenile alligator.

"Good morning, Gummy!" Pinkie greeted him cheerfully. Gummy licked one of his eyes.

"You want some breakfast, buddy?" Pinkie said.

As Gummy blinked, Pinkie giggled, held up a jar of earthworms, twisted the lid off, then pulled out a few and placed them just before him.

Pinkie gently stroked Gummy's rough, scaled back as he slowly stepped forward and began feasting on the worms. Pinkie then went to her dresser, pulled out a t-shirt, some short shorts, and a pair of mismatched socks. As soon as she had changed out of her pajamas into them and tied her sneakers on, she said, "See you later, Gummy!" then she skipped out of her room, shut the door, and went downstairs.

Bon-Bon and Mr. Cake were at the glass counter; Mr. Cake was frosting some custom-ordered words onto a cake as Bon-Bon was coating balls of fillings in white chocolate over wax paper squares. As Pinkie came down, both looked up at her and smiled. "Good morning, Pinkie," Mr. Cake said.

"Good morning, Mr. Cake," Pinkie replied. She added as she turned to her coworker, "Hi, Bon-Bon."

"Hi, Pinkie," Bon-Bon cheerfully answered back.

After Pinkie had lifted her apron from its hook and tied it around her torso, Mr. Cake said, "Can you work the register for a few minutes, Pinkie? I have to run a quick errand...."

"Sure thing, Mr. Cake," Pinkie replied with a wide grin.

Gratefully returning Pinkie's smile, Mr. Cake said, "Thanks," then stepped out from behind the counter and exited the shop.

Pinkie went behind the counter and stood at the cash register. She turned to Bon-Bon and said, "How are you doing?"

"Pretty great," Bon-Bon replied as she rolled some nuts into a marshmallow between her hands. "Lyra was able to get a job playing at the pub, so now I won't have to pay all of our rent anymore."

Pinkie nodded. Aside from Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow, Bon-Bon was her best friend. They kept each other entertained at work by conversing about recent events and discussing the daily troubles in their lives. Pinkie was absolutely delighted when she had first met Bon-Bon; when she first moved to Avalon and took a job from the Cakes, Pinkie's coworker warmly welcomed her and patiently coaxed her out of her initial shyness and nervousness. Pinkie soon learned that Bon-Bon lived with an Elvish girl named Lyra, who was her girlfriend. Pinkie, who had been sternly commanded her entire life to never date anyone of the same gender or a different race (in fact, she had been commanded to never romance anyone but the Human husband her priest would choose for her), was filled with nothing but awe and admiration for Lyra and Bon-Bon. Not only were they a lesbian couple, but also an interracial one, which raised some eyebrows even here in Avalon, a small town widely famed for its progressiveness and tolerance. Pinkie, who had run from home to come to Avalon for those very qualities, soon began conversing with Bon-Bon about their love lives. They traded advice; Pinkie gave suggestions of date ideas to Bon-Bon, who in return gave Pinkie advise on how to choose someone for a courtship and how to initially go about it.

At first, Pinkie dated only Human males recommended to her by her friends; having only just left the conditioning of the Sonatian culture of her family, she was still rather uncomfortable with the idea of defying their traditions of heteronormativity, racial purity, and arranged courtships. However, as time passed Pinkie gradually became less reluctant and reserved; she soon abandoned the long skirts and sleeves she'd been forced to wear before and began wearing the t-shirts, shorts, and miniskirts other Human girls wore. At the same time she also began dating other girls as well as Angels and Elves. It was tremendously relieving to at last be comfortable and open with her sexuality and to be allowed to court whoever she wanted.

For a while, Pinkie dated only very casually; she had fun outings with several different guys and girls. All of these dates were friendly and enjoyable but didn't lead to anything very serious. For some time now, however, Pinkie had had her eye on one of her best friends. Pinkie had a huge crush on this friend, but was so nervous at the prospect of approaching her that she hadn't yet mustered up the courage to ask her out.

Bon-Bon was the only one Pinkie trusted with the secret of who held her affections; Bon-Bon had her own circle of friends, and was unlikely to accidentally reveal it to Pinkie's friends. Pinkie had asked Bon-Bon what she should do, and Bon-Bon had suggested that Pinkie start by asking her crush on a friendly, casual date. Pinkie had agonized and deliberated over the decision until at last she decided to do it. However, she then asked Bon-Bon what activity would be suitable for the date request, and Bon-Bon had simply replied that Pinkie should do whatever she wanted.

After many, many hours of anxious inner debate, Pinkie had at last thought up a suitable idea. "Hey, Bon-Bon," Pinkie said after she had given change to a customer, "I had an idea about what to ask Rainbow to do."

Bon-Bon smiled at her. "That's great, Pinkie! What is it?"

"Um..." Pinkie said, looking down at a copper piece as she idly played with it, "it might sound a little weird...."

"That's fine, Pinkie," Bon-Bon replied. "Go on, what is it?"

"Well," Pinkie said, her lips forming a soft smile, "I thought I'd ask Rainbow to pull some pranks with me. I know that sounds stupid...."

Bon-Bon laughed. "That sounds like fun, Pinkie! What's stupid about it?"

"Well, it is kind of weird for a date...."

"That's okay, Pinkie! As long as you're both having fun together, it'll make a good date!"

"Really?" Pinkie asked, gazing at her.

"Yeah," Bon-Bon replied. "I'm sure Rainbow Dash will have a great time."

Pinkie nodded. "But... what if she doesn't want to?"

"Then maybe suggest something else, unless she doesn't want to go out with you at all. But if she doesn't that'll still be okay; you two will still be friends, right?"

Pinkie nodded. "I think so...."

"Don't worry, I don't think Rainbow will say no. You're pretty great, Pinkie."

Pinkie grinned. "Thanks, Bon-Bon."

The two girls continued talking until Mr. Cake returned. Upon reentering the shop, Mr. Cake said, "Thanks, Pinkie. Can you go into the kitchen and bake with my wife now, please?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Cake!" Pinkie replied with a salute. As Mr. Cake chuckled, Pinkie skipped into the kitchen and found Mrs. Cake removing a freshly-baked pink cake from the oven. "Good morning, Mrs. Cake!" she sang.

Mrs. Cake turned to Pinkie with a smile. "Ah, hello, Pinkie!" she said. "Do you think you could start mixing batter for a three-layer medium mint dark chocolate cake?"

"Of course!" Pinkie replied, reaching into one of their cupboards for a steel mixing-bowl.

Mrs. Cake flipped the newly-baked cake onto a wire cooling rack and lifted the pan off as Pinkie began measuring flower and cocoa into the mixing-bowl; when she was first employed at the Sugar Shack, Pinkie had to frequently consult a cookbook for the cakes' recipes, but soon she had memorized all of them and was now able to mix any batter her employers requested without any aid. As she cracked some eggs over the bowl, Pinkie said to Mrs. Cake, "How's the baby doing?"

Mrs. Cake rubbed her belly as she said, "The doctor says that it's doing splendidly."

"Do you have an estimated time yet?"

"Yes," Mrs. Cake replied. "We expect it sometime in mid spring."

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Pinkie squealed. "I love babies! They're so cute and funny and sweet...."

"I'm sure the baby will love you, Pinkie," Mrs. Cake replied.

Once Pinkie had mixed and poured the batter into three greased, floured cake pans of differing sizes, she placed them in the oven, took note of the time displayed by the kitchen's clock, then went to the cakes on the cooling rack to begin frosting and stacking them.

The Cakes' business was extremely successful and busy because, aside from the constant high demand for their delicious candies, Avalon was a rather popular resort town, especially for couples seeking a wedding in a beautiful, quiet rustic location. Couples having a wedding in the town always commissioned a cake from the Sugar Shack, which along with the ever-present birthday parties, anniversaries, and other celebrations gave Pinkie, Bon-Bon, and the Cakes a constant stream of work. Pinkie was happily kept very busy baking cakes from nine to five every day, after which she would go out and do whatever she pleased.

How Pinkie spent her free time after her work day was utterly unpredictable; she would often plan and host birthday parties and wedding receptions, but other times she would people-watch, go on jogs, visit one of her friends, play in one of the lakes, pick and eat wild fruits from the edge of the Everfree Forest, or do any number of other strange and adventurous things. Today, however, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

After Pinkie had finished frosting a birthday message onto one of her cakes, she looked up at the clock and saw that it was two after five. With an excited squeal, she cleaned off her workspace, pulled off her apron, and hung it on her hook.

The Cakes and Bon-Bon were closing up the shop, as well, so as Pinkie walked through to the door she waved at them and said, "Bye, everyone! See you later!"

"Bye, Pinkie!" they all called back, then Pinkie opened the front door and walked out.

Pinkie hummed and skipped around the town, searching the skies for Rainbow's house. Soon she found it, so she stood beneath it and called up, "Hey, Rainbow Dash!"

No answer. Pinkie shouted again, "Dashie! Are you home?!"

After receiving only a few moments of silence in response, Pinkie hummed thoughtfully and said to herself, "Maybe Twilight knows where she is."

Pinkie turned eastward and began skipping to the library. When she reached it, she knocked on the door and called, "Twilight! Are you home?"

After a few moments, the door was answered by Spike. "Hey, Pinkie!" he said, smiling.

"Is Twilight home?" Pinkie asked.

Spike shook his head. "No. She went to the park to relax. I'm finishing up my spellcasting review in here while she's out."

"Okay. Thanks, Spike!"

"You're welcome, Pinkie."

Pinkie waved at Spike, then skipped away as Spike closed the door behind her.

Pinkie went to the park, where she found a bespectacled Twilight laying on her belly on a park bench, reading a book on it. "Hey, Twilight!" Pinkie said.

Twilight looked up. "Oh. Hello, Pinkie," she said.

"Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. I imagine she's doing flight training right now, though."

Pinkie grinned. "Oh, why didn't I think of that? Of course Dashie would be training!" Beaming elatedly, Pinkie gushed, "She's so amazing when she's in the air! I watch her train sometimes, and she always stuns me with the stunts she can pull off! I love when she spirals to the ground, then pulls up at the last second!"

Twilight, who had returned her attention to her book, nodded with an absentminded, "Uh-huh."

"Or when she rebounds against a wall, then shoots off the other way, like, whoosh!" Pinkie continued, miming the motion with her hands.

"Uh-huh," said Twilight.

"Or when she darts through the air, like, shoom, shoom, shoom!" Pinkie said, snapping her head in time with her vocalized sound effects before allowing herself to fall against the ground, grinning.

However, after closing her eyes for a few moments, Pinkie opened them again to see Rainbow flying high overhead. Pinkie immediately jumped up and ran after her, eliciting a relieved sigh from Twilight, who then turned a page.

As Rainbow soared over the town, Pinkie ran through the streets beneath her and called up, "Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow looked down, then groaned. "Not now, Pinkie!" she shouted back as she continued gliding.

"Wait- Rainbow!" Pinkie shouted up at her.

"I said, not now, Pinkie!"

"Please, Rainbow, I just want to ask you something!" Pinkie cried.

With an irritated groan, Rainbow hovered to the ground before Pinkie, crossing her arms. "What?" she said sharply.

Pinkie cheerfully replied, "Do you think you can do something with me later today?"

Rainbow sighed. "Look, Pinkie, I have to train. I don't think I can. Maybe some other time, okay?"

Pinkie's smile faded. "Oh... um, okay," she said morosely.

"Sorry," Rainbow said, then she took to the air again.

With a sad sigh, Pinkie walked back to the Sugar Shack, then went up to her apartment. She pulled one of her urban fantasy romance novels down from her bookshelf and spent the rest of the day reading it on her bed to distract herself from thinking about Rainbow.

Rainbow was enjoying a comfortable midday nap on a low-hanging cloud floating over the market district. She always loved the feeling of a cool, damp cloud cushioning her cheek while the sun's pleasant rays beamed down on her arms and face. Sleeping on clouds was by far Rainbow Dash's favorite hobby; when she wasn't training, playing a sport, delivering packages, or trying to pick someone up in a bar, she was always to be found lounging across a small piece of dense cloud that she'd pulled down until she could hear the comforting, familiar sound of the town bustling below her. Rainbow would always be a city girl at heart, but city housing wasn't cheap, and couriers didn't make much money. Nonetheless, she quite liked Avalon; it wasn't far from Olympus, so it was easy enough to scrounge together a few silver pieces to go to a stadium there to watch a basketball or football match. She also didn't have to go to Olympus to pick up girls as often as she might have elsewhere; due to Avalon's close proximity to Olympus, the town had a high concentration of LGBT Beings, and so Rainbow was able to peruse a local lesbian nightclub called "The Salt on the Rim" for potential conquests. Yes, all in all, Rainbow found life to be quite nice here.

Rarity and Twilight were out and shopping together in the market below Rainbow. As they purchased some carrots from one of the shops, Pinkie singingly skipped up to them and said, "Hi, Rarity! Hi, Twilight! Have either of you seen Rainbow?"

Hearing Pinkie's voice caused Rainbow's eyes to immediately shoot open. She looked around anxiously for another cloud to hide behind, but the sky around her was clear.

Desperately, Rainbow buried her upper body in the cloud as Rarity shook her head and said, "I'm afraid I haven't, Darling."

"Uh, isn't she up there?" Twilight said, pointing up at the cloud.

"Rainbow Daaaaaaash!" Pinkie sang, casing Rainbow to anxiously bolt up and speed away through the air. Pinkie simply hummed a cheery tune as she skipped after her.

After a few seconds of rapid flight, Rainbow dived down and hid in one of the alleys. Once on the ground, Rainbow peeked behind a corner of one of the buildings, saw that Pinkie wasn't following her, and sighed relievedly.

"Hi, Dashie!" Rainbow heard from behind her. Stunned, Rainbow flinched for a moment before sprinting away from Pinkie, who was crouched in the trashcan behind her, looking over the edge as the lid sat on her head.

Rainbow dashed to the library, where she flapped up into its leaves. She gazed out of the branches at the road, saw that Pinkie wasn't following her, and made another relieved sigh. She allowed herself to descend until she stood upon what she thought was a branch.

What Rainbow was standing upon, in fact, was Pinkie's head. "Hi, again!" Pinkie said.

With a fearful scream, Rainbow darted out of the tree and flew high into the air and into a cloud, causing the opposite end to burst open. Pinkie hummed and skipped over the road in the direction that Rainbow had flown.

Rainbow, however, was still in the cloud; she had abruptly stopped in it to make it appear as though she had continued flying. Once Pinkie had gone a good distance away, Rainbow quietly glided until she was out of town and beside a lake. As she landed again, she panted exhaustedly.

Pinkie emerged rom the lake, wearing goggles, a snorkel, and floaties. After spitting the snorkel out, she said, "I have a favor to ask, Rainbow."

Rainbow yelped and flapped a meter into the air, but then sighed. "Oh, forget it," she said, allowing herself to fall to a kneel back upon the ground.

"Can you do something with me, Rainbow?" Pinkie said, her eyes wide and imploring.

As Rainbow gazed at Pinkie, she considered for a moment. Part of her wanted to say no; after all, Pinkie was really clingy to her. Whenever they were together, Pinkie would talk and move around incessantly until Rainbow was well beyond tremendously exhausted. Rainbow might have had more patience with Pinkie recently, except that Pinkie had thrown a huge celebratory party when Twilight told them all that they were all going to the Gala two days ago. The party was undoubtedly very fun, but Rainbow had had her fill of Pinkie for a while; she needed a break from her.

Nonetheless, Rainbow's affection for her friend won out. With a sigh, she said, "Alright. What is it?"

Pinkie grinned, then said, "Come with me!"

Pinkie grabbed Rainbow's hand and helped her up, then led her to a brick shop near the market district. This shop sold office supplies, as signified by the parchment scroll and feather quill on the sign hanging over its doorway. Once they reached it, Rainbow said, "Well, now what?"

"Now we wait," Pinkie replied. She stepped up to the building and leaned against it.

Her brow furrowed in puzzlement, Rainbow stepped forward and stood beside Pinkie. "So, uh... can we talk?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yep."

Nodding uncertainly back at her, Rainbow said, "So, uh... how's it going at the bakery?"

"It's going great!" Pinkie replied. "Martini and his boyfriend- his name is Wood Chip, I think- told us they were getting married and that they wanted us to bake them a HUGE wedding cake! So that took up most of my day today...."

Rainbow nodded, placing her hand against the wall and leaning against it as she listened. She wondered where Pinkie was going with this, but she didn't have to wait long; after a few minutes, she heard Spike say, "Oh, hey, Rainbow! Hey, Pinkie!" and turned to see him standing in the street, waving at them.

"Hi, Spike!" Pinkie cheerfully replied, waving back.

Spike stepped towards them, saying, "What are you girls doing here?"

"Oh, we're just talking," Pinkie replied. She turned back to Rainbow and continued, "So anyway, we've been looking for a special recipe to make a peanut butter frosting...."

Spike shrugged and walked past them into the shop as Pinkie continued speaking. However, the moment the door had closed behind him, Pinkie abruptly fell silent and grinned mischievously. "Alright, Rainbow," she said. She pointed across the door and said, "Go stand on the other side."

Raising a brow in curiosity, Rainbow obeyed. Once both of them were standing at opposite sides of the door, Pinkie flattened herself against the wall and nodded at Rainbow, saying, "You too."

Confusedly, Rainbow followed Pinkie's example in standing with her back to the wall.

"Alright," Pinkie whispered. "When Spike comes back out, we're going to sneak up behind him and grab him!"

Suddenly understanding, Rainbow returned Pinkie's wicked smile and nodded.

Both stood against the wall, completely silent as they awaited Spike's return. After a few minutes, Spike reemerged from the shop, humming as he carried a stack of rolls of blank parchment out the door.

Rainbow turned to Pinkie, who nodded at her. They then slowly crept up behind Spike, and at the same moment they both reached forward and grabbed him by the shoulders, screaming, "RAAAAAH!"

Spike jumped, dropped his stack of parchment, and screamed, "WAAAH!" in fright. After Pinkie and Rainbow had laughed hysterically for a few moments, Spike hiccuped, then laughed as well. "You really got *hic* me, guys," he said, bending over to pick his parchment up again.

Seeing Spike hiccuping sent Rainbow and Pinkie into another round of hearty laughter, then Pinkie sighed as she closed her eyes and said, "What could possibly be funnier than that?"

With another mischievous smile, Rainbow crept up behind Pinkie, grabbed her shoulders, and shouted, "RAAAAAH!" at her, as well.

Pinkie shrieked, then after a few moments began hiccuping as well. Both she and Rainbow began laughing again, which grew more intense each time Pinkie was interrupted by another hiccup.

Once their laughter died down, Rainbow said, "That could. Hey, I didn't take you for a prankster, Pinkie!"

"Oh, I love *hic* pranks!" Pinkie replied. "It's all in good *hic* fun, and there's nothing I *hic* love more than having *hic* fun! *hic*"

"Hey, you're not as annoying as I thought, Pinkie," Rainbow said, grinning at her. "Wanna hang out?"

Pinkie gasped elatedly. "R- *hic*really, Dashie?"

"Yeah."

"That would be *hic* AMAZING!!" Pinkie cried.

Pinkie and Rainbow then went to a florist's shop, bought a bouquet of roses, shook some sneezing power into it, went to the Carousel Boutique, and left it on Rarity's doormat. After Pinkie rang Rarity's doorbell, they both hid in one of the alleys and snickered quietly as Rarity opened the door, looked around, looked down, saw the roses, and smiled delightedly as she picked them up. She inhaled deeply from the bouquet, then said, "Ah, aah, AAH- CHOO!" and began violently sneezing as Rainbow and Pinkie rolled on the ground laughing. Smiling and rolling her eyes, Rarity pulled a handkerchief from one of her jean pockets and blew her nose into it as she closed the door.

Pinkie and Rainbow then snuck into the Golden Oak Library while Twilight was in her room and switched out all of her ink wells for bottles of disappearing ink. After they snuck back out, Twilight came downstairs, put on her glasses, opened an ink bottle, picked up a quill, and dipped it in the ink while she opened a reference book on Sonatians. As she read the book she took notes on the parchment, but unbeknownst to her the notes disappeared seconds after she had written them. When she looked back at her parchment, she saw that nearly all of her marks had completely vanished. "Huh?" she said, lifting her hand away.

As the last of the ink disappeared, Twilight heard Pinkie and Rainbow laughing outside her window. She turned to them, saw them, then groaned irritatedly.

Twilight stepped out of the library, walked around to Rainbow and Pinkie, then held her empty palm out. "Give me my ink back, please," she said.

"Sure thing," Rainbow said, placing the bottles back in Twilight's hand. "Hey, no harm, no foul, right?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, sighed, then went back inside. As Pinkie and Rainbow walked away, Twilight reentered the library to find Spike standing at the top of the stairs, gazing at her. "They got you too, huh?" he said, grinning.

Rainbow and Pinkie then went to the lake, where they placed a small plastic turtle attached to a long, thin hose on the bank. They then went behind some bushes, where they held a rubber bulb at the hose's other end. Pinkie then gave Rainbow a pair of binoculars to watch the turtle through, then they watched and waited for someone to approach.

After a few minutes, Rainbow saw Fluttershy approach the lake with a loaf of bread. Several ducks that had been swimming over the surface gathered around her, and Fluttershy began tearing away small chunks from the loaf and throwing them into the lake, which the ducks eagerly devoured.

"There's someone there," Rainbow said, smirking.

"Great!" Pinkie whispered. "Who are we gonna squirt? Who are we gonna squirt?"

Rainbow snickered. "Fluttershy."

"What?" Pinkie said, her smile gone in an instant. "No, no, no, no, no, no, we can't prank Fluttershy! She's so sensitive! Even our most harmless prank will really hurt her feelings!"

Rainbow groaned. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She blew a raspberry, then turned to Pinkie and said, "Who else can we prank?"

Pinkie giggled. "Oh, I think I know someone."

"Great! Who is it?" Rainbow said excitedly.

Pinkie pointed at the water. "You're very close to her," she said.

Rainbow gazed into the pool, where she saw her reflection. She saw that there was a black ring around each of her eyes.

As Pinkie laughed and rolled on the ground beside her, Rainbow ran her finger over the edge of one of the binoculars' eyepieces and found that there was some kind of black substance on it. Rainbow laughed, "Good one, Pinkie."

The next day was Saturday, so Pinkie had the day off. After Pinkie fed Gummy and got dressed, she put on a pair of mustached joke glasses, an arrow headband, and placed a party horn in her mouth before going out to look for Rainbow's house. She found it hovering over a field on the northern outskirts of town, and once she stood beneath it she called up, "Hey, Rainbow, I got this great idea for a prank!"

To Pinkie's surprise, a girl looked over the edge of the foundation cloud down at her. This girl wasn't Rainbow; her face was more chiseled and had the complexion of copper, with yellow eyes as piercing as an eagle's and short, boyish white hair with the bangs dyed pink.

"Huh?" Pinkie said confusedly.

Rainbow's head peeked over the edge of the cloud beside the white-haired girl's. "Oh, hey, Pinkie!" she called down. Pinkie was even more confused, as Rainbow's shoulders were bare, as though she wasn't wearing a top.

"We'll be down in a sec!" Rainbow shouted, then she and the other girl disappeared behind the cloud again.

After a few minutes, Rainbow jumped from the cloud and hovered down until she stood before Pinkie. Pinkie's eyes widened, as Rainbow was wearing only a pair of hot pink panties and her electric-blue basketball jersey. Another Angel landed beside Rainbow.

The white-haired Angel girl was rather large; she was half a head taller than Pinkie, and almost a whole head taller than Rainbow. She was as muscular as Applejack, there were fine scars all over her body, and the Mark on her shoulders was a diving hawk. Like Rainbow, she was underdressed; she wore only a white t-shirt with torn away sleeves and a pair of green boxers.

"Pinkie, this is my old friend Gilda," Rainbow said. She then turned and said to the other Angel, "Gilda, this is my gal pal, Pinkie."

"What's up?" Gilda said lazily.

"We met in Junior Flight Camp at Asgard!" Rainbow said excitedly.

"Wow," Pinkie said admiringly. She turned to Gilda. "Are you from Griffonstone?"

"That's right," Gilda replied, her voice gruff.

"Hey, you remember our Junior Speedsters Chant?" Rainbow said, nudging Gilda in the side.

"Yeah," Gilda muttered. "They made us recite that thing every day. I remember every fucking word of that stupid chant...."

"Come on, Gilda!" Rainbow said. "Just once, for old times' sake!"

After a moment, Gilda sighed. "Only for you, Dash...."

Both flew up into the air. Rainbow excitedly chanted as Gilda unenthusiastically mumbled,

"Junior Speedsters are our lives
Sky bombs, soars, and daring dives
Junior Speedsters, it's our quest
To someday be the very best!"

As they descended back to the ground, Pinkie laughed. Blushing, Gilda brushed some of her unruly hair down with her hand.

"That was awesome, you guys!" Pinkie said. "Hey, that reminds me of a prank! Wanna help me pull it?"

"Sure thing!" Rainbow said.

Gilda smirked. "I like a good prank as much as the next girl, but Dash, you promised me we'd get a flying session in this morning."

Rainbow sighed. "Yeah, alright," she said. "I'll catch up with you in a sec."

Smirking, Gilda flew up into the air. Rainbow turned with an apologetic smile to Pinkie. "Hey, Pinkie," she said, "Gilda's gonna be staying with me for a few days, and I'd like to spend some time with her. You don't mind, do you?"

Pinkie's smile faded slightly. "Oh! No, it's okay, Dashie. I understand."

"Thanks, Pinkie," Rainbow said, giving her a hug. She then flapped into the air, waving at Pinkie. "I'll catch you later!" she said, then she flew after Gilda.

Pinkie sighed dejectedly. "Yeah. I... guess I'll catch you later, Dashie...."

I-X. Gilda

Rainbow woke with her cheek against Gilda's breast. The two of them were lying naked together in Rainbow's bed, which was damp with sweat. The Sun was beaming into the bedroom from the window, casting a long rectangle of light across the marble floor.

Rainbow smirked, climbed up, and placed her hands at the sides of her bedmate so that she was propped directly over Gilda. "Good morning," she said.

Gilda opened her eyes. She seemed surprised for a moment to be looking at Rainbow, but she soon smirked as well as she ran her eyes down Rainbow's body, drinking it in. She took her time, and Rainbow let her; Rainbow liked attention, and loved having her body admired.

"Mornin', hot stuff," Gilda said when her gaze returned to Rainbow's. She brought her hands up to hold Rainbow's waist. "You're pretty energetic for such a little girl."

"You're pretty easy on the eyes for such a big girl," Rainbow replied with a snicker. She leaned down and met Gilda's lips with a playful, passionate kiss.

Gilda kissed Rainbow back, and cried out in surprise when Rainbow bit her lower lip. "Forgot how feisty you are," Gilda said in a low growl.

Rainbow pushed away, chuckling. Though she would have liked nothing more than to keep going, she groaned apologetically, "I have to go to work."

Gilda scoffed. "Take a day off."

"Can't. Used up all my vacation time."

"Use a sick day, then."

"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Rainbow replied. She kissed Gilda's neck, then pulled off the blankets and climbed out of her bed.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," Rainbow said, standing up. "Feel free to have anything you want from the kitchen."

As Rainbow walked to her bathroom, she felt Gilda's eyes following her out. Smirking, she exaggerated the sway of her hips as she walked.

Rainbow stepped into her tub and turned on a cold shower. As she washed the dried sweat from her body, she gently smiled at her memories of the previous day and night; she had raced, soared through the skies, and spent the night with Gilda. It was just like the old days.

Well, not exactly like the old days. She and Fluttershy weren't as close as they once were anymore. This fact made Rainbow a little sad, though she soon remembered a bright side to no longer living in Asgard: people weren't being such assholes to her anymore, either.

At any rate, Rainbow was glad Gilda was there. It'd been too long since she'd seen her best friend from flight camp. She wanted to make the most out of Gilda's short visit.

Maybe, on Gilda's last night there, Rainbow would invite one or two other girls to join them in bed. Rainbow immediately loved the idea, and knew that Gilda would be down with it, so she began wondering how she was going to decide who to ask. She thought of perhaps hitting the clubs in Olympus; there'd be plenty of hot girls there. Rainbow didn't feel like going anywhere, though, so she started wondering if she could find any willing participants in Avalon.

I could go to Salt on the Rim, Rainbow thought. The pickings are a bit slim there, though....

Leaning against a wall, Rainbow began considering asking one of her acquaintances. Sure, it was a bit unlikely any would accept, but she wasn't actually doing anything yet, so she could fantasize about it all she liked.

Maybe Lyra and Bon-Bon, Rainbow thought. She smirked. They're a really cute couple. I've always wanted to get in on some of that....

Deciding to venture into more ridiculous territory, she thought, Maybe I'll ask Rarity. I'd love to get a taste of that fine body of hers... or maybe Applejack. Hey, there's no way in the Seven Hells it'd happen, but it's always fun to tease her....

While I'm at it, maybe I'll ask Pinkie- here she stopped and opened her eyes. She was doing an exercise in far-flung fantasies, but was this idea really so far-fetched? Rainbow knew that Pinkie was into girls, so maybe asking her to have a threesome with Gilda wasn't such a ridiculous idea after all....

Flushing with excitement at the thought, Rainbow added Twilight to her fantasy for good measure. Twilight was a somewhat plausible candidate, as well; whenever Rainbow flirted with her, Twilight would blush and shyly look away, in contrast to the simple flattery Rarity usually responded with, and the outright disgust Applejack always responded with. Rainbow entertained the fantasy of a foursome with her three friends for some time, but soon enough she abandoned the idea; when she was thinking realistically, she realized that Twilight and Pinkie would probably both give her a hard slap in the face for asking them to do it. Deciding to just stick with her original plan to look for participants in Olympus, Rainbow sighed with disappointment; sleeping with two strangers, no matter how attractive they were, just didn't have the same appeal for Rainbow as sleeping with her friends that she'd spent so many hours thinking about.

Rainbow turned off the water, stepped out of the tub, dried off, then got dressed. She then walked to her kitchen, where she found Gilda, wearing her torn white t-shirt and jeans and eating some cold fried fish from the ice box.

"Hey, Dash," Gilda said.

"Yo, G," Rainbow replied. She retrieved a carton of milk from her icebox, took a few swallows directly from it, then set it back in. As she closed her icebox's door again, she said, "My work's done when I deliver all of my packages. I can usually do it in just a couple hours; that's why I took the job."

Gilda nodded. "I'll shoot some hoops until you're done, then."

"Alright," Rainbow said. She waved as she walked to her home's front door, calling, "See you later, G!"

Once Rainbow exited her house, she leapt from the foundation cloud's edge and glided to the post office.

The post office was a rather small and dull-looking building without a garden or any decorations. Its only distinguishing feature was the envelope painted on the sign that hung over its door.

When Rainbow entered, she was met with the sight of her boss, the old Ms. Color Stamp; and her coworker, Ditzy Do.

Ms. Stamp was a stern Elvish woman with a postage stamp Mark and salt-and-pepper hair kept back in a tight bun. She wore chained spectacles as she worked recording the parcels and letters they sent and received at a granite desk every day. Ditzy was a gray-winged, blonde Angel in her late teens with bubbles for a Mark. When Rainbow entered the office, Ditzy was carrying a stack of parcels, which she promptly dropped as she tripped and fell over.

After Ditzy had fallen, crying out and scattering the packages across the ground, Ms. Stamp looked up from a parchment she was writing on and barked, "Pick them up, Ditzy, you clumsy, foolish girl!"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Stamp," Ditzy said quietly, sniffing as tears welled in her eyes.

Ms. Stamp huffed annoyedly as she returned to writing on her parchment. Rainbow sighed, knelt beside Ditzy, and helped her gather up the packages. "Hey, Ditzy," Rainbow said with a weary frown.

"Hi, Rainbow," Ditzy replied, sniffing as she held back her tears.

This was Ditzy's Special Talent: being adorably clumsy. Rainbow was extremely glad that she wasn't in Ditzy's position; not only did she have what was probably the most useless Talent ever, but she was also a single mother raising a daughter named Dinky who was born when Ditzy was a preteen. Angelic society, being the hypocritical culture of double standards that it was, had labeled Ditzy a slut and had driven her and her young child out to find a place where they wouldn't face so much vitriol. Naturally, she had come to Avalon, the town of lost souls. Ditzy was one of the very few things that made Rainbow glad that she wasn't straight; if all the girls Rainbow had gotten in bed with had been guys, who knew how many kids she would have had by now?

Though Ditzy and her tremendous clumsiness greatly annoyed Rainbow, Rainbow was still nice to her; after all, she knew what it was like to take bullshit from idiots all the time. If anything, Ditzy had it worse than Rainbow did; Ditzy was doing the same low-paying job to support herself and her daughter, who she simultaneously also had to try to be a good mother to, all while dealing with the judgmental derision she sometimes still continued to face. Rainbow thought Ditzy's whole situation was grotesquely unfair, especially that she had been labeled a "slut;" First of all, Rainbow often thought to herself, where's the disgust for Dinky's father? Yeah, he was probably just given a fist-bump by his friends for nailing Ditzy. Second of all, I don't think Ditzy's a slut at all; I'm a slut, but Ditzy was probably just taken advantage of for her naiveté by her baby daddy one time. Rainbow's sympathy towards Ditzy went far enough that every day, once she was done with her own deliveries, she would help Ditzy finish hers so that she could have more time for herself and her daughter. Needless to say, Ditzy was extremely grateful to Rainbow for this, and would occasionally give Rainbow small gifts in thanks.

Once Rainbow had helped Ditzy pick up the packages, she carried some of them to the sorting-table, saying, "Just be a little more careful, alright, Ditzy?"

Ditzy nodded. "I will. Thank you."

Once all the packages were on the table, Rainbow and Ditzy began sorting them into burning-boxes based on their mailing addresses. There was a box for each foreign country, as well as one for each of the other Equestrian settlements. Most of the packages went to other cities or towns in Equestria, and these were placed in the boxes bearing the names of the cities they were bound for. However, a few were destined for cities in foreign countries such as Athens or Tokyo, and these were placed in the boxes labeled with the countries they were bound for. Once Ditzy and Rainbow had sorted all the parcels, Rainbow called back at the front desk, "The parcels are sorted, Ms. Stamp!"

Ms. Stamp set her quill down, went into the back room, then reemerged from it with a stack of envelopes. Rainbow took these, as well, then she and Ditzy sorted the letters into the burning boxes to be sent with the packages, as well. Upon completing it, Rainbow shouted, "Letters sorted, Ms. Stamp!" upon which Ms. Stamp stood from her desk and went to the boxes. She snapped and burned the insides of each of them, sending their contents to the corresponding boxes in the post offices of other cities.

Rainbow and Ditzy then went outside, where they wove up and down each of Avalon's streets (Ditzy going east to west while Rainbow went north to south), where they took incoming mail from any mailboxes they found with their flags raised. As soon as they were done, they returned to the post office and gave the letters to Ms. Stamp, who took them to the back room and returned with a stack of outgoing parcels. "There are two more stacks," she said as she returned to the back room.

Once all three outgoing stacks of parcels were on the desk, Rainbow and Ditzy carried them to the table in the sorting-room. They then took the parcels, one at a time, out of the office to fly over Avalon and leave them on the recipients' doorsteps. Rainbow went nearly three times as quickly as Ditzy, so she ended up delivering a little more than two-thirds of the packages. After they had delivered the outgoing letters, as well (there were fewer of these, as many Elves had personal letterboxes they used to burn letters to their friends and close relatives themselves), Rainbow and Ditzy returned to the post office to clock out, their work completed for the day.

As they were exiting the office, Ditzy said, "Thank you so much, Rainbow."

"Eh, it's nothing," Rainbow replied. "I'll see you later."

"Wait-" Ditzy said, before Rainbow could take off. Ditzy reached into her side-bag and retrieved two poppy seed muffins, then offered one to Rainbow. "Here," Ditzy said, softly smiling.

Rainbow smiled back as she took it. "Thanks, Ditzy," she said. "I'll see you later."

"Bye, Rainbow," Ditzy replied, waving as Rainbow took to the air.

Rainbow flew over town until she saw the basketball courts in the park, where Gilda was dribbling and shooting a basketball through a hoop. Rainbow descended so that she came to a stand beside Gilda, who turned to look at her. Grinning, Gilda held the basketball under her arm as she said, "Wow, that was fast."

Rainbow shrugged in mock modesty as she smirked. "What can I say?"

Gilda passed the basketball to Rainbow, then said, "So, Dash-"

"Hi, Rainbow! Hi, Gilda!" a voice said from behind them. When Rainbow and Gilda turned to see who had interrupted them, they saw Pinkie cheerfully walking towards them. "It's later, so I'm back!" Pinkie cried.

"Hey, Pinkie!" Rainbow said, grinning back at her.

Gilda nudged Rainbow with her shoulder. "Yo, Dash, I'll race you to that cloud up there," she said, pointing at one directly above them.

"You're on!" Rainbow replied, her eyes narrowed determinedly.

"GO!" Gilda shouted, then she and Rainbow shot towards the cloud.

"H-hey-!" Pinkie distressedly cried after them, but her voice didn't reach Rainbow's ears, as it was drowned out by the rushing wind.

Rainbow and Gilda both collided into the cloud and shouted simultaneously, "I WIN!"

"No, I won!" Rainbow shouted.

"Yeah, right, it was totally me, dude!" Gilda retorted.

As they argued over who had reached the cloud first, Pinkie, tied by her waist to dozens of balloons, rose into the air until she was floating beside them. "Wow, guys, that was really close! But I think that Rainbow won by just a teeny, weeny, itty bitty hair, or a teeny weeny itty bitty feather!" she giggled.

Rainbow laughed, "Ha! See? Good thing Pinkie's here to keep you honest, G!"

After shooting a dirty look at Pinkie, Gilda turned to Rainbow and said, "Hey, Dash, last one to that cloud over there is a gnarly dragon egg! GO!"

As Rainbow shot up into the air, however, Gilda remained where she was, glaring at Pinkie. She then drew a switchblade from her pocket, causing Pinkie to flinch. "I think the high altitude is making you dizzy!" Gilda growled, swiping at Pinkie's balloon strings. Several balloons were cut from Pinkie and floated away, causing Pinkie to slowly sink back down as she cried, "Wait, guys!"

Gilda folded her knife and put it back in her pocket as she flew to the cloud Rainbow was sitting on to rejoin her. As she landed, however, Gilda's eyes widened when she heard Pinkie say from directly behind her, "You girls almost got away from me that time!"

Gilda turned to see Pinkie, holding onto the frame of an enormous, colorful kite that was tethered to a tree on the ground and hovering against the wind beside them.

Rainbow laughed, "Pinkie Pie, you're so random!" as Gilda gaped at Pinkie, fearfully wondering how she'd gotten, tethered, and flown the kite so quickly.

Gilda's wits soon returned, however, and she said to Rainbow, "So, Dash, you got any new moves in your trick-tionary, or are you one hundred percent old-school?"

Rainbow scoffed. "New moves? Sit back, G, this is gonna take a while!"

Once Rainbow had flown away, Gilda returned her attention to Pinkie. She reached forward and grabbed Pinkie's shirt collar, pulling Pinkie towards herself until their noses were only centimeters apart. Glaring threateningly, Gilda growled at a fearful Pinkie, "Don't you know how to take 'get lost' for an answer?! Dash doesn't need dweebs like you while I'm around! So make like a dick and piss off!"

Gilda swiftly drew her knife back out of her pocket, opened it, and swiped it at Pinkie's kite string, setting the kite loose. Pinkie shouted, "Who-o-oa-!" as she spiraled towards the ground. Her voice gradually faded away as Gilda smirked down at her.

A few seconds later, Rainbow returned to Gilda's side. Looking around, Rainbow asked, "Hey, where'd Pinkie go?"

Gilda shrugged. "I think she said something about needing the restroom."

Down below, Pinkie had landed safely, but dazedly, back upon the ground. Her kite, however, hadn't fared nearly so well; the frame was broken and the fabric was torn, rendering it utterly destroyed. Pinkie looked up at Gilda, who was flying away with Rainbow. Pinkie glared after Gilda with a contemptuous "Hmph!"

Pinkie pounded on Twilight's door, then folded her arms. After a few moments, the door was answered by Spike. "Oh, hey, Pinkie!" he said, grinning cheerfully.

"Hey, Spike. Is Twilight home?" Pinkie said.

Spike nodded. "Yeah. She's doing research right now," he said, stepping aside. Pinkie entered and turned to see Twilight reading at her desk as Spike closed the door.

"Twilight!" Pinkie said, causing Twilight to look up at her.

"Oh, hey, Pinkie," Twilight said, removing her spectacles. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah!" Pinkie said. "I have to tell you about Rainbow Dash's friend!"

Twilight raised a brow. "You mean Gilda?"

"Yeah!" Pinkie replied. She began pacing across the library floor as she continued, "She's such a mean, grumpy mean meany pants! She's keeping Rainbow all to herself, and when I tried to talk to them, Gilda told me to piss off!"

Twilight blinked. "Well, that is pretty rude...." she commented.

"Right?!" Pinkie cried.

"But, Pinkie," Twilight said gently, "have you ever considered that maybe Rainbow's friend wants a little time alone with her?"

Pinkie gaped disbelievingly at Twilight. "But Gilda has had time alone with Rainbow! She was with Rainbow all day yesterday!"

"Pinkie, you get to see Rainbow all the time, and Gilda's only going to be here for a few days. Maybe you should stop being so jealous and let Gilda enjoy the time she has with Rainbow."

Pinkie gave an affronted look to Twilight. "Jealous?!" she exclaimed.

"Green with envy," Spike interjected, reading a book in one of the armchairs. "Or, in your case, pink with envy," he added, chuckling.

"Yes, jealous," Twilight said calmly. "You're jealous that Gilda is spending time with Rainbow while you aren't."

Pinkie was so angry she sputtered incoherently, "Wha-?! Bu-! I-! Jea-?!" before shouting, "Ugh!" and briskly walking back out of the library.

Pinkie fumed as she walked down the road to the park. Twilight thinks Gilda should get Rainbow all to herself?! she thought. Some friend she is! Gilda shouldn't get to have Rainbow all to herself! She's the meanest Angel I've ever met!

As Pinkie entered the park, however, her rage began to simmer down. After a few minutes of continuing to walk, she quietly said to herself, "Maybe Twilight's right.... Maybe Gilda's not a big, grumpy, mean, meany pants, and I'm just a big, mean, judgmental, jealous, jealousy pants...." She sighed, then turned towards the shopping district; walking through there could always cheer her up at times like these.

As Pinkie was walking past the produce shops, she saw Gilda walking towards her. Panicking, Pinkie hid behind a group of boys that were talking together, hoping that Gilda hadn't seen her. Pinkie kept an eye on Gilda as they walked past each other, though Gilda didn't seem to notice her. However, Pinkie then saw Gilda catch sight of an apple cart and smirk. Gilda waited until the shopkeeper attending it began talking to a customer, then swiftly snatched an apple away from the cart.

Pinkie's eyes widened. "She's not just a grumpy, mean, meany pants!" she muttered under her breath. "She's also a thief!"

Pinkie glared at Gilda as she took a bite from her stolen apple. Pinkie made sure that she remained unseen as she continued to follow Gilda through the crowded market.

"I'm back, G!" Pinkie heard Rainbow call from above her, so she ducked and kept her head down as she watched Rainbow land on the ground beside Gilda.

"Sorry about that," Rainbow said, wiping sweat from her forehead. "I have to make emergency deliveries occasionally...."

"It's cool, Dash," Gilda replied. Her eyes narrowed, however, as she continued, "But I have a question: why do you keep that stupid job delivering packages? Why don't you come back to Asgard and become a Wonderbolt? Isn't that what you've always wanted to do?"

Pinkie was astonished to see Rainbow seem nervous as she put her hands in her pockets. "Yeah, but... I, you know, have friends here," Rainbow said. Pinkie could tell that this was the partial truth, but that Rainbow was still hiding something.

"Sure," Gilda replied, "but why did you leave Asgard in the first place?"

"Uh, it just didn't fly with me," Rainbow replied. "I wanted to go out and explore, you know? It was boring just staying in one place for very long."

Pinkie gazed surprisedly at Rainbow. Pinkie knew that Rainbow wasn't telling the truth this time; Rainbow loved Asgard, and would frequently speak fondly of her memories living there with her dad. Growing ever more suspicious, Pinkie listened very carefully while she continued to avoid the Angels' gazes.

Gilda seemed suspicious, as well, but after a few moments she shrugged. "Yeah, same here," she said. "Griffonstone was crampin' up my style, too. Having nothing but mountains and snow everywhere gets old real fast."

Rainbow nodded, but then a hum sounded from her pocket. Rainbow reached into it, pulled out her plastic card, then sighed. "I gotta go make another emergency delivery," she muttered. "Damn it, why couldn't this be another day?"

"It's cool," Gilda replied. "I'll just be here."

Rainbow grinned. "Thanks, G," she said, then she took off again.

Gilda finished her apple, then threw the core aside. Still glaring at her, Pinkie continued to follow her through the market.

After passing a few more shops, someone collided into Gilda. Gilda and Pinkie both turned to see who it was. It was Fluttershy, holding a cage of ducklings at her side.

"Watch where you're goin', Doofus!" Gilda shouted.

Fluttershy shrunk under Gilda's fierce gaze, whispering, "Oh, I'm... I'm sorry...."

Gilda blinked, then glared even more fiercely at Fluttershy. "You...!" she growled.

Fluttershy slowly backed away, saying, "I'm really, really sorry, Gilda... I didn't mean-"

"Come with me," Gilda said, grabbing her wrist. "You and I are going to have a little chat."

"B-but- I-" Fluttershy stuttered, but Gilda only tightened her grip, causing Fluttershy to wince and let out a small cry of pain.

Her fury building steadily, Pinkie followed behind Gilda as she pulled Fluttershy out of the market and into an alley. Pinkie hid behind the corner of one of the buildings and peeked into the alley, promising herself that she'd attack Gilda if she hurt Fluttershy.

Gilda released Fluttershy's wrist, which was now red and bruised. Gilda then shoved Fluttershy against the wall and placed her hands at either side of Fluttershy's head. Fluttershy was gazing up at her in terror.

"I know Rainbow followed you here, you little chicken shit," Gilda muttered softly. "You pussied out and ran away from Asgard, then Rainbow followed you here so she could keep fuckin' you. I can't blame her for that; as much of a baby as you are, you're a hot little baby."

Fluttershy was trembling, but was otherwise motionless as she continued to gaze with horror at Gilda.

"But Rainbow is mine," Gilda growled. "So you stay the fuck away from her. Got that, you weepy little bitch?"

Tears welling in her eyes, Fluttershy whimpered as she nodded.

"Good," Gilda growled, standing back. She shoved her hands in her pockets and walked away, leaving a terrified Fluttershy to tremblingly gaze after her.

Once Gilda was out of sight, Fluttershy set her cage of ducklings on the ground, crouched so her knees were up to her face, and hugged her legs as she weepingly sobbed into them.

Though Pinkie was still furious, her anger was overridden by her worry for Fluttershy. She stepped forward and said, "Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gasped as she looked up at Pinkie. "Oh, hello, Pinkie...." she said, sniffling.

Pinkie gently took Fluttershy's bruised wrist and held it up to examine it. "Are you alright?" Pinkie asked.

Fluttershy wiped some tears from her cheeks as she replied, "Yeah, I'm alright...."

"What's going on?" Pinkie asked concernedly. "What was Gilda talking about?"

Fluttershy gazed worriedly at Pinkie. "Did you hear-?"

"Yes," Pinkie answered before Fluttershy could finish. "What's wrong, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy gazed worriedly at Pinkie for a few moments, then said, "Will you promise you won't tell anyone?"

Grinning, Pinkie replied while crossing her index finger over her heart, "Cross my heart, hope to fly," then lifted up a cupcake and smashed it against her face as she concluded, "stick a cupcake in my eye."

Fluttershy giggled softly as Pinkie sat on the ground beside her. Fluttershy then gazed frowningly at the wall across from them for a few moments.

Fluttershy sighed, then said, "Well, here goes...."

Looking away from Pinkie, Fluttershy said, "First of all... well, um... I'm gay."

Pinkie's eyes widened astonishedly. "You- you are?!" she exclaimed.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. And... and when I lived in Asgard, the other kids treated me terribly. They were awful to Rainbow and Gilda, too, because they're also gay. Rainbow and I were both really lonely, so we were... um... 'friends with benefits' while we were living in Asgard."

Pinkie's mouth opened slightly. She was filled with mixed emotions at the moment; though she was greatly saddened and angered by the way Fluttershy was treated by the other Angels, she was also envious of Fluttershy for sharing Rainbow's bed. She shook her head, however, and said, "Go on."

Fluttershy nodded. "Well, Rainbow also slept with Gilda. It was hard, because I wanted to have her all to myself, and I knew that Gilda hated me because she did, too. Rainbow would also sleep with lots of other girls, but I was so lonely I let her do it so that I could also have some of her, even if it was just a little."

Fluttershy sniffed. "But Rainbow and I stopped sleeping together soon after we moved to Avalon; we have friends now and we aren't so lonely anymore."

Pinkie was silent for a moment, then embraced Fluttershy. "I understand...." she whispered. Though part of her was still resentful of Fluttershy for getting some of Rainbow while she didn't, Pinkie remembered that Fluttershy was still her friend and that she should still be there for her. Fluttershy wept into Pinkie's shoulder as Pinkie comfortingly stroked her back. "It's alright, Fluttershy," Pinkie said.

As Pinkie was holding Fluttershy, her anger towards Gilda gradually returned. That Gilda had been so terrible to her most timid, sensitive friend filled Pinkie with quiet fury. She decided as she sat on the ground with Fluttershy that she would respond to Gilda's bullying behavior in a drastic fashion.

Pinkie and Rainbow were arranging refreshments on the glass counter in the Sugar Shack. Streamers were stretched between the beams on the ceiling, and there were dozens of balloons everywhere. Pinkie had convinced Rainbow to help her throw this party for Gilda, in the hopes that it would teach Gilda a lesson.

Pinkie and Rainbow had invited all of their best friends to come, as well. Ten minutes before six, when the party was scheduled to begin, Twilight entered with Spike. When Pinkie saw them, she smilingly cried, "Hey, Twilight! Hey, Spike! You two are here early!"

Twilight nodded as she looked around. "The party looks great, Pinkie," she said.

"Thanks!" Pinkie replied.

Twilight helped Pinkie and Rainbow finish preparing as the rest of their friends arrived. Fluttershy was the last to come; when she entered the shop, Pinkie said, "Fluttershy! You came?"

Fluttershy nodded with a small smile. "Yes."

"But..." Pinkie replied, frowning, "what about Gilda? Are you sure you want to be around her?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. I'm sure that being kind and forgiving to her is the best way for her to learn the error of her ways."

Grinning, Pinkie embraced Fluttershy. "You're so amazing!" she cried. "Don't you worry your pretty little head; auntie Pinkie Pie has everything all taken care of!"

As Pinkie dashed away, Fluttershy frowned after her and muttered flatly, "I'm a year older than you...."

Soon thereafter, Gilda arrived. She looked annoyed and bored, but upon seeing Pinkie she leered suspiciously at her.

"Hey, G!" Rainbow cried, and Gilda plastered a smile over her face as Rainbow approached.

"This is a farewell party Pinkie and I set up for you!" Rainbow continued as she threw her arm around Gilda's shoulders. "Let's have some fun before you go back to Asgard!"

Gilda nodded, but continued to stare suspiciously at Pinkie, whose eyes were widely innocent.

Pinkie stepped forward, offering her hand to Gilda. "I hope you enjoy this party, Gilda!" she said, grinning.

Raising a brow confusedly, Gilda took Pinkie's hand. However, an electrical shock surged through her, then Pinkie fell to the ground as she and Rainbow howled with laughter. Gilda now saw that Pinkie was wearing an electric hand-buzzer.

Seeing that Gilda was glaring at Pinkie, Rainbow quickly said, "Hey, don't worry, G- Pinkie does that to everyone."

"Alright," Gilda muttered softly.

"Anyway, come have some cake balls!" Rainbow said cheerfully, leading Gilda to the refreshments on the glass counter. After selecting and eating a dark chocolate cake ball, Gilda grinned and began consuming them rapidly.

Rainbow talked with Gilda as her friends ate and talked to each other. After Gilda had grown tired of the cake and ice cream balls, she reached into a bowl of hard candies. After she pulled one out, she unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. However, in a few seconds, Gilda winced as the inside of her mouth began to burn. She spat the candy out, crying, "Hot... HOT!!" as pained tears welled in her eyes.

Snickering, Rainbow ran to the punch bowl, where she ladled some into a plastic cup. "Here, drink this!" she shouted at Gilda, who immediately rushed to her and took it. Gilda lifted the cup to her lips and began drinking, but she spluttered and coughed as she felt her chest getting wet.

Pinkie and Rainbow laughed as Gilda inspected the side of her cup. She found that there was a hole in the center, which had caused it to spill onto her.

Gilda began to quietly growl, then Rainbow approached her and said, "Hey, you're not gonna let a little prank get to you, right?"

Forcing herself to smile again, Gilda said, "Yeah, like I said, I'm down with a good prank."

However, after Rainbow had left her side to talk to Applejack, Gilda rounded on Pinkie and said, "I know what you're doing."

Pinkie giggled. "Well, of course you do!"

Gilda blinked. "I mean, I know what you're hiding!"

Pinkie snorted. "I'm not hiding anything! I mean, this wasn't supposed to be a surprise party!"

"I mean, I've got my eye on you!" Gilda growled.

"And I've got my eye on you!" Pinkie replied cheerfully. She then cried out, "Time for games, everyone!"

After her friends had gathered around, Pinkie tied a blindfold over Gilda's eyes. Gilda protested, "Hey, what're you-"

"We're playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey, silly!" Pinkie giggled. She placed a cardboard tail in Gilda's hand, then said, "You get to go first, since you're the guest of honor!"

Pinkie then spun Gilda around, to which Gilda cried, "H-hey!"

Pinkie then turned Gilda towards the donkey poster on a wall, saying, "Now just walk forward and pin the tail!"

Gilda shoved Pinkie away. "No, I'm not going this way!" she yelled. "This is another prank, isn't it? I'm goin' this way!" she said, turning backwards.

"W-wait, Gilda-!" Pinkie cried, but Gilda tripped over the step leading into the kitchen, then she fell past the wooden swinging doors, landing flat on her face with an "Oof!"

As Gilda stood back up, the other girls and Spike silently watched her. As she tore the blindfold away from her eyes, she growled as her face twisted in red-hot rage. She roared, then shouted, "I've never met a more pathetic group of lame-os in my ENTIRE LIFE!! You and your retarded pranks can go and fuck yourselves!"

She then marched to the door, shouting, "C'mon, Dash! Let's ditch this lame scene!"

However, Rainbow wasn't following her. At the door, Gilda turned around and shouted, "C'mon, Dash! Let's go!"

Rainbow glaringly stepped forward. "You know, Gilda, I'm the one who set up those 'retarded' pranks!"

Gilda's eyes widened. "W-what...?! But, Pinkie set them up to fuck with me!"

Pinkie shook her head. "I was just trying to be your friend, Gilda! I thought that maybe if you felt more welcome, you wouldn't be so mean!"

"I'm sorry about the pranks," Rainbow said. "If you're going to get angry, get angry at me; I set them up. But you have to apologize to my friends, because the pranks weren't their fault."

Gilda glared back at Rainbow. "You want me to apologize to them?! No way!"

"Why not?!" Rainbow shouted. "I've apologized to you, so you say sorry to my friends!"

Gilda roared, "I'M NOT APOLOGIZING TO THE LITTLE SLUT WHO STOLE YOU FROM ME!!"

Rainbow's eyes widened, then she glared even more intensely as she muttered, "Then go."

Gilda glared back at Rainbow for a moment, then she shouted, "You're such a flip-flop! Cool one moment, then lame the next! Whenever you're done hanging with these retards, give me a call!"

Gilda then slammed the front door open and flew out.

Rainbow glared at the open door for a few moments. Pinkie looked at her and saw that she seemed to be about to cry. "Dashie...." Pinkie said.

Rainbow turned away from her. "I'm sorry, everyone," she said, her voice quivering. "I didn't know that Gilda-"

Rainbow stopped talking as her voice cracked. She then leaned against the wall, hiding her face from her friends, as she whispered, "Please go...."

Gilda's rage subsided as she flew out of Avalon. She slowly realized that she had just obliterated her friendship with Rainbow.

Her eyes threatening to tear up, Gilda descended to the ground beside the edge of the Everfree Forest and sniffed, fighting to keep herself from weeping.

"Rainbow Dash, you bitch," she whispered, wiping at her eyes.

"Oh, dear...." a soft voice said from beside her. Stunned, Gilda turned to see a pair of flame-golden eyes staring back at her.

The eyes belonged to a tall, hooded man. Gilda couldn't see the rest of his face, as it was covered by a ski mask and shadowed by his hood. Beside him were several other figures, each also wearing a black hoodie, jeans, gloves, and a ski mask.

"Dear, oh dear," the man repeated. He stepped out from the trees, then the other figures did, as well. Gilda fearfully backed away from them as the man continued, "Poor girl. Your heart has been broken, has it not?"

Gilda glared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about?! I'm not-"

"We have been watching you, Gilda," the man said softly. "We know how much you desire Rainbow Dash."

Shocked, Gilda took another step away from them. "Who... who are you...?!" she cried.

"We are Beings who can give you what you want," the man replied. "We are also willing to, if you will join us. We are powerful, but we also have powerful enemies, and we always need more men to help us fight against them."

Gilda's eyes narrowed. "W-what do you want?"

"We want what we want," the man replied simply. "We are simply those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get what we want."

Gilda sneered. "Oh yeah?"

The man chuckled. "You doubt us, Angel? We also have the means to get what we want."

Gilda scoffed. "Sure."

"What if I were to tell you," the man said, "that we are the ones responsible for Nightmare Moon's release?"

Gilda flinched, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. The man laughed, then reached his hand forward. "Yes, there is nothing, and no one, that can stand in our way. Join us, Gilda, and you too shall have whatever- and whoever- your heart desires."

I-XI. The Cutie Mark Crusaders

Sweetie Belle stared blankly at the textbook opened before her. She was restlessly swinging her legs under the table she was sitting at as she idly twirled the brush in her hand, fighting against the urge to stand up and walk outside.

There were few things Sweetie hated more than having to do schoolwork over the summer. Of course, her inability to stay focused was the entire reason she was living with her sister and doing homework at that very moment; in order to stay caught up, she was required by Rarity to begin her studies for the school year on the summer before it began. Sweetie was opened to the fourth grade section of her kanji textbook, copying the characters onto a practice sheet to get a head start on them before she resumed her formal studies of them in school.

However, Sweetie would have liked to be doing nearly anything else. Memorizing kanji was incredibly dull work, and she wanted to instead go outside and play with her friends or continue trying to get her Mark with them. It didn't help that it was more than a little humiliating that she did have to have a remedial apprenticeship under her sister; most kids had already gotten their Mark by the time they were nine, and by this age most Elves could also already levitate objects heavier than a couple of kilograms. That Sweetie was nine years old and didn't yet have her Mark or the ability to perform Magic beyond a second-grade level was a source of very deep shame to her, and had gotten her cruelly teased over it quite a bit.

Sweetie wanted desperately to do nothing but study Magic or continue searching for her Special Talent, perhaps at the same time. What held her back from simply getting up from the chair in Rarity's kitchen table and walking away, however, was that Rarity had promised to help her study Magic and find out what held her back from being able to perform it properly. Rarity had also pointed out to her that kanji was useful for studying Magic, as most advanced Rituals made heavy use of Elvish characters. With these facts in mind, Sweetie leaned back, stretched, took a few deep breaths, then leaned back over her practice sheet. She dipped her brush in an open inkwell beside her textbook, then began copying the kanji again, determined to push through this last set.

Rarity had only required Sweetie to copy each character down ten times in two more pages, so with an impressive resilience Sweetie soldiered through her boredom and anxiety and single-mindedly tackled each of the remaining kanji. After making the final stroke of the final repetition of the final character, Sweetie set her brush down and leaned back, sighing relievedly.

After a few moments, Sweetie sat back up, picked up her brush, and began cleaning it against a dirtied rag as she called out, "Rarity! I'm done!"

Rarity, who was pinning a dress together on a mannequin in the shop the next room over, turned with a smile to Sweetie and said, "Good work, Sweetie! Just give me a few moments, and then we can start with your Magic."

Sweetie twisted the lid back onto her inkwell and put her textbook, paper, and brush away as Rarity finished pinning the beginnings of a skirt to the mannequin. After she was done, a bespectacled Rarity went into the kitchen and sat across the table from Sweetie. Sweetie reached into her schoolbag and pulled out her Basic Sorcery, Primary Level textbook and handed it to Rarity.

Sweetie was tremendously excited; she was wondering if Rarity would help her create water, or fire, or aluminum, or telikenetically fling darts at a dartboard today. Conjuring and playing with things magically was by far Sweetie's favorite part of studying Sorcery. "What are we gonna do today, Rarity?" she asked excitedly.

Rarity pushed her red spectacles up her nose as she replied, "Actually, we're not going to do any conjuring or manipulation today. We're going to review theory."

Sweetie's smile faded. "What?! But that's boring!" she protested.

"It might not be as fun as practical sorcery," Rarity conceded, "but it's still the most important part. You're very smart, Sweetie; I don't think that you're slower at learning new spells than your classmates. It seems to me that the problem is that your Chi isn't flowing properly."

Sweetie looked affronted. "My Chi's not flowing properly?! So I am stupid! Or I'm crazy, or-"

"Not necessarily," Rarity said gently. "Chi is affected by a great number of factors. I'm not tremendously powerful magically, either, but does that mean I'm stupid or crazy?"

"Well, no...." Sweetie muttered.

"If you were mad," Rarity continued, "you would have no trouble performing your spells, but their effects would be difficult for you to control. You can control the effects of your spells, but what's difficult for you to do is beginning them. That probably means that your Chi is stable, but obstructed somehow."

Sweetie scoffed. "So I am stupid."

"Sweetie, just because it's difficult for you to channel your Chi does not automatically mean that you are stupid," Rarity said, kindly but with a tinge of sternness. "I know that Beings often say it does, especially at your age. However, that's a gross oversimplification. What it probably means is that there is something you don't understand, not that there's something you can't understand."

"What's the difference?" Sweetie said. "If I could understand, why don't I already?"

"Everyone has something that they don't understand, Sweetie," Rarity replied. "Even Twilight didn't know how useful friendship was for her before she met us. And I think you and I can agree that Twilight is far from stupid!"

A small smile formed over Sweetie's lips. "Yeah, I guess you're right...."

"So we're just going to go over your knowledge of magical theory until we find out what it is you don't quite grasp." Rarity opened the textbook, licked her finger, and turned to the first page as she said, "Now, let's start at the beginning. Define what Magic is for me, please."

Sweetie gaped at her sister, then groaned, "Come on, sis! Everyone knows that! I'm not five years old!"

"I know you do, Sweetie," Rarity replied calmly. "We're just starting at the very bottom and working our way up so that we can find where the fault in your comprehension is. It can never hurt to brush up on the basics. Please define Magic for me."

Sweetie sighed, then mumblingly recited, "Magic is the most fundamental force in the universe. It is the primal energy from which all things are formed."

"Very good," Rarity said encouragingly. "Now, what are the forms of Magic?"

Sweetie leaned back and turned her head towards the ceiling as she recited, "Magic takes three forms: Mana, Chi, and Ether. Mana is the purest form of Magic, and is nothing more than formless, chaotic energy. Mana makes up the Etherial Plane, a transcendant dimension that pervades and is infused throughout the cosmos. Chi is the life force- and the substance of the Souls- of all living things. Like Mana, Souls and Chi are invisible, and reside in the Etherial Plane. Ether is Magic manifest in the physical world, where it can take the form of matter or energy."

Rarity nodded. "Very good. Now describe the relationship between the three."

Sweetie replied, "When new life is created, Mana is gathered together and transmuted into Chi to form its Soul, which diffuses back into Mana when it dies. Chi manifests itself in the physical world not as physical matter or energy, but as emotions, ideas, and other spiritual energies. When a living thing increases its own well-being, its Soul grows and strengthens so that it is capable of holding more Chi. The art of transmuting Chi into Ether is known as Sorcery, and can be performed only by mystical creatures; such as unicorns, phoenixes, and dragons. The only mystical Beings are Elves and Gods. To transmute Chi into Ether- an act known as a 'spell'- the spellcaster draws upon their energies and channels it into the physical world in the form of supernatural Ether. The supernatural Ether can then be guided into the form of a natural or supernatural substance or energy."

"Very good. What are the disciplines of Sorcery?"

"The three disciplines of Sorcery are Spellcasting, Alchemy, and Rituals, which are all interconnected. Spellcasting- which is the basis of the other two- is nothing more than the basic transmuting of Chi into Ether. Alchemy is the discipline in which substances and energies are combined with the aid of spellcasting to produce more complex substances. To produce the most complex or difficult substances and energies, one must use a Ritual, in which a Ritual Circle is laid down and the spellcaster uses its designs to aid them channel and fashion their Chi into the desired substance or energy. A Ritual Circle can be placed anywhere, so long as it is stable. It can be drawn on a floor, wall, or ceiling, and it is even possible to suspend a Circle in midair. A Ritual Circle can be drawn with anything so long as it is visible and stable for the duration of the desired spell."

Rarity nodded. "Alright, then. It seems you do have the basics mastered. Is there anything you don't quite understand and would like clarified?"

Sweetie looked up again. "Not that I can think of."

"Alright," Rarity said, closing the book. As she folded her spectacles, she said, "That's all for today. You may go visit your friends now."

Sweetie grinned, then shouted, "Yes!" as she pushed her chair away from the table. She hopped off and ran out the door, waving and calling back to her sister, "Bye, Rarity!"

Sweetie ran to the park, where she found her friends Scootaloo and Apple Bloom waiting for her under a tree. "Hi, guys!" she called to them.

"Where have you been?" Scootaloo said. "We've been waiting forever for you!"

"Sorry, I had to do homework," Sweetie replied.

Sweetie's friends' eyes widened surprisedly. "Ya'll had to do homework?" Apple Bloom said. "What fer?"

"I've fallen so far behind that I have to catch up over the summer," Sweetie grumbled, frowning and crossing her arms. "No wonder I can't get my Mark...."

"My grades are fine, and Ah still don't have my Mark," Apple Bloom replied.

"Anyway," Scootaloo said, grinning enormously, "I've got something to show you guys."

"What is it?" Scootaloo's friends asked excitedly.

"Let's go to my house first," Scootaloo replied. "You two got your money, right?"

Apple Bloom nodded, patting her pocket. "Ah've got seven silver pieces this week."

"I was able to get a gold piece from Rarity for giving Opal a bath," Sweetie said. She shivered. "It wasn't worth it. I have fifteen silver pieces in all."

Scootaloo nodded. "Alright. Let's go, then."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders began walking to Scootaloo's house together. They had only gotten out of the park and past a few blocks, however, when they heard a familiar pair of voices from behind a building corner:

"Oh, Gods, did you see Twist's hair? Like, ugh, just give me a bowl to throw up in!"

"Totally! It's always hideous, but today when she passed us, I was like, 'Did a rat sleep in there, or something?'"

"Oh no," Apple Bloom said worriedly. "C'mon, guys, let's-"

"Well, well, well!" the Crusaders heard behind them as they were turning to walk away. "If it isn't the crip, the otaku, and the inbred! Hello, freaks!"

Scootaloo gritted her teeth angrily as she and her friends turned to face their taunters. Standing before them were their haughty, smirking classmates Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

Diamond and Silver were highly privileged Human girls. Diamond was a noble; she was the daughter of Filthy Rich, the Baron of Avalon. Silver was the daughter of Silver Platter, the butler to Baron Rich. Silver had been Diamond's companion from birth, and was expected to follow her father's footsteps and serve as Diamond's head stewardess when they were adults.

Diamond was an icily beautiful girl with wavy, lavender, white-streaked hair. She was wearing an ice-blue minidress that matched her eyes, showing off the diamond tiara Mark on her thighs, and on her head was a tiara of a perfect likeness of her Mark.

Silver Spoon was a bespectacled, violet-eyed girl with long, silver hair that was braided over her shoulder. She was wearing a designer t-shirt, jacket, and miniskirt, showing off her Mark of a silver spoon with a heart-inlaid handle.

Both girls were smirking condescendingly at the Crusaders. After Diamond had hurled her insults at them, Silver raised her hand and waved while singing with sickly sweetness, "Hi, Blanks!"

"Leave us alone," Sweetie Belle said, glaring at them.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Diamond said with a nasty grin. "Were you freaks on your way to a club meeting? Well, I wouldn't want to keep you three from not getting your Marks!"

Diamond and Silver both laughed, and Apple Bloom clenched her fists and said, "Shut up."

Diamond sneered. "I don't take orders from inbred hicks," she spat. "I'm surprised you only have ten fingers. Tell me, Apple Bloom; who's going to be the lucky girl who marries your hunky brother- you, or Applejack?"

Apple Bloom was deeply flushed. "Shut up, Diamond!" she growled.

"Not that I blame you," Diamond added. She shrugged and said with a nasty, feigned innocence, "I mean, if I had a brother like that...."

Apple Bloom took a step toward Diamond, but Diamond scoffed. "Yeah, go ahead: touch me, Inbred. You just see if your hillbilly family still has work when I tell my dad about it."

Scootaloo took Apple Bloom's arm. "Come on, let's go...." she said softly as she led Apple Bloom away.

Sweetie shot Diamond a spiteful glare as she followed behind her friends. "You're a bitch, Diamond," she growled.

"At least I'm not a freak," Diamond retorted with a sneer. With a small wave, she called after the Crusaders, "Bye, peasants."

Scootaloo kept Apple Bloom walking for a few minutes while Sweetie trailed behind them. Once Scootaloo was satisfied that they were a good distance away from Diamond, she looked at Apple Bloom, whose cheeks were streaked with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Scootaloo said concernedly.

Apple Bloom sniffed and wiped her nose. "Diamond's not wrong...." she whispered. "Ah am inbred. Ah mean, my parents are cousins-"

"So what?" Scootaloo said. "Who cares that your parents are cousins?"

Apple Bloom blinked and sniffed again.

"Hey, don't worry, Bloom," Scootaloo said, pulling Apple Bloom closer. "We're at my place, so everything's going to be fine."

Apple Bloom looked up. Indeed, they had reached Scootaloo's house.

They were at the foot of a townhouse just north of town hall. The brick structure was tall, narrow, and incredibly charming; each of the windows had a window box bearing vibrant, well-tended flowers of many types. Apple Bloom smiled and deeply inhaled to breathe in the scent of the violets, roses, and lilies filling the air. She loved the smell of flowers; they could always make her feel a little better.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle entered the house. They stepped over a welcoming carpet stretched down the front hall as Scootaloo called out, "I'm home, dad! I brought my friends!"

"Oh, wonderful!" the Crusaders heard an effeminate voice call from the kitchen. "Come in, girls! Make yourselves at home!"

The Crusaders entered the kitchen, where they were greeted by the sight of Stephen Magnet, Scootaloo's adoptive father, who was sitting at the table.

Stephen Magnet was a tall, middle-aged Angel with purple wings and long, bright, orange hair. He also had a very long handlebar mustache and a soul patch, which along with his hair was always slicked and finely groomed. He was a hairdresser by occupation, as signified by the Mark of a pair of black scissors opened over an orange mustache on his shoulders. He was accustomed to wearing heeled boots, tight jeans, and sleeveless button-down shirts. It was widely said that he was the friendliest man you would ever meet, and his neighbors were often taken aback by his sheer adoration for Scootaloo and her friends.

"Hi, Scootaloo!" he said, standing up. "How are you doing, Honey?"

"I'm doing alright, Dad...." Scootaloo replied.

Stephen's eyes fell upon the tearful Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom?" he said concernedly. "Are you alright, Sweetheart?"

"Diamond Tiara was being a bitch to her," Scootaloo said.

"What did she do?" Stephen asked.

"She called her an inbred hick, and said that Big Mac would marry her or her sister."

"Hmph!" Stephen said, folding his arms with a stern glint in his eye. "Well, I'll have none of that! I'm going to be sure her father hears about this. In the meantime, would you like some hot cocoa, Sweetheart?"

Apple Bloom nodded and smiled gratefully. "Yeah, thanks, Steve."

"Oh, no trouble, no trouble!" Stephen replied, walking to his cupboard. "Scootaloo, Honey, would you get the milk from the icebox, please?"

"Sure, Dad," Scootaloo replied, patting Apple Bloom on the shoulder before going to the ice box.

As Stephen pulled down some mugs and a saucepan from the cupboard, he said, "That girl doesn't know a word of what she's saying. There's nothing wrong with you, Apple Bloom! You're a sweet, adorable, normal little girl just like anyone else."

Apple Bloom sniffed. "Thanks, Steve," she said. Often times, she felt as though Stephen wasn't just Scootaloo's dad, but was the closest thing she had for one, as well.

"Would you girls like some, too?" Stephen said to the other two Crusaders.

"Oh, yes, please!" Sweetie replied excitedly.

"Yeah, Dad," Scootaloo said.

"Alright, then!" Stephen cried. "Three mugs of gourmet hot chocolate coming right up!"

The girls laughed as Stephen prepared their hot beverages for them.

Once Stephen finished the Crusaders' hot chocolate, they blew on them and sipped them until their mugs were empty. They felt much better afterward, to which Stephen commented with a wink, "You can always use a little chocolate at times like these. Works every time!"

The girls giggled, then Scootaloo said, "Alright, Crusaders! Let's go to my room!"

The Crusaders ran up the stairs and into Scootaloo's room, which was wholly decorated with Rainbow Dash merchandise; posters, baseball caps, foam fingers, and even Scootaloo's bedspread all had the likeness of Rainbow Dash on them. Scootaloo even had albums full of photos and newspaper clippings of Rainbow's performances at races, martial arts tournaments, and air shows; most of which Rainbow had achieved a very high rank in such as first, second, or third place. Scootaloo's two largest posters- which were hung over her bed- were of Rainbow posing for her championship photos for the World Amateur Kung Fu and the World Kilometer Flight Race tournaments held at the last Olympic Games. Rainbow had not only placed first in both, but had also set a new world record in her flight race that still remained unbroken.

Naturally, Scootaloo was the president of the worldwide Rainbow Dash Fan Club; not only was she a bigger fan of Rainbow than anyone else, but what other fan could boast of having Rainbow as their personal kung fu master?

Scootaloo reached under her bed, pushing several cardboard boxes aside, and said, "Alright. So, how many silver pieces did you two say you got this week?"

"I got fifteen, and Apple Bloom got seven," Sweetie Belle replied.

"So you've gotten twenty-two silver pieces," Scootaloo said. She smirked as she pulled a wooden box from under her bed. "So, adding twenty-two silver pieces to the money I got this week...." she said, releasing the latch. She then opened the box and turned it to her friends, crying, "We've got three hundred and twelve gold pieces!"

Sweetie and Apple Bloom gasped; in the box, on top of the stack of silver and copper coins they had accumulated, they saw an overturned pouch from which gold pieces were spilling.

"I found sixty-eight gold pieces last night!" Scootaloo cried excitedly.

"How-?" Apple Bloom said astonishedly.

Scootaloo picked up the pouch. "Someone dropped this pouch of gold pieces in a gutter! While I was looking for loose change, I dug it up!"

"That means we can build our treehouse now!" Sweetie Belle squealed.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie cheered excitedly, then Scootaloo said, "Alright, Crusaders. We have three hundred gold pieces now; it's time to pick a tree and make a design."

Burning with enthusiasm, the Cutie Mark Crusaders all ran downstairs and out the door. They sprinted to Sweet Apple Acres, then burst into the barn, where Applejack was milking a cow. "Applejack! Applejack!" Apple Bloom cried.

Applejack looked up, then smiled. "Howdy, girls!" she replied cheerfully. "What can Ah do ya fer?"

"We have three hundred gold pieces!" Apple Bloom cried excitedly. "Can we pick a tree now, please, Sis?"

Applejack blinked surprisedly. "Really...? Already?" she said.

Apple Bloom nodded as the other Crusaders fidgeted behind her.

Applejack smiled. "Well, alright then. Just be sure to tell me which one you pick, and make sure you get help with any dangerous parts."

Apple Bloom squealed. "Thanks, Applejack!" she cried, then she and the other Crusaders sprinted into her orchard.

Once the Crusaders were among Sweet Apple Acres' trees, they began looking over them. Occasionally, Sweetie or Apple Bloom would say to Scootaloo, "How does this one look?" while pointing at one.

Scootaloo invariably said to each one, "Nah, not good enough."

Scootaloo, who had once been a runaway, was extremely adapt and finding dropped coins on the street. She had supplied the vast majority of the fund for the Crusaders' club treehouse, and so the other Crusaders had agreed that she could decide what tree and design they would use, after which all three would share equal ownership over it.

After some time, however, the Crusaders all simultaneously beheld a large, thick apple tree with sprawling branches. Without consulting Scootaloo, Sweetie declared, "This is it."

"Yep," Scootaloo agreed, then the Crusaders climbed up into the tree.

After climbing and exploring it for a few minutes, Apple Bloom shouted, "This tree is perfect!"

"Yeah! This is just the tree for our clubhouse!" Scootaloo replied.

Sweetie was grinning elatedly, but with a sudden realization her smile faded. "So, uh... how are we going to design and build it?" she said.

The other Crusaders' smiles faded, as well. "Oh, yeah...." Scootaloo muttered.

The Crusaders were all silent for a few moments. Suddenly, however, Scootaloo snapped. "I've got it!" she shouted.

The other Crusaders turned to her. "What?" they said in unison.

Scootaloo grinned, pointing at them. "Let's get Spike to help us design and built it!"

Sweetie Belle blushed. "S-Spike?" she stammered. "Why him?"

"We don't know how to design or build a treehouse," Scootaloo replied.

"That don't mean Spike does, either...." Apple Bloom muttered.

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, "but he could figure it out. He's really smart, and he's not afraid to get his hands a little dirty."

Sweetie nervously laughed as she said, "I'm sure we don't need his help!"

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said. "Ah think Ah could figure it out-"

"None of us is too good at math," Scootaloo interjected. "Spike is. He can levitate really heavy things, too! Come on, why don't you guys want him to help us out? What's the harm in asking?"

After a few moments, Sweetie sighed. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt...." she said softly, still blushing lightly.

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Scootaloo grinned. "Awesome." She gestured forward. "Come on, let's go to the library."

The Crusaders all walked to the Golden Oak Library, where Scootaloo knocked on the door. It was promptly answered by Twilight, who smiled upon seeing them. "Oh, hi, girls!" she said cheerfully. "What do you need?"

"Can we see Spike?" Scootaloo asked.

Twilight nodded. "Sure," she said, stepping aside to let them in.

Once the Crusaders were in the library, Scootaloo called up into Twilight and Spike's room, "Hey, Spike!"

In a few moments, Spike walked out, holding a Steam manga volume in his hand. He grinned upon seeing the Crusaders. "Oh! Hi, guys!" he said cheerfully.

"Hi, Spike...." Sweetie said, nervously looking away from him.

"Howdy, Spike!" Apple Bloom cried.

Spike descended the stairs, saying, "What do you girls need?"

"Do you think you could help us design and build our treehouse?" Scootaloo said.

Spike looked at her surprisedly. "Build a treehouse? Do you have the money to do that?"

"Yep!" Scootaloo replied with a smirk. "We've got three hundred gold pieces!"

Spike's eyes widened. "Three hundred, huh? Wow."

"So, can you do it?" Scootaloo asked.

After a moment, Spike smiled again. "Sure. As long as Twilight doesn't need me for anything," he said, turning to his mentor.

Twilight shook her head. "After your work's done, you can help them," she said.

Spike turned back to the Crusaders. "Alright," he said. "So, where's the tree?"

"It's at Sweet Apple Acres," Apple Bloom said. "Come on."

The Crusaders returned to their chosen tree with Spike, who brought measuring tape with him to measure the size of the tree. After he had determined the diameter of the branches as well as their distance from each other, he said, "Alright. So, do you guys know how you want to design it?"

"Actually," Scootaloo said, stepping forward, "I'm in charge of that."

"Alright," Spike replied. "So, you've got some parchment and a pen?"

Scootaloo looked surprisedly at him. "R-really?" she said. "You don't need to look up how to design it or anything?"

"I don't think so," Spike replied. "I've taken an advanced woodworking course in Olympus."

Scootaloo nodded, smiling. "Alright. Just let me grab some parchment and a pen," she said, running towards Apple Bloom's house. In a few minutes she returned with them, then she and Spike sat on the ground with the parchment between them as the Crusaders watched them.

"So, how big would you like it to be?" Spike said.

"Uh...." Scootaloo said uncertainly. She then stood up and walked to the tree, saying, "Well, I'd like it to be square." She then gestured into the air in one place, then walked past the tree and gestured in the air at another place. "And I'd like it to be about that big," she said.

Spike nodded, scratching on the paper. "So about four square meters...." he muttered. Once he had drawn and labeled a square on the paper, he turned back to Scootaloo and asked, "Do you want it tall enough that just you three can be in it, or do you want it tall enough for anyone to come in?"

"Anyone," Scootaloo immediately replied.

Nodding, Spike said, "About two and a half meters of wall and a half-meter tall roof, then...." as he drew and labeled more lines onto the parchment.

Spike then asked Scootaloo, "How many windows would you like?"

"Two on each side," Scootaloo replied.

After Spike made note of this last request, he rapidly sketched a scale drawing of the treehouse and its supports. After sketching a staircase up to its door, he sat up and began sliding his fingers over the air, his brow furrowed with concentration. The Crusaders all watched this with fascination; they knew that he was making calculations by sliding the beads of an imaginary abacus. Only those very skilled at sorobans, such as Spike or Twilight, were capable of doing this, and the Crusaders greatly admired that they were able to.

Spike wrote a number on the parchment, then began another calculation on his imaginary soroban. After doing this and writing the results a few more times, he added together his numbers and said, "Alright; this treehouse is going to cost about three hundred two gold pieces for the lumber, and another two gold pieces for the nails and screws."

Scootaloo nodded. "We can afford that."

"Alright," Spike said, standing up. "Apple Bloom, go ask your brother if he can come with us to the lumber mill to haul the wood. We'll bring it to the barn, then we'll start on it tomorrow."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "What?!" she cried indignantly. "Why can't we start it today?!"

Spike pointed at the sun, which was halfway down to the west horizon. "By the time we're done hauling the wood, it'll almost be nightfall," he said. "Don't worry, though; we'll get started on it first thing after lunch tomorrow."

Scootaloo groaned, "Fine...."

"How long should it take?" Apple Bloom asked.

Spike looked down at his parchment, furrowing his eyebrows. "Oh, about three days, if all four of us work together on it," he answered.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Alright. I'll go tell my brother to hitch up the cart, then."

I-XII. Sweetie Belle

"Go on, let's try again."

"But... I can't do it!"

"You can. I believe in you."

"It's just too hard!"

"Please try. Now, what's the atomic number of cobalt?"

"Um... uh, twenty... three?"

"Close. It's twenty-seven."

"Ugh! I'll never get this!"

"Coral...."

"Uh... E-Emerald...?"

"If you can memorize this, I'll give you a kiss."

"Sweetie Belle!"

Eyes widening with panic, Sweetie hurriedly closed her volume of Sea Breeze and shoved it under her pillow. She heard her sister's voice again, closer this time, "Sweetie! Are you in your room?"

"Y-yeah!" Sweetie called back, sweating with anxiety.

Rarity opened the door to Sweetie's room, finding her little sister casually sitting on her bed. "Ah, there you are," Rarity said, smiling softly. "Sweetie Belle, do you think you could get some cabbages at the market?"

Sweetie Belle nodded. "S-sure! No problem, Sis!" she replied, still smiling broadly.

Rarity nodded. "Thank you. I have to go with Pinkie to a wedding rehearsal. The money's on the table. I'll be back soon!"

"Alright! See you later, Rarity!" Sweetie replied.

With another kind smile, Rarity exited the room. Sweetie sighed, then pulled her manga volume back out from under her pillow.

Sea Breeze was a shoujo manga. On the cover of this particular volume was a handsome teen Elf boy in an unbuttoned shirt that showed off his muscular physique who was affectionately caressing the cheek of a younger blushing Elf girl who was looking up into his eyes in enraptured infatuation. Sea Breeze was one of Sweetie's favorite series of her favorite genre: apprentice/mentor romance.

It was a popular fantasy among Elvish girls to have a handsome, brilliant male mentor who would not only sweep them off of their feet in a thrilling, secret romance, but would also push them to great heights academically. Naturally, this meant that apprentice/mentor romances were by far the most popular genre of fiction among preteen Elf girls.

For no one was this fantasy more intense than Sweetie Belle, who greatly struggled with her education, her magical ability, and talking to boys. She secretly nursed a powerful jealousy towards her older sister, as Rarity had never received anything lower than ninety percent on any of her assignments and never had any trouble getting any boy she wanted. Hell, even Spike had an obvious crush on Rarity.

Spike. Sweetie smiled and a faint blush grew in her cheeks. Ever since Spike came to Avalon with Twilight at the beginning of the summer, Sweetie had slowly developed an infatuation with him, fed by her fascination of how perfectly he fit how she'd always imagined her mentor and sweetheart would be.

Was Spike handsome and brilliant? Oh, yes. But though he was perhaps as intelligent as Twilight was, he was still quite easygoing and laid-back. And even though he was small, it didn't make him any less good-looking; his large eyes, cute face, and warm smile caused Sweetie to speculate at what a gorgeous bishonen heartbreaker he'd be when he was fully grown. Even though he looked like he was Sweetie's age, Sweetie noticed that even Rarity and her friends would occasionally admire him.

Sweetie would have liked nothing more than to have Spike as her mentor and lover once she had completed her primary education, but she knew it would almost certainly never happen; it was very, very difficult to be allowed a mentor of the opposite gender, and even if you did get one you weren't allowed to have any kind of romantic relationship with them. Sweetie quickly understood why Twilight had been allowed to take Spike on as her apprentice; Twilight was stringently rule-abiding, and would likely refuse a romantic relationship to Spike even if he begged for it. Sweetie didn't imagine that Spike would do the same if the positions were reversed, however; she noticed that Spike seemed to have more than platonic feelings towards his mentor.

Of course, Sweetie could have just tried talking to Spike, but the idea made her so anxious and nervous that she never even entertained it. Sweetie had always had trouble talking to cute boys; that was why her only best friends were other girls. Sweetie desperately wished that she wasn't so shy, or that she was as pretty as her sister so that Spike would approach her, but she had decided that such courage and beauty were assets that were simply unavailable to her. Therefore, she concluded, her only chance at a romance with Spike was to become his apprentice; surely, if they lived together, Sweetie would gradually gain the comfortability and courage necessary to woo him, and then they could share a secret courtship together.

The idea was unutterably appealing to Sweetie Belle, and so she would often imagine Spike and herself in place of the heroes and heroines of her manga. Sweetie opened her volume of Sea Breeze back to the page she'd been on when Rarity interrupted her, then read through the rest of the chapter, all the while imagining Spike touching and holding her the same way Emerald caressed and held Coral.

Once Sweetie had finished the chapter, she sighed sadly. She climbed off of her bed, pulled a cardboard box out from under it, then hid the volume inside, laying it alongside the rest of her manga collection. Scootaloo had taught her how to hide books and magazines from her caregivers, though Sweetie often wondered what Scootaloo was hiding under her own bed; after all, Scootaloo didn't care what anyone thought, so she had no reason to hide a "geeky" manga collection from anyone.

Sliding her guilty pleasures back under her bed, Sweetie stood back up and walked out of her room. After going down the hall, down the stairs, and into Rarity's boutique, Sweetie picked up a pouch of silver pieces from the table, exited the shop, and locked the door behind her with the house key Rarity had given her.

Sweetie went to the market, where she bought several cabbages. Once she had paid the shopkeeper some silver and received some copper pieces in change, she remembered that it was Friday; that meant that her magazine had come today.

Grinning, Sweetie walked to the post office. When she entered, she found Rainbow sorting letters with Ditzy at one of the counters. "Hi, Rainbow!" Sweetie called.

Rainbow looked up at Sweetie, then smiled at her. "Hey, Sweetie! What's up?" she said.

"I think I got a package in the mail," Sweetie replied.

"Alright, Sweetie. What's your PO box number?"

"Three hundred fourteen."

Rainbow grinned. "Comin' right up!" she said, moving to the PO box room in the back. She soon reemerged with a large, thick package, which she handed to Sweetie.

"Thanks!" Sweetie said, then she waved and ran back out. She ran back home, where she excitedly opened the package and pulled its contents out.

The first and largest object Sweetie pulled from the parcel was a thick issue of a weekly shoujo manga anthology magazine called Schoolgirl. Along with the magazine were several small, plastic figurines of some of the characters from the magazine's more popular publications. Squealing delightedly, Sweetie picked up an Orange Maton figurine she found among them; Orange was one of her favorite characters from Clockmoon, a Steam magical girl manga that was one of the magazine's more popular series. Orange was a cyborg antiheroine who had quickly become a fan favorite among readers for being incredibly likable, fascinating, and romantic, despite having committed many terrible crimes.

After Sweetie had admired her new figurines for a while and read the latest chapters of her favorite series, she sadly placed them back in the parcel and slid them under her bed, along with her other boxes of manga and related merchandise.

Looking under her bed at her boxes, Sweetie decided that she'd have to take some more of them to her rental storage unit soon. She then stood up, exited into the hall, and looked up at the clock. Fourteen to one. She'd have to get going to Sweet Apple Acres soon if she was going to meet the other Crusaders and Spike.

Though Sweetie began to flush again at the thought of seeing Spike, she softly said to herself, "Your friends will be there, too. Your friends will be there, too...." before taking a deep breath and exiting the boutique.

Sweetie's ten-minute walk to Sweet Apple Acres felt like ten hours. She spent the entire trip worrying about how she'd behave around Spike; after all, the stupider she looked, the even more astronomically small chance she would have of becoming his apprentice. After what seemed to be an eternity, she reached the gates to the farm. Steeling her resolve, Sweetie took another breath, unlatched the gate, then walked towards the barn.

Sweetie opened the barn's front door, letting a bast of air smelling of straw and animal manure escape. She saw the other Crusaders standing next to Spike, who was holding a tin bucket of nails and screws while leaning against their high stack of oak lumber.

"Hey, Sweetie!" Scootaloo shouted at her.

Seizing the opportunity to not meet Spike's eyes, Sweetie called back, "Hey, Scootaloo!"

"We're about ready to begin," Spike said. He produced his sketch of the planned clubhouse from his pocket and held it out to Sweetie. "Here, can you hold this?" he asked.

Swallowing, Sweetie nodded and walked forward. As she took the parchment from him, she felt their hands briefly brush together, sending a jolt of panic through her body.

Spike turned to the other Crusaders and said, "We're going to need two of these to start," while patting a stack of some of the longer boards. "Can you two carry them there?"

"Aye-aye, Captain!" Apple Bloom replied, saluting him.

Apple Bloom giggled, and Spike grinned. "Great! Alright, let's bring all this there, then."

Spike picked up the tin bucket while the Crusaders picked up two of the long oak planks, then they went into the orchard. Once they reached the designated tree, Spike reached into the bucket and pulled out a brown glass bottle and a cheap brush. "Alright," he muttered, removing the lid of the bottle. "I'm gonna need two of you girls to help me."

"Is that glue?" Scootaloo asked.

"Close, but not quite," Spike replied. "It's resin. It'll hold better than glue. We need to hold these boards in position while I nail them in place. So, which of you are gonna help me?"

"I will," Scootaloo immediately replied.

"Me too," Apple Bloom said.

Spike grinned. "Alright," he said, pouring a small amount of resin onto the board. After brushing the small glob evenly across a few centimeters of the board's face, he said, "Alright, now you two hold the ends...."

Spike, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom lifted the board up, then Spike placed it against the trunk. The girls continued holding the board as Spike pulled a level from his pocket, placed it on top of the board, then adjusted the board until he was satisfied that it was positioned perfectly.

"Alright, now hold absolutely still for a few seconds...." Spike muttered, and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom obeyed him. After about half a minute, Spike said, "Alright, you can let go now."

The girls released the board, and found that it remained in position against the trunk of the tree. "Alright," Spike said, reaching back down into the bucket. "Now to nail it in place," he said, pulling out a hammer and three nails.

With a few good, solid whacks, Spike quickly drove all three nails into the wood. He then conjured up a bit of carbon and marked three more points on the board, then said to Sweetie, "Do you know how to drive screws in?"

"I... I think so," Sweetie replied quietly.

Spike blinked. "You sure?" he inquired.

"I... um, I might need to refresh my memory...." Sweetie muttered.

Spike nodded. "Alright, watch me," he said, reaching back into the bucket. He produced a screw and a steel rachet from it, then showed Sweetie how to position the screw, place the ratchet over its head, and screw it into the wood. "There, you got it?" he said upon completing the task.

Sweetie nodded. "Yes."

"Alright, show me," Spike said, holding the ratchet and another screw out to her.

After taking them, Sweetie followed Spike's example in positioning and twisting another screw into the board. Satisfied, Spike said, "Alright, can you finish up on the last one while we nail up the other board?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yes, Spike."

Spike grinned. "Great!" he said, then he knelt down to paint some resin on the other board.

Sweetie had just finished ratcheting the last screw into the tree when Spike finished nailing up the second board. After marking the designated points for the screws to enter it, he said, "Alright, screw this one to the tree while we get more boards, alright, Sweetie?"

Sweetie nodded, picked up the bucket, and walked around to the other board's side.

Sweetie had finished putting three screws into the second board by the time the other girls and Spike returned with four more boards (Spike was carrying two over his shoulder). Once they set the boards down, Spike said, "Apple Bloom, can you get a ladder for me, please?"

"Right away, Spike!" Apple Bloom said, running off. While she was retrieving a ladder, Spike resined two more boards and positioned them against the tree trunk on top the first two boards, so they were crossed over them. He then nailed them in place, marked them, and allowed Sweetie to screw them to the trunk. Once Apple Bloom returned with the ladder, Spike climbed up onto the four positioned boards and sat at them as he continued building the treehouse's foundation.

Spike asked Sweetie to levitate more screws and nails up to him, and he asked the other Crusaders to continue bringing them boards from the barn.

Once Sweetie's friends had left, Spike called down to her, "So, you and Rarity are Athenian, right?"

Sweetie nodded, but didn't look up at him as she passed up some more nails to him. "Yeah."

"Why did you two come to Avalon?" Spike asked.

"Rarity came to get a shop. I came to live with her," Sweetie replied.

"How did that happen?"

"Well, when my sister chose her mentor, she knew that her Special Talent was creating beautiful things. She wanted to be a dressmaker, so she looked for a mentor who could teach her how to be a seamstress. While she was at her apprenticeship gathering, she met a brilliant young fashion designer named Grand Finale. They clicked right away, and Rarity chose him to be her mentor."

"Wait- Grand Finale was a guy?" Spike asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Sweetie answered.

"How was Rarity allowed to become his apprentice?"

"He's gay."

Spike blinked. "Oh. Well... alright. Go on."

Sweetie continued, "So anyway, Rarity became Finale's apprentice. They lived together in Athens until Rarity graduated, then Rarity went looking for a cheap building to start a boutique in. Finale pointed her in the direction of Avalon, since it's an inexpensive and trendy town, so she saved up until she had enough to come here and open her boutique."

"Alright. So how did you come here?" Spike asked.

Sweetie looked away ashamedly. "I'm studying remedially," she muttered.

"Why?" Spike said.

Sweetie sighed. "Well... I've always been pretty shy, so I didn't have many friends growing up. I was alone most of the time, so I spent most of my time reading. As I got older, I wasn't able to do Magic as well as the other kids. They started to pick on me, and call me stupid. I only got more and more alone- especially when all the other kids got their Marks, but I never got mine."

Sweetie swallowed. "It got pretty unbearable. But then one day, I read a manga volume from one of my classrooms- and then I was hooked! I fell right in love with them, and I started to buy and collect them, but when the other kids saw me reading them all the time they started calling me a 'freak,' 'otaku,' 'loser,' things like that.

"I had a really hard time. I never got my Mark, I failed all my classes, and I didn't have any friends. Eventually, my parents told me that the government said that I had to take a remedial apprenticeship. I wouldn't, even though they told me over and over again that I had to.

"When Rarity graduated from her apprenticeship and she heard that I needed a remedial mentor, she offered to do it. My parents convinced me to do it by saying that since Rarity is my sister I wouldn't need to worry about living with some stranger or anything. So I moved to Avalon to live with Rarity."

Spike gazed at Sweetie for a few moments. "Are you doing better now?" he asked.

Sweetie shook her head. "Not really. I mean... I'm passing my classes now, but my grades are still awful. And I still don't have my Mark, and other kids still pick on me."

After a few moments of silence, Spike said, "I'm sorry, Sweetie."

"It's alright," Sweetie mumbled. Spike wasn't fooled.

"Well... aren't the other Crusaders your friends?" Spike asked.

For the first time during their conversation, Sweetie smiled. "Well... yeah," she replied.

"And I'm willing to be your friend," Spike added.

Sweetie looked surprisedly up at Spike. She saw by his kindly smiling eyes that his words were genuine. "You... will?" she said softly.

"Of course," Spike replied. "It's stupid that kids make fun of you for reading manga. I read manga, too."

"Yeah, but... you're a boy," Sweetie said.

"So? Just because you're a girl that means you shouldn't?"

"Girls aren't supposed to read manga."

"Says who?"

Sweetie made as if to reply, but said nothing; she slowly realized that nobody but other kids had forbidden her from her favorite hobby.

"See?" Spike said, grinning. "It's just a stupid, arbitrary rule that other kids made up."

"Well... why did they make it up?"

"Because girls scare the boys."

Sweetie gave a stunned look to Spike. "They're... scared of us?"

"Yeah," Spike said. "Boys are scared to talk to girls, and so they won't let girls join them in their hobbies. Honestly, girls reading manga or playing Steam is really threatening to them."

Sweetie gazed astonishedly at Spike. "And you aren't scared?"

"It's kind of hard to be when your best friends have been girls."

"What do you mean?"

"My best friend was my older sister, Sunset Shimmer. We grew up in the Olympus Orphanage together, and she was gorgeous and brilliant and talented, so lots of families wanted to adopt her. But she refused, because she wanted to stay with me. And my mentor is Twilight, who is also gorgeous, brilliant, and talented." Here he grinned. "It's kind of hard to be scared of girls when you live with one as hot as Twilight."

Sweetie giggled, blushing slightly.

"And anyway," Spike continued, "nothing's more attractive to girls than being nice to them. If you're a gentleman and treat them like human beings, you're already way ahead of the curve. All the guys who think that macho, emotionless bad boys are the sexiest dudes around are idiots; nothing will have girls falling at your feet like being sweet, sensitive, and kind."

Sweetie narrowed her eyes and smirked. "Do you speak from experience?"

Spike shrugged and smiled coyly.

Sweetie laughed again. After a few moments of silence, she then asked, "So... guys picked on me because they... liked me?"

"Yeah," Spike replied. "And that scared them, so they didn't want to talk to you. So when you started reading manga, that was unacceptable to them, because that means you have a common interest with them, which means they don't have an excuse to not talk to you anymore. You're only allowed to like girly things, because that way they don't have to man up and face their fears."

Sweetie grinned. Never before had she imagined that boys had been so stupid to her because they were just as scared of her as she was of them. However, a thought caused her to ask another question: "But... why did the girls pick on me, too?"

"For the same reason," Spike replied. "You're threatening to make it so that they'll have to talk to boys, too. So both are scared of each other. We're all more alike in that way than they think."

Sweetie was beaming. Some of her anxiety had been lifted; she now knew that she wasn't alone in her fear; that boys felt the same way towards her as she did towards them. And knowing that Spike was willing to be her friend, and talk to her, gave her a confidence that she didn't know she had the potential to have before.

Spike nailed another board in place as the other Crusaders returned with more boards. "Hey, Sweetie," Spike said as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom started back toward the barn to get more boards, "can you pass one of those planks up to me?"

"Sure, Spike!" Sweetie replied, picking up one of the boards and (with some strained grunting) passing it up to him.

As Spike was pounding this board in place, Sweetie said, "Uh... have you read Clockmoon, Spike?"

Spike smiled surprisedly and nodded. "Yeah! It's one of my favorite series!"

Sweetie gasped. "Really?! It's one of mine, too!"

"It's published in Schoolgirl, isn't it? Do you have a subscription to it?"

"Yeah!"

"Could I borrow them so I can read the latest chapters sometime?"

"Of course! You can read them whenever you like, Spike!"

"You know who I like? Orange Maton. I wish that more girls would get harems in manga...."

"I know, right? I mean, it's not like guys are the only ones who can have lots of girls that want him. Just look at Rarity!"

"Yeah," Spike agreed, laughing. "Orange is so cool, too! The way she can turn even the most hopeless situations around to her advantage, and how you never know whose side she's gonna be on..."

"But you know that she'll always, always be there for her friends, no matter what!"

And so Spike and Sweetie continued enthusiastically discussing their favorite manga series, as well as trading recommendations for ones they hadn't yet read. Sweetie had never been so ecstatic before; she'd never had someone to talk to about these things who shared her fascination with them.

Spike and Sweetie conversed together until the sun was beginning to set, by which point Spike had completed the treehouse's foundation, floor, and half of its wall. Spike then wiped some sweat from his forehead and hopped to the ground, expertly and safely landing.

Spike stretched and said, "I haven't gotten that much of a workout in a long time." He then dropped his hammer in his tin bucket, tossed the resin and brush back in as well, then said to Sweetie, "Let's go back to the barn," as he picked the tin bucket up.

Sweetie wordlessly walked beside Spike through the orchard until they encountered Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who were carrying two more boards in the direction of the treehouse. They were sweating and panting as hard as Spike was.

"We're done for the day," Spike said, smiling at them. "Let's all head home."

"Alright!" Scootaloo replied, then she and Apple Bloom carried the boards back into the barn.

When all the Crusaders had gathered back together with Spike, Spike said, "Thanks for your help, girls. I'm gonna go hit the sack now. Have a good night, everyone!"

The Crusaders all cried back, "Good night, Spike!" then laughed as they turned and began walking toward their own homes.

Sweetie was grinning her entire trip back to the Carousel Boutique. Not only did Spike talk to her, but he had also offered to become her friend. A faint blush grew on Sweetie's cheeks as she took a deep, satisfied breath.

Upon opening the boutique's front door, Rarity called, "Welcome home, Sweetie Belle!"

"Hi, Rarity," Sweetie said.

"How did it go?"

"It was great. Spike finished the foundation and half of the wall."

"You were helping him though, weren't you?"

Sweetie giggled. "Oh, yeah. I passed nails and screws to him while the other Crusaders brought us new boards."

Rarity smiled. "I'm glad it went well. Come; it's time for dinner."

"What is it?" Sweetie asked, walking into the kitchen, where Rarity was standing at a boiling pot.

"Spaghetti and garlic bread," Rarity replied.

Sweetie grinned. "Great!"

As Sweetie waited for dinner to be completed and then sat with Rarity to eat it, she was perpetually softly smiling. Spike was her friend now. Even if he didn't become her mentor, she still had someone to talk about manga with now. She also had three years until they both graduated. She had plenty of time to win his heart by then.

I-XIII. Scootaloo

Scootaloo panted as sweat rolled down her forehead and cheeks. She was lying naked on her bed with an open magazine over her belly and several others scattered on her bed around her.

The magazines surrounding Scootaloo's form bore such titles as Naughty Teen Girls, Steamy Fantasy Vixens, and Candy Shop. Each cover bore a color photograph of a naked young woman posing suggestively while giving a sultry look to the camera. The magazines' contents were much the same; beautiful, nude teenaged girls engaged in titillating poses, situations, and acts.

The magazine lying across Scootaloo's belly, however, stood apart from the others; there was no true nudity in it, and there was even a handful of men within its pages. Indeed, the magazine wasn't pornographic at all; it bore the title Equestria Sports. Beneath this title was the small, elegantly written subtitle, Swimsuit Edition.

There was a blonde, buxom girl in a white bikini on the magazine's front cover, as well as many more stunning models in revealing swimwear within the magazine proper, but Scootaloo didn't care about them. No, the reason this magazine was Scootaloo's most treasured possession was in its gallery of athletes.

When Scootaloo's euphoric high subsided, she swallowed, smiled, and held the sports magazine back above her face. Looking back at her was a full-page color photograph of Rainbow Dash, standing in the frothy waves of a warm, tropical beach. She was wearing a pair of short swim trunks, but no top; it was clutched in her right hand, with her left arm covering her unclothed breasts. Rainbow was gazing at the camera with her trademark flirtatious smirk.

"Rainbow...." Scootaloo moaned. How she wished that Rainbow was truly there, so that she could caress those cheeks and that slender, tanned, toned body....

Scootaloo sighed and rolled to her side, staring into the emptiness laying beside her. Scootaloo reached out, imagining Rainbow Dash looking affectionately back at her with those amazing magenta eyes....

After taking a large, disappointed breath, Scootaloo sat up. She gathered up her magazines and placed them back in her box before sliding them under her bed.

Scootaloo stretched, staring out the window. It was late at night; that way, her father wouldn't catch her using her magazines to masturbate. Once Scootaloo had finished stretching, she gathered up her pajamas and walked out into the hall. She was still naked, but she wasn't at all self-conscious; her dad was never awake at one o'clock in the morning, and Scootaloo highly doubted that any peeping toms were awake at this hour, either.

Once Scootaloo retrieved a towel from her house's towel rack, she went into the bathroom. She took a bath, unconcerned with awakening her father; Stephen was a heavy sleeper.

Once Scootaloo had washed her sweat and all other evidence of what she'd been doing away, she got dressed in her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

Scootaloo was awakened by a buzzing vibration from under her sheets. Scootaloo smiled, then got out of bed. She was deeply proud of herself for buying that alarm card; it woke her at midnight every night so that she'd have some guaranteed privacy, and again at seven every morning so that she wouldn't oversleep and raise suspicion from her father.

Scootaloo walked down the hall and down the stairs, then was greeted by the sight and smell of her father cooking breakfast in the kitchen. "Good morning, Dad!" Scootaloo called.

"Good morning, Honey!" Stephen greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept great, Dad," Scootaloo replied. She always did; her nightly self-exhaustion always assured her a deep and restful sleep.

"That's great, Scoot!" Stephen replied as Scootaloo entered the kitchen. Stephen was frying some pancakes and eggs over their stove. "Take a seat, Honey; breakfast's almost done!" he said with a smile to her.

Scootaloo grinned. "Pancakes? Sweet!" she cried, jumping up onto a chair. After a few short minutes, Stephen slid the pancakes and eggs onto a plate before setting it before Scootaloo. "Thanks, Dad!" Scootaloo exclaimed, reaching for their glass syrup bottle.

Upon finishing her breakfast, Scootaloo went back to her room, where she got a pair of shorts and her orange basketball jersey. After she had changed into them, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and slid into her sneakers, she strapped her biking helmet on and picked up her scooter. She then ran down the stairs and out her house's front door, shouting, "Bye, dad!"

Scootaloo heard Stephen shout back at her, "Bye, Honey!" as she slammed the door. She scaled down the front steps, mounted her scooter, and began flapping her wings to propel her as she rode it towards the park.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom usually had to spend their summer mornings at home; Sweetie had to study with Rarity, and Apple Bloom had to tend her family farm with Big Mac and Applejack. This meant that Scootaloo usually had to spend the mornings of her summer vacation by herself, which was fine with her; on Sundays she studied kung fu under Rainbow, and on every other day she went to the skate park to train.

A few minutes after Scootaloo left her home, she reached Avalon's skate park. Located on the edge of Avalon's greater town park, the skate park was Scootaloo's favorite place in the world; not only did it have two sets of halfpipes, a bowl, and several rails and stairs, it also had a decent-sized free running obstacle course with a rock climbing wall and several other small structures to climb and jump across.

Scootaloo immediately turned onto the halfpipe, where she propelled herself high up one ramp before turning around and speeding towards the other. She flew off the opposite ramp's lip, becoming airborne for a few moments before she allowed herself to fall back towards the ground.

Upon Scootaloo's next jump, she executed a perfect backwards flip before rolling back down the ramp. Scootaloo then flapped her wings to give her a few more seconds of airtime as she spun her scooter beneath her, positioning it back under her feet just before she sped back down the ramp.

Scootaloo was an expert skater and free runner, but her specialty was scootering; it combined the speed and smoothness of skating with the sharp turns and accuracy running provided. Scootaloo was the only kid her age she knew who could perform even half of the tricks in her repertoire; her classmates were often awed by the death-defying stunts she could perform, and she impressed even Spike, who wasn't such a bad skater himself.

However, this wasn't good enough for her; Scootaloo wished desperately that she could fly, and could execute all the arial stunts that her idol Rainbow could. In Scootaloo's eyes, Rainbow was perfect. She was everything Scootaloo wished to be: beautiful, amazing, and immensely talented.

However, Scootaloo knew that she would never fly. The crippling disability in her small wings ensured it. Scootaloo had spent more than a few sleepless nights crying over the fact that she'd never be able to join Rainbow in touching the sky, and would often resentfully wish that she were anyone else.

Doing arial skating tricks was the closest Scootaloo would ever come to flying; thus, she treasured it beyond any other time in her life. Her deepest, most desperate wish was for Rainbow to coach her into defying the impossible to reach the heavens, then become her lover; Scootaloo would enter heaven in the embrace of an angel.

But, like flying, Scootaloo knew that this wasn't to be, either. She was left with only her dreams and fantasies to sate her ceaseless love for Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo scootered in the skate park for several hours; she was absolutely exhausted by the time the Sun had reached its apex and began crawling back down to the western horizon.

Panting and sweating profusely, Scootaloo allowed herself to jump into the air once more before she rolled down and rode her scooter back to her home.

Stephen was awaiting her, having prepared several bagels for her lunch. Once Scootaloo had eaten these, she thanked her dad before riding her scooter to Sweet Apple Acres.

As before, Scootaloo was the first Crusader to enter the barn and find Spike awaiting her. "Hey, Scoots!" Spike said as Scootaloo closed the barn door. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Pretty good," Scootaloo replied.

"That's great," said Spike. "Hey, Scoots, do you think you could help me with putting the treehouse together today? It's safe to stand in now, and I'm going to be using a lot of energy in levitating the planks up, so I need someone to help me nail the boards in."

Scootaloo grinned. "Sure, Spike."

Once Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle arrived, Spike said to them, "Alright, girls- do you think you two could bring boards to the treehouse while Scootaloo and I work on it today?"

"Why?" said Sweetie, whose soft smile slightly faded.

"It'll just be fair that way," Spike replied. "I worked with you yesterday, Sweetie, so I think I should work with Scootaloo today and Apple Bloom tomorrow so that everyone has an equal share of work."

Sweetie sighed. "Alright...." she muttered.

"So," Spike said, picking up his bucket of nails, screws, and hammers, "shall we get going then, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo smirked. "I'm ready when you are."

"Great," Spike replied before turning to the other Crusaders. "Can you two bring a couple of those planks there?" he said, pointing at a pile of wall planks.

"Sure thing, Spike!" Apple Bloom said, then she and Sweetie lifted two of the planks up and balanced them over both of their shoulders. Spike and the Crusaders then went to the treehouse. Once they reached it, Spike asked Apple Bloom to retrieve her ladder again. Once it was propped against the half-completed clubhouse, Spike carried his bucket up into it and Scootaloo entered immediately after him.

Once they were inside, Spike levitated one of the planks in and said to Scootaloo, "Hammer that side in place, please."

"Right away, Spike," Scootaloo replied. She took a nail from the bucket, helped Spike position the wall board in place, then both of them hammered them to the corner posts.

Once they had settled into a rhythm of bringing wood up and nailing it in place, Scootaloo said, "So, what did you and Sweetie talk about yesterday?"

"Just what her life was like in Athens, and how she came to Avalon," Spike replied.

Scootaloo nodded. "Alright. That's cool."

As Spike selected another nail from his bucket, he said, "How's your training coming along?"

"It's going great," Scootaloo replied, smiling. "I was able to get a few more tricks down since we went skating last."

"That's awesome," Spike replied. "Honestly, I'm surprised your Mark isn't in skating, Scoots. You're insanely good."

Scootaloo frowned. "Yeah, it doesn't matter, though...."

"Why not?" Spike asked, puzzled.

Frowning at her small, orange wings, Scootaloo said, "What I really want to do is fly. I'll never get to, though."

"Why's that?"

"My wings are crippled. They'll never be strong enough to get me in the air."

"How do you know that?"

"The doctors told me," Scootaloo replied. She sighed. "My first memory is of waking up in a hospital bed. I had a lot of bandages and casts on, and I was in a lot of pain and felt really weak. The doctors asked me who I was and who my parents were, but I couldn't tell them; I didn't remember."

Spike's eyes widened. "You didn't know who your parents were?"

"Nope. Still don't," Scootaloo muttered.

Spike blinked and was silent for a moment. He began, "Isn't Stephen-?"

"No," Scootaloo interrupted him. "He adopted me."

With another sigh, Scootaloo said, "The doctors were hoping that I'd know who I was or who my parents were, since they couldn't find any records on me or them."

Spike looked a little worried. "So they... found you?"

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied. "Someone found me in an alley in Olympus, unconscious and laying in a pool of blood. They got an ambulance, and the paramedics thought that I had bled to death, because there was a lot of blood. But I was still barely alive, so they rushed me to the hospital.

"When I woke up, the doctors told me that I'd been in a coma, and that I was lucky to have survived. They told me that I had a lot of serious injuries, but that I'd recover from all of them- except for my wings."

Spike stared astonishedly at Scootaloo for a few moments before she continued, "They told me that both of them were very badly broken and that there was a lot of muscular damage, and so I'd almost certainly never fly again."

Tears welled in Scootaloo's eyes and one rolled down her cheek, but she immediately wiped it away. "While I was recovering, they kept trying to find my parents or any information on who I was, but they couldn't find anything. They thought that maybe my parents had been killed, because if all the blood I was found laying in was mine then there was no way I could've survived.

"The only thing they could find was a bracelet I was found wearing. It had beads that read 'Scootaloo,' so that's what they guessed my name was.

"Once I was better, they sent me to an orphanage in Asgard, because they thought I should be living with other Angels. I lived there until I was seven, then I came here to Avalon, then Stephen adopted me."

Spike nodded. "So, why did he adopt you?"

Scootaloo turned and gazed anxiously at Spike for a moment, then she said, "Uh, Spike... can I, um, ask you a question?"

Spike raised a brow. "Why?"

"I just need to know something," Scootaloo replied.

After a moment, Spike nodded. "Alright. Ask away," he said.

"So..." Scootaloo muttered, looking down, "Twilight's bi, isn't she?"

Spike blinked, then nodded. "Well, yeah...."

"And, um..." Scootaloo continued, beginning to flush, "If... uh... if she didn't want you to tell anyone, would you?"

Surprised, Spike was still for a moment before shaking his head. "No," he said.

Scootaloo took a deep breath. "Will... Will you promise to not tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"

With a small smile, Spike recited, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Scootaloo made a small laugh, then said, "Okay. Well... Stephen adopted me because I'm gay."

Spike nodded. "Alright."

Scootaloo looked surprisedly at him. "You- you aren't surprised?" she asked.

Spike chuckled and shook his head. "No. I knew you were."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "R-really?! How?!"

Spike nudged her shoulder. "It's not hard," he said. "We're pretty alike, you and I. We both like skating, we both like sports, and we both like girls. I've noticed you checking out our friends, too," he added with a smirk.

Scootaloo pushed Spike's shoulder, and he laughed. "And actually," he said, his smile slightly fading, "I don't know who my parents are, either."

Scootaloo's eyes widened surprisedly. "You don't?"

Spike shook his head. "Nope." He leaned against a wall as he continued, "My sister told me that we used to live with my dad, but our house was raided by guards when I was a baby. The guards took us away, and the next thing we knew, we were in the Olympus orphanage."

Scootaloo blinked. "What did they go after your dad for?"

"I have no idea," Spike replied. "Sunset didn't, either. We went looking for him, too, but we never found him. She also tried asking some guards who and where he was, but they told her they didn't know anything about him. She thought they were lying."

Scootaloo's mouth opened slightly. "Do... do you think so?" she asked.

Spike shrugged. "I don't know. But what I do know is that Sunset has never trusted guards after that."

Scootaloo was silent for a moment, then asked, "What was she like? Sunset, I mean."

Spike smiled. "She was the best sister ever. She was tough, and smart, and beautiful. She was always there to protect me."

"From what?"

"From bullies and jerks, things like that."

Scootaloo blinked. "W-what?" she asked surprisedly. "You were bullied?"

"Yeah."

"What for?"

Spike rubbed his head. "Well, we were orphans, for one. But the other kids also said that our father was a criminal, and that was why were were taken away from him and why we weren't allowed to know anything about him. Some of them said he was a pimp, or that he was a terrorist, or a serial killer. But all of them said that our mom was definitely a hooker, or two different hookers."

Scootaloo gazed at Spike as he frowned into the air for a few moments. "Sunset always clocked 'em, though," he added with a smile.

Scootaloo laughed. "I wish I had a sister like that...."

"So anyway," Spike said, turning back to Scootaloo, "Why would Stephen adopt you because you're gay?"

"'Cause he is, too," Scootaloo replied. "Being a gay Angel in Asgard really blows, and Stephen knew it. He'd grown up in Asgard, too, so he knew how hard life was for me."

"How did you two meet?"

"Well, while I was living in the orphanage, the other kids were really, really awful to me. I mean, a lesbian Angel who can't fly? I might as well have had a target painted on my back.

"I was miserable, but our caretaker, Ms. Snowpeak, was really nice to me. She didn't treat me like shit for being gay or not being able to fly. She would also tell me stories about another gay Angel girl who had difficulty with flying who used to live there. She said that that Angel was treated even worse than I was, because she was really shy, but eventually she became friends with another lesbian Angel, then they moved to Avalon together to get away from them.

"The story really inspired me, so I decided I would move here, too. I knew that Avalon would be way better than Asgard, and I also wanted to meet the two Angel girls Ms. Snowpeak told me about."

Spike raised a brow. "Who are they?"

"I don't know," Scootaloo replied with a frown. "Ms. Snowpeak never told me their names."

"Why not?"

"Because she said that they didn't want everyone to know what they were." Scootaloo looked down ashamedly. "Not that I blame them..." she muttered. "I mean, you're my only friend who knows about this."

"Not even Sweetie or Apple Bloom know?"

"No...." Scootaloo whispered. Tears began welling in her eyes again. "If... if they knew-"

"Well, I think that Sweetie, at least, would be safe to tell," Spike interrupted her.

Scootaloo turned surprisedly to him. "W-what?"

"She wasn't bothered at all by knowing that Rarity's mentor was gay," Spike pointed out.

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "He was?" she asked surprisedly.

"Yeah."

"How did you find out?"

"Oh, I just asked Sweetie why Rarity was allowed to have a male mentor. She didn't seem to think it was that important, though."

Scootaloo blinked, then smiled. So Sweetie probably wouldn't care. That, at least, was a great comfort to her.

"So anyway, back to your story," Spike said. "So, you decided to move here...?"

"Oh, yeah!" Scootaloo cried. "Once I decided to come to Avalon, I started saving up to move out. I looked for loose coins on the street, and I got really good at it." Scootaloo smirked as she rapped the side of the treehouse's wall with her knuckles. "Most of the money for this baby was mine."

Spike grinned.

Scootaloo continued, "So once I saved up enough, I bought a tent, some clothes, some food, and some other stuff. I left a note on my bed at the orphanage for Ms. Snowpeak so she wouldn't worry, then I snuck out."

"So you ran away?" Spike asked.

"Yeah. Then I broke a bit of cloud from the edge of the city and floated to the ground. I ran through the edge of the Everfree Forest, using a map to find my way to Avalon."

Scootaloo beamed as she continued, "Once I got here, I was absolutely blown away by how much better it was than Asgard. At first, some people were worried, because I was a runaway, but once they saw I could take care of myself they stopped worrying about me. I made some friends, I started going to school, and everyone was really nice.

"I lived in my tent in an alley for a long time, but then one day Stephen came up to me and asked me why I was there. I told him what I'd told everyone: I wanted a life of adventure, and didn't want to be tied down to one spot forever.

"He knew I wasn't telling the truth though. He asked me if I was alright, and he was so caring and kind that I realized I couldn't lie to him. I broke down and told him that I'd run away from home because I was bullied.

"I told him that I was bullied because I'm gay and can't fly. Then he smiled at me and told me that he was gay too, and he had moved away from Asgard to live in Avalon to escape bullying there, too.

"He said that I needed to go back to the orphanage. I told him there was no way in Tartarus I was going back, but he promised me that everything would be okay, and offered to take me back there himself. He was so comforting that I told him okay, so he walked with me back to Asgard.

"Once we got up Mt. Thunder and were walking through the city, I fell through a gap in the clouds. I was falling, so Stephen dived down and caught me before I hit the ground. He held my hand so I wouldn't fall again the rest of the way to the orphanage, and I've never felt so safe with someone before. I never wanted him to let go.

"When we reached the orphanage, Ms. Snowpeak was incredibly relieved. She told me that she had been really worried about me, and that she was glad I was alright. She thanked Stephen for bringing me back, then Stephen asked if she could talk alone with us.

"Once we were in a room by ourselves, Stephen told her that he would like to adopt me." Here Scootaloo smiled more broadly than Spike had ever seen her before. A tear streaked down her face as she continued, "It was the happiest moment of my life. I asked him if he really meant it, and he told me that he did. He said he wanted to be my dad."

A small, joyous whimper escaped Scootaloo's lips. "I told him yes, and I begged Ms. Snowpeak to let me do it. Ms. Snowpeak said that I would have to stay there for a few days, but if he cleared the processing then he would be allowed to adopt me.

"The kids were awful to me again for the week that I was there, but I didn't care. I was going to have a dad. I was going to have a home.

"Stephen was cleared, then he adopted me. He brought me here, and I've been living here ever since."

Spike sat silently for a few moments after Scootaloo had completed her story. "I'm so glad," he said softly. He wrapped an arm around Scootaloo and said, "You're pretty awesome, Scoots."

Scootaloo grinned at him. "You're an amazing friend, Spike...." she said.

"HEY!" Spike and Scootaloo jumped at the shout that came up from below them. They looked down, and saw Sweetie glaring up at them. "What are you two doing?!" she demanded.

"Uh... talking?" Scootaloo replied uncertainly.

Sweetie glowered at them. "Yeah, right," she growled.

Spike burst into laughter. "Oh! You thought we were-" he began.

"I knew it!" Sweetie cried. She furiously pointed at Spike as she shouted, "I knew that you were just a two-bit pick-up artist! You and all that claptrap about being nice and sensitive-"

"No, Sweetie!" Scootaloo cried, holding up her hands in protest. "I don't like Spike!"

Sweetie snorted derisively. "Yeah, likely story!"

"No, really!" Scootaloo cried. "I just like him as a friend! I promise!"

"Don't let him fool you, Scootaloo!" Sweetie replied. "He may say that he just wants to be your friend, but he's actually-"

"Even if he tried, he couldn't get me to like him!" Scootaloo interrupted her, a smile slowly forming over her face.

Sweetie gave a disbelieving look back to her. "Oh, really?"

"I'm serious!" Scootaloo cried. "Spike has never had a chance with me! I'm gay!"

Sweetie's expression immediately became one of pure shock. "W-wha-what?"

Scootaloo laughed, "Yeah! I am!"

Sweetie's mouth opened slightly. "B-but I... I... wha... huh?"

"Yeah, she was just telling me about it!" Spike shouted, a wide grin spread across his face. "You won't tell anyone, right, Sweetie?"

"I... I..." Sweetie stammered. After a moment, however, she shook her head. "N-no. Of course I won't," she said.

Scootaloo and Spike laughed again as Sweetie's face began to deeply flush with embarrassment.

After Scootaloo and Spike's laughter had faded, Sweetie said, still looking away from them, "Umm, your dad's here, Scootaloo. He says it's time to come home."

"Really?" Scootaloo said, standing up. She looked over at Spike. "But we-"

Spike shrugged. "We can always work on it more tomorrow. Go and get a good night's sleep, Scoots."

After a moment, Scootaloo nodded and smiled. "...Yeah, I will," she said. "Thanks for listening to me, by the way, Spike."

"Oh, not at all," Spike said, waving his hand dismissively.

"I feel like I've got a big weight off my chest now," Scootaloo said as she climbed back down the ladder.

"I'm glad," Spike replied before he followed her down.

Scootaloo found Stephen waiting at the gate, talking to Rarity. Sweetie was standing next to Rarity, idly playing with an apple in boredom. "Hi, Dad! Hi, Rarity!" Scootaloo called while waving to them.

Stephen looked over and beamed. "There she is!" he cried. "How did it go, Honey?"

"It went great, Dad," Scootaloo replied, returning his grin. "So, we going home?"

"Just about. Just let me finish my little talk with Rarity, okay, Sweetheart?"

Scootaloo groaned, "Fine...."

"So, anyway," Stephen said while turning back to Rarity, "How did the wedding practice go?"

Rarity enthusiastically replied, "Oh, it was sensational! One of the bridesmaids got some chocolate on her front, but Pinkie was able to take out the stain...."

As their caretakers continued conversing, Scootaloo leaned against the fence next to Sweetie Belle and said, "So, you're cool with it, huh?"

Sweetie gave a puzzled look to Scootaloo. "Cool about what?" she asked.

"That I'm gay," Scootaloo replied.

Looking a little surprised, Sweetie nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

Scootaloo rubbed her head and frowned as she replied, "Well... for one, while I was living in Asgard, the other girls would accuse me of watching them in the showers at gym class."

Sweetie blinked. "Well, were you?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "Not really. I mean, it's not like I didn't appreciate it, but I have my magazines for when I want to see naked girls."

Sweetie's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Flinching with sudden panic, Scootaloo hurriedly said, "Uh... nothing. Forget what I said."

"Magazines?" Sweetie asked. "What're you-"

"I meant to say something else," Scootaloo interrupted her.

"What were you trying to say?" Sweetie asked.

Scootaloo stammered, "Uh, um... I... I don't, uh... remember."

Sweetie raised a brow in suspicion, but before she could inquire further Scootaloo cleared her throat and said, "So, uh... you're not worried that I'm checking you out?"

Sweetie's expression became one of shock again. "You- are?!"

Scootaloo flinched and intensely blushed. "What? N-no! I mean, um- sometimes! No, wait! That's not what I, uh..."

Sweetie smiled at how rapidly Scootaloo was devolving in to panicked incoherence. "Hey, I don't care," she said kindly to Scootaloo. "So long as you don't watch me in the bath, you can check me out all you like."

Scootaloo let out a sigh of relief, then smiled back at Sweetie. "Alright. Well, I think you're really cute," she said.

Sweetie grinned. "Thanks! I'm flattered," she replied.

Scootaloo carefully watched Sweetie's expression for any sign of returned admiration, but to her disappointment, flattery seemed to be Sweetie's only reaction. Scootaloo didn't want to be anyone's girlfriend but Rainbow's, but she didn't at all mind the idea of having Sweetie Belle as a make-out buddy. Scootaloo also noted with a smirk that Sweetie was also very compelling as a potential sexual partner.

With a derisive scoff, Scootaloo thought to herself, Yeah, I might as well try to nail Ms. Cheerilee; it isn't any more ridiculous.

Stephen finished, "... course I'm going to be there! My, this is looking like it's going to be a wedding they'll talk about for years!"

"Oh, I know," Rarity replied. "I quite look forward to it, as well."

Rarity then placed her hand over Sweetie's shoulder, saying, "Come, Sweetie, it's time to go home."

"I think we'd better get going, too," Stephen said to Scootaloo.

Sweetie waved as she walked away from them, crying, "Bye, Scootaloo! Bye, Stephen!"

"Bye, Sweetheart!" Stephen called as he waved back.

"Bye, Sweetie!" cried Scootaloo. "See you tomorrow!"

As Stephen walked with Scootaloo back to their home, Scootaloo said, "Hey, Dad, guess what?"

"What?"

"I came out to Spike and Sweetie today!"

Stephen gasped joyously. "You did?" he said.

Scootaloo nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

"Oh, you are so brave, Scootaloo!" Stephen cried, holding her close to him. "I'm so proud of you! And from the looks of it, they were completely accepting, huh?"

"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed, laughing.

I-XIV. Apple Bloom

Apple Bloom laid in a woven hammock, gazing up at the mildly-cloudy sky. As she gently swayed with the breeze, she attempted to unravel the strange thoughts and emotions that were turning through her mind.

Apple Bloom had been woken up that day, as she was every morning, by the farm rooster. After washing up, getting dressed, and brushing her teeth, she had eaten a big breakfast of pancakes doused in maple syrup with Granny Smith and her older siblings Applejack and Big Mac. Though she was very close to her family and was usually quite talkative at their meals, this morning she had been unusually quiet; she had several things bothering her, but when she had asked her family about them they hadn't given any advice that satisfied her.

On the day that she and the other Crusaders had commissioned Spike to aid them in building their clubhouse, Apple Bloom had said during her dinner with her family, "Um... guys?"

Applejack had turned to her and asked, "Yeah, Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom poked at her baked potatoes for a moment before saying, "A... Applejack.... Ah, uh, saw Diamond and Silver today...."

"Those two giving ya'll trouble again?" Applejack asked.

Apple Bloom nodded.

Granny Smith sniffed angrily. "If Ah've had a word with Mr. Rich about that daughter of his, Ah've had a hundred of 'em. He always says he's sorry 'bout her, but he never gets nothin' done about it! If ya'll ask me, that girl oughtta get a good paddlin'! Why, back in mah day, if a girl had the nerve to say some of the things Diamond says, she'd get her backside tanned with the brass end of a broad belt!"

Applejack let out a small, exasperated sigh before turning back to Apple Bloom. "What did she say this time?" she asked.

"She called me an inbred again," Apple Bloom muttered.

Applejack flinched. "We- we talked about that, remember, Apple Bloom? Remember: sticks and stones can break your bones, but words'll never hurt you."

"Yeah," Apple Bloom replied, "but somethin' she said is still botherin' me...."

"What is it?" Applejack asked.

After a moment of hesitation, Apple Bloom answered, "She asked if me or you would be the lucky girl to marry Big Mac."

Applejack tensed up and began flushing, but Big Mac let out a loud, hearty laugh. "Me, marryin' you two?" he chuckled in a low, deep voice. "Why, if that ain't the most ridiculous thing Ah've ever heard!"

"Darn tootin'!" Granny Smith added. "Ah've never heard anythin' more absurd in all mah years!"

"But...." Apple Bloom said, "why is it ridiculous? Ah mean, our parents are cousins 'n all...."

Granny Smith huffed. "Ain't it just like them high-class folk, misconfanglin' our ways like that! Ain't they got enough common sense to realize that your cousin ain't the same as your brother or sister?!"

Apple Bloom nodded, but her worries weren't sated; cousins or siblings, the fact remained that the Apples married their own relatives, which was something that other Beings simply didn't do. Apple Bloom had asked her grandmother why her parents were cousins while other kids' parents weren't, and Granny Smith had told her that it was because the Apples respected tradition and married only other Humans that also accepted those traditions. "Now and then, another seed will fall into the orchard," Granny Smith often said, "but if your orchard already has good, strong apples, you don't need pollen from any other trees, and you can't let any weeds in."

Apple Bloom had accepted this answer, though it had never fully satisfied her. Would other Beings really be so bad for her family's way of life? It was rather frightening to believe that they were, but Apple Bloom and her siblings' derision at the hands of other Beings for being "those backwards hick Apples" seemed to confirm to her their incompatibility with the outside world.

Deciding to move on to a different subject, however, Apple Bloom had said, "Okay. Well, um... the other Crusaders and Ah got someone to help us build the clubhouse!"

"Who is it?" Applejack had asked.

"Spike," Apple Bloom replied. "But... for some reason, he makes me a little nervous. Do you-?"

Granny Smith interrupted her by frowning and saying, "Now, he won't be alone with you, right, Apple Bloom?"

"N-no...." Apple Bloom said, her brow furrowing with confusion. "The other Crusader's will be with us...."

"Good," Granny Smith said with a sniff. "Ain't no good ever come from bein' alone with them Elf boys. Always a little frisky, Elf boys...."

Apple Bloom's mouth had opened slightly, but after a tense moment of silence, she closed it again and softly nodded. Her relatives had returned their attention to their meals, and she had returned to idly picking at her own food. She didn't feel any better; in fact, she had been even more anxious about they days to come than she had been when the dinner began. Her family had always cautioned her against being alone with boys, but they had never told her why; at first, she thought that it was because they picked on her more than other girls did, but she gradually began to notice that some boys didn't pick on her at all, or were even sometimes quite kind to her. However, Granny Smith cautioned Apple Bloom at all times to never be alone with any boy, and so she continued to do so and wonder what hidden danger resided within them.

As Apple Bloom laid in the hammock stretching between two of the apple trees in her orchard, she strained her mind as she attempted to decide weather she should help Spike with the clubhouse while the other Crusaders brought supplies to them today. She knew that it was fair, since the other Crusaders had done hard labor with him the previous two days; however, Apple Bloom was still going to be alone with him if she did, which was a direct disobedience to her grandmother's rules.

The possibility of disobeying Granny Smith wasn't the only source of her anxiety about working with Spike, however; Apple Bloom found that something about Spike caused her to be especially nervous around him. She had no idea why; she liked Spike quite a lot, and was always happy to see him and talk to him, but at the same time Apple Bloom found that she was always more self-conscious and anxious in his presence. She couldn't look directly into his eyes for more than a moment without blushing and looking away, and she was always grateful if she had the other Crusaders around her when she was with him, as they caused the mysterious tension she felt to ease a little.

Ultimately, Apple Bloom decided that she would help Spike; after all, if he did anything, Apple Bloom could immediately call her friends for help. But somehow, she doubted that she'd need to. After all, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were really cute, and Spike didn't seem to have tried anything with them....

Apple Bloom felt her face burning again, causing her to gasp and cover her mouth. What was going on? Why was she even more bashful than usual all of the sudden?

Apple Bloom knew she should be careful; if Spike was making her this nervous, that probably meant that she should be careful around him. She resolved to closely observe him while they worked, and watch and be prepared for any sign of trouble.

With her mind made, Apple Bloom got up from the hammock and walked back to her house. There she retrieved some milk, biscuits, and a jar of raspberry jam from her kitchen before sitting at the table to eat a small lunch. When she was finished, she returned to the barn, where she saw Spike talking with Scootaloo again.

"Hey, guys!" Apple Bloom cried cheerfully upon entering.

Spike and Scootaloo turned to her. "Hey, Bloom!" Scootaloo called back. "What's up?"

"Ya'll think we're gonna get the treehouse finished today?" Apple Bloom asked.

Spike nodded. "Yep. It'll take a lot of effort, though. That's why I'm glad you're working with me today, Apple Bloom; you're stronger than the other girls, so you'll be able to help me finish putting it together faster."

Apple Bloom blinked. "Uhh...." she said.

Spike furrowed his brow in concern. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Apple Bloom gazed at him, attempting to detect any hint of danger. However, she couldn't find any of it in his concerned, kind face. The most dangerous things about him were his sharp canine fangs, but nothing about him seemed to indicate that he had any intention of biting her.

Apple Bloom thought to herself, Ah think Ah might like it, though....

Flinching with panic, Apple Bloom's face suddenly turned as red as her hair and she immediately looked away from Spike. Where in the world did that come from? she wondered.

"Apple Bloom?" Spike said anxiously.

"Ah... Ah'm fine," Apple Bloom replied. She decided that she'd just need to be vigilant. "It's nothin'."

Spike nodded, then said, "Alright, then. Well, as soon as Sweetie Belle gets here, we'll be able to get started."

Just as Spike finished saying this, the barn door opened and Sweetie called from beyond it, "Hey, guys!"

Spike grinned widely again. "Hey, Sweetie!" he shouted, waving at her. "You ready to help Scootaloo bring the lumber to the clubhouse today?"

"Of course!" Sweetie cried back.

"Alright, let's get going, then," Spike replied. He picked up his bucket of tools while the Crusaders picked up a few of the remaining planks. They carried them to the clubhouse, which was now completed and needed only a staircase to walk up into it.

"Should Ah get the ladder?" Apple Bloom asked.

Spike shook his head. "No. We need to build the stairs' frames on the ground, then we'll use the ladder to bring them upright and nail them in position. "

Spike went to the small pile of timber they brought and grabbed two of the mid-length planks. He then nodded at the longest ones as he walked and said, "Can you bring one of those here onto the grass, Apple Bloom?"

After a moment's hesitation, Apple Bloom nodded. "Y-yeah," she said.

Apple Bloom picked up a long plank as Spike positioned the two shorter ones a few meters apart on a patch of grass nearby. Once Apple Bloom reached him, Spike said, "First, we need to screw these together." He knelt on the ground, drew his brush and resin from his bucket, and painted some over the top of one of the shorter boards. He then turned the longer board so it was on its side, as well, then he placed them together. After a few moments, he said, "Can you make sure these stay together while I ratchet the screw in?"

As the other Crusaders began walking back to the barn to get more wood, Apple Bloom nodded and knelt beside Spike. She held the two planks steady as Spike screwed them together.

Apple Bloom was silent as Spike worked, though Spike didn't seem to mind; he was focused intently on finishing the staircase, and Apple Bloom saw that he was sweating heavily from the exertion and the heat. He acted only to ask her to position another board in place; Apple Bloom began to wonder what her family had been so worried about.

However, after about an hour, there was a strange-sounding metallic crunch and Apple Bloom looked up to see Spike glaring at his ratchet.

"Shit," he muttered. "It's broken."

As he sighed and stood up, Apple Bloom worriedly asked, "Will- will we not be able to finish the clubhouse, then?"

Spike shook his head. "No, it just means we need to get a new ratchet."

Spike and Apple Bloom stood, and Apple Bloom cried, "Ah... Ah'll go tell Scootaloo that we'll need more gold! Ah-"

"No, that's alright," Spike said, smiling. "It's my own ratchet; I'll get a new one myself."

The other Crusaders were returning with more lumber over their shoulders, and Spike said to them, "Shall we take a break, girls?"

Sweetie and Scootaloo gazed surprisedly at him as they set their planks down. "Why?" Scootaloo asked.

"My ratchet's broken," Spike replied, holding the tool up. "I'm gonna need to go to the market to get another one."

Scootaloo grinned. "Alright! Hey, can we come too, Spike?"

Spike smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, of course you girls can come."

"Sweet!" Scootaloo cried. "I'll get us all ice cream and sodas!"

Spike nervously chuckled and held his hands up as he replied, "No, it's alright, Scoots, you don't need-"

"Hey, you're helping us build our clubhouse for nothing," Scootaloo said, pointing at him. "It's the least we could do."

Spike grinned. "Alright! Thanks, Scootaloo!"

After the other Crusaders had thanked Scootaloo, as well, they all walked together to Avalon's shopping district. After Spike had purchased a new ratchet, they went to the Sugar Shack, where Scootaloo took each of her friends' requests for flavors and ordered them from Pinkie, who cheerfully gave them their sodas and ice cream cones at a half-off discount.

As Spike and the Crusaders were walking down the streets, each with a treat in both hands, Spike again thanked Scootaloo: "Thanks, Scoots."

"Hey, it was nothing," Scootaloo replied. "Like I said, we didn't pay you to do this, so-"

"Well, well, well!" they heard a familiar unpleasant voice call from behind them. "If it isn't the freak clique! Hello, Blanks!"

The Crusaders' faces all twisted in anger as they turned around to face Diamond Tiara, who was nastily sneering at them.

"Leave us alone, Diamond," Sweetie said sharply.

Confused, Spike turned around, as well. Upon seeing his face, Diamond's sneer immediately disappeared. "Who- who's this?" she asked, gesturing at him.

Spike smiled warmly. "Oh, hi!" he said. "I'm Spike!"

After gazing at him for a moment, Diamond's eyes narrowed slightly as a small, coy smile spread over her lips. "Well, he-llo, Spike," she replied, almost singing. She clasped her hands behind herself and slowly walked towards him as she said, "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new here?"

"Yeah," said Spike. "I moved here just a few weeks ago."

"Where are you from?"

"Olympus. I moved here with my mentor."

Diamond's eyes widened. "Your- your mentor?" she said. "You mean- you're an apprentice of Magic?"

"Yeah," Spike said, sighing wearily. "I'm older than I look."

Diamond's smile returned. "Ah, I see," she said. "Who is your mentor?"

"Twilight Sparkle," Spike replied.

Diamond's jaw fell as her eyes again widened. "T-Twilight Sparkle?!" she cried disbelievingly. "As in the Duchess of Olympus Twilight Sparkle?!"

"Yeah," Spike said.

Diamond smiled broadly. "Well, then. I bet you're very powerful; after all, they say Twilight Sparkle is the most promising young sorceress living today. If she chose you to be her apprentice, she must've seen a lot of potential in you...." Diamond was now slinking closer to Spike, until they were only centimeters apart. Spike looked slightly confused and Sweetie looked absolutely livid.

"A boy like you must be accustomed to the finer things in life," Diamond said before throwing a contemptuous glance toward the Crusaders. "What are you doing with them?"

"He happens to be our friend," Apple Bloom said, stepping forward. She glared with intense fierceness at Diamond. "He was actually just helping us build our clubhouse."

Diamond looked surprisedly back at Spike. "Really?" she said.

"Uh, yeah...?" Spike said uncertainly.

"Oh," Diamond said, visibly a little disappointed. She turned away and muttered under her breath, "Oh, well. Mother's told me that some of them enjoy indulging the rabble."

Diamond sighed and began walking away. After a moment, however, she stopped and turned with a small smile back to Spike. "When you get bored of these... erm, quaint little commoners, and want to experience something a bit more... substantial, feel free to look for me. I'm Baroness Diamond Tiara. Feel free to ask for me whenever you like."

With that, she continued striding forward.

Spike blinked and was silent for a few moments. "Um... what was that?" he said, puzzled.

"That's Diamond Tiara," Apple Bloom growled, her fists clenched and trembling. "If Ah weren't raised good, Ah'd give her a piece of my mind. Ah have a few choice words Ah'd like to say to her...."

Spike's eyes widened with realization as he turned to Apple Bloom. "So she's, uh...."

"A witch," Scootaloo muttered.

"And that's putting it nicely," Sweetie added.

Without another word, Apple Bloom spun around and began marching back towards Sweet Apple Acres. Spike and the other Crusaders also turned and followed behind her. They were all completely silent for the rest of their journey back.

Once they were back at the treehouse, they stood motionless in tense silence for a moment before Spike said, "Well, um... can, uh... Sweetie, Scoots, can you two go and get us more planks?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yeah," she said. She began walking towards the barn and motioned for Scootaloo to follow, saying, "C'mon, Scoot...."

After Sweetie and Scootaloo had departed, again leaving Apple Bloom alone with Spike, they again stood silently for a few moments before Spike said, "So, uh... let's finish the staircase, shall we?"

With a brave attempt at a smile, Spike knelt back down and resumed his task of screwing the boards together.

After Apple Bloom had helped Spike continue to assemble the frame for about five minutes, Spike said, "So, uh... what's the story of you guys and Diamond?"

Apple Bloom looked down. "Ah don't wanna talk about it...." she muttered.

Spike shrugged. "Alright...." he said before returning his attention to the frame.

After a few silent moments, however, Apple Bloom realized that she did want to tell Spike; after all, he had done nothing but be completely kind and understanding ever since he came to Avalon. Even if he made her nervous, and she didn't know why, Apple Bloom knew that it wasn't because he was untrustworthy; in fact, she slowly began to believe that he made her nervous partially because of how completely trustworthy he was.

"A-actually," Apple Bloom said, to which Spike looked up at her. She continued, "Ah... Ah think that Ah actually do want to tell you, Spike."

Spike nodded. "I'm listening," he said.

Apple Bloom began, "So, my parents are cousins. Ah don't think Ah can start anywhere else. Both of their mas were sisters, so Granny Smith is my grandma and my great-aunt.

"They were married by my great-grandpa, and since they were his successors, they stayed on Sweet Apple Acres. Not long after they were married, they had my brother Big Mac. They had Applejack a year later, and Ah was born when Big Mac and Applejack were little.

"We Apples are very close- our brothers and sisters and cousins and aunts and uncles are our best friends. We dance and sing and play together, and we tell each other everything. We're stubborn, and we often say that you'll sooner make a mountain stand out of your way than get any of us to stop being there for each other.

"We have to be- because the world don't accept us. My great-grandma and great-grandpa and their family used to be Sonatians, and so nobody would do any business with them or let them stay anywhere for the night. But when Princess Celestia heard about them, she felt sorry for them and gave them this land as a gift. They settled here and made it Sweet Apple Acres.

"At first, it was hard for my family to do business, 'cause nobody wanted nothin' to do with anyone who used to be cultists. But no one grows better apples than the Apple clan, and soon enough we were able to start sellin' our apples and apple cider and apple treats to folks from all around.

"But even though they were willing to do business with us, nobody would be our friends. Nobody wanted to marry any Apples, and nobody wanted to have anything to do with any Apples at all. And since none of our family could get married or make friends, we said, 'Well, we'll just have to marry and make friends with each other, then!'

"So my aunts started marryin' my uncles, but we always had a rule that you couldn't marry your ancestors, siblings, or parents' siblings. It has to be one of your cousins. If you don't marry your cousin, you have to marry another Human that accepts the Apple way of life.

"But no one understood our rules, or why we made them. They started callin' us backwards, inbred hicks. When Big Mac and Applejack went to school, the other kids gave 'em a lot of trouble for havin' cousins for parents. Both of 'em are pretty shy, so they weren't able to do much. But I was shyer than any of them, and so I got bullied more'n any of them.

"Diamond was the worst one. Her and her friend, Silver Spoon. And they didn't just give me hell for bein' inbred, either; every other kid in my grade got their Mark, but Ah still don't have mine. They tell me that I'm so inbred that Ah'll never get a Mark at all, because Ah don't have any Special Talents at all."

Tears rolled down Apple Bloom's cheeks, and she sniffed.

After a few moments, Spike said, "But... the other Cutie Mark Crusaders don't have their Marks, either."

Apple Bloom smiled. "Yeah," she said. "You're right. They don't."

"I bet that's why you three became friends, huh?"

"Yeah."

"How did you become friends, though?"

Apple Bloom leaned back. "Well," she said, "when they first moved to Avalon, Ah didn't talk to 'em."

"Why not?"

"They made me nervous," Apple Bloom replied. She blushed a little as she silently observed, Just like you do, Spike.

"Why?" Spike asked.

Apple Bloom shrugged. "Ah don't know," she said. "Ah've just always been nervous around folks that ain't my family."

Spike nodded. "Alright. Go on."

"So anyway," Apple Bloom continued, "when Diamond had a birthday party after she got her Mark, her dad forced her to invite me and the other Crusaders. I had one friend, named Twist, who I knew didn't have her Mark- but just before the party, she showed me that she'd gotten her Mark in candy making. Ah guess she's gonna be apprenticed to Bon-Bon now.

"But Ah was so ashamed, because everyone else had their Marks now. Ah couldn't bear to be the only one without one, so Ah bought a long skirt to hide my legs when Ah went to the party.

"When Ah got there, Diamond called me an inbred blank again. Ah said Ah wasn't, because Ah had my Mark. When Diamond asked to see it, Ah said that it was so amazing it'd probably distract everyone from her, so she let me be.

"But then, Ah tripped on my skirt and it got ripped off, and everyone saw that Ah still didn't have my Mark. Diamond started laughing at me, but then Sweetie and Scootaloo told her to stop. They said that they were blank, too, and that there's nothin' wrong with that."

Apple Bloom grinned. "Ah was so grateful to them that Ah sat down with them. They told me that Scootaloo's dad is Rarity's hairstylist, and that they'd told each other about how they were both bullied for bein' blanks. They thought they should meet each other, and then they became friends. When they met me, we said we should start a club dedicated to gettin' our Marks. And so, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were born!"

Apple Bloom pumped her fist in the air victoriously, and turned to Spike, who was smiling at her. "I'm glad you were able to make friends with them," he said.

"Thanks," Apple Bloom replied.

Spike continued, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't care that your parents are cousins or that your family were Sonatians."

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "You- you don't?" she whispered.

Spike laughed, "Of course not! You haven't done anything wrong, so why should I care that your ancestors were cultists, or if your parents are cousins? I don't know anything about my parents; for all I know, they're criminals, or siblings!"

Apple Bloom gasped elatedly. "Ya'll... ya'll really don't care...?"

Spike grinned as he shook his head. "Not at all. No matter what you're family's done, or ever will do, I will always be your friend."

Apple Bloom weepingly embraced Spike.

It was late dusk when they completed the treehouse. Spike and the Crusaders stood upon the wooden stairs, leaning against the handrails and looking up into the sky. Apple Bloom turned to look at Spike, then smiled again. She decided: she didn't care what her family said or thought anymore. She didn't care that Spike was a boy, or that he was an Elf; he was one of the most amazing friends she'd ever had. She'd do whatever she wanted with him, and she wouldn't let anyone stop her.

She began blushing again, and softly giggled. He still made her nervous, but she decided that she could get used to it.

I-XV. Zecora

"Alright. Do you have three quills?"

"Check."

"Two inkwells?"

"Check."

"Eight sheets of parchment?"

"Check."

"Your notes on your Spellcasting studies and your outlines for next year's Alchemy studies?"

"Check and check."

Twilight grinned. "Good work, Spike. You really did come prepared."

Spike smiled back at his mentor as Twilight handed him a small stack of papers. "Here's your midsummer test," Twilight said. "Like I promised, if you can get ninety-five percent of the questions correct, I'll get you a bag of chocolates and a cupcake at the Sugar Shack. Get all of them correct, and I'll get you the bag of chocolates and a whole cake."

Spike nodded as he took the test. "Thanks, Twilight! You're the best!" he said.

Twilight nodded at the plushest armchair in the library and said, "I'm going to be reading until you're finished. It should only take a couple hours. Good luck, Spike!"

And with that, Twilight strode to the armchair, where a thick hardback book rested. She picked up the book, curled up on the chair, and began reading; Spike saw from the title on its cover that it was The Complete Poems and Plays of Ellen Nevermore.

Spike made a small laugh. Of course Twilight would be reading that; Ellen Nevermore's plays were her go-to reading material for occupying any of her long waiting periods, from train rides to medical appointments to waiting for something to finish baking. The volume was over a thousand pages long, so even a reader as fast as Twilight could easily kill several hours with it.

Spike took a deep breath, sat at the writing-desk, and began twisting the lid off one of his inkwells. Twilight had promised him a whole cake if he could get every single question on this test correct, so he was absolutely determined to do so. The only thing Spike thought could have motivated him to get nothing wrong on the test even more was if Twilight had promised to let him watch her bathe as the reward.

Spike read the top question of the first page: "What are the names, atomic numbers, and atomic weights of all the known elements?"

Spike smiled. This would be easy; thanks to Twilight's excellent teaching, he knew the Periodic Table by heart. He scribbled on the top sheet of his blank parchment, "Atomic number one: hydrogen; weight: one point zero zero eight. Atomic number two: helium; weight: four point zero zero three...."

Spike soon fell into a trancelike focus as he continued to write the entirety of the periodic table.

While Spike worked, Twilight read one of Nevermore's most famous plays, Silent Scream. She always thoroughly enjoyed the chills that ran through her body as she read the story of a young, troubled Angel who ventured into a disconcerting abandoned town in search of her dead boyfriend. Praised by scholars as one of the most original, unsettling, and beautiful literary works ever written, it was also widely adored by the Role-Playing Gaming community for being one of Gaben Bellevue's primary inspirations for Steam; its hopelessness and the famous twist that the mechanical, steam-powered town was sentient and was itself the monster of the story were widely credited as instrumental in Gaben Bellevue's crafting of his game's world.

Twilight had finished the iconic play and was in the middle of one of Nevermore's more lengthy poems when she heard Spike loudly clack his pen against the desk as he cried, "I'm done!"

Twilight looked up, then turned to their clock. It was about eleven o'clock. So Spike had taken a few hours.

Closing her book and sitting up, Twilight walked to Spike, who was grinning at her. "Good work, Spike," she said. She held her hand out to him, which he placed his answer sheets in.

Twilight scanned down each of the sheets, carefully ensuring that each of them was correct. After about fifteen minutes, she finished her evaluation of the final answer and nodded in approval. "Great job, Spike!" she said cheerfully, turning to him. "You got every one of them right."

"Yes!" Spike cried, pumping his fist.

As Spike stood up, Twilight asked, "So, what kind of cake do you think you'd like?"

"Ice and sea, probably," Spike replied.

Twilight sighed with a small smile as she rolled her eyes. "Of course," she said.

Spike shrugged. "What can I say? There's nothing like rock candy."

"Remember, though, Spike: it's going to be a small cake."

"Fine, whatever," Spike replied, waving his hand dismissively.

Twilight put her play collection away, then she and Spike exited the library and made their way to Avalon's town square.

However, as they were striding down Avalon's streets, Twilight and Spike were struck by how quiet it was. After a few minutes, they began to look around, and they saw that nobody else seemed to be out.

"That's odd," Twilight said. "Avalon's usually really busy now."

"Maybe everyone's on some kind of holiday?" Spike suggested.

Twilight's brow furrowed as she continued looking around for some sign of any other Beings. Spike said, "Is there any celebration going on today?"

"Not that I know of," Twilight replied.

After a few moments, Spike said, "Maybe the zombie apocalypse has begun, so the zombies ate everyone and we're the only survivors."

"There's no such thing as zombies," Twilight said flatly.

"I was joking, Twilight."

Twilight rolled her eyes again, but she began to feel slightly uneasy; after all, why would all of her neighbors just suddenly disappear like this?

Soon enough, they reached town square, which was just as eerily silent and empty as the rest of the streets had been. Twilight and Spike stepped up to the front door of Sugar Cube Corner, where Twilight sharply knocked upon it. "Hello?" she called. "Is anyone there?"

There was a frightened squeak, then Twilight saw a pair of blue eyes beneath a head of curly pink hair peek up over the window's edge at her. Pinkie's eyes widened as she whispered, "Twilight!"

Pinkie opened the door, then gestured for Spike and Twilight to enter, anxiously hissing "Come in! Hurry!" as she did so.

Growing a little worried themselves, Spike and Twilight quickly entered the shop as Pinkie closed the door behind them. Once the door was closed and locked again, Pinkie whispered, "Come with me," as she walked towards the glass front counter, gesturing for Spike and Twilight to follow.

Pinkie led them behind the counter, where they found Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom crouching fearfully under it. Applejack sighed as she said, "Thank Celestia you two are safe!"

"What's going on?" Twilight asked worriedly.

The girls all hissed, "Shh!" and motioned for Twilight and Spike to crouch beside them. After they did so, Twilight repeated more quietly, "What's going on? Why are you all hiding behind the counter?"

"She's out there!" Fluttershy squeaked, scrunching her eyes closed and trembling with terror.

"Who?" said Twilight.

"Zecora!" Apple Bloom whispered.

Applejack glared at her sister and hissed, "Hush, Apple Bloom! Ah told you never to say that name!"

"'Zecora'...?" Twilight said, raising a brow in puzzlement. "Who's she?"

"She's an Elf that lives in the Everfree Forest!" Rainbow whispered.

"What's wrong with her?" Twilight asked.

The other girls gaped astonishedly at her. "What's wrong with her?" Rainbow said. "I just told you, Twilight: she lives in the Everfree Forest!"

Twilight raised a brow again. "So?" she said.

"Ain't nobody should live in the Everfree Forest!" Applejack said. "That place ain't natural! Ah got the heebie-jeebies real bad just by bein' in there!"

Twilight was getting more confused every second. "That's it?" she said. "You're scared of her because she lives in the Everfree Forest?"

"It's not just that!" Rainbow said. "She also has these creepy white fake Marks on her arms, her hair is really weird, and they say she does nothing but brew potions over a cauldron all day!"

After a moment of wide-eyed surprise, Twilight sighed with exasperation. "Oh, please," she muttered, standing up. "Honestly...."

"What are you doing, Twilight?!" Pinkie said. "Come back down here!"

Twilight didn't answer her; instead, she walked to the window, where she peered outside. She heard her friends continue to whisper, "Don't, Twilight! She'll see you!" but she remained there, watching for this Elf woman they were hiding from.

After a few minutes, Twilight saw a figure step into view. A rough-spun brown hood shielded her face and most of her body from view, but Twilight could see a pair of long legs and bare feet emerging from under the cloak as she walked.

The legs and feet were a very deep brown, reminding Twilight of dark chocolate. Twilight also saw a pair of golden anklets around the figure's right ankle. After a few moments, the figure stopped and removed her hood. Twilight could see intricate, white rings of tattoos around her arms, and when her head was exposed Twilight could see that it was completely shaved except for a mohawk, which was striped black and white like a zebra's mane.

The hooded woman began speaking, and Twilight saw from her body language that she seemed to be calling to see if anyone was there. Just before the woman turned to face Twilight, however, Twilight suddenly felt her wrists get grabbed as she was roughly pulled back to the counter. "H-hey!" she cried, but her captor didn't release her until they were again huddled beneath the glass counter.

"What were you doing, Twilight?!" said Pinkie, who was the one that had brought Twilight back. "She might've seen you!"

Twilight folded her arms and frowned. "What's wrong with that?" she asked flatly.

"What's wrong with that?!" Rarity cried. "Why, she could've done something to you, Twilight!"

Twilight sighed. "I don't think Zecora's planning on doing anything to anyone," she said. "She looks like a completely ordinary Everfree to me."

The other girls' eyes all widened in surprise. "An Everfree?" they asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. She's just an Elf from the Everfree Kingdom, that's all."

Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "Then why does she stir a boiling cauldron all day long?!"

"Because she's an Alchemist," Twilight replied. "Lots of Everfree practice Alchemy. After all, their Prince is Sekhmet, the God of Medicine."

"She's an Alchemist?" Rarity asked. "But she isn't using any instruments or burners or-"

"Everfree don't use the instruments Equestrians use," Twilight interrupted her. "We study the Athenian school of Alchemy, which uses burners and retorts and beakers. In the Everfree school of Alchemy, they use ancient tools, such as cauldrons and mortars and pestles, and measure ingredients with their hands."

"What about those creepy Marks around her arms?!" Pinkie cried.

Twilight answered exasperatedly, "Those aren't Marks; those are tattoos. They're artificial markings made by piercing your skin with ink. They're traditional in Everfree culture."

"What are those garish things for?!" Rarity asked. "To mutilate your own skin like that...!"

"They're Ritual Circles," Twilight said, growing steadily more annoyed every second. "Everfree Elves tattoo the Circles they frequently use onto their arms so that they don't have to redraw them over and over again."

"What were Zecora's tattoos for, then?" Rarity asked.

Twilight opened her mouth as if to reply, but she was silent as she realized that she didn't know what the Circles tattooed around Zecora's arms were for. "I... don't know," she said, looking down. "The characters and designs were Everfree, and all I know is East Dragon Imperial and Elvish...."

"So she could be a witch!" Rainbow said, frowning angrily. "I bet those Circles are for blowing people's heads up!"

Twilight frowned at the word Rainbow had just used to describe Zecora, as "witch" was often used as a derogatory racial slur for Elves. Before she could reply, however, Fluttershy tremblingly whispered, "Or... maybe they're for brewing poisons!"

Pinkie piped up, "Yeah! I even wrote a song about it!"

Rainbow sighed, "Here we go...."

Pinkie nervously danced as she sang,

"She's an evil enCHANTRESS!
She does evil DANCES!
And if you look deep in her EYES,
She'll put you in TRANCES!
Then what will she DO?
She'll mix up an evil BREW
And she'll gobble you UP
In a big, tasty STEW
So, WATCH OUT!!"

Upon completing her song, Pinkie held her hands high up in the air, curling her fingers like claws, and breathed so heavily that Spike and the other girls could see her ribs through her shirt. After a few silent moments, Twilight said, "Wow, catchy."

"It's a work in progress," Pinkie replied, grinning.

"But, girls," Twilight said, "have you actually seen Zecora do anything bad?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow said. "About once a month, she comes into Avalon and lurks around the streets! Then, she shouts something really weird-sounding, knocks on some people's doors, then leaves without another word!"

Twilight rolled her eyes exasperatedly, then sarcastically moaned, "Ooh, terrifying!"

After groaning into her hand, Twilight said, "Girls, have you considered that Zecora might be just walking through the streets, lurk-free, to do some shopping?"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom agreed, standing up. "Maybe she's just tryin' to be neighborly!"

"Hush now, Apple Bloom!" Applejack scolded her, gently pushing her towards the stairs. "Go play somewhere else while the big girls talk!"

Apple Bloom glared towards her sister as she muttered, "Ah am a big girl. Ah'm not a baby anymore...."

Applejack said to Twilight, "Somethin' just don't feel right about Zecora! Ah can feel it in my bones!"

"Well, I think that if someone were brave enough to actually talk to Zecora," Twilight replied, glaring at Applejack, "I bet she'd see that Zecora's not evil at all!"

As Applejack began to shoot a counterargument at Twilight, Apple Bloom softly smiled as she whispered to herself, "Yeah! Ah'll go talk to her!" She then quietly crept to the front door, opened it, and silently walked into the town square.

Zecora was still there, knocking on someone's door. She didn't see Apple Bloom, who spied on her as she hid behind a barrel that stood near the Sugar Shack. When nobody answered her, Zecora stepped back down to the street and began walking westward, towards the Everfree Forest. Trembling slightly, Apple Bloom swallowed and quietly followed after her.

Twilight was still loudly arguing with Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow as Pinkie Pie continued to dance around them and sing, "... And she'll gobble you UP in a big, tasty STEW! With the DANCES! And the TRANCES!"

In the meantime, Spike was leaning against the counter, crunching on a chunk of cherry-flavored rock candy. He turned to where Apple Bloom had been standing and began to comment, "Pretty ridiculous, huh-?" However, upon seeing that Apple Bloom had disappeared, Spike turned and said, "Hey, girls!"

Twilight, who had been shouting at Applejack, immediately glared towards Spike and sharply asked, "What?!"

"Where did Apple Bloom go?" Spike said.

The girls all immediately fell silent, then began looking around themselves as Applejack fearfully cried out, "Apple Bloom?! Where are ya, Sis?!"

Rarity looked at the still-open front door, then covered her mouth and gasped, "Oh no!" The others immediately turned to the door, as well as she pointed at it and cried, "Apple Bloom's gone after her!"

Applejack's eyes widened enormously with panic. "No! No!" she cried, pushing past her friends to get through the door.

After looking at each other for a moment, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie began running after Apple Bloom, as well. Twilight turned and said to Spike, "Stay here in case Apple Bloom comes back, okay, Spike?"

Spike nodded. "I will, Twilight," he said.

With a small, grateful smile, Twilight ran out after her friends.

It wasn't difficult for Apple Bloom to remain undetected as she followed Zecora to the Everfree Forest. She maintained a fair distance from Zecora, hiding behind alleys and crates to keep out of her sight. In only a few minutes, they reached where the road ended and became a dirt path winding into the dense, dark edge of the forest. Zecora leisurely strolled into the trees, but Apple Bloom hesitated before doing the same. She gazed fearfully at the shadowy darkness under the forest's trees for a few moments, remembering how many hundreds of thousands of times that her brother, sister, and grandmother had cautioned her against ever entering it. Some of the scariest stories she'd ever heard were about this vast, mysterious wood. She'd heard that there were ghosts and zombies here.

However, Apple Bloom shook her head and peered forward determinedly. She took a deep breath, then stepped into the forest after Zecora.

For the first few meters, Apple Bloom thought it wasn't so bad; after all, the trees were quite pretty, and she could hear birds and squirrels chittering in the leaves above her. She smiled as she gazed around. However, something felt a little... odd about it. As though something were just slightly out of place. Apple Bloom couldn't place what it was, but it left her a little unsettled.

Taking another deep breath, Apple Bloom kept pressing forward. That strange, out-of-place feeling grew little by little as she continued advancing through the trees. She kept to the path, though she found herself hoping that it wouldn't mysteriously disappear from beneath her feet.

It grew steadily darker, and Apple Bloom began to squint as she continued navigating and trying to make out what laid before her. Darker, and darker still, the sunlight grew ever dimmer as Apple Bloom's apprehension swelled....

Suddenly, Apple Bloom thought she caught a glimpse of something in the corner of her eye. Her eyes widened as she turned her head. She could've sworn that she just saw a blonde girl in a white dress who looked just a little older than her behind one of the trees.

However, there was no one there.

Shivering, Apple Bloom continued walking forward.

Apple Bloom kept to the path, hoping that it would lead to somewhere less frightening than here. She gradually began to regret ever coming here, and wished that she'd listened to Applejack and stayed out of the forest. Just as the tension within her came to a peak, however, Apple Bloom saw a faint glow. Her eyes widened as she turned to it, and she saw the hooded figure of Zecora walking to what seemed to be light emerging from a window.

"H-hey...!" Apple Bloom called out, to which Zecora stopped.

"Z-Zecora...?" Apple Bloom called, stepping slowly towards her.

Zecora turned around, and Apple Bloom could see that she was frowning. However, the rest of her face and body were hidden by her cloak.

"What are you doing here?" Zecora asked, her voice carrying a heavy, distinctive accent.

"Ah... Ah wanted to meet you, Zecora," Apple Bloom replied, a wide smile on her face.

Zecora was silent.

Apple Bloom's smile slowly faded as she quietly asked, "Z-Zecora?"

"Coming here was a mistake," Zecora said. She stepped towards Apple Bloom, who took a step back and began wondering if she should run.

However, as Zecora began to reach an arm out towards her, Apple Bloom suddenly heard Applejack's voice call out from behind her, "Apple Bloom! Where are ya, Sis?!"

Apple Bloom smiled relievedly as she turned around. She called back, "Ah... Ah'm here, Sis!"

"Apple Bloom!" Apple Bloom heard her sister call out again, and a few seconds later she saw Applejack step out from between some low-hanging willow branches.

There was only a patch of blue-leafed plants and some small boulders standing between them, so Apple Bloom began to run towards Applejack, whose friends began to emerge from behind her, as well. Apple Bloom cried, "Appleja-!" but stopped short when she felt someone grab her arm.

Apple Bloom turned and saw that it was Zecora who had grabbed her, and that she was holding her back.

"You get yer hands off of mah sister!" Applejack snarled, leaning in a sprint towards them.

"No!" Zecora cried, holding her hand up. "Stop!"

Applejack did, skidding to a halt just before the patch of blue leaves. Her five friends soon came to her side and looked fearfully at Zecora, as well.

"Do not come any closer!" Zecora cried. "I warn you, a great danger will fall upon you if you come any closer!"

Applejack's face twisted in rage as she stepped forward and growled, "If you do anythin' to my sister, Ah swear Ah'll-"

"No, stop!" Zecora cried, pulling Apple Bloom away.

Apple Bloom let out a small cry of pain as Zecora tugged her arm back, prompting Applejack and her friends to run towards Zecora through the blue leaf patch.

They all came to a shocked stop, however, as Zecora let out a furious scream. She held her hand up as she shouted something in a foreign language none of them understood, then said in East Dragon Imperial, "Fools! What you've done is most unwise!" She shouted something else in her native language, then said, "Stay there! I must get something for you!" before releasing Apple Bloom and running towards her house.

After a moment of stunned silence, Applejack's angry frown returned as she jogged to Apple Bloom's side as she cried, "Well- ya'll- ya'll can just keep your creepy curses to yourself, Zecora!"

Rainbow loudly voiced her agreement as Twilight stepped out of the patch, as well, and confusedly said, "Curses?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow said, running up to their side, as well. "Zecora was just trying to curse us!"

Twilight frustratedly groaned before saying, "Are you kidding me? You two actually believe in curses?!"

"And you don't?!" Rainbow cried. "Yeah, that's rich, comin' from Miss Magic-Pants herself!"

Twilight frowned at Rainbow. "Curses are superstitious nonsense," she said. "It's not real Magic. Magic, true Magic, comes from within. It's a power you're born with; it's the energy from your soul. It can only be fashioned into substances or energies; nothing more. Curses are just something Beings came up with to explain how things like droughts and diseases happened before we had science to explain them."

Applejack scoffed. "Oh yeah, Twilight?" she said. "So what was Zecora shoutin' at us just now?"

Twilight groaned, then angrily replied, "I don't know, but I do know that it wasn't a curse! There's. No. Such. Thing. As. Curses!!"

Applejack huffed contemptuously. "Ah don't care what ya'll say," she replied. "We Apples have seen curses, and we know they're real! And Ah know that Zecora just put one on us!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie cried. "Because she's an evil enCHANTRESS! With the DANCES! And the TRANCES!"

Twilight roared with frustration before shouting, "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BELIEVE IN THEM, THE FACT IS THAT CURSES DON'T EXIST!"

After panting heavily for a moment, Twilight muttered, "They. Are. Just. Stories. They. Are. Not. True."

Applejack sniffed. "Just you wait, Twilight," she said. "You'll see that some stories really are true."

She then grabbed Apple Bloom's arm and began walking back down the path, saying, "C'mon, missy. You're in a heap o' trouble."

Apple Bloom groaned, "C'mon, Applejack!"

"Hush, Apple Bloom," Applejack muttered. "Just you wait till Ah tell Granny about this."

Apple Bloom struggled to escape Applejack's grip as she protested, "Please, don't tell Granny!"

As Apple Bloom continued to struggle against Applejack, the other girls looked at Twilight for a moment, then began walking after them. After standing quietly for a few moments, Twilight sighed wearily and began following them, as well.

I-XVI. Soul Toxin

Twilight tossed and turned in her bed. Spike was slumbering peacefully across the room from her, but Twilight's entire night had been plagued by nightmares. All of them were somehow related to her Talent at Magic; in the first dream she'd had that night, a ghoul had ripped her Soul out of her body, rendering her utterly unable to cast spells. In another, she had become a vengeful demon of fire while she was at the Olympian Magic Academy, and subsequently tried to burn down everything and everyone there. At that moment, she was dreaming that Zecora had her tied up and was slowly lowering her into a boiling cauldron, fiendishly laughing that Twilight would be the perfect ingredient for finishing her potion to unseal Discord.

In the dream, Twilight tearfully begged Zecora not to dump her in the cauldron. With a cruel smile, Zecora drew a jagged dagger from her belt and swiped at the rope that suspended Twilight above the boiling liquid. Twilight screamed for a fraction of a second as she fell towards the cauldron, and at the moment she hit the surface of the boiling potion she bolted up, awake, panting, and drenched in sweat.

Twilight took several minutes to calm down, and was only able to assuage her fears by reminding herself that Spike was there in the room with her, too. Once Twilight had relaxed somewhat and had a better grip on what reality was, she quietly got up and went to the bathroom.

Twilight splashed some cold water onto her face before grabbing the edges of the sink and taking several deep breaths. She felt strange. She was wondering if she'd gotten sick, as she felt oddly drained and slightly nauseous. She was very tired, but she didn't want to go to sleep again, for fear of her nightmares returning.

Twilight glared into the sink and growled, "Damn my stupid stomachache... this had better just be indigestion. I do not want more than one night like this after tonight...."

Twilight cupped her hand to the faucet, turned it back on, and took a small drink from it. She then took a few more deep breaths, decided she felt a little better, and returned to her bed.

She closed her eyes, but just as she began to feel herself drift back into sleep, the words of Applejack resounded through her mind: Just you wait, Twilight. You'll see that some stories really are true.

Shivering, Twilight's eyes opened again. Was this illness she had caught... a curse? After all, she'd had sicknesses that had given her nightmares before, but never this incessantly.

After a few tense, fearful moments, Twilight's eyes narrowed as she groaned annoyedly and muttered under her breath, "Oh, so now you're buying that superstitious nonsense too, huh, Twi?"

Using a breathing technique Celestia had taught her to meditate, Twilight slowly cleared her mind until it was eased enough to allow her some sleep again.

Twilight had no more nightmares that night, and awoke not entirely well-rested but nonetheless feeling much better the next morning. She was woken by the library's grandfather clock, which was silent throughout the night and began striking the hours at seven in the morning. After blearily opening her eyes, Twilight moaned, sat up, stretched, and called to the curled form in the bed across the room from her, "Get up, Spike. It'll be time for work soon."

Responding with a groan of his own, Spike sat up and yawned as Twilight went to their bathroom. She idly picked up her toothbrush, put some paste on it, and began brushing her teeth before looking up in the mirror. Her hair was an absolute mess, which caused her to sigh. "Well, I wasn't very still last night," she muttered. She picked up her hairbrush and began smoothing her hair back down as she chuckled, "Maybe Zecora cursed my hair."

However, as Twilight combed down her bangs, she saw something that caused her eyes to widen and her brush to slip from her fingers and fall to the floor. Panicking, Twilight turned her hand around to look directly at its back. Indeed, she had seen correctly; there was a rash of green spots over her Mark.

Twilight let out a long, high shriek of terror, to which Spike hurriedly sprinted to the door and burst in, crying, "Twilight! What-?!"

"My hands!" Twilight screamed, worriedly turning them before her face. "What happened to my hands?!"

"What's going-?" began Spike, but Twilight suddenly jerked her head up to face him.

Twilight cried, "S-stay back, Spike!" and rapidly backed away from him.

"Twilight?" Spike said, his eyes wide with worry. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

He tried stepping towards her, to which Twilight fearfully cried, "Don't, Spike! Stay back! I might be contagious!"

"Contagious?" Spike said confusedly. "Twilight, what are you talking about?"

Twilight answered by holding up her hands, showing Spike their backs. Spike's eyes widened upon seeing the rashes over her Marks. "What's that?" Spike asked.

"I don't know!" Twilight cried. "I don't know what they are...."

Before Spike could reply, however, he and Twilight heard the library's front door slam open, then they heard what must have been Pinkie's voice anxiously, incoherently sputtering something that sounded roughly like, "Ph-li-li! Ph-li! Ph-lom pelp p-e-e-e! Ph-lee-p!"

With a quick glance at each other, Twilight and Spike sprinted down the stairs, where they both gasped at what they found; a pajama-clad Pinkie was standing in the open door with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, swollen and covered in a green rash like the ones on Twilight's hands.

A drop of saliva fell from the tip of Pinkie's tongue to the floor, then she sputtered, "Ph-elp ph-e, Ph-li-li! Thomething'ph wrong wip my ph-ongue!"

"I can see that," Twilight replied, gazing a little fearfully at it.

Pinkie saw Twilight's Marks, then gasped as well."Ph-e phoph you ph-oo!" Pinkie sputtered, spraying Spike with saliva. "Ph-e-pora ph-uph a ph-urph op u-ph!"

"Hey, say it, don't spray it, Pinkie!" Spike annoyedly cried, wiping some of her spit from his face.

There was a dull thud, then they heard Rainbow's voice groan from outside, "Oooww!"

Twilight and Pinkie worriedly looked out of the door, where they found Rainbow sprawled against the ground a few meters away. Rainbow slowly climbed back onto her feet, then slowly walked towards one of the streetlights, which she placed a hand on and leaned against.

Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike immediately ran outside to Rainbow, who they saw had sustained some scrapes on her arms from her fall. Twilight also noticed that Rainbow had a green rash over the Marks on her shoulders, just like the ones Twilight had on her hands.

"What's wrong, Rainbow?" Twilight said worriedly.

Rainbow turned to Twilight, her expression showing a little disorientation. "Yo, Twi," Rainbow said, a small smile spreading over her lips.

"What's going on, Rainbow?" Twilight asked again.

Rainbow replied, "I woke up this morning, and I was dizzy as fuck. I have no idea why, because otherwise I feel fine."

Rainbow turned to Pinkie, then her eyes widened upon seeing her tongue. "Pinkie!" Rainbow cried. "What happened to your tongue?!"

Pinkie shrugged and shook her head, but Twilight held up her right hand, showing Rainbow her Mark. "The same thing that's happened to us, I think," she said.

Rainbow's eyes widened. "What happened to your Mark, Twi?!"

"The same thing that's happened to yours," Twilight said, pointing at her shoulder.

Gasping, Rainbow looked directly at her shoulder. "Oh. My. Gosh!" she cried. "What is this?!"

"I ph-eph iph'ph Ph-ecora'ph ph-urph!" Pinkie cried.

Twilight frowned at Pinkie. "No. This is not a curse!" she shouted. "There's got to be a reasonable explanation for this!"

Before Rainbow or Pinkie could argue, however, they heard Rarity say, "Well! It seems that Fluttershy and I aren't the only ones who have been affected by this!"

Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Spike turned to her, and immediately yelped in fright. Rarity, who was standing beside Fluttershy, looked absolutely awful; her entire face was covered with acne, and her hair was hopelessly matted and tangled, with two hair combs irretrievably lodged in it.

"Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed. "You too?!"

"Ah hate to say Ah told you so, Twilight!" another voice cried, to which the girls turned to find the source to be Applejack, who was waveringly standing with her arm draped over Apple Bloom's shoulders. She angrily cried, "But Ah told you so!"

"What happened to you, AJ?" Rainbow said.

"Ah'm as weak as a newborn calf!" Applejack said. "Ah can hardly stand without Apple Bloom here to support me!"

"Well, then," Rarity said, her tone unmistakably aggravated, "it seems that all of us have been affliccted by this curse."

"It's not a curse!" Twilight shouted.

"Really?" Rarity said contemptuously. "Well, then! Would you then kindly explain to us, Twilight dear, how each of us has gotten a rash over her Mark, accompanied by an affliction which is uniquely and ironically suited to each of us?! Would you care to tell us how that is nothing more than a specific substance or energy?!"

"You don't know that!" Twilight cried. "I mean, I have a rash, too, but nothing seems to have happened to me!"

"Oh, really?" Rarity said, glowering at Twilight and folding her arms. "So try and cast a spell, then!"

Twilight said confusedly, "Why?"

"Just try!" Rarity shouted.

Twilight glared back at her. "Gladly!" she said, turning to a fist-sized, smooth stone. She lifted her hand up and focused on the rock, willing for its gravitational field to change so that it would float up; however, it remained still and unmoving on the ground.

Twilight held her hand up to her eyes, gazing at it confusedly. "What the-?" she said.

Twilight snapped, attempting to conjure a small fireball. However, all she was able to produce was a tiny, purple spark that disappeared after only a fraction of a second. Eyes widening with worry, Twilight snapped several more times, again trying to conjure some fire, but all she could ever produce were more of the pathetic, short-lived sparks.

"My Magic's not working!" Twilight cried distressedly.

"I knew it," Rarity said, haughtily and smugly.

"But... what about- what about Fluttershy?!" Twilight cried, pointing at Fluttershy. "She seems perfectly fine!"

"Yes, she does seem it," Rarity muttered, to which Fluttershy ashamedly turned away from them.

"Is something wrong, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked concernedly.

Fluttershy nodded.

"What is it?" Twilight said.

Fluttershy closed her eyes and turned away again, refusing to answer.

"So you're not going to tell us?" asked Twilight.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes, you will, or yes, you won't?" Twilight said.

As Fluttershy began shaking her head, Applejack cried, "Good gravy, girl, what's wrong with you?!"

Fluttershy looked down. "I don't want to talk about it," she said, though her friends all flinched upon hearing her, as her voice had become very deep and masculine.

Spike fell into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Oh, this is just priceless!" he cried. He gestured at his friends as he said, "Now we've got Spitty Pie, Rainbow Crash, Flutterguy, Hairity, Apple Weeny, and Twilight Fizzle!"

The girls all frowned at Spike as he had another hearty laugh at all of them, and when he had calmed down, Twilight sarcastically said, "Ha, ha." She then turned back to the library's front door, saying, "Come on, Spike. Let's go try and find out what this is...."

"It's a curse, Ah tell ya!" Applejack cried.

"No, it's not!" Twilight shouted. "There's no such thing as curses! Now, if you girls all want to sit down in the library while Spike and I look for what it actually is, you're welcome to. However, you will have to be quiet!"

"You ain't gonna find out what this is," Applejack replied. "There ain't no science books 'bout curses. But Ah'll give ya some quiet while you're doin' your little snipe hunt."

With a spiteful glance at Applejack, Twilight led her friends into the library. After Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been guided to seats by Pinkie and Apple Bloom, Twilight and Spike began browsing through the shelves, opening the books on maladies and afflictions, looking for anything that resembled what had befallen Twilight and the other girls.

After about half an hour, Spike found a passage that caused his face to immediately brake into a wide smile. "Aha!" he cried.

"What is it?" Twilight said as she and the other girls turned expectantly to him.

"Twilight was right, girls," Spike said, placing his finger under one of the lines. "What you guys've got isn't a curse. Your Souls have been poisoned."

The girls' eyes all widened as Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie stood up. "Our Souls have been poisoned?!" Rarity gasped disbelievingly.

Spike nodded. "Yep. There's nothing else it could be."

Twilight took the book from Spike, then read aloud,

"Soul poisoning is a rare affliction that can be caused only by supernatural means. Little is currently known about it, except that there are several forms of it, of which it is uncertain how many there are, or even where they originate from. It is undetectable by medical means; the only empirical evidence that there is anything wrong with the afflicted at all is a rash that forms over their Mark; this can be accompanied by any other affliction, which will be incurable, even if it seems ordinary. Only an antidote synthesized for the specific poison can neutralize its effects, which will otherwise be permanent. Some known Soul poisons, their sources, and their antidotes include: basilisk venom, found in basilisks, and curable only by phoenix tears; nightmare toxin, found in some streams and springs of the Everfree Forest, and curable only with the Peach Rot Potion; fiendish buttercup seed extract, found in fiendish buttercups (Serialus Murdererus), and curable only by an Etherial caramel spiced lamb pastry-"

"See?! Zecora cursed us!" interrupted Applejack.

Twilight glared at Applejack. "This isn't a curse!" she shouted. "Weren't you listening?! This is a Soul poison!"

Applejack shrugged. "Fine. So she poisoned us. Far as I figure, it all amounts to the same thing."

Twilight furiously slammed the book shut and stood up. "You. Don't. KNOW THAT!!" she bellowed. "You're just throwing around wild accusations without any shred of evidence!"

Applejack pointed at the green rash-covered Mark on her thigh. "How's this for evidence?!" she countered. "How come Apple Bloom don't have it, but all the rest of us do?! Didn't that Zecora say that great danger would come upon us? And then she started shoutin' somethin' weird!"

"I agree," Rarity said. "I believe that after we defied her commands, she performed a ritual that synthesized the soul poison within our very veins." She then frowned at Twilight as she added, "Is that explanation an unreasonable one, Twilight?"

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but she was silent and closed it again after a moment. She looked down, and slowly began to realize: that was a rather good explanation.

Applejack sniffed. "See?! Ah told ya it was that wicked Zecora's fault!"

Twilight sighed, then said, "Okay, Zecora might have done this to us. But... she might have been at least somewhat justified if she did."

Twilight's friends' eyes all widened with shock. "Justified?!" Rarity cried disbelievingly.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. After all, we were trespassing on her property, and the Soul poison that's inflicted us doesn't seem terribly dangerous."

Rarity replied, "I don't think it was justified. We were just trying to keep Apple Bloom safe."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, but Zecora still isn't the one who did the first wrong; if none of us had gone and bothered her, then this wouldn't have happened to us."

Apple Bloom trembled as she looked down at her hands, which were laying across her lap. So this was all her fault?

"Alright," Rainbow said. "So we've just got to find a cure for this thing, right?"

"That's the problem," Spike, who had been continuing to read the book as the girls argued, interjected. "I can't find the antidote for this thing anywhere. We might not be able to find it at all; this book says that scientists expect that we know only a fraction of all Soul poisons and their antidotes."

"So I'm going to be stuck looking like this forever?!" Rarity cried.

Tears welled in Apple Bloom's eyes. She was feeling more guilty every second. Her sister and friends might have been doomed to be cursed forever, all because of her....

"Not necessarily," Twilight said with a small, hopeful smile. "After all, if Zecora did do this to us, she might know how to purge it."

"Well, Ah'm not goin' anywhere near Zecora!" Applejack said. "Ya'll've seen what happens to anyone who goes after her! Who knows what she'll do if we go after her!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie cried. "'Cauph ph-e'ph am...."

She then stopped and looked down, frowning frustratedly. She then laid herself prone at Fluttershy's feet, holding onto her skirt and gazing imploringly up at her.

Fluttershy sighed, then grudgingly began singing in a Blues style while Pinkie Pie slowly danced beside her,

"She's an evil enchantress
And she does evil dances
And if you look deep into her eyes
She'll put you in trances"

Spike began smilingly snapping along to the beat as Fluttershy finished,

"Then what will she do?
She'll mix up an evil brew
And she'll gobble you up
In a big, tasty stew,
So... watch out"

Twilight groaned, then said, "Fine. But if we don't ask Zecora for help, we might never be able to reverse this poison's effects."

"We'll Ah ain't gonna!" Applejack replied. "Ain't no way Ah'm gonna go after Zecora again!"

"We'll, then you might have to live with being as weak as a worm forever!" Twilight shouted back.

As Applejack began arguing over the top of Twilight, the other girls soon joined in, as well, except for Apple Bloom, who was silently thinking. She decided that it was her fault that this had happened to Applejack and the other girls, and that it was therefore her duty to reverse it. Apple Bloom silently stood up and crept to the library's front door, ensuring that Spike and the older girls didn't hear her; she had decided that nobody would stop her, and if Zecora decided to poison her, as well, so be it; this was all her fault anyway.

After Apple Bloom had exited the library, she immediately began walking back to the Everfree Forest.

Twilight kept arguing with her friends for a while, which grew gradually louder and louder, and culminated with Applejack roaring, "... SHOULD GET THE GUARD TO CAPTURE THAT WITCH, THEN WE'LL MAKE HER CURE US!!"

"DON'T CALL HER A WITCH!!" Twilight screamed back. "HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF I CALLED SOME HUMAN A 'MONKEY'?!"

"IF YA'LL FIND A HUMAN AS WICKED AS ZECORA, BE MAH GUEST!!"

Twilight screamed frustratedly into her hands, then said, "Fine! I will go ask Zecora for an antidote, and if she gives one to us, then you all owe her an apology!"

"Ah ain't apologizing for nothin'," Applejack replied, sniffing. "It's her that owes us an apology."

Twilight glared at Applejack for a moment, then said stiffly, "Alright. Well, I'm going to apologize to her, and if you all don't want to, that's fine. But I'm not going to let you all try to keep antagonizing her."

Twilight stood up, then said, "I'm going to go to the Everfree Forest to see Zecora now. You can all come with me, if you'll promise to be civil."

"Ya'll can go, but Ah ain't," Applejack said. She turned to where her sister had been, saying, "Come on, Apple B-" but her eyes widened when she saw that Apple Bloom wasn't there anymore.

"Apple Bloom?" Applejack worriedly said, looking around. "Where'd ya go, Sis?"

Applejack flinched, then she and her friends all stared blankly at each other for a few silent moments.

Spike and all the girls except for Applejack immediately stood up. "Damn it, Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted. "She's gone to the forest again! If Ah can get to her before she gets killed, Ah'm gonna ground her for at least a year!"

Rarity helped Applejack get to her feet, then she draped Applejack's arm over her shoulders while Pinkie did the same with Rainbow. The girls all ran out of the library, with Spike grabbing an Everfree-East Dragon Imperial dictionary from one of the shelves before sprinting after them.

Apple Bloom swiftly ran through the forest, far less disturbed by its unsettling atmosphere than when she first came. She knew that she needed only to follow the path to reach Zecora's house, so in only a few minutes she arrived at it.

Apple Bloom hadn't been able to clearly see what Zecora's abode was like before, and she gasped surprisedly when she beheld it; it was a twisted, ancient hollowed tree, like the Golden Oak Library was. The tree was grim, frightening, and forbidding, with only dimly glowing orange lights pouring out from its windows. There were strange charms hanging from the tree's branches, many of which were in the likeness of Beings' faces or shaped as animals. The door was painted with a simple, jagged geometrical pattern, and from within Apple Bloom could hear the sounds of crackling fire and boiling liquid. Apple Bloom could also hear Zecora's voice, chanting something foreign and frightening-sounding within the tree.

Trembling a little, Apple Bloom swallowed and slowly walked to the door. She gently knocked upon it, to which she heard Zecora suddenly grow silent and approach the door. The door was opened, and Apple Bloom found herself a little intimidated at what she saw:

Zecora wore a simple top and long skirt with geometric patterns similar to the ones painted on her door. She was rather tall, with lean, muscular limbs and velvety dark skin that was shining with sweat. Her feet were bare, and Apple Bloom could see two gold anklets around her right leg, as well as some gold bracelets around her left wrist. Because Zecora was no longer wearing her rough, brown hood, Apple Bloom could now also see that she had a striped mohawk and a pair of large golden hoop earrings. The Mark on the backs of her hands was a white spiral surrounded by tiny, white triangles. But the most striking thing about Zecora was her bright blue eyes, which stood out starkly against her black face. The whites and piercingly blue irises of Zecora's eyes were so overpowering that Apple Bloom shrunk a little under her gaze.

With a small, nervous smile, Apple Bloom said, "H-hey, Zecora."

"What are you doing here?" Zecora asked. "You shouldn't be here."

"Ah know," Apple Bloom replied. "But, um... Ah wanted to apologize for trespassin' on your territory. Ah also came to ask for help. See, my sister and her friends have all been poisoned, and, uh...."

Zecora blinked. "And so you wish for me to cure them."

Apple Bloom quietly nodded.

After a few moments, Zecora laughed, startling Apple Bloom. Zecora's laughter was strange, as well as a little disturbing.

"Come, child," Zecora said, gesturing into her home. "I am preparing something for you."

Twilight and her friends weren't able to move as quickly as they would have liked, as Rarity and Pinkie were supporting Rainbow and Applejack, who were unable to walk on their own. However, they moved as quickly as they could, and soon enough they arrived at Zecora's hut.

Zecora had resumed her chanting, and Spike and the girls crept quietly towards the tree, attempting to remain silent as they approached it.

Twilight whispered, "I'm going to knock, then I'm going to ask her where Apple Bloom is, alright?"

Applejack hissed, "No! What if she tries to poison ya'll again?!"

Twilight groaned angrily, then said, "Fine. We'll wait here and see what she's brewing, and if it isn't poison, then we'll politely ask to come in, alright?"

The others silently nodded, then Twilight took the dictionary from Spike, which she rapidly flipped through as she attempted to match the words Zecora were saying to its entries.

Twilight muttered under her breath as she poured through the pages for a few moments, occasionally saying something along the lines of, "That word meant 'tug'.... Uh, I think another one is 'channel...' come on, where's the word for 'poison'?"

Twilight continued flipping through the book until she found the entry on "poison," which translated into Everfree as "sumu." She then placed her finger over it as she began silently listening to Zecora continue to chant her incantations. After a few seconds, Twilight did indeed hear Zecora utter the word.

Twilight gasped, then the other girls anxiously asked, "What is it?"

"She is brewing a poison," Twilight whispered.

Spike and the other girls began to shift as they started standing up, but Twilight quickly said, "But that doesn't mean the poison's for us!"

They then fell silent as they heard Zecora stop chanting in Everfree and listened as she spoke in East Dragon Imperial, "Ah, yes, it's almost complete. Now, where's that little Apple Bloom girl?"

Twilight and her friends all gasped in shock, then Applejack screamed, "Ain't no witch gonna use mah sister as an ingredient for one of her wicked potions!"

Applejack ran around and burst into Zecora's hut through the front door, to which Zecora turned in shock to her. There were several sinister-looking masks hanging on the walls, and in the circular room's center was a massive, iron cauldron sitting over a blazing fire pit. Zecora stood away from her cauldron as she astonishedly began, "What is-?"

However, Applejack ran towards her and roared, "Don't you touch mah sister, you warlock!!"

Applejack swung a fist at Zecora, which Zecora easily dodged by stepping aside. With a frightened yelp, Applejack fell to the ground, where she laid still for a moment before groaning, "Ow...."

Applejack's friends then ran into the hut and spread out, all glaring at Zecora. "What did you do with Apple Bloom, Zecora?!" Twilight shouted.

"What are you-?" Zecora began.

However, Rainbow shouted over her, "Don't play dumb with us, witch! Give us Apple Bloom back, and get rid of this curse you put on us, or I'm gonna shove your head right into your cauldron!"

After a moment of wide-eyed shock, Zecora glared back at them. "What are you attacking me for?!" she shouted. "I haven't-!"

"Save your breath," Spike said, stepping forward. He held his right hand up, with his fingers positioned for a snap. "Tell us where Apple Bloom is, or I'm gonna turn you into ashes!"

Zecora shouted back, "Get out of my home, or I shall force you out myself!"

"You asked for it," Spike muttered. Zecora lifted up her hands, preparing to conjure up a shield to defend herself against the imminent torrent of flame, but instead of igniting a spark Spike conjured an etherial aura around Applejack and telekinetically pulled her away before suddenly kicking the cauldron, overturning it towards Zecora.

With a horrified scream, a yellow flash engulfed Zecora as she disappeared just an instant before the green, boiling, airborne liquid could make contact with her. She reappeared several meters behind where she had teleported, well out of the path of the spilt potion.

"What are you doing?!" Zecora cried distressedly. "You've spilt my potion!"

"Where's Apple Bloom?!" Spike shouted, positioning his hand to cast another spell.

Before Zecora could respond, however, they all heard the voice of Apple Bloom call in from the door, "Hey, Zecora!" before adding a surprised, "Oh, hey girls! Hey, Spike!"

Everyone turned to the door, where they found Apple Bloom, who was cheerfully standing in the doorframe with a small, leather satchel draped over her shoulder.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack cried, having struggled back to her feet. "Thank Celestia you're safe! C'mon, we've gotta-!"

"Ah've got your ingredients, Zecora!" Apple Bloom said, holding up the satchel. She then looked down, however, and saw the overturned cauldron. She gasped, "What happened?"

"They've ruined my brew!" Zecora shouted, glaring at them. "They also tried to kill me!"

"Only because ya'll kidnapped my little sister!" Applejack shouted back.

"But Applejack, Zecora didn't kidnap me!" Apple Bloom shouted. "Ah came here myself!"

The other girls stared astonishedly at Apple Bloom for a moment before Applejack said, "But... but Zecora was gonna use you to brew a poison-!"

"What you've spilt," Zecora said, angrily pointing at the green, still-bubbling liquid spreading across the floor, "was not a poison. It was an antidote, for all of you!"

"But we heard you chant that it was a poison!" Rainbow shouted.

Zecora was silent for a moment. Then, to the others' great surprise, she burst into laughter. "Yes, I did say 'poison' in my native tongue, but you did not hear all I said; if you were listening, you would have heard that the whole thing I said was 'counter-poison'!"

With another laugh, Zecora said, "I understand now, my friends. You thought that I was brewing a poison, and was intending to use the Apple Bloom girl as an ingredient! Ah, now I can see why you wished to kill me and save her!"

Zecora laughed again, and Apple Bloom laughed along with her. "But... ya'll poisoned us!" Applejack cried.

"No she didn't," Apple Bloom said, stepping forward with her eyes closed and a small smile over her face. "She was tryin' to keep ya'll from gettin' poisoned!"

"But- h-how...?" Rarity stuttered.

"Remember those blue leaves you girls ran through yesterday?" Apple Bloom said, gazing cheerfully up at them. "That was 'Poison Joke.' It's like Poison Oak, except it plays jokes on you!"

"I stopped Apple Bloom from getting poisoned, as well," Zecora added. "I warned you not to come closer, as danger would fall upon you. You did not heed my warning, so I came back inside my hut to find a potion that would banish the soul toxin before it reached your souls. But you left before I could return, and so I was now preparing a potion to cleanse it from your souls."

Twilight stared down at the spilled liquid, silent for a few moments. Zecora didn't at all sound malicious, and every word she spoke seemed to be said sincerely. Twilight opened her mouth, but was silent for a moment before saying, "I... I...."

Twilight looked away ashamedly as she said, "I... I'm sorry, Zecora... I... I made assumptions and judgements about you, before I even knew you...."

"I understand," Zecora replied gently. "You feared for the young girl's life; your intentions were noble."

The other girls and Spike also regretfully apologized many times to Zecora; especially Applejack, who was blushing intensely as she muttered, "... and... and for calling you a 'witch,' and for lashing out when ya'll saved my sister, and-"

"I accept your apologies, friends," Zecora said, grinning. "In return, I will forgive you for spilling my potion. I will brew another pot, but I ask but one thing in return: tell your neighbors that they do not need to fear me."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah," she said, smiling. "I guess we judged a book by its cover too quickly, huh?"

"By the way," Rarity said, "speaking of books, would you mind writing down this potion's recipe for us, Zecora? We actually don't have it in our own medicine...."

"Of course," Zecora said as she telekinetically lifted her cauldron back into place. As she began levitating the spilled potion into the air and burning it away, she added, "Poison Joke is very rare, and few know of its cure. I am happy to share my wisdom with you."

Once the spilled potion was cleaned up, Zecora began moving around her hut, placing new ingredients in the cauldron. "With your permission, Applejack," she said as she did so, "may I have Apple Bloom assist me in completing this potion, then escort her to Avalon with a bottle of it for you girls?"

After a moment, Applejack smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Much obliged, Zecora," she said, tipping her hat. "Thank ya'll for protecting my sister, and for helpin' us, even though we were so rotten to ya'll...."

Zecora chuckled again, then said, "What was that your friend said? 'Judge the cover of the book'? Perhaps you will not be so hasty to do that next time."

Spike and the girls laughed, then they waved goodbye to Zecora and Apple Bloom as they returned to Avalon.

Apple Bloom was with Zecora for several hours, during which time Twilight and her friends went around Avalon, telling as many Beings as they could to not fear Zecora. Though most listened to them, a handful did not. Nonetheless, Spike and the girls decided that it was still a vast improvement over the intolerance Zecora faced before.

They regrouped at the library, where Apple Bloom soon entered with a small bottle of the green antidote potion. "Here it is!" Apple Bloom said happily as she held it up.

"Great!" Twilight said. "So, how do we use it?"

"Zecora says you need to share a bath and pour this in," Apple Bloom replied.

Applejack flinched, then threw a quick glance at Rainbow, who was smirking at her.

Rarity stood up, then said, "Let's go to the spa! I'll have Aloe and Lotus draw a bath for us there!"

The others immediately agreed, except for Applejack, who silently continued to frown at Rainbow. "What about you, Applejack?" Fluttershy said quietly.

After glaring at the still-smirking Rainbow for a few moments, Applejack sighed and said, "Fine. But if you lay a finger on me, Rainbow...."

Rainbow shrugged as she said, "Don't worry, AJ; lookin' will be enough."

Applejack threw Rainbow another spiteful look, then she allowed Rarity to help her up again. As the girls walked out of the library together, Twilight turned to Spike and asked, "What are you going to do while we're gone?"

With an enormous grin, Spike jabbed his thumb towards the stairs and said, "I'll be in my room."

Rolling her eyes, Twilight followed her friends to the spa.

I-XVII. Twilight's Slumber Party

Applejack was sitting on a tree branch, cutting away another branch with a hand bow saw. The branch she was cutting off from the tree was dead; Applejack had volunteered to do maintenance on Avalon's public trees for Mayor Meyer. Rarity had volunteered to help with the trees, as well, and so she was standing below Applejack, tidying up a bush with a pair of steel hedge trimmers.

Once Applejack had cut the dead branch off, she allowed it to fall to the ground. The branch came only centimeters away from Rarity's face during its descent, causing Rarity to yelp in surprise. However, once the branch had hit the ground, Rarity looked skyward and said angrily, "Really, Applejack, did you really just need to let it fall?"

"Oh!" Applejack said, leaning out over her perch to face Rarity. She added pleasantly, "Sorry, Sugar!"

However, Rarity wasn't satisfied. "Are you just going to leave this here?" she said, pointing at the fallen branch.

Applejack blinked. "Far as Ah can reckon, yeah."

Rarity gazed incredulously at Applejack. "Really?!" she cried. "You're just going to leave that mess on the ground for somebody else to clean up?!"

"Well, it ain't my job to sweep up the streets," Applejack replied. "Ah'm just supposed to cut all the dead branches off."

Rarity sniffed. "You might not have been given the explicit directions to pick up the sticks you remove, Applejack, but it would still be courteous and considerate to do so. 'Go the extra mile,' as they say. Really, would gathering up the branches you remove be so hard?"

Applejack sighed. "Look, Rarity," she said wearily, "even if Ah tried not to make a mess, Ah couldn't. Ah can't levitate stuff, and Ah can't stack the branches over my shoulder. Ah have to drop 'em."

Rarity sighed. "Fine. Would you at least consider picking the sticks back up when you get back down, then?"

Applejack looked up for a moment, thinking to herself. "Yeah, Ah suppose Ah could...." she muttered. "It'll make it take way longer, though. Uh, Rarity, do you think ya'll could help me haul the branches off when you're done trimmin' the hedges?"

Rarity replied apologetically, "I'm sorry, Applejack, but I won't be finished pruning the hedges until the day after tomorrow."

Applejack's eyes widened surprisedly. "Two days?!" she cried. "What in Tartarus is makin' you take so long?"

Rarity shrugged, then resumed pruning the bush she was at. Rather than continue working, as well, Applejack watched Rarity for a few moments. She quickly received the answer to her question; she saw that Rarity was being overly meticulous and precise in her clipping away of the hedges' leaves, and that she was carefully ensuring that she was burning every fallen stick and leaf away, so as to avoid making a mess with them.

"Ah know why you're takin' so long!" Applejack cried, again starting Rarity and causing her to look up. Applejack frowned and pointed at Rarity as she continued, "You're bein' real persnickety on them bushes!"

Rarity frowned back up at Applejack, countering, "I'm not being persnickety, Applejack, I'm merely being thorough."

Applejack pointed her saw towards the bush Rarity was working as she said, "Rare, your carefulness is gonna be there for about ten seconds before a gust o' wind or some caterpillars come along and ruin it! Stop worryin' about the details and just get it done!"

"Well, maybe the quick-and-careless method works for you, Applejack, but I didn't become the respected designer I am today by ignoring the details! Every wrinkle must be smoothed, every stitch must be perfect! Regardless of weather my clients ruin their dresses or not, I owe it to them to do my very best for them; likewise, I'm going to give it my all in my job of tidying up Avalon's hedges for the sake of all my friends and neighbors!"

Applejack looked up, then sighed, "No one's gonna be inspectin' the hedges and lookin' for mistakes, Rare...."

"Well, I could well say the same about every individual stitch in one of my ensembles!"

Applejack groaned frustratedly, then said, "Fine, whatever...."

As the two girls continued to work, both were sour-tempered and refused to further acknowledge or talk to each other. Rarity began moving away from Applejack, gravitating towards bushes that led away from her, which suited Applejack just fine. Her attitude towards Rarity was rather poor at the moment; she didn't much care for Rarity's demands for her to work more, and she would be perfectly fine with not having to see her for a while.

However, only a few minutes after they had stopped talking to each other, Applejack felt a drop of water hit her head. She looked skyward, and saw that dense storm clouds had gathered in the heavens over them.

Applejack groaned, then slid down the tree she was sitting in as Rarity muttered, "It seems we're going to have to finish this later...."

Applejack began to move towards Sweet Apple Acres. However, she heard Twilight's voice call from behind them, "Oh, hi, Applejack! Hi, Rarity!"

Rarity softly smiled at Twilight as she replied, "Hello, Twilight Dear."

Applejack turned to Twilight, as well, and saw that she looked slightly concerned. "Let's go to the library before it really starts pouring," she said.

Rarity softly laughed as she replied, "No, it's alright, Twilight, you don't need-"

"It's way closer than your homes are," Twilight said. She kindly smiled as she added, "Come on; just stay with me until the storm rolls over."

With a short, weary glance at each other, Rarity said, "Oh, very well...." as Applejack muttered, "Alright...."

With a satisfied smile, Twilight conjured an etherial shield over them all as they made their way to the Golden Oak Library.

Once they had entered the hallowed oak tree, Twilight closed the door behind them as she asked, "Would you girls like some tea, or something?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes, tea would be lovely, Dear."

"Yeah, sure," Applejack grunted.

Twilight filled a kettle with some water and set it over her stove as Rarity and Applejack took seats in chairs at opposite ends of the library. As Twilight worked, Rarity said curiously, "Where's Spike, Dear?"

"He's visiting friends in Olympus," Twilight replied. "He's having a Steam party and sleepover at one of their houses."

Rarity nodded. "I see. And what are you doing while he's gone?"

Twilight shrugged. "Just reading. I don't do anything 'special' very often. I'm more of a 'quiet-and-boring' kind of person."

Rarity laughed, "I don't think you're boring."

"Doesn't mean I'm not," Twilight replied. She placed some tea leaves in one of her teapots, poured some boiling water from her kettle into it, then placed it on a tray along with some small cookies before bringing it to her friends.

As Twilight served them, she added, "I think I might like to do something, though."

After Applejack took a sip of her tea, she said, "Maybe we could do somethin'. Ah mean, we could go for a swim in the lake, or we could go have a picnic, or-"

"The one problem with that, Applejack," Rarity interjected, "is that it's raining at the moment. We can't do anything outside."

Rarity leaned back, took a sip of her tea, then suggested, "Perhaps we could go to the spa. Have you ever been to the spa with anyone, Twilight?" She grinned. "It's absolutely heavenly."

"Ah ain't goin' to the spa," Applejack muttered. "It's gotta be a borin' waste of time."

Rarity frowned at Applejack. "Have you ever been to a spa, Applejack?" she asked.

Applejack shook her head. "Nah. Ah don't go for that sort of thing."

Rarity made as if to say something in reply, but was interrupted by Twilight suddenly gasping elatedly. "I've got it!" she cried. She turned to her friends, wearing an enormous smile, and said, "Why don't we have a sleepover? In here!"

"Tonight?" Rarity said, throwing a quick, anxious glance at Applejack. "The three of us?"

"Of course!" Twilight replied. "I've never been to a sleepover before, let alone hosted one! Ooh, this will be so fun! I bet I can find a book about throwing slumber parties, then we can play games and-!"

"Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat delicately. She smiled apologetically at Twilight as she said, "I'm sorry, Dear, but... um... I'm afraid that tonight wouldn't be a good night for me to join you for a sleepover."

Twilight's elated smile quickly faded. "Wha-? ...Oh." she said quietly. "O... okay.... Um... why- why can't you...?"

Rarity willed herself not to look at Applejack as she replied, "It's just an inopportune time, Darling. But I would love to have one another time." She gave Twilight a large, genuinely excited smile as she asked, "Do you know another day that could work?"

Twilight looked away, her expression gloomy. "Well, no...." she said. "Not anytime soon. I don't know when the next day Spike is going to be gone is."

"Well, we could have a sleepover in my house, then," Rarity said.

A small, sad smile spread over Twilight lips as she quietly muttered, "That's kind of you, Rarity, but tonight's my only free night for a while, too."

Rarity raised a brow in surprised puzzlement. "Why's that?" she asked.

"On all my nights for the foreseeable future, I have to spend them doing research."

At this point, Applejack, too, was gazing confusedly at Twilight. "Research for what?" she asked.

Just before Twilight replied, however, her eyes suddenly grew wide with panicked realization. Her face paled, and Applejack and Rarity gazed astonishedly at her as she stood completely still and silent for a moment before hurriedly saying, "Um... for my doctoral thesis! On magical theory!"

Twilight laughed, but her friends could detect a significant amount of anxiety in it. Rarity asked, "Your doctoral thesis?"

"Y-yeah!" Twilight said. "I have to get doctorates in all branches of Sorcery before I can become the Royal Court Magician! I'm writing my thesis on Spellcasting at the moment!"

Rarity confusedly replied, "But... isn't Celestia personally teaching you? Is she making you get doctorates before she lets you work for her?"

Twilight hesitated for a moment before replying, "Uh- yes! She's mentoring me with a doctoral university curriculum."

Rarity and Applejack were growing more baffled and suspicious every second, and they began to frown at Twilight. Applejack asked, "Uh... you alright, Sugar? Is there somethin' goin' on?"

Twilight immediately shook her head. She smilingly said with wavering, bravely-attempted casualness, "No! Of course not! I'm just studying to get my doctorates!"

Rarity and Applejack gazed inquiringly at each other, but after a few seconds ultimately decided to leave their line of query and stop from intruding further; they simultaneously concluded that whatever Twilight was hiding would most likely not be significant or interesting enough to be worth the effort to reveal.

Twilight, meanwhile, seemed depressed again. She morosely continued sipping her tea, and after a few moments of watching her, Rarity sighed wearily and said, "Alright, Twilight. I suppose I could have a sleepover with you tonight."

Twilight gasped joyously. "Really?" she said.

Rarity nodded. "It's a bit... sudden, but I can still do it. I'll just have to go home and tell Sweetie Belle that I'll be gone for the night and get my pajamas and toiletries."

Twilight ran towards Rarity and embraced her, crying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rarity!"

After gazing uncertainly at Twilight for a few moments, Applejack made a small, inaudible groan and said, "Alright, Ah suppose Ah could stay for the night, too. Ah'll just tell my family that Ah'll be gone."

Twilight gratefully embraced Applejack, as well, causing Applejack to softly smile. Applejack wouldn't have done this, except that Twilight had never had friends before, was quite lonely, and it would probably absolutely make her day if she and Rarity would do something normal friends did with her.

Applejack cast a weary glance at Rarity, however, and silently wondered if she would be able to spend an entire night under the same roof with her. Ultimately, however, she decided that the tension between them would likely quickly ease away.

Once Twilight released Applejack, she excitedly began browsing over the bookshelves surrounding them as she cried, "I'll find a book to tell me how to it, then I'll throw us an amazing slumber party! This'll be so fun!"

"I have no doubt," Rarity replied, smiling. She turned to look out one of the windows, and remarked, "Well, the rain seems to have died down. I'm off to my house for a moment, Twilight; I shall be back soon."

With a polite nod, Rarity pulled open the front door and exited. Shortly thereafter, Applejack said, "See ya'll soon, Twi," before tipping her hat and exiting, as well.

After about fifteen minutes, Rarity and Applejack returned to the library, wearing soft pajamas. Twilight was in her pajamas, as well, and was frying some fish and chips over her stove. Once her friends entered, Twilight turned to them and happily cried, "Hi, Applejack! Hi, Rarity! I'm making us some finger food for dinner; that's the first thing my book told me to do!"

Rarity inhaled through her nose, and detected the scent of several delicious-smelling spices along with the mouth-watering scent of deep-frying potatoes and battered fish wafting from Twilight's kitchen. "That smells amazin'," Applejack commented softly.

Twilight blushed a little and giggled. "Thanks," she said. "They'll be done soon. Make yourselves at home in the meantime."

Rarity and Applejack both took seats in the library's armchairs, where they quietly sat. The silence between them was very awkward, and both wished to say something that could begin a friendly conversation, but neither trusted themselves to remain pleasant.

In a few minutes, Twilight called out, "Dinner's ready, girls!"

Rarity and Applejack stood up as Twilight continued, "Let's eat in the kitchen; we don't want to soil the library's carpets or books."

Applejack and Rarity walked into the library's kitchen and sat at opposite ends of a small dining-table that stood there. Twilight piled some chips, battered fish, and small tubs of tartar sauce onto a large plate from her pots before sitting at the table with Applejack and Rarity and placing it exactly in the middle between the three of them. "Thanks for the meal," Rarity and Applejack both recited before reaching forward to take some.

The moment Rarity bit away a portion of one of the chips, her eyes widened in surprise; this chip tasted even better than it smelled. It might have been slightly too salty, but a subtle combination of spices both familiar and unfamiliar to her that it was rolled through caused her to involuntarily make a small whimper and moan of pleasure the moment it came in contact with her tongue.

As Rarity was astonishedly marveling over how delicious this chip was, Applejack suddenly cried, "Sweet Celestia, these are amazin', Twi!"

Twilight made a pleased grin as she replied happily, "Thanks! I'm glad you like them!"

Rarity found it incredibly difficult to not simply shove a slice of fish into her mouth; to prevent herself from doing this, she delicately picked one up and occupied her mouth as she brought it slowly up to her lips by asking Twilight, "Where in the world did you learn to make these? They are simply divine!"

Smiling widely, Twilight replied, "This is actually the product of the traditions of both of my parents' families. My mother is Athenian; thus, hers is the culture that invented fish and chips. My mother's parents passed an amazing family recipe for fish and chips down to her.

"Likewise, my dad is Shangri-Lan. Ergo, he comes from the culture responsible for curry; and in his family, they have not one, but many different recipes for curry; particularly for curry powders. When my father became apprenticed to my mother, my mother showed him how to make her family's famous fish and chips. As amazing as they were, he decided they could use a little improvement, and so he decided to add some curry spices to them. He chose which powder to add to them very carefully; when he decided upon one, he added it to them, and my mother immediately declared that it was the greatest fish and chips she'd ever tasted! Thus, my family's tradition of curry-spiced fish and chips was born."

"Oh, you simply must give me the recipe for these, darling!" Rarity said. "Your mother was right; this is the best fish and chips I've ever had! What's the secret?!"

Here, Twilight smiled mischievously. She held up her finger and waved it from side to side as she sang, "Uh, uh, uh. As you said, it's a secret, and I can't tell you."

Rarity's jaw fell slack. "What?! Why not?!" she whined.

"We Shangri-Lan never share the secrets of our curry with anyone but our descendants," Twilight replied. "They wouldn't be special if we just let everyone know how to do it."

Rarity looked affronted. "What?!" she cried. "But you're mother's not Shangri-Lan, and she knows-!"

"Nope," Twilight said, smilingly shaking her head. "She doesn't know the secret recipe for this curry powder, either."

Rarity and Applejack gave stunned stares to Twilight, who laughed at them. "Yeah!" she said. "My dad has promised my mom that he'll take his secret curry recipes to his grave. My mom was really pissed, and said that he should give the recipes to her, since she gave him her own family's fish and chips recipe. My dad just laughed at her and said that that was why it wasn't special anymore, and so him keeping the recipe for the curry powder he used on them a secret made them special again."

Twilight took and bit another chip as Rarity confusedly replied, "But, then... how- how do you know...?"

Twilight pointed her chip at Rarity as she reminded her, "'We never share the secrets of our curry with anyone but our descendants,' remember? My dad taught the recipes to my brother and me, but made us swear that we would never tell them to anyone else except our children, and make them swear not to, as well. He often joked that keeping the curry recipes a secret was the best way to get a spouse, too; after all, if you give the one you love a taste of your curries, but never give them the recipes, then they'd be forced to marry you so they can have more!"

Rarity and Applejack laughed, as well, then Applejack said, "Well, alrighty, then. That sounds damn clever, that does. Maybe we Apples should start keepin' our recipes secret from our spouses, too...."

Rarity clapped her hands together, cheerfully saying, "Speaking of potential spouses, I suggest we play Truth-or-Dare! Why don't you go first, Twilight? Ask me who my crush is; that's the most classic question for the most classic slumber party game!"

Twilight excitedly nodded. "Yeah! It's also one of the games that my book suggested!" she cried.

Rarity sat back as she said, "Go ahead, Twilight. Ask, 'Truth or Dare?'"

"Truth or Dare?" Twilight repeated obediently, scooting forward curiously.

"Truth," Rarity immediately replied.

"So... who is your crush, Rarity?" Twilight said. She didn't seem to be as excited to know the answer to the question as she was to simply ask it.

Rarity daintily tossed her hair as she said, "Oh, pinning just one down? You make quite the demand, Twilight Dear!" She groaned with mock distress, giggled, and continued, "Well, if you insist... I suppose that my biggest one- at the moment, mind you- is Prince Poseidon."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Poseidon?" she said surprisedly.

Rarity sighed as she said, "An obvious choice, I know. I mean, what girl doesn't dream of getting swept off of her feet by Poseidon? Alas, I am but a mere mortal, and he is the immortal God of the Sea. Nonetheless, I must be truthful, and if I'm absolutely truthful then I must admit that if I could have any man, then I would have Poseidon, the fairest of all male Gods."

Twilight blinked. She knew already, of course, that Rarity was ambitious enough to try for the hand of a Prince, but she had never imagined that she would actively fantasize about one of the Gods. Furthermore, Rarity had set her sights on Poseidon, who was widely considered to be the single handsomest- and therefore most unattainable- man in the world.

With another toss of her hair, Rarity said, "So, that was my confession. Now it's your turn, Twilight. Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Twilight eagerly responded.

"I told you mine; now you tell me yours," Rarity said, smiling. "Who is your crush, Twilight?"

Twilight's smile slightly faded as she realized: she'd have to confess something she'd never told to anyone before. Rubbing her hair nervously, Twilight said, "Um... well, uh, I don't have just one, either...."

It was Rarity's turn to be surprised. "Really, dear?" she said. "I would never have guessed. I've never seen you date anyone before...."

"Yeah, but that's not because I don't like anyone. I thought I didn't have time for friends or anything else besides my studies."

"Alright, then," Rarity said. "Why don't you tell us who your biggest crush is, then?"

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think I could tell you who's the biggest, either...."

"Alright," Rarity said. "Just pick one, then."

Twilight looked up, then softly smiled. Actually, she felt perfectly comfortable telling her friends her crushes if she was allowed to pick which ones she decided to tell them.

"Well," Twilight said softly, "one boy that I've had a crush on since I was little is an Angel named Flash Sentry. He's the son of the former Captain of the Royal Guard, and so he was a family friend who visited the castle a lot. He's a guard now, and I still saw him around the castle all the time until I came here."

"That's adorable," Rarity replied. "Did the two of you ever share a romance while you were there?"

"Well, n-no...." Twilight softly replied. "I avoided him all the time. Like I said, I thought that having friends or dating would just be a distraction from my studies. I also had a huge crush on Spike's sister, Sunset Shimmer. She was my upperclassman in the Olympus Magic Academy, and I think she really wanted to be my friend. She even became my brother's apprentice, and so I used to see her around Camelot all the time, too, but I still tried not to talk to her."

Rarity's smile faded. "Oh. I'm... I'm sorry, Twilight," she said.

Twilight shrugged. "Well, she actually eventually became Flash's girlfriend, and both of them were good friends with my brother, so it all evens out, I guess."

Rarity nodded, sat silently for a moment, then turned to Applejack. "Erm... Applejack!" she said. "Your turn now! Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Applejack immediately replied.

Rarity's eyes widened. "W-what...?" she said.

"Dare," Applejack repeated. "Didn't ya'll hear me the first time?"

Rarity gaped at Applejack for a moment. She glared slightly at her; was Applejack really just going to violate the spirit of the game and leave Twilight without any more support?

"Uh... Applejack," Rarity said, "are you sure you want a dare?"

"Yeah," Applejack replied, glaring back at her. "Ah don't have no intention of tellin' you anything about my 'crushes,' or whatever. That ain't none of your business!"

Twilight frowned anxiously at the visibly building tension that built between them for several seconds before Rarity smiled wickedly and said, "Very well, Applejack. Here's your dare, then: I want you to wear a mud mask!"

Applejack's eyes widened, then narrowed again as she replied, "Fine! Then Ah dare you to go stick your head in a bucket o' cold water and ruin your hair!"

Rarity began to say something in reply, but Twilight anxiously interrupted them by shouting, "Um- how about a pillow fight, girls?" while picking up a throw pillow from one of the chairs beside her and throwing it playfully at Applejack.

Astonishedly, Applejack took the pillow and stared at it for a moment. After a few seconds, however, she looked up, leeringly smiled at Rarity, and quietly said, "That sounds good to me."

Applejack hurled the pillow as hard as she could at Rarity's face, which caught Rarity completely by surprise and sent her sprawling down to the floor. Growling furiously, Rarity stood up and hurled the pillow back at Applejack, who dodged it as she picked up another throw pillow to throw back at Rarity.

Prepared for it this time, Rarity telekinetically caught the pillow in midair before smirking and willing it to fly back at Applejack. Applejack easily dodged this, as well, but Rarity immediately levitated it back around and struck Applejack in the back of the head, causing her to fall face first to the ground.

Applejack quickly got up, roaring with rage, but as she and Rarity brought up pillows over their heads with which to strike each other again, Twilight cast a pair of etherial barriers between them as she anxiously said, "Okay, bad idea. Let's not have a pillow fight."

Rarity and Applejack glowered at each other as they lowered their pillows and Twilight worriedly looked down, desperately searching her own mind for some way to salvage the evening. After a few moments, however, her face broke into a smile as she gasped and said, "I've got it! Why don't we tell scary stories?"

"Ah think Ah'd rather just go to bed," Applejack muttered, still not looking away from Rarity.

"For once, I agree," Rarity said. "If I attempted to tell a scary story at the moment, I'd like tell the tale of the sloppy, ill-groomed monster who drove all of the townsfolk out of a village with only her foul stench!"

"That ain't as scary as the story of the snob-monster whose head was so far up her own ass that she suffocated!" Applejack spat back.

Twilight interjected, "Okay. Can I tell you girls a scary story before we go to bed?" Twilight asked desperately.

After a moment of glowering consideration, Applejack and Rarity both reluctantly groaned. "Fine," Rarity said. "But make it a quick one."

Twilight grinned. "Oh, I will," she said.

Twilight took a chair as her friends took seats as far as they could possibly get from each other in the library's plush armchairs. She extinguished the library's lights and conjured up a small fireball that eerily illuminated her face as she began, "One there was a lonely Human man who desperately wanted a wife...."

Applejack and Rarity were both still initially sour-tempered as Twilight began weaving her tale. They even found themselves growing a little bored as Twilight described how he met a kind, sweet girl who was polite, attentive, and faithful to him. However, as she slowly began to describe subtle oddities that the man discovered about the girl, Applejack and Rarity both found that their foul tempers began to flow away, slowly being replaced by unsettlement. In only a short time, Twilight began painting a picture of a very disturbing and dangerous young woman who killed everyone the man complained about, and Rarity and Applejack were both absolutely shaking with fear when Twilight reached the end and concluded that the man ultimately rejected the woman in fear, causing her to be so heartbroken that she immediately messily murdered him before killing herself, as well.

Once Twilight turned the lights back on, she saw that Applejack and Rarity were both as pale as ghosts and were trembling as though they had just seen one. She smiled triumphantly; her story had done exactly what she had intended it to do: it dispelled all of the hard feelings between them, for now they were filled with sheer terror instead.

Twilight stood up and said, "Well, it's getting late! We should go to bed now!"

She nodded up at her bedroom as she said, "One of you can use Spike's bed, and one of you can use my bed or the sofa down here. Which would you girls prefer?"

Applejack and Rarity were still trembling. "Ah...." Applejack said softly. "Ah think Ah might want to share a bed with someone."

Twilight grinned. "Alright!" she said. "So, you want to sleep with me?"

"Uh, actually," Applejack said, casting a glance at Rarity, "Ah think Ah'd like to share with her."

Twilight smiled elatedly. However, though she believed that this indicated that Applejack had forgiven Rarity, the truth was that Applejack was still upset with Rarity. However, her mind was so badly shaken that she wanted the comfort of knowing that there was somebody beside her, and as angry as she was at Rarity, she also didn't trust Twilight not to do anything indecent to her as she slept; since Rarity was only attracted to men, Applejack was more assured that she wouldn't.

Rarity silently nodded in agreement. "Y-yes, I think that'll work," she said.

Grinning, Twilight nodded and said, "Well, it's settled then. Let's go to bed!"

After they had all brushed their teeth, Twilight turned out the library and bedroom's lights, bid her friends goodnight, and crawled into bed. Rarity delicately slid into Spike's bed, but Applejack roughly jumped on beside her.

"Ahem," Rarity whispered, "could you be a bit less rough, Applejack? You're disturbing the bedspread."

"Shut up. Go to sleep," Applejack gruffly replied.

Rarity quietly groaned as she nestled beneath the covers. However, after a few minutes, Applejack turned over and pulled the blankets with her, leaving Rarity uncovered.

"Applejack!" Rarity hissed. "Stop hogging the blankets!"

"Be quiet...." Applejack muttered.

Rarity roughly pulled the blankets back over herself, this time leaving Applejack uncovered. With a furious glare, Applejack attempted to jerk the blankets back, saying, "Give them back, you-"

"ENOUGH!!" Twilight roared, startling both of them. She turned on the lights, and her friends were taken aback at how angry and upset she looked.

"Why are you two fighting?" Twilight asked in equal parts exasperation and desperation. "I don't understand! Why have you two been at each other's throats all night?!"

"Because she's an uncouth slob!" Rarity shouted, pointing at Applejack.

"No, I ain't!" Applejack shouted back. "You're the uptight snob-"

"How did this start?" Twilight said. "What got you two upset at each other in the first place?"

"She almost dropped a branch on my head!" Rarity cried.

"Ah said Ah'm sorry, alright?!"

"And she said she had no intention of cleaning it up!"

"Well, maybe if ya'll weren't so slow with them bushes, maybe ya'll could've helped me, if ya'll wanted them branches cleared off so badly!"

"So that's what this is about?" Twilight said. "You're fighting over your tree-pruning?"

"Yeah! 'Cause she's a persnickety perfectionist!" Applejack shouted.

"No, you're just an inconsiderate, lazy slacker!" Rarity shouted back.

Before they could get too far into arguing again, however, Twilight interjected, "Girls, from the sound of it, you're both right."

Rarity and Applejack turned astonishedly to her. "What?!" they said together. "How can we both be right?"

"Well, we should clean up after ourselves when we make a mess," Twilight said. "But we also need to not worry too much about the details. Believe me, I can sympathize with both of you; I'm all about efficiency, but I think a job should still be done properly, too. Have either of you considered that maybe if you both just listened to each other, you might have understood each other much more quickly?"

Applejack and Rarity said nothing for several moments, then gazed at each other. They realized that Twilight was right; they had both been correct, and they really should have listened to each other.

"Princess Celestia taught me that that's why it's good that we're all different," Twilight added smilingly. "We all have a lot that we don't know, and everyone else has some wisdom that we can learn from."

Rarity and Applejack both looked down guiltily. "We're... we're sorry, Twilight," Applejack muttered. "Ah mean, we got so riled up over such a silly thing...."

"We all make mistakes, too," Twilight said with an understanding smile. "What's important is not that we made them; but that we learn from them. So why don't we all learn to learn from each other, forgive each other, and get some sleep?"

Applejack and Rarity smiled up at her. "Yeah," Applejack said.

"I most certainly agree," Rarity answered.

The three girls laughed together, then Twilight turned out the light again as she called out to her friends, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Applejack and Rarity chorused back. They pulled the blankets back over themselves, shared an affectionate hug, said "Goodnight," to each other, as well, then they, along with Twilight, quickly fell into a deep and restful sleep.

I-XVIII. Photo Finish

Fluttershy inhaled deeply, breathing in the floral scent of the water's perfume. Her eyes were closed and she was relaxedly leaning back as she lounged in a small hot tub with Rarity.

This was something the two girls did every Saturday afternoon; they visited Aloe and Lotus's spa, where they talked and relaxed together. It was easily one of Fluttershy's favorite activities; she loved the water's heat, she loved the privacy, and she loved all the relaxing scents that filled the air around her. It was beautiful and quiet; the only window in this room was a large, domed glass ceiling that arced over the cluster of different-sized hot tubs scattered across the floor. There were several small trees and flowering plants in pots all around the room, as well as a small artificial waterfall flowing from a natural hot spring that poured a steady stream of water into all the baths (there were gutter-like indentations in the floors between the baths designed to guide the overflowing water from the waterfall and distribute it between them).

But of course, Fluttershy's favorite part about her spa trips with Rarity was the company of Rarity herself. Rarity was her single best friend, and they could discuss many shared interests; including fashion, art, theatre, music, and other "high-class" things. For this reason, Twilight was also a rather frequent participant in these trips. Few things could bring Fluttershy so much relaxation as having a quiet conversation about such subjects with her friends at the baths.

Of course, there was one more aspect of Rarity that Fluttershy deeply enjoyed about these spa trips.

Smiling softly and opening her eyes, Fluttershy turned her head down to gaze at Rarity. The young, violet-haired Elf woman was also lounging against the tub's wall, her eyes closed and a contented smile over her lips. As they sat, Fluttershy turned her eyes down to Rarity's naked body, drinking it in with enormous admiration.

This was the one thing that made Fluttershy enjoy Rarity's company more than Twilight's; Twilight was beautiful- no doubt- but there was something almost magical about the elegance and grace that Rarity constantly carried. Rarity's figure was deliciously curvaceous; more so than all their other friends. This, in addition to her lovely pale complexion; full lips; long, well-kept hair; and large, sapphire-blue eyes made her so enchanting that Fluttershy always found it an eagerly-awaited treat to be able to lingeringly gaze at her.

Fluttershy knew that Rarity didn't mind; shortly after they had started going to the spa together, Rarity had caught Fluttershy staring at her. Fluttershy was immediately deeply embarrassed and apologetically promised not to do it anymore, but Rarity simply responded by expressing flattery and inviting Fluttershy to look all she liked. Thus, Rarity had become Fluttershy's only friend aside from Rainbow who was aware of her homosexuality until she had told Pinkie about it.

Fluttershy always took full advantage of her privilege to stare at Rarity's nude figure. It was enormously relaxing; Fluttershy didn't date, and so she was always in a near-constant state of deep sexual frustration. Rarity had once suggested that she should visit brothels to alleviate it, but Fluttershy had replied that she was likely to get emotionally attached to her escorts if she did, which she didn't want to risk. Rarity in turn had suggested that Fluttershy should start dating instead, to which Fluttershy replied that she was too shy to meet new people and that she valued her relationships with her friends too much to pursue romances with them. Thus, Fluttershy contented herself with her spa trips with Rarity and Twilight.

After Fluttershy had reached satiation from gazing at Rarity, she looked up and asked quietly, "How has work been, Rarity?"

Rarity looked up. "Hmm?" she said.

"How is your work going?" Fluttershy repeated.

Rarity grinned. "Funny you should ask," she said. She stood up as she continued, "Come on; let's go get facials. I'll tell you all about it there."

Fluttershy stood, as well, then she and Rarity dried themselves off with towels, bundled their hair up in them, and slipped into soft, fur-lined bathrobes. They then went into the beauty salon, where the twin Human sisters Aloe and Lotus began painting mud over their faces. Rarity received a full mask before cucumber slices were laid over her eyes, but Fluttershy had only her cheeks covered. Once their masks were on, Fluttershy and Rarity removed their robes again before laying across two of the spa's beds to receive massages from the sisters. The pink-haired Lotus gently kneaded Fluttershy's back while a male assistant drummed his hands over Rarity's back.

While they were receiving their massages, Rarity said while her voice shook under the rhythmic thudding on her back, "Finale ordered some of my dresses to sell at his shop in Athens, and he told me that they sold remarkably well there! He even wrote a letter to me telling me that he expected my skills in fashion design to surpass even his within a few years!"

"Oh, Rarity, that's wonderful," Fluttershy softly replied.

"But that's not all!" Rarity continued excitedly. "He also told me that the fashion photographer Photo Finish asked him about me, and he told her that I was one of the greatest emerging talents in the industry! And so now she's coming here to Avalon to personally see my work!"

"The Photo Finish?" Fluttershy said surprisedly. "How does Finale know her?"

"She's his cousin," Rarity replied.

The girls then got off of their beds and went to the mud baths, where they sat in a tub of green medicinal mud. Once they were submerged up to their necks in it, Rarity continued, "So I've been working all week on composing some absolutely sublime ensembles, and I'm going to present them to her when she arrives!"

"Oh, I'm sure she's going to love them," Fluttershy replied.

After a few moments of silence, Rarity let out a wistful sigh. "The only problem is, I don't have a model yet..." she muttered. "No one I've seen is quite right to showcase my designs...."

"I'm sure you'll find someone," Fluttershy said encouragingly.

Rarity hummed in reply, and they silently relaxed for a few more minutes.

Once they decided that they were finished with the mud bath, Rarity removed the cucumber slices from her eyes, then she and Fluttershy went to the spa's showers to rinse the mud from their faces and bodies.

After Rarity had turned on some hot water in one of the shower heads, Fluttershy closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the warm jets washing the mud down her legs and into the drain. She let out a large, satisfied sigh as she ran her hands down her arms, torso, and thighs, gently stroking the green sludge away. Fluttershy then opened a bottle of fragrant shampoo and poured a small amount into her hands, which she gently massaged into her scalp, keeping her eyes closed all the while.

As Fluttershy was rinsing and combing her hair between her fingers, however, she looked at Rarity and gasped in surprise; she saw that Rarity was smilingly gazing at her. Rarity was running her eyes down Fluttershy's figure, as though she were carefully studying it.

"Uh... Rarity?" Fluttershy said, a deep, burning blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Let's dry off and get dressed, shall we?" Rarity said, continuing to smile as she turned to the faucet and switched the water off. She went to a nearby towel rack and tossed a fluffy pink towel to Fluttershy. Upon receiving it, Fluttershy gently dried out her hair while staring confusedly at Rarity, who seemed far more cheerful than she had been before.

Once Rarity was in her skinny jeans, heeled brown leather boots, black bandeau, and lacy crocheted white sweater, and Fluttershy had slipped into her sandals, miniskirt, and blouse, they returned to the salon, where they sat in adjacent barber's chairs while they waited for a hair stylist to come attend to them.

Rarity continued to silently smile until Stephen Magnet approached her, having just finished another customer's hair. "Hello, girls!" he sang, smiling at her and Fluttershy. "How are things going, Girlfriends?"

"Quite well, thank you," Rarity replied.

"How about you, sweetheart?" Stephen said to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "I'm doing well, too. Thanks, Stephen."

Stephen clapped and turned back to Rarity. "So, just the usual for you today, Rarity?"

"Of course," Rarity replied.

"Alright, then...." Stephen said, turning her chair to face the mirror. "Just a trim and some curling, then."

As he began to measure Rarity's hair between his fingers, Stephen said, "So, how did dinner with Autumn Leaf go?"

"Oh, it went okay...." Rarity muttered. "I think he must have tried to memorize some lines from a joke book right before the date. Not a funny one, either...."

Rarity and Stephen continued discussing their love lives until Stephen finished cutting Rarity's hair, at which point he said, "... and this big, hairy boy comes up to me and asks me for a drink while giving me a once-over! Like, ugh! You ain't getting any of this! Not if I couldn't tell you apart from a warthog! And I don't just mean your face!"

"Oh, absolutely not!" Rarity agreed. "A man should have some class!"

"I know!" Stephen said. "So true! Well, it's time to bring out the curlers. Would you mind if I leave them in while I do Fluttershy's hair, Rare?"

"Of course not," Rarity replied.

Nodding, Stephen began rolling Rarity's hair up in several large curlers. Once they were firmly in position, Stephen walked to Fluttershy's chair, turned her to face her mirror, and began trimming her hair, as well.

After a few silent minutes, Rarity said, "Fluttershy, can I ask you something?"

Fluttershy blushed and flinched, but said, "Of- of course!"

"For my dresses," Rarity said, "I cannot simply have any model. I need someone with great grace, poise, and beauty. The ensembles I've designed for Photo Finish's consideration require a very particular body type; I need someone who is slender, delicate, sweet."

Fluttershy's eyes darted around nervously; she knew where this was going.

"I need someone... like you," Rarity finished, smiling coyly at Fluttershy through the mirror.

Fluttershy looked down at the ground as Rarity continued, "Would you consider modeling for me, Fluttershy Dear?"

"I... I don't know...." Fluttershy said. "I mean... I don't like being watched, or judged, or-"

"Oh, don't worry, Darling!" Rarity said reassuringly. "It's just for Photo Finish! And it's only one time."

"Oh, yes, Darling!" Stephen added. "You'll do fantastically! You'd be a natural!"

"I... I don't...." Fluttershy said anxiously.

"Oh, please, Fluttershy?" Rarity said. "Oh, please, please, pleeeeease?"

As Rarity begged, her words grew gradually more high-pitched and imploring, and she finished by giving Fluttershy a wide-eyed, pouting look in pleading. It was absolutely adorable, not to mention dead sexy, and Fluttershy found herself utterly defenseless against it and ultimately unable to say no.

With a sigh, Fluttershy softly smiled and said, "If it matters that much to you, I'll do it."

"Oh, thank you, Fluttershy!" Rarity cried, running forward to embrace her. Fluttershy intensely blushed as she did this.

Meanwhile, Stephen smilingly stepped away from them, saying, "Hold your horses, Rare! I'm not done doing her hair yet!"

"O-of course!" Rarity stuttered embarrassedly as she stepped back. "Sorry, Stephen!"

Stephen went back to Fluttershy and returned to trimming her hair. As he finished up with it, Fluttershy anxiously gazed down and took a deep, wavering breath.

Rarity carefully pinned the bodice together at Fluttershy's sides. This was a very tight-fitting dress, and so Rarity had to custom-fit it to Fluttershy's figure.

It was a very showy, flamboyant ensemble; Fluttershy was wearing a deep purple dress with pink fur lining and edging. Many semiprecious gems were embroidered into the fabric, and on Fluttershy's head was a large headdress of feathers that were also pink, matching the dress's fur edging.

After sliding the last pin into the dress, Rarity slowly began stitching its side together, saying, "You're doing wonderfully, Darling! I've never had someone sit still so well!"

"Oh. Well, thanks, Rarity," Fluttershy replied with a soft smile.

"Oh, no, it is I who should be thanking you!" Rarity cried. "It means so much that you're willing to do this for me!"

"I don't mind," said Fluttershy.

After only a few more minutes, Rarity tied off the last stitch and magically cut the end of the thread away. "There," Rarity said, standing back and admiring her work. "You look fabulous, Fluttershy Dear!"

Fluttershy's smile widened a little and she blushed. Receiving such compliments from Rarity could make most anything worth it.

"Yes, that seems to fit perfectly," Rarity said, circling around Fluttershy. "All that's left now is your makeup."

Fluttershy nodded, then Rarity went to her kitchen to retrieve a chair. Once she had brought one, Fluttershy sat in it while Rarity went to her bedroom to get her makeup kit.

Once Rarity had returned, she opened her purple makeup tote and began pulling bottles and brushes out, commenting, "I know you don't like wearing makeup, Fluttershy Dear, but I won't put on very much; you have such a lovely face already that we'll need just a little to enhance it...."

Fluttershy's blush deepened. The best thing about Rarity's compliments, Fluttershy thought, was that she could tell they were genuine; after all, Rarity's primary concern at the moment was making her look as nice as possible for their upcoming photo shoot.

Rarity applied a light amount of blush, some light blue eyeshadow, some mascara, some eyeliner, and peach lipstick to Fluttershy's face. Upon completion, she smiled, slid back, and said, "There; you're ready."

Fluttershy and Rarity stood up, then Rarity turned Fluttershy around to face a mirror. Fluttershy blinked surprisedly upon seeing her reflection; Rarity had made her look absolutely stunning.

Fluttershy softly smiled. "Oh, Rarity!" she said. "You did a wonderful job!"

"Many thanks, Fluttershy," Rarity replied.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Ooh!" Rarity cried excitedly. "I think that's her now!"

Rarity quickly walked to the front door of her shop, then opened it.

The woman who stepped in was short, stern-faced, and bespectacled; she wore a pair of hot pink-tinted sunglasses, high-heeled black boots, and a black-and-white striped minidress with padded shoulders. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, and she wore her white hair in a short, bobbed cut. The Mark on her thighs was an aperture of purple and pink triangles, reminiscent of the lens of a camera.

"Photo Finish!" Rarity said with a small curtsy. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hmm," Photo Finish said, looking around the shop. "Very... quaint," she commented. She had a thick accent that Rarity guessed was from somewhere in the northeastern Central Pillar.

Once Photo Finish had entered, she was immediately followed by an Elf woman who wore a pantsuit with a black necktie and carried a large suitcase.

"Vere is ze model?" Photo Finish said, turning to Rarity. There was a tinge of impatience in her voice.

"Oh- here!" Rarity said, running to Fluttershy's side and indicating to her.

Photo Finish hummed and stroked her chin as she gazed at Fluttershy. "Hmm...." Fluttershy darted her eyes around nervously and began to tremble under Photo's intense stare.

Then, without warning, Photo shouted, "Flash, my camera!" causing Fluttershy and Rarity to jump in surprise.

The Elf woman quickly knelt to the ground, flipped the suitcase's latches open, and pulled out a camera and tripod. She handed them to Photo, who set them up and began adjusting the camera's lens as Flash produced a flash-lamp from the suitcase, as well.

As Photo finished setting her equipment up, Flash snapped her fingers and began conjuring flash powder into the lamp. Rarity stepped away from Fluttershy and stood at Photo's side, then Photo cried, "Yes! Let us capture... ze magics!"

Photo removed her sunglasses, folded them, and slid them over her blouse collar as she lowered her eye to her camera's viewfinder.

Rarity brought her fingers to her cheeks and smiled, urging Fluttershy to do so as well.

Fluttershy smiled and placed her hand under her chin, but Photo cried, "No!"

Fluttershy looked down despondently, causing Photo to softly smile and mutter, "Yes...."

Flash ignited the flash powder in her lamp, and at the same moment Rarity heard the click of Photo's camera shutter. She blinked surprisedly, wondering how Photo and Flash were able to wordlessly act in such perfect synchronization.

Flash refilled the lamp, then Photo shouted, "Next!"

Fluttershy struck a confident pose, but again Photo shouted, "No!"

Fluttershy looked away, softly whimpered, and held her arm, and Photo grinned even more widely. "Yeeeesss...." she said as she snapped another picture.

Rarity watched Fluttershy continue to pose worriedly, and noticed that her friend seemed to be growing more and more distressed every moment. However, the more distressed she got, the happier Photo seemed to be. After taking about a dozen photos, in which Fluttershy was always showing some form of anxiety, dejection, or distress, Photo shouted, "Enough!" as suddenly as she had called for the camera, to which Flash swiftly packed the lamp, tripod, and camera back into her suitcase.

Photo Finish absentmindedly inspected her nails for a few moments, to which Rarity apologetically turned and mouthed to Fluttershy, "I'm sorry."

"It seems I have found some new talents zat vill shine all across ze vorld!" Photo cried, more happily than Rarity had expected. Rarity turned surprisedly to Photo, who continued, "Ja, girls, here is vat I sink; you must come to ze town park zis evening, vere ve can explore more of your inner potential! Yes, I, Photo Finish, am going to make you shine all across ze vorld!"

Rarity gasped elatedly, then Photo spun around and walked back out of the shop, crying, "Come, Flash... ve go!"

They departed quickly, and once they were gone, Rarity turned to Fluttershy. "Did you hear that?!" she cried excitedly. "Photo Finish is going to make me shine all across the world!"

"That's wonderful, Rarity," Fluttershy agreed, nodding.

"I'm so dreadfully sorry about this shoot," Rarity said, frowning. "If I'd known that she behaved like that...."

"It's alright, Rarity," Fluttershy replied. "I'm just glad I was able to help you."

"Well, at any rate, you shan't have to do this again," Rarity continued, removing Fluttershy's headdress. "It was more trouble than it was worth, and I'll find another model so you won't have to do this anymore."

Fluttershy blinked, then asked, "Will you be able to find someone else who can model your dresses?"

"Yes," Rarity said. "I doubt I'll be able to find someone as perfect as you, though."

Fluttershy lightly blushed, then stuttered, "W-well, if that's the case, I c-can do this for y-you again."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Really, Fluttershy?" she said surprisedly. "You'd really be willing to go through all this again?"

"It's not so bad," Fluttershy replied with a soft smile. "Besides, if it will help you, it'll be worth it."

Tears welling in her eyes as she smiled gratefully, Rarity stepped forward and embraced Fluttershy. "Oh, thank you, Fluttershy dear!" she cried. Fluttershy hugged her back, and after a few moments, Rarity stood back and held her by the shoulders, saying, "Don't worry, Fluttershy; as soon as this is over, I'll be sure to make a line of dresses that will be better suited on somebody else. You won't have to do this ever again."

Fluttershy grinned. "Thanks, Rarity," she said.

Rarity then walked back to her clothes rack and began pulling more dresses off to inspect them, saying, "Let's get you in something else before we see Photo, alright?"

Nodding, Fluttershy began stripping her current dress off as Rarity retrieved a tight, glamorously white pantsuit from the rack and said, "This one's a little more masculine, but I think you will be able to pull it off."

Once Fluttershy was in the suit and a pair of white heels, she went with Rarity to Avalon's park, where Photo Finish had set her camera up again so that it was pointing at a cherry tree. When she saw Rarity and Fluttershy approach, she cried, "Ah, zere zey are! Zis shall be perfect!"

Photo smilingly walked towards them, but flinched and frowned when she saw clearly what Fluttershy was wearing. "Vat?" she said. "Oh, no, no, no! Zis girl must be in somesing simple! Somesing reminiscent of Spring!"

"Oh!" Rarity said. She turned to Fluttershy and said, "Y-yes, I agree! I think I have just the thing! I'll be back soon, Fluttershy dear!"

After Fluttershy nodded in reply, Rarity began running back to her boutique to get another dress.

After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy jumped as Photo Finish suddenly cried, "Vell?!"

Fluttershy astonishedly turned to her, stuttering, "Huh? W-what...?"

Photo pointed at her. "Flootershy, is it? Vat are you vaiting for?!"

"W-what...?" Fluttershy repeated.

"Vell, take it off!" Photo cried exasperatedly, waving her hand impatiently.

Fluttershy's eyes widened and she anxiously took a step back. "W-what? Take what off?" she said.

"Your outfit, Honey," Flash said flatly. "We haven't got all day. Chop-chop."

A bead of sweat rolled down Fluttershy's head and she intensely blushed. "My- my outfit?" she said quietly. "W-why?"

"Photo Finish's time is very valuable," Flash replied. "She can't waste a second of it. Get out of that suit so you can change into your dress immediately when your designer comes back."

"B-but...." Fluttershy stammered, beginning to tremble. "C-can't I... um... go inside to change...?"

"Vat are you afraid of?" Photo scoffed derisively. "Vat's wrong wis out here?"

"Th-there are people here...." Fluttershy said, gazing around at the other Beings in the park. "I don't want them to look at me-"

"People are going to be looking at you anyway," Flash replied monotonously. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Just do it."

Swallowing, Fluttershy trembled as she slowly pulled down her jacket's zipper. Once it was undone, she quietly whimpered and stood absolutely still for a moment before hesitantly and slowly took it off, leaving her torso uncovered.

"Good," Photo said, taking the jacket from her. "Now, your trousers."

Trembling intensely, Fluttershy brought her shaking hands to the zipper at her crotch and slowly undid this as well before stepping out of her shoes and sliding her trousers down to her ankles.

As the now-naked Fluttershy gave the pants to Photo, as well, she heard a boy shout from behind her, "Hey, look over there, Onyx!"

"Yeah! What a babe!" she heard another boy reply.

They then began whistling at her, and Fluttershy turned to look at them, to which the first boy cried, "Cute little ass you've got there,Sweetheart! Nice tits, too!"

Fluttershy's entire face flushed scarlet as she crossed her arms over her chest, causing the boys to burst into laughter. She ashamedly looked away and shook violently as she felt embarrassed tears threaten to roll from her eyes.

Shortly thereafter, Rarity ran back into the park with an airy light green dress and a pair of pink slippers in her hands, crying, "Sorry, Darling! I've got them right here!"

However, when Rarity saw the intense embarrassment in Fluttershy's face, she stopped and concernedly asked, "Fluttershy, are you alright, Honey?"

Fluttershy whimpered in response.

"Put on zis dress," Photo commanded, and Fluttershy snatched it away from Rarity before sliding into it as quickly as she could.

"Ah, perfect!" Photo cried happily once she was in it. "Just splendid! Now, for ze magics!"

As Photo walked to her camera, Rarity turned anxiously to Fluttershy and said, "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy dear, I didn't know-"

"It's alright," Fluttershy said, forcing a smile and willing her voice not to break. "I'll just make sure I bring a screen to the next shoot-"

"Out of ze frame!" Photo shouted at Rarity. "Ve must not vaste any more time!"

Nodding, Rarity stepped away and watched Fluttershy as she began to pose at Photo's command. As she began snapping photos, Photo cried, "Yes, zis is perfect! Sat dress brings out Flootershy's inner grace just beautifully!"

As they were shooting, Fluttershy cast an anxious glance at Rarity, and fought to keep herself from crying; after all, this was for Rarity. If Fluttershy had to endure humiliation and suffer through the lewd gazes of hungry men to make her best friend happy, so be it.

I-XIX. Fluttershy and Rarity

As Rarity rhythmically pressed the pedal beneath her foot and worked her sewing machine, stitching another dress for Fluttershy together, her brow was furrowed with concern; her boutique had enjoyed a small but significant increase in sales since Fluttershy had started modeling, but she noticed that Fluttershy seemed to be in a near-constant state of tension and anxiety whenever they saw each other.

Rarity had asked Fluttershy several times if she was absolutely sure that she was fine, but every time Fluttershy had insisted that she was okay and that there was no need for Rarity to worry.

Rarity was trying to design some new dresses that would be better suited for another model than for Fluttershy, but the constant high demand for ensembles for Fluttershy from Photo Finish caused her to work on them only a little on the side. Every day she worried about her friend and how terrifying this must be for her, and wondered if she should tell her that she could stop, but Fluttershy's insistence that all was well caused her to conclude that Fluttershy really did like modeling, but was just getting used to it.

Sighing, Rarity made the finishing touches in the dress's embroidery, then held it up to examine it. This dress was golden, and was embroidered with copper-colored leafy vines and decorative flourishes. It was a shoulderless, long-skirted ball gown, designed to emphasize Fluttershy's feminine elegance and grace. It was a somewhat strange ensemble to showcase on a runway, but Rarity thought it would be sexy and glamorous enough for Fluttershy to pull off.

Satisfied, Rarity inserted a clothes hanger in the gown's collar and hung it alongside the other ensembles she'd designed and tailored for Fluttershy. She then looked up at the clock hanging on her wall, and saw that it was ten to eleven. It was just about time for her to go to her spa trip with Fluttershy and Twilight.

Picking up her purse, Rarity strolled out of her shop and began making her way to Aloe and Lotus's.

Fluttershy was blushing intensely as she sat naked on a wooden stool, being groomed by Photo Finish's entourage. Several little Human women and one Elf man were scanning over her body with tweezers in their hands, searching for any hairs they'd missed during the waxing.

There were several other girls in the large, brightly-lit dressing room who were also receiving grooming while completely nude, which caused Fluttershy to be even more deeply embarrassed and uncomfortable. She was reminded of the unwelcome and painful memory of gym class at Asgard, where she would always stand alone in a corner of the showers so as to draw as little attention as possible from the other girls, who would often accuse her of trying to grope them and do other perverse acts while bullying her with deliberate tripping and slurs such as "dyke," "lesbo," and "she-fag."

"Done!" one of the Human attendants shouted, startling Fluttershy and drawing the attention of Photo Finish, who was observing another model being fit into a dress.

Photo turned to look at Fluttershy, then stepped towards her, carefully studying her. Fluttershy looked away and flushed embarrassedly, causing Photo to smile. "Ah! Zis is simply adorable!" she cried. "With just a bit of practice on a runway, you vill soon be ready to be ze main event of a fashion showcase!"

Photo then barked, "Flash! Ze dress!"

Flash immediately emerged from behind a clothes rack with a green dress with a high, white collar, then gave it to Fluttershy, whoo immediately put it on as quickly as she could. Photo then shouted, "Now, her hair!"

Photo's entourage immediately began doing Fluttershy's hair up into an elaborate, partialy-braided bun, and once they were finished Photo shouted, "Now, her makeup!"

Photo's entourage broke out their makeup kits and powdered, creamed, and painted Fluttershy's face, which took less than a minute due to the aid of the Elf man's magic and their well-practiced hands.

Once Fluttershy's makeup was on, Photo gazed and hummed thoughtfully at her for a moment before saying, "Too much blush."

One of the Human women produced a damp handkerchief from her pocket and quickly wiped the blush from Fluttershy's cheeks, dried them with another handkerchief, then applied a smaller amount of blush to them.

"Not enough," Photo said.

The assistant put a small amount of more blush on Fluttershy's cheeks, then Photo said, "Slightly too much."

The blush was again wiped away, and by this point Fluttershy's cheeks were getting sore. Some more was applied with great care, causing Photo to nod approvingly and say, "Zat vill do."

However, some of the powder went up Fluttershy's nose, causing her to begin gasping, "Aah... Aah...!"

She then made a small, quiet, "Choo!"

Photo grinned and placed her hand over her chest, crying, "Oh, even her schneezes are graceful! Truly, fortune has granted us a once-in-a-lifetime model!"

The assistants all nodded and agreed with, "Mm-hmm."

"Right! Ve are ready now!" Photo shouted, causing Fluttershy to jump. No matter how long she was around it, Fluttershy could still not get used to her photographer's sudden outbursts....

All of the models lined up based on their assigned positions in the show's lineup, and Fluttershy slowly made her way to the back of the line. She nervously touched her fingers together as a male announcer cried from beyond the curtain, "Ladies and gentlemen! It is my tremendous honor to introduce Grand Finale's summer line, brought all the way from Athens to showcase here in Olympus!"

There was cheering from a massive crowd beyond the curtain, then the announcer cried, "Now, without further ado- we begin!"

There was a round of tremendous applause, then the girl in the front of the line of models stepped through the curtain as the announcer said, "First, we have Cherry Eclair, the lovely Athenian model who starred on the cover of Athens Vogue's seventy-fifth anniversary issue last year, showcasing Finale's long-anticipated Maiden of the Fortress of Lilies ensemble!"

There was tremendous applause, then the announcer said as the next girl stepped through, "Next we have the up-and-coming Daisy Petal! This lovely lady is a farm girl from Arcadia who made her debut only a few months ago...."

The show went on and on, and Fluttershy felt that it was by far the longest ten minutes she'd ever sat through. When she was only two places away from her own turn, Photo Finish noticed that she was trembling and said, "Are you nervous, Flootershy?"

"Um... yes...." Fluttershy whispered as her face turned scarlet.

Photo gave her a kind smile and said, "Don't worry; you'll be fine. You only have thousands of Beings who will be watching and silently judging you every second you're out there."

Photo chuckled, and Fluttershy swallowed and whimpered. That was far less comforting than Photo seemed to think it should be.

"Ah!" Photo cried. "You're on now, girl! Go, go!"

Fluttershy swallowed again, then hesitantly made her way through the deep purple curtains as Photo cried after her, "Just be sure to smile and remember your poses!"

Fluttershy was greeted by the sight of a brightly-lit runway surrounded by thousands of standing Beings, many of whom audibly gasped upon seeing her. Fluttershy's entire face burned as she slowly walked forward, trying not to meet any of their gazes.

The announcer shouted as she strode to the catwalk's end, "And we introduce Fluttershy, a brand-new talent from the small Equestrian town of Avalon, not hours away from our own Olympus!"

The crowd cheered far more loudly than they ever had until that point, and the announcer continued as a small smile formed over Fluttershy's lips, "It's this little lady's first time on a runway, and she is also showcasing the Sunlight and Spring ensemble of another up-and-coming talent: Grand Finale's own Apprentice of Magic, Rarity of Athens!"

Fluttershy struck a flirtatiously coy pose, and the crowd again roared their approval. She was able to maintain her smile for a few seconds before a camera flashed brightly in her eyes, causing her to cringe.

The crowd didn't seem to care. "Oh, she's so cute!" she heard a teenaged girl shout.

There was more applause, and Fluttershy heard a handful of catcalls and whistles directed at her. She struck a couple more poses, looking a touch distressed in each of them, then walked back off of the runway.

Once she was behind the curtains again, Fluttershy went to a chair and collapsed in it, exhaustedly and quickly breathing.

"Oh, zat was magnificent!" Photo cried. "Eet was a bit rough, but so full of charm! You can truly do no wrong, Flootershy!"

Fluttershy nodded, but didn't reply; she was just glad it was all over.

There was a knock at the door, and one of Photo's assistants answered it. Beyond stood an older man in a fine silver tailcoat, a white powdered wig, and a small pair of round, golden spectacles, who said, "Where is that Angel girl- um... Fluttershy, is it?"

"She is here," Photo replied, gesturing to Fluttershy.

"I am Hoity Toity, miss," the man said, stepping forward and offering his hand to Fluttershy. "I am a columnist at the Olympian Vogue. Might I ask you a few questions?"

"Um- actually..." Fluttershy replied, nervously looking away and touching her fingers together, "I had plans with my friends right after the show's over..."

"Oh, it won't take any time at all," Hoity replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I ask for only ten minutes of your time."

"Oh. Well... okay," Fluttershy said, smiling politely.

"Thank you, miss," Hoity said as he took a seat across from her. "Now, what caused you to grow an interest in modeling?" he asked, producing a pen and pad from inside his pocket.

"Um... well...." Fluttershy said, looking down, "I'm just helping a friend. It started when my friend Rarity told me she needed someone to model her dresses...."

Rarity frowned at the doorway as she impatiently drummed her fingers on the tiled floors beneath her arms. She was sitting in a hot tub with Twilight, who was relaxedly lying against the wall beside her.

"It's been an hour," Rarity said, and Twilight opened her eyes and turned to her. "Fluttershy's still not here," Rarity added.

"Maybe there's a really long line at the Olympus train station," Twilight suggested.

Rarity sighed. "Well, she'd better come soon," she muttered. She lifted her leg up and stuck her foot out of the water, crying, "Look, my toes are all pruney!" as she wiggled them.

As Rarity lowered her leg back down, she continued, "Ever since Fluttershy started modeling for me, I haven't had as much time with her as I used to. Every time I've asked her if she wanted to come to my house for tea, she's always had to decline because she had another shoot with Photo scheduled then!"

"Why don't you tell her that she can stop?" Twilight said.

Rarity turned anxiously to Twilight and replied, "Because she insists on doing it! I've told her I can use someone else, but she always asks me if I want to use them more than her, and I can't lie to her! Fluttershy is the most perfect model I've ever had!"

"Well, maybe you should start getting used to it, Rarity," Twilight said. "After all, if Fluttershy wants to do this, it's our duty as her friends to support her."

Rarity sighed. "Yes, I suppose...." she muttered. She then stood up and walked towards the locker rooms, saying, "Well, I'm going home. Say hi to Fluttershy if she does come, for me."

"Will do," Twilight replied. "Bye, Rarity!"

Rarity gave an offhanded wave back, then disappeared behind the door.

Twilight leaned back and lounged in the tub a bit longer. After a few minutes, however, Fluttershy burst in through the chamber's main entrance, shouting, "I'm so sorry I'm so late, girls! I-"

However, she slid to a stop and fell silent upon seeing that Twilight was alone, and that Rarity had gone. "Where's Rarity?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"She went home," Twilight replied.

Fluttershy stood still for a moment, then sat on the ground, groaning and wiping her forehead.

"What kept you?" Twilight said.

"I had an interview with a fashion critic," Fluttershy replied. "He insisted that it would be just ten minutes, but it went on for forty-five minutes...."

"Are you alright, Fluttershy?" Twilight said concernedly. "You seem tired."

"I am," Fluttershy replied. "It was exhausting."

"Did you have fun, though?" Twilight said.

Fluttershy was silent for a moment, then turned to Twilight and asked, "Can you keep a secret?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes," she said.

"Do you Pinkie promise?" Fluttershy said.

Twilight nodded, then recited as she mimed the obligatory motions, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Fluttershy smiled back, but it quickly faded away again as she wearily buried her face in her knees. "I hate being a model...." she said.

Twilight blinked. "What?"

"I hate being a model!" Fluttershy repeated. "It's so scary, and embarrassing, and having all of those Beings staring at me and judging me.... It's just so... so... awful!"

Fluttershy sighed, then Twilight said anxiously, "Then why don't you quit and tell Rarity you won't do it anymore, Fluttershy? You're obviously really unhappy with this."

"But I can't!" Fluttershy cried. "Rarity needs me!"

"She can get another model!" Twilight said exasperatedly.

"I know, but I want to help her! Me modeling for her is really helping her sell her dresses, and it'll help her achieve her dreams!"

"But what about you, Fluttershy?" Twilight said. "This is obviously really hard on you!"

"I can deal with it, though," Fluttershy said. "Anything's worth helping my friends."

"But Fluttershy, you're our friend! Aren't we allowed to care about you?"

"I need to get over my fears," Fluttershy said, frowning. "I can't just live like this forever...."

"Even if that's true, couldn't it be that it's unhealthy to try and do it like this?"

"It's unhealthy for me to be so frightened all the time," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight sighed, then said, "Look, Fluttershy- just tell Rarity. I'm sure she'll understand."

"No! I can't!" Fluttershy cried. "I can't let her down like that...."

Twilight sighed. "Fine...."

"Please don't tell Rarity, either!" Fluttershy cried.

Twilight shook her head. "I won't; I promise," she muttered.

Both of them were silent for a few moments, then Twilight sighed again and stood up, saying, "I'll go get dressed, then I'll walk you home, alright?"

Fluttershy nodded. Twilight gave her a kind smile, then went into the locker room, where she retrieved her sneakers, t-shirt, and short shorts.

After Twilight came back out in her street clothes, she noticed that Fluttershy was wearing a large, floppy hat and was putting on a pair of sunglasses. "What are those for?" Twilight said curiously.

"It's so no one will recognize me," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight raised a brow, but shrugged and muttered, "Alright...."

The girls walked out of the spa together, and began traveling down the streets to Fluttershy's cottage. However, as they were walking, they passed by a large, middle aged old lady who gasped upon seeing Fluttershy and said, "Oh, goodness, have I seen you somewhere before, dear?"

Fluttershy lowered her head and tried to walk quickly away, but another woman cried, "Yes, that's the girl from the magazine!"

Beings all around the street were turning to Fluttershy now, and several of them began muttering excitedly, "Is that Fluttershy...?"

Twilight and Fluttershy found themselves beginning to be encircled, and Fluttershy began trembling as she removed her sunglasses. "Oh, shit," she said softly.

She then turned to Twilight and cried, "Run, Twilight!!"

Twilight nodded, then she and Fluttershy broke into a sprint, followed closely by a small mob composed of those who had recognized Fluttershy.

The run was long and exhausting, with many sharp turns and close dodges away from other pedestrians, but soon enough Twilight and Fluttershy reached Fluttershy's little yellow cottage on the outskirts of the town. They hurried inside, slammed the door closed, then barred and locked it shut just moments before the mob arrived at the door and began pounding on it.

"Go away!" Twilight shouted between her winded gasps, but the crowd continued to shout and pound on Fluttershy's door.

Her eyes and Marks glowing with violet Ether for a moment, Twilight stepped forward and thrust her hands outward, conjuring a spherical etherial barrier that grew outwards in all directions. She heard several members of the crowd fall over outside, then she shouted, "LEAVE, NOW!!" in barely-contained fury.

Hearing indistinct muttering outside, Twilight and Fluttershy heard the crowd slowly and grudgingly disperse until they were alone again. Fluttershy sighed relievedly, but Twilight said flatly to her, "Fluttershy, you should really talk to Rarity."

Rarity was glaring at a magazine laying across her desk. It was open to a column opposite a full-page color photo of Fluttershy posing on the runway at her first show at Olympus. The author of the column was listed as Hoity Toity, who had written a thorough critique of the fashion show and the dresses and models showcased in it. He had commented that it was an excellent showcase, though not Finale's best by a long shot, but Rarity was interested only in the excerpt on Fluttershy:

"...before a young Angel by the name of Fluttershy came down the catwalk. Fluttershy was of particular interest to me; the announcer said that she was from Avalon, and she certainly seemed it; she didn't carry herself like a city girl. In fact, she gave what was in some ways a terrible and obviously awkward first performance, but I found myself oddly enchanted by it. Though she was clearly very frightened of her first walk down a runway, she had a certain endearing charm that rendered her an entertaining joy to watch nonetheless. In addition, she was an obvious audience favorite, receiving more enthusiastic applause than even Cherry Eclair herself received! Perhaps the prettiest girl on that stage, certainly the most fascinating, Fluttershy is most definitively a model to keep an eye on."

Rarity was practically fuming with anger. Not even a word about Fluttershy's dress, which Photo had proclaimed brought out her inner grace and beauty! Sure, Hoity Toity's specialty was critiquing models, but he almost always also had a comment regarding their ensembles, as well. That Rarity's hadn't received one was a deep and profound insult.

Rarity disgustedly tossed the magazine aside. She knew that Fluttershy's interview with Hoity was transcribed on the next page, but she felt as though she'd rather do anything other than read it at the moment. "Hmph!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

A few moments later, the bell to the door of Rarity's boutique rang, and she heard a young woman call out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

Rarity smiled, glad to occupy her mind with something else. She folded her spectacles and stood up, turning to see that there were two Human girls standing in her shop's doorway.

"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!" Rarity said. "Now, how may I assist you?"

"We saw some photos of Fluttershy in your window," one of the girls said. "Do you happen to know her?"

"Why, yes!" Rarity said, making a half-forced smile. "I'm her designer!"

"Really? Who are you?" the other girl said.

Rarity's smile faded slightly. She tossed her hair as she said, "Rarity, of course!"

"Never heard of you," the first girl said.

It took every ounce of Rarity's willpower not to shoot a death glare at them. "Do you... *ahem,* need something?" she said sweetly.

"Do you think you could point us in the direction of Fluttershy?" one of the girls said.

Rarity sighed. "She's probably at a shoot," she said wearily, allowing her smile to disappear completely, to be replaced by a contemptuous scowl. "To advertise my dresses."

The girls nodded, then turned back out and exited the boutique, ignoring Rarity.

Rarity sat back at her desk, screamed into her hands, then shouted, "Fluttershy has legions of fans! I'm the one who should be mobbed by strangers wherever I go!"

Rarity pouted and huffed again, then stood up. Her white, Persian cat Opal rubbed up against her legs, to which Rarity pet her and said, "I'm going to see Twilight, darling. I'll be right back."

Rarity exited the shop, then walked to the Golden Oak Library, where she knocked on the front door. It was promptly answered by Spike, who blushed and smiled nervously upon seeing her. "Oh... uh.... Hi, Rarity!" he said.

"Hello, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity replied, smiling warmly. "Is Twilight home?"

"Yeah," Spike said, stepping back. He turned to the library's writing-desk and said to Twilight as Rarity entered, "Hey, Twi, Rarity's here to see you."

Twilight folded her glasses and stood up, turning and smiling at Rarity. "Hi, Rarity," she said pleasantly.

"Hello, Twilight," Rarity replied.

"Do you need something?" Twilight said.

Rarity nodded. "I need someone to talk to, I think," she said.

"Alright," Twilight said. "Talk away."

Rarity sighed, then began, "About Fluttershy...."

"Yes?" Twilight said, perking up interestedly.

Rarity continued, "She's been gone all the time, doing modeling for Photo Finish, and she's gotten a lot of fans."

"I've noticed that," Twilight said.

"But nobody seems to notice her dresses!" Rarity cried distressedly. "All I've ever heard is how gorgeous and adorable she is! I mean, my ensembles are the entire reason that she began modeling! And now she's the star!"

Rarity folded her arms and glared downwards as she added, "Well, I think that star should burn out!"

"Rarity!" Twilight cried distressedly. "How could you say that?! Fluttershy's your friend!"

"I know!" Rarity said. "But... Oh! I must confess! I've grown... quite jealous of her, if I'm being honest."

Twilight gasped. "You are?" she said surprisedly, a smile slowly spreading over her face.

Rarity sighed, nodded, and said, "Yes, and I would love to stop using her as a model. But she seems to enjoy it so much, and I could never ask her to stop just because I want the attention she's getting."

"Well, now that you mention it," Twilight said, "Fluttershy told me the other day-"

"TWILIGHT!!" a voice barked, causing Rarity, Spike, and Twilight to all jump and yelp in fright. They turned to the door, and saw that Pinkie was standing in the frame, holing a book and glaring at Twilight. "You Pinkie Promised, Twilight!" she shouted. "And breaking a promise is the quickest way to break trust and lose a friend foreveeeer!"

"What are you doing here, Pinkie?" Twilight cried distressedly.

Pinkie immediately snapped out of her cold glare back to her cheerful smile, replying, "I came to return this book!"

She skipped forward and gave it to Twilight, who saw that it was a how-to-draw-manga book. Pinkie then skipped back out, singing, "I'll see you later!"

However, she cast one more glare at them, growling as she pointed at them, "Remember: never break a Pinkie Promise!" She then slunk away, eerily wailing, "Foreveeeeeer!"

Twilight blinked, sighed, and set the book aside. "Fine," she muttered. She then grabbed Rarity's arm and said, "Then come with me."

"What- why?!" Rarity cried distressedly.

"We're going to see Fluttershy," Twilight replied.

"What?!" Rarity shouted. "I don't want her to know-"

"Trust me," Twilight said. "You two should really talk to each other."

Rarity blinked in confusion, but nodded before saying, "Just promise me you won't tell her-"

"I won't," Twilight said. "Come on, though."

Taking a deep breath, Rarity followed Twilight out of the library and down the streets to Fluttershy's cottage, where Twilight smartly knocked on the door.

"Coming!" Fluttershy's soft voice called from inside, and a few moments later she opened the door. When she saw that it was Rarity and Twilight, she said worriedly, "Oh...! Um... hey, girls! Are you...? Uh...."

Twilight leaned against the doorframe, then nodded towards Fluttershy while looking at Rarity. "Tell her," she said.

Rarity gaped at Twilight incredulously, beginning, "But, Twilight-!"

"Trust. Me." Twilight said. She nodded at Fluttershy again, saying exasperatedly, "Just do it."

Rarity gazed nervously at Fluttershy for a moment, then said, "Twilight, dear, I can't-"

"Oh, come on!" Twilight screamed frustratedly. "Fluttershy, Rarity doesn't-"

"FOREVEEEEER!"

Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy looked astonishedly out of the door, where they saw Pinkie standing on the sidewalk, carrying Gummy in his tank.

"Pinkie!" Twilight said. "Why are you-?"

"I'm here to have Fluttershy check up on Gummy," Pinkie replied, beaming cheerfully. She handed the tank to Fluttershy, then waved and cried, "Bye, girls!"

Pinkie then conjured an apple into her hand and bit into it as she hummingly skipped away.

Twilight sighed, then said, "Fine. Rarity, you tell her. I promise, it will not be as bad as you think."

Rarity blinked, then sighed. Fluttershy was staring at her and intensely blushing.

"Fluttershy, I have something to confess," Rarity said.

Fluttershy swallowed, nodded, and tremblingly whispered, "What... what is it, Rarity?"

After a few more moments, Rarity took a deep breath, then suddenly shouted, "I'm jealous!"

Fluttershy blinked confusedly. "Huh?" she said.

"I'm jealous! Of you!" Rarity cried. "I mean, you are getting all the attention, while all of my dresses don't even get noticed!"

Rarity groaned and covered her eyes as she said, "I know how selfish that is of me, and I know how much this means to you-"

"How much what means to me?" Fluttershy interrupted her. "Modeling?"

Rarity seemed slightly puzzled, but nodded.

Fluttershy grinned. "Oh, Rarity, I hate modeling!" she said.

Rarity's jaw dropped. "R-really?!" she said.

Fluttershy cheerfully nodded. "I was only doing it because I thought you wanted me to!" she said. "If you really want me to stop, I'm more than happy to!"

Rarity grinned back, then she said, "Well, as long as you don't actually enjoy doing it, I won't make dresses for you to model anymore, then!"

Rarity and Fluttershy laughed together, and Twilight sighed relievedly. "Finally...." she muttered.

When Rarity and Fluttershy told Photo about the end of Fluttershy's modeling career, she was disappointed, but understanding. She wished them both the best of luck in their future endeavors, then returned to her own home with Flash and their assistants.

That night, Rarity curled up in her bed with the edition of Olympian Vogue she had cast aside earlier. Fluttershy had recommended that she read her interview with Hoity Toity, and so she did so.

Near the end, Rarity gasped in surprise at the last exchange she read.

"Q: So, this Rarity, did she design all of your dresses?

A: Mm-hmm.

Q: They are all so magnificent! They are nearly as good as Finale's! He surely chose a fine apprentice....

A: I agree.

Q: I hardly notice them, but that's what makes them so great! They bring out your grace and beauty so well, without intruding or distracting from them....

A: (Laughs) Yes, she and my photographer have both said the exact same thing to me.

Q: So, you say that you are doing this mostly for her sake?

A: Oh, yes. I mean, I'm not really that special-

Q: Oh, come now, you were all anyone talked about!

A: Yes, but that wasn't because of me. It was because of Rarity. I wouldn't do any of this at all, except that she's an amazing friend. She sees the beauty and potential in everything, and if you saw any in me, it was because of her. I owe everything to her, really, because she helped me see and realize what I can be."

Rarity wiped a tear away from her cheek, smiled down at the transcript for a moment, then set the magazine on her nightstand and turned the lights in her lamp off.

I-XX. Spike's Memories

Spike was lounging across his bed, reading the seventeenth volume of Clockmoon. It was lunch break, and Twilight had gone to Frappe's to eat with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, so Spike was free to do as he pleased. He had decided to spend his break playing Steam game books and reading manga, which is what he usually did when he was alone. It was relaxing, and it was fun; just the way that Spike liked it.

As he was reading, however, there was a knock on the library door. Spike promptly closed the volume in his hands, exited his room, scaled down the stairs, and made his way to the door. Upon opening it, he was surprised to see that it was Rainbow Dash, who was holding a rather large parcel under her arm.

"Hey, Man," Rainbow said cheerfully with a small wave.

Spike smiled. "Hey, Rainbow," he replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Somebody sent you a package," Rainbow said, holding the parcel out to him.

Spike nodded. "Thanks, Dash. I'll be sure to tell Twilight when she gets back-"

"It's not for Twilight; it's for you," Rainbow interrupted him. She pointed at the label on the top of the package, which read,

"To: Spike
Golden Oak Library, 7 East Cobble Av.
Avalon, Equestria"

Spike's eyes widened. "For me?" he said, taking it.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. Well, I've got more deliveries to make. See ya later, man!" she said, waving as she turned around and unfurled her wings.

As Rainbow took to the air, Spike gazed with puzzlement at the parcel for a few moments. He then took it to the library's kitchen table, where he retrieved a knife from the knife drawer, cut the parcel's binding twine away, and pulled its wrapping-paper off. Inside the paper he found a brown cardboard box; upon opening it, he looked inside and gasped.

It was his long-lost stuffed dragon, Spark.

After a moment of stunned stillness, Spike pulled the purple, green-spined plush toy out of the box and gently stroked its head. "Hey, Spark," he said, smiling gently. He'd lost this a few years ago, and was absolutely devastated when he did. He'd cried for several days, and spent every waking moment searching for it, but his search was ultimately in vain. The Olympus Orphanage's director had offered to get him a new one, but Spike had refused; he didn't want another one. Spark couldn't be replaced; he was all Spike had left of his sister, Sunset.

Tears began to well in Spike's eyes as he began to tremble. He was filled with intense, simultaneous joy and sorrow at seeing his favorite toy again. Before he could begin weeping, however, he heard another knock on the door.

As Spike looked up, the door creaked open, and Twilight stepped through, crying, "I'm back, Spike!"

Twilight saw that Spike was standing in the kitchen, holding his dragon, and she said surprisedly, "Oh- hey, Spike! What do you have there?"

Spike hurriedly wiped his eyes and said, "Um- I just got a package. Someone sent me a stuffed dragon I lost when I was younger."

"Ah," Twilight said. She walked to the kitchen table and looked inside the box, where she found a small handwritten note.

"It's from my parents," Twilight said, pulling it out. She gave it to Spike, who read what was inscribed:

"Spike,
The director of the Olympus Orphanage sent this to us. He said that he found it in a corner of the attic. He said that he thinks that someone probably hid it to be mean to you. At any rate, he asked us to get it to you.
Thanks,
Twilight Velvet and Night Light."

Spike scoffed. "So, Mr. Limestone thinks someone stole it, huh?" he said. "I bet it was Roaring Falls. He was always an asshole."

"How'd you get it?" Twilight asked curiously.

"It's a birthday present from... from Sunset...." Spike replied, his voice breaking slightly at the end of his sentence.

Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh- ... oh." She said, deeply flustered.

Both sat silent for a few moments, then Spike said, "I'm gonna... go put this in our room. On my bed."

Twilight nodded. "Alright," she said.

Spike blinked, continuing to will himself not to cry. He carefully held Spark to his side as he made his way to his bedroom. He then set Spark on his bed, gently smoothed out his wings, then knelt down and folded his arms across his mattress, gazing at it.

This stuffed dragon was far and away Spike's most treasured possession. It was what had given him his intense love for dragons in the first place. He loved it nearly as much as he loved Sunset herself.

Tears welled in Spike's eyes again, causing him to sniff and wipe at them. He stood up, went to his nightstand, and pulled open its top drawer. He reached inside, pulled out a small, thin, red plastic rectangle, then slid it into his hoodie pocket.

After closing his drawer again, Spike slipped his hands into his pant pockets and went back downstairs. He found Twilight taking inventory of the books on the library shelves. "Hey, Twi," he said softly.

Twilight turned to him. "Yes, Spike?"

"I'm... I'm going out for a while," Spike said. "I'm gonna have a walk."

Twilight nodded. "Okay," she replied, without inquiring further.

Spike nodded, then pulled open the library's front door.

It was a pleasantly cool late-summer day. Lots of kids were playing outside, and the sky was a little cloudy but otherwise quite blue. It was a very lovely day for a walk.

Spike idly kicked a small stone beneath his feet as he walked down Avalon's streets. He walked a long time; he was determined to get outside of the town's borders.

The sun was about midway through its downward descent as Spike walked. There would be a sunset in only a few hours, he observed.

Sunset. Spike swallowed. He didn't like thinking about Sunset very often. It was so painful. Spike missed his sister so much, and had spent more than a few nights crying as he pined for her since her dissapearance. He was a bit embarrassed over it; after all, he was twelve years old. Nonetheless, Sunset had been his only family. But not just that; she had also been, for a significant time, his only friend as well.

He was now walking down a dirt path towards the Avalon lake. Spike sniffed. He and Sunset had been closer than most other siblings when they'd been together. In many ways, Sunset had acted as Spike's mother in the absence of their real one; she sang him to sleep, told him stories, took him to the park, read to him, took care of him when he was sick, and let him sleep with her whenever he was scared.

Spike arrived at the lake. He sat on a tree stump under the shade of a large tree standing beside it, then pulled the plastic rectangle out of his pocket.

This rectangle, which was about the size of a trading card, was a picture frame; behind its clear sleeve was a photograph of Spike and Sunset, sitting on a park bench and grinning while flashing "peace" signs at the camera.

Spike gently stroked the image of Sunset's face with his fingertips. Tears again welled in his eyes. He stared tremblingly at his sister's lightly tanned, confident face; her long, flame-like locks of golden and red hair; her playful, cocky smirk; and her large, brilliant turquoise eyes.

Tears rolled down Spike's cheeks and off of his chin. He whimpered and quietly sobbed as several of his tears hit the clear cover of his photo's frame. He missed Sunset more than he could bear. The worst part of her absence was that Spike knew absolutely nothing about what had happened to her; for a while after she had been kidnapped, Spike had held out hope that she was still alive and well, but that hope had largely died out by now. A ransom hadn't been offered for her, and no one had seen her since, so Spike was left to assume that she'd been abducted to be used as a sex slave. Spike's beautiful and spirited sister had likely been forced into prostitution in an illegal brothel, or imprisoned in some sexual predator's makeshift dungeon. Either way, she was almost certainly dead; either from a disease some pervert had given her, or as a result of murder at the hands of her captor to destroy the evidence of the crimes committed against her. Sunset had probably died a slow, agonizing, and terrified death somewhere dark and joyless where no one would ever find her.

But as painful as that fact was, Spike couldn't keep himself from remembering Sunset. He just couldn't let her go; after all, if he forgot her, what would be left of her? As much as it hurt, Spike didn't want to let her go; she was the most amazing girl that Spike had ever known, and the majority of his most treasured memories were of her.

In fact, the first memory Spike could ever clearly recall was of Sunset. It was of his fifth birthday; the day that Sunset had given Spark to him.

On Spike's fifth birthday, he had eaten a quarter of a chocolate cake that Sunset had baked for him. Just the two of them and their orphanage director, Mr. Limestone, were celebrating it, but Spike didn't care; they were all he needed.

Once they'd eaten the cake and some ice cream, Mr. Limestone gave him a birthday present: a wooden pachisi set. Spike had wanted to play the game immediately, but Sunset had laughingly said to him, "Hold on- not so fast, kiddo."

Spike had groaned and said, "Come on, Sunset! It's my birthday!"

"That's right," Sunset replied, smirking as she bopped the tip of his nose with her forefinger. "And I got you a present, too."

Spike's eyes widened. "You did?" he said.

"Yep," Sunset replied, turning around. They were sitting around a circular table, and Spike had seen that there was a blanket covering something boxy at Sunset's side, but he had never given thought to it until now. Sunset removed the blanket, then picked up what had been hidden beneath it: a large, colorfully-wrapped parcel.

"Here's my present," Sunset said. "Happy birthday, Spike."

With an excited gasp, Spike eagerly took the parcel and tore through its wrapping. He opened the box, and gasped again upon peering at what rested inside.

Spike pulled Spark out of the box, and said, "Whooooa!" while holding him above his head.

"His name is Spark," Sunset said. "He's the meanest, most terrifying dragon to ever live!"

"Awesome!" Spike cried. "He's so cool!"

"He'll also protect you from harm," Sunset added. "So if you're ever scared, hold him close, and no one will dare come anywhere near you."

Spike threw his arms around Sunset, crying, "Thanks, Sunset! I love him!"

"You're welcome, Spike," Sunset replied, hugging him back.

Spike had played with Spark for the rest of the day, and had taken him to bed that night. However, he had a nightmare that night- one that he often had, in which a bunch of scary-looking men were fighting in a house that was blazing with fire. Spike was in the house, as well, and though he cried for help, his cries were lost in the roar of the flames. He couldn't move, either, and so he was left feeling utterly helpless and doomed as he motionlessly waited for death as the building began to collapse around him.

Spike had just reached the point in which his dream always ended: the moment where he was startled by someone grabbing him around the waist, when he awoke and bolted up, panting with bulging eyes and cold sweat rolling down his face.

As far as Spike could guess, this recurring nightmare was a memory of the Royal Guard's assault on his family house. Sunset had told him that guards had attacked their home, and tried to capture their father. Sunset had no idea why the guards were after their father, but she did know that he had several friends in the house with them when the guards attacked, and that they'd held the guards off so he could escape. Their father, who was (according to Sunset) a handsome, tall man with long, flame-red hair named Prometheus, had gotten in a short skirmish with the Captain of the Guard, which was what started the fire that burned their house down.

Ultimately, Prometheus had escaped. Sunset wanted to go with him; however, she refused to leave without Spike, and so she stayed behind to try to retrieve her brother, as well. Before she could reach him, however, a guard had picked her up and carried her out of the house. Sunset had struggled and screamed for him to let her go, but she was forcefully dragged into a carriage, where another guard restrained her while a third guard ran out of the collapsing house with an infant Spike in his arms.

Once all of them were in the carriage, Sunset saw that her baby brother was screaming and weeping with terror, and so she angrily and tearfully demanded that Spike be given to her, to which the guard holding Spike relented and handed him to her. Spike continued screamingly weeping while Sunset patiently rocked him, whispering, "Shh... shh.... It's okay, Spike.... Don't be scared.... We're gonna be okay...."

Spike had slowly stopped crying, gasped and hiccuped for a moment, then promptly fell asleep, succumbing to his enormous exhaustion.

Once Spike was asleep, however, Sunset tremblingly gazed at the guards sitting around them as fearful tears streamed down her own cheeks. Though she had successfully comforted Spike, she was still only a small child herself, and she silently whispered, "... Daddy... Daddy...." and wished desperately that Prometheus were there to comfort her.

Once the carriage stopped outside the Royal Guard's barracks, the carriage's door was opened, and at that instant Sunset tried to run out and make a getaway with Spike. However, the guards in the carriage grabbed her and pulled her back in, causing her to struggle against them and scream, "LET US GO!! LET! US! GOOOOO!!"

Sunset's screaming woke Spike back up, and he started screaming as well. One of the guards took him away from Sunset, causing her to shriek, "GIVE HIM BACK!!"

Spike was not returned to her until the two of them were brought into the barracks. Sunset kicked and screamed as a guard carried her into a small, bare room that was furnished with only a bed. He set her on the bed, then held her down to prevent her from running as another guard entered carrying Spike.

Sunset again stopped struggling as her baby brother was gently handed back to her. One of the guards then sat on a wooden stool next to the door as the others exited through it and closed it behind them.

Sunset gently rocked Spike until he again stopped crying and went back to sleep, glaring at the guard sitting sentinel at the door all the while. Eventually, however, her exhaustion overcame her, as well, and so she too fell asleep while holding Spike to her chest.

Sunset and Spike were kept in that room until the early afternoon of the next day, when a guard came in and told them that they were to be taken to an orphanage. Knowing at that point that resisting would inevitably prove futile, Sunset resentfully went with the guard back into a carriage and allowed it to drive her and her brother to the Olympus Orphanage.

Once they had reached the orphanage, they were immediately warmly greeted by Mr. Limestone, the director of the place. He was a kind, grandfatherly old man who treated all of the children under his care as though they were his own. Sunset grew to love him over the next few months, and Spike too came to see him as a father as they grew.

However, the other children weren't so kind to them. When they heard the story of how the Royal Guard had attempted to arrest Prometheus, they began to mercilessly mock the young siblings for having a dangerous criminal for a father. A common taunt thrown their way, often sung like a nursery rhyme, was, "An apple doesn't fall far from the tree; like father, like daughter, you see; like father, like son, hee hee hee!"

Spike and Sunset thus grew up in an environment where they were told nearly constantly that they would grow up to be criminals just like their father. Sunset was convinced that her father was innocent of whatever the Royal Guard had accused him of; after all, she deeply loathed and distrusted the guards, who would always lie that they didn't know what she was talking about when she asked them about their father.

"They're liars...." Sunset had once muttered to Spike. "And they took our dad away from us. Daddy never did anything wrong; the guards just hate him. I hate them. I hate them...."

The recurring nightmare of his house being set ablaze was so traumatic that Spike loudly cried every time he'd had it for his first five years at the orphanage. The other boys in his dorm always got angry, and sometimes hit him and screamed at him to shut up. He desperately wanted to go to Sunset at times like these, but was so terrified to leave his bed that he motionlessly, lucidly sat up and stared in terrified silence into the darkness surrounding him until the sun began to rise.

On the night of his fifth birthday, however, Spike felt safer; after all, he had Spark at his side. He held Spark close, tremblingly crawled out of bed, and tiptoed into the girls' dorm.

He had never been in here before, and so he searched the top and bottom bunks of every bed until he found Sunset sleeping in one of the bottom bunks near the back of the room.

Spike shook his sister, tearfully whispering, "Sunset...."

Sunset grunted, then she slowly turned to Spike as her eyes fluttered open. "What're you doing up, Spike?" she asked, yawning.

"I... I had a nightmare...." Spike replied. He hugged Spark closer to his chest as tears welled in his eyes. "I'm scared...." he whispered.

Sunset let out a small sigh. "You have Spark with you, though," she said. "He'll protect you, remember?"

"I'm still scared," Spike replied. He nervously looked down, was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "Can... can I sleep with you...?"

After thinking about it for a few moments, Sunset sighed and softly smiled at Spike. "Of course," she said.

She scooted to the side, making room for her brother, then patted the edge of her bed. "Come in, kiddo," she said.

Grinning, Spike slowly crawled in beside Sunset.

Once Spike was under the covers with his sister, Sunset wrapped her arms around him and whispered to him, "Don't worry, Spike... don't be scared... everything's gonna be alright...."

Smiling contentedly, Spike snuggled against Sunset and promptly fell asleep.

From that night, Sunset always allowed Spike to share her bed whenever his nights grew too difficult to bear. Gradually, however, he slowly grew out of it, though his bond with Sunset never became any less powerful.

They were almost inseparable; Spike would wait patiently for Sunset to return home every day when she began going to school, and when Spike started going to school, they would spend each of their lunch breaks and recesses together.

Spike and Sunset were eventually able to get other friends at school, but they still spent more time with each other than anyone else. Sunset was the one who taught Spike how to be such an excellent Rock-Paper-Scissors player (Spike had never met anyone who could beat her), introduced him to manga, and was even responsible for his obsession with Steam.

When Sunset was a preteen, she began going to Steam sessions with some of her friends. Spike intensely missed her whenever she went to these, and eventually asked her if he could come to them with her. Sunset told him that he could, but only if he promised to be quiet and non-disruptive. Spike did, and so Sunset took him to one of her games.

Sunset's friends were surprised to see that Sunset had brought her little brother with her, but accepted it without objection and tolerated him after Sunset promised them that Spike wouldn't be a bother. Spike sat with Sunset while she played, and watched her roll her dice, move her figurines around, write in her character sheets, and listen to the descriptions of the Game Master. The first time he went to one of these roleplaying sessions, he quickly fell asleep; he continued to do so for several months, until one day he asked Sunset how to play. Sunset explained the rules to him, which he learned quickly. He then made a character of his own and began playing with the group, as well. He continued playing with Sunset until she disappeared.

Sunset was quite popular in school, but was also rather widely disliked. She was the best athlete in the Olympus Magic Academy, had dated many of the school's most popular boys (and girls), received the awards for all of the major art competitions and game tournaments, was the Homecoming Queen for every year except her first, and was in her academic achievements second only to Twilight Sparkle. Most of her fellow students greatly liked and admired her, but a few were obviously jealous of her for all of her apparent perfection and the enormous adoration she constantly received, and would viciously (and often anonymously) taunt her over her poverty, her orphanhood, and her active love life.

Spike remembered being with Sunset when another (also-popular) girl had shouted at Sunset in one of the halls, "Hey there, slut! Which footballer did you ride last night? Was it Puck? Or maybe Flash? Or did you eat out that tramp Molly?"

Sunset pretended to ignore her, but Spike could tell that she was deeply infuriated and hurt by this.

"Hey, everyone!" the girl shouted to passers-by. "You want your cock sucked by miss Orphan Girl, it'll cost ya five silver pieces! If you want anal, it'll be seven! But if you want to knock her up, it'll cost only a gold piece! Yeah, Whore-Girl's cheap and easy, just like her mom was!"

Sunset clenched her fists, and Spike gazed worriedly at her.

"She'll even do another girl for free!" the girl laughed. "But watch your wallet; if you're not careful, Sunset'll take it from your pocket while she's drinking your cum!"

Spike watched as angry tears welled in Sunset's eyes. When they returned to the orphanage that night, Sunset went out for half an hour, and returned with a black eye, a cut lip, and some scratches across her arms and face. When Spike saw the girl that had been taunting her the next day, he saw that she was riddled with injuries herself; most prominently, her nose was broken and she had a black eye even more pronounced than Sunset's.

Sunset got in trouble several times for attacking the other children who smeared her, Spike, or their parents, which only added to her reputation as a delinquent. Perhaps because of this, she only grew more promiscuous. Spike hated more than anything that his sister was widely known as "the Whore of the Olympus Magic Academy," and that people would define her for being "easy," often seeming to forget that she was also brilliant, talented, and an affectionate, loving sister.

In addition, Spike knew that Sunset didn't wish to be the way she did. She confided in him that her casual one-night stands were largely to numb her pain and loneliness, and that she really wanted to have a romantic partner.

"I really, really want to ask someone out...." Sunset had muttered to Spike as they were lounging across the orphanage's sofa together.

"Who is it?" Spike said curiously.

"One of my juniors. Her name is Twilight Sparkle," Sunset replied.

Sunset grinned, continuing, "She's really cute, and she might be the only kid at school who's as smart as we are. I had her for a lab partner once, and she's the only girl I've met who I can have a substantial conversation with for more than five minutes."

"Why don't you ask her out, then?" Spike asked.

Sunset shrugged. "She's too shy. I'm never able to talk to her," she said. "Whenever I try, she just blushes and walks away as quickly as she can."

They were silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," Spike said.

Sunset sighed. "Maybe I scare her..." she muttered. "She seems like a nice, well-behaved girl. I guess that it makes sense that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with me...."

"What do you mean?" Spike said.

Sunset shrugged again. "I'm a delinquent slut," she muttered. "The 'five silver pieces for a blowjob' girl, remember?"

Spike closed his manga volume and glared at her. "Are you really listening to those idiots?!" he shouted. "C'mon, Sunset! You know better! Those guys are full of shit!"

"Yep," Sunset agreed. "All anyone needs to do if they wanna fuck me is ask."

Sunset sniffed, and Spike watched as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Sunset...." he whispered.

"No one will ever love me...." Sunset muttered. "I'm a piece of trash...."

"That's not true!" Spike shouted, beginning to cry himself. "You're not trash, Sunset! You're the most amazing girl in the world! You're the best sister ever! And I love you!"

Sunset looked down, then softly smiled. She pulled Spike into a tight embrace, tearfully whispering, "Thanks, Spike. I love you, too. You're the best brother ever...."

Spike hugged Sunset back, and they cried until they fell asleep together.

Spike and Sunset even remained extremely close once Sunset turned eleven and became Shining Armor's apprentice. With every hour of free time she had, Sunset would visit Spike at the orphanage to exchange stories about their lives.

"Twilight is Shining's sister, isn't she?" Spike had asked her. "Have you been able to ask her out yet?"

"No," Sunset said, shrugging. "She still avoids me. Shining's really hot, too, but he already has Princess Cadance as his girlfriend...."

Sunset softly smiled. "Maybe it's not my fault, though. Flash is at the castle all the time, too, since his dad is the Captain of the Guard. I complained to him that Twilight would never talk to me, and he told me that he's been trying to ask her out, too."

Sunset grinned here. "And we talked some more, and now we're gonna go out. I guess I'm not some unlovable floozy, after all."

"I told you!" Spike said, grinning.

"Yeah," Sunset replied.

So Sunset began dating Flash Sentry, and they soon began a steady relationship. Spike heard Sunset tell him about their courtship for the next three years of her apprenticeship under Shining. Sunset continued to visit Spike at the orphanage every day.

One day, however, when Spike was ten and Sunset was just a year away from graduating, Sunset never came.

Spike began to worry as he sat on his and Sunset's favorite sofa, waiting for her arrival. He waited for hours, and gradually became deeply anxious and panicky.

Then, just a little after nine o' clock that night, there was a knock on the door. Mr. Limestone answered it. Spike never saw who was at the door, nor heard what they said to Mr. Limestone. The orphanage director spoke to whoever it was for what seemed an eternity. Then, he walked into Spike's dorm, wearing a deeply sorrowful and grave expression.

"What is it?" Spike said worriedly.

"It was the Royal Guard," Mr. Limestone replied.

Tears streamed down Mr. Limestone's wrinkled old cheeks as he waveringly said, "I'm so sorry, Spike. Your sister... Sunset... she's...."

Spike felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach in the tense silence that sat between them. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. "What?!" he shouted.

The director took a deep breath. "She's been kidnapped," Mr. Limestone finished. "Someone kidnapped her last night. No one knows who has her or where she is. I'm so, so sorry, Spike. Sunset's gone."

I-XXI. Spike and Twilight

Spike sat in stunned silence for a long time after Mr. Limestone made his revelation to him.

"... What...?" Spike said quietly after a few moments.

"Sunset's been kidnapped," Mr. Limestone repeated as he lifted a white lace handkerchief to his eyes. As he dabbed them, he continued, "Someone sneaked into Sunset's bedroom in Camelot last night, knocked her out with chloroform, and spirited her away. Several other guards were knocked out, as well, but none of them saw the attackers."

"No..." Spike muttered quietly. He shook his head as tears welled in his eyes. "No... no, you're... you're lying...."

"Spike-" Mr. Limestone began.

Spike screamed furiously, "No, you're lying! Sunset can't have been kidnapped! She couldn't be!"

Mr. Limestone knelt down and again attempted to speak; "Spike, please listen-"

"No! How do you know someone knocked her out, huh?!" Spike shouted over the top of him. "Did someone see it?! Sunset would never just let someone take her without a fight-!"

"Spike, listen to me!" Mr. Limestone shouted as he firmly grabbed Spike's arms. Spike fell into stunned silence; never before had he heard the orphanage director raise his voice in anger.

Once Mr. Limestone could see that Spike had calmed down, his expression softened as he explained, "Celestia found traces of chloroform on Sunset's bed, and her room had signs of a struggle. Sunset did put up a fight, but in the end she couldn't stop them."

Mr. Limestone's face twisted with sorrow as tears again rolled down his cheeks and he pulled Spike into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Spike...." he tremblingly whispered.

As Mr. Limestone released Spike and stood back up, Spike was staring blankly into the distance. He still couldn't believe it. Sunset had been kidnapped.

Why would someone kidnap Sunset? Whoever had done it had wanted her so badly that they had attacked Celestia's personal Guard in order to get to her. What could they possibly want her for?

Spike flinched as a realization struck him: Sunset's captor likely didn't want a ransom for her; after all, she was an orphan, and therefore poor. Spike also knew that several male Beings, including a handful of men, had made sexual advances on her and were subsequently rebuffed. He knew that more than a few of them felt entitled to have her body anyway; he had heard several of them use variations on the phrase, "She let every other guy fuck her; that slut can't let everyone get a taste of her except for me!"

Spike desperately wished to burn these Beings' faces off. My sister's not an object, he thought. None of you asswipes own her. She's a person, not some beer to be passed around.

In addition, Spike was infuriated by their hypocrisy. He desperately wished to say to them, "Hey, pigs, if you banged a hundred girls, would that mean that some bitchy sixty-year-old woman can just walk up to you and say, 'Hey, you have to give me your cock now. You can't say no; you've said yes to everyone else'?! Sunset doesn't have to have sex with anyone! Least of all you!"

Spike knew that Sunset had likely been captured by a sexual predator with this mindset. He began to panic, vividly imagining the terrible things that were likely happening to his sister.

Then, suddenly, Spike bolted for the door. Before he could reach it, however, Mr. Limestone grabbed him, crying, "Spike, don't-!"

"LET ME GO!!" Spike roared, attempting to jerk his arm out of Mr. Limestone's grasp.

"What are you doing?!" Mr. Limestone said worriedly.

"I have to find her!" Spike shouted as tears started streaming down his cheeks. "I have to find Sunset! I have to-!"

"Spike, no one knows where she is!" Mr. Limestone cried distressedly. "Besides, it would be dangerous for you to go searching for her!"

"I don't care!" Spike bellowed. "Let me go! Let me g-!"

"Please, Spike, there's nothing you can do!"

Spike slowly stopped struggling. Mr. Limestone continued, "The Princess is doing all she can to find her. She's sent guards all around Olympus, and has all the guards in Equestria searching for her."

Spike looked down, tears continuing to fall from his eyes. "But... but...." he whispered.

Mr. Limestone hugged him again. "I'm so, so sorry, Spike...." he said softly. "I'd do anything to get her back. But there's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Once Mr. Limestone again released Spike, Spike stood and silently wept for a few moments. He then sobbed, ran to his bed in the boys' dorm, and collapsed upon it, crying into his pillow. He wept all night, falling asleep only once the dawn wasn't far off.

Needless to say, Spike was absolutely miserable for the next few days. He barely slept or ate, refused to talk to anyone, and spent all of his free time huddled in bed under his blankets. He began sleeping with Spark again; though he had just turned ten, having his stuffed dragon at his side at all times was as close as he could get to having Sunset really be there with him.

In school about a week after Sunset had disappeared, however, Spike's isolated despair was disturbed.

Roaring Falls, another orphan Elf boy, was talking to his friends while Spike was putting his supplies away in his locker only a few meters off. They were loud enough that Spike could hear.

"Where do you think Spike's sister is now?" one of Roaring Falls' friends asked.

"How the fuck should I know?" Roaring replied.

"Girls who get kidnapped usually get raped," another boy interjected. Spike flinched.

"How do you know this?" Roaring said.

"I figured it out while I was researching," the boy replied.

"Man, what a nerd!" Roaring jeered.

The other boys laughed. The boy continued as though he hadn't been interrupted, "Some girls are locked in their kidnappers' basements, but most of them are sold as slaves. It's called Being trafficking."

"Really?" Roaring said surprisedly. "But... slavery's illegal, isn't it? Didn't Princess Celestia make all the other Gods abolish it thousands of years ago?"

"Yeah, but it still happens," the boy replied. "Sunset's probably in a seedy brothel where she's forced to suck pedophiles' dicks."

Roaring grinned. "Aww, nice!" he said. Spike began trembling.

"She was always a whore anyway," Roaring continued. "She's out selling her puss now? Gods, what I wouldn't pay to give her a good pounding. I'd totally go find out where she is so I could, but whoever has her probably is hiding her somewhere no one will find her."

Roaring chuckled. "How old is she? Fourteen, right? You know, I bet her mom was when she had her, too. Sunset should get knocked up, too; some big, sweaty fatso should fuck her so hard that she cries with pain until she's pregnant with his kid. It would serve her right for being such a smug fucking slut."

That's it.

Spike turned around, sprinted towards Roaring Falls, and forcefully tackled him to the ground. Roaring was taken by surprise, so it took him a few moments to react, but soon he and Spike were grappling and striking each other on the floor of the hall as a crowd gathered around them, cheering them on by chanting: "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Spike had gotten the first few strikes in, but Roaring then stunned him by punching him in the nose before striking his mouth, causing his lower lip to be cut by one of his teeth.

Spike feebly defended himself for a few moments, receiving several bruises on his arms and torso as he guarded his face and waited for the pain in his nose to die down. Once most of his agony had dispersed, however, Spike suddenly brought his leg up and kneed Roaring in the belly. Roaring clutched his abdomen and curled over in pain, during which time Spike stood and savagely kicked him in the side, causing Roaring to roll onto his back as he screamed with agony.

Spike then pinned Roaring's arms to the ground beneath his knees and pummeled his face. After only a few seconds, however, a teacher shouted, "What is going on here?!" as he forcefully lifted Spike away from Roaring.

While Roaring was being patched up by the school nurse, Spike was angrily shouted at by the school's headmaster for starting the fight. Spike attempted to protest by relaying how Roaring had provoked him, but the headmaster didn't listen; he simply screamed at Spike to shut up before giving him a month of suspension from school as punishment and writing a note and commanding Spike to give it to Mr. Limestone.

Once Spike got back home, he went to Mr. Limestone, who was reading a book in the orphanage library. He looked up at Spike upon his entrance, and his eyes widened with concern at the injuries he saw all over the young boy's body.

"What happened?" Mr. Limestone said.

"I got in a fight with Roaring," Spike muttered.

Mr. Limestone closed the book and stood up. "You did?" he said surprisedly. "But Spike, you've never gotten in a fight before."

"Yeah, well..." Spike said quietly as he pulled the headmaster's note from his pocket. "Mr. Solid told me to give this to you," he said, handing it to Mr. Limestone.

Mr. Limestone took the note, opened it, and read it. Spike watched him as he did so, expecting him to suddenly begin shouting at him for attacking one of the other kids. However, to Spike's surprise, he thought he could see the beginnings of a small smile tug at Mr. Limestone's lips.

"It says you gave him quite a beating," Mr. Limestone said, folding the note again. "How did you learn to fight?"

Spike blinked surprisedly. "Um... well... S-Sunset taught me," he muttered, looking away.

Mr. Limestone nodded. "I see," he said. He tapped the note against his knee as he asked, "And is it true that you've been suspended for a month?"

Spike sighed. "Yes," he said, continuing to look away ashamedly.

"Very well," Mr. Limestone said. He sat, thinking for a few moments, before standing up and saying, "Come, Spike. Dinner's going to be ready soon."

Spike's eyes widened, then he gaped at Mr. Limestone as he made his way to the library's door. "M-Mr. Limestone!" Spike called after him.

Mr. Limestone turned to him. "Yes?" he said pleasantly.

"You're... you're not upset?" Spike said.

Mr. Limestone shook his head.

Spike stared astonishedly at Mr. Limestone for a few seconds, then Mr. Limestone said, "I assume Roaring was smearing and insulting your sister, yes?"

Spike stammered, "How... h-how'd you-"

"You're not usually the type to get into fights," Mr. Limestone replied. "I can only assume that Roaring must have said something truly reprehensible and unforgivable."

Spike nodded. "Y-yeah," he said, glaring at the floor. "He said that he wants to find her and pay to fuck her, and that he hopes she gets raped and knocked up and that she deserves all of it for being a 'smug slut'."

Mr. Limestone nodded. "Well, he had it coming, then," he said, smiling softly.

Spike gaped astonishedly at Mr. Limestone again, then Mr. Limestone continued, "Of course, since Roaring is under my care, I'm afraid I can't allow you to assault him again. Fortunately, I doubt you'll need to."

With an enigmatic smile, Mr. Limestone left him alone in the library.

Spike was awakened the next morning by Mr. Limestone, who shook him awake as he whispered, "Get up, Spike. It's time for school."

Spike grunted and rolled over to gaze at Mr. Limestone as he made his way to another boy's bunk. "No, it's not..." Spike muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm suspended, remember?"

"No," Mr. Limestone replied simply. "You're not. Now get up, and get dressed; Flour made waffles for breakfast today."

Spike blinked. After a few moments of silence, he said uncertainly, "But... Mr. Solid suspended me from school for a month yesterday, remember?"

"Yes," Mr. Limestone replied casually. "However, your suspension has since been rescinded."

Spike's eyes widened. "What?" he said quietly.

"Come on, Spike," Mr. Limestone said. "School's in only a couple of hours."

"How-?" Spike began.

"I've spoken to someone about it, and they agreed that you shouldn't have been punished, so they pulled a few strings for you. They also told me to tell you not to let it happen again."

"What?!" Spike heard Roaring shout from the top bunk a few places away. "You let Spike fucking get away with beating the shit out of me?!"

"No," Mr. Limestone replied, gently but firmly. "He's been given a warning not to harm you again; if he does, he will have to accept whatever disciplinary actions are taken against him."

Roaring scoffed disgustedly. "So he just gets a fucking warning and a slap on the wrist?!" he spat.

"Need I remind you, Roaring, that you weren't punished either?" Mr. Limestone said gently.

"For what?!" Roaring shouted back. "He's the one who attacked me!"

"Yes, but you provoked him to attack you by bullying him," Mr. Limestone replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What you were doing was worse, and yet Spike was the only one who the headmaster attempted to punish."

Roaring's jaw fell open, and he stared in intense disbelief and anger at Mr. Limestone, who concluded, "And the warning I gave to Spike goes for you, too. If I hear that you've been bullying anyone again, rest assured that you will receive more than a warning, as well."

Spike grinned as he crouched over a stone cutting through a river, disrupting the current with the end of a stick. He was a small ways into the Everfree Forest; far enough in that he was surrounded by trees and flowers, but still within sight of the forest's edge.

He adored and was eternally grateful to Mr. Limestone for all that he'd done for him; especially for his hand in protecting Spike from bullies in the absence of his sister. Spike never got in a fight again, but he came close; when Spark had disappeared, Roaring had cruelly mocked him for his distress at losing it. Roaring's smugness, along with the fact that he still bore a grudge against Spike, drove Spike to believe that he was the one responsible for Spark's theft. Spike had furiously and tearfully threatened to beat Roaring into a bloody pulp if he didn't give Spark back, but Mr. Limestone broke them apart before he could.

Mr. Limestone had also evidently never stopped searching for Spark, which only caused Spike to adore and admire him all the more. And though he never punished Roaring for stealing Spark, as there was no tangible proof that he did, Mr. Limestone did ground him for a week for bullying Spike over it, which was able to grant Spike some conciliatory satisfaction, at least.

Aside from the presence of Mr. Limestone and his kindness and guidance, however, the months immediately after Sunset's disappearance were by far the darkest of Spike's life.

Spike stood and walked. He walked along the riverside, listening to the singing of the birds and the babbling of the water as he remembered the thousands of hours he'd spent mourning and pining for his sister. He would have given anything to see her again, if only for a few seconds.

Some more tears rolled down Spike's cheeks, which he wiped away with his arm. He sat on a large boulder, slouched over, and tremblingly sighed. He missed Sunset so much.

Once Spike had wept a little more, however, he began to feel better. He wiped his eyes, stood up, and began walking again.

As he made his way down the forest's path, Spike thought to himself, Well, it wasn't all bad. After all; I lost Sunset, but then I met Twilight, too.

Spike grinned. Aside from having his sister return safely to him, meeting Twilight was the best thing that could possibly have happened to him.

Twilight had told him that she had been extremely anxious when she graduated from her apprenticeship, and the time had come to get one of her own. She wished that she had a younger sibling so that she wouldn't have to meet anyone new. She complained to her then-mentor, Cadance, that she was terrified to look for an apprentice. Cadance, in turn, had told Celestia, who then made a suggestion to her. Returning to Twilight with a smile, Cadance told her that Celestia had given her an idea, and that she'd accompany Twilight to the apprentice/mentor match-up convention.

Each year, all public and state schools that hosted Elven students held a convention at the end of the school year in order for their newly-graduated students and newly-graduated apprentices to meet and mingle. New mentors usually went to the conventions thrown by their old schools; hence, Twilight attended the convention at the Olympus Magic Academy. She'd never been to a match-up convention before; she had known that she wanted Cadance to be her mentor ever since Cadance had begun babysitting her, and so they had forgone the traditional apprenticeship trial entirely.

Twilight was very nervous as she wandered through the crowds of young preteen and teenaged Elves speaking to each other in the hallways, but Cadance wrapped an arm around her torso and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Twilight; you're gonna be alright."

Spike, meanwhile, was sitting alone on a bench. Normally he was quite friendly and sociable, but at the moment he had no idea what to do; after all, where would he start? How could he introduce himself to someone he didn't know? How would he be able to find out if they could tolerate living together?

Eventually, however, Spike heard a sweet-sounding girl's voice ask politely, "Excuse me. Um... do you happen to know where we might find Spike?"

Spike looked up surprisedly, and saw a young teen Goddess speaking to one of his teachers. "Oh, Spike?" the teacher said. He then pointed at Spike, answering, "He's sitting right there."

The Goddess turned to Spike, smiled, then began walking towards him. Spike was stunned at her beauty, and saw that she had another, blushing purple-haired girl at her side.

Once they came to a stop before him, the Goddess said kindly, "Are you Spike?"

Spike nodded. "Y-yes," he replied nervously.

The Goddess smiled and bowed. "I'm Cadance," she said. "It's lovely to meet you."

Spike grinned and felt himself blush a little.

Once the Goddess stood back up, she turned to the other girl and said, "Go on."

The Elf girl nodded, swallowed, then took a step closer to Spike. "Um... hello," she said, giving him a small, nervous smile.

"Hi," Spike replied.

This girl was quite pretty too, Spike thought. Not as pretty as Cadance, of course- but then again, Cadance was the Goddess of Love.

The Elf girl cleared her throat, then said politely, "My name is Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"

Spike's eyes widened. "W-what?" he said. "Did you just say your name was... Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight raised a brow surprisedly, then nodded. "Yes," she said. "Have you heard of me?"

"Yeah!" Spike replied excitedly. "Sunset told me all about you!"

"Sunset?" Twilight said. "As in Sunset Shimmer? Do you know her?"

"Yeah, she's my sister!" Spike cried. "She told me that you were the smartest girl at the Academy!"

Twilight blushed and looked away. "Oh... well, thanks...." she said, smiling embarrassedly.

They were silent for a few moments, and Spike felt tension begin building between them. Eventually, he broke the silence by commenting, "You're also really cute."

Twilight's blush intensified, then she turned to Spike. Realizing what he just said, Spike gasped and blushed, as well. "I- I mean-" he stammered.

Cadance giggled, causing Twilight to smile, as well. "Hey, it's alright," she said softly. "I think you're cute, too."

Spike's blush intensified and he looked away. Cadance began giggling again.

"You and Sunset are orphans, right?" Twilight asked.

Spike nodded. "Yeah," he said.

"How'd you two get into the Academy, then?" Twilight said.

"Well," Spike replied, "Sunset and I both got scholarships here for our magical ability."

Twilight gasped. "Really?" she said.

Spike nodded.

"What's your Talent?" Twilight said. "Can you show me?"

Spike grinned, holding up his hand. "I'm a pyromancer," he said, showing her his Mark. "I can't show you in here. There's too many people."

"I understand," Twilight replied, smiling pleasantly. "I thought you might be; Sunset was, too."

"Spike here also has a perfect academic record," Cadance interjected. "He has nothing but straight A's, and his teachers say that he's a faster learner than almost anyone else they've had."

"Really?" Twilight said, her eyes lighting up.

Spike looked away abashedly. "Well... the straight A's part is true, at least...." he muttered.

Twilight grinned, but her smile soon disappeared as she turned to Cadance and said, "But... he's a boy. Do you really think they'll let me...?"

Cadance nodded. "Of course," she replied. "After all, both of you are star students, and you have a perfect record and Spike has only been disciplined once."

"But my parents were mentor and apprentice," Twilight pointed out. "Do you really think...?"

"I do," Cadance replied confidently. "I've never met someone who's better at keeping the rules than you."

Cadance grinned deviously. "And besides...." she muttered.

Cadance leaned over and whispered something in Twilight's ear. Spike didn't hear what she said, but he noticed that Twilight blushed slightly, made an expression of surprise before her lips formed a small, wicked smile, as well, and then she giggled as Cadance stopped speaking. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said as Cadance pulled back.

Cadance grinned at both of them. "I'll leave you two alone, then," she said. She turned around and waved, crying, "I'll see you later!"

Once Cadance had departed, Twilight turned and smiled at Spike. "So, would you like me to buy you lunch?" she said.

Spike grinned excitedly. "Oh, yes!" he cried. "Thanks, Twilight!"

Spike noticed that the lunch that Twilight had with him that day had felt remarkably like a date; they told each other about themselves, discussed their interests and likes, and finished it by scheduling another meeting the next day.

Said meeting that followed, however, was significantly less date-like; Twilight came to Spike carrying posters, charts and cards, and told him that she was going to see how academically compatible they were by giving him a lesson on astronomy. To his surprise, Spike found that he enjoyed this almost as much as the lunch the day before; he learned several constellations, the stars they contained, and the basics of how the stars were formed quite easily, and when Twilight quizzed him on them he gave every answer to each of her questions correctly. Twilight was quite pleased, and so she scheduled another meeting with him. After about a week, they signed up to become apprentice and mentor.

Initially, Spike had hoped that Twilight would perhaps make an exception to her stringent abiding of the rules forbidding mentor/apprentice consorting for him. After all, as sweet and polite as he was, Spike was still a boy; like most other male Elves his age, he had spent a good deal of time reading ecchi seinen manga that graphically portrayed sexual relationships between cross-gendered apprentice/mentor pairs, as well as fantasizing that one day he might participate in such a relationship, as well.

In addition, Twilight's remark that she also found him cute gave him a glimmer of hope that this hope might be realized. However, he found that though he began to attempt to flirt with Twilight, the only response he received from her was dismissive indifference. It soon became clear to him that secretly becoming Twilight's boyfriend was a lost cause, and so Spike eventually gave up on it.

However, Spike found that even in the absence of the possibility of having a romantic relationship with Twilight, she still proved to have tremendous value as his friend and tutor. He greatly enjoyed the many hours he spent with her, and contented himself with knowing that at the very least, this beautiful and friendly girl was his confidant, mentor, and best friend.

In addition, Spike found that for the first time in his life he had a whole family. While living at the Castle Camelot, Spike found that Twilight's parents and brother treated him as though he'd always been a member of their clan. Cadance also became a good friend of his, and he got to know Celestia, who he found was immensely kind and caring towards him- surprisingly so, even.

Spike had quite enjoyed his life then; he was well-sheltered, well-fed, and was surrounded by people who deeply loved and cared for him. Having a gorgeous mentor and two Goddesses around didn't hurt either, he thought; especially since they seemed to be as comfortable in towels or their undergarments around him as they were around their relatives. Even though he couldn't have Twilight as his own, Spike continued to indulge himself in explicit fantasies about her (as well as Cadance and Celestia) throughout his apprenticeship under her.

Twilight was also an excellent teacher. Over their first year together, Twilight had versed him so well in the fundamentals of Spell Casting that he now knew them by heart. When the time came for his exams at the end of the year, he got a perfect score- which meant that Twilight had received one, as well (mentors and apprentices alike were evaluated by the score the apprentices received at these exams). Spike had no doubt that she'd prove just as effective at training him in Alchemy, Rituals, and finally preparing him to become a mentor, himself.

Spike stopped walking and looked up at the leaves casting a ceiling over his head, smiling contentedly. Yes, he was enormously glad that Twilight had become his mentor. He still would have given anything to get Sunset back- but he would have been almost every bit as destroyed if the price for it would be all the time he'd spent with Twilight.

A beam of light hit Spike's eye, and he turned towards the western horizon, shielding his eyes. The sun was setting. Spike took a deep breath, then sighed. It was time to go home.

Spike walked back towards the edge of the forest, eventually emerging. He returned to Avalon and walked down its streets, drinking in the beauty of the buildings and the iron street lamps that were being lit around him.

Upon reaching the Golden Oak Library, Spike opened the door to find Twilight reading another book. "Hey, Twi," he said.

Twilight looked up. "Hi, Spike," she said, giving him a soft smile. "Are you feeling any better?"

Spike took another deep breath. "Yeah," he said.

Twilight walked up to Spike, then embraced him. They stood silently together, hugging each other for a couple of minutes, then Twilight kissed Spike's cheek, gently caressed it, and began walking towards the kitchen. She said softly, "I'm going to make dinner now."

Spike nodded. "Thanks, Twilight," he said.

They ate, took turns bathing and getting dressed, brushed their teeth, then went to bed. Just before Spike climbed into his covers, however, he took a long, deliberating gaze at Spark.

Eventually, Spike made up his mind. He picked Spark up, opened his blankets, then climbed in while holding it. After Spike was snug beneath his covers, he closed his eyes and hugged Spark to his chest as a single tear rolled from his eye.

I-XXII. Rarity

Rarity held a rubber band in her mouth as she did her hair up in a ponytail. She was standing before a mirror, making sure that she looked presentable before she went out to lunch with her friends.

After their encounter with Zecora and their subsequent remedial bath a few weeks ago, Rarity had been constantly toying with the idea of asking her friends to join her for lunch and another spa trip. She was especially anxious to spend time with them because the Grand Galloping Galla was in only a little more than a week, and Rarity was tremendously nervous at the idea of finally meeting Prince Blueblood in person at that most prestigious of high-class balls. She needed to relax, and she could think of few things that could provide relaxation better to her than casually chatting with her friends in a bath at a hot spring.

Eventually, she built up enough courage to ask her friends to do it. They had agreed, and their get-together had been scheduled for that day. Since she was going to be undressing again at the spa soon, Rarity had dressed casually; she was in a simple white t-shirt, denim short shorts, and a pair of soft brown leather sandals. She was putting her hair up in a quick ponytail, and she wasn't wearing any makeup. Once she had her hair tied up with the rubber band, she made a satisfied smile at her reflection. "There's something to be said for natural beauty, I suppose...." she muttered.

There was a knock at her front door, and Rarity heard Sweetie Belle cry, "I'll get it!"

Rarity heard Sweetie's footfalls as she ran to the door, then the creak of the hinges as she opened it. "Oh, hi, Twilight!" Sweetie cried.

"Hello, Sweetie," Rarity heard Twilight's voice reply. "Is Rarity home?"

"Yep!" Sweetie answered before bellowing up the stairs, "Rarity, Twilight's here to see you!"

"Coming!" Rarity cried back as she snatched her purse from the edge of her bed and swiftly made her way down the stairs to the front door.

Twilight was standing in the doorframe, holding an old orange-and-yellow ruffled dress from a wire hanger. "Hi, Rarity!" Twilight said, cheerfully waving at her.

"Hello, Twilight!" Rarity replied. "You're here a bit early," she remarked.

"Yes; I wanted to ask you a favor," Twilight said. She held out her other hand, showing Rarity a a large coral-colored button. "Do you think you could sew this back on?" Twilight said.

"Of course, Dear!" Rarity replied, taking the dress and the button. She then handed them to Sweetie Belle, saying, "Sweetie Belle, would you be a dear and reattach Twilight's button to her dress, please?"

"Sure thing, Sis!" Sweetie replied, grinning and running towards Rarity's workroom.

Rarity turned back to Twilight and cheerfully asked, "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, that's my Gala dress," Twilight replied.

Rarity gasped. "Your Gala dress?!" she exclaimed, stunned. She held a hand to her mouth as she cried, "Surely you don't really mean to go to the Gala in that old thing!"

"It's alright, Rarity," Twilight reassured her. "Besides, I don't have any other ballgowns."

Rarity made an even more dramatic gasp. "Oh, no, no, no, Twilight!" she cried fearfully. "That dress simply will not do for the Gala!"

"Alright, then," Twilight said. She smiled as she asked, "How about you make me a new dress, then?"

Rarity's face lit up as she gasped and grinned elatedly. "Make you a new dress? Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Twilight!" she cried.

Twilight chuckled, rubbing her head. "That is, if you can handle it...." she added.

"Oh, of course I can, darling!" Rarity replied, tossing her hair. "Really, it's no trouble at all!"

"Well, alright, then," Twilight said. She nodded as she said gratefully, "Thanks, Rarity."

"You're most welcome, Dear!" Rarity replied.

Twilight raised her head back up, then her eyes widened as she cried, "Oh, I forgot something! Rarity, would you also mind tailoring a new suit for Spike? He's outgrown his old one."

"Of course I can!" Rarity said. "Just have him come in for me to get his measurements, and I'll be able to get started right away!"

"Thanks, Rare," Twilight said, grinning.

After a moment, Rarity clapped her hands together. "Well, I say it's about time we get going!" she said. "Let's go gather our friends, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Twilight agreed.

Rarity and Twilight exited the Carousel Boutique, then made their way to the rest of their friends' homes until all of them were gathered together. The girls ate lunch at the town square's diner, then they went to Aloe and Lotus's spa, where they all immediately went into the hot spring-filled hot tubs.

The girls talked, laughed (and, in Pinkie's case, played) in the water for several minutes. After they had stared in awe and laughed as Pinkie did a few ridiculously complex dives into one of the tubs (partially in relief that she emerged from each of them unharmed), Rarity said, "One again, thank you all so much for coming. It really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," Twilight replied cheerfully.

"Don't mention it," Applejack added.

Rainbow shrugged, folded her arms, and closed her eyes as she smirked. "Hey, did you really think I'd just pass up another chance to see you all naked again?" she said.

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her hair, Rarity made a small smile of flattery, Twilight rolled her eyes, Pinkie grinned, and Applejack shot Rainbow a dirty look.

Rarity leaned against the wall at her back and took a long, deep, satisfied breath. After a few moments of silence, however, she opened her eyes and said, "Out of curiosity, girls, what are all of your plans for the Gala?"

"Why do you ask?" Pinkie asked curiously.

Rarity shrugged. "Oh, I don't know...." she muttered. "Twilight just asked me to make a new dress this morning, and so I suppose I was wondering what the rest of you planned to wear to the dance."

Applejack chuckled. "Well, shoot, Ah was just gonna go in my old work duds!"

Rarity stared in horror at Applejack for a moment, then said astonishedly, "Your work duds?!"

Applejack closed her eyes as she lazily nodded.

"But... you can't, Applejack!" Rarity cried distressedly. "It would be scandalous, as well as supremely rude, to the point of being unthinkable! You simply must wear formal attire!"

Applejack shrugged. "Hmm, nah," she said offhandedly.

Rarity's face twisted with apprehension. She said softly, "Umm... what if I were just to, erm... spruce up your old, eh... work duds for you, Applejack Dear?"

Applejack's brow furrowed, then she looked up, humming as though the suggestion was an unpleasant one to consider. At last, however, to Rarity's enormous relief, Applejack shrugged again as she relented, "Sure, why not."

Rarity sighed relievedly, but Applejack firmly added, "But if ya'll make it all frou-frou-ey-"

"I won't!" Rarity quickly assured her, holding her hands up. After a few moments, however, she gasped again as another realization struck her. She turned towards Rainbow and said, "Do you have a dress for the Gala, Rainbow Dash?"

"Nah," Rainbow immediately replied.

"But... what were you planning to go in?" Rarity asked worriedly.

Rainbow shrugged. "I dunno," she said.

"Would you allow me to make you a dress?" Rarity said hopefully.

Rainbow shook her head. "Nope," she said.

"Rainbow, you must-" Rarity began.

Rainbow interrupted her, "Zip it, Rare. I don't care if it's 'improper' or some shit like that. I. don't. do. dresses."

"But you'd be so cute, Dashie!" Pinkie cried, a sad look in her eye.

"I agree!" Rarity added. "You'd be absolutely stunning in a dress, Rainbow!"

Rainbow scoffed disgustedly. She folded her arms as she replied, "You can bitch about it all you like, but I ain't ever gonna wear a dress. Ne.ver." She glared at the others as she barked, "Got it?!"

Rarity gazed pleadingly at Rainbow for a few moments, but to no avail. She then moaned dramatically as she cried, "Oh, tragedy of tragedies! Such beauty... such a pretty flower, simply wasted!"

She turned to Fluttershy and failed to prevent the corners of her mouth from betraying the beginnings of a smile as she said, "Oh, what shall we do, Fluttershy Dear?"

Fluttershy swallowed, then looked down and began flushing as she said quietly. "Um... well, I... I think you're- you're right, Rarity... um...."

Twilight noticed Rainbow perk up slightly.

"I think that Dashie would look... um, lovely in a dress...." Fluttershy muttered, gazing away from the others nervously. "And I wish that she would...."

Rainbow gazed at Fluttershy for a few moments, then Twilight made a small smirk as she added, "Well, I for one find femininity on girls to be quite attractive, myself."

Rainbow blinked, then looked down as she said hesitantly, "I don't know...."

"What if I promise to make your dress... erm, cool, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said, leaning forward hopefully.

After thinking with visible distress for a few moments, Rainbow cast quick glances at Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight before she closed her eyes, sighed, and muttered, "Fine...."

"Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried, rushing forward to embrace her. Rainbow's eyes widened with surprise for a moment, then she smirked and looked down at Rarity's breasts, which were pressed against her side.

Once Rarity released Rainbow, she gasped, then clapped her hands together. "I-deeeaaaaaaa!" she sang. She turned to the others as she cried excitedly, "I'm going to make you all new dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala!"

The rest of the girls gasped with excitement, but then Twilight said, "That would be amazing of you! But... are you sure, Rarity? I mean, it would be so much work!"

"I insist!" Rarity said, placing her hand over her chest. "Consider it my way of thanking you for the ticket, Twilight. Besides, it'll be a huge boost for my business. Plus, fun!"

Here Rarity giggled and squealed with delight. She then cried excitedly, "As soon as we leave, let's go to my boutique! I'll get all of your measurements, and then I'll get started on the designs right away!"

The others enthusiastically agreed.

Rarity spent a good deal of time trying to decide what she'd do with her friends' Gala dresses. She tossed ideas around in her head as she stitched Spike's new tuxedo together, and she later sketched and discarded many concept drawings in her pursuit of the perfect ensembles.

She wanted to give each of her friends a dress that matched their personalities, would be to their tastes, and would emphasize their diverse forms of personal physical beauty.

She wanted to tailor a dress with a theme of exotic, mystical wonder for Twilight. Rarity spent several hours studying the heavens late at night, attempting to distill their essence in her mind so that she might capture it in the weave of the dress's cloth. She wove the fabric herself, carefully choosing silks of purples and violets that would compliment Twilight's eyes and hair to thread through her loom. Once the cloth was completed, she then spent several hours with a needle and thread, delicately embroidering it with stunning patterns of stars and galactic clusters and vibrantly-colored nebulae. She made the dress backless, and ran slits up the skirt, so that as much of Twilight's lovely brown skin as possible would be shown. She then bought a pair of tall black high-heeled slippers, some silver star earrings inlaid with many indigo sapphires, and a silver tiara-like comb inlaid with rubies and sapphires designed to evoke a violet sunset to complete the outfit.

Rarity thought that Pinkie shouldn't wear something too elaborate; what Pinkie needed was something simple, fun, and playfully elegant. The first thing that she decided was that the entire thing would be of a single, uniform color: a hot, passionate pink. She decided to make it a party dress, and so she made a long, ruffled skirt for it. The top's design, however, was difficult for her to decide on; should she make it shoulderless and tube top-like, or should she go in a more traditional route and model it after classical ballgowns? In the end, Rarity decided to make it a little more modest, and so she decided upon an oriental-style kimono-inspired folded top with small sleeves. However, she made sure that the neckline would show some cleavage and made a long slit up the right side of the skirt to show off Pinkie's long leg, just to make it a bit sexier; after all, Rarity thought to herself with a chuckle, a dress could always use a little eroticism. She finished by buying Pinkie some matching high-heeled shoes and balloon earrings.

Fluttershy's dress was probably the easiest for Rarity to design; she decided that the Spring-themed dress that Fluttershy had worn for Photo Finish was almost perfect, and would need just a few modifications in its design. She chose fabrics of greens and pastel pinks that were a bit more vibrant than the originals, and embroidered vines and flowers into the skirt and the top. Rarity worked very hard to ensure that the dress would be reminiscent of current Athenian fashion trends by consulting the latest magazines to replicate the vogue motifs and touches of the time. Once she was satisfied that Fluttershy's dress was completed, Rarity bought a pair of high-heeled leather sandals that would provide a similar look to the shoes that Fluttershy normally wore. She finished the ensemble by purchasing a pair of soft pink butterfly earrings and making a note to ensure that Fluttershy would be wearing flowers in her hair when they went to the Gala.

Next were Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rarity took a deep, anxious breath, bracing herself for her monumental task ahead. She would have to ensure that both of the dresses were suitable for the Gala, but still satisfied their owners by not being too overly feminine. She began designing Rainbow's ensemble first, as Rainbow could at least bear to have a few girly touches, such as hot pink accents and heart motifs, on her belongings (Rarity thought this was quite curious, particularly in regard to Rainbow's liking towards hearts; she still had no idea why Rainbow had such a soft spot for such a stereotypically girly symbol, but still knew that she did, as Rainbow's pillowcase had a hot pink heart pattern on it). After deliberating it for a while, Rarity decided to make Rainbow's dress vibrantly rainbow-colored and reminiscent of the classical Asgardian togas that Scorpan and Horus had once worn; that way, it would be satisfactorily masculine and "cool," not to mention reflective of Rainbow's native culture and her personality. She gave it a white fur edging, and completed it with a pair of ancient Asgard-style high-laced leather sandals (with no heels) and a gold laurel wreath to place in her hair.

At last, Applejack's dress. Rarity secured an old plaid shirt and a worn leather vest from Applejack, and spent several hours studying them to figure out how to salvage and integrate them into Applejack's enseble. Eventually, Rarity decided to emphasize their used quality by making them the front pieces of Applejack's dress; a risky and bold move, perhaps, but Rarity was determined to pull it off. She carefully cut Applejack's shirt apart in order to make it into strips of fabric she could work with, then made a green-and-orange top of sturdier fabric that she sewed them over. She then purchased several bolts of blue denim, which she stitched together and layered over other fabrics of reds, oranges, and yellows to make Applejack's skirt. Once Applejack's dress was on a mannequin, Rarity put Applejack's old brown leather vest over it. Deciding that it was very nearly perfect, but not quite satisfied, Rarity purchased a pair of red-edged, fine leather cowgirl boots, as well as a matching beaded soft brown cowgirl hat, to complete the ensemble.

All of the dresses thus completed, Rarity exhaustedly collapsed in her chair and scooted back to admire them. They turned out even better than she'd hoped; these were, without a doubt, the best dresses she'd ever designed. Rarity smiled. She was enormously glad that they'd turned out so well, as she wanted nothing more than for her friends to be completely happy with them.

Rarity invited her friends to her boutique in order to unveil their new dresses to them. She'd never been more excited in her life; she was absolutely sure that her friends would love them, and that they'd look amazing in them. She'd shown them to Sweetie Belle, who agreed; these were the absolute best works of Rarity's career.

Once all of them were at the boutique, Rarity led the others upstairs and down the hall to the door to her bedroom. Once they were there, Rarity excitedly said to them, "Close your eyes now! And don't open them until I tell you to!"

Her friends nodded and closed their eyes. Rarity then opened the door to her room and herded them all in before she squealed and sang, "Alriiiiight! You can open them now!"

Her friends did, then gasped at what they saw: all of their dresses were displayed on five mannequins before them.

"I've designed each of your dresses to match your personalities!" Rarity cried. She went to Twilight's dress, and said, "How do you like this embroidery, Darling? I think it's the best I've ever done! I know how much you love studying stars, so I tried to make your dress look just like the night sky!"

Rarity then moved on to Fluttershy's dress, saying, "Just look at this, Fluttershy dear! Doesn't it simply sing Spring?

"Ooh! And as for your dress, Rainbow Dash, it took me forever to get the colors right, but I'd say it came out marvelous, wouldn't you agree?"

Rarity's grin widened as she turned to Applejack. "How do your duds look now, Applejack?" she said with just a hint of smugness. She then stood behind Pinkie's dress, crying, "And look, Pinkie- pink!"

Rarity closed her eyes and squealed with delight, then looked expectantly at her friends as she cried, "So, what do you all think?"

The other girls blinked blankly at Rarity for a moment, causing her smile to fade slightly. They all made smiles that seemed a little forced as Applejack said, "Well, uh... they're all sure, uh... somethin'."

"Yeah, something!" Rainbow cried.

"I love something!" Pinkie interjected.

"They're, uh... definitely quite pretty," Twilight added.

"It's... nice," said Fluttershy.

Rarity's smile faded completely. "Just nice?" she said.

"Y-yes! They're very nice!" Twilight said quickly.

Rarity blinked. "Do you not like them?" she said softly, a little hurt.

Fluttershy shook her head and said, "No, I do like it, it's... nice."

"Is there something wrong with them?" Rarity said.

"N-no!" Twilight said. "It's just-"

"It's just not as cool as I thought it'd be," Rainbow said, frowning with slight disappointment.

"Rainbow!" Twilight hissed at her.

"What? She asked," Rainbow muttered.

"I guess it's just... they didn't turn out like we thought they would," Twilight said kindly.

Rarity gazed at her friends for a few moments, then sighed. "Well, that's alright. I mean, they were just first passes," she lied as she forced a smile. "I can certainly try again."

"Oh, you don't need to do that, Rarity," Fluttershy insisted. "The dresses you've made are lovely. They're fine."

"Oh, I want your dresses to be more than just fine," Rarity replied. "I want all of you to be one hundred percent satisfied with them."

Twilight began, "No, Rarity, you really don't-"

"No, no, I insist," Rarity interrupted her. "I won't rest until you all absolutely love your dresses."

"Well, thanks, Rarity!" Twilight said, smiling softly.

"So this time around, I want you girls to tell me exactly what you want."

The others nodded. "Will do," Rainbow said.

"Now, if you don't mind," Rarity said, "I'm going to get to work on preliminary sketches for your ensembles, then I'll have each of you come here and tell me how you'd like me to modify it."

Rarity's friends nodded, thanked her again, and exited the room together, crying "Bye, Rarity!" as they left.

Rarity made a wide smile until her friends left; but once they were gone, she looked distressedly at the ground. "Oh, what am I going to do?" she groaned under her breath.

The next few days were extremely hectic and stressful for Rarity. She had each of her friends come to her boutique; one at a time, whenever they could, and extensively consulted them when making the designs for her second attempt at their new dresses. Twilight told her that she loved the idea of star patterns, but that she wanted to ensure that they were technically accurate. Rarity was thus forced to study constellations and star formations in textbooks, which she found to be quite dull and lifeless work; these might be more technically accurate, Rarity thought, but they're so cold and lifeless. It doesn't truly capture the essence of the stars.

In addition, Rarity found that the cloth for Twilight's skirt became so crowded with constellation embroidery that she couldn't fit them all on. When she told Twilight about this problem, Twilight suggested that she make the entire dress out of the fabric. Rarity nearly threw up, and feebly asked Twilight if she was sure she wanted to do it, but Twilight insisted that she was. So Rarity made Twilight's dress out of the single constellation-patterned fabric, making it resemble an ugly robe littered with black patchwork once it was completed. Rarity nearly fell into despair, as this was by far the tackiest eyesore she'd ever laid her hands upon; however, there was even worse still to come.

Rarity consulted Rainbow next, and Rainbow was remarkably unhelpful. Rarity made several sketches of ideas for her dress, all of which were dismissed by Rainbow for not being "cool" enough. Rarity desperately tried asking Rainbow what she meant when she said to make it "cooler," to which Rainbow would only shrug and and mutter, "I dunno."

"What do you want, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said exasperatedly after she had unsuccessfully shown Rainbow another one of her sketches.

"It just needs to be, y'know... cooler," Rainbow replied simply. She was lazily leaning against Rarity's writing-desk, gazing absentmindedly out of the bedroom window.

"What do you mean, 'cooler'?" Rarity said, desperation beginning to creep into her voice.

"It just needs to be cooler," Rainbow replied, inspecting a scab on her arm. "Y'know, about twenty percent cooler."

Rarity sighed. "What would be cool, Rainbow?" she said, her exhaustion and frustration quite apparent.

Rainbow shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "Armor's pretty cool, I guess."

Rarity groaned. "Armor? Really?" she said exasperatedly.

"Yeah. A suit of armor," Rainbow replied, smiling. "That'd be awesome."

Rarity gritted her teeth. "Alright...." she muttered. She didn't even have the will to argue anymore. She dismissed Rainbow Dash, then promptly ordered a brass suit of armor. Once it arrived, Rarity drudgingly drew rainbow-colored stripes with marker all over it.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack were easy to design for. Pinkie simply wanted balloons, lollipops, streamers, and confetti to be sewn into her dress, and didn't particularly care about how it looked or what its style was. Applejack's dress was even more ridiculously easy to make; all Rarity had to do was remove the sleeves off one of Applejack's old plaid shirts, convert one of her old pairs of shorts into a skirt, and buy her a pair of galoshes (because "it might rain," as Applejack put it).

To Rarity's enormous surprise, Fluttershy was by far the hardest one to design a new dress for. Rarity had thought that it would be impossible for someone to be more unhelpful than Rainbow, but Fluttershy proved her wrong; no matter what idea or design Rarity showed to her, Fluttershy would always say that she liked it, it was nice, it was fine, or some variation thereof. It got to the point where Rarity brought Fluttershy in front of a mirror in a half-completed dress and asked, "Now, Fluttershy Dear... what do you think?"

Fluttershy made a small, nervous smile at her reflection. "Oh, I love it," she said softly.

Rarity groaned. "Oh, you're just saying that," she said.

"No, no, I do like it," Fluttershy assured her. "It's... nice."

"If you don't like it, you should just tell me!" Rarity cried.

"Oh, but I do," Fluttershy said.

Rarity rounded on Fluttershy, causing Fluttershy to shrink away from her. "Like it or love it?!" Rarity demanded.

"Um... both?" Fluttershy said quietly.

Rarity backed Fluttershy against her wall, saying, "Which is it?!"

"Um... please stop asking me this," Fluttershy said anxiously. "I-"

"Just tell me what you really think!"

"No, that's okay-"

"Tellll meeeee!"

"No, i-it's fine...."

"Tellme!"

"I- I like it-"

"Tell me, tell me, tellmetellmeTELLME!" Rarity growled.

"Alright then," Fluttershy said worriedly. "Since you really want to know...."

She took a huge breath, then Fluttershy began, "The arm size- tight; the midi collar doesn't go with the shawl lapel; the hems are clearly machine-stitched; the pleats are uneven; the fabric looks like toile; you used a backstitch here when it clearly called for a topstitch, or maybe a traditional blanket stitch; and the overall design is reminiscent of prêt-à-porter and not true Athenian haute couture."

Rarity gaped in shock at Fluttershy for a moment, then Fluttershy muttered as she looked away, "But, um... whatever you want to do is fine."

In the end, Rarity simply gave up and asked Fluttershy to design her dress herself. The end result was a ridiculous eyesore of a green Athenian-style dress, the crowning jewel of which was a hat adorned with a fake bird's nest.

At the end, Rarity was incredibly disheveled, under-rested, and miserable. "Just look at these... things, Opal!" she cried as she stroked her cat, who was curled up in her lap. "These are the most ugly dresses I've ever seen!"

She cast a glance at Rainbow's armor as she added, "And that's not even a dress at all!" she cried. "It's... it's... it's a crime against nature, that's what it is! Her old dress was fine! My fabric choices were perfect!"

Rarity gazed distressedly up at the ceiling for a moment, then groaned. "Well, I suppose it's time to bring them back...." she muttered.

Rarity had Sweetie Belle gather her friends back to the boutique, then brought them to her bedroom again. She opened the door, cringing and tightly shutting her eyes as she awaited her friends' reactions. "Here they are...." she said softly.

The girls gasped. "Oh my gosh!" Twilight cried elatedly. "Rarity, these are perfect!"

Rarity felt her heart drop; this was exactly the reaction she was afraid of.

"Thank you so much, Rarity!" Fluttershy cried. "This is just what I wanted!"

Pinkie bounced in place excitedly. "I love them!" she cried. She then turned to Rarity and rapidly said, "Do you love them, too? Huh? Huh? Huhhuhhuh?"

Rarity swallowed, forced a smile, and replied weakly, "If you are all happy with them, then I am too."

Rarity's friends grinned, then Rarity cleared her throat and said, "Well, I'm going out to take a little walk. I'll be a few hours. I'll be back soon!"

Once Rarity had exited her bedroom and closed the door, she despairingly placed her hands over her face. She was exhausted, as well as enormously distressed; not only had she made dresses so terrible that they made the ones Sweetie Belle tried to make when she was five look exquisite, but she also couldn't take any comfort in knowing that at least her own would be amazing; she'd spent so much time slaving over the second incarnations of her friends' Gala dresses that she now no longer had any time to finish her own, which meant that she would have to buy a less-magnificent one for herself at another boutique.

Rarity trudged down her stairs and made her way out of her front door. She made her way to the Sugar Shack; she couldn't bear to see those unholy abominations her hands had crafted on her friends' bodies, and she desperately needed to get away from here to have some ice cream and liquor.

While Rarity was at the Sugar Shack, weepingly eating hot fudge-drizzled ice cream and drinking wine while wailing to the Cakes that she'd never receive a dance from Prince Blueblood now, her friends were busy continuing to admire their new dresses in her room. Fluttershy said to the others, "Come on, girls! Let's put them on!"

"Yeah!" the others shouted, then they all began to strip down. They all helped each other into their dresses, which took several minutes. Once they were all in their new Gala ensembles, Fluttershy said, "Come on, girls! Let's go downstairs and see what we look like!"

The others enthusiastically agreed, then they all stampeded down the stairs and made their way to the Carousel Boutique's group fitting room to see their reflections in the mirrors there.

Once they saw themselves, however, all of their eyes widened in shock.

"Uh...." Applejack said uncertainly.

Twilight blinked. "Oh, gee.... Um...." she said, gazing down at the heavy coat of dark blue fabric draped over her shoulders and form.

"These are... um...." Fluttershy said softly.

Rainbow lifted her arm and thrust it outward, gazing disbelievingly at the brass gauntlet over it. "These things fucking suck!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah! They do!" Pinkie cried. "What were we thinking?!"

The others all unanimously and loudly agreed, then after a few moments of awkward silence, Twilight said, "Do... do you girls suppose that Rarity still has, um... those first dresses she made for us somewhere?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy said, smiling. "She keeps them in her storage room. I saw them."

"Great!" Twilight said. "What do the rest of you say to trying those on?"

"Yeah!" the others chorused in unison.

However, as they ran out, Fluttershy suddenly skidded to a halt and gasped.

The others turned back to her. "What is it, Fluttershy?" said Rainbow.

"What about Rarity's dress?" Fluttershy said, covering her mouth. "It's not done!" she cried worriedly. "Rarity was making us our new dresses, and didn't have the time to finish hers!"

The others all returned her worried expression. "You're right," Twilight said. "What should we do, Fluttershy?"

After a few moments, Fluttershy gasped and smiled. "I've got it, girls!" she cried.

Fluttershy ran back up the stairs, gesturing to the others as she called, "Follow me, everyone!"

Several hours later, Rarity walked back home from the Sugar Shack, feeling slightly ill. She hadn't drunken enough to be intoxicated yet, but she still felt a bit tipsy, and she had certainly consumed too much ice cream. She was terrified to see how her friends looked in their disasters of Gala dresses, but had decided that she had put off the inevitable long enough.

Once Rarity reached the front door of her boutique, she entered and called, "Everyone, are you still here?!" into the house. However, nobody answered.

Shrugging, Rarity muttered, "I guess they took their dresses and went back home...."

Rarity yawned, set her purse down on her kitchen table, then made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

The moment she opened her bedroom door, however, the lights were switched on, and she was startled to see all of her friends standing on the other side and grinning at her. "Surprise!" they cried.

Rarity gasped; they were all in their original Gala outfits, and they all looked amazing. "Wha- Bu-!" Rarity stuttered. Once her surprise had softened a bit, she cried, "Huh?! Where are your new dresses...?!"

"We burned 'em," Applejack said, grinning. "Those things were awful."

Rarity slowly smiled as she gasped elatedly. "Y-Yes, they were, weren't they?!" she cried. "Just abysmal! They were the absolute worst things I have ever made, and I hope I shall ever make!"

"We're really sorry, Rarity...." Fluttershy said softly. She smiled at Rarity as she continued, "These dresses were perfect. We should have tried them on in the first place, because they're just amazing!"

"I love my dress! I love my dress!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing in place. "It's the most beautiful dress I've ever had!"

"And that's not all," Twilight said. She and Rainbow stepped aside, revealing a mannequin bearing a completed, violet-pink, elegant ball gown to Rarity.

Rarity gasped. "Is that-?" she said, pointing at it.

Rainbow smiled broadly and nodded. "Yeah! We finished it for ya!" she cried.

"Fluttershy did most of the work, though," Pinkie said, grinning as she held Fluttershy by the waist.

"Yeah!" Applejack added. "That girl's got some crazy sewin' skills!"

"I still don't know how we finished it so fast...." Fluttershy said perplexedly, staring at the ground.

"So, do ya like it?" Rainbow said, leaning forward hopefully.

Rarity blinked. "Like it?" she said. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned. Like it?!"

Her friends gazed anxiously at her as she huffed and spun around, folding her arms. "No, I don't like it!" she said.

Rarity's friends all gave deeply worried looks to each other. However, before any of them could begin apologizing, Rarity suddenly chuckled, drawing their attention back to her. She spun back around to face them and grinned enormously as she cried, "I love it!"

The others cheered, and rushed forward to embrace her. "Thank you so much, Rarity!" Twilight shouted over the others. "Thank you so much for these dresses. They're beautiful. We're so, so sorry-"

"Not at all, Darling!" Rarity laughed. "I should be the one thanking all of you! Especially for finishing my dress for me! You're really the best friends a girl could ever ask for!"

I-XXIII. Rainbow Dash and Applejack

Scootaloo leaned out from behind a tree, covertly gazing at Rainbow Dash while she was drilling through her forms. This pastime never grew tiresome for Scootaloo; Rainbow was such a supremely skilled kung fu practitioner that no one could mistake her for anything other than a powerful, beautiful artist. Seeing Rainbow slowly shift between poses was like watching a master calligrapher dip his brush in ink and make a stroke over a sheet of paper, or listening to a world-class violinist play a piece of such exquisite perfection it drew tears from your eyes. Everything she did was utterly deliberate, and her magenta eyes were narrowed with complete focus. When she made a strike with her fist, it seemed faster than a bolt of lightning; when she leapt up and kicked, it seemed as powerful as an elephant's stomp; when she cried out, it seemed fearsome enough to crumble mountains.

It came as little surprise to Scootaloo that Rainbow Dash was among the most adapt martial artists in the entire world; her master was her father, Rainbow Blaze, a Dragon Imperial who even at his mere thirty-three years of age was already an advanced kung fu master. He shared this title with only a handful of other Beings; to be an advanced master was to be only one rank below that of a full-fledged Grandmaster, a title achieved only by one or two mortal Beings every generation. Rainbow Blaze was the youngest advanced kung fu master currently living; many regarded him as a martial arts prodigy, though some said his talents were due only to being raised and trained by his father, a Grandmaster who was universally regarded as one of the greatest martial artists of all time. Rainbow Blaze's fans, of which there were many, wished desperately for him to prove them wrong by becoming a kung fu Grandmaster by the age of forty-seven, thus becoming the youngest one the world had ever seen and leaving no more doubts about his genius.

Rainbow Blaze had trained his daughter well; at fifteen she was already a lower-intermediate master, a mere three tiers below himself. Scootaloo could have watched Rainbow Dash train all day; her tan, toned body moving and sweating like this had the grace of a ballerina and the deadliness of a cobra. She was so magnificent and stunning that Scootaloo almost didn't want to stop her.

Alas, Scootaloo was here to train, as well. This made interrupting Rainbow every Sunday worthwhile, as Scootaloo had the privilege of calling Rainbow her own master.

Scootaloo grinned. She was enormously glad she'd asked Rainbow to become her kung fu teacher; Rainbow Dash was strict and demanding, but at the same time enormously inspirational, encouraging, patient, and gentle. She had warned Scootaloo that kung fu was not something she could achieve proficiency in within two, ten, or even twenty years, and that she'd have to work hard every day if she wished to be her student. Scootaloo had accepted, and once she began training Rainbow was quite pleased with her; true to her word, Scootaloo never gave up, even after two years of ceaseless, daily training.

Were there times Scootaloo wanted to give up? Sure. However, whenever the thought of doing so so much as vaguely whispered in the back of her mind, she would ask herself if she was going to let Rainbow down.

"No," she firmly told herself each time.

"So what are you gonna do?" she would then whisper.

"I'm gonna make Rainbow proud."

Thus, Scootaloo practiced her stances, strikes, drills, forms, and meditations for several hours every day between her trips to the skate park and her club meetings with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Rainbow had been impressed at how much progress she'd made in that short time span, and praised her by telling her that she was an amazing student. Scootaloo was unspeakably flattered at this, and allowed it to drive her to become even more determined in making her journey through the art of kung fu.

Once Rainbow had completed a monkey-style form, Scootaloo stepped out from behind the tree and called to her, "Hey, Rainbow!"

Rainbow turned and smiled at her. "Oh! Hey, Scootaloo!" she replied.

Both Scootaloo and Rainbow were wearing sleeveless kung fu uniforms; Rainbow's was blue, and Scootaloo's was orange. Both uniforms were relatively new, but heavily stained with sweat and a little frayed from use. Once Scootaloo was standing before Rainbow, she stood straight, placed her fist in the palm of her other hand, then bowed to her, saying, "Good morning, Master."

Rainbow made the gesture and bowed as well, smilingly replying, "Good morning, my student."

Once they were standing back up, Rainbow placed her hand on her hip as she cheerfully said, "So, you ready to get started?"

"Yeah!" Scootaloo enthusiastically answered.

Nodding, Rainbow stepped forward and turned around before crouching to the ground. Scootaloo stepped up behind her, wrapped her arms around her shoulders, and gripped her waist with her legs. Rainbow then stood back up, unfurled her wings, and took to the air.

In only a few minutes they arrived at Rainbow's house. After setting Scootaloo down on the house's cloud foundation upon their landing, Rainbow opened her front door and led Scootaloo to her home's private dojo.

Rainbow's dojo was small, but very high-end and beautiful; the floors were built of real, solid bamboo; the walls were plastered with red Oriental wallpaper etched with intricate, delicate golden designs; and the Dragon Imperial-style wooden ceiling was held up by black Storm Marble pillars, around which roaring green jade Eastern dragon statues were wrapped. In a corner Rainbow had stacked wrestling mats, punching bags, bows, arrows, staffs, and a large assortment of other weapons and pieces of equipment. But Scootaloo's favorite feature of the dojo were two large windows in its outside wall, which always allowed an astonishing view of the vast sky outside. The dojo was the perfect size for two people to train in; for this, Scootaloo wouldn't have had it any bigger.

"You ready, kiddo?" Rainbow said, smirking at Scootaloo.

With a grin, Scootaloo answered, "Yes, Master," while making another bow.

Rainbow nodded in approval. "Alright then," she said. She began circling her arms as she said, "First is stretches. You know the drill."

Scootaloo nodded, then began mirroring the motions that Rainbow made.

After they had sufficiently stretched their arms, shoulders, legs, backs, and necks, Rainbow said, "Great work, Scoots. Now, warm-ups. Let's start with twenty sit-ups."

Scootaloo nodded, sat on the ground, and began doing sit-ups. As Rainbow vocally counted them off, Scootaloo reflected on the fact that these exercises were far easier than they had been when she started; Rainbow had taught her to always remind herself how much progress she made.

Because sit-ups and push-ups and running laps were so easy now, Scootaloo was free to let her mind wander wherever it desired during warm-ups. Today, she again admired the beauty of the dojo all around her, and that coupled with the fact that Scootaloo was doing warm-ups caused her to be reminded of and slip into a private fantasy she often indulged herself in:

She'd enter the dojo with Rainbow, then once they had finished their stretches, Scootaloo would say, "What are we doing today, Dash?"

Rainbow would hold her own chin and softly smile as she replied, "I think we're going to try something different for warm-ups today."

"Wha-what do you mean?" Scootaloo would reply.

Rainbow's eyes would narrow slightly, then she'd say, "It's somethin' that'll get you sweating and warm really fast, and you'll be working all sorts of muscles you don't often use."

Scootaloo would blink. "R-really?" she'd say.

"Yeah," Rainbow would reply. "In fact, you don't need any equipment to do it. But having a mat wouldn't hurt...."

Scootaloo would nod. "Okay!" she'd say, before running to the corner to get the wrestling mat.

Once the wrestling mat was unrolled and Rainbow and Scootaloo were both standing on it, Rainbow would say, "Alright," then begin slowly unfastening her top.

"Wha-what are you doing, Dash?" Scootaloo would stammer, her eyes widening slightly as a blush crept into her cheeks.

"Trust me, clothes are just gonna get in the way," Rainbow would reply as she let her top fall to the floor, leaving her small but intoxicating breasts bare.

After staring at Rainbow for a moment, Scootaloo would mutter, "O-okay...." before beginning to unfasten her own top, as well.

Once her own top was off, Scootaloo would look back up at Rainbow. Rainbow would be completely naked, and slowly walking towards her with a sultry smile.

Scootaloo's blush would intensify as she stammered, "R-Rainbow...?"

Rainbow would step right up to her, slide her thumbs over the hems of her pants, then slowly pull them down, as well. As she was removing the lower half of a shivering Scootaloo's uniform, she'd whisper in her ear, "Here's what ya gotta do, kiddo: make both of us cum."

Scootaloo was widely grinning as she finished her sit-ups. She was immensely glad she wasn't a boy; otherwise, her enormous excitement would be very obvious to Rainbow right now.

Once they had gone through some push-ups, shadow boxing, and two minutes of jogging in place, as well, Rainbow said, "Alright, Squirt; we're gonna be sparring today, so get out the mat."

Scootaloo grinned as she went to unroll the mat. Her favorite form of training to practice with Rainbow was wrestling (obviously), but sparring was a close second; it allowed Scootaloo to put the forms and strikes she'd rehearsed over and over again into practice, and she also got to have the best view of Rainbow's nearly-flawless performance anyone could have when she did so.

In addition, Scootaloo absolutely loved Rainbow's method of sparring.

They stepped onto the mat, faced each other, bowed, then assumed combat stances.

"Begin," Rainbow muttered, then Scootaloo rushed towards her with a high kick.

Scootaloo directed several strikes at Rainbow, all of which Rainbow easily blocked. After a few seconds of passively blocking her attacks, however, Rainbow suddenly swept her leg beneath Scootaloo and tripped her, causing Scootaloo to cry out and fall to the ground. Rainbow grabbed her hand and pulled her back up, then Scootaloo began striking at Rainbow again. After a few more seconds, Rainbow suddenly thrust her palm out towards Scootaloo's head. However, Scootaloo was prepared this time; she held her arm up and swung it to the side of her head, parrying Rainbow's strike.

Rainbow smiled. "Good work, Squirt," she said.

Scootaloo smirked back at her.

This was how Rainbow sparred with Scootaloo; she allowed Scootaloo to practice her strikes on her, occasionally making a surprise attack to refine her student's reflexes and test her mastery of her blocks and counter-strikes. Scootaloo had never landed a single strike on Rainbow during these sessions, but that wasn't the point; she wasn't ready to have a no-holds-barred fight with her master yet. Instead, Rainbow was gently pushing her to the edge of her abilities so that little by little, Rainbow could increase the power in her blows and the swiftness of her techniques so that their sparring sessions became gradually more intense and more resembling of a true battle.

At this point, Rainbow was still able to quite easily respond to anything Scootaloo attempted, but she could tell that her student was improving; she was growing stronger and more flexible, and her stances were becoming more refined and natural while her techniques increased in accuracy every day. Sparring Scootaloo was easy for Rainbow, but was becoming slightly more difficult each time they did it. This was exactly what Rainbow wanted; her goal was to one day train Scootaloo to the point that they could duel as equals. This was a philosophy she'd learned from her father, who was training her in exactly the same way.

Scootaloo was delighted by this method, as well; Rainbow had such complete control over herself that she never did anything that Scootaloo couldn't handle, albeit with a bit of exertion. Scootaloo had a dream teacher, and Rainbow had a dream student; their training sessions together felt as perfect and natural to the both of them as breathing.

After a good hour of sparring broken up only by a handful of short breaks, Rainbow pantingly nodded as she said, "Nice work today, Scoots. In just a few more weeks, I think you'll be ready to take your next examination and advance to the next rank."

Scootaloo pantingly nodded back, crying, "Yeah! Thanks, Dash!"

Rainbow mussed Scootaloo's hair up, then walked with her back out of her house. She carried Scootaloo back to the ground, then Scootaloo waved at her as she flew up to a cloud to take a nap.

Scootaloo walked back to her own house, where she greeted Stephen before taking a shower. Once she was dressed in her street clothes, she strapped on her helmet before riding her scooter to the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse.

Her friends were waiting for her; upon her entrance, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle turned to her and cried, "Hey, Scootaloo!"

"Hey, guys!" Scootaloo replied, grunting as she stretched her arms over her head before yawning.

"Are ya tired?" Apple Bloom said.

"Yeah," Scootaloo replied. "I've been sparring with Rainbow Dash."

Scootaloo excitedly grinned as she continued, "She said I'm almost ready to take my next examination! I'm gonna be a seven-kyuu soon!"

"That's great, Scoots!" Sweetie said, beaming.

"Were ya able to beat her?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

Scootaloo shook her head. "Of course not!" she said. "Dash is a lower-intermediate master! It's gonna be years before I can even make her break a sweat!"

"It's really that hard?" Apple Bloom said surprisedly.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo said. "Most people are only able to become masters when they're, like, eighteen! But Rainbow became a master when she was twelve!"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "How'd she do that?" she said.

Scootaloo grinned. "She says it's because she got started when she was two," she said. "Her dad started training her as soon as she could walk, and Rainbow trains really hard. She's the coolest, strongest girl ever!"

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed as she smirked. "Are ya sure?" she said. "Ah mean, my sister's pretty strong, too...."

"Yeah, but not as strong as Rainbow," Scootaloo replied, folding her arms. "Can Applejack do one-handed upside-down push-ups?"

"Can Rainbow carry a hundred-kilogram bag of feed over each shoulder?" Apple Bloom said.

"Rainbow Dash can top anything Applejack can do!" Scootaloo said, stepping towards Apple Bloom.

"Are ya sure?" Apple Bloom said. "Ah mean, my sister works at a farm every day...."

"Weren't you listening?" Scootaloo replied. "Rainbow's been training since she was two years old."

"Uh, girls?" Sweetie Belle said, drawing their attention to her. "You two aren't gonna prove anything by arguing about it. We're here to get our Marks, remember?"

Scootaloo smirked. "Yeah," she said. She turned back to Apple Bloom as she added, "Just you watch, Bloom; not only am I gonna prove you wrong about Rainbow and AJ, I'm also gonna get my Mark first!"

"We'll see...." Apple Bloom muttered, smirking back at her. They turned back to Sweetie as Apple Bloom said, "What's the plan today, Sweetie?"

Sweetie pulled open a large paperback book titled Over One Thousand Things to Do During Summer and flipped through it until she reached a dog-eared page. She then placed her index finger beneath the page's title as she read aloud, "How to Play Liar's Dice, the Perfect Super-Fun Dice Game for Lazy Summer Days. It says we're going to need five dice and a cup each."

Nodding, Scootaloo went to their wooden storage box at the back of the clubhouse, where she retrieved a large leather pouch of dice and their three plastic drinking-cups. Once they all had some dice and their cups, they began playing the game with the aid of the book.

After a few hours of playing Liar's Dice, which Scootaloo openly declared to be boring when they all found that none of them had gotten Marks in it, the Crusaders all bid each other farewell and made their way back to their homes. Apple Bloom didn't have to go far, of course; after all, her house was only a short distance away.

When Apple Bloom entered the Apple farmhouse, she called out, "Ah'm home!"

"Hey, Apple Bloom!" Applejack called back from the dining room. She set down the silverware she was holding, walked to Apple Bloom's side, and ruffled her hair. "How was your meeting?" Applejack asked pleasantly.

"It was great!" Apple Bloom said. "We played Liar's Dice, but none of us got our Mark in it...."

Applejack shrugged. "Oh well, Ah think it's all for the best. Ah mean, Ah doubt ya'll wanna be earnin' your keep rollin' bones at the tables of Pegasus City...."

"Ah don't think so, either," Apple Bloom replied, smiling. Her smile faded, however, as she said, "Sis... why do you think Ah can't get my Mark yet? Ah mean, Sweetie has trouble with school and Scootaloo has her wings crippled, but Ah can't see anything wrong with me."

Applejack smiled warmly as she replied, "Ah don't think there's anythin' wrong with ya, Bloom. You're probably just a late bloomer, like Big Mac and Ah are, that's all."

"But... didn't ya'll and Big Mac just have a hard time learnin' that you wanted to be here?" Apple Bloom said. "But Ah don't have that problem. Ah love it here in Avalon, and Ah can't imagine livin' anywhere else. Ah'm good at cookin' and harvestin' apples, but Ah still haven't gotten my own Mark yet...."

Tears welled in Apple Bloom's eyes before she looked up at Applejack and said. "Do ya... do you think Ah might never get my Mark, Sis?" she said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"No, of course you will," Applejack said, kneeling down and stroking her cheek reassuringly.

"But some Beings never get their Marks, right?" Apple Bloom said, her face twisting with grief. "And... and Ah know that things can go wrong if cousins have a kid together. What if... what if Ah can't get a Mark, 'cause our parents are...?"

Here Apple Bloom broke down and began sobbing. Applejack was still for a moment, her expression blank, before she embraced Apple Bloom and comfortingly whispered, "Shh, shh... hush now, Sis... don't you fret about that...."

"What if Ah am a freak?" Apple Bloom sobbed. "What if there's somethin' wrong with me, and... and-"

"Now look, Apple Bloom," Applejack said, holding Apple Bloom out by her shoulders and gazing sternly right into her eyes. "Your ma and pa are also my ma and pa, right?"

"Right...." Apple Bloom said, sniffing.

"Do ya'll think Ah'm a freak?" Applejack said.

"Well, no...." Apple Bloom replied.

Applejack brushed some of Apple Bloom's hair behind her ear and comfortingly smiled as she said, "There ain't nothin' wrong with ya, Bloom. Trust me; Ah've known you my entire life, and you're growin' up just like any other girl. Sure, things can go wrong if cousins have families together, but ya'll don't have to worry about that, 'cause nothin' went wrong with you."

Apple Bloom smiled. She hugged Applejack again, then Applejack stood up and said, "C'mon; supper's almost ready."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Alright," she said.

As they returned to the dining room and began setting up the table, Apple Bloom looked up at Applejack and said, "Hey, Sis?"

"Yeah, Bloom?" Applejack said.

"Do ya... do ya think you're gonna marry Braeburn?" Apple Bloom said. Applejack looked surprisedly at her, then Apple Bloom said, "Ah mean, you two are closer with each other than you are with any of our other cousins, and everybody says you two look good together, and...."

Applejack smiled, then shook her head. "Nah," she said. "Ah don't reckon Ah will."

"Really?" Apple Bloom said surprisedly. "But... you like him, don't you?"

"Yeah, but not in that way," Applejack said, chuckling. "He's my favorite cousin, but Ah don't think of him as any more than that."

"So who are ya gonna marry?" Apple Bloom said.

Applejack shrugged. "Ah don't reckon Ah plan on marryin' anyone," she said.

Apple Bloom's eyes widened surprisedly. "You don't?" she said.

Applejack shook her head.

"Why not?" Apple Bloom said.

"Ah suppose Ah just don't want to," Applejack replied simply. "Ah'm perfectly contented with things just as they are. Ah don't feel any need to change anything."

Apple Bloom nodded. "Ah understand," she said.

Apple Bloom leaned against a wall, thinking. She knew that she wasn't the only member of her family who had seen chemistry between Braeburn and her sister, or who thought it natural that they would end up together; after all, not only were they best friends, but the two of them were considered the handsomest members of the Apple clan (a position they shared with Big Mac). Apple Bloom knew that some of her other female cousins had tried flirting with Braeburn, who many Apples called "the prime example of a fine young country man", but he seemed to be uninterested in them; thus, they had all seemed to conclude that he had his heart set on Applejack, and had given up on trying to woo him. But Apple Bloom guessed they'd been wrong; after all, Braeburn and Applejack were only friends.

So Apple Bloom wondered: who would Braeburn marry? He might've wanted to remain single like Applejack, but somehow Apple Bloom doubted it; Braeburn struck her as the sort of boy who would get married the instant he'd found a suitable girl. But if it wasn't going to be Applejack, who else would it be?

Then, Apple Bloom suddenly remembered something Scootaloo had said to her one time:

"You're really hot, Apple Bloom."

It was a few months ago, and Apple Bloom had been complaining to Scootaloo that she was worried something was fundamentally wrong with her due to being inbred. Scootaloo had responded by saying this sentence to her, which had caused Apple Bloom to gaze confusedly at her and say, "... Huh?"

"If something were wrong with you, you wouldn't be as pretty as you are," Scootaloo had said. "You're the prettiest girl at our school. Your red hair, your peach eyes- trust me, Bloom, when we're older you're gonna be swimmin' in guys."

Scootaloo had then made a mysterious smile at Apple Bloom as she added, "If that's what you're into, of course."

Apple Bloom blinked confusedly. She'd never seen Scootaloo look at her this way before, and she wondered what she meant by "If that's what you're into." However, after a few moments, she concluded that Scootaloo meant that she could have any boy she wanted if she decided to pursue them, and that Scootaloo's strange smile was meant to be one of reassurance. Apple Bloom had sadly smiled back at Scootaloo and said, "Thanks, Scoots, but... givin' me complements ain't gonna change what Ah am...."

Scootaloo had stopped smiling, blinked at Apple Bloom for a few moments, then rolled her eyes and groaned with tremendous annoyance. Apple Bloom had stared at her with greater confusion then ever as she did this.

Perhaps, Apple Bloom thought.... Perhaps, she might have a chance at marrying Braeburn. She was surprised at herself for coming up with the idea, but found herself begin flushing, then made a small smile at it. Yeah, it wasn't such a bad idea... walking down a path between her friends and family, wearing a white dress and carrying a bouquet of roses as red as her hair. A beautiful little fifteen-year-old bride in a sunny outdoor wedding, marrying the most gorgeous young man she knew....

Well, aside from Spike, of course.

Apple Bloom's eyes shot wide open, then she gasped and covered her mouth. Her face flushed as red as a tomato, as her mind reeled with the realization:

She had crushes on Braeburn and Spike.

Apple Bloom had never before noticed such feelings in herself in her entire life. She had always scoffed at other girls who tittered over how "cute" their crushes were, all the while not noticing that her own nervousness towards boys was driven by the exact same emotions. Maybe she'd never deduced this because her nervousness was indistinguishable from that she felt towards other girls....

Apple Bloom was enormously confused and distressed for a few moments, but then she remembered one distinct difference between the nervousness she had felt towards her friends and the nervousness she had felt towards Spike: she had grown perfectly comfortable around her friends, while there remained a "forbidden" aura around Spike, even now that they'd been friends for some time. Come to think of it, Apple Bloom thought, the same "forbidden" aura surrounded Braeburn in her mind, too.

Apple Bloom smiled. Ah, Ah see, she thought. So that's what a crush is; when someone feels "forbidden." Ah get it.

Apple Bloom grinned, then finished setting up the table. She wasn't allowed to marry Spike, of course; after all, the Apple rule was that she had to marry another Human farmer. Nonetheless, she could still admire him all she liked, and even if she couldn't be with him, she seemed to have a shot with Braeburn now.

Apple Bloom ate corn bread and egg salad with her family at supper. Apple Bloom was smiling blissfully all the while, which caused Granny Smith to say, "What's on your mind, Sugar?"

"Ah just realized today that Ah have a crush on Braeburn," Apple Bloom replied cheerfully.

After a moment of surprised silence, her siblings and grandmother all burst into laughter. "That so?" Granny Smith said. "Yeah, he's sure a strappin' young feller. Ah would hold my horses, though; you're a little young for him, and ya'll have some purty stiff competition fer him." With this last statement Granny Smith cast a quick, wry glance at Applejack, who continued smiling down at her food.

Apple Bloom noticed this, chuckled, and shrugged. "Ah don't know...." she said. "It's only gonna be a few years 'till Ah'm fifteen, and my friends tell me Ah'm mighty pretty."

Granny Smith chuckled. "'Course you are, Apple Bloom," she said. "But lotsa other little Apple ladies are mighty pretty, too...."

"Ah guess we'll just have to see, then," Apple Bloom said matter-of-factly. She closed her eyes, picked up her silverware and began daintily cutting her honeyed cornbread, causing her relatives to softly laugh.

After a few minutes of idle conversation, Apple Bloom remembered the conversation she'd had with Scootaloo earlier that day, and said to Applejack, "Hey, Sis."

"Yeah, Apple Bloom?" Applejack said.

"Scootaloo was trainin' with Rainbow Dash today. She said that Rainbow could beat ya at just about anything."

Applejack smirked and narrowed her eyes. "She did, did she?" she said.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said.

"Well, then," Applejack said, taking another roll of bread from the bread bowl, "Ah guess we're just gonna have to see, huh?"

Apple Bloom blinked. "What do you mean?" she said.

"You'll see...." Applejack muttered with a mysterious smile.

The next day, Applejack walked around Avalon until she found Rainbow Dash's house, then stood under it, turned her head up to it, and shouted up, "RAINBOW DASH!!"

In a few seconds Rainbow peeked out over the cloud's edge, then smiled and called down, "Hey, AJ! What's up?"

"Come down here for a sec!" Applejack shouted.

Rainbow nodded, jumped over the cloud's edge, and fluttered down to the earth. "What's up?" she asked again with a friendly smile.

Applejack folded her arms and smirked. "Apple Bloom told me that Scootaloo said ya'll could beat me at anythin'."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, and?" she replied, smirking back.

"Ya'll are sure about that?" Applejack said. "Ah mean, Ah've carried pigs and calfs my entire life...."

Rainbow scoffed. "Yeah, well, I have been working out with specialized equipment for my entire life," she replied.

"So ya'll think you could press more than me?" Applejack said, leaning forward.

"No," Rainbow Dash admitted. "But I could still kick your ass at bein' the best athlete in Avalon."

"Really? How so, little missy?" Applejack replied with a slightly mocking tone.

Rainbow pointed at Applejack as she answered, "'Cause lifting weights is all you've ever done. Me, I can also wrestle, jump, throw, and run circles around you."

"Really?" Applejack said back. "Ya'll sure you could beat me in a footrace?"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said. "Circles."

"Alright then," Applejack said, standing up straight. "Prove it, then. Tomorrow."

Rainbow nodded. "You've got it," she said. "You and I each pick five athletic events, and whoever can win the most will get declared by the other to be 'the best athlete in Avalon.'"

"You've got a deal," Applejack said. She spit into her hand and offered it to Rainbow, who spit in hers as well before taking it. They shook hands, smiling with fiercely narrowed eyes at each other.

I-XXIV. The Running of the Leaves

Rainbow Dash was hanging by her legs from a tree branch, doing sit-ups on it as Scootaloo observed her a half-meter away. Rainbow was preparing for her athletic competition with Applejack, which would begin at noon that day, by doing some warm-up exercises. She was wearing a black, hot pink-edged sports bikini, which made watching her warm up a delight and treat for Scootaloo.

The five events that Applejack had chosen for their competition were arm-wrestling, full-body wrestling, High Striking, weight lifting, and bronco riding. Rainbow highly doubted that she'd be able to win more than a couple of these brute strength-based contests, and so she had chosen another skill set to base her own contest picks around: endurance and dexterity, which Rainbow had no doubt she had in spades more than Applejack. Thus, the events Rainbow chose were: kick-boxing, obstacle course running, archery, spear-throwing, and because she was feeling cocky, horseshoe-throwing.

Once Rainbow had reached the hundred mark, she allowed herself to drop and turned in the air gracefully to land on her feet. She then exhaled sharply, stretched her arms, and executed a couple of backflips against the tree.

"No way Applejack's gonna be able to beat you, Dash!" Scootaloo then cried, grinning at her in awe.

Rainbow folded her arms and smirked at her. "You're damn right," she replied. She ruffled Scootaloo's hair, then said, "Come on, Squirt; let's get some milk at the Sugar Shack."

Beaming, Scootaloo walked with Rainbow to the town square. Once they entered the Cakes' bakery, Pinkie Pie, who had been talking to Bon-Bon, turned to them and lit up as she cried, "Oh! Hi, Dashie! Hi, Scootaloo!"

"Yo, Pinkie," Rainbow replied. She and Scootaloo both sat on bar stools before the counter as she asked, "What's up?"

"It's going well," Pinkie replied. "What can I get you two?"

Rainbow held up two fingers. "Two milks on the rocks, please," she said. "And a plate of poppy seed muffins, if you don't mind."

Pinkie winked. "Coming up!" she said before turning and walking to the back of the shop. She retrieved some milk and ice cubes from the shop's glass icebox, poured them into tall drinking-glasses, then placed a blue cocktail umbrella and a purple straw in one of the glasses before placing them in front of Rainbow and Scootaloo. As Scootaloo took the glass with the straw and umbrella and Rainbow took the other one, Pinkie went into the shop's kitchen and retrieved a plate of poppy seed muffins before placing it before them, as well.

As Pinkie moved around the shop, Scootaloo took advantage of the opportunity to gaze at her long, lightly tanned legs, which were shown off nicely by her faded blue denim short shorts. Aside from Rainbow, of course, Pinkie was the most frequent subject of Scootaloo's erotic fantasies of any of her friends or acquaintances. She wasn't the prettiest girl Scootaloo knew, of course; that title easily went to Fluttershy. However, Pinkie's energetic, childlike personality was extremely appealing to Scootaloo, and Pinkie was also quite sexy in her own right. In addition, she was openly bisexual (or pansexual, more likely) but still rather naive, which caused Scootaloo to speculate that she might be easy to seduce. Scootaloo also liked to imagine that Pinkie would be into a lot of weird things, such as being covered in chocolate and whipped cream and having them slowly licked off of her nude body.

Scootaloo sighed wistfully as she sipped her milk through her straw. How frustrating it is, she thought, to be a sexually awakened nine-year-old. Most of the other girls her age didn't know much about sexuality yet, and most women and teenaged girls would almost certainly refuse her advances due to her being a child. She didn't want to risk getting in trouble or being shunned for her sexuality, either, and so as a result Scootaloo waited anxiously like a spider, watching carefully for any sign of returned interest in another girl that she could immediately pounce on, all the while occasionally dropping hints to her friends of her more impure intentions to potentially hurry the process along.

While Scootaloo and Rainbow were drinking their milk and eating their muffins, Pinkie refilled their glasses and chatted with them. It was quite relaxing for all three of them, which satisfied Rainbow quite well; relaxation was exactly what she had wanted from coming here. That way, she'd be in top form when when she went up against Applejack that noon.

Once the muffins were gone, Rainbow looked up at the clock. It was about eleven fifteen. She stretched, grunted, finished off her milk, then stood up and said, "Come on, Scoots. Let's head to the park."

Pinkie gasped and bounced in place. "Ooh! Ooh! Are you going to your athletic competition with Applejack, Dashie?!" she cried excitedly.

Rainbow smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"Can I watch you?" Pinkie said, gazing at her hopefully.

"Sure, why not?" Rainbow said, shrugging.

Pinkie squealed. "Ooh, this is so exciting!" she cried. She pumped her fist in the air as she added, "I'll be cheering for you the whole time, Dashie!"

Rainbow's smile widened. She didn't know why, but she felt enormously honored that Pinkie would be rooting for her.

However, something occurred to Rainbow. Why is that? she thought. I mean, Pinkie cares about all of her friends. Maybe it's just that she's closer to me than to Applejack? But that still doesn't explain why she seems to like me more....

Rainbow looked at Pinkie, who was cheerfully humming as she cleaned the countertop with a damp rag. Rainbow contemplated this question as she gazed at Pinkie, wondering what it could mean. Perhaps... perhaps Pinkie had some... feelings for her...?

At the thought, Rainbow snorted. Yeah, right, she thought to herself. There's no way in the seven Hells that Pinkie likes me that way.

Rainbow exited the shop with Scootaloo as Pinkie called after them, "My shift's over in half an hour; I'll see you then!"

She's a nice, good girl, and I'm a whore.

Rainbow's heart sank with familiar guilt, and her smile faded. She cast her morose gaze down to the cobbled road moving beneath her feet as she walked. It's a good thing Pinkie isn't in love with me, she thought. After all, if she were, it would end disastrously for everyone.

Rainbow had never known her mother. When she had asked her father about her, Rainbow Blaze had told her only that they got divorced when Rainbow Dash was only a few months old. He told Rainbow Dash that their divorce had been extremely nasty, and that the both of them fought long and hard over custody of their infant daughter, which Rainbow Blaze had ultimately won. When Rainbow Dash asked what they had gotten divorced over, her father had replied that it was over a disagreement regarding the nature of their marriage; more specifically, weather or not it could be an open one. Rainbow Dash's father continued to have sexual relationships with other women after he had married Rainbow's mother, which her mother was convinced made him an unfaithful bastard. Rainbow Blaze had thought that her anger was irrational, and argued that he wasn't any less devoted to her and didn't love her any less just because he still wanted his freedom. However, when Rainbow Dash asked him to tell her more, he didn't seem to want to elaborate upon it any further; he already seemed quite distressed over what he had told her, and he seemed to grow more and more deeply sorrowful the longer he delved into it, so Rainbow Dash had stopped asking him about it.

However, Rainbow Dash was able to learn a handful of other things about her mother; Rainbow Blaze seemed to still genuinely be in love with her, even after all of the struggle and pain she had put him through. It was clear to Rainbow Dash, however, that her father's affection for her mother was mixed with intense anger and resentment toward her for trying to permanently take their daughter away from him. Rainbow Dash personally sided with her father, and privately concluded that her mother was in the wrong; she was just a stupid, insecure, petty bitch, Rainbow Dash thought. It wasn't like Rainbow Blaze had been abusing either of them or anything. Besides, she had wanted a divorce and full custody of their daughter because of her jealously, which Rainbow Dash thought to be idiotic and cruel to the point of being unforgivable.

Her dad was right, Rainbow Dash thought. Beings were naturally predisposed to be non-monogamous, after all. Rainbow Blaze wasn't being hypocritical, either; it was clear that he wouldn't have minded if his ex-wife had wanted to sleep with other men, as well. Maybe if she'd tried it, Rainbow Dash reasoned, she'd have been a bit more sympathetic to him; after all, Rainbow Dash had juggled simultaneous sexual relationships with her own friends, and none of them made any of the others less attractive to her or damaged any of their friendships.

Well, I'm not friends with Lightning Dust or Gilda anymore, thought Rainbow Dash.

She shook her head. Yeah, but that's not because I was fucking them; it's 'cause they were all traitorous cunts.

Tears welled in Rainbow's eyes, but she held them back.

At any rate, she had learned that it was best to stay away from girls who wanted serious and exclusive relationships. Pinkie might have been bisexual, but that didn't mean she was as promiscuous as Rainbow was; Rainbow was willing to bet that Pinkie would have expected Rainbow to be faithful to her if they got together.

Rainbow scoffed. Yeah, that's not gonna happen, she thought. Life's too short to stay in one spot. You've gotta taste a little of everything, you know?

Besides, Rainbow thought, I'm just gonna break the heart of any girl that falls in love with me.

"Uh, Dash?" Scootaloo said, looking concernedly up at her.

"Huh?" Rainbow said, shaking her head as she was suddenly yanked out of her depressive musings, before looking down at Scootaloo.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo said, gazing back up at her with slight worry.

Rainbow took a deep breath. "Yeah," she said, her trademark smirk returning. "I'm just trying to get focused, ya know?"

Scootaloo grinned. "Yeah!" she shouted enthusiastically. "You're gonna whoop Applejack's ass, Dash!"

Rainbow nodded, then took another breath. I need to clear my head, she thought. Once this competition's over, I'm gonna hit the clubs, have some drinks, and find a nice ass to bury my face in.

Upon that pleasant, distracting thought, Rainbow returned her mind to the task at hand: beat Applejack, bathe in the praise and adoration of her friends, and prove conclusively that she, Rainbow Dash, was the greatest athlete in all of Avalon.

In a few minutes, Rainbow and Scootaloo arrived at Avalon's public park, where all of their friends (except Pinkie, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle) were already waiting for them. Upon their arrival, Spike turned to them and cheerfully greeted them, "Oh! Hey, Dash! Hey, Scoots!"

"Yo, Spike," Rainbow replied, stepping up to him and giving him a fist bump. She then turned to Applejack and smirkingly said, "What's up, AJ? You ready to get spanked?"

"Ready if you are," Applejack answered, smirking back.

Twilight interjected, "At about eleven forty-five, Rarity and Pinkie are going to come, and then we should be ready to start. If you two don't mind, I am going to act as the referee for your competitions, and Fluttershy is going to act as the scorekeeper."

Applejack nodded. "Sounds good to me," she said.

Rainbow placed her hands on the back of her head. "Just so long as you don't let your uncontrollable attraction to me get in the way of your judgement, Twi," she said with a flirtatious smirk.

Twilight rolled her eyes, then flatly replied, "I can assure you, I will be objective, Rainbow."

Rainbow snickered, then began doing stretches.

Spike and the girls all idly conversed with each other for twenty minutes, then Pinkie, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle arrived. Twilight then gave Applejack and Rainbow Dash ten minutes to prepare, during which they stretched, drank some sports drinks, and received encouragement from their friends.

At noon, Twilight said, "Alright; let the athletic competition between Rainbow Dash and Applejack formally begin. Contestants, please shake hands."

Smirking, Rainbow offered her hand to Applejack, which Applejack took. After they made a few firm shakes, Twilight said to them, "I want a clean contest from everyone. Any cheating will disqualify you from a round and automatically lose you a point, and I will know cheating when I see it. So just play fair.

"This competition will consist of ten events, chosen by the contestants. A victory in an event will result in the winner being awarded a point; the contestant with the most points will be declared the champion of this competition. We will alternate between the contestant's picks, beginning with Applejack. The first event will be arm-wrestling."

Twilight pointed at the ground, saying, "Contestants, please lie on your bellies, facing each other."

Gazing fiercely at each other, Rainbow Dash and Applejack laid facedown upon the ground, facing each other.

"Now join your right hands, and place your elbows on the ground," Twilight commanded them.

Applejack and Rainbow obeyed; they clasped hands, resting their elbows on the ground beneath them.

"On my mark, you will both begin attempting to force your opponent's hand to the ground. The first contestant to do so will be declared the winner. If you lift your elbow from the ground, you will be disqualified. On your marks."

Rainbow and Applejack tensed their arms up.

"Get set."

Rainbow licked her lips, and Applejack blew a stray hair out of her face.

"GO!!"

Rainbow and Applejack immediately grunted as they began straining against their opponents' strength. Pinkie and Scootaloo began chanting encouragement to Rainbow; Pinkie cried, "Come on, Dashie! You can do this!" while Scootaloo urged Rainbow, "Come on, Dash! Come on! Just a little more!"

At the same time, Apple Bloom cried, "Come on, sis! You can beat her!"

The girls strained at each other for over half a minute, and both of them began trembling with exertion. Rainbow slowly began inching Applejack's hand to the earth; however, with a mighty grunt, Applejack suddenly forced it back into the air. Then, with a powerful roar, she suddenly pushed against Rainbow's hand with a surge of hidden strength, forcing it almost immediately to the ground.

Apple Bloom began cheering, and Applejack pantingly grinned as Pinkie and Scootaloo both groaned in disappointment. Twilight, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Spike all politely applauded, then Twilight said to Fluttershy, "Point: Applejack."

Fluttershy nodded, then balled both of her hands in fists. She lifted the index finger of her left hand, signaling that Applejack was awarded one point.

"The next event is kickboxing," Twilight said as Rainbow and Applejack stood and dusted themselves off. "We don't want to get too rough, so you're not going to be fighting to knock-out. Instead, the first contestant to floor her opponent will be considered the victor. Only strikes are allowed; no one may grapple or grab. We have wrestling for that."

Rainbow and Applejack both assumed combat stances. After a few moments of silence, Twilight said, "On your marks... get set... GO!!"

Rainbow immediately struck at Applejack, which Applejack failed to block; she received a palm in her chest, which caused her to grunt as the wind was knocked out of her. Rainbow then leapt up and kicked at her face, but Applejack was prepared this time; she successfully blocked Rainbow by shielding her face with her arms, after which Rainbow delivered a quick flurry of punches at her.

It was clear that Rainbow was the more skilled fighter; no doubt about that. However, her strikes seemed to have little effect on Applejack, as she seemed to absorb the punishment like a sponge. After a few seconds of defending herself, however, she suddenly swung her fist at Rainbow, catching her in the jaw. For the moment that Rainbow was stunned by the blow, Applejack swung a roundhouse kick at her, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"Point: Applejack!" Twilight cried, and Fluttershy lifted her left hand's second finger as Apple Bloom cheered and Pinkie and Scootaloo groaned again.

Rainbow's head was lightly ringing, and it took a few moments for her to get her orientation back. When the world stopped spinning around her, however, she looked up to see Applejack, standing over her with a concerned expression. "You alright, Sugar?" she said.

Rainbow smirked and nodded. "Y-yeah," she said.

"Did I hurt ya?" Applejack said.

Rainbow shook her head. "Nah," she replied. "I'm just a little bruised, is all."

Smiling relievedly, Applejack offered Rainbow her hand, which Rainbow took. Once they were both standing again, Twilight said, "Let's have a short break, then we'll move on to wrestling."

Applejack and Rainbow took some time to sit, recover, and breathe, then Twilight said to them, "Next is wrestling. With this one, you may only use grappling techniques. However, you may not grab anything on your opponent's head or face. The first one to pin her opponent to the ground receives a win, and the first one to receive three wins will be declared the ultimate victor and be awarded one of the points. Please kneel before each other."

Rainbow and Applejack obeyed, kneeling down and facing each other from only a few centimeters away.

"With your left hand, take the lapel of your opponent's collar; with your right, take hold of your opponent's left arm," Twilight continued.

Applejack and Rainbow did so.

"On my mark, you may begin," Twilight said. "On your marks... get set... GO!!"

To Applejack's surprise, Rainbow flashed a self-assured smirk at her. Before she could react, however, Rainbow suddenly twisted her own body and pulled Applejack downward, bringing her to the ground.

"Waaah-!" Applejack yelped as she did this, but she was suddenly silenced as Rainbow put her in a complex, powerful headlock, which she was utterly unable to escape from.

"One... two... three!" Twilight cried before saying, "Win goes to Rainbow!"

Rainbow released Applejack, and Applejack massaged her neck for a moment while gazing astonishedly at Rainbow, who was folding her arms and gazing smugly back at her.

"Please kneel before each other again," Twilight said, to which Applejack nodded. Frowning and narrowing her eyes fiercely, she took Rainbow's lapel and arm in each of her hands again, and Rainbow did the same.

"On your marks... get set... GO!!" Twilight shouted.

Applejack tried to get the drop on Rainbow Dash this time by attempting to push her forward, but Rainbow simply relaxed a little, surprising Applejack by causing her to throw herself to the ground without anything to support her weight. Rainbow then knelt over her and put her in a full nelson, which again was so strong and secure that Applejack struggled to escape it in vain.

"One... two... three!" Twilight shouted. "Win goes to Rainbow!"

Rainbow released Applejack again, and Applejack gaped at her, saying, "How'd ya'll learn to wrestle so good...?"

Rainbow pointed her thumb at her own chest, saying, "Lower intermediate kung fu master, remember? If you think I'm hard, you should try going against my dad."

"Rainbow now has two wins," Twilight said, to which Pinkie and Scootaloo loudly cheered. "Please kneel before each other once again."

Applejack took a few deep, wavering breaths, then knelt before Rainbow and took her lapel and arm again as Twilight said, "This next round could be a match point. On your marks... get set... GO!!"

Applejack tried pulling Rainbow this time, but Rainbow didn't budge; somehow, no matter what Applejack tried, Rainbow was always able to react by positioning her legs so that she was as immovable as a rock. Rainbow smirked with amusement as Applejack tried in vain to unearth her for about half a minute, then snickered, "Alright, this is just getting sad now."

Rainbow then suddenly fell backwards, causing Applejack to loose her grip on her. Rainbow then wrapped her legs around Applejack's neck and backflipped, throwing a screaming Applejack over her head and causing her to hit the ground hard against her back. Rainbow then laid back and grabbed Applejack's wrists, preventing her from moving as she pinned her body beneath her own.

"One... two... three!" Twilight shouted. "Win goes to Rainbow, giving her three wins and making her the victor of this event! A competition point goes to Rainbow!"

Pinkie and Scootaloo cheered victoriously as Fluttershy softly smiled and lifted the index finger of her right hand. Rainbow got off of Applejack, smirking as she remarked, "You might've had a chance if we were both naked and oiled down; I would've let it go longer, then."

Applejack responded with a low, angry growl.

The next few events went quite predictably; Rainbow won the obstacle course, archery, and spear-throwing contests, while Applejack won the High Strike (by breaking the bell even after Rainbow successfully struck it) and weight lifting. However, when the time came for bronco riding, the results greatly surprised nearly everyone.

Once they were all at the Sweet Apple Acres Ranch, Twilight announced, "Alright, I'm going to be the judge. For all those who don't know the rules, each of the contestants must ride a bronco that will attempt to buck them off. They must remain seated on it for seven seconds, all while holding its reigns with only one hand. Failure to remain seated or grabbing the horse's reigns with more than one hand will result in disqualification. If both successfully accomplish riding the bronco one-handed for seven seconds, the judge must evaluate both of them to conclude who executed it more successfully.

"Applejack, choose the horse. It will be used for both you and Rainbow Dash."

Applejack grinned, then walked towards a large, powerful pinto stallion. She beckoned him over, stoked his head, and said, "Let's use ol' Brownie here. Even Ah have trouble stayin' on him sometimes."

Twilight nodded. "Very well," she said. "Put a bridle on him, then seat yourself on him, please."

Applejack did so; however, once she was on Brownie and had his reigns in one of her hands, Twilight's eyes widened with sudden realization. "Wait- we need a stopwatch!" she cried.

Pinkie held up a silver one. "Will this do?" she said.

The others gazed astonishedly at her. "Where'd ya'll get that...?" Apple Bloom said.

"Oh, I brought it!" Pinkie said, grinning.

"From where?" Spike said.

"From my emergency stopwatch stash!" Pinkie cheerfully replied. "Just in case of the event of any stopwatch emergencies!"

Pinkie's friends continued to stare in shock at her for a moment, then Twilight said, "Alright, then...." as she gently took it from her.

Twilight then turned back to Applejack, and said, "How can you get Brownie to start bucking?"

"Ya'll just have to whoop three times!" Applejack replied with an enormous smile.

Twilight nodded. "Alright," she said. "As soon as you do, I'll start the time."

Applejack took a few deep breaths, then shouted, "Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!"

Brownie began bucking, and Applejack's friends watched, impressed, as she gracefully moved her body in time with it to remain seated. A couple of bucks caused them to worry that she might lose her balance, but she remained seated.

"Time!" Twilight shouted.

"Whoa, boy!" Applejack cried, causing Brownie to immediately come to a halt.

"Good work, Applejack," Twilight said cheerfully as Apple Bloom cheered and the others applauded. Twilight then turned to Rainbow and said, "Now it's your turn."

Applejack slid off of Brownie, allowing Rainbow to climb on. "Whenever you're ready," Twilight signaled, holding the stopwatch up.

A cocky smirk spread over Rainbow's lips. "Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!" she shouted.

Brownie began bucking again, and Rainbow's friends all gasped astonishedly; Rainbow stayed on him with astounding ease, smiling as she moved in time with his bucks in near-perfect grace. Not once in the seven seconds that she was on him were any of the others remotely worried that she might fall off.

"Time!" Twilight shouted.

After Rainbow stopped Brownie and slid off of him, Apple Bloom said, "How in the world...?!"

"Me and my dad have some pegasi up in Asgard," Rainbow said smirkingly. "Earth horses are easy to ride."

"Win goes to Rainbow Dash!" Twilight cried. "That gives her five wins!"

Fluttershy grinned as she held up all five fingers of her right hand.

"Next is horseshoes!" Twilight said. They all moved to the horseshoe stakes, which were only a few meters away from the ranch.

Apple Bloom retrieved four horseshoes from the barn, which she gave to Rainbow and Applejack.

"For those who don't know the rules, each of the contestants may throw two horseshoes from one stake to the other," Twilight said. "One point is awarded if a shoe can be thrown within a shoe's radius away from the stake; two if a shoe can be thrown so that it leans against the stake; and three if the shoe lands over the stake. In the event of a tie, both contestants must throw the shoes again; whoever can gain the most points in a match first will be declared the winner of this event." Twilight then turned to Applejack, saying, "You go first."

Applejack nodded, exhaled sharply, then stepped to the side of the stake nearest to her. She held up a shoe, stared at the opposite stake for a few moments, then tossed the shoe. It landed so that it was leaning against the stake.

"Leaner! Two points!" Apple Bloom cried as Applejack whooped victoriously.

Applejack then picked up her second shoe, gazed at the stake for a few more seconds, then made another sure throw. This one spun at the top of the stake before coming to rest on the other, leaning shoe, so that they were stacked in a triangle shape.

"Ringer! Whoo-wee!" Applejack shouted as Apple Bloom cheered.

"Three more points for Applejack, giving her five in total!" Twilight said. She then turned to Rainbow Dash. "Your turn."

Rainbow gulped, then nodded. She walked to the side of the stake that Applejack had just thrown at, then gazed down the dirt path at the other one. She held up her shoe, and as she steeled herself to throw it, a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead; she knew that if she didn't make this shot, then she would lose the event, and become tied in the competition with Applejack. She was determined to win right here, right now.

Rainbow suddenly threw the shoe, and it spun over the opposite stake before resting at its foot. Applejack and Apple Bloom gaped at her as Scootaloo jumped and cheered, "Yeah! Go, Rainbow Dash! You can do this!"

"Three points to Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "You have one more throw."

Smirking, Rainbow lifted up the other shoe. She took even longer before she threw this one; when she did, it came in contact with the stake, causing her and all of their friends to catch their breath.

However, it bounced off of the stake and spun off of it, coming to rest a couple of centimeters away.

"Noooo!" Rainbow cried despairingly as she fell to her knees.

"Another point for Rainbow, giving her four in total," Twilight said as Applejack and Apple Bloom embraced and cheered victoriously. "Applejack, with five points, wins this event, giving her and Rainbow each five points in the competition."

Rainbow groaned frustratedly as she bowed to the ground, covering her head with her hands.

"Don't be so despondent, Rainbow Dash Dear," Rarity said kindly. "So you're tied with Applejack. That means you both won! You can both be the best athletes in Avalon, then."

"Yeah, but who's the best?!" Rainbow cried. She stood up, then pointed at Applejack. "Let's have a tie breaking match, AJ!" she shouted.

Applejack folded her arms. "Alright. What event?" she said.

Rainbow pointed at Twilight. "You decide!" she said.

"Al-alright...." Twilight muttered. She looked down and stroked her chin as she thought for a moment, then said, "Well... how about a tug-of-war? After all, it's strength-based, but you also need to have endurance and the ability to position yourself."

Applejack nodded. "Seems fair," she said.

Rainbow agreed, then Twilight said, "Alright. Apple Bloom, please get a rope. Spike, help me make a mud pit, please."

Once they had obtained a rope and made a mud pit, Twilight gave each of the rope's ends to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who positioned themselves at opposite ends of the pit. She then said, "The rules are simple: pull your opponent into the mud pit. Let go of the rope and you're disqualified. The winner of this event will break the tie and will be declared the winner of the competition! On your marks...."

Applejack and Rainbow tensed the rope over the pit.

Twilight cried, "Get set...."

Rainbow wrapped some of the rope around her hand, making a more secure grip on it. Applejack mirrored her.

"GO!!" Twilight shouted.

Both girls immediately began straining and pulling against the other. At first, it seemed evenly matched; both were firmly rooted, and neither budged a hair for fifteen seconds. However, using the natural strength of her upper body, Applejack slowly began to drag Rainbow towards the pit, and Rainbow began to gradually panic the closer and closer she came to it.

Just as she came to the very edge of the pit, however, Rainbow began instinctively flapping her wings. She came to a stop once again, and Applejack's grip weakened slightly as her eyes widened in astonishment at seeing them do so.

Taking advantage of Applejack's momentary distraction, Rainbow shouted and pulled even harder, aided by the thrust of her wingbeats. Applejack cried, "WAAAAAH!!" as she suddenly toppled over, falling face first into the mud.

"YES!!" Rainbow shouted, leaping into the air victoriously. She hovered in the air and flipped through it a few times in celebration as Pinkie and Scootaloo jumped up and down, shrilly cheering, "YOU DID IT, RAINBOW DASH!! YEAH!! WHOO-HOO!!"

Fluttershy was also jumping in place, but silently grinning as she energetically clapped her hands while Rarity and Twilight politely applauded.

"Good work, Rainbow Dash," Twilight remarked. "You are hereby declared the victor of this competition."

"NO, SHE AIN'T!!" they all heard Applejack scream over them. They fell silent and turned to see her standing back up from the pit, covered all over in the brown mud and with a furious glare on her face. She pointed at Rainbow Dash and shouted, "Ya'll cheated! Ya'll used your wings to win!!"

"So what?!" Rainbow shouted back, angrily placing her hands on her hips. "I didn't mean to; and besides, it's not cheating if I use my wings!"

"YES IT IS!!" Applejack bellowed. "Your wings give you an extra advantage-!"

"No, they don't!" Rainbow retorted. "If anything, you're the one with the extra advantage! You didn't have to work to get as strong as you are!"

The two of them began screaming at each other, and all of the others gazed at them with great distress and concern. "Uh, guys...?" Pinkie interjected nervously after a few moments. "Why don't you two just call a truce? I mean, you tied the first ten events anyway...."

"NO!!" Applejack screamed. "Ah should win, 'cause Rainbow Dash is a dirty cheater!" she continued as she jabbed her finger into Rainbow's chest.

Rainbow swatted Applejack's hand away as she retorted, "I won fair and square! If you want to see cheating, let's go again! I'll lift you into the air this time!"

They began shouting at each other again, then finally after a few moments Applejack said, "Fine!! Ah tell you what; you and Ah race in the Runnin' of the Leaves tomorrow! If ya'll can win without using' yer wings, then A'll concede defeat to ya!"

"You got it!" Rainbow snarled. "When I win, I expect you to grovel at my feet, farm girl!"

"You ain't gonna win, Rainbow! You ain't nothin' without your wings!"

"I'm twice the Being you are without my wings!"

"You're gonna eat dirt!"

With that, both girls turned around and stormed away, their faces burning with rage. Twilight and her friends all stared anxiously at them for a few moments, then Pinkie said quietly, "I... I think I'm gonna go home now...."

The others immediately agreed, and they all returned to their homes with rather low spirits.

Rainbow was doing pull-ups in her dojo to blow off some steam. She was still absolutely furious, and had hardly slept at all last night.

I did win fairly, she thought. My wings are a part of me, aren't they? They give me some of my strength, don't they?

Rainbow began swinging from her chin-up bar, then kicked up and swung into the air, where she balanced vertically over the bar by her hands, which were gripping it. She remained in this position for a few moments as her mind continued to stew with anger.

She was so sick of Applejack and her enormous self-assured pride. Applejack seemed to think that because she was a Human farmer, that somehow made her better than everyone else.

In addition, Applejack clearly disapproved of the fact that Rainbow was homosexual. This pissed Rainbow off to no end, and was in fact the single largest reason she continued to make lewd, teasing remarks to Applejack. It bothers you to get hit on by another girl, huh? Karmic retribution, bitch.

Rainbow allowed herself to fall back down, then swung up, released the bar, and executed a perfect double backflip before landing gracefully on her feet. She then walked to her bed and collapsed on it, breathing heavily as she glared at the ceiling.

It wasn't entirely Applejack's fault, Rainbow knew. She had been raised by the Apple family, which was a fundamentally traditionalist Human clan. They still held on to old ideals and perceptions somewhat; for instance, they believed that life for Humans was less easy than it was for Angels and Elves, which forced them to work harder and thus made them stronger, better people. They also believed that the higher promiscuity that Angles and Elves tended to have was a fault, and that traditionalist Humans were more chaste and thus more virtuous.

In the mind of the Apples, to remain unmarried, marry a non-farmer or non-Human, engage in sexual intimacy out of wedlock, or engage in homosexuality was contrary to their core traditions. For one of their own to do so was regarded as spitting on the very honor and dignity of their family. Every Apple must do as their fathers before them did, they said; they must marry, have children, and raise Human farms and families in a heteronormative, traditional manner, in respect of the same hallowed methods they were raised in. To deviate was selfish, they thought; only the traditional ways could humble and grow the characters of their family members so that they were as upstanding and righteous as the generations before them.

But didn't they realize that they were just as screwed up as any other Beings? Sure, they were more "chaste," but on the other hand, they were every bit as homophobic and intolerant as most Angels, if not more so. If you were an Apple and married a Being who wasn't a Human, a farmer, or of the opposite gender, you were shunned by your relatives as a disgrace and unfit to live with. Didn't they realize how wrong- even evil, this was?

Well, Applejack isn't better than me, Rainbow thought bitterly. I've worked way longer and harder to get this strong than she's had to get anything in her entire life. I might be richer than you, Applejack, but your life was a spoon-fed piece of cake on a silver platter compared to mine. I've had to fight and go without friends since the day I was born. What have you had to go through, Applejack? You've never had to be strong. You were just born with strength.

After a few more minutes of brooding, Rainbow sighed, stood up, and exited her house. She flew around the skies until about five fifty; ten minutes before the Running of the Leaves was scheduled to begin.

The Running of the Leaves was an annual race that every settlement in the Central Pillar held every year at Summer's end. The tradition had started centuries ago, when Beings believed that the leaves of deciduous trees would only fall once they'd been shaken off, and so they'd begun performing the fifty kilometer-long races in order to cause a tremor of sufficient strength to do so.

Avalon's Running of the Leaves weaved through the paths of the Everfree Forest (but only the outer edge) and began and ended only a small distance away from Sweet Apple Acres. When Rainbow arrived at the starting line, she found that there was a desk stationed beside it at which Mayor Meyer was signing a line of Beings up and giving them large, paper stickers that displayed the numbers they'd been assigned. Rainbow queued up, and was eventually assigned the number forty-eight, which she pasted over her chest.

A few minutes later, Mayor Meyer announced that the race was ready to begin. The participant Beings all lined up behind the starting line, with Rainbow near the center. As she bent down and placed her hands on the ground, however, she heard an Arcadian drawl from beside her: "Ah hope you're ready to get flattened, Dash."

Rainbow turned and sneered at Applejack. "You can kiss my ass," she spat.

"My gosh," they heard a third voice say from the other side of Rainbow. "I can't believe you two are still fighting."

Applejack and Rainbow both turned to see who had spoken to them, and their eyes widened with shock; it was Twilight, who was crouching behind the starting line, as well.

"Twilight?!" Rainbow said astonishedly. "What are you doing here?!"

Twilight shrugged. "I'm racing, too," she replied simply. She smiled as she added, "I thought it would be fun."

Applejack smirked. "So ya'll finally ran outta books?" she said.

"No," Twilight replied.

"Of course she didn't," Rainbow said, smirking as well. "Miss egghead here's never gonna run out of books to read. I bet she's just here to pass an assignment Celestia gave her."

Twilight frowned at her. "I'm not an egghead," she said. "I'm just here to exercise and enjoy the beauty of the leaves, alright?"

Rainbow quietly muttered to Applejack, "Sure... egghead."

Applejack chuckled, and Twilight rolled her eyes. Oh well, at least they're not fighting anymore, she thought.

"Racers ready!" Mayor Meyer cried, drawing their attention. "On your marks... get set... GO!!"

She fired a pistol in the air, then all of the Beings immediately began sprinting off. The exception was Twilight, who began leisurely jogging.

Rainbow sprinted several hundred meters over the path of the race course, far outpacing all of the Beings behind her. She then looked behind herself, and saw that all of her opponents had fallen out of her sight.

Snickering, Rainbow slowed to a slow walk, stepped up to a tree, then leaned against it. She took a deep breath, then sighed with an enormous, self-satisfied smile.

In only about two minutes, however, Rainbow heard a steady sound of footfalls approaching. She opened one of her eyes, then suddenly opened both of them and gasped at what she saw:

Applejack was rapidly catching up to her.

"How'd...?!" Rainbow said astonishedly.

Applejack only cast a nasty smirk at her, however, before she rapidly passed her and disappeared into the trees ahead of them.

Rainbow gaped in Applejack's direction for a few moments before she heard Twilight's voice cry from behind her, "Oh, hi, Rainbow!"

Rainbow turned, and her eyes widened even more; Twilight was there, jogging at the same relaxed pace that she'd begun with.

"Come on!" Twilight shouted as she passed Rainbow. "The others are gaining on us!"

Rainbow blinked, then nodded and began jogging beside Twilight.

"How are you already here?!" Rainbow said astonishedly.

Twilight grinned as she replied, "I'm pacing myself. All of the others sprinted at the start, and wore themselves out. I'm saving my energy."

"Alright...." Rainbow muttered. She then shook her head and said, "Well, good luck. Now if you'll excuse me, I've gotta go beat Applejack...."

Rainbow began sprinting again. Soon, she saw Applejack running ahead of her, then she quickly closed the distance between them. Applejack heard her coming and tried to remain ahead of her, but Rainbow was simply too fast for her; in nearly no time Rainbow was well out of her sight again.

This time, Rainbow was going to make sure that Applejack wouldn't catch up with her again. She knew that there were signs ahead at path forks to direct the racers on the correct course; when she found one, she grinned wickedly as she flipped it over so that it pointed at the left path instead of the right. She then hid in some bushes; shortly, Applejack came up the path she'd come from, then she turned and went down the left path, just as Rainbow had planned.

Once Applejack was out of Rainbow's earshot again, she returned the sign to its original position before continuing her long lead over the others.

The path that Applejack had been directed to was rocky and steep, and soon Applejack was aware that she was climbing up the low slopes of a mountain. She slowed down, vaguely wondering why she hadn't seen another sign in a while....

Then, realization struck her. Her eyes narrowed with fury as she growled, "Why, that filthy, no-good-!"

She spun around and ran back down the path until she returned to the last sign she'd seen, which she saw was now pointing right. "Ah knew it!" she shouted. "If Ah get my hands on that good-for-nothin' Rainbow Dash again, Ah swear by Celestia Ah'm gonna wring her neck!"

"Hi, Applejack!" Twilight said from behind her. Applejack turned surprisedly to see Twilight approaching her from close behind her. "Let's go!" she said as she passed Applejack. "We're only a third through!"

Applejack nodded, then began running again. Once she was out of Twilight's sight, however, she suddenly turned off of the path and into the trees. She was not going to let Rainbow get away with this....

Rainbow had been jogging for a little more than an hour, satisfied that she'd seen the last of Applejack. Maybe she'll even get last place now, she thought with a snicker.

Rainbow allowed herself another snicker, but stopped when something caught her eye; in the distance, she could see two bright orange flags waving from tall poles, marking the finish line.

Rainbow smiled, but her smile disappeared as she heard a rustle in the trees beside her. She looked in and began panicking that one of the woods' beasts was approaching to attack her, but soon she saw Applejack emerge, glaring at her as she ran beside her.

Rainbow's eyes widened. "What?!" she shouted. "But you should've gotten lost hours ago-!"

"Ah did," Applejack said. "Ah just took a shortcut to make up my lost time."

Rainbow glared at her. "Hey! You're a cheater!" she shouted.

"No more'n you are!" Applejack shouted back.

Before they could argue any more, however, Applejack and Rainbow heard another set of fast footfalls behind them. They looked back over their shoulders, and saw Twilight, who was swiftly sprinting towards them with a pained but determined smile on her face.

"How the fuck is she-?!" Rainbow began.

Applejack shook her head. "You know what? Ah'm done with ya'll, Rainbow Dash!" she said. "Maybe it's about time ya'll learned that you ain't as great as ya think you are!"

Applejack began sprinting as well, but she was so exhausted that her speed couldn't nearly match Twilight's. Rainbow stopped noticing that Twilight was approaching them, however; she shouted at Applejack, "Maybe you should learn that I was born great!" Rainbow then spread her wings and took to the air and shouted as she began gliding centimeters over Applejack's head, "See?! Can you fly, bitch?!"

"That's it!!" Applejack screamed, leaping up and tackling Rainbow out of the air. They skidded across the ground, but soon got back to their feet. Rainbow tried to take flight again, but Applejack shouted, "OH, NO, YOU DON'T!!" and grabbed her by the hair, causing Rainbow to scream out in pain.

The two girls tugged, punched, kicked, and bit each other until they crossed the finish line. They then collapsed to the ground, raising their fists to strike each other again; however, they became still when they heard the voice of Pinkie shout a few meters away from them, "YOU DID IT!! YOU BOTH DID IT!!"

"Did what?" Applejack and Rainbow said together.

"You two tied for second place!" Pinkie cried. "This is soooo great! I can't believe it! You two really are the best athletes in Avalon! Well, aside from Twilight, of course...."

Both girls' eyes widened with shock. "Twilight?!" they shouted together.

"Yep," they heard Twilight say from beside them. They turned to see her smiling down at them, a golden medal around her neck.

"B-but- how did you do it, Twi?!" Rainbow said, standing up and nursing a bloody nose Applejack had given her. "You've never trained a day in your life!"

"That's true," Twilight replied. She folded her arms and smirked as she continued, "However, do you remember? Half of Olympus's streets are staircases. You can't live there without building a little endurance."

Applejack stood, as well, then she and Rainbow stared astonishedly at Twilight for a few moments.

"Now, which of you two would like the silver medal?" Mayor Meyer said, holding up a silver medal and a bronze medal. "I don't have two, I'm afraid...."

Rainbow gazed at her for a moment, then bowed her head ashamedly as she said, "Y'know... you should give it to Applejack. I mean, I sabotaged her race so that she couldn't beat me...."

Applejack blinked astonishedly at Rainbow. "You- you mean it?" she said.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Applejack was silent for a few moments, then smiled. "Well, if that's the case, Ah don't deserve the medal either," she said. She turned to Mayor Meyer as she said, "Ah actually cut through the forest to catch back up with her."

Mayor Meyer nodded as Rainbow turned surprisedly to Applejack. "Very well," Meyer said. "In that case, the both of you are disqualified."

Rainbow gazed at Applejack for a few moments, then broke into a smile. "That... that was really cool of you, AJ," she said.

Applejack smiled back. "It ain't any more cooler'n what ya'll did," she replied.

"Can we all just be friends again?" Pinkie Pie said with a sad frown. "All this rivalry and competing is stupid. Why can't we just say that the both of you are great athletes?"

"Pinkie's right," Twilight said. She smiled as she added, "You two didn't prove anything here, anyway. I know that both of are are far better athletes than I'll ever be, and yet I was able to beat you at this particular event. But that doesn't make either of you any less amazing."

After a few moments, Rainbow nodded in agreement. "Y-yeah...." she said. "You're right, Twi. AJ and I are equally awesome."

"I concur, partner," Applejack said, turning to her. Her eyes (one of them black) softened with a gentle smile as she offered Rainbow her hand. "Friends?" she said.

Grinning, Rainbow took Applejack's hand. "Friends," she agreed.

The two of them embraced, then Rainbow pulled back and held her nose again as she said, "Sorry I got blood on your shirt."

"Don't worry about it," Applejack said with a dismissive wave. "It's my fault it's bleedin', anyway."

Twilight gave Rainbow a handkerchief, which Rainbow held to her nose until it stopped bleeding. She then stuffed some balled-up tissue paper in her nostrils, then stood, turned to Applejack, and said, "Wanna get some cider at the Sugar Shack? I'll pay."

Applejack nodded. "Race ya there," she said.

Rainbow nodded. "You've got it," she replied.

And so the two girls began running again, though neither cared which of them won anymore.

I-XXV. The Grand Galloping Gala

The Golden Oak Library's grandfather clock rang, waking Twilight and Spike for the morning.

Twilight grinned, then sat up; as she did so, she felt her volume of The Complete Plays and Poems of Ellen Nevermore slide down her chest and into her lap. Surprised for a moment, Twilight looked down at it, then giggled.

The Grand Galloping Gala was tonight. Twilight could not have been more excited for it; she was so excited, in fact, that she had had difficulty sleeping the previous night, and so she had read her favorite recreational book until she was distracted enough to fall asleep.

For the first time since coming to Avalon, Twilight was going to return to her home at Camelot. She was going to see Shining, Cadance, Celestia, and her parents again for the first time since the summer began. But above all, Twilight was anxious to properly meet Luna; their previous encounters had been... unconventional, to say the least. But they were friends now, though they didn't yet know each other terribly well. Twilight wanted desperately to remedy this, especially since Luna was said to not only be surpassed in power only by Celestia and Discord, but that they were her only intellectual superiors, as well. Twilight wished desperately to strengthen her bond with the newly-freed Princess so that the two of them could begin philosophical correspondence like Twilight shared with Celestia and Cadance.

Twilight was filled with pure delight; she was a close friend with two beautiful, brilliant Goddesses already, but now she was posed to become just as close with yet another one. Twilight had found friendships to be far more rewarding than she'd previously thought she would, and so now she was anxious to make up her lost time with the best friends she could possibly find.

"What's the plan today, Twi?" Spike said. Since the last day of summer was recognized as a holiday throughout all of the world, the two of them didn't have work that day. Celestia had also given Twilight explicit permission to take a break from studying cults for the day, and so the day was a completely open book full of possibilities to them.

Twilight shrugged, continuing to grin. "I guess we can just relax and enjoy ourselves however we like," she said. "I have an idea: why don't we get ready, then go to Frappe's for breakfast, and then we'll figure it out from there?"

Spike grinned back. "Sounds good to me."

Once the young Elves had bathed, gotten dressed, brushed their teeth, and tidied up their hair, they went to the town square, where they had a breakfast of coffee and croissants before going to the Sugar Shack to see their friends. As they thought, they found Pinkie serving sundaes to the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the rest of their friends over the glass front counter as she cheerfully conversed with them.

Pinkie immediately greeted Twilight and Spike upon seeing them; "Hi, Twilight! Hi, Spike!" she cried.

"Good morning, Pinkie," Twilight replied as she took a seat beside Rainbow. Since all of the bar stools were now filled, Spike stood at the counter's side with the Crusaders.

"Are you guys excited for the Gala?" Sweetie Belle said, gazing at the older girls with great anticipation.

"Oh, yes, I'm very excited," Fluttershy replied softly. She closed her eyes and smiled as she added, "Princess Celestia is going to be allowing her guests into her private garden, and I'll be able to meet and make friends with all the rare creatures in there."

"It's gonna be a blast!" Pinkie shouted into the air. "It's one of the biggest parties of the year! There's going to be so much delicious food there, so many pretty Beings there- it's gonna be the most funnerific thing ever!"

"Are you excited too, Rainbow?" Scootaloo asked. "I mean, the Gala's a pretty high-class party...."

"True," Rainbow replied. "The Wonderbolts are going to be there, though. There's no way in Tartarus I'm gonna pass that up."

"Applejack's gonna sell apple treats for our family!" Apple Bloom said. "She should rake in a whole mountain of gold while she's there! Ah know that Ah'd pay anything for a slice of her apple pie!"

Applejack chuckled, grinned with flattery, and ruffled Apple Bloom's hair.

"Y'know, Twilight," Rainbow muttered, "I can get why Rarity wants to go so badly; after all, she's hoping to score a prince. Ballroom dances seem to be her thing anyway. But haven't you been to the Gala before?"

Twilight nodded. "I have," she replied.

Rainbow raised a brow as she queried, "So why are you so excited for it?"

Twilight grinned as she replied, "I've never really been able to talk to Princess Luna until tonight. I really, really want to get to know her, and the Gala will give me a great opportunity to. I'd like to deepen our friendship. I'll also get to see the other Princesses and my family again, so I'm really excited for that, too."

Rainbow nodded. "Alright," she said.

Rarity gleefully smiled as she said, "It seems that the Gala is destined to be the best night ever for all of us!"

The girls killed the hours until the early afternoon by idly conversing with each other and excitedly discussing their plans for the night. A little after noon, however, they temporarily adjourned their meeting to return to their homes and retrieve their pajamas and toiletries for their overnight stay at Olympus. Twilight also made sure to get her chessboard, her Ellen Nevermore collection, and a couple Daring Do volumes so that she'd be able to occupy herself during the train rides.

Spike and the girls then went to the Carousel Boutique to collect their ball ensembles. Rarity commanded them all to be extremely careful with their outfits as she removed them from their mannequins and slid them into wire hangers. They all promised to do so, then took their outfits and walked with them to the train station together.

Once they were on the train, they hung up their ensembles and stored their travel bags in their storage compartments above their seats before the excited conversation resumed; all of them enthusiastically recounted their fantasies and anticipations of the night before them.

"This night is going to be simply divine!" Rarity cried. "Assuming I can get the attention of and impress Prince Blueblood, I'm going to have the most romantic evening of all time!"

Rainbow smirked and leered at Rarity. "So, do you plan on... *ahem*, accompanying the prince to his sleeping quarters when you retire for the night?"

Rarity smirked back. "Well, of course, Darling!" she cried. "No Elvish ball is complete without ending it with a companion for the night at your arm! And besides; Blueblood is one of the most handsome, charming mortal men in the entire world! Why, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to have him as a bedmate for the world!"

Rainbow snickered. "He's a lucky dude, then. Man, I wish you were into girls, Rare. Word on the street is that you're insanely good in bed. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'd have the most mind-blowingly amazing sex ever."

"You're too kind, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied, tossing her hair and smiling with flattery.

"I'm going to the restroom," said Spike, whose face was beaming with an enormously wide grin and a deep red blush flushing across his cheeks and nose. He hopped down from his chair and walked down the aisle to the train's restrooms, calling back to the girls, "I'll be a while. Don't wait up!"

Rarity giggled, and Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes. Rainbow added, "Y'know, the world had better get ready for when that kid turns fifteen. He's gonna be such a massive ladykiller; he has the face, he has the manners, and he has the attitude."

Pinkie frowned with confusion. "Wait- do you like Spike, Dashie?" she said.

Rainbow shook her head. "No, but that doesn't mean I don't know a good-looking guy when I see one," she said.

"Ohhhhh," Pinkie said, nodding. She then smiled as she added, "Well, you're right. He is a cute boy."

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight cried, rolling her eyes with disbelief. She sighed exasperatedly before continuing, "The way you're all going on about my apprentice makes me wonder if we're all the girls vying for his attention in a harem manga!"

Pinkie gazed at Twilight for a moment, then shrugged. "What's wrong with that?" she said. "He is a really cute boy." She beamed as she added, "I actually wouldn't mind at all if we were Spike's harem!"

"Nor would I," Rarity interjected with a chuckle. "I daresay you're right, Pinkie; Spike is already an adorable little gent, and I have no doubt he's going to become even more of a looker as he ages. I, for one, am quite glad that I've befriended him at this early age; I now have my foot firmly in the door for when he's blossomed into a gorgeous young man!"

Twilight rolled her eyes again, groaning. Well, I'll give Spike credit for one thing, she thought to herself. I don't know of any other boy that can go off to pleasure himself while thinking about his female friends, and then have those same female friends remark only that they wish he were using them instead of his palms!

Twilight sighed wearily, then began setting up her chessboard for Spike's return; she, for one, had heard enough of this, and was determined to keep herself and Spike occupied with something else when he came back.

Twilight played chess with Spike when he returned, and the others resumed their conversations. They were thus kept occupied until the train was weaving up the mountainside of Olympus and they were about half an hour away from the Olympian Train Station, when they all retired to the train's dressing rooms to change clothes and get ready for the night.

Spike, of course, had changed and gotten ready far earlier than any of the girls; all he had to do was put on his suit, tie his bow tie around his collar, and comb down his hair. He then put on his top hat, slid on his white dress gloves, and tied the black, polished oxford shoes he'd purchased especially for that night onto his feet.

Once Spike exited his dressing room, the train was only a few minutes away from pulling into the station. He waited patiently for the girls at their booth; however, as the train was beginning to slow down, Spike heard Twilight's voice from the passenger car's door say, "Hey, Spike."

Spike looked up, then gasped.

All six of his friends were in their Gala gowns, and they all looked devastatingly beautiful. Not only were their lovely figures perfectly complimented by Rarity's masterfully-designed ensembles, but they also all had their hair formally done up; Rainbow's was in an elaborate, elegant ponytail, Applejack's hair was loosely braided over her shoulder, and the rest of the girls had their hair up in buns. They also all had makeup on (even Rainbow and Applejack- though the amount on their faces were minimal), which only made them even more stunning. Spike's breath was especially taken away by Twilight; she had a light dusting of glitter on her shoulders and the bridge of her nose, making her truly as magnificent as the stars themselves.

"Wow," Spike whispered, his eyes wide and enraptured. His lips formed a soft smile. "You all look... amazing," he said.

The girls all grinned back at him. "Thank you, Spike," Twilight replied, nodding at him.

The train shuddered to a halt, then the conductors began crying, "All off for Olympus! All of for Olympus!"

Twilight exhaled sharply. "Alright, then. Let's bring our bags out then, shall we?" she said cheerfully.

And so Twilight and her friends all pulled their bags down from their storage compartments, exited the train, and made their way to the edge of the station.

Once they were at the curb of one of Olympus's streets, Spike and the girls hailed a taxi carriage. They piled their luggage onto it, then instructed the driver to take them to Camelot Castle.

They were all relatively quiet as they made their way to the Gala; they were admiring the bright, beautiful lights of the city, which were glowing in every color imaginable behind the buildings' wide, shining windows. The night was still quite young, and so a purple tinge remained in the sky from the sun's recent setting. It was a perfect night for a ball.

Once they were at the castle Camelot, they stepped out with even greater awe; every inch of the elegant, white fortress's walls, trees, and towers were lit by glowing colored lanterns. The lustrous radiance of Camelot was further emphasized by a cluster of fireworks suddenly exploding behind it, shedding even more light over it. Hundreds of Beings, all dressed in the very finest of formal attire, were making their way to the entrance, where two guards in full ceremonial dress were standing sentinel at its sides.

The girls and Spike instructed the cabbie to have their luggage delivered to their rooms (as Celestia had invited them to stay in the castle); once the carriage had been driven off, Twilight said, "Alright, everyone. Let's go in and have the best night ever!"

They all cheered, then began strolling to the castle. Pinkie skipped far ahead of them, however, as she began singing,

"Oh, I'm at the Grand Gala,
For it is the best party,
But the one thing it was missing
Was a girl that's named Pinkie!

For I am the best at parties;
All the Beings will agree!
Beings playing, Beings dancing,
Here at the Grand Galaaaaaaa!"

They all shared a merry laugh, then followed Pinkie into the castle.

"I've got so much to show you guys!" Spike cried enthusiastically as they stepped past the threshold of the castle's front gates. "Rarity- I can show you the stained glass windows in Celestia's throne room! Have you ever seen them? They're just amazing, and Princess Celestia made them all herself! Oh- and Pinkie, once we're done with the Gala, I need to buy you some donuts from Donut Joe's! They're the best donuts you've ever tasted!"

Pinkie grinned. "Oh, I'd love to, Spike!" she cried. "The biggest, most funnerific party ever, and then a box of delicious donuts! Could this night get any better?!"

Rarity nodded. "I look forward to it," she said.

"Well, I'm gonna go try to find the Wonderbolts," Rainbow said, turning sharply off and offhandedly waving to her friends. "We'll regroup when the party's over, alright?"

"Alright- bye, Rainbow!" Twilight shouted after her.

"Um... if you don't mind, I think that I'm going to go visit that private garden that Celestia has," Fluttershy quietly interjected. "Would you mind telling me where it is, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded. "Of course," she replied. She pointed at the lushly carpeted grand staircase a dozen meters away from them and said, "It's on the second floor, in the greenhouse at the very end of the right hall. You can't miss it."

Fluttershy nodded, smiling gratefully. "Alright," she said. "Thank you, Twilight."

Fluttershy began making her way to the stairs. Applejack then piped up, "Er... Twi, where do ya reckon Ah register to sell my wares?"

"Just ask one of the waiters; they'll tell you where to go," Twilight replied.

Applejack nodded. "Right," she said. "And, um... which number was my room again?"

Spike pulled Applejack's gala ticket from his pant pocket, then read the inscription aloud: "Room thirty-two on the second floor."

Applejack nodded. "Thanks, Spike," she said, taking her ticket. She then made her way towards the stairs, as well, calling back to her friends, "Well, Ah'm goin' to get my supplies and set up shop. Ah'll see ya'll later!"

Twilight sighed. "Well, I guess it's just us then, huh, Pin-?" she began, but when she turned to where Pinkie had been at her side, she had disappeared. Twilight heard her a bit farther ahead, however, and turned forward to see Pinkie skipping away, singing, "La la la, la la la...."

Twilight shook her head. She then smiled at Rarity as she said, "So... just you, me, and Spike then, eh, Rare?"

Rarity nodded. "Of course, Darling," she said, smiling back.

Spike was grinning, as well. He would have liked to spend the evening with all of his friends, but they'd have time to be together later. Besides, he still had Rarity and Twilight with him; having his two favorite girls around was satisfying enough.

Twilight and her two remaining friends made their way to the ballroom, where they found many Beings elegantly waltzing on the dance floor or idly chatting along the walls and windows while sipping from cocktail glasses of ladled punch, all to the accompaniment of the Royal Olympian Symphonic Orchestra, which was being conducted by the renowned composer Wolf Gang and led by the world-famous cellist Octavia Melody.

It didn't take long for Twilight to locate the Princesses and her family; they were among the cluster of high-ranking Olympian nobles standing near the orchestra, who were currently discussing the recent hiring of a new president of the Bank of Olympus by Fancy Pants, a cousin of Twilight (on her mother's side) who was another Duke of Olympus, the most important Olympian noble who wasn't in the Royal Court, and the owner of the bank.

Twilight politely made her way through the other nobles until she found the Princesses, her brother, and her parents. She gasped in amazement upon seeing the Princesses; all three were in elegant, tight, woven silken evening gowns that were identical in design but varied in fabric color. Celestia's was white with golden and pink tinges; Luna's was blue with black and purple tinges; and Cadance's was peach with purple and pink tinges. All three Goddesses were beautiful beyond all imagining, and Twilight found herself deeply flushing at the mere sight of them. She could have gazed at them forever; they were the very image of the apotheosis of beauty.

The Princesses' identically-designed dresses also caused Twilight to notice how similar the Goddesses themselves looked, however. Twilight raised a brow with curiosity as she observed that aside from their skin tones, eye colors, sizes, and hairstyles, Celestia and Luna might as well have been identical twins, as their likenesses otherwise perfectly mirrored each other. Cadance's resemblance to Luna was even more uncanny; when Cadance was just a little older, she and Luna would be completely indistinguishable from identical twin sisters, and it would be impossible to tell which was elder by their appearances alone.

Twilight's pondering was interrupted, however, when Rarity caught sight of Prince Blueblood. Rarity gasped in delight; Prince Blueblood was even more handsome than he'd looked in the photographs Rarity had seen. He was a tall, sturdily-built young Elvish man with long, blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a complexion as fair as Rarity's. He was wearing a very fine white three-piece suit with a navy blue bowtie, a pair of dark gray dress shoes, and a pair of white dress gloves that concealed his Mark. Upon hearing Rarity gasp, Prince Blueblood turned to gaze back at her, then made a small smile.

Rarity blushed, held her hand to her mouth, and lightly giggled. She then cleared her throat, stepped forward, and said, "Good evening, Your Majesty," while performing a curtsy before him.

Prince Blueblood placed his hand over his chest and bowed back, replying, "Good evening, my lady. Might I ask your name?"

"Rarity," Rarity responded softly.

The two's conversation drew the attention of Celestia, who turned to them and said with surprise, "Oh! It's Rarity, isn't it?"

"Yes, Princess," Rarity replied, curtsying again. "It's an honor to meet you again."

"Same," Celestia replied, smiling brightly. She then looked around until her eyes fell upon Twilight, which caused her to light up as she said, "Oh- Twilight! I'm so glad you came."

The other Goddesses turned to Twilight, as well. Luna softly smiled while Cadance gasped, then Cadance turned away and shouted, "Shining! Twilight's here!"

Shining Armor promptly strode to them. He was in full military dress tonight, though he wasn't wearing his beret (as that was only supposed to be worn when one was acting as an officer). In Twilight's opinion, Shining far surpassed every other male in the room, including Prince Blueblood, in his sheer handsomeness.

Upon seeing Twilight, Shining's face broke into a wide smile as he cried elatedly, "Twily! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I've missed you so much, Shining," Twilight replied. Shining opened his arms, inviting Twilight to embrace him, which is exactly what she did.

While Twilight was catching back up with her brother, Celestia gave Spike a warm hug as she quietly said, "It's wonderful to see you again, Spike."

"Thanks, Princess," Spike replied, hugging her back.

After everyone had exchanged hugs and greetings (except for Luna, who was unaccustomed to contemporary social norms), Twilight began describing to Cadance and Shining in great detail how life had been since she had moved to Avalon. Spike looked around for Rarity as Twilight chatted with her brother and former mentor, but when he found her, she was heading into the courtyard garden as she held Blueblood's arm. Spike sighed, realizing that all of his friends were now occupied, and he found himself at a loss of what to do without them.

In the meantime, Applejack was bringing a large, heavy suitcase into the ballroom, which she swiftly and expertly opened and unfolded until she had a full-fledged food stand. All she needed now were those crates of goods she'd ordered from an Apple family product warehouse in Olympus, and then she'd be ready to go.

"They'll be here in only a little more 'n twenty minutes, Ah hope," Applejack observed as she began writing the menu of the items she planned to sell on a chalkboard, which she then hung on a nail at the stand's front.

At the same time, Fluttershy was making her way through the large greenhouse on the side of Camelot's walls; she was stunned at how beautiful it was, especially since all of the flowers of the trees had become fruits, due to it being the end of the summer. She treaded carefully, holding up her skirt so that she wouldn't damage it, as she looked around for the rare creatures that Celestia kept here.

"Hello?" Fluttershy called out softly. "Is anyone out tonight? You don't need to be afraid."

Fluttershy then heard a bird begin tweeting, then made her way to the direction she'd heard it from. Soon enough, she saw that the tweeting had come from a Sapphire Hummingbird, which shimmered like crystal and made pretty little chick-like cheeps as it buzzed through the air.

"Hello, little one!" Fluttershy said elatedly. After drinking some juice from a fat, juicy red berry, the hummingbird flew off to return to its nest. Fluttershy giggled, then began walking after it.

At the same time, Rainbow Dash was searching for the Wonderbolts among the Beings that filled all of Camelot's halls. Her search was rather long, and she asked several other Beings if they knew where they were. Most didn't; however, one helpful Human man pointed her in the direction of the castle's roof, where he said he'd seen some Beings, including the Wonderbolts, watching the fireworks display. Rainbow thanked him, then headed up the castle's many flights of stairs until she reached the roof.

Indeed, once she was underneath the wide, starry night sky again, Rainbow was able to immediately identify the Wonderbolts; a cluster of several Angels, all with large and very muscular wings and clothed in pantsuits or tuxedos, were leaning against a bannister as they watched the fireworks being launched by some other Angels from some distant clouds. She could even immediately recognize some individual Wonderbolts based on their hair colors, though she was only seeing them from their backs; at the center was Soarin, the team's blue-haired second-in-command; to his left was Blaze, his short-haired, small, redheaded girlfriend; and to his right was Spitfire, the captain of the team. True to her name, Spitfire's hair was colored and styled like fire, and Rainbow recognized her better than any of the other team members; not only was Spitfire good friends with Rainbow Dash's father, she was also the former director of the Asgard Flight Camp, and so had been Rainbow's flight teacher.

"Hey there, Miss Spitfire!" Rainbow called out, waving energetically.

Spitfire turned around, then said surprisedly, "Oh!" She then smiled and said, "Hello, Rainbow Dash. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Rainbow agreed, laughing.

"You've gotten a lot bigger since I last saw ya, kid," Spitfire added with a smirk. "I must also say I'm quite impressed that you've gotten the world record for flight speed. You got that when you were fourteen, didn't you?"

"You bet I did!" Rainbow replied, jabbing her thumb at her chest and flapping her wings as she grinned proudly.

Spitfire chuckled. "So, are you still interested in joining the Wonderbolts?" she said. "You must be quite good an maneuvering and pulling stunts at this point."

"Y-yeah..." Rainbow said, looking away as her voice betrayed a tinge of nervousness. "My routines are still a bit rusty, though... I don't think I'm gonna be ready to try out this year...."

Spitfire shrugged. "Well, there's always next year, right?" she said.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"So anyway," Spitfire said, turning around so she was laying back against the bannister, "tell me what life in Avalon has been like for you."

Rainbow grinned. "Awesome, actually. I've been able to make a lot of friends, and it's really nice and relaxing."

Spitfire smiled warmly. "I'm glad to hear that, Dash," she said. "It's good to know that you're happy now."

Pinkie was dancing in place, tightly holding in an enormous squeal of excitement at everything she saw. "Ooh, this is so exciting!" she cried. "The sparkling dance floor, the pretty partiers, the pretty music- oh, it's everything I've ever dreamed!"

Pinkie began skipping, cartwheeling, leaping, and cheering as she sang,

"I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala
I'm at the Grand Galloping Gala
I'm at the Grand Galloping Ga-a-la
And it's all I've ever dreamed!
It's all I've ever dreamed, yippee!
It's all I've ever dreamed, whopee!"

The then held two other Beings to her side as she began to raise her pitch; "I'm at the Grand Galloping Ga-la-a-a-A-AAAAA!!"

However, all of the room around her immediately fell silent, then the Beings Pinkie had been holding angrily shrugged her off, shooting her dirty looks as they began walking away. As she felt all of the other Beings' frowning stares, Pinkie shrunk under them as she quietly said, "And it's all I've ever... dreamed?"

At the other side of the ballroom, Twilight and the Princesses gazed out at the ballroom for a moment before Twilight blushed and looked down, embarrassed. "I'm... I'm sorry, Princess...." she muttered to Celestia.

"For what?" Celestia said.

"Um... Pinkie's being a little...." Twilight began.

However, Celestia chuckled before saying, "Don't worry; she's fine."

"No, Princess, you don't have to-" Twilight said, holding her hands up.

"It really is," Celestia reassured her. "I'm not bothered at all by her. I find her quite entertaining, actually."

Twilight sighed. "Oh, that's good," she said, smiling relievedly. "I was worried you'd be upset...."

"You needn't worry, Dear," Celestia said. However, she then noticed that someone had gone absent as she was conversing with Twilight.

"Where's Spike?" Celestia said, looking around. Twilight heard a tinge of concern in her voice.

"He might've gone to his room to go to bed," Twilight said. "It is getting pretty late, after all. He just came because me and the other girls came, anyway."

Celestia nodded. "I see," she said.

A small, mischievous smile spread over Cadance's lips. "Speaking of bed," she said, before taking Shining's hand and standing on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear. Twilight saw Shining's eyes widen slightly as his face began to flush, then when Cadance had fallen back to her feet, he cleared his throat.

"Um... I think Cadance and I will turn in for the night, too," he said. He gave Twilight one more hug, saying, "Good night, Twily."

After Cadance had hugged Twilight and bid her goodbye, as well, she joined hands with Shining, then the two of them made their way to Cadance's bedchambers together.

Luna chuckled. "Tell me, sister," she said, "how long has Shining been with our niece?"

"Nearly ten years, now," Celestia replied.

"Have they always been so unable to keep their hands off of each other?"

"Of course."

Luna chuckled again. "No doubt she's the Goddess of Love. Even I don't make love as often as they do."

"Uh...." Twilight said, gazing uncomfortably at Luna.

"Hmm?" Luna said, giving a puzzled expression back to Twilight. "What's wrong, fair Twilight?" she said.

Celestia tapped Luna's shoulder. "In modern times," she softly explained, "it is not considered polite to discuss Beings'... intimate lives, particularly to their relatives."

"Oh!" Luna said, blushing lightly. She looked away, clearing her throat. "My apologies, Twilight," she said with genuine remorse.

"It's alright," Twilight said, laughing nervously.

After shaking her head, Twilight said, "How is it to be back, Princess Luna?"

"Just 'Luna,' please," Luna replied, gently smiling. "There's no need for formality between us."

Twilight nodded, beaming.

"I must say that I have quite enjoyed being back on earth so far," Luna said. "It is nothing short of completely exhilarating, though I suppose anything would have been that way, after being sealed for a thousand years-"

Luna was interrupted, however, by a noblewoman, who said to her, "It is an honor to meet you, Princess," as she curtsied to her.

Luna blinked at the noblewoman, then nodded to her. "The honor is mine," she said, holding out her hand.

After the noblewoman kissed Luna's hand and walked away, Luna continued, "So anyway, Celestia hasn't given me any duties yet, as I've been settling in and getting used to all of the changes-"

"Might I have an interview, Princess?" said an Elvish man who was accompanied by a photographer. "I am a columnist at Olympus Vogue."

Luna was silent for a moment. "What is that?" she said confusedly to Celestia.

"It's a magazine, Sister," Celestia replied.

"Oh," Luna said. She then turned back to the columnist and said, "Very well. Ask away."

Twilight watched Luna begin answering questions from the interviewer for a few minutes, then sighed. She hadn't gotten much chance to speak to Luna so far....

Out in the courtyard, Rarity laughed at a joke that Blueblood had told her. "The aristocrats? Oh, Blueblood, you rascal!"

"It's not very ladylike to laugh at it, either," Prince Blueblood replied, smirking at her.

"I suppose you're right," Rarity said, chuckling. "Still, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time...."

"Hey, look at that," Blueblood said, gazing at a rosebush. Rarity looked at it as well, then gasped. One particular rose was beautiful beyond any of the others; it was as red as blood, with a vibrantly green stem and large leaves. There were no flaws, bruises, or tears anywhere on it.

"What a beautiful rose!" Rarity said, her eyes wide and enraptured.

"Indeed," Blueblood said, smiling. A faint, blue glow came from the backs of his gloves as he magically cut the stem, then he levitated the rose to his hand and said, "A flower of such magnificence ought to decorate someone worthy of it."

Blueblood turned to Rarity, and Rarity gasped; she began to reach out, and prepared to thank Blueblood for the gift.

However, Blueblood cut the stem again, then placed it in his lapel. "I think it goes quite nicely with my coat," he said. "Don't you think so, Rarity?"

Rarity stared, stunned, at Blueblood for a few moments, then said, "Y-yes, it does...."

Blueblood grinned. "Very good," he said. "So, shall we get some punch?" he said.

"Y-yes, of course!" Rarity hastily replied.

She took Blueblood's arm again, though she noticed as she walked that the romantic mood that had been between them wasn't quite as strong as before....

In Celestia's private garden, Fluttershy had looked for several minutes for more animals, to no avail. She began softly singing as she strolled through the trees; however, she eventually heard some whistling repeating her melody, then gasped and began following the sound, continuing to sing.

"Hello, little friend-!" she cried as she turned the corner to see the whistling's source. However, it was simply an old Human gardener, who was whistling as he trimmed some hedges.

The gardener gazed at Fluttershy, then smiled warmly and said, "Well, good evenin', miss. Was that you who was singin' just now?"

"Y-yes...." Fluttershy softly replied.

"Well, it was mighty purty," the gardener said. He continued whistling as he continued working.

With a disappointed sigh, Fluttershy began her search for more animals again.

Once Applejack had set up all of the food on her stand, she was delighted to hear Rainbow shout over from across the room, "Hey guys, that's my friend Applejack! You've got to try some of her stuff! It's amazing!"

Applejack looked up to see Rainbow Dash, accompanied by the Wonderbolts, approaching her food stand. "Howdy there, Rainbow Dash!" Applejack cried. "What can I get for ya?"

Rainbow held up all five fingers on her right hand and two on her left as she said, "Get seven apple tarts for me and these guys, here, would ya? I'll pay."

Applejack winked. "Comin' right up!" she said. She promptly served seven apple tarts to Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts, who all ate them, praised them as being delicious, and warmly thanked Applejack for them.

Once they had all gone, Applejack whooped and cheered, "Yeeee-haw! Fourteen gold pieces already! Why, at this rate, Ah'm gonna have a small fortune by the end of the night!"

However, as the night drew on, Applejack found that nobody else approached her dessert cart. It was a little after midnight when she groaned and wondered aloud, "What am Ah doin' wrong...?"

As they were finishing their apple tarts, the Wonderbolts returned to the seats they'd reserved for the evening. Rainbow, however, was shocked to see someone sitting in one of the chairs:

It was Lightning Dust, her former friend from Flight Camp.

Lightning Dust was only a little larger than Rainbow, and her hair was short and slicked back. Her hair and eyes were both golden, and she was the only Wonderbolt wearing a dress: a tight, mint-colored ballgown.

Once Lightning Dust's gaze met Rainbow's, she gasped before glaring and saying, "You-!"

"What're you doing here?!" Rainbow said, glaring back and pointing at her.

Lightning Dust smirked. "Didn't you hear?" she said mockingly. "I'm a Wonderbolt now, duh. I see that you still aren't."

Rainbow growled. "And I suppose that you haven't come out yet?" she said with icy softness.

Lighting Dust sneered. "That's none of your business," she said.

"You're a fucking traitor," Rainbow muttered. "Maybe I should tell the whole world that you're a lesbian, too, right now."

"No one's gonna believe you," Lightning Dust said with a smirk. She picked up a glass of wine as she jerked her head toward one of the younger male Wonderbolts. "See that guy there? That's Thunderclap. He's another new recruit, and he's also my boyfriend now."

"It can't be that fun to let him pound you," Rainbow said. She added with a nasty grin, "How do you deal with it? Do you pretend that his dick is my tongue?"

"You should get over yourself," Lightning Dust spat.

Rainbow scoffed. "More likely, you're cheating with other girls all the time," she muttered. "Perhaps I should suggest that to him?"

"If you even think about saying a word to anyone," Lighting growled dangerously, "I'm going to open your throat while you're sleeping."

Rainbow and Lightning stared each other down for a few moments, then Rainbow turned away and spat, "Fine. While you're out there blowing some dude, I'm gonna go out and get some pussy."

"Maybe you'll role play being a Wonderbolt while you're eating her out, then," Lightning replied with a cruel laugh.

Shooting her another glare, Rainbow sullenly walked away.

Though all of the girls' spirits were now very low, after brooding for a few minutes, they all simultaneously decided: no. This was not how the night was going to end. No matter what bumps came along the way, they were all going to do whatever it took to have the best night ever.

I-XXVI. The Best Night Ever

Pinkie was slumped over a table, resting her chin over her folded arms. She looked around at the other Beings, who were idly chatting or elegantly dancing, and let out a long, wistful sigh. "This isn't as fun as I'd hoped it would be...." Pinkie muttered. She buried her face in her arms for a moment before looking up at the ceiling and whining, "Why doesn't anybody here know how to have fun?"

Pinkie looked around again, then gasped and smiled as an idea came to her. "I know!" she cried. "I'll show them how to have fun!"

Pinkie stood, ran to the orchestra, and waited for them to finish the song they were currently on. Once they did, Pinkie lightly tapped the shoulder of the conductor Wolf Gang, causing him to turn to her. "Excuse me, Mr. Gang," Pinkie said, fluttering her eyes, "but would you mind taking a request for me?"

Octavia Melody, a rather plain young Human woman with dark gray hair, frowned angrily at Pinkie. "You most certainly may not make a request," she said. "The High Princess has already given us a schedule of pieces to play."

Pinkie nodded, then ran off towards Celestia, who was still answering Luna's questions as Luna interacted with the Olympian nobles, who were just as anxious to meet her as they had been at the start of the party. Twilight stood next to Celestia, fidgeting frustratedly and seeming desperate to get some time alone with Luna.

"Princess Celestia!" Pinkie cried, waving as she stepped up to them.

Celestia turned to her, softly smiled, and said, "Oh! Hello, Pinkie."

"Princess," Pinkie said, bowing her head deferentially to her, "may I make a request from the orchestra?"

Celestia raised a brow curiously. "What do you want to request?" she said.

"I'd like for them to play the Hokey Pokey!" Pinkie cried, jumping in place with excitement.

After gazing astonishedly at Pinkie for a moment, Celestia grinned as she replied, "Yes! That's a wonderful idea!"

"W-what...?!" Twilight said, giving a stunned gaze to Celestia. "Really?!"

"Of course," Celestia replied cheerfully as Pinkie squealed with excitement and ran back to the orchestra. "I think this party could use a little livening up."

Once Pinkie had reached the orchestra again, she waited until they completed their current song again before she shouted excitedly, "Princess Celestia says that I can make my request!"

"R-really...?!" Octavia stuttered, looking up towards Celestia. Celestia was smiling at her, nonverbally assuring her that Pinkie spoke true.

Sighing, Octavia said flatly, "What would you like us to play?"

"The Hokey Pokey!" Pinkie cried, excitedly jumping in place.

Octavia's eyes widened. "W-what?!" she cried disbelievingly. "Surely you can't be serious!" she said, looking desperately up towards Celestia again.

"I am serious!" Pinkie replied. "And my name isn't Shirley; it's Pinkie Pie!"

Octavia gazed distressedly at Pinkie for a few more moments, then lightly groaned as she muttered, "Alright, everyone... next is..." here she sighed, "the Hokey Pokey at a hundred thirty beats per minute in the key of B flat...."

The orchestra reluctantly began playing Pinkie's requested piece, and all of the partygoers abruptly ended their conversations to gaze astonishedly at Pinkie as she began dancing and singing,

"You put your left foot in, you take your left foot out
You put your left foot in and you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey and you give a little shout
That's what it's all about!"

Twilight continued to stare bewilderedly at Pinkie for a few moments, then turned back to Luna, who was wrapping up a conversation with another noble.

Once Luna concluded, "... wish you well on your homestead investment," the lady she was talking to nodded before walking off, leaving Luna alone with Celestia and Twilight again. Luna made a quiet groan once the noblewoman was out of earshot.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Twilight said concernedly to her.

"I like to have peace and quiet," Luna muttered. "I am the Goddess of the Night, after all. These nobles look down on your friends, and yet their manners are no better; can they not see that I wish to have time alone with my sister and her apprentice?!"

Twilight stared astonishedly at Luna. "R-really?" she said. "You do?"

"Of course," Luna replied wearily. "Dear Sister, what has happened?" she said to Celestia. "I thought festivals were supposed to be fun and energetic! I remember how a thousand years ago, knights would joust while we watched them and feasted upon honeyed roasted hogs!"

"But... I thought you said you wanted peace and quiet?" Twilight said confusedly.

"That's true," Luna replied. "However, I love festivals, as well. If you're going to disturb me from my reading and meditations, you'd better damn well provide me a spectacular night to make up for it."

Luna groaned exasperatedly. She walked towards one of the castle's exits, and Celestia and Twilight glanced at each other before following her. Luna led them to a balcony, where she pushed open the doors before striding to the bannister and leaning against it. "This is so boring!" she cried as Celestia and Twilight shut the doors behind themselves again. "All anyone does is make small talk and delicately eat small foods from silver platters! Does anyone know how to celebrate properly anymore?!"

"I agree," Celestia said. "Parties ought to be enjoyable and lively affairs."

"Well, what do you want to do, Luna?" Twilight said, her eyes widening hopefully.

Luna deeply exhaled as she gazed out onto the castle gardens. They were underneath a clear, shining night sky, and so everything before them was well-lit. There was a river running through the statues, flowerbeds, and trees scattered throughout the gardens, fed by a massive fountain in the castle's side that perpetually pumped up water from a great reservoir beneath Mt. Olympus. Luna smiled after a few moments, then pointed at the river.

"It used to be," Luna said, "that during festivals, young peasants would strip, bathe, and mate in the rivers."

Twilight blushed intensely. "M-mate...?" she stuttered.

Luna nodded, chuckling lightly. "It was always a delight to watch the mortals' trysts. If I saw a particularly handsome Being among them, I would invite them to share my bed. If I saw several, I'd fly down and join in, myself."

Twilight was intensely flushing, gaping, and staring at Luna with tremendous shock. Of course, she'd known that festivals of the olden times were... not as inhibited as those of the modern era, but she'd still never imagined that Luna, the Princess of Equestria, would have been such an enthusiastic participant in their more sensual aspects, much less that she would be longing for them.

"Well," Celestia said, "I'm sorry to say that such things don't occur at formal celebrations any longer, Luna. However, echoes of that tradition still resonate today; if you like, you can go and find someone to warm your bed tonight."

Luna turned surprisedly to Celestia. "Really?" she said.

Celestia nodded, smiling softly.

"But- didn't you say unsolicited sexual invitations were frowned upon now?" Luna said, puzzled.

"There is a general exception for parties," Celestia replied. "It's considered to be a legitimate part of the celebrations. Just be sure that you take your companion to your chambers first, alright?"

Luna nodded, then grinned. Her eyes narrowed, and Twilight thought that she could see Luna's eyes dart in her direction for a moment. Twilight began lightly blushing again, and Celestia added, "Also, don't make advances on anyone if it's unclear whether they are looking for the same thing."

Luna seemed slightly disappointed, but nodded. "Very well," she said. She stood up, then made her way back to the balcony's doors. She stepped through them, leaving Celestia alone with Twilight.

Twilight blinked a few times, still stunned at what had just happened.

"Is something wrong, Twilight?" Celestia asked concernedly.

"I just...." Twilight began. She then turned to Celestia and said, "Were things really that different a thousand years ago?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes," she said. "People were much less puritanical back then. Beings were far more free-spirited."

"Were you?" Twilight said.

Celestia shook her head, then gazed forward. "Not a thousand years ago, no," she said.

Twilight nodded, but her brow furrowed with puzzlement. There was something odd about Celestia's answer.

"Why not?" Twilight said.

Celestia thought for a few moments, deliberating over how to answer, before she replied, "I must be... careful."

"About what?" Twilight said.

Celestia gazed down at Twilight, and Twilight could see a deep melancholy in the Princess's large, sparkling violet eyes. "You need only know this, my student," she said softly. "Only this- at least for now; I am not perfect. Powerful and intelligent, yes, but not perfect. I have made many mistakes, some of them quite great. Any mistake I make could result in far-reaching and unfathomably terrible consequences."

"What do you mean?" Twilight said.

Celestia gazed out into the vast landscapes of Equestria. "I cannot permit myself to show weaknesses," she said. "I cannot afford to be vulnerable, or lenient, or make even the tiniest blunder. I was careless at the beginning of the summer; because of that, a group of mortals was successful in releasing Luna. Luna then captured me, which would never have happened if I had been more alert and on my guard. That tiny mistake nearly cost me, my subjects, and the entire world our freedoms; any more mistakes I make might have even more disastrous results."

Twilight gazed at Celestia for a few moments, and she saw something in Celestia's eyes she had never seen before: a sliver of deep, powerful, and hidden pain; the pain of one who never rests, who can never rest. For the tiniest fraction of a second, Twilight saw the pure agony of carrying the entire world on your shoulders in Celestia's sorrowful eyes.

Before Twilight could ask another question, Celestia answered it; "I wish I could ease some of my burden. I wish that I could remove this weight, and place it on another's shoulders. I wish that I could let go of my duties for the sake of my own inner peace and tranquility. But I cannot. Our world is peaceful at the moment, but that peace is fragile and might be shattered at any moment. If you scratch the surface of our world, dear Twilight, you'll find a hidden, festering heart of darkness that longs at all times to rise to the surface. I must ensure that that never happens."

Twilight and Celestia were silent for a few moments, then Twilight said, "Why... why are you telling me this?"

"Because you deserve to know," Celestia replied. "You may also someday need to know, though I hope you never will."

"What do you mean?"

"If the time comes, you'll know," Celestia replied simply. She was silent for a few more moments, then sighed, smiled softly, and said, "Come- let's go see some of your friends, shall we?"

Fluttershy tied one more knot, then nodded in approval at her work; she had made a simple trap with a wooden box and some string. She then placed the box upside-down over a carrot on a small patch of grass, draped the string over a branch, and hid behind some bushes. She then pulled the string, causing the box to tilt up onto its side. She then sat and waited patiently for some small creature to come for the carrot she'd set as bait.

After about half an hour, Fluttershy saw some movement in the shadows that was going towards the carrot. She gasped, then released the the string, which caused the box to fall back into place.

"Yes!" Fluttershy cried victoriously. She then slowly made her way to the box, whispering gently, "Don't worry, little friend; I just want to meet you!"

However, once Fluttershy was a few meters away from the box, she saw it tilt back up as a tiny monkey lifted it up over its head. Fluttershy's eyes widened, but the monkey soon broke her out of her shock as it set the box back down behind itself and began running towards a tree, holding the carrot in its other hand.

"Wait- stop!" Fluttershy cried, running towards it. However, the monkey panicked, hissed at her, then rapidly scrambled up the tree.

Fluttershy stopped running as soon as the little monkey was out of her reach. She then sighed and sat back down, thinking up another way to catch one of Celestia's animals.

Applejack was tapping her finger against her countertop, gazing anxiously at all of the nobles who strode past her cart. Then, after a few moments, she saw a middle-aged couple making their way towards her.

Applejack gasped excitedly, but then the couple walked right past her; they were going towards a tray of delicate, flakey biscuits, instead of her own cart, as she had thought.

Applejack groaned, then looked up at the clock. It was two forty-six. She didn't have much longer to start selling off her treats.

Growing desperate, Applejack hatched a plan; first, she went back to the cashier and requested that they quadruple the prices of her wares. Then, she returned to her apple cart, where she carefully opened a jar of apple jam before discretely spreading a thin film of it across the floor before her cart.

Sure enough, within minutes, a young nobleman slipped and fell before Applejack's cart. "WAAH!" he shouted as he suddenly fell.

"Are ya'll alright, Sugar?" Applejack said, rushing forward to help him up while trying to hide a smile. Once the nobleman was back up, Applejack said, "Ah'm so sorry about that! Tell ya what: why don't I make you a deal? Buy one of these here wares, and you'll get another one completely free!"

The nobleman sneered down at Applejack's wares, shook his head, then moved on. Once he was out of earshot, Applejack growled in great frustration and anger.

Rarity and Blueblood had reentered the castle proper, and made their way to one of the tables provided for the guests to eat at. Once they had reached it, Blueblood stood behind one of the chairs and pulled it out.

Rarity softly smiled as she placed her hand over her chest and stepped towards the chair. "Tha-" she began, only to see that Blueblood had already taken the seat for himself.

Rarity frowned slightly at Blueblood as he turned to her and said, "Lady Rarity, would you be a dear and get some desserts? I'm famished."

Rarity blinked, then forced a smile as she said, "Why, yes, I most certainly can."

Rarity turned around, and balled her hands into fists and glared at the ground as she made her way to the food stands. Of one thing she was sure: as soon as this date was over, Rarity would not spend a second more with Blueblood.

Rarity found Applejack's cart, then sighed relievedly as she made her way to her. "Hello, Applejack," she said pleasantly.

"Howdy, Rare!" Applejack replied cheerfully. "Careful, there- the floor's slippery."

"Thank you, Applejack," Rarity said.

"How's yer date goin'?" Applejack said.

Rarity forced a wide smile as she replied, "It's going great!"

"That's good," Applejack said.

Rarity cleared her throat. "How much for two apple tarts?" she said.

"Aww, Rarity," Applejack said as she picked two up. "Ya'll don't have to pay; you can have these on the house."

"Really?!" Rarity said surprisedly as she took them. "Are you sure-?"

"Yeah, Ah've got too many anyway," Applejack said. "Ya'll just take those and enjoy your evenin', y'hear?"

Rarity nodded, smiled gratefully, then took the tarts back to Blueblood.

"What's this?" Blueblood said with slight disgust as Rarity placed one of the tarts before him.

"They're apple tarts, Your Highness," Rarity replied, fighting hard to keep her composure.

Blueblood sneered. "Common carnival fare?" he said contemptuously. He looked up and frowned at Rarity. "You expect my royal lips to grace that thing?"

Blueblood scoffed, slid his chair back, then made his way to the food stands himself, adding haughtily, "I'm going to the buffet to get some hors d'oeuvres."

Rarity gazed in offended disbelief after Blueblood for a few moments, then shrugged. "Well, more for me," she said, picking up the second tart before rapidly eating both of them.

While Rainbow was eating and talking with the Wonderbolts, she and Lightning Dust constantly threw passive-aggressive jabs at each other.

"Why would anyone want to leave Asgard?" Lightning said, casting a quick glance at Rainbow. "It's the greatest city in the world."

"Maybe, if you're a coward," Rainbow replied. "How insecure do you have to be to have dick-measuring contests all the time?"

"Funny," Lightning replied, "weren't you the one who competed in five different events at the Olympics last year, Rainbow?"

"Y'know, they've really lowered the bar on who gets to be a Wonderbolt," Rainbow said. "These days, all you have to do is suck a few cocks and they'll let you in...."

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, guess who nailed Horus last month? Tell me again, Dash- who was the last God you scored?"

Rainbow snorted. "Oh yeah, like Horus hasn't fucked every girl in Asgard," she said. "If you really had game, you'd be able to nail a Goddess."

"Maybe I will!" Lightning shouted back, growling.

"Alright then," Rainbow said, smirking. She stood up, then pointed towards Luna, who was flirtatiously talking to a young Elvish man a few meters away. "She's trying to get some," Rainbow said. "Why don't you try your luck with her, Dust?"

Lightning Dust gazed at Luna for a moment, then turned away with a contemptuous, "Hmph! She'd be too easy!"

"Suit yourself," Rainbow said. She stood up, cracked her neck, then said with a smirk, "Watch and learn, Lightning. That Goddess puss is mine."

Rainbow began to walk towards Luna; however, she felt something heavy and wet hit the back of her head. She brought her hand up, picked up a ball of slime that had hit her hair, then held it before her face. It was a ball of phlegm.

Rainbow turned back around, glaring at Lightning Dust, who was idly picking at her teeth with a toothpick.

"That's it," Rainbow muttered in a low growl.

Fluttershy's eye was twitching, her eyes were narrowed, and a wide, manic grin was spread across her face. She lightly chuckled as she finished knotting together a wide, tightly-woven net.

"I'll get you yet, my pretties!" Fluttershy said. "Oh yes. As soon as one of you little birds, or monkeys, or bears touches this net, you'll be mine! MINE!!"

Fluttershy continued giggling as she set up the trap; once she'd finished it, she burst into hysterical, booming laughter. However, she then tripped and fell into the net.

"WHO-OA-!" she cried out surprisedly as the net engulfed her and pulled her into the air. She looked down and around to see that several small animals had gathered beneath her.

Pulling out her surgical scalpel, Fluttershy quickly cut away the ropes holding the net up, causing her to quickly fall back to the earth. The animals scattered away from her, provoking her to frustratedly scream, "COME BACK!!" and begin running after them.

The Gala was quickly devolving into pure chaos; in the dining hall, a brawl had broken out between Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust. The nobles screamed at the guards to break them up, but the guards were afraid to; they could see that both Angel girls were extremely well-trained combatants who could easily critically injure them.

At the same time, in the ballroom, Pinkie was breakdancing in the middle of the floor. The nobles were beginning to panic; they'd angrily told her that the Gala wasn't the kind of party where you did the Hokey Pokey (despite the fact that the party's host had explicitly ordered it).

In response, Pinkie had declared, "So, you guys don't want to party... you want to PAR-TAY!" before turning to the orchestra and crying, "Give me a hip hop beat, please!"

Octavia had looked distressedly up at Celestia, but Celestia made no objections. Gulping, Octavia began plucking at her cello, and the other musicians followed her lead.

Pinkie began with some basic popping and locking, then moved on to acrobatic flips and spins, and was now performing flares and headspins. The vast majority of the onlookers were quite distressed; everything that Pinkie had done, from her spontaneous Hokey Pokey, to her removing her ball slippers and tearing her skirt to allow herself more freedom of movement, to her currently performing a commoners' street style of dance in the middle of the Camelot Ballroom was practically making all of their heads spin.

Meanwhile, Applejack had rolled her cart into the ballroom. Perched on top of the cart was a tall, many-layered, red cake, which Applejack loudly advertised thusly: "How 'bout some cake then?! Is ordinary, simple cake not good-enough for your high and mighty tastes?! Come have some, ya smug-! ... Wait, what's Pinkie do-?"

Rainbow and Lightning, however, had suddenly crashed into the cart. They were grappling while flapping low through the air, and had flown right into Applejack's mobile food stand.

The cake quickly rolled towards Pinkie Pie, who unwittingly kicked it high into the air while performing one of her flares.

Rarity and Blueblood were entering the ballroom just as the cake began to fly. However, when he saw the cake approaching them, Blueblood gasped in panic and pulled Rarity in front of him, using her to shield himself from the cake's path.

The cake splattered all over Rarity.

Rarity snapped.

Rarity spun around, fuming with rage as her entire body burned scarlet. She glared, bared her teeth, and growled at Blueblood so fiercely that everyone watching was afraid that she was about to tear Blueblood's throat out.

Rarity began stalking towards Blueblood, and Blueblood began anxiously backing away from her. "You, Sir, are the most uncharming prince I've EVER MET!!" Rarity roared. "The only thing royal about you is that you are a ROYAL PAIN!!"

"Eww! Stay back! I've just had my hair groomed-!" Blueblood began.

"Afraid to get DIRTY?!" Rarity bellowed.

Rarity then took a chunk of cake in her hand, raised it high into the air, then brought it down and slapped Blueblood across the cheek with it as hard as she could. The blow was so powerful that Blueblood grunted "Oof-!" and spun through the air before landing face first on the ground.

The ballroom was now completely silent, except for Rarity, who was breathing hard with still-remaining barely-contained fury.

"Well, at least things can't get any worse...." Twilight muttered.

Then the doors to the gardens slammed open, and a stampede of animals, both large and small, scrambled inside. Behind them stood Fluttershy, who looked every bit as disheveled and infuriated as Rarity.

Fluttershy looked up, then roared, "You're... going to LOVE MEEEEEE!!"

All of the nobles began panicking, screaming, and running for the exits. Twilight, her friends, and the Princesses, however, silently watched and remained where they were until all of the nobles had left. All that was left now was them, Blueblood (who was still standing back up and stroking his bruising cheek), the orchestra, and the castle guards.

Once the animals had calmed down a bit, one of the guards said, "Erm... Princess? Should we round your animals back up into your garden?"

After a moment, Celestia nodded. "Yes, please," she said.

Nodding, the guards began casting magical barriers to aid them in returning the animals to the garden.

All was silent for a few moments, then they heard Blueblood growl, "How dare you strike the Royal face, you little cu-!"

However, before he could finish, Celestia struck his cheek again. Blueblood looked up astonishedly at Celestia, who glared contemptuously down at him for a moment before pointing to the staircase. "Go wash up," she said.

Blueblood glared at Celestia for a few moments.

"NOW!!" Celestia shouted.

Scoffing, Blueblood made his way to the grand staircases.

Celestia turned to Rarity. "I'm very, very sorry about him..." she said, her voice full of remorse. "My nephew's a bit of a prat, to put it politely."

Rarity blinked surprisedly. "You're... not angry...?" she said quietly.

"Of course not," Celestia replied, shaking her head. "He's been spoiled rotten, and he had it coming to him. I just hope this is the last time he'll need to be put in his place."

Twilight was trembling, and gazing down at the floor. "I'm... I'm...." she said, her voice breaking.

Celestia turned to Twilight. "What's wrong, Twilight?" she said concernedly.

Twilight whimpered as tears fell from her chin to the floor. "This is all my fault...." she said, wiping at her eyes. "I ruined the Gala... I... I made it turn out awful...!"

Twilight sobbed for a moment, looking away from Celestia. "I'm so, so sorry...."

Celestia blinked, then said gently, "Twilight-"

However, Celestia was interrupted by the front doors bursting open again. "Hey, guys!" they heard a familiar voice cry out to them. "What's up?"

They all looked towards the door, and saw Spike walking in. Spike was followed closely by Donut Joe, who was wheeling a cart that was absolutely brimming with all kinds of donuts towards them.

"So, the party's over, huh?" Spike said. "How was it?"

Twilight sobbed again, and Spike looked worriedly at her. "Twilight?" he said. "What's the matter? Are you alright?"

"It turned out just awful!" Twilight cried. "I've ruined everything, Spike! Oh, I should never have come-!"

However, Celestia then suddenly burst into merry laughter, to which all the others stared astonishedly at her. "Oh, Twilight!" she cried cheerfully. "No, you didn't ruin it! Heavens, no! On the contrary, the Gala is always awful, and you and your friends were undoubtedly the best part of it!"

"Wha-? Bu-... Huh...?" Twilight stuttered.

"My sister's right," Luna said, grinning broadly. "She invited you all with the hopes that you'd make it a bit less dull and drab, and you've done exactly that!"

"That was the most fun I've had at a Gala in centuries!" Celestia added, laughing elatedly as she clapped her hands.

The others stared at Celestia and Luna some more, then Spike grinned. "I wish I were here, then," he said. "I guess I missed out!"

Twilight was silent for a few moments, then sniffed, wiped her tears away, and gently smiled as she shook her head. "No.... It's... it's better like this, Spike," she said. She looked up at him, then continued, "We're all together now, and we can all enjoy each other's company. Just like you wanted."

Spike grinned, then ran forward to embrace Twilight.

They all ate donuts, talked, laughed, and danced some more. Twilight and Spike were especially able to impress them at this; Rainbow taunted Twilight that she was the worst dancer she'd ever seen, but Twilight simply replied that Rainbow hadn't seen her ballroom dance. She and Spike then requested a South Arcadian dance piece from the orchestra, to which they performed a very impressive pasodouble together.

Luna then spoke to Rainbow for a few moments, then the two of them went to Luna's bedchambers together. Rarity began speaking to Donut Joe, and all of the others yawned and stretched.

"Gosh, I'm tired," Pinkie said.

"Me too," Twilight replied.

"You all have rooms for the night, yes?" Celestia said pleasantly.

Twilight nodded. "We do. Thank you, Princess," she said.

Celestia and Twilight embraced, then Celestia gave a hug to Spike as well. She then bowed to the rest, saying, "I am honored to have served as your host this evening, and thank you for accepting my invitation."

The rest curtsied and bowed back. "Thank you, Your Highness," they said in unison.

They all then made their way to the bedchambers Celestia had lent them for the night. Twilight and Spike, of course, returned to the neighboring rooms they'd had before moving to Avalon.

After they had bathed and brushed, Twilight and Spike shared one final embrace as they bid each other goodnight. As Twilight climbed into bed, she reflected on the fact that her summer vacation was over now. That was alright, though; in her opinion, this had been the best night ever.

~ END OF BOOK ONE ~

II-I. The Autumn Winds

BOOK TWO

Scootaloo was shaken awake by her father. "Get up, Sweetie," Stephen Magnet said to her with a warm smile. "It's time to get ready for your first day back in school!"

Scootaloo slowly opened her eyes, then yawned and stretched before she sat up. Stephen winked at her as he said, "Get changed and brush your hair, and I'll cook you some hot cereal. Deal?"

Scootaloo grinned; hot cereal was her favorite breakfast. "Alright! Thanks, Dad!" she said.

Stephen lightly chuckled, kissed Scootaloo's forehead, then made his way back out of her room before striding into the kitchen.

Scootaloo threw off her blankets, then turned and got up out of her bed. When her father had gone to sleep the previous night, Scootaloo had had an intense masturbating session and then had gotten into her softest pajamas in order to make her own slumber as deep and restful as it possibly could. She was glad she did; Scootaloo was well-rested and energized, and she felt completely prepared and excited for her first day of third grade.

Scootaloo absolutely adored her Summer vacations, no doubt. However, she looked forward to school beginning almost as much as she looked forward to it ending; she loved learning, she loved her teacher Ms. Cheerilee, and she loved being able to see and play with the Crusaders and all of their other friends on a regular basis (many of the other kids would frequently leave Avalon on vacations with their families over the summer, so she usually didn't see them during that time). Maybe it was because her school environment had been far more hostile and toxic in Asgard, but Scootaloo now enormously looked forward to lunch and recess as highlights of her schooldays; where in Asgard she had been bullied and shunned during break hours, she was now able to talk to her friends over a meal lovingly prepared by her father before playing games in the playground with them, and as a result such times were now filled with exilleration, fun, and laughter.

Scootaloo stood up, stretched with some strained groans, flapped her wings a few times, then gazed at the signed poster of a smirking Rainbow Dash on the wall at the head of her bed. She gazed at this poster whenever she needed inspiration, motivation, or determination; not only was Rainbow Dash her biggest dream, she was also her biggest idol and the greatest personification of everything Scootaloo aspired to be.

Rainbow Dash was beautiful, talented, athletic, and strong. She could probably get any girl she wanted, and no feat seemed to be out of her reach. Rainbow's determination was so staggeringly enormous that Scootaloo almost believed she could move mountains and tame storms. Rainbow seemed to be able to do the impossible; for Scootaloo, a girl who might never fly but still desired to with all of her heart, this made Rainbow seem like a Goddess in her eyes.

Still: Scootaloo had never seen Rainbow Dash show interest in other girls. For this reason, Scootaloo resigned herself to loving Rainbow Dash in secret, and to pursue her only in her fantasies and dreams. In the meantime, Scootaloo watched vigilantly for any sign of mutual attraction or sexual curiosity in her attractive female friends; although her ultimate ideal was to have Rainbow as her lover, Scootaloo was growing desperate in her desire to satisfy her own carnal cravings, and she would be contented even if her partner in doing so were some other girl. This was why Scootaloo was especially excited for today; from what she'd read, third grade was the period that most sexual awakenings began in, and so perhaps she'd finally be able to sate her intense sexual frustration this year.

On the other hand, Scootaloo thought as she pulled her jeans on and zipped them up, kids in third grade usually went little further than explorational sexual play. Hell, most of her peers hadn't even begun masturbating yet. All of the other girls in her grade were probably still so innocent that they would be too frightened to, say, sixty-nine with her, scissor with her, or penetrate her with a strap-on. Scootaloo didn't just want to play "doctor" or dare her friends to skinny dip with her; she wanted to have sex. Moaning, sweaty, naughty, orgasmic sex. As Scootaloo pulled off her pajama top and replaced it with her favorite bright orange basketball jersey, she let out a small groan as she realized that she'd still be fighting a difficult uphill battle to get sex, even if she was more likely to be able to now.

Scootaloo began to wonder if there was anyone at all she could think of who would be willing to do such a thing with her. However, as she was brushing her teeth, she realized: Spike would likely be willing to.

Despite the fact that Spike wasn't a girl, even Scootaloo could see why he had caught the eye of the other Crusaders, Diamond Tiara, and even perhaps Rarity (according to Sweetie Belle). Especially for a boy, Spike was very cute and very pretty; he was the closest thing that Scootaloo could think of to what Sweetie called a "bishonen", a word that Sweetie had told her was used in the otaku community to describe a boy whose sheer attractiveness transcends sexual orientation. He was also extremely sweet, kind, and attentive, all of which made him an amazing friend. Scootaloo grinned at her mirror reflection as she brushed her teeth; she knew that Spike was every bit as horny as she was, and she found that imagining herself in a sexual encounter with him held a surprising appeal that other boys didn't have.

The more Scootaloo thought about it, the more she liked the idea; she found Spike almost as attractive as her female friends, and she could easily see that he was attracted to her, too. Spike was also highly intelligent, so he could almost certainly make arrangements so that he could regularly meet with her in secret and prevent either of their caretakers from finding out about it. In addition, because Scootaloo had no romantic feelings towards Spike but was still one of his best friends, she could use their encounters to focus entirely on experimentation and practicing her tecniques so as to have more confidence in her skills as a lover when she persued other partners. Likewise, Spike could take the same opportunity to better his chances of obtaining the objects of his own desire, such as Twilight and Rarity.

However, Scootaloo then remembered a fact that was critically damaging to this idea: Spike was straight. Though Scootaloo felt no romantic feelings toward Spike, and was certain that she never would, she had no guarantee that Spike wouldn't develop romantic feelings toward her as a result of a sexual relationship between them. Groaning with great disappointment, Scootaloo mentally discarded the idea as she quietly muttered, "Damn it. Maybe if Spike were gay too, this could work...."

Scootaloo then sighed, shrugged, and set her hairbrush down on the sink before walking into her kitchen.

Not only had Stephen prepared hot cereal for Scootaloo and had sprinkled it with cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup (her favorite toppings), he had also given her a bowl of fresh halved strawberries and a glass of orange juice that he had squeezed and mixed himself. Scootaloo thanked Stephen before enthusiastically digging into it.

While she was eating her hot cereal and Stephen was eating some apricot jam toast, Scootaloo asked her father, "Hey, Dad, do you think you could walk with me to school today?"

Stephen raised a brow in puzzlement. "Didn't we agree that you were old enough to start walking to school by yourself?" he said.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah, but I want you to come today to see me off."

Stephen smiled. "Ah, alright. So you aren't afraid your dorky dad is going to embarrass you by giving you a big hug and kiss in front of all your friends?"

"I don't give a fuck what the other kids think," Scootaloo replied. "If they make fun of me for it, I'll just remind 'em that their parents do it, too."

Stephen's smile brightened. "Ah, I see," he said. "Well, in that case, I would love to take you to school today, Scootaloo."

Scootaloo grinned. "Thanks, Dad," she said.

Once she had finished eating her breakfast and washing and putting away her dishes, Scootaloo picked up her father's watering can from beside the front door and went outside to water their garden, which was one of her daily chores. Once she was done, Scootaloo pulled on her backpack and tied on her sneakers.

Stephen gave Scootaloo a bright orange hooded sweater, which she pulled on while Stephen put on his own black leather jacket. Scootaloo then pulled her schoolbag onto her back, then she and Stephen exited their house and began making their way to Avalon Elementary School.

All mortal children went to school together when they were between the ages of approximately five to eleven years old. Except for private schools catered to individual races (such as the Olympus Magic Academy), there was no racial segragation in elementary educational environments by the direct decree of Princess Celestia. Secondary education was only mandatory for Elves, as Celestia desired that they all learn how to control and safely handle their magical abilities; as such, every eleven-year-old Elf was required to study Magic for four years under an older mentor, and then become mentors themselves after completing their apprenticeships. For Angel and Human children, secondary education was voluntary and often more informal; they would usually become an apprentice to a craftsman to learn their trade, unless their desired profession required specialized training, in which case they would attend an institution of higher learning or become an apprentice to a highly experienced member of said profession who was officially certified in the name of Celestia to be qualified to act as their tutor. Pinkie was currently studying baking under the Cakes, Twilight was studying under Celestia to be the Royal Court Magician of Camelot, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had only completed an elementary education (as they needed no extra training for their chosen professions), and Rarity and Fluttershy had already completed their respective apprenticeships and received certification for their chosen careers. Thus, Twilight and her five closest female friends had either already completed their education or were in the middle of completing their secondary studies. In this way, Celestia had been able to successfully design an educational system that catered to the needs of every individual without segregating them racially in public environments.

Before all of this, however, most mortal children were taught the basic life skills that would be of common usefulness to all of them, regardless of their race or the profession they eventually chose, in a single unsegregated school environment. Such skills that were taught in elementary school included training in basic literacy, mathematics, science, art, and Magic theory (the fundamentals of Magic were universally considered to be useful for everyone to know, not just for Elves, as a basic understanding of Magic was required for understanding and interacting with the everyday world). Every class of children was given a single teacher, who was responsible for educating them throughout the entirety of their elementary school careers.

Once Scootaloo and Stephen arrived at the large, red, brick schoolhouse of Avalon Elementary, which was capped with a bell tower and surrounded by colorful playground equipment and picnic tables, Scootaloo hugged and kissed her father goodbye before meeting up with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, who then accompanied her to the same classroom that they had always had: Room Forty-Two, the classroom of Ms. Cheerilee.

Upon the Cutie Mark Crusaders' entrance into the familiar, vanilla-scented, colorfully-decorated classroom, Ms. Cheerilee looked up at them and smiled brightly. "Good morning, Apple Bloom! Good morning, Sweetie Belle! Good morning, Scootaloo!"

"Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee!" the Crusaders answered in unison.

Ms. Cheerilee was a pretty young Human woman with light green eyes; thick, bright pink hair with a pale pink stripe down its center; and a Mark of three cheerfully smiling daisies on each of her thighs. She was deeply tanned and very fit, demonstrating her willingness to participate in her students' play, indoors or out. Her voice was high and filled with constant energy and enthusiasm, which aided in her impressive ability to motivate her students. Scootaloo, the other Crusaders, and the rest of their classmates were Cheerilee's first class, but all of her students' parents were astonished at what a great teacher she was despite her inexperience.

A pretty, nice, intelligent, skilled teacher. Cheerilee was a common subject of Scootaloo's fantasies, and one of the biggest reasons she intensely disliked statutory rape laws and laws forbidding intimate teacher/student relations, along with Rainbow Dash. Maybe it was because she had a "rebellious" streak, but Scootaloo had a big teacher/student kink. Scootaloo thought to herself as she sat down and set her backpack down on the floor at her side, If I'm not able to get a girlfriend this year, at least I'll have Ms. Cheerilee's legs to stare at. I also get to see her nice set of tits whenever her shirt's drenched with sweat. Scootaloo looked up; she was in the central seat of the front row of desks, between Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and directly in front of Cheerilee. Scootaloo stared straight ahead at the crotch of Cheerilee's denim short shorts, mentally adding to herself, I hope she wears a miniskirt sometime....

"How was your vacation, girls?" Cheerilee said to them once all three were seated.

"It was great," Sweetie said, beaming. "We got two awesome new friends!"

"Really? Who are they?" asked Cheerilee.

"Our new librarian Twilight, and her apprentice Spike!" Sweetie replied.

"Ahh," Ms. Cheerily said. "Twilight Sparkle, right? Isn't she apprenticed under Princess Celestia?"

"Yep," Sweetie replied.

"I'm actually pretty amazed," said Ms. Cheerilee. "We actually have a member of the Royal Court living in Avalon!"

"She isn't in the Royal Court yet," Sweetie pointed out.

Cheerilee chuckled. "Yes, you're right, Sweetie," she said.

"Oh- Ah almost forgot!" Apple Bloom cried. She reached down to her backpack, unzipped it, then pulled out a juicy red apple. "Here ya go, Ms. Cheerilee!" Apple Bloom said, tossing the apple to her.

Cheerilee expertly caught it, then said, "Thank you so much, Apple Bloom! You don't have to bring me apples every day, though-"

"It's the least Ah could do," Apple Bloom replied with a shrug. "Ah mean, you don't let anyone bully me when they're in your sight...."

Cheerilee's smile faded slightly. "Yes," she said. "I only wish that I could stop it entirely."

"You're doin' all you can," Apple Bloom said, smiling gratefully. "Ah can't tell you how much it means to me. Thanks."

Cheerilee nodded and softly smiled back. "You're most certainly welcome," she said before taking a bite from the apple.

Within only a few minutes, the rest of their classmates began filing in and getting seated, as well. They all began excitedly chatting together in the minutes before the first bell; they exchanged stories of their vacations, traded marbles and comic books and other such small belongings, and generally just caught up with each other.

The two other children the Crusaders were talking to were Peppermint Twist and Rumble Lane, who were some of their closest friends aside from each other. Twist was a pale, freckle-cheeked Human girl with curly red hair, prominent buckteeth, braces, bright pink eyes, and a Mark consisting of two crossed candy canes on each of her thighs. Her Talent, which she had discovered only the previous year, was candy-making, and so she was planning on asking the Cakes for an apprenticeship at the Sugar Shack once she graduated from Cheerilee's class. She talked to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle about her summer vacation, which she had spent visiting her grandparents in Arcadia with her family. While she was describing how she had gotten a bad rash from some poison ivy, Scootaloo turned and leaned on the back of her chair to talk to Rumble, who sat directly behind her.

Rumble Lane was a small and rather delicately-constructed Angel boy who was originally from Asgard, just like Scootaloo was. He was skinny and pasty, with long dark gray hair that was always slicked back and large, fawn-like violet eyes. He was wearing baggy, frayed faded jeans; a loose, dirtied gray t-shirt; and beaten gray sneakers with soles that were beginning to peel off. His background of poverty wasn't the only thing he had in common with Scootaloo, either; his silver-gray wings were about as proportionally small as Scootaloo's, and his shoulders were also blank. In addition, Rumble was also an orphan; his parents had died in a forest fire caused by a lightning strike, and so he was spending what remained of his childhood under the care of his older brother, Thunderlane. Rumble and his brother had moved into Avalon to reduce their living costs, and had since been living extremely frugally. Rumble always quickly assured anyone who expressed concern about him that he and his brother never went hungry, but that they otherwise largely had to make do with what they had.

Scootaloo had swiftly become close friends with Rumble when she first came to Avalon; she had discovered that he was similarly athletic and had a similar thirst for excitement and adrenaline, and that he shared her dream of becoming a professional skater. Before Spike had come to Avalon, Scootaloo's primary skating buddy had been Rumble; they had forged their powerful bond in the heat of an intense friendly rivalry in which they were constantly trying to outdo each other in the elaborateness and skill in their aerial stunts, as well as in casual matches of various sports. When they weren't competing, the two of them would often spray-paint graffiti on the sides of old buildings and boulders.

The most significant difference between Rumble and Scootaloo was that, though Rumble's wings were small like Scootaloo's, he had no trouble in being able to fly. He had mastered it later than his peers and was a slower flier than most other Angels, true, but flying was as natural to him as running. Like most Angels.

In addition, though Rumble didn't yet have his Mark, he didn't seem to be bothered by it nearly as much as Scootaloo was by her lack of one. As far as Scootaloo could tell, this was because of the fact that he could rest being fairly certain of the fact that he could count on eventually getting one, and so he was in no real hurry to get it. Rumble was generally content to just let life go where it may and enjoy the life he had in the moment. For this reason, Scootaloo deeply admired him, though her own pride prevented her from confessing this to him.

Once Scootaloo had turned to Rumble, she lifted up her hand and gave him a fist-bump, saying, "What's up, my man?"

"Not much," Rumble replied, shrugging.

"How was your visit to your cousin?" Scootaloo said.

Rumble shrugged. "Same as it's always been, I guess," he said. "We went to Soarin's country club with him. We played tennis and golf and basketball. We got to watch a few rock bands."

"Sounds awesome," Scootaloo replied.

"It was pretty cool," Rumble replied casually.

Scootaloo grinned. "Wanna hear about my Summer?" she said, leaning forward expectantly.

Rumble shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he said.

"Did you hear about the new librarian we've got?" Scootaloo said.

Rumble shook his head. "I haven't."

"Well," Scootaloo continued, "she's an Elf named Twilight Sparkle. She's a duchess from Olympus."

"That's cool," Rumble said, nodding.

"She's also studying under Princess Celestia to become Camelot's Royal Court Magician!"

Rumble's eyes widened and he leaned forward slightly. "She's apprenticed to Princess Celestia?" he said surprisedly.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yep," she replied, grinning.

Rumble leaned back, resting his hands behind his head as he wore an impressed expression. "Wow," he said.

"She also has an apprentice named Spike," Scootaloo continued. "I really think you should meet him; he's really cool, and he's got some sick moves on a halfpipe!"

Rumble softly smiled. "Yeah," he said. "We should hit the ramps with him sometime."

Overhearing their conversation, Sweetie gasped. "Hey- Scootaloo!" she cried. "If you want Rumble to meet Spike, you should invite him to the party tonight!"

Scootaloo gasped, as well. "Oh my gosh, you're right, Sweetie!" she cried.

Rumble raised a brow in puzzlement. "What party?" he said confusedly.

Scootaloo excitedly turned back to him as she explained, "Our friend Pinkie Pie is throwing us a party at the Sugar Shack to celebrate our first day of school! She told us that we could each bring a guest, but I haven't thought of asking anyone until now! Would you like to go to it, Rumble?"

Rumble smiled. "Yeah! That sounds great!" he cried.

"Ooh! What about me?" Twist interjected. She asked with a distinct lisp, "Can I come to the party with you guys, too? I wanna see how they make their cool candies!"

"Of course," Apple Bloom replied, beaming cheerfully. "Ya'll can be my guest, Twist!"

Twist squealed with excitement and embraced Apple Bloom. "Thank you so much, Bloom!" she cried.

"Any time," Apple Bloom replied, laughing.

The morning bell then rang, to which Cheerilee clapped her hands together and said, "Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee," her students chorused back.

"I hope you've all had a wonderful Summer Vacation!" Cheerilee said as she picked up her roll book. "Let's quickly call the roll then, shall we? Apple Bloom?"

"Here!" Apple Bloom cried, raising her hand.

Once Cheerilee had called the role, she picked up a stack of blank spiral-bound notebooks and placed one on each of her students' desks. As she did so, she said, "Here are your new journals for the year. We're just going to jump right in; please write a page about your summer vacation, what you did, and how you enjoyed it!"

The children all opened their notebooks, pulled their quills and inkwells out of their bags, and began performing Ms. Cheerilee's first assignment. Once they had finished their journal entries, Cheerilee began reviewing some of the kanji and math they had learned the previous year.

The Crusaders had returned to their comfortable studying rhythm and had just finished a kanji review pretest when the lunch bell rang, to which Cheerilee excused them all to begin their break.

The children all retrieved their lunches from their bags and went outside, where they sat at the picnic tables to eat. They were joined by Rumble and Twist, who they resumed the conversation they had begun when they arrived at school with. However, there was one more child from outside their class that also joined them: a tiny Human first-grader boy named Pipsqueak, who sat beside Rumble and said cheerfully with a thick Athenian accent, "Hey, guys!"

"Hey, Pip," Sweetie replied with a friendly smile.

Pipsqueak was an Athenian boy with messy dark brown hair and chocolate-brown eyes. He was small, even for a first grader, but he made up for what he lacked in size with a massive amount of energy and curiosity. He had large, brown, circular birthmarks spotted all over his torso and arms, as well as one around his left eye. His classmates often picked on him for his birthmarks; however, none of the bullying came from the Crusaders, Rumble, or Twist. After all, they had been the subjects of bullying for physical deformities when they weren't bullied for their lack of Marks, as well.

Pipsqueak had come to know the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rumble, and Twist through Sweetie Belle, who he in turn knew through Sweetie's older sister Rarity. Rarity was a close friend to Pipsqueak's father, David Baker, who had been introduced to her by her mentor Grand Finale, who had been David's classmate and best friend in elementary school. David Baker was a brilliant and renowned Human Athenian theoretical physisist (who specialized in the study of time) who had moved with Pipsqueak to Avalon after the death of Tesseract, who was David's wife and Pip's mother. Tesseract had been Rarity's classmate and one of her best friends in elementary school, and like David she was a brilliant and famed scientist; specifically, a Doctor of Experimental Physics. Tesseract had been killed in a sudden and catastrophic lab accident, leaving David a single father with one source of income. As a result, David and Pip had moved to Avalon, where David now worked at home on his theories and mailed them to Athens University to continue his career of writing for their scientific journal.

Since coming to Avalon, David had met, courted, and subsequently married Rose Luck, who he and Pip loved dearly, and she in turn loved them just as deeply. Pip had expressed to the Crusaders that he was extremely happy that Rose had become his stepmother, as he had been worried that she would be cruel and mean like many stepmothers in fairy tales; however, though Pipsqueak still missed his mother and didn't think of Rose as a replacement for her, he found Rose to be just as caring and amazing as a mother in her own right.

Like his parents Dr. Baker and Dr. Tesseract, Pipsqueak was surpassingly brilliant. He could already read and write quite fluently, and he was already studying math at a fourth grade level. For this reason, Pipsqueak found it difficult to be able to socialize with his own classmates, as he far surpassed most of them in his intellectual abilities. For this reason, his closest friends were his third grade seniors; the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Rumble, and Twist.

"Howdy, Pip!" Apple Bloom said cheerfully after Pipsqueak was seated. "What are ya'll up to?"

"I'm just gettin' my special textbooks from Mr. Tart!" Pipsqueak replied.

"How was your vacation, Pip?" said Sweetie Belle.

Pipsqueak grinned at her. "It was really fun!" he said. "My mum and dad took me to Atlantis, and we stayed at a beach resort there! We swam and saw some dolphins and some rays, and we got some beginner surfing lessons, and we got to watch some fire dancers, and-"

"Hold yer horses there, Pip!" Apple Bloom interrupted him with a small laugh. "Slow down, or you're gonna be so out o' breath you're gonna pass out!"

"That does sound like a lot of fun, though...." Scootaloo said with a soft smile. "The sunsets, the ocean, the sodas and food and surfing...." Not to mention all the hot girls, she mentally added to herself.

Upon Scootaloo speaking to him, Pipsqueak's cheeks turned a bright red and he nervously looked away from her. "Y-yeah," he muttered. After a moment of silence, Pipsqueak added, "I also... I also got you somethin' while I was there, Scootaloo...."

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Really? What is it?" she said.

Swallowing, Pip reached into his bag and pulled out a large seashell. When he offered it to Scootaloo, she gasped; it was blue, with purple tinges and a dusting of gold.

"Oh, Celestia," Scootaloo said softly as she gently took the shell in her own hands. "This is beautiful, Pip!"

Pip looked down at the floor as he embarrassedly smiled. "I'm glad you like it...." he said quietly.

"Thank you so much, Pip!" Scootaloo said while beaming gratefully at him.

Pip's blush intensified as he replied, "You're welcome, Scoot...."

Sweetie frowned. "So Scootaloo's the only one you got anything for?" she said irritably.

Pip's eyes widened. "Oh! I almost forgot..." he said as he reached back into his bag. He pulled out several more items, saying, "I got presents for the rest of you, too!"

Pip's friends all thanked him, and each received their own unique gift; Sweetie was given a nice pair of fashionable lavender-colored sunglasses, Apple Bloom received a flute carved from crystal coral, Twist received a bracelet of glass beads, and Rumble received a hand bound sketchbook. Once all of the gifts he'd brought were distributed, Pip added, "I've got one more thing for you guys..." as he reached into his bag one more time. When he pulled his hands back out, he produced six wrapped candy bars as he smilingly cried, "I also got you all sea salted caramel-filled chocolate bars!"

Pip's friends cheered, then each took one of the candy bars as they graciously thanked him once again for the gifts. Sweetie then said to him after she had taken a bite from her chocolate, "You know, Pip, our friend Pinkie Pie is throwing a party to celebrate the beginning of the school year tonight, and we Crusaders are all allowed to bring a guest to it. We've already invited Rumble and Twist; would you like to come, too?"

Pipsqueak gasped. "Really? You mean it?" he said.

"Yep," the Crusaders said together.

Pip squealed excitedly. "Yes! Yes, I would love to come!" he cried.

Once they had consumed the chocolate bars and stored Pip's gifts in their bags, the Crusaders and their friends began playing on the playground. Pipsqueak alternated between swinging across the monkey bars and riding down the slides while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in the swings, talking as the swung back and forth beside each other. In the meantime, Scootaloo batted at a tetherball with Rumble before they moved on to playing handball against one of the school walls.

Once the bell rang and signaled that their recess hour was over, the children all began filing back into the schoolhouse. However, as Scootaloo was strolling in, Sweetie Belle grabbed her by the shoulder and said, "Hey, Scootaloo."

Scootaloo turned to Sweetie. "What is it?" she said.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Sweetie asked.

Scootaloo shrugged. "Alright," she replied.

Sweetie pulled Scootaloo to the side, away from the other kids crowding through the doors, and whispered to her, "So... you know that Pip has a huge crush on you, right?"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, duh," she said.

"And you're gay," Sweetie continued.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yep. What's your point?" she replied, raising a brow in puzzlement.

"Don't you think you should tell Pip he doesn't have a chance with you?" Sweetie said, a concerned look in her eyes. "I mean, you don't wanna get his hopes up, right?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "No, but I think it'll be fine," she said casually. "Pip'll probably get over me in a few months."

Sweetie nodded uncertainly. "Alright...." she muttered.

After Sweetie and Scootaloo returned to the classroom, Cheerilee began reviewing the last few scientific lessons she had taught last year. The end bell then rang, and Cheerilee said, "Thanks for coming, and it's wonderful to see you all again! I'll see you all tomorrow! Have a wonderful afternoon!"

As the students filed out, they cried to their teacher in reply, "Bye, Ms. Cheerilee!"

Once they were all in the school's front yard, Pip said to the Crusaders, "I'll go ask my mum and dad if I can come to the party."

"Me too," Twist added.

Rumble nodded. "And I should probably tell my brother," he said quietly.

Sweetie nodded. "Alright," she said. "So go tell your families where we're gonna be, then let's regroup at the Sugar Shack. The party's at five; I'll see you guys then!"

The Crusaders and their friends all bid each other farewell, then they went their separate ways back to each of their homes.

That evening, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were already at the Sugar Shack and talking to Pinkie, Spike, and all their other friends when Twist and Pipsqueak entered. There was a record player playing dance music in one of the shop's corners, and there were balloons and streamers all around. Upon the entrance of Twist and Pipsqueak, Pinkie immediately looked up at them. "Oh! Hi, guys!" she cried with an enormous smile.

"Hello," Pipsqueak and Twist replied with small waves.

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie said to Pipsqueak. "What's your name?"

"I'm Pip, Miss Pinkie," Pip replied with a polite bow.

Pinkie giggled. "What a gentleman!" she said. She then held up two large bowls, one filled with cake balls and one filled with ice cream balls, and said, "Would you two like any cake or some ice cream?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Twist immediately cried, running forward to grab a handful of each.

As Twist and Pip had each gotten plates of Pinkie's ball sweets, Pinkie nodded to Twilight and Spike, saying, "These are my new friends Twilight Sparkle and Spike!"

Pip's eyes widened. "Wait- you're Spike?" he said surprisedly.

Spike nodded. "Yep," he said. "I'm older than I look."

Pip blinked. "Alright, then...." he muttered.

Pinkie clapped her hands together. "Let's play some games now!" she cried.

A few minutes into their first round of Twenty Questions, the doorbell was rung again as Rumble pushed the door open and entered. Pinkie immediately cried to him as the others turned to look at him, "Oh! You must be Rumble Lane, right?"

"Yep," Rumble answered with a soft smile.

Scootaloo approached Rumble as the others continued their game. "It's good to have you here," she said with a friendly smile.

Rumble nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for inviting me," he said.

Once they began walking back to the others, however, Rumble's eyes fell upon Spike, who was busy selecting a glass soda bottle from a metal tub of ice. At that instant, Rumble immediately froze, and a blush began to creep into his face.

Noticing that Rumble had stopped following her, Scootaloo turned back to him and said, "Rumble?"

"Who- who's that?" Rumble said, his eyes still fixed on Spike.

Scootaloo followed Rumble's gaze, then grinned. "Oh! That's Spike, the guy I was telling you about earlier!" she said.

An anxious expression formed on Rumble's face. "Th-that's Spike?!" he stuttered.

Scootaloo nodded. "Yeah! C'mon, I'll introduce you to him!" she said, jerking her head in Spike's direction.

Rumble fearfully backed away, saying, "N-no, that's alright... um.... You don't have to do that, Scoot...."

Scootaloo blinked confusedly. "Why are you so nervous?" she said.

"I... I don't know," Rumble said, embarrassedly looking away.

Scootaloo gazed at Rumble for a moment, then suddenly realized something: Rumble was blushing. Intensely.

With a mischievous smile and wickedly narrowed eyes, Scootaloo took a hold of one of Rumble's wrists and said, "Come on; I really think you should talk to him."

Rumble's eyes widened with shock. "What?!" he said. "W-wait!" he protested as Scootaloo pulled him towards Spike.

Once Scootaloo and Rumble were standing before Spike, Spike turned to them and said cheerfully, "Oh, hey, Scootaloo!"

"Hey, Spike," Scootaloo replied. She released Rumble's wrist and placed her hand on his back as she said, "This is Rumble, my other skating buddy!"

Spike's grin widened. "Nice to meet you, Rumble!" he said. "I'm Spike!"

Rumble's cheeks blazed a deep crimson as he quietly replied, "H...hi...."

Spike blinked as he gazed confusedly at Rumble. "Hey, what's up, dude?" he said concernedly.

Rumble was silent. In response, Scootaloo draped her arm around Rumble's shoulders and said, "You should see Rumble skate! His skills are wicked!"

"Really? That's awesome!" Spike said.

"He's also the best artist in town," Scootaloo added. "In fact, you're already familiar with his work."

"Really? Like what?" Spike said curiously.

"Like that paining of that dragon in the skate park you like so much," Scootaloo replied.

Spike's eyes widened. "That was you?" he said to Rumble.

Rumble made a small nod as he tremblingly replied, "Y-yes...."

Spike grinned elatedly. "Dude, that thing rocks!" he said.

Stunned, Rumble looked back at Spike. "R-really?" he said.

"Yeah!" Spike cried. "Your stuff is all around town, right?"

"Y-yeah...." Rumble replied as his blush began building again.

"Your paintings are incredible!" Spike said, playfully punching Rumble in the shoulder. "They're so good that nobody paints over them!"

"R-really?" Rumble said, more stunned still.

"Mm-hmm," Spike replied with a cheerful nod.

Rumble looked back down. "I always thought nobody painted over them 'cause it would be too much work and money-"

"Not at all!" Spike said. "People talk about how great they are all the time! Nobody wants to get rid of them!"

Rumble gazed into Spike's eyes again, then swallowed and nodded. "Th...thanks...." he said, smiling as he shyly looked away again.

Meanwhile, the rest of their friends had just finished a round of riddles. Twilight looked up at the clock and saw that it was about nine. "It's getting pretty late," she said, turning to Spike. "We should be heading home. We've got a lot to do tomorrow."

Spike nodded at Twilight, then turned back to Rumble. "It's awesome to meet you, Rumble," he said.

Rumble nodded. "Yeah. It was n-nice to meet you too," he said softly.

"We should all hang out and skate sometime," Scootaloo added, smirking.

Rumble nodded. "Yeah. I... I'd like that...." he said.

"I can't wait to hang out some more," Spike said. "You seem really cool, Rumble." Spike then winked playfully and concluded, "Well, see you guys later!"

"Bye!" Scootaloo called back as Spike exited the Sugar Shack with Twilight.

"I think we should go home, too," Rarity said. "After all, it is a school night."

"That's right," Applejack said. "Ya'll need to get up early for class, Bloom! Let's be on our way."

"Alright," Pinkie said a little disappointedly. She then grinned, however, as she said, "Thanks for coming, everyone! I had a great time!"

The others agreed, then they all bid farewell to each other and began exiting to return to their homes, as well. However, before they left, Sweetie said to Scootaloo, "Hey, why are you smiling so much?"

Scootaloo smirked at Sweetie. "I think Rumble has a crush on someone!" she sang.

Sweetie blinked. "Really?" she said. "On who?"

"Spike," Scootaloo replied.

Sweetie's eyes widened, then she gasped elatedly. "Really?!" she cried.

Scootaloo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh... I think so...." she said uncertainly.

Sweetie squealed with excitement, then cried, "Oh, yes! They would be so cute together!"

Scootaloo's eyes widened. "R-really?" she said surprisedly. "You're not upset at all?"

Sweetie gave a puzzled look to Scootaloo. "Uh... no. Why would I be?"

Scootaloo replied, "I mean, I thought that since you also have a crush on Spike...."

Sweetie flinched and paled as she held her hands up to her mouth in fright. "W-what?!" she cried distressedly. "What are you-?!"

"It's pretty obvious, Sweetie," Scootaloo said flatly. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone."

Blushing, Sweetie lowered her hands and replied, "Al... alright...."

"Anyway," Scootaloo said, her smirk returning, "Rumble is just smitten by Spike. So why aren't you bothered by it?"

Sweetie grinned. "Well, I don't imagine that Spike is ever going to feel the same way," she said. "But it's still a nice idea to think about."

Scootaloo smirked. "Alright. I can totally get that," she replied.

After Twilight and Spike had returned to the Golden Oak Library, Twilight turned on the lights as she sleepily said to Spike, "Would you mind if I take a bath first?"

"Go right ahead," Spike replied, yawning. "I'll just read until you're done."

Twilight beamed. "Thanks, Spike," she said.

However, as Twilight was going upstairs and Spike went towards a shelf to select a book, his eye was caught by their letterbox, which held a letter bearing the Royal Seal of Princess Celestia.

"Twilight!" Spike called back to his mentor as he picked up the envelope. "It's a letter from the Princess."

Confused, Twilight came back down the stairs and took the envelope from Spike. Upon seeing that the seal was in blood-red wax, Twilight's eyes widened as she gasped fearfully and swiftly pulled it open. A blood-red seal indicated emergency, and that the letter should be read as urgently as possible.

Once Twilight shook the folded parchment out of the envelope and opened it, she read what was written by Celestia's hand out loud:

"Twilight,

Come to Olympus with Spike IMMEDIATELY. We must speak as soon as possible.

Celestia"

"What's going on?" Spike said, gazing at Twilight fearfully.

"I don't know," Twilight said. She folded her letter and slid it into her pocket as she said, "We need to go, though. Come on, Spike."

Without another word, Twilight and Spike sprinted out of the library and ran to Avalon Station, where they purchased tickets for a two-way trip to Olympus and boarded the first train there.

Once Twilight and Spike had settled into a booth, the train had begun moving, and a few minutes had passed, Spike said anxiously to Twilight, "What do you think happened?"

Twilight shook her head. "I have no idea," she said. "I just hope everyone's okay."

Spike nodded, then gazed out the window at the inky black landscape rushing by them under the brightly starry night sky.

Twilight and Spike's worry kept them awake for a few hours, but eventually exhaustion overcame them and they fell asleep, leaning against each other.

They were abruptly woken up again when the train pulled into Olympus Station and the conductors walked down the halls, shouting, "All off for Olympus! All off for Olympus!"

Upon waking, Spike and Twilight immediately ran off the train, out of the station, and up the streets of stone stairs to Camelot Castle.

Twilight and Spike were quite out of breath once they reached the front gates to the castle's central structure, and so they panted and caught their breath as the guards at the door pulled it open to allow them inside.

Once they were in the long, columned throne room, Twilight and Spike saw that Celestia and Luna were still in pajamas as they sat on their thrones (Luna had had one installed for herself beside Celestia's when she first arrived) and that they were speaking to Hymnal Warren, the elderly Human Royal Spymaster to Celestia.

Twilight and Spike stepped towards the Princesses; as they did, they heard the hunched, bespectacled, wrinkled Royal Spymaster (who was dressed in a full three-piece suit despite the fact that it was about two o'clock in the morning) say, "... find information about who did this or where he is anywhere. I assure you, Your Highnesses, my informants are doing absolutely everything they can-"

However, Celestia interrupted Warren when she saw Twilight and Spike approaching. "Ah, hello, Twilight. Hello, Spike," she said with a polite smile. She then looked down at Warren and said to him, "We can continue this later. I must speak to these two alone."

Warren bowed. "As you wish, Your Majesty," he said deferentially. As he turned around to exit the throne room, he exchanged a nod of acknowledgement with Twilight and Spike. As Warren shut the hall's entrance, Twilight and Spike closed the rest of the distance to the Princesses.

When they were standing immediately before the Goddesses, the young Elves each fell to one knee and bowed. "You've summoned me, Your Highness?" Twilight said.

"Rise," Celestia said.

Once Twilight and Spike were standing again, Twilight said fearfully, "What's going on, Princess? What do you need to tell us?"

Celestia replied with a weary voice, "I'm very sorry I interrupted your night. However, this was a direly urgent situation, and I had to speak to you immediately. In addition, I couldn't risk discussing this over a letter, should our messages be intercepted."

Twilight held her hands to her mouth. "What do you mean?" she said worriedly.

"We've received a letter from our brother Horus that bears very troubling news," Luna said gravely. "It required the immediate attention of the both of us."

Before Twilight could ask another question, Celestia held up a letter bearing the Royal Seal of Asgard: a shield emblazoned with a hawk. "Horus has just received a visit from one of our other brothers. The Sixth Seal has been broken."

Spike gaped at Celestia as Twilight gasped, her eyes wide with terror and her hands clamped over her mouth. "Y-you mean...?" she tremblingly whispered.

Celestia nodded. With a dire frown, she said, "Yes, Twilight. I'm afraid it's true; the God of Storms, Prince Scorpan, has returned."

II-II. The Gathering Storm

Panic.

Surely it couldn't be true. Surely Twilight and Spike must have misheard Celestia. It couldn't possibly really be that Prince Scorpan had returned to the Earth from his prison in the Sixth Hell of Tartarus, right?

Scorpan was said to be one of the more chaotic and destructive of the Gods, and so if he were to be unsealed, it would be regarded as the herald of great disruption and suffering in the lives of the mortal Beings. Twilight did not know many things about the Lord of Storms, except that the old legends held him to be remarkably selfish, arrogant, greedy, vain, and cruel, even by the standards of the Dark Sealed Gods. He had regarded mortals as nothing more than his servants and playthings, even after Celestia defeated the previous five Sealed Gods, was crowned the High Princess of the World, and had granted all Beings freedom and forbidden the violation of their rights. Twilight had rarely felt so unsafe as she did now, as Scorpan would almost certainly be the sort of man who held such enormous power and few inhibitions that he could and would do whatever he wanted to her (or anyone else) with impunity, and had only not done so for eons because he was struck down in ancient times by one of the handful of Beings even more powerful than him.

Twilight jolted and yelped in fright as Celestia broke her out of her fearful thoughts; "It will do no good to dwell on it for much longer, Twilight. Breathe, and recollect yourself."

After a moment, Twilight nodded before closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Gradually, her panic subsided until she could think rationally again; once she could, she opened her eyes and said, "So that is why you have summoned me here, Princess?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes," she said before holding out the letter in her hand. Her Marks and eyes glowed dimly with pink Ether as she levitated the envelope into Twilight's fingers, saying, "Read it."

"Yes, Your Highness," Twilight replied, immediately shaking the parchment out of the envelope. As she unfolded the letter, Spike edged closer to her to see it as well as she read aloud:

"My Dearest Sisters Celestia and Luna,

I am immeasurably sorry for disturbing you, and offer my deepest apologies for it. However, this is a matter of grave importance that I must inform the two of you of immediately: Scorpan has escaped from Tartarus, and I have encountered him in our castle at Asgard today.

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever how he has escaped from his prison, but I assure you I immediately began efforts in my kingdom to discover how. If I learn anything about it, I will inform you of it as soon as possible.

Here is the manner in which I encountered our brother: I was holding court in my throne room when Scorpan arrived at my doorstep. I was receiving the council of my Royal Economists in order to decide how to go about making reforms in Asgard's tax law at the time. Suddenly, I heard some of my guards shouting from outside the throne room's entrance, as though they had encountered an unwelcome intruder, but I heard some scuffling before they were abruptly silenced. The doors were then slammed open and Scorpan entered the room.

Though we have not seen Scorpan in tens of thousands of years, I have no doubt it was him; his appearance and Marks are exactly as I remember them, though his hairstyle and attire were far more modern than the white toga and roughly cut hair you had sealed him in.

You can imagine my shock and surprise; fortunately, my scribe diligently recorded the entirety of our conversation we had, so I can relay it to you with perfect accuracy:

"Hello, Dear Brother," Scorpan said.

"Scorpan!" I cried.

"Yes, it is I," he replied with an amused chuckle. "Surprised, are you?"

Because I was to flabbergasted to speak at that moment, he continued, "Were you the one who ordered the Rituals that unsealed me, Brother?"

Having regained my wits, though still quite shocked that he had returned, I said, "No. And you should still be imprisoned."

Scorpan seemed angered. "So you never attempted to have me released?!" he shouted. "Pah! It is clear to me now how worthless your loyalty is! You've cast your lot in with our fool sister!"

"I did attempt to have you released," I replied. "Celestia never let me anywhere near the vicinity of Tartarus, however, and even if I had managed to reach you her Seals would have been beyond my strength to break. I then lost any will to defy the High Princess."

Scorpan seemed less upset, though he was now sneering. "Instead, you chopped your balls off and gave them to her. I see no slave-girls, no wine, no banquet- you've allowed our prig sister to steal all of our merry pleasures from you!"

"You are true about one thing, Scorpan," I returned; "when Celestia banished you into the Sixth Hell, I immediately ceased raping and pillaging the mortals for fear of meeting the same fate. However, as time trudged on, I lost my desire to; I live in a magnificent palace, enjoy many luxuries, and can enjoy a woman's warmth anytime I desire to. As a result, I've found that I can still enjoy my pleasures while still acting within the boundaries our sister has set."

Scorpan scoffed. "But Brother, you are her slave!" he cried. "You are groveling and obeying her like a meek little housewife! Didn't we overthrow our father precisely to escape that? To have none rule over us, and to rule over the lesser Beings, as we should?"

"True though that may be, I cannot overthrow Celestia," I replied. "Woman though she is, she still has more power than us and all of our other siblings put together, and I must therefore submit to her will. However, I've found that doing so isn't at all unpleasant; I can still enjoy life's finer things, Celestia is satisfied, and even the mortals are freer of fear and suffering, and thus I've found this arrangement to be mutually advantageous all around."

Scorpan scoffed again. "I can see that our sister's womanly sentimentality has begun to take hold of your mind, Brother. Why do you bother yourself with the woes of the lowly mortals? Why relinquish a beauteous treasure or a night of sensual bliss, simply to quell the insignificant distress of some inconsequential mayflies? Mortals' lives are brief, Horus. They are like candies; if you desire one, you must take it before it disappears and is lost forever."

I said nothing, and Scorpan seemed to understand the message I sent by doing so, for he sighed and said, "It seems your mind cannot be swayed on this matter. However, I still extend an offer to you:

"I am gathering my followers, and they have pledged allegiance to me as citizens of my kingdom. I had hoped that I could once again call Asgard that kingdom, though it seems our hysterical sister's sobbing heart has bled onto yours. If ever you remember that we Gods are superior above all other Beings, and that Goddesses are weak slaves to their hysteria and heartache, and decide to return to your rightful place- not as the servant to any mortal or Goddess, but as their Lord- I will be sitting beside an empty throne I place beside my own in the castle of my new heavenly empire."

With that, Scorpan spread his wings and flew out of the window above my throne, shattering it.

The instant Scorpan was out of my castle, I shouted, "Guards! Find the ones who released Scorpan, and learn what his followers are planning to do now!"

My guards obeyed, and immediately began executing my order.

I am still conducting my searches now, and offer you any other aid you might require of me. Please let me know if you will need anything else.

Loyally yours,

Your brother, Horus, the Prince of Asgard and God of the Heavens."

As Twilight reached the end of the letter and began folding it back up, Celestia said, "Now, could you return it to me, please, Twilight?"

Twilight nodded and stepped forward, handing the parchment and the envelope back to the Princess. As she did so, Spike said, "So, what do you need us for, Your Highness?"

"That is an excellent question, Spike," Celestia replied to him with a small smile. "Do not worry; I do not expect you or Twilight to capture Scorpan for me. I simply asked you to come here to warn you of him, and to ask you to warn the citizens of Avalon, as well."

Twilight's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why do you need us to warn Avalon that Scorpan's returned?" she said.

Celestia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, sat silently for a few moments, then said, "Because there are a few other things that you should know, which are for the ears of you and Spike, and the two of you alone. I had hoped that this would never happen, but I should explain something now so you can understand the entire scope and nature of this situation:

"As you'll certainly recall, as you were there to witness the Beings who did so yourself, Luna was unsealed on the Summer Solstice this year. I had planned to release her myself if no others did so before me, assuming she would be willing to behave civilly- and, happily, she was."

Here, Celestia exchanged a soft smile and nod with her sister. "Needless to say," she continued after turning back to Twilight, "things did not go as I planned. I did not expect for any other Beings to have the power, let alone the desire to free my sister before I did, but the events that transpired demonstrated me to be wrong. I also did not plan for Luna to be able to successfully capture me and make a successful coup of my throne as High Princess, especially as quietly and swiftly as she did."

Here Luna chuckled. "Not unimpressive, wouldn't you say?" she said with a smirk. "Celestia's power so utterly eclipses my own that what I accomplished was nothing short of the magnitude of a tiny child prince successfully taking his father king hostage and extorting his ransom from their kingdom."

"Yes, my sister exceeded even my greatest expectations of her," Celestia said. "However, I had prepared for even that, the very worst possible scenario; even if Luna did successfully usurp me and permanently cement her reign as the new High Princess, I believed that she would still have been a fairly just ruler, even if she weren't as just as she should be. But more importantly, I believed that she would attempt to ensure that none of the other Dark Gods would be released every bit as diligently as I have, if not even more so.

"In summation, any outcome of the eve of the Summer Solstice would have been acceptable to me; if none released Luna, I would have released her myself and thereafter considered any threats to my subjects to be neutralized; if someone did release Luna and I recaptured her, the end result would have been the same, except that I would know that someone had both the ability and the desire to release at least one Sealed God. If Luna escaped and then successfully usurped me, I believed that she would take up my duties and ensure against the return of any more Dark Gods herself."

"So... you didn't consider Luna to be a danger to the world at all?" Twilight said.

Celestia smiled. "Well, I thought that she posed very little threat to the world, but yes," she replied with a small chuckle. "And for that reason, I made her Seal light so as to test the possibility of one of the other Sealed Gods returning. The other Sealed Gods are my true concern, for though I always intended to allow Luna's return, I never intended to allow the release of any of the others."

Twilight blinked as she gazed with a bit of fearfulness at Celestia. "So... you wanted the other six Dark Gods to be imprisoned... forever?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. For though I believed (rightly, it seems) that Luna was simply a little lost and needed only some time to find her way again, I doubt that any of the other Dark Gods have such capability to change."

Celestia leaned against the back of her throne and clasped her hands over her lap as she continued, "In other words, this is the first time you mortals have the urgent need to fear for your own safety from a divine Being. Scorpan is not like Luna; he is not driven by sorrow or loneliness, but by his cravings, desires, and primal impulses. He is a creature of bottomless hedonism. Though his power is minuscule against that of my sister, he poses a greater threat to you mortals, because he cares for no one but himself and is concerned only with his own self-gratification. He has no interest in conquering the world; only in taking anything he desires regardless of the damage he causes in doing so.

"When I Sealed Scorpan, it was not with an army at my back; there was no great war between us. He simply refused to heed my warning that I would punish him if he would not stop robbing, raping, murdering, and destroying the homes and livelihoods of our mortal subjects. He didn't seem to take me at my word when I said that I did care about you mortals enough that I would, in fact, cast one of my brothers into Tartarus to be imprisoned until the end of time itself to defend them. Or perhaps he was simply so foolishly assured of his own power that he fancied himself a match for me. Whatever reasons he had, I tried to warn him, he didn't listen, and so he brought his fate upon himself; I confronted him, fought him, and captured him not a minute after our duel began. I Sealed him in the Sixth Hell of Tartarus, which is a suitable punishment, I think; he was damned to be forever deprived of those depraved pleasures he so unwisely gambled his freedom for."

Spike snickered. "Wow, what an idiot...." he muttered.

Celestia frowned at Spike. "Do not underestimate the Lord of Tempests, my child," she said sternly. "Though by the standards of the Gods, he is foolish and impulsive and contemptible, the fact remains that he is still an immortal, divine God. Though he is an idiot child among the Pantheon, he is still cleverer than the wisest Elf sage; faster than the swiftest racing pegasus; and stronger than the hardiest Human warrior. Make no mistake, young Spike- though he is a lesser God, he is still an opponent that is astronomically beyond the reach of any mortal."

"But we were able to beat Luna!" Spike cried indignantly.

Luna shook her head. "No, you were not," she said. "What you accomplished was indeed a great feat, but do not grow so prideful over it as to falsely claim that you bested the Princess of the Night. It was Celestia who defeated me; and rest assured that were she not there, you would have inevitably still sorely and swiftly lost- even with every other mortal and free God on your side. Did you think that you had witnessed even the tiniest fraction of the extent of my power that night? Ha! What a laughable notion. It's almost amusing."

Spike glared at Luna, who continued as though she didn't notice it, "The only reason that any of you are alive is that I wasn't even trying to kill you. What you saw wasn't even the barest wave of my littlest finger. You want to see my true wrath, little boy? With a snap of my fingers, I can obliterate this entire mountain and leave only a vast, empty crater in its place. Would you like to see it?"

Spike's glare faltered and he took a fearful step away from Luna, whose eyes were narrowed as she smirked maliciously and held up her hand, positioning her fingers for a snap.

"Peace, Sister," Celestia said firmly, placing her hand on Luna's shoulder. With a sigh, Luna lowered her hand again.

Celestia turned back to the young Elves and continued, "Please understand, young ones, that I do not caution you against challenging Scorpan because I doubt your strength or capability; it is simply that subduing him is a feat of the same magnitude as lifting a thunderstorm. The Moon- though immensely powerful- is quite gentle, and rarely does it harm anyone, but few are the mortals that can be struck by a bolt of lightning from a thundercloud and live to tell the tale."

After a moment of silence, Twilight nodded. "I understand, Princess," she said.

Celestia's expression softened. "Very well," she said. "I have told you all you need to know. Do you have any further questions?"

"Yeah," said Spike. "So, me and Twi already knew a lot of this stuff- like, how Scorpan is as restless and wild as a raging hurricane, and that your battle with him was the shortest, things like that. But we thought that he wanted to usurp you, and that you had a clash between your kingdoms' armies, and we had no idea that you might've Sealed Horus then, too. Now you're saying that all of that was wrong. Why didn't you tell us before?"

Celestia smiled. "That is quite a good question, Spike," she said. "Here is why I have done so; any Being who would desire to release one of the Sealed Gods would also likely desire to gain their alliance. To diminish their ability to do this, I've deliberately omitted detailed descriptions of the Dark Gods' powers and personalities from the history books so that mortals who could release them would have no idea what to expect of them. Diplomacy is possible only when you know who it is you're addressing, yes?"

Spike nodded. "I get it," he said. "But... why did you tell us anything about them, then?"

"Truth be told, I would rather have wiped the Sealed Gods from you mortals' knowledge entirely," Celestia replied. "However, you wouldn't have forgotten them; instead, they would have passed into legends with songs and tales of greater detail and that paint them in a more favorable light than the ones I have ever given you. What I have told my subjects about the Sealed Gods is meager and vague enough that you know little about them; but what you do know is grim and ominous so as to discourage you from attempting to release them."

Spike nodded. "Alright. That makes sense," he said.

"Is there anything else you would like to know, my students?" Celestia asked with a small, kind smile.

Twilight shook her head. "No, Your Highness; I only request permission to relay the news of Scorpan's return to the Mayor of Avalon, and have her warn our neighbors to be wary of him."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, you may, Twilight," she said. "Good thinking; in fact, I think that would be better than if you made the announcement yourself, as it will allow you to keep your involvement in all this a secret. Just remember to tell Mayor Meyer only that Scorpan has returned; mention nothing else I have confided in you; and instruct her to speak to no one else about this order you have from me."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, Princess," she replied.

With that, Celestia held up her hand; conjured a small, floating ball of pink Ether above it; then transmuted it into a disk of pure rose gold bearing her Royal Seal. She then levitated it into the palm of Twilight, who knew exactly what it was and how she was to use it; it was a Seal of Royal Command, to be used as proof of Celestia's blessing of the message Twilight delivered, and then destroyed once its purpose had been fulfilled, so that no others could abuse Celestia's authority. "You may now return to Avalon, my faithful student," Celestia said.

Twilight nodded as she pocketed the golden Seal. "Yes, Your Highness," she said, then she and Spike turned around and walked back out of the throne room.

Twilight and Spike returned to the train station, bought tickets back to Avalon, then boarded one of the cars scheduled to arrive back at their home. They fell asleep again shortly after they sat in one of the booths together; it was about half an hour after eight o'clock in the morning when they were again awakened by the train's conductors.

Once they were back at Avalon Station, Twilight immediately said to Spike, "Let's go see Mayor Meyer," to which her apprentice nodded in agreement.

They quickly began strolling to Town Square to find her office; once they arrived there, however, they suddenly jumped and yelped in fright as they suddenly heard someone cheerfully cry, "Hi, Twilight! Hi, Spike!"

Twilight and Spike fearfully turned to the source of the noise, who they saw to be a cheerfully-smiling Pinkie Pie. "Where have you guys been?" she said, fluttering her eyes. "I went to the library to check out a book this morning, but it was closed, and neither of you were there! You didn't even leave a note saying where you'd gone!"

Twilight glanced anxiously at Spike for an instant, then nervously laughed, "Uh... we were just... you know, um...."

"Yyyyeeeeessss...?" Pinkie pressed, leaning forward with eyes full of curiosity.

"We weren't doing anything important! Really, Pinkie!" Twilight cried, her anxiety visually building within her.

"Is it a secret?" Pinkie continued, growing obviously more excited. "Ooh, tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone! Honest to Celestia! I Pinkie promise! Pretty pretty please?" she cried, pouting imploringly.

"I can't tell you, Pinkie!" Twilight cried, obviously now quite distressed.

Pinkie wouldn't back down. "Pretty, pretty, pretty pretty please with a cherry on top? I swear by the grave of my Granny Pie that I won't tell a single soul!"

Spike let out a loud sigh. "Alright.,.." he muttered. "I'll tell you then, Pinkie-"

"What-?! No!" Twilight cried. "Spike, we can't!"

"It's no use trying to hide it anymore, Twi," Spike said calmly. "One of our friends was bound to find out sooner or later."

Twilight was frozen with panic; before she could protest further, however, Spike said, "Well, here goes.... You can't tell anyone this, Pinkie, but... me and Twilight were off on a secret romantic rendezvous."

Twilight's eyes widened with tremendous surprise; Pinkie looked every bit as stunned as she was. After a few moments, Pinkie quietly asked, "R...really?"

Spike nodded, then smirked. "Yep," he said, wrapping an arm around Twilight's waist and pulling her against his side. "There's no use in pretending anymore; my brilliant, sexy, smokin'-hot mentor is my girlfriend," he continued, grinning and winking at Pinkie.

Twilight began blushing furiously, then Pinkie made an enormous gasp and exclaimed, "You...?! Is it true, Twilight?! Are you really...?!"

Twilight closed her eyes, swallowed, then tremblingly replied, "Y-yes. Yes, um.... Spike really is my... my boyfriend...."

Pinkie gaped at them for a few moments, then she gasped and her face broke into an enormous grin as her eyes narrowed mischievously. "Well, I'll be damned!" she cried. She then gazed at Spike and purred, "Well, look at you go, Casanova. I don't know if I would've ever guessed that you had it in ya to charm ol' Twilight into breaking the rules...." before breaking into giggles.

Spike scoffed. "Please," he said, smirking again. "What didja take me for, Pinkie? Just another cute little face? Come on, Pink, seduction is in my blood. You should've seen my sister; she had even more charm than I do. I can't think of any straight guy or lesbian girl who didn't have an enormous crush on her."

Pinkie giggled again, then Twilight said, "Remember, Pinkie- you promised not to tell anyone-"

"I won't, I won't," Pinkie replied, laughing. She then nodded towards the Sugar Shack as she said, "Anyway, my shift's about to start. When you're on another break, you should swing by sometime; I'll give you two a shake with two straws and a box of heart chocolates, on the house."

Pinkie giggled again, Twilight looked away from her embarrassedly, then Pinkie waved at them before skipping off to the Sugar Shack.

Once Pinkie had entered the shop, Twilight turned to Spike and said, "Good... good work, Spike. I don't think I could ever have improvised as amazingly as you did...."

Spike beamed. "What can I say?" he said. "I'm a pretty great storyteller."

Twilight nodded, sighed relievedly, then said, "Let's go; we still need to see the Mayor."

Spike nodded, then followed Twilight as she went to the tower of Town Hall and entered it.

Cyclone had been told to come to these ruins by his brothers of Alpha Supreme, a fraternity of adherents to the teachings of the Storm-God Prince Scorpan. He was the head of his local chapter of the fraternity, which was notorious for being on particularly hostile terms with the law enforcement of its members' home kingdoms, even by the standards of cults to the Lord of Tempests. Members of Alpha Supreme were often accused of drugging their dates, vandalizing everything from public playgrounds to gay bars, committing vicious hate crimes against LGBT men, and punishing women they considered to be enemies to their cause by kidnapping and brutally gang-raping them. Though they were able to avoid being forcefully disbanded by the Divine Pantheon by claiming that any members successfully convicted of such crimes were only fringe extremist radicals who did not represent their official positions, it was clear to everyone that this was merely a facade to shield them from facing legal consequences for their actions, and that they were in truth the most violent and misogynistic- and therefore adamant and true- disciples of Prince Scorpan.

It was for that exact reason that their leader, a high-ranking Diamond Dog named Noir, had been the mortal Being that Scorpan first approached after he had escaped from Tartarus. Scorpan had commended Noir for his utter dedication to living their philosophy, and had instructed him to summon the other leaders of Alpha Supreme to the ruins of Thebes, an ancient city that had been destroyed in the second War of the Gods thousands of years ago.

Thebes had been the first city-state of Princess Athena before the founding of Athens, which was only a few leagues away. Thebes stood in a wide, grassy plain near the southeastern border of Equestria, which was usually warmer than the settlements near Olympus. Once a grand, beautiful, and prosperous city, Thebes was still regarded as one of the greatest examples of Classical architecture, with fragments of marble buildings held up by crumbling stone pillars scattered throughout the overgrown rubble and still standing, even after tens of thousands of years since their construction.

Cyclone stepped over the fragments of marble walls and ceilings of the buildings that had once been there until he saw another young man, who nodded towards the city's center as he said, "There you are. We've been waiting for you. We are meeting the Prince at the Temple of Athena."

Cyclone nodded, then followed his fellow chapter-head as he led him to the temple.

Within a few minutes, the two men arrived at their destination. The Temple of Athena was remarkably whole, when compared to the toppled buildings surrounding it; though a few of its pillars had fallen and much of its walls and steps had withered away, it could still be comfortably used as a shelter or a meetinghouse, so long as no rain fell through the open ceiling where its roof had once been. Fortunately, it was quite sunny; after all, even if it was supposed to rain now, the Spirit of Storms himself was there to ensure that no such interruption would befall them.

Once Cyclone and his guide had scaled the front steps and entered the temple, they found a couple dozen other men there. Followers of Scorpan weren't as numerous as they once were; since Celestia's defeat of Luna a millennium ago, their ranks numbering well into the tens of thousands had slowly dwindled until Alpha Supreme consisted now only a handful of chapters of one or two dozen members each, adding up to around five hundred in total.

Cyclone and his guide were greeted by their fraternal brothers. They were then given a command by their Supreme Leader Noir, a pale and skinny young Human man with long, greasy black hair, eerie gray eyes, many fine scars all over his face, and a mace upon his thighs; he barked, "Kneel, brothers, to our lord Prince Scorpan, the God of Storms!"

All of the brothers fell to one knee, bowed their heads, and placed their hands over their hearts as they turned to the crumbling marble throne sitting before them, upon which Prince Scorpan was lounging.

Scorpan was a tall, slender, muscular man whose appearance was quite youthful despite the fact that he was older than the very ruins surrounding him and the ancient throne he sat upon. Everything about him reminded anyone who looked upon him of the sky- especially a stormy one; he was deeply tanned as though he was never away from the light of the sun, despite having spent eons locked in the dark depths of Tartarus. His hair was long and spiked, his enormous wings looked just like those of a falcon, and both of them were the exact same color: a dark shade of silver, exactly like that of a storm cloud. He had an extraordinarily handsome face, with a pointed nose, angular jaw, and a pair of enormous, electric-blue, hawk-like eyes that were so intense that they seemed to be disks of stained glass smelted from lightning. Fittingly, the Markings on his sides and arms were weaves of lightning as blue as his eyes and clouds as silver as his wings, with a single cloud flashing a single lightning-bolt on each of his thighs, shoulders, and hands. However, only the Marks on his arms and hands could be seen by his followers at that moment, as the rest were hidden by his clothing; he was wearing tight indigo jeans, a pair of silver sneakers, a black tank top with vibrant blue lining and emblazoned with a saturated lightning storm design, and over the tank top a billowing, unbuttoned sky-blue short-sleeved shirt. He looked exactly like a male fashion model, which was unsurprising, as he had been given the clothing after instructing Noir to give him a fashionable, modern outfit. Scorpan found these unfamiliar items strange and uncomfortable, though he decided that he could get used to them.

"We have come, as you have commanded, My Lord," Noir said deferentially. "What is your will, o great Prince?"

"Rise," Scorpan replied casually. Once his disciples were standing again, Scorpan said, "I have summoned all of you here to entrust you with a task, as you have shown me immesurable loyalty, and have therefore earned my complete trust in doing so. Before I describe this task, however, I must ask if any of you were involved in my release; if so, I wish to personally thank and reward you."

Noir shook his head. "I'm afraid not, My Lord," he replied. "Though we tried to find a way to release you with all the effort we could muster, we could not find a way to do so, and we must confess that it was someone else who was responsible for granting your freedom."

"Hmm," Scorpan said. "Very well. If ever I should meet them, then, I will reward them most handsomely for their service. However, at this time, we must concern ourselves only with what we ought to do now that my reign can resume. Here is what we must do: we must build a new empire, built upon complete freedom and the Truth."

Scorpan softly smiled at his disciples, who placed their hands over their hearts as they shoutingly recited, "The way of the world is the path of nature! The law of the jungle is the contest of life! The strong triumph over the weak, and take what they desire! Strength is power! Laws are slavery! Mercy is weakness! Gods and men are supreme! Be free as the wind, and go and do as you will, as a bolt of lightning! This is the Truth, revealed to us by Scorpan, Lord of the Heavens!"

Scorpan smilingly nodded. "Exactly the same as I have written," he said. "Indeed, we shall build an empire without laws, mercy, or weakness, where we can be free to do as we will and take all we are entitled to."

Scorpan's followers cheered; however, Noir frowned at him as he asked, "Forgive me, My Lord, but how do you intend to build this empire? After all, we are watched at all times by Celestia, that Queen of Weakness."

Scorpan nodded. "That is true," he replied. "I must confess that I did not anticipate how weak she was; when my elder sister promised to imprison me forever in Tartarus, I regarded it as an idle threat, as women are wont to make. However, her childish affection for mortals exceeded my expectations, and she was able to use her feminine charms to lure me into entrapment. However, I assure you it will not happen again."

Noir nodded. "Of course not, My Lord," he said. "However, the fact remains that Celestia will dog you restlessly should you offend her sentimental decree again."

"That is true," Scorpan said. "However, my student, you must remember that her foolish law is founded upon her womanly weakness, and that same weakness that drove her to betray me can be turned against her, so that she will dare not to hound us any longer."

Noir smiled as his eyes narrowed with malicious excitement. "How so, My Lord?" he said.

"In the Old Times," Scorpan said, "when I was still Prince of Asgard, I found that whenever I took a young mortal Being, their mothers would beg and plead for me to release them. Naturally, I refused, and did as I pleased to these mothers' children. Once I had no more use for them and made to dispose of them, however, their mothers again begged and pleaded with me, this time to spare their lives. They offered me anything I desired to stay my hand; their possessions, the fruits of their labors, and even their own bodies." Here Scorpan made a wide, cruel smile. "The dared not to defy me, and were utterly complacent with any demands I made of them. That is the secret to building our new kingdom, my desciples; if we can hold the lives of my sister's subjects' children in our hands, they will bend to our every will."

II-III. The Doll Collection

"Iiiii've... GOTCHA!!"

Pipsqueak squealed and thrashed about in startled protest.

"Stop! Stop, Dad!" Pipsqueak laughed as David Baker grinningly tickled him through his bedcovers.

Dr. Baker was a rather handsome and tall Athenian Human man with short, slicked brown hair and light gray eyes. He was almost always wearing some variation of his brown suit of dress trousers, a vest, an overcoat, and a suede fedora and pair of oxfords. Completing his ensemble was a deep maroon necktie and a long, knitted scarf with subdued stripes of green, red, and yellow. Because of this, very few people had seen the Mark upon his thighs, which was an elegant hourglass with golden bases. Because of this, other Beings were often astonished to learn that Pipsqueak was his son, despite the fact that David was only in his early twenties. He had lost count of the times that people had asked him if he had adopted Pipsqueak, he told them that he was Pip's biological father, and followed this up by saying Pip's mother was four years younger than him when he was pressed on the issue of her age.

Naturally David had come with Pip to Avalon after Dr. Tesseract had died. While it was true that it would have been difficult for David to continue living in the lovely town house his family had lived in in Athens with only his income, he could have still simply bought a smaller and more inexpensive home, or even moved into housing provided freely by Athens University. However, like other lost souls, he had undertaken a pilgrimage to Avalon to escape from the cruelty and persecution he had known in his hometown.

Among the scholars, professors, doctors, and other fellow intellectuals at Athens University, there was by and large a single consensus about Dr. Baker: he was deeply respected as a scientist, hailed as one of the most brilliant mortal Beings currently living, made such great contributions to his field that he absolutely deserved the Owl Prize and knighthood he had received from Princess Athena for scholarly excellence, and that he was widely considered one of the most loathsome, despicable, and reprehensible Beings that had ever been tenured by the University.

David could hardly think of a day since learning of Tesseract's pregnancy and becoming engaged to her that one of his colleagues hadn't shot him a glare of deepest hatred as they passed in the hall, a few of which days he had even been "accidentally" shoved to the ground. He'd also heard his colleagues verbally attack him with extreme malice amongst themselves, and he was sure that they were deliberately ensuring that he overheard them. For instance, he'd heard a senior Professor of Literature mutter to one of the deans, "As brilliant and influential as the playwright Cube Ridge was, few remember how monstrous he was to his crew and actors during any of his performances or rehearsals. It seems that history will forgive even the most heinous sins if the perpetrator is deemed to be a genius." Another whispering he had heard from a fellow doctor was, "I am currently studying prisoners who were convicted of child molestation so that I might aid in adding to our understanding of their psychology. One of the observations I have made is that there seems to be a correlation between pedophilia and sub-average intelligence. Of course, I have recently encountered a child molester who is a doctor and widely considered one of the most brilliant minds in his field, so perhaps it's that only the unintelligent ones that get caught. In either case, regardless of their status or prestige, I believe that all such deviants ought to rot away in prison."

If David was honest, there was a part of himself that agreed with the vitriol of his colleagues; after all, he had impregnated a preteen girl when he was seventeen.

No one was more surprised that David had done this than David himself; after all, before meeting Tesseract, he had lived a very quiet life in which he never got into any trouble and maintained perfect report cards and a spotless criminal record. He didn't even particularly have any great interest in girls growing up; he was married to science, as they say, and poured any free time he had into extra studies that his peers would have spent going to dances and hanging out with their friends. The closest he came to a life of excitement and risk-taking was his friendship with the flamboyant party animal Grand Finale, who he had helped with schoolwork during their grammar school years.

Despite the fact that Finale was a highly promiscuous, extroverted, and lively young man who would get plastered at one of Athens's gay bars every weekend while David was reservedly and silently researching the latest theories on the properties of atoms in the university library, they were still extremely close friends who did many things together. Such activities included attending theatrical productions, going on camping trips with their fathers and brothers, and watching football matches at the university stadium. They were as close as brothers themselves, and made time to visit each other even after their time in elementary school ended, and Finale was apprenticed to a seamstress while David began his enrollment at Athens University. Naturally, when Finale had taken the young Elf-girl Rarity as his own apprentice, David was one of the first ones to know about it and be introduced to her.

It wasn't difficult to see why Rarity had chosen Finale to be her mentor; both Elves were highly dramatic and emotional, yet polite and dignified fashion designers who wanted more than anything to see their works showcased by the biggest names in upper Elvish society. David also quickly saw that Rarity was every bit as outgoing and flirtatious as Finale; Rarity had playfully and suggestively teased David immediately after Finale introduced her to him, though she soon stopped when she saw how obviously uncomfortable it made him. It wasn't that David wasn't flattered or that he didn't find Rarity attractive, himself; in fact, she was easily one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. However, the fact remained that she was an eleven-year-old child, and so the idea of submitting to her advances was a deeply disturbing one.

However, David and Rarity quickly became close friends, as well, and Rarity was extremely impressed by David's enormous intellect. She told her own ingenious best friend, Tesseract, about him, and Tesseract immediately wanted to meet him, as well. When Rarity introduced them, they were both absolutely delighted; for the first time in their lives, both young Humans had encountered peers of the same caliber of intelligence and studiousness as themselves, and soon they were closer friends than they were even with their old classmates.

David would never have imagined that he and Tesseract would ever be more than friends, however; especially while Tesseract wasn't even old enough to drink yet. However, one day, Tesseract had nervously (but politely and formally) asked David to go on a dinner date with her. David was stunned and terrified by this; he immediately and emphatically refused, to which he expected Tesseract to throw a tearful, screaming temper tantrum, like most girls her age would. However, he was again stunned to see her respond with the same maturity and dignity as an adult; though she was obviously very disappointed and saddened, she politely accepted his refusal, then respectfully expressed hope that they could still be friends. Though utterly baffled by how well she was taking his rejection, David happily assured her that they could.

After this incident, however, David never quite saw Tesseract the same way again; she had shown great romantic interest in him, and she seemed to regard the possibility of becoming his girlfriend with every bit as much of the seriousness and gravity as a woman twice her age would. Additionally, David would be lying if he claimed he wasn't at all attracted to her, too; though Tesseract wasn't as pretty as Rarity, she was still a small and adorable girl with a lightly freckled face; large, brown eyes that rested behind thick round eyeglasses; and a head of well-groomed, wavy auburn hair. Tesseract often bound her long hair together into two loose pigtails, and all of this contributed to a sweetly intellectual persona that David found unusually alluring. David found that a small interest in Tesseract was slowly growing within him, which was only amplified by how maturely Tesseract was behaving, even during the tension that laid between them after she had unsuccessfully asked David out.

Tesseract seemed to detect her affections for David being slowly returned; a few weeks later, she made another attempt to invite him on a date. Still a bit surprised, though more prepared for it this time, David again refused. Tesseract again handled David's rejection with great grace and dignity, and so they were able to resume the normal rhythm of their platonic friendship again, though David was now growing deeply worried.

About a month later, Tesseract asked David to go on a date with her again. Deciding that he had to put a stop to this, David asked Tesseract not to ask him out anymore, then suggested she try asking out other boys her own age. Tesseract then began weeping, and quietly told David that she would, except that she couldn't find anyone else who even remotely understood her besides him.

David now felt extremely sorry for Tesseract; he completely understood how painful it was to feel so isolated and lonely, especially due to having such great intelligence that you were almost inaccessible to nearly all other children. He wanted to do something to help her soothe her pain, even a little, and so he finally relented and agreed to go out with her, but only if her parents gave him permission to do it.

David, of course, thought that this would at last put an end to it; he knew that the idea of Tesseract's parents allowing her to become his lover was nothing short of absurd, and he was sure that their refusal was a foregone conclusion. He had also planned a speech to give to Tesseract's parents privately to explain that he was just trying to help their daughter feel better so that they wouldn't murder him on the spot in an (understandable) fit of protective rage. Of course, David knew that there was a good chance that they would kill him anyway before he ever got a chance to explain the situation to them, but at least then Tesseract wouldn't have to worry about being rejected by him ever again.

However, when he had approached Tesseract's parents to ask permission to court their daughter, he was shocked by their reaction; they were fearful and a bit incensed, as he'd predicted they would be, but he'd never imagined that the first words he'd hear from Tesseract's Elf father would be: "Was she the one who initiated this?"

Stunned, David replied, "Y-yes, she was, actually. You see, I don't want to-"

"You don't want to break her heart, so you came to us to forbid it so that you wouldn't have to, right?"

David gazed astonishedly at Tesseract's Human mother, who was the one who had interrupted him. How could she guess that? Even more puzzlingly, David didn't see any anger in her expression; she was gazing at him with an intensely studious frown, as though she were thinking very hard in an attempt to decide something about him.

"In another circumstance," Tesseract's father said after a few moments of tense silence lingered in the air, "I might've flailed you alive. But Tesseract isn't like most other girls, and you're not like most other boys. You're not a stupid lad, and we know that Tess has some powerful feelings for you; she told us as much herself. I know that if you were really determined to have your way with our little girl, telling us would have been the very last thing you'd have done. In fact, coming to us was so astonishingly stupid that you can only have done it if you really, really care about her."

Tesseract's father closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then turned to his wife. "Darling...." he quietly muttered. "What do you think...?"

Tesseract's mother cast another quick glance at David, then nodded. After she sat up straight again, she said, "So, Mr. Baker... tell me, would you really like to be our daughter's boyfriend?"

David's eyes widened, and he paled with fright. "Wha-?! No! No, Miss! I promise-!"

"We know that wasn't your original goal in coming here," Tesseract's father said, waving his hand dismissively. "You needn't worry about that. However, we ask you: please answer honestly. In truth, I think I'd prefer it if that really was your honest answer, but I promise we won't retaliate against any answer you give. We ask, once again: would you like to be Tesseract's lover?"

Under the fierceness of the man's gaze, David shrunk away slightly, hesitated a moment, then said quietly, "Y- ... yes. Yes, I... I would, Sir...."

Tesseract's father stared at David for a few more moments, then he deeply sighed, nodded, and laid back in his chair. "Very well," he muttered wearily. "From us, at least, you have our permission to court our daughter."

David's eyes widened. "W-what?!" he exclaimed, his face burning as he leaned forward in shock. "B-but she's-!"

"A child, yes, we're fully aware of that," Tesseract's father said, his lips twisted in something something between a smirk and a sneer. "However, she already has the mind of an adult, despite how short her life has been. And she's unimaginably lonely because of that. Hell, not even I can understand her most of the time. Believe me, lad, I would not be doing this if there was any other way to help our daughter be a little happier."

David stared at Tesseract's parents with greater shock than he'd ever felt before in his entire life. However, before he could respond, Tesseract's mother said, "However, we have no wish to be in defiance of the law. Therefore, we are going to petition Princess Athena to make an allowance for this particular circumstance."

David turned to her. "W-what...?" he said.

Tesseract's father scoffed. "For a prodigy, you are rather dense, Boy," he said. "Perhaps you don't remember that it is unlawful to engage in sexual relations with a Being under fifteen years of age?"

David paled again. "B-but- but I...!" he stammered.

"Even if it's not what you're thinking about now, Boy, you are still a young man," Tesseract's father said.

Tesseract's mother added, "It would be foolish of any of us to think that a romantic relationship between you and Tesseract would not eventually culminate in a physical one. But, as things stand now, you'd get a life sentence in the Princess's dungeon if such a thing indeed occurred, wouldn't you? Don't look so frightened; we're also going to ask the Princess's discretion in this matter. Should she allow it, we promise our discretion, too."

Tesseract's father narrowed his eyes. "However," he said with frightening calmness, "know this, Boy: if you do begin courting my daughter, I will be watching you very closely. If you so much as put one toe out of line, I'll know about it; I'm going to ask Tess every day how you've been treating her, and if you do anything to hurt her, the Royal Guard will be the least of your problems. If anything is even slightly wrong, I expect you to sever your relationship with her immediately. You two will then never see each other again. Are we understood?"

David gulped, faltered under Tesseract's father's stare for a few moments, then made a small nod.

After taking another deep breath, Tesseract's father said, "Alright. We'll write that letter to the Princess for you. You may go home now."

Swallowing, David nodded and replied, "Y-yes, Sir...." before standing up from the armchair he was seated in, turning to the door, and exiting their library.

David tried to forget what had happened at Tesseract's home for a few days; however, he soon received an envelope bearing a brown wax seal of Athena's owl-emblazoned Coat of Arms, which he opened and read. After learning that the Princess had granted him special permission to have an intimate relationship with Tesseract, as well, he decided to seek advice from Finale.

"Of bloody course you should go out with Tess, Bruv!" Finale cried. "Gods, Mate, why haven't you already?!"

"But she's as old as Rarity!" David cried. "She's still just a little girl!"

"Any other time, you might have a point there," Finale replied with a smirk. "But you two ain't like other Beings, are you? Tesseract is every bit as brilliant and mature as you are. Maybe even more. I think there'd be more of an imbalance in your favor if you were to court some forty-year-old MILF you met on the street."

"Everyone worries too much," Rarity interjected, catching David by surprise. He turned to the doorway that opened into Finale's workroom and saw that Rarity was standing in it, leaning against the frame and eavesdropping on them. Rarity casually strolled in, continuing, "Beings are always throwing fits over the idea of kids having... relations, especially with older Beings. But I don't know what all the fuss is about; as long as they want it, too, and aren't being hurt or threatened, what's the problem anyway?"

David gaped with horrified astonishment at Rarity, who continued, "Besides, you're not that much older than her."

"I'm sixteen!" David cried. "You two are twelve!"

"And when I was ten, I was fooling around with one of my teachers," Rarity replied, rolling her eyes. "And he was actually sweeter and gentler than some of the classmates I'd been with."

The whole conversation had become so surreal and frightening that David was beginning to wonder if he was having a nightmare. "W-what?!" he cried. "Rarity, who-?!"

"I'm not gonna tell you!" Rarity said exasperatedly. "Bloody hell, you think I'm gonna let him get put away for doing something I asked for, I initiated, and that I was able to cut off at any time?! Stop worrying so much about me, David; I'm fine!"

David gave a desperate look to Finale, who sighed and said, "Look, I don't think that Rarity should've done it, either. But any way you look at it, is it really as bad as it could have been? From the sound of it, she wanted to do it, it was completely consensual, and nobody got hurt. Besides, that's not the point right now; we're talking about you, not Rarity. And here's my opinion on you and Tess: I can't think of any reason why you two shouldn't be a couple. You two obviously care very much for each other, you're both intellectual equals, and Tess has her parents, the Guard, and me and Rarity to protect her should you do something to harm her. But I doubt she'll need it; you're the kindest, most honest, most respectful bloke I know. I wish that other boys were as sweet as you are. The fact that you've come to us for advice makes me know that you would do anything to keep Tess from getting hurt. You don't have to listen to me, Mate, but that's what I think; there's no reason you and Tess shouldn't be together."

After hearing this from his other friends and thinking it over for a few days, David finally made his decision; he approached Tesseract and told her that he accepted her invitation to go have dinner with her.

Tesseract was, of course, delighted. She and David greatly enjoyed their first date together, and soon arranged another one. They kept their relationship a secret from everyone else, except for their closest friends and parents, and their romance progressed at a very slow pace. They didn't begin having a physical relationship until they had been a couple for several months, and even then David never initiated any of their lovemaking sessions, nor did he do or ask anything to Tesseract of his own volition. Tesseract expressed to him that she wished he would show more initiative and be less inhibited during these times, but David replied that he wanted to be absolutely sure he didn't harm her, which only caused Tesseract to adore him even more.

Though David continued to worry about Tesseract's well-being, and question his own morality for having an intimate relationship with her, he found that he was quite happy with her. It was clear that he dearly loved Tesseract, and that her love for him was just as strong; in her college-preparation academy, Tesseract's friends could see the bliss constantly radiating off of her, and asked her if she had a boyfriend. Tesseract replied that she did, though she adamantly refused to give them David's identity.

Until Tesseract became pregnant with Pip, that is.

Tesseract was just a few days away from her thirteenth birthday when she first felt her unborn baby boy kicking from within her womb. David was panicked and horrified, but Tesseract was simply ecstatic; she'd always wanted to be a mother, though she admitted that it would have been preferable to become one at an older age. David wished desperately that he had been born an Elf, so that he could have prevented Tesseract's preadolescent pregnancy from ever happening through magical birth control, which was the only known method with a zero percent failure rate. In any case, Tesseract then asked him to marry her and help her raise their child, which David happily (but still quite anxiously) accepted.

David and Tesseract immediately bought engagement rings for each other, and Tesseract moved with David into his apartment near the university. Though Tesseract's friends saw the ring on her finger, they thought nothing of it; however, David's colleagues immediately deduced that he had a fiancé through his own one. It didn't take long for Tesseract's teachers and classmates to realize that she was pregnant, and the identity of her fiancé and child's father quickly became known to everyone within her and David's social spheres.

David's colleagues and superiors would have been more outwardly hostile to him, except that both Tesseract and Princess Athena herself demanded that they leave him alone; Athena confirmed that they had her special permission to be together, and Tesseract angrily asserted that anyone who claimed David was abusing her was personally patronizing her, insulting her intelligence, and causing unnecessary grief for their yet-unborn child. As a result, David's colleagues resentfully left him somewhat alone, though he never fully escaped their ire.

Regardless, David and Tesseract continued to share a happy relationship, and were married in a joyous wedding in which Rarity was their Maid of Honor and Finale was their Best Man. David received his doctorate just before Pipsqueak was born, then he stayed home and cared for Pip while Tesseract finished getting her doctorate at the university. David supported the both of them by writing for the university's journals while Pip slept; once Tesseract had graduated, as well, they divided the responsibility of caring for him equally. Pip was quite happy and healthy, and so the stress his parents experienced while caring for him was somewhat manageable.

As far as David was concerned, though his life wasn't exactly a walk in the part, it fell completely into hell when Tesseract was suddenly killed. The most tragic and infuriating thing about it wasn't that she was only sixteen when it happened, or even that she had left a doting husband without the love of his life and their little child without a mother; it was that it wasn't even her fault. Her coworkers said that she was extremely careful, and that she tried to choose the safest experiments possible so as to cause as little danger to her own life as possible; however, one of her fellow doctor's lab assistants was grievously careless with their equipment and materials, which resulted in the accidental synthesis of an extremely deadly poison that was spilled onto Tesseract and killed her nearly instantly.

Though the lab assistant responsible was imprisoned for negligent homicide, and the doctor who employed him was fired by the university and stripped of her certification, Tesseract's parents and David still felt that justice hadn't been properly served. The assistant was sentenced only to five years' incarceration, and the doctor overseeing him received no jail time at all, which all of Tesseract's friends and family agreed were far too lenient as punishments. However, David's in-laws lost any resentment they had left for him, and they personally apologized for distrusting him and thanked him for being such a wonderful friend and partner to their daughter.

However, David's colleagues weren't so sympathetic to his sorrows; now that Tesseract wasn't there to personally defend her relationship with him anymore, David's colleagues were free to hound and torment him all they liked. With the advice and aid of his parents, in-laws, and friends, David eventually left Athens and took Pip to Avalon, where he and his tiny son could morn Tesseract's untimely death together in peace.

David was quite glad that Rarity was now in Avalon, as well; not only did she help him move to his new home and get settled into life in the little farm-town, she also introduced him to Rose Luck, who of course became his second wife and Pip's stepmother. David told Rose about the circumstances that led to Pip's birth and their exodus from Athens, though she was quite compassionate and understanding; she trusted him, and she told him that she knew he never would have exploited Tesseract purely for his own self-gratification. And though Rose wasn't even remotely as intellectually gifted as Tesseract, David still grew to love her very deeply, and was infinitely grateful to her for giving Pip another mother.

"Come on, Pip; it's time to get up. You have school in a few hours, remember?"

"Of course I remember, Dad!" Pip replied, grinning. "I can't wait to go there, and see Scootaloo again!"

David chuckled. "Come on," he said. "Rose and I made scrambled eggs for breakfast."

Pipsqueak cheered, leapt out of bed, and swiftly got changed out of his pajamas into his school clothes.

As Pip, David, and Rose were eating, however, they heard a town crier walk past their house and shout while forcefully ringing a handbell, "All citizens of Avalon, gather around Town Hall immediately! Urgent town meeting from Mayor Meyer in ten minutes!"

After gazing anxiously and perplexedly at each other for a few moments, Pip and his parents stood up from their breakfasts and exited their house, where they joined the crowd of other Beings that were leaving their homes and made the town-wide trek to Town Square.

Once all the citizens of Avalon were standing around the tower of Town Hall, Pip and his family were approached by Ditzy Do and Dinky, who were close friends of theirs. "What do you think's going on?" Ditzy asked Rose.

Rose shook her head. "I have no idea," she replied.

The crowd continued murmuring amongst themselves for a few minutes, during which time Rainbow and Rarity joined Pip and David, as well. They were excitedly discussing theories on what had happened while Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, Twilight, Spike, and the Crusaders joined them, and soon all of them were exchanging ideas about what had happened- except, of course, for Twilight and Spike, who were completely silent.

At last, however, Mayor Meyer emerged from Town Hall's balcony, and with the trumpets sounding from the hands of a few guards, the crowd fell silent.

"Citizens of Avalon!" Mayor Meyer cried. "I have gathered you all here to deliver a message to you on behalf of Her Royal Majesty, High Princess Celestia. Listen closely, and heed my words carefully: the Sixth Seal of Tartarus has been broken, and the God of Storms Prince Scorpan has returned to this Earth."

Gasps and cries of fear rose up from the crowd, and the guards again had to blow their trumpets to restore order. Mayor Meyer continued, "At the moment we know little else; we don't know his current location, we don't know his plans, and we don't know the identities of those responsible for his release. We do know this, however: Scorpan is extremely dangerous, and he absolutely must be captured at any cost. Do not seek him out, and report any sightings of him to the Town Guard immediately. Princess Celestia wishes to let us all know that defending us remains her primary concern, and that recapturing Scorpan is therefore her first priority. We also ask that all of you never travel alone, and that you remain inside at nighttime, if possible. Thank you all for your cooperation; you may now return to your usual routines, and we wish you all days of safety and good health."

The Mayor reentered the tower, and the Guards blew their trumpets again, signaling to the crowd to disperse.

"Another Dark God's been unsealed?!" Applejack cried to her friends. "Good Celestia, what is happenin'?! It was only a few months ago that Princess Luna escaped Tartarus...!"

"Yeah, somethin's definitely up!" Rainbow agreed. "I mean, the Sealed Gods have been locked in the Seven Hells for eons, and only now are they starting to escape?!"

"Ah'm scared, Sis!" Apple Bloom cried, fearful tears welling in her eyes. "What if- what if Scorpan makes a thunder-twister, and drives it through Avalon, and-?!"

"Hey, don't worry, Bloom!" Scootaloo interrupted her, smirking. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are still protecting us, remember? They've kicked Scorpan's sorry ass once; I'm sure they'll do it again!"

"Watch your mouth, Missy!" Applejack said angrily.

"She does have a point, though," Pinkie said with a small smile. "I mean, didn't they say that Celestia's battle with Scorpan was shorter than her battle with any other God? Capturing him again is probably gonna be a piece of cake for her!"

"Y'know, she's right," Pip interjected, grinning. "I was just reading a book about storms! Earth's storms might be pretty scary, but some of the Sun's storms are even bigger than the whole Earth! Scorpan's no match for Celestia; in fact, I bet he's hiding from her right now!"

"That's a good point, Pip," David said, rubbing Pipsqueak's head and smiling warmly. "But you still need to be careful, alright? Scorpan can still hurt you or someone else until Celestia's got him locked up again."

"I will, Dad," Pip replied with a wide smile.

"Well, we'd all best be headed back home," Applejack said. "The young'uns have school, and all the rest of us have work to do."

"You're absolutely right, Applejack," Twilight said, smiling at her. "C'mon, Spike; let's go back to the library."

As Applejack and Twilight were returning to their homes, however, Rainbow stayed where she was and gazed suspiciously after Twilight. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Ditzy noticed this as they were walking away, and turned around and walked back to her. "Um... what's wrong, Dashie?" Fluttershy said anxiously.

"Something's a little off about Twilight...." Rainbow muttered.

Rarity told Sweetie Belle to head back to the Carousel Boutique without her while Fluttershy replied, "What do you mean, Rainbow?"

"She's oddly calm, considering what we just heard," Rainbow muttered. "I mean, you remember how she was when Luna showed up? She was downright hysterical. And now she just seems... mildly concerned?"

"You think that she might be involved somehow, Rainbow Dash?" Rarity said, a tinge of concern in her voice.

"Well, I doubt it, but...." Rainbow said, tapping her foot rhythmically. "I went to the library this morning, but she wasn't there."

Rarity replied, "Well, I'm sure that she was just off doing a bit of shopping or-"

"Um, actually..." Ditzy said quietly, drawing the attention of the other girls. "I just saw her and Spike getting off of a train from Olympus while I was picking up tickets from their office this morning...."

The others' eyes widened, and Rainbow glared in Twilight's direction. "That's it," she muttered quietly. "I'm gonna figure out what the fuck's goin' on," she added before taking to the air.

"Wait- Dashie!" Fluttershy cried, flying up after her.

Rarity began running towards the Golden Oak Library, as well, leaving Ditzy alone with Dinky. After a moment, Ditzy stroked Dinky's cheek and said, "Come on, Sweetie; you've got to finish getting ready for school."

Dinky grinned and giggled, "Okay, mom!" before accompanying her back to their home.

"Well, I'm glad that's settled," Twilight sighed upon closing the library door behind her.

"So... can I have the rest of the day off?" Spike said hopefully.

Twilight smirkingly scoffed. "You wish," she said. She went to one of the bookshelves, pulled down an Alchemy textbook, and set it down on the library's writing-desk. "Start studying pages eight through thirteen," she commanded Spike, pointing at the book. "Once you've finished that, start memorizing the formulas at the end of the chapter. I'm gonna quiz you on them in a few days, so come to me if you have any questions, alright?"

Spike sighed and rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Celestia, Twi, you wouldn't let me have a day off if the Seven Hells froze over...."

Twilight lightly chuckled.

However, Spike had only barely opened the cover of the textbook when the library's front door was slammed open, and Rainbow Dash shouted in at them, "You've got some explaining to do, Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight and Spike turned to gaze with anxious surprise at Rainbow, who was glaring back at them with deep suspicion. "Wait- Dashie!" they heard Fluttershy cry from behind her, and soon she pantingly descended to the ground behind Rainbow. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for why they were gone...." Fluttershy continued nervously, setting her hand gently on Rainbow's shoulder.

"Fine, then I wanna hear it!" Rainbow growled, advancing menacingly on Twilight.

Rarity joined Fluttershy in entering the library as Twilight worriedly said, "W-what are you talking about, Rainbow? I-"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Rainbow snarled, jabbing her index finger into the center of Twilight's chest. "I know you two were in Olympus this morning! I came to the library to ask if you'd like to grab a drink at the pub with me-"

"Wait- you what?" Twilight exclaimed, blushing.

Rainbow's frown softened, her eyes widened with realization at what she'd just confessed, and she began blushing intensely, as well. "D-don't change the subject!" she cried, briefly glancing away from Twilight's gaze. Her glare soon returned, however, and she again locked eyes with Twilight as she continued, "Anyway, when I came you weren't home, and so I thought you might be getting some groceries or something! But Ditzy just told me that she saw you and Spike getting off of a train from Olympus this morning!"

Twilight was now paling. "I... I...." she began.

"What's goin' on, Twi?!" Rainbow shouted. "I know you've got somethin' to do with all of this!"

"Oh, come now, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried angrily. "What in the world could Twilight and Spike possibly have to do with this? You aren't suggesting that they are the ones who released Scorpan, are you?!"

Rainbow folded her arms and scoffed back. "Yeah? Well, maybe I am!"

Twilight's eyes narrowed with tremendous, affronted anger. "Are you serious, Rainbow Dash?!" she cried disbelievingly. "Are you really going to accuse me of releasing a Dark Sealed God?!"

"It would explain a lot!" Rainbow countered. "For instance, why did you and Spike move out of Olympus? And why did you disappear after Spike's birthday party?! I notice that you were conveniently absent when both Dark Gods were unsealed!"

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy cried despairingly as tears began welling in her eyes. "Why would you say such terrible things-?!"

"You know what I think?!" Rainbow continued, ignoring Fluttershy. "I think that you two released Luna and Scorpan, and that you just came to Avalon from Olympus so that you wouldn't have Celestia breathing down your neck anymore!"

Before Twilight could retort, however, they heard yet another voice in the doorframe of the library's entrance; "Oh, please, Rainbow Dash. What, are you gonna say that Spike and Twilight are secretly lizard-people, too?!"

The girls all turned to the open door, where they saw Pinkie Pie, who was glaring at Rainbow, folding her arms, and holding a rolled-up newspaper in her hand.

Rainbow scoffed. "Oh, and you just happen to know what the fuck they were doing in Olympus last night, Pinkie?!" she shouted.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Pinkie replied icily. She then walked forward, unrolled the newspaper in her hand, and shoved it into Rainbow's face, adding, "Besides, read what this says! The only ones who saw Scorpan were Horus and his Royal Court, and they saw him yesterday afternoon!"

Rainbow took the paper and held it a few centimeters away from her face as Pinkie placed her hands on her hips and spat, "It's ridiculous that you'd ever think Twilight could've done this anyway; she was the one who saved us from being captured by Luna when she returned, remember?! Is there any other horrific crime you'd like to accuse one of our best friends of?!"

Rainbow read the first few lines on the paper's front page, then her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly with surprise. "... Oh.... Oh my... gosh...." Rainbow said.

Rainbow turned back to Spike and Twilight. "Yo, guys...." she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I... I'm so, so sorry, I...."

Rainbow looked so genuinely ashamed and remorseful that she was on the verge of tears, and Twilight and Spike felt their glares immediately melt away. Rainbow then looked down at the paper again, then she quietly muttered, "But... but.... it still doesn't make sense.... I mean, what're the odds of Twilight and Spike disappearing without a word on the exact same day Scorpan gets released? If they weren't releasing Scorpan, exactly what were they doing?"

Rainbow looked up at Pinkie, as though expecting an answer. After a few moments, however, Pinkie said exasperatedly, "I'm not going to tell you."

Rainbow frowned angrily again. "What?! Why not?!" she cried.

"I Pinkie Promised that I wouldn't tell," Pinkie replied firmly. "It's no one's business but theirs."

Rainbow looked extremely annoyed. "Aww, come on, Pink!" she whined. "I mean, what the fuck could they-?!"

However, an idea suddenly struck Rainbow, and her eyes widened with realization. "Wait...." she said quietly, turning back to Twilight and Spike. Her eyes darted between them, then she weakly pointed at them as she said, "Did... did you two...?"

Rarity and Fluttershy gasped as the realization struck them, as well. "Oh, Celestia!" Rarity cried disbelievingly. "Don't tell me that you two are a... a couple?!"

Twilight began blushing again, though Spike sighed and muttered, "Well, Twi, I guess the jig is up. We've been found out."

Rainbow's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't believe you," she said suspiciously. "I mean, no one slaves over stupid rules like Twi."

Twilight looked offended, though Spike smirked and scoffed. "Oh?" he said. "So you don't believe I could get Twilight to break a rule? Well, then; I guess I'll just have to break one with her right now!"

Before Twilight had a chance to respond, Spike swiftly reached across her front, grabbed her wrist, turned her to face him, then leapt up to wrap his arms around her neck and grip her torso between his legs. Spike was kissing her; right then, right there, for all of their friends to see.

Twilight made a muffled cry in protest, and her face burned violently as she cast a glance towards the other four girls, who were all gaping astonishedly at the astounding sight that laid before them.

Spike wasn't just kissing her; he was kissing her deeply. It was quite passionate and sensual, as though he really was her lover. Twilight had never been kissed before, and so she was utterly lost as to how to respond for a few moments, but then she decided to play along; she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around him, as well, and began mimicking the motions he made with his lips and tongue. She actually found it extremely enjoyable, and she felt herself growing deeply aroused by her apprentice's alluring scent, beguiling taste, and soft, gentle touch....

Spike drew back and panted softly to catch his breath, then he released Twilight and landed sharply back on the ground. Spike's face was intensely flushing, as well, though he made a self-satisfied smirk to their four friends.

"Oh my...." Fluttershy whispered, covering her mouth with the fingers of one of her hands. "You... you two really are...." she continued.

Rainbow nodded, her face in a deeply impressed expression. "Yep. That was definitely real," she observed.

Rainbow then narrowed her eyes and smirked mischievously at Spike, adding, "Look at you, man. Not only were you able to charm your way into your mentor's panties; that mentor is fucking Twilight Sparkle. Maybe I should have ya wingman for me at the Salt on the Rim sometime..."

Twilight closed her eyes, swallowed, and trembled as her face burned with embarrassment. "Just... please, please don't tell anyone..." she said meekly. "I mean... I... I really, really love Spike, and... if anyone were to find out, I...."

"Oh, don't worry, darlings!" Rarity said, beaming. She continued with kindly assurance, "I completely understand! Oh, this is just the sweetest and most adorable thing I've ever seen!"

"I won't tell anyone, either," Fluttershy said, gently smiling and blushing lightly. "Spike might be your apprentice, Twilight, but you're both really smart and really sweet to each other. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with it."

Pinkie grinned. "You already have my Pinkie Promise!" she cried.

"Snitching on you guys would be a first-caliber violation of the Bro Code. No way in Tartarus am I gonna do that," Rainbow added. She then snickered, "No wonder you weren't more hysterical that Scorpan was released, Twi; I bet you just got the best dicking you've had in weeks!"

"That's right," Spike replied, chuckling as he wrapped an arm around Twilight's waist. "Back in Olympus, we had rooms that shared the same bathroom, so we were able to sneak into each other's rooms to do it every night. Since we've come to Avalon, we've had to be a bit more careful; that's why we decided to go back to Camelot for the night after the Back-to-School party. We figured that you all would sleep in, and we'd have enough time to get back before any of you noticed we were gone."

"I bet that was Spike's idea too, huh?" Rainbow said, leering at Twilight. "My gosh, Twi, you're such a geek! You still have no idea how to make out properly!" Rainbow then chuckled lustfully and purred, "That's hot. I bet it's fucking awesome."

Twilight frowned a little angrily at Rainbow, who burst into laughter. "You're still so damn innocent!" Rainbow cried, wiping a tear away from her eye. "You really are somethin' else, Twi. Well, anyway, I'd better go to work now; Ms. Stamp's really gonna let me have it. Catch ya later, guys!"

Twilight and Spike's other friends bid them farewell, as well, then Twilight closed the door and sighed in enormous relief. "That was close..." she muttered.

"That was your first kiss, wasn't it, Twilight?" Spike said. Twilight turned to him, and saw that his expression was apologetic. "I'm sorry," Spike continued with genuine remorse. "I just had to do something, you know?"

"It's... it's alright, Spike," Twilight said, blushing and looking away from him. "You... you're right; we didn't really... have any other option...."

Spike shrugged. "Well, if it helps at all, it was my first kiss, too," he said. Twilight's eyes widened with shock, and she turned to look back at Spike again. Spike awkwardly chuckled, "To be honest, I'm kinda surprised they bought it...."

"It was?!" Twilight cried in great shock. "But... but it was so...!"

Spike laughed nervously. "Sunset was making out with other Beings all the time," he said. "I think it would've been harder for me not to pick it up."

"You... you watched Sunset kiss other Beings...?!" Twilight cried with shock and a bit of disgust.

Spike shrugged. "Well, I didn't watch, per se, but I was around it, and it didn't really bother me," he said simply. "Sunset and I have just always been perfectly comfortable around each other, you know? We've never had a problem with sharing a bed, or bathing together, or anything else like that."

Twilight gaped at Spike, not comprehending what he was telling her; he, Spike, her cute little apprentice who was quite horny even for a boy his age, and Sunset, his extremely gorgeous and promiscuous older sister, had been able to bathe together without anything happening between them? The idea was an extremely difficult one to wrap her mind around.

Spike scoffed derisively. "Oh, come on, Twi!" he said, drawing Twilight's attention back to him. "Of course I don't think of Sunset that way! She's my sister, for fuck's sake!"

"It... it's just...." Twilight said, finding herself at a loss for words. "Well, um... most other siblings aren't like that...."

Spike shrugged. "Yeah, well, she wasn't just my sister; she was also my absolute best friend. How's it any different from you bathing or sharing a bed with our friends?"

Twilight looked down at the ground and was silent for a few moments. "I... I guess you're right...." she muttered.

Spike shrugged and walked to the writing-desk, saying, "Anyway, I'm gonna get started on that assignment now. You look pretty tired, Twi; why don't you go take a nap for a couple hours? I'll handle any patrons who come."

After a moment, Twilight nodded. "Y-yes, Spike. That's a good idea...." she said.

Twilight walked to Spike, gave him a small hug from behind, then went up to her bedroom. As she slid into the covers and laid while waiting for sleep to overcome her, however, Twilight placed her fingertips over her lips as she remembered the kiss that she and Spike had shared. Even if it was just to keep their friends from learning their true secret, it had still been an absolutely amazing first kiss....

Once Pip was fully ready for school, Rose led him to the apartment complex where Ditzy and Dinky lived. Ditzy and her blonde, Elvish daughter were waiting just outside their apartment door for them, and when they met, Rose knelt down and said to Pip, "Go to school and come back with Dinky, alright? I'll be waiting here with Ditzy to take you back home."

Pip nodded. "I will, Mum," he replied.

Rose nodded, gave Pip a kiss on the cheek, and embraced him. "Love you," she said.

"Love ya too, Mum," Pip replied, hugging her back.

After Dinky had embraced, kissed, and bid farewell to her mother, as well, she and Pip began walking side-by-side to Avalon Elementary together.

Once they had reached one of the streets in the middle of town, Dinky said to Pipsqueak, "Are you having a good morning, Pip?"

"Oh, yeah!" Pip cried. "I wish we didn't miss two hours of school, but I'm so excited to be there again!"

"Me too!" Dinky cried. "Mrs. Honeycomb said we're going to start studying metamorphosis today, didn't she? I'm so excited to start raising a butterfly!"

Pip made to agree, but a sudden flash of electric-blue Ether startled them and caused them to both look forward before he could.

Standing before them was a very tall, muscular, tanned young man with vibrantly blue eyes; long, storm cloud-silver hair tucked behind pointed ears; and a pair of enormous feathered wings as silver as his hair. He had blue lightning and silver storm cloud Markings on his hands, shoulders, and arms, and he was smirking down at them with an unfriendly glint in his eye. "Hello, little ones," Scorpan said softly.

Pipsqueak and Dinky Do would have screamed for help, but Scorpan thrust his hands forward so quickly that they became blurs, and he caught each of them by their necks, silencing them before they could make a sound. He then lifted them both up into the air, and both of them struggled and kicked in an attempt to escape his hold, though his fingers were far too strong to loosen. Chuckling darkly, Scorpan's Marks glowed for an instant as he teleported again; Pip and Dinky found themselves deep in the Everfree Forest, suspended over a long-range Teleportation Circle and surrounded by several other frightening-looking young men.

"Not a bad catch, I should think," Scorpan said, smirking at the terrified children he was holding in the air. He looked at Dinky as he commented, "This one's a rather cute little Elf-girl, isn't she? A little young, maybe, but I'm sure she'll be quite popular as she gets older...."

The brothers of Alpha Supreme all laughed and voiced their agreement.

Scorpan frowned slightly as he shifted his attention to Pipsqueak. "This one, however...." he muttered. "A bit of a grotesque, isn't he? That birthmark is quite unsightly. But he is still rather handsome otherwise, and I'm sure there will be some with a taste for his deformities...."

Making another satisfied smirk, Scorpan lowered Pip and Dinky enough that his followers could reach them as he said with a casualness bordering on boredom, "Take them to the others."

As the fraternal brothers were shackling and gagging the two fearfully-weeping children and carrying them deeper into the woods, Scorpan turned to Noir and said, "How many do we have now, Commander?"

Noir bowed as he replied, "With them, we now have twenty-seven, My Lord."

Scorpan smiled. "They were ridiculously easy to capture," he said. "And I've seen many more handsome children in this little hamlet. I think we shall gather the other seventy-three from here." He turned to two of the others and barked, "You there! Scout out a suitable campsite. By the end of this day, we shall all be free of my hysterical sister's tyranny!"

The brothers of Alpha Supreme all cheered uproariously. Scorpan made a wide, malicious smile, then his Marks glowed blue with Ether for a moment before he again teleported with another bright flash.

II-IV. Scorpan

It was immediately apparent to everyone in Avalon Elementary that something was wrong. Several teachers, including Ms. Cheerilee, had called the role and found that several students were absent without explanation that day. If it were just one or two students, the teachers would have just assumed that they had gotten ill and would have a letter sent by their parents excusing them from attending that day. However, today almost a dozen children were gone with no forewarning or explanation from their parents. The faculty didn't wish to jump to the worst possible conclusions, but that Scorpan had just been released weighed heavily on their minds, despite the fact that they knew it to be quite unlikely that the God of Storms would be kidnapping young Beings from this rather unknown little farm town.

Nonetheless, the faculty decided to be more careful just in case, and so whenever their students went out to recess they always sent three or four more monitors out to watch over them.

It didn't take long for the children to notice their teachers' discomfort, their raised paranoia, or the sudden disappearance of some of their peers. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were especially worried; they had never had a recess during which Pipsqueak had not immediately approached them and talked to them. They asked some of his classmates about it, and they learned that he had been marked "absent" by Mrs. Honeycomb that day.

"Maybe Pip just got sick," Apple Bloom said to her friends hopefully after they had spoken to one of Pip's classmates. "Ah mean, it happens sometimes, right?"

"That's true...." Scootaloo said. "But, I don't know... we saw him this morning, and he looked completely fine to me...."

"Did you see Dinky, too?" Pip's classmate asked.

The Crusaders turned back to the younger girl. "Yeah, we did," Sweetie replied. "Why?"

"She's not here today, either," the girl replied. "I didn't see my cousin here, either. He's in another class, but we always meet up for lunch at recess."

The Crusaders exchanged deeply worried looks with each other.

"What's going on?" the little girl said, tearing up and trembling fearfully. "Do you think... do you think that Scorpan has them?"

"Ugh!" the Crusaders heard an annoyed, nasty voice shout from behind them. "Don't be such a crybaby! Of course Scorpan doesn't have them!"

The Crusaders turned to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who were standing side-by-side and smirking haughtily at them. "You three are such drama queens!" Diamond continued, turning her nose up at them. "If you blank peasants knew anything about kidnappers, you'd know that they'd have no interest in any of you. Kidnappers go after kids with parents who have money, and the only one here whose parents are anyone is me."

Scootaloo glared at Diamond. "So you should be afraid, then," she said.

Diamond scoffed. "Hardly," she said haughtily. "I live in Avalon, where I'm surrounded by commoners. If someone were going to start kidnapping the children of nobles, they'd go to a high-end city like Athens or Olympus."

"Really?" Scootaloo said. She then smirked as she continued, "Riddle me this, then, Princess: Spike's sister was kidnapped, despite the fact that she's an orphan and has no money. They still haven't given her back. What could they want her for, then?"

At this, Diamond's arrogant smirk immediately vanished. "W-what?" she said quietly.

"Yeah," Scootaloo said. "You heard me. Sunset was kidnapped, even though she and Spike were poor as dirt. Do you have any idea why that is?"

Diamond's mouth was slightly open, but she remained silent.

"Money ain't the only reason Beings kidnap little kids," Scootaloo continued. "Don't tell me you're so sheltered you don't know what else they use 'em for. And I doubt Scorpan has much use for gold."

A wide, sadistic smile spread over Scootaloo's lips. "You know the legends about Scorpan, right? You know what the phrase 'rape, pillage, and burn' means, right?"

Diamond's eyes narrowed. "Shut up," she said with icy quietness.

Pretending not to hear her, Scootaloo continued, "What was your Special Talent that you're always bragging about all the time, again, Diamond? Your grace, poise, and beauty, right? Don't the legends say that the Dark Sealed Gods tend to prefer prettier captives?"

Diamond began to advance on Scootaloo, and Scootaloo could see a mixture of intense fury and terror in her eyes. "Shut the hell up, Scootaloo," Diamond growled.

Scootaloo smirked and hopped between her feet, tauntingly beckoning to Diamond. "Ooh, you wanna fight now, rich girl?" she said. "What's wrong? Afraid the big, bad Scorpan's gonna get ya?"

Diamond took another step towards Scootaloo, but Silver Spoon placed her hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Don't," Silver said. "A lady does not get into fistfights."

Though still trembling a little, Diamond took a few deep breaths, then huffed and spun on her heels. She then walked away from Scootaloo, tossing her hair as she put her nose in the air.

"Tch," Scootaloo scoffed. "All bark and no bite, just like I thought."

"That went too far, Scootaloo," Sweetie said. Scootaloo surprisedly turned to her, and saw that Sweetie was glowering angrily at her. "That's not a joking matter, Scoot. No one deserves it."

"What're you guys talkin' about?" Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo and Sweetie turned to her, and saw that her expression was a mixture of confusion and fear. "W-what're you sayin' Scorpan'll do, Scoot?"

Scootaloo's eyes widened as she remembered: Apple Bloom was still quite innocent. She had no idea of the gravity of the situation at hand. Scootaloo opened her mouth, preparing to reply, but in the end no words came.

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom," Sweetie said, stepping up to Apple Bloom and placing her hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "It's nothing you should get worked up over. Scorpan's not going to get any of us. I promise."

Apple Bloom hesitantly nodded, but her eyes were still watery. Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo stepped forward and said, "She's right, Bloom. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even brought it up."

"Brought what up?" Apple Bloom said, her fear visually building up again.

"I was just pissed at Diamond, that's all," Scootaloo said, dodging the question. "I didn't like how she was dismissing all of us because we're not rolling in money like she is. I was just trying to scare her."

Scootaloo smirked, then placed her hand on Apple Bloom's shoulder as she continued, "Don't worry, Bloom. Even if Scorpan's after us, I'm not gonna let him touch you. I give you my word on my honor as a warrior."

Scootaloo pulled Apple Bloom into a brief embrace. "No one's gonna hurt ya, Bloom. I will protect you. I swear it," she whispered into Apple Bloom's ear as she did so.

When Scootaloo pulled away from Apple Bloom, she saw that she was blushing slightly. With another smirk, Scootaloo spun around and began walking towards the jungle gym.

Apple Bloom gazed after Scootaloo for a few moments, rather confused as to what had just happened. Scootaloo's action and promise were both rather intense, and the tone with which she had sworn, "I will protect you...."

Apple Bloom looked down. She couldn't quite put her finger on what, but there was a special sort of quality about that vow Scootaloo had made. Something that seemed almost... intimate....

"Remember to go home with a buddy, everyone," Ms. Cheerilee said to her class upon the completion of the school day. "Try to walk with a neighbor, so that you'll have someone with you until you're all back safe and sound."

"Yes, Ms. Cheerilee," the students chorused back, then they all began packing up their supplies and finding buddies to travel home with, if they hadn't gotten one already.

Aura, a rather small, quiet Human girl with straight turquoise hair who sat at the back, saw as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon paired up to return to the Rich Estate together. She also overheard Rumble say to Scootaloo, "You said that you're not going home after class today, right?"

"Yep," Scootaloo replied. "Me, Sweetie, and Bloom are headed to our clubhouse for a meeting."

Rumble shrugged. "That's cool. Guess I'll have to find another traveling buddy, then."

Aura caught her breath and flinched. Rumble didn't have a buddy. Her face flushed intensely as she turned to gaze at him.

Rumble was Aura's neighbor, though she'd never approached him to talk to him since he'd arrived at the little house next door to her own a few years ago. It wasn't that Aura disliked him; heavens, no. Aura was just quite shy; especially in the presence of Rumble Lane, who was one of the cutest and handsomest boys she'd ever encountered. Like her, Rumble was quiet and rather withdrawn, but nonetheless Aura knew that a lot of girls had crushes on him. The only reason no one had asked him out yet was because everyone was sure that he already had Scootaloo for a girlfriend.

Aura knew better. She couldn't exactly place why, but she could see that the connection between Rumble and Scootaloo went no further than simple friendship. A close friendship, to be sure, but nothing more nonetheless. Aura also didn't know why she was able to tell, though all of the other girls in her grade couldn't seem to. Maybe it was just because she had a deeper and longer obsession with the poor, beautiful boy next door out of any of them.

Aura might not get another chance to be alone with Rumble. The idea was terrifying to her, but simultaneously quite enticing; as nervous as Rumble made her, she still very deeply liked him, and would have liked nothing more than to spend time with him.

In a burst of sudden, unexpectedly great courage, Aura found herself standing up and walking towards Rumble. The seconds it took for her to stroll between their desks somehow felt like hours and an instant at the same time. A beat of sweat rolled down Aura's burning cheek as she wrung her hands and began trembling.

Aura found herself standing before Rumble, and yet unable to utter a word to him. Her mind had gone blank, and she found herself reaching desperately for something to say, yet she couldn't find any.

After a few moments, Rumble turned and saw her. His eyes widened, then he smiled gently. "Hey, Aura," he said warmly.

Aura looked down at her grasped, trembling hands as she waveringly replied, "H-hi, Rumble...."

Rumble silently gazed at Aura for a moment, his face in an expression of confusion and worry. "You alright, Aura?" he said.

Aura swallowed and nodded.

Unable to guess why Aura seemed to be so frightened, Rumble simply muttered, "Alright," and continued to gaze wonderingly at her.

After a few more moments of tense silence, Rumble suddenly grinned as an idea occurred to him. "Hey! You live next door to me! Why don't we walk home together?"

Aura flinched and looked back up at Rumble. "R-really?" she whispered.

Rumble nodded, beaming. "Yeah! It'll be fun! Come on; grab your backpack and let's get going."

As Rumble stood up from his chair and picked up his bag, Aura stared astonishedly at him, her mind reeling at what had just happened. Had... had he really just asked her to walk home with him? Not even in her absurdest imaginings had Aura imagined events would transpire in that way....

As Rumble finished shoveling his books into his bag and zipping it up, he turned back to Aura and said confusedly, "Hey, you coming, Aura?"

Eyes widening with stunned elation, Aura grinned and cried, "Y-yes, Rumble! I'd... I'd like that...."

Flashing her another grin, Rumble jerked his head towards the doorway. "Come on, then," he said.

Beaming and flushing with equal intensity, Aura slid her backpack on and jogged after Rumble as he led her out of their classroom.

It was a quiet walk back to their neighborhood. Aura had no problem with this; that Rumble was a man of few words was one of the things she liked so much about him. While other boys would roughhouse or belch during recess Rumble was perfectly content just to sit quietly in the shade of a big tree and sketch graffiti-style marker drawings in his sketchbook.

Aura was the only classmate of Rumble who paid enough attention to his work that she could recognize his style. She had deduced that it was he who was responsible for the beautiful spray-painted graffiti murals she had found on the sides of several buildings and other concrete structures. Aura generally hated illegal spray-painted graffiti; they were by and large vulgar and disturbing pieces of garbage that the artists had made purely because they weren't allowed to. But Rumble was different. He was completely penniless, and had only gotten a sketchbook and set of markers as a gift from Ms. Cheerilee. Before then, it was clear that he was still simply bursting with creativity, and needed some kind of outlet for it. Aura knew that Rumble would paint legally if he could, as his pieces were always on old, abandoned houses, hidden underneath bridges, or in some other unbothersome, out-of-the-way location. This only made Aura like them more; after all, they were some of the most beautiful paintings she had ever seen, but she had to go looking for them, which made finding one just like discovering a hidden treasure.

Rumble and Aura were strolling beside an iron fence dividing the cobblestone road they walked upon from a long line of beautiful, reddening, well-maintained peach trees. Aura turned to gaze at Rumble, and fell into a hypnoses-like trance, just admiring the impoverished boy in tattered clothes' stunning, stunning face....

A bright flash of blue. With a startled scream, Aura's head whipped back straight ahead as she stumbled and fell backwards, landing in a painful, hard sit. Rumble, who was too shocked to speak, stayed absolutely still as he stared with rapidly-building fear at what stood before them.

Scorpan smirked and chuckled softly.

"H-Heeeeeelp!" Aura screamed, turning and scrambling back to her feet. However, just before she could begin running away, she felt some kind of force pull at her entire body, causing her feet to drag through the dirt beneath her. She began running, but it was no use; she continued to slowly, steadily inch backwards towards the malevolent God.

Aura tried to scream, "Somebody help!!" but though she could feel her throat vibrate with the words, only silence came from her mouth.

Scorpan sniggered cruelly as he continued to telekinetically pull the little girl towards his outstretched hand. He didn't have to make her movement this agonizingly slow, of course, but nothing gave him quite so much pleasure as making a mortal girl feel utterly, despairingly terrified and powerless. "Yes, scream for help, girl," he said softly. "Scream as loud as you can. Run with every ounce of your strength. Go find help. I'm just standing here, after all; you have every opportunity to get away from me. Aren't you going to take it...?"

Aura began weeping with terror, and she continued to drift steadily towards Scorpan, despite the fact that she was running so hard that her arms, legs, and abdomen were aflame with pain.

Scorpan's smile widened. "Oh? You don't want to leave, little girl? Just say the word, and I'll release you...."

Still silent. Still trapped. Aura slowly stopped running as she soundlessly sobbed in defeated despair.

Scorpan scoffed. "Just like a girl, isn't it?" he said mockingly. "You all put up such a fight, even though deep down you really do want it...."

With a cruel, booming laugh, Scorpan telekinetically lifted Aura into the air, spun her around to face him, then shot her to his hand and caught her by the throat.

As the the glowing blue Ether faded from Scorpan's Marks and eyes, he looked between the two struggling, weeping children he was holding in the air with immense, deep satisfaction. "My, look at these ones!" he cried with great exhilaration, like a child who had just opened a particularly magnificent birthday present. "Aren't you two pretty little poppets!"

With another bright flash, Scorpan teleported himself and his newest prisoners back to his camp, where his followers were diligently awaiting him. They were standing on a Teleportation Circle in a clearing of the Everfree Forest, where several canvas tents surrounded a fire pit where several dangerous-looking young men were drinking, smoking, and laughing. It was by far the most frightening sight Rumble or Aura had ever seen.

Scorpan's disciples cheered at his arrival; once his reception died down, he lifted Aura higher into the air and cried, "Look at this one, brothers! Her little body's beginning to take a deliciously womanly shape. No doubt we'll get a generous sum for the privilege of breaking her in...."

The brothers laughed, whooped, and whistled in agreement and approval.

Scorpan lowered Aura, to which two of his followers promptly shackled and gagged her before carrying her towards a small wooden shed. As they opened the door and carried her in, Scorpan lifted Rumble higher as he said, "And this, I think, is the prettiest boy we've yet collected."

As the brothers began cruelly laughing, however, Scorpan slowly stopped smiling as he met Rumble's horrified, tearful gaze. "Wait a moment...." Scorpan muttered, to which his followers all fell silent.

After staring into Rumble's eyes for a moment, Scorpan's lips again broke into an enormous smile. "Well, well, well!" he cried, his eyes narrowing with sadistic glee. "It seems that this little lad is a fairy, as well!"

After a moment, Scorpan's followers all burst into laughter again, though it was far crueler this time. Scorpan brought Rumble closer to him, so that their faces were mere centimeters apart. "You're in for a treat, then," he said with soft, sickly sweetness. "You are a very. lucky. boy."

Rumble was soon shackled and gagged, as well, and several of the fraternal brothers taunted him as he was carried past them. He didn't understand what any of them said, but he could easily detect the dripping cruelty and malice in their words.

"I bet this is a dream come true, huh, cherry-boy?"

"How many deposits you've got already, fag?"

"This little sicko's gonna like eating a cock for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"

Surrounded only by viciousness and fear, Rumble closed his eyes and began sobbing as he was carried into the shed, as well.

Once the shed door was slammed shut again, Scorpan clapped his hands together cheerfully. "Just a baker's dozen left," he said. He turned to Noir and asked, "Are the parts for the contraption prepared yet?"

"Nearly, my Lord," Noir replied deferentially.

Scorpan nodded approvingly. "Excellent. I'll go find the rest we'll need to complete the set. I'll be back shortly."

With another bright flash, Scorpan vanished.

Scorpan materialized over a rectangular prism of sky marble that was levitating on top of a cloud. It was just large enough to support him, and had another Teleportation Circle etched into it. This airborne Circle was suspended high above Avalon, where Scorpan could silently fly over the town without being detected.

Scorpan leapt off of the Circle, then began silently gliding in slowly descending circles over Avalon. Like a hawk, he was carefully watching the streets for another set of prey. To his pleasure, he found a pair of beautiful little Human girls walking down one of the emptier paths.

Scorpan descended until he silently touched down to the rooftop of one of the houses beside them, where he could get a closer look at them. The two girls were clearly from a wealthy household; he could tell by the precious jewel earrings and fine clothing they wore. The one he guessed was the young noble woman had striped lavender hair, icy blue eyes, and wore a diamond-encrusted tiara upon her head. The other girl, who Scorpan guessed was her servant companion, had braided silver hair and was wearing a pair of stylish eyeglasses with light blue rims.

Smirking, Scorpan silently darted between the rooftops the two girls passed, waiting for the perfect opportunity. They were near Rich Manor, which was largely quiet at the moment, though Scorpan had to be absolutely sure no one would be alerted when he kidnapped the heiress and her handmaid; Baron Rich almost certainly had a private guard, after all, who would immediately be alerted if either girl cried for help. That would make it more difficult for Scorpan to catch the remaining eleven children he needed, so he honed his focus on his highly sensitive ears to find a moment when there would be as few people nearby as possible.

Scorpan flinched, however, when he heard his name being spoken by one of the girls.

"... you believe Scootaloo said that?! Ugh! I'm going to tell my mother she said Scorpan would get me, and you can fucking bet my mom's gonna have her expelled!"

The other girl, who seemed to largely agree with her, nonetheless replied, "Well, she did have a point, Diamond. I mean, why would Scorpan need to go after rich kids? He's a God; he's probably rolling in gold already."

Diamond scoffed haughtily. "Oh, please. Whatever; Scorpan would have to be an idiot to come after me."

Scorpan couldn't help himself. The irony was too tantalizing. The moment was just too perfect. He teleported to the girls' path. As they were astonishedly staring at him, he said mockingly, "Would I, now?"

Before either girl could cry for help, Scorpan swiftly grabbed them by their throats, lifted them up into the air, then teleported back to his camp. His routine had become rather dull, he had to admit, but this catch had been especially fun.

"Two more pretty little birds," Scorpan said, smirking at the children he held. "They sounded full of personality, too. They will be perfect."

Rather than struggle to escape, Diamond gripped Scorpan's thumb and fingers, pulled herself up a little, then cried, "P-please don't hurt me, Your Highness! My daddy's rich; he'll give you anything you want-!"

Scorpan's followers all burst into laughter. "Is that so?" Scorpan said. "Don't worry, girl; I have no intention of harming you in any way. Assuming nothing goes wrong, that is. But I don't want any gold...."

Here Scorpan brought Diamond's terrified face close to his own. "All I want is to have pretty little prisoners like you."

Diamond cried, though she was partially gagged by Scorpan's grip, "Y-you want p-pretty girls? We- we know where you can f-find some! Three of them!"

Scorpan turned to gaze interestedly at Silver Spoon. "Is that so...?" he said.

"Y-yes!" Diamond shouted, drawing Scorpan's attention back to her. "If you l-let us go, we'll tell you where they are!"

Scorpan grinned. "Very well," he said. "Tell me, then, and I'll release you."

After a moment of hesitation, Diamond cried, "They call themselves th-the Cutie Mark C-Crusaders. If- if you go to the east of town, y-you'll find a farm there. They- they're in a clubhouse in one of the t-trees!"

Scorpan smilingly nodded. "You have my deepest gratitude, Miss." He then held Diamond and Silver out to his followers, idly commanding them, "Take them to the rest."

"W-what?!" Diamond cried fearfully as she and Silver were shackled. "But you promised-!"

A gag was then abruptly pulled over Diamond's mouth, silencing her. Scorpan softly smiled as he knelt down and placed his finger under her chin. "My dear, why in the world did you believe I would release you? You are a little mortal girl; it is beneath me to honor a promise to the likes of you." A hungry look flashed across Scorpan's eye. "However... I really am grateful for your help...." he continued.

Here Scorpan gently stroked Diamond's face, causing her to whimper and tremble at his touch. "You're a rare little flower, as well," Scorpan said. "I think I'll play with you first. And to show my gratitude, I promise that I'll be... gentle."

Terrified tears welled in Diamond's eyes as she made a muffled, despairing cry. Scorpan's followers all burst into laughter again before they carried her and Silver into the same shed their peers had been confined in.

There was a frantic knocking on Twilight's door. Arching a brow in curiosity, Twilight stood up from her writing desk, went to the portal, and opened it.

Ditzy Do stood on the other side. She was livid with panic, and the second the entrance was open, she cried, "Have you seen Dinky, Twilight?! Do you know where she is?!"

"N-no," Twilight replied quietly. "What's going-?"

Ditzy clawed at the top of her head and crouched down. "I can't find her anywhere!" she cried. "She was supposed to be home two hours ago! Where could she have possibly-?!"

Twilight knelt down and placed her hands on Ditzy's shoulders. "Take a breath," she said as calmly as she could. "Deep breaths. In...."

As Twilight coached Ditzy through a few calming breaths, Spike emerged from his bedroom, holding a comic, and said concernedly, "What's wrong, Twilight?"

Twilight turned to Spike. "Dinky's missing," she said. "Stay with Ditzy, alright? I'm going to find out what happened."

Though clearly quite shocked, Spike nodded and swiftly scaled the stairs to Ditzy's side. He gently led her to the sofa as Twilight ran out of the library into the town.

Twilight soon learned that no one else had seen Dinky, either; every Being she asked had no idea what happened to her, nor had seen her since she had left school with Pipsqueak. However, upon learning that she was supposed to have walked home with Pipsqueak, Twilight immediately rushed to David Baker and Rose Luck's house, where she urgently knocked on the door.

She was promptly answered by David, who looked every bit as worried as Ditzy had been, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes that disappeared the instant he saw Twilight.

"Doctor Baker," Twilight said. "Is Dinky or Pipsqueak here?"

David shook his head. "N-no, Ms. Sparkle," he said waveringly. "We have no idea where Pipsqueak is. He hasn't come home, even though school ended hours ago, so Rose went out to look for him while I wait here to see if he comes back."

This was getting worse every minute. Twilight immediately ran to the house of Ms. Cheerilee; when she arrived at the charming little cottage that was only blocks away from Fluttershy's, she again knocked. When Ms. Cheerilee answered, she looked little better than the panicking parents Twilight had met moments ago.

"Ms. Cheerilee! Have you seen Dinky Do or Pipsqueak?" Twilight said, half-panting.

Ms. Cheerilee shook her head. "No, Twilight, I haven't; in fact, they were absent at class today. Several children were missing from class today, in fact; not just mine. So they really have gone missing?"

Twilight was now completely panicked. With nothing more than a nod, she spun around and began running towards Sweet Apple Acres.

She had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but Twilight had to assume the worst: that Scorpan was kidnapping Avalon's children. Twilight hoped that this wasn't the case, but if it was, she had no time to lose. The Crusaders might be in danger, so she had to get to them as soon as possible.

Because he'd likely blow his cover while catching three girls, Scorpan saved the Cutie Mark Crusaders for last. He now had ninety-nine children collected in his little prison, but he decided that having an extra two couldn't hurt. Sure, it would mean two more mouths to feed, but they were going to pay for themselves in the end.

However, Scorpan was having some difficulty finding them. He had glided over the easternmost section of Avalon several times now, but he could not see any farms.

Scorpan's eyes widened in sudden realization. His eyes then narrowed with fury as he let out a low growl. "Why, that lying... little... cunt!" he spat.

Scorpan landed on one of the rooftops, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not scream ragingly at the heavens. He merely muttered under his breath, though each one of his words was flaming with anger, "She lied to me. The little whore lied to me. Well, I wonder how much someone would be willing to pay to cover her little backside in whip-scars?!"

Scorpan then flew westward; because Diamond had come up with her misdirection in little more than an instant, Scorpan immediately deduced that she had given him the opposite direction of where the other three girls really were. Sure enough, he soon found an enormous apple orchard, and was able to quickly find the clubhouse that Diamond had spoken of.

Scorpan's landing before the clubhouse's entrance was quite hard, causing a resounding thunk to reverberate from where he'd hit the wooden porch. He then kicked the door open; on the other side, he saw three mortal girls the same age as Diamond and Silver. He smiled wickedly and growled, "There you are."

The girls began shrieking, but Scorpan telekinetically grabbed them before they could run away. However, he was caught completely by surprise; Scootaloo suddenly leapt towards his head. Flapping her wings to heighten her jump, Scootaloo kicked Scorpan's nose, badly breaking it.

A fountain of blood poured from Scorpan's nose as he grabbed it and howled in pain. The Ether around the Crusaders dissipated, dropping them back to the ground. "Run, guys!" Scootaloo shouted. "I'll hold him off!"

"But- Scoot-!!" Sweetie shouted.

"JUST GO!!" Scootaloo screamed, directing a hard strike at Scorpan's crotch.

As Scorpan doubled over in agony, Sweetie and Apple Bloom fled from the clubhouse and ran towards the farm house without another word. Scootaloo tried to run after them, but she tripped as Scorpan grabbed her ankle from under her.

Scorpan slowly stood up, suspending Scootaloo by her leg. He glowered at her as she thrashed, kicked, and screamed, and his pain slowly faded as the bruises on his genitals healed and the wounds in his nose closed up.

"That was a mistake, Angel," Scorpan growled as he shot his free hand forward to grab Scootaloo by the throat. "You are going to pay dearly for it."

There was a bright, blue flash, then Scorpan and Scootaloo were gone.

II-V. Rainbow's Master

When Scorpan materialized over the Teleportation Circle in his camp for the last time, his followers immediately noticed how rageful his expression was as he gazed at Scootaloo, the little Angel he was suspending in the air. Like all the children before her, Scorpan was gripping Scootaloo by her throat, but his hold on her was tighter than it had been for all his other captives. Scootaloo was choking and struggling to breathe, and so she kicked and clawed at Scorpan's fingers in the hope of loosening them, if even slightly.

Scorpan's followers were frightened at how frigidly silent the Prince was as he continued to glower at Scootaloo, maintaining the tightness of his hold. Onyx, a follower of Scorpan who was standing behind him and so had an unobstructed view of Scootaloo's face, saw that her strength was weakening and that her eyes were beginning to lose focus, and he knew that she was losing consciousness.

"Um... My Lord?" Onyx said nervously. "I'm sure you know this, but she's gonna pass out...."

At this, Scorpan loosened his grip just enough that Scootaloo could breathe again. The young Angel immediately gasped for air, then began coughing before she let her arms fall to her sides, motionless. She had surrendered.

"This is one of the three that the heiress told us of," Scorpan said, not breaking his glaring eye contact with Scootaloo. "As she said, there was an apple orchard with a tree clubhouse, where this girl and two others were holding a meeting. And as the Baroness promised, they were indeed all beautiful."

Scorpan's followers burst into laughter, but Scootaloo did nothing in response, except to narrow her eyes in deep, blazing anger. So it was Diamond who had sent Scorpan after them....

"However," Scorpan continued, his tone suddenly becoming quite harsh, "as it turns out, that spoiled little whore lied to us. She claimed that the clubhouse was at the eastern end of town, when it was in fact in the west. I have no doubt she hoped to warn them of my imminent arrival once I released her, as she believed I would."

At this, Scootaloo's eyes widened, and she spoke for the first time. "W-what?" she said, her voice a little raspy. "Diamond-?"

Before Scootaloo could continue, however, Scorpan tightened his grip again, causing her to choke and lose the ability to speak.

"Another word out of you, brat, and I'll have my men all rut you right here and now," Scorpan growled.

Any other time, Scootaloo would have begun flinging insults and throwing punches at her captor in response, but the sheer tempestuous fury in Scorpan's dangerously soft voice and shockingly blue eyes caused her courage to falter and fail her; she closed her eyes and whimpered, but obeyed. She said nothing more.

"When I found them," Scorpan continued, as though he hadn't been interrupted, "I nearly captured all of them. But this little rat attacked me. The others escaped in our scuffle, but she didn't."

Scorpan brought Scootaloo closer to his face and bared his teeth at her. "You attacked me, you little bitch," Scorpan growled, even more softly and dangerously than before. "You struck the face of the Lord of the Heavens. You attacked the very God of Storms, the Prince of Lightning and Spirit of Typhoons, himself."

Scootaloo glared defiantly up at Scorpan. Though she continued to remain silent, her expression made it clear that she did not regret attacking him in the slightest.

Scorpan smirked, though the burning malice in his eyes remained. "So..." he muttered, belittlement dripping from every syllable he spoke, "you still refuse to submit to me, girl? Oh, this is just rich."

Scorpan turned to his followers. "It seems we have a little warrior on our hands!" he cried, every one of his words filled with sneering sarcasm. His followers burst into mocking laughter, and Scootaloo felt her stubborn defiance falter a little. Scorpan continued, "This little knight fought so bravely to defend her friends against an immortal Deity! I'm trembling just to be in her presence!"

Scorpan then suddenly grabbed Scootaloo's wing with his free hand, causing her to flush and cry out in protest. She struggled and jerked her feathered limb in an attempt to pull it out of Scorpan's grasp, but the God's hold was too firm.

Scorpan then roughly forced Scootaloo's wing open, displaying it to the brothers of Alpha Supreme. As the men whistled and hooted in approval, Scootaloo's eyes watered as her cheeks burned with shame. It was hard to explain to wingless Beings, but touching an Angel or God's wings was considered to be a deeply intimate gesture, due to their extremely high sensitivity. Holding and stroking a Being's wings was nearly universally considered to be an erotic activity to be kept largely to the privacy of the bedroom, much in the same way that nipple-play or heavy petting were. Furthermore, wings were also generally regarded as organs of high aesthetic sexual appeal, much like a woman's legs or breasts were. This was partially because of their high sensitivity, but also because of their tendency to unfurl when their owner was sexually aroused. For this reason, it was generally considered bad taste to stare lingeringly at a Being's wings, particularly when they were opened.

Hence, by forcibly opening Scootaloo's wing to be ogled at by his disciples, Scorpan was violating her in a manner roughly equivalent to if he had pulled Scootaloo's jeans down, drawn his followers' attention to her panties, and groped her inner thigh as he did so.

"What adorable little wings!" Scorpan cried, grinning delightedly at the humiliated tears welling in Scootaloo's eyes. "Why, they're almost broad and powerful enough to allow a chicken to fly!"

As Scorpan released her wing and his followers burst into mocking laughter again, Scootaloo glared up at him, trembling in rage and hatred as tears poured down her flame-red cheeks.

"What a stupid little girl," Scorpan scoffed. "Even by the standards of mortal girls, you are remarkably foolish."

Scorpan brought Scootaloo's enraged face close to his own as he continued softly, "Oh, I am going to so very enjoy playing with you, fairy girl. So much spirit and will to fight.... I cannot tell you how much I look forward to pounding it out of you. No matter how strong you think you are, no matter how indomitable you believe your will to be, you will learn your place. Know this, Angel: you are nothing more than a frightened, helpless, weak little mortal girl. You are not a boy, nor a man, nor a God; you are not. Worth. Anything. And the only purpose you serve is to serve us, who were made to be your masters."

Scorpan then lowered Scootaloo, allowing his followers access to her. "Restrain and silence her," he commanded, though he did not release Scootaloo as his disciples shackled and gagged her.

Scorpan personally carried Scootaloo to the door of his prison-shed, which he opened. Before him was a rough stone staircase, which descended deep beneath the earth into a passage of darkness which didn't have so much as a torch to light it. It was clear that the tunnel had been dug very recently, and that its use was meant to be only temporary.

Scorpan stepped down the stairs, continuing to hold Scootaloo up by her neck as he held up and cupped his free hand. His Marks and eyes glowed, and a small, blue fireball materialized over his palm, lighting his way into the dusty earthen passage.

A few seconds later, Scorpan reached the bottom of the stairs and came to the end of the tunnel, where a massive iron cage stood.

This cage looked just like a tall, ornate hanging birdcage, except that it was as tall as two men and rested on the ground on a circular, solid floor that was nearly two meters in circumference. The entire structure was built of pure etherial iron, and a Ritual Circle was laid upon the cage's floor in an embedded mosaic of colored glass. Sitting over this Circle was Scorpan's collection off ninety-nine mortal children, who were all still bound, gagged, and huddled fearfully against the bars farthest from the door.

After pulling a key from a hook on the passage's wall, Scorpan knelt down and unlocked the cage door. As he did so, the kidnapped children whimpered and shrunk away in terror, and Scootaloo immediately recognized all of her missing peers among them- including Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Dinky Do, and Pipsqueak. She also saw that Rumble, Aura, and several others she'd met at school that day were among them, as well.

Scorpan roughly tossed Scootaloo into the cage, causing her to slide painfully into the other children. As she sat up, she looked at her arm, which had sustained a friction burn from it.

Scorpan slammed and locked the cage's door again, then he smiled amusedly at his young, terrified prizes. "And with her, my doll collection is complete," Scorpan muttered, smirking. "Thank you all for your patience; it will be just a little longer, and then we'll be ready for you," he added. He then spun around, climbed back up the stairs, and closed the wooden shed door, plunging the chained, weeping children back into complete darkness.

Twilight encountered Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom as she ran to their clubhouse; they were sprinting over the dirt orchard path, as well, in the opposite direction: towards the farmhouse.

Upon seeing them, Twilight immediately gasped as she relievedly came to a stop. "Sweetie! Apple Bloom! You're safe!" she panted as she knelt down. Both girls ran to Twilight and caught her in a tight embrace, which Twilight enthusiastically returned.

The three girls' fierce hug was short-lived, however; Twilight quickly pulled away from them and asked worriedly, "Where's Scootaloo?"

"S-Scorpan took her!" Sweetie cried. "H-he-!"

Sweetie's stuttering became so bad that her next words were incomprehensible, however, so it was clear that the shock was still very fresh in her mind. However, Apple Bloom nodded vigorously and shouted frantically, "Y-yeah, Twi! Ah'm sure it was Scorpan! And he-!"

At that moment, however, Twilight's own shock had subsided enough that she could begin acting again. She placed her hands on each of the Crusaders' shoulders and interrupted Apple Bloom, saying, "Alright, but you're gonna have to tell me later. First of all, let's go to the house; I've gotta make sure you girls are safe before we do anything else."

Nodding, both girls took Twilight's hands as she stood and briskly led them to the Apple farmhouse.

Though Twilight was outwardly quite calm, she was mentally frantically panicking. Scorpan had kidnapped Scootaloo. He had almost certainly also kidnapped all the other missing children, as well. This was very, very bad. Twilight could imagine only one or two things that could even possibly be worse than this situation. She wanted desperately to rush to the clubhouse to search for Scootaloo to find and rescue her there, but she knew that Scootaloo would be long gone by now, and so she couldn't. There was nothing else she could do for her, either. At any rate, the safety of the other two Crusaders had to come first.

The moment Twilight and the Crusaders crossed the threshold of the Apple house's entrance, Apple Bloom immediately released Twilight's hand and ran further in, crying tearfully, "Applejack! Big Mac! Granny!"

Apple Bloom found her big sister in the kitchen; Applejack cried "What in tarnation-?!" before she grunted as Apple Bloom rushed at her, colliding with her as she tightly grabbed her waist.

Applejack was silent in astonishment as Apple Bloom sobbed into her shirt. As she did so, Twilight knelt before Sweetie as and said, "Take a breath, then tell me exactly what happened."

Sweetie obeyed Twilight, taking a few calming breaths, before she began, "We were just playing some games in the Crusader Clubhouse, but then Scorpan appeared out of nowhere!"

"WHAT?!" Applejack shouted, her eyes wide with terror. "Ya'll girls saw SCORPA-?!"

"Please be quiet for a minute, Applejack," Twilight said patiently. "Sweetie's telling us what happened."

Though she was still gaping in fearful shock at Twilight, Applejack nodded. Twilight returned her attention to Sweetie and said, "Can you describe him?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yeah!" she said. "He was really tall and tan, and he had this long silver hair and an enormous pair of silver wings!"

"Did he have pointed ears, too?" Twilight said.

Sweetie nodded. "Uh-huh!" she replied. "He also had blue lightning Marks on his shoulders, hands, and arms!"

So there was no doubt. It really was Scorpan. Shaking her head to clear it, Twilight continued, "So what happened after he appeared?"

Sweetie continued rapidly, "He tried to capture us! He caught us in telekinetic Ether, and I'm sure he would've taken us all away, but Scootaloo kicked him and broke his nose before he could!"

Twilight's eyes widened with amazement and shock. Sweetie finished, "She told us to run while she held him off. We wanted to help her, but she insisted we leave without her. So we did, and then we ran into you."

Still stunned, Twilight said, wanting to ensure that she had heard correctly, "Scootaloo... was able to save you two from being captured?"

Sweetie nodded.

Twilight wasn't quite sure she believed it. Scootaloo had actually prevented her friends from being captured by the God of Storms himself. Granted, she had been captured herself in doing so, but what she had done was still extremely impressive, especially for a nine-year-old girl.

However, Twilight's amazement at the magnitude of Scootaloo's accomplishment quickly made way for tremendous, panicking worry again; in saving her friends, Scootaloo had injured a God. Not just any God; one of the Dark Sealed Gods, who had been damned to an eternity of imprisonment in Tartarus precisely because of his complete lack of mercy for any mortal, including children.

A bit of Twilight's psyche broke under the ramifications of what Scootaloo had done, and what Scorpan was likely to do to her in retaliation. If she was lucky, she was already dead, having had her neck immediately snapped in a fit of animalistic rage by her captor. However, Twilight knew this to be unlikely, and that Scootaloo almost certainly had something far worse in store for her, if it wasn't happening to her at that very moment already.

Before Twilight could descend even deeper into her horrific, vivid madness of fear for Scootaloo, however, her line of intensely panicked thought was broken by the sound of Apple Bloom sobbing. Twilight looked up and saw that Apple Bloom was weeping very, very hard into her hands.

"It's all mah fault!" Apple Bloom cried. "Ah shouldn't'a left her! Ah- Ah should'a stayed with her, and helped her get away from him! If she didn't d-do that, Scorpan would've gotten me and Sweetie, but Celestia knows what he's g-gonna do ta Scoot...!"

"Hush, now, Apple Bloom!" Applejack cried with equal parts hysteria and annoyed anger. "Ah won't hear another word o' that! This ain't your fault, y'hear?!"

After a moment of tense silence hung in the air, Apple Bloom hesitantly nodded.

Knowing what she had to do now, Twilight said to Applejack, "Can Sweetie stay here with you for a while?"

"'Course," Applejack replied. "Mac 'n me'll keep her safe. Ah swear on our parents' graves."

Twilight nodded, then knelt and said to Sweetie, "Can you stay here until I send Rarity to pick you up?"

Sweetie nodded.

Standing back up, Twilight said, "Thanks, Applejack. Stay safe, girls," before darting out the door and sprinting to the Sugar Shack.

In minutes, Twilight burst into the bakery, where she startled the Cakes, Bon-Bon, and Pinkie with her sudden and loud arrival.

"Hi, Twilight," Pinkie said concernedly. "Is something wrong?"

After panting to catch her breath for a few moments, Twilight replied urgently, "I need your help, Pinkie; Scorpan's in Avalon, and he just kidnapped Scootaloo."

There was a moment of absolute, horrified stillness in the bakery, then several things happened all at once: Mr. Cake dropped the box he was carrying, causing a loud squelch to resound from it; Mrs. Cake fainted, though fortunately she was sitting in a chair, so she merely slumped limply against it; Bon-Bon gasped and went whiter than snow, and Pinkie shouted so loudly that Twilight was sure that she could be heard a mile away: "WHAT?!?!"

Twilight nodded, then continued as Mr. Cake and Bon-Bon rushed to Mrs. Cake's side, "Yes, Pinkie. You heard me correctly. Can you help me?"

Twilight was stunned at how quickly Pinkie's fearful shock turned to grave determination. "Yes, Twilight," she said, her eyes narrowed angrily. Twilight was a little taken aback, as she'd never seen Pinkie be so deathly serious before. Pinkie added without a hint of the playfulness that had always laced her voice every time they'd previously spoken together, "Tell me what to do."

Now fully confident that she could trust Pinkie completely with the task she was about to receive, Twilight said, "I need you to find Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, and gather them to the Golden Oak Library. In the meantime, I'll help Applejack escort the Crusaders there, as well. From that point, we'll devise a strategy to ensure Sweetie and Bloom's continued safety while we search for Scootaloo and the other missing children."

Pinkie nodded. "Got it. Break," she said.

Pinkie was out the door faster than even Rainbow Dash might have been able to, leaving Twilight dazed for a moment. However, she then shook her head to clear it and ran out, as well.

It wasn't escorting Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom safely to her home that was the most difficult part of the next hour for Twilight; it was encountering Stephen, who was frantically searching for Scootaloo, as he had expected her to return home several hours ago. Nothing Twilight had done before was even close to as difficult as breaking the news to Stephen that Scorpan had captured Scootaloo, and that he had also likely killed her.

Twilight choked the words out, and she felt no relief once they left her lips; Stephen was reduced to a broken, hysterically weeping mess, and Twilight could think of nothing to console him. She felt a few tears streak down her own cheeks, as well; however, she had to move on. She offered her deepest sympathies to Scootaloo's father, then led her friends the rest of the way to the library.

To Twilight's shock, upon opening the library's front door, Pinkie had already gathered together all of the other girls in her living room. Twilight's eyes widened and she said, "Wha- already?!"

Pinkie nodded.

Rainbow, who had been restlessly pacing, immediately rushed to Twilight. "Twi!" she cried. She seemed very nearly as distressed as Stephen had been. "Is it true?! Is it really fuckin' true that Scorpan got his hands on Scootaloo?!"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so," she said.

After a moment of stunned silence, Rainbow's eyes narrowed with fury as she turned and began walking towards the door. Twilight laid her hand on her shoulder, stopping her, however. "Where are you going?" Twilight said.

"I'm gonna find her," Rainbow said, so softly and chillingly that Twilight flinched in fright. "And if that worthless piece of dogshit has made so much as a scratch on her...!"

"Just wait a minute, Rainbow," Twilight said. "We're gonna help you look for Scootaloo. But we have to make a plan first."

Without another word, Rainbow nodded and sat in one of the armchairs. Twilight than sighed and said, turning to the others, "You will, right, girls?"

They all immediately agreed.

Twilight smiled. "Wonderful," she said. She then turned to Applejack and Rarity and said, "First of all, we have to make sure your sisters are safe. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom can't stay in Avalon. Do you two know anywhere we can send them for now?"

With a glance at each other, Rarity and Applejack nodded. "We both have family in Athens," Rarity said.

Applejack nodded. "That's right," she said. "My Aunt Orange is there, and so are Rarity's folks."

Twilight nodded. "Alright," she said. "Can you two write down their addresses and give them to Spike? We'll tell them that we're sending them over."

Rarity and Applejack agreed without argument, and so Spike penned letters to their relatives informing them of the Crusader's situation, and requesting their aid in sheltering them. As he did so, Twilight said, "If it's acceptable to you two, I'll send Spike to bring them to the train station while we're looking for Scootaloo."

Rarity's eyes widened. "W-what?" she said disbelievingly. "Spike?"

Twilight raised a brow. "Well, yeah. Don't you trust him?"

"Well, of course I do, but... just Spike?" Rarity continued.

After a moment of surprised silence, Twilight smiled. "Don't worry," she said. "Trust me; Spike will be enough."

Rarity stared blankly at Twilight, then Applejack interjected, "Against Prince Scorpan?"

"Yeah," Spike said, smirking at them. He pointed his thumb at himself as he added, "I might not look like much, but I promise you two that your sisters will be completely safe with me."

Though quite taken aback by Spike's tremendous confidence, especially since Twilight seemed to concur with it, Rarity and Applejack ultimately agreed to it. Twilight noticed with a small smile that Sweetie and Apple Bloom were both blushing a little as they followed Spike out the door.

"Sucks that they're gonna miss their first week of school," Rainbow noted.

Twilight nodded, but replied, "It does, but we have more important things to deal with. Here's what I suggest we do: we go to town square, and then we split into two groups of three: I'll take Rainbow and Fluttershy, and Pinkie will go with Rarity and Applejack. She and I will lead our groups in a search for Scootaloo, and we'll look as long as it takes until we find her, or at least what happened to her. We'll meet up back at Town Square at nightfall, and we'll make any further plans from there. Agreed?"

Met with a chorus of affirmation, Twilight led her friends out of the library to the town square. Once they reached it, however, Twilight began: "Alright, girls. Stay together, and stay safe. Let's-"

However, she was interrupted by a booming male voice from directly above them.

"Greetings, pitiful little mortals!" the voice cried. The girls all looked up, and saw that Scorpan was crouching on one of the clock tower's gargoyles.

As the girls fearfully gasped, along with many other citizens who were out and about, Scorpan continued, "I imagine you're all wondering where your precious little offspring have disappeared to. Well, wonder no longer; I have them."

There was an even louder gasp from the Beings crowding around the tower, and Rainbow's eyes blazed with rage as she took a trembling step towards it. "Why, you...!" she growled.

Fluttershy grabbed her wrist, however, and Rainbow calmed a little as her demure friend said, "Don't, Rainbow. We don't know what he's going to do."

With a frustrated sigh, Rainbow obeyed.

Scorpan continued, "I assure you that none of them have been harmed in any way. However, it is up to you to decide whether it stays that way. Gather at the fields to the north of the town; I will be waiting there for you. However, I warn you not to provoke me, as the safety of your brood hangs in the balance."

With a cruel smirk, Scorpan vanished, leaving the crowd to begin panicking.

"WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER?!" Twilight heard Filthy Rich shout. "SOMEONE GET THE GUARDS!"

"TO THE NORTHERN FIELD!" someone else shouted.

"THAT MADMAN MUST BE STOPPED!"

"SOMEONE SEND A MESSAGE TO THE HIGH PRINCESS! SUMMON HER HERE!"

Twilight and her friends were swept along by the mob to the field at the north of town, though they offered no resistance; on the contrary, they rushed to that very place, as well.

It didn't take long for the citizens of Avalon to find Scorpan again; as he promised, he was in the northern field. However, he was simply standing there, completely still, holding his hands behind his back while wearing a very nasty triumphant smile.

Twilight, her friends, and the Town Guard all rushed to the front, though the entire crowd kept a distance of several meters all around him. The guards drew their swords and pointed them at Scorpan, then their captain cried, "Surrender now, and tell us where the children you've captured are, in the name of our radiant High Princess Celestia!"

To this, Scorpan was silent for a moment, then gradually began chuckling before breaking into booming laughter. "Ah, you simpletons!" he cried once his laughter had faded. "Pointing your little steel sticks at me, and threatening me with the wrath of my hysterical, weak-willed trollop of a sister! No wonder civilization has become overflowing with flouncing, weakling sodomites in my absence!"

"We will not say it again; surrender yourself and your hostages!" The captain repeated, jabbing his sword at the God for emphasis.

With a contemptuous snicker, Scorpan replied, "Oh, it seems there has been a misunderstanding. What exactly is it that brings you to believe that it is yours to make the commands?" He then raised his hand; tapped some of his Chi, causing his Marks and eyes to glow with Ether; then he snapped, activating a spell.

The snap was as loud and sharp as a whip-crack, and the instant it sounded, the ground began to faintly rumble beneath the crowd's feet. Murmurs of fear rose from the mortals as they backed away from Scorpan; however, Scorpan remained utterly still, maintaining his smug smirk as he continued channeling Ether into some unknown incantation.

A woman cried out, pointing at the ground before Scorpan; it was dividing into several triangular slices, which seemed to be mechanically sliding under the grassy ground beside it to create a massive, gaping, hexagonal hole lined at the walls with sheets of steel.

The citizens of Avalon then saw something rise up from the hole; a circular construct of black iron bars, which they all quickly realized was a tall, ornate metal cage.

As the cage emerged completely from the earth, the crowd saw that it was surrounded by several unsavory-looking young men, who all stood on the rising platform it rested upon. However, when Scorpan's followers stepped away from the cage, the crowd gaped in shock as they saw what it held:

It was all of the missing children, still chained but no longer gagged.

The children were the first to react; they all began shouting tearfully to their parents, to which several mortal Beings began to move upon the cage. However, they suddenly stopped when Scorpan raised a chiding finger and said to them, as though scolding a misbehaving dog, "Ah, ah, ah! Do not come any closer!"

His malicious smile widening, Scorpan pointed at the floor of the cage, saying, "Do you all see that? That is a mosaic of shards of stained glass, arranged in the shape of a Ritual Circle. A rather simple one, of course, but we really need nothing more."

He raised his hand again, showing the crowd the Mark on its back. "I've already channeled Ether into it, so it is half-complete," he said. He positioned his fingers for another snap as he continued, "I need only make one more small motion of my thumb and second finger to complete this Ritual. If you wish to see its effects, by all means, continue approaching me."

In terrified silence, the crowd and guards slowly backed away from Scorpan.

Scorpan chuckled. "That's what I thought," he said.

Grandly clearing his throat, Scorpan began a speech he had obviously spent an enormous amount of time preparing to deliver, and was relishing every moment of it: "I, Prince Scorpan, Regent of Asgard, Lord of the Heavens, and God of Storms, hereby declare myself to be above and beyond the supposed authority of my sister, High Princess Celestia." It was clear that he spoke the official title of his elder sister with the deepest, mocking contempt. "I also hereby reaffirm my lordship over all mortal Beings; to all of you, I give three commands.

"First, none shall attack me, or my disciples, or attempt to aid our prisoners in escaping our custody.

"Second, my disciples and I hereby demand a tribute of ten thousand gold pieces every day. Decide yourselves how it will be paid; for each day it is not granted to us, in its complete sum, a child will be selected at random and executed."

Several crowd members were now panicking and weeping at this point, though this utterly unfazed Scorpan, who concluded his list thusly; "And third, I hereby establish a new Kingdom, upon which I bestow the name Sparta, City-State of the Truth and the Heavens. As my Kingdom is above and beyond the influence and laws of my hysterical sister, along with those who bow to her will, those who enter it are subject to my laws, and my laws only; even after they leave again. Any action performed within Sparta, so long as it is permitted under my law, will be regarded as lawful within all other kingdoms. Should my wish be dishonored, the penalty will be the same as for failing to give us our tribute."

Scorpan then made a wide, unhinged smile as he shouted, "And should any of these commands, or any other I make, be disobeyed, I will snap these fingers... and all of your children WILL EXPLODE!!"

The panicking and weeping was now uncontrollable, and several crowd members had begun shouting enragedly at Scorpan. However, none made a move to defy him; in fact, the guards all crossed swords, forming a barrier between Avalon's rioting citizens and the arrogantly smirking God of Storms.

As Twilight, Spike, and their friends all sat or stood around the fire at the Golden Oak Library, each one of them was utterly silent, though they were all filled with overwhelmingly turbulent emotion.

None of them could forget the despairing, terrified looks in the children's eyes- particularly those of Dinky, Rumble, Pipsqueak, and Scootaloo, who had locked eyes with them throughout the entirety of Scorpan's speech.

Spike, trembling with rage, said softly, "What... what is his plan, Twilight?"

Twilight, who was leaning against the fireplace, said gravely, "I think you know the answer to that, Spike."

Rainbow looked up, pulling her head out of her arms, which were folded over the coffee table. "What. Is. His plan, Twilight?" she said. It was clear that she knew, as well, though she still wanted to hear it.

"He plans to keep them imprisoned forever," Twilight said. "He plans to use the tribute he's extorting from us to build his kingdom."

After a few moments, Rainbow demanded, "And...?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then continued, "He... he doesn't plan to just hold them as hostages. He plans to use them...."

"What. Is. Scorpan. Going. To. Do. To. Scootaloo, Twilight?" Rainbow said.

Twilight's chin began quivering as a tear streaked down her cheek. "He's going to sell them, Rainbow," she said, her voice cracking with nearly every word she spoke. "He's going to sell Scootaloo. And... and they'll eventually pay for themselves. They'll also... they'll also provide him with replacements. Again and again it'll repeat...."

Twilight sobbed, then turned to gaze with complete despair at her friends. "And there's nothing we can do about it," she said. "I'm so, so sorry, girls. I-"

"It's not your fault, Twilight," Fluttershy said, though she was weeping just as hard as her.

Twilight crouched down and hugged her knees, to which all of her friends except Spike and Rainbow slowly began tearfully walking to her one by one to comfortingly hug her. "We can't stop him...." Twilight whispered. "He won. He won...."

Spike and Rainbow were both bowing their heads, clenching their fists, and gritting their teeth. "He. Can't. Get away with this," Spike whispered. "He must suffer for this...."

After Spike said this, Rainbow stood up. Spike and his friends all looked up surprisedly at her, and watched as she spun around and strode briskly out the door.

Once she was outside, Rainbow Dash took to the sky. She flew for her home. She flew for Asgard.

Rainbow's livid fury didn't soften even slightly in the several hours it took for her to fly to her father's mansion. Never before had she been so utterly filled with such burning determination in her life. When she reached the vast, shining ancient Dragon Imperial temple-style mansion that she had grown up in, Rainbow rapped smartly on the door. It was promptly answered by Matt, her father's butler.

As he always did, Matt was wearing a shell necklace, sandals, khaki shorts, and a loose flower-print shirt. Upon seeing Rainbow, he grinned and said, "Hey, Dash! Long time, no see, huh?"

However, Rainbow was able only to give a small, highly forced polite smile back to her old servant. "Hey, Matt," she replied.

Matt's face twisted in concern. "What's up, sis?" he said. "You've got a ton of negative energy right now...."

Rainbow pushed past him, saying, "You got that right, shit-for-brains."

Not at all offended by the offhanded insult (it was clear that it was a term of endearment between them), Matt followed Rainbow as she marched to her father's parlor.

Rainbow Dash found Rainbow Blaze lounging on a sofa, drinking champagne with his newest girlfriend. It was uncanny how much Blaze resembled his daughter; he was much taller, but he had the same tanned skin and prismatically-colored hair as Dash. He had a short, messy mop cut, and wore a highly overpriced designer t-shirt and pair of baggy, pre-torn jeans. His Mark was a literal rainbow, with a golden arrow being drawn from it.

When Rainbow Dash entered the room, Rainbow Blaze turned to her and immediately grinned. "Hey, Babe!" he cried. "What's the occasion?"

"Hey, Dad," Dash replied. "Who's this?" she said, gesturing to her father's companion.

Blaze grinned lustfully at the busty, redheaded Elvish woman sitting beside him. "What, this chick?" he said. "Ah, she's nobody. We met just yesterday."

The woman smiled kindly and said something in a foreign language to Dash.

Dash said curiously, "She doesn't speak East?"

"Nope," Blaze replied, laughing. "I think she's from the south end of the West Pillar somewhere. She doesn't need words, of course, though...." he chuckled, running his hand down her thigh. The woman giggled and stroked Blaze's chest in response, muttering another sentence in her unfamiliar tongue.

"That's great, Dad," Rainbow said impatiently. "But I need to talk to you. Right now."

His expression immediately becoming one of concern, Blaze immediately turned to his companion and said apologetically, "Sorry, Babe... we'll have to do this some other time."

Giving her a short-but-still-somehow-quite-unchaste kiss, Blaze set his glass on his table and stood up.

Though the Elf woman looked quite distressed at his leaving, Blaze casually stepped up to Rainbow Dash and said, "What's up, D?"

"Can we go to the dojo?" Rainbow said.

Though quite surprised at this request, Blaze shrugged and replied, "Sure, Babe."

As they began walking to Blaze's private studio, he called back to their butler, "Yo, Matt! Give that bitch a slice of the cake, will ya? I could tell she really wanted some when we were in the kitchen, but she was afraid to ask."

In less then a minute, Rainbow Dash and her father arrived at their dojo. It was much larger and somehow even more extravagantly ornate than Dash's personal one; the pillars were made of a steel-gold alloy, and were wrapped around by stone dragon statues carved of extremely rare red jade. The floors were of the very highest-grade bamboo, and had been given a costly alchemical treatment to permanently prevent them from becoming worn or dirty. Though only a handful of people ever got to train in a studio such as this, it was the dream of every martial artist to.

Once they were in the dojo, Blaze said concernedly, "Is something wrong, Babe?"

Rainbow was very blunt; "I have a friend named Scootaloo," she said. "She's just nine and her wings are disabled, but we're just like sisters."

Blaze nodded, listening closely. "Has something happened to her?" he said.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. Scorpan came to Avalon, and kidnapped her," she said.

Blaze's eyes widened with shock and terror. "W-what?!" he cried.

"And that is why I have come here," Rainbow continued, undaunted.

Rainbow climbed down to her knees, then bowed formally to her uncomprehending young father. "I must save her," Rainbow said, with a single-mindedness and ceremoniousness that she had only ever shown to her kung fu teacher. "I will fight Prince Scorpan. I implore you: teach me how to defeat him, Master."

II-VI. The Challenge

Rainbow Dash knelt under the distraught, stunned gaze of her father for a full half minute, during which time the tension that hung in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Rainbow Blaze could not comprehend, nor was he willing to accept, that he had just received such an absurdly gargantuan and overwhelmingly ominous request from his daughter. What made this all the more surreal was that Dash should have known better. After all, as impulsive and hotheaded as she might be, she wasn't stupid, and she had a deep enough knowledge of the scope and intricacies of combat that she had achieved masterhood in her martial arts career. Furthermore, she was incontestably the finest kung fu practitioner of those who were her age; like Blaze, she was nothing less than a martial arts prodigy whose natural talent was second to none.

But the fact remained that, though Dash was undoubtedly extremely talented and her father couldn't have been any more proud of what a strong, driven, and passionate fine young woman she had become, she was still nothing more than a little, fifteen-year-old mortal girl. Rainbow Dash was barely more than a child. It seemed only yesterday that Rainbow Blaze had been changing her diapers, watching her take her first steps, and rocking her to sleep. It had been barely a decade since Dash had gone on her first playdates, thrown tantrums over having to eat green vegetables, and run sobbing to Blaze's bedroom to be comforted after being woken up by scary dreams.

Dash was still smaller than most other girls her age, she was still not finished growing up, and she still had much left to learn. Though she might have been a fearsome warrior of legendary proportions among her fellow teenaged martial artists, Dash had still never defeated her own father in one-on-one combat, and he wasn't even a full Grandmaster. And even the handful of mortal kung fu Grandmasters were no match for even the least skilled of the Gods.

Word had swiftly reached Rainbow Blaze after his daughter had attempted to fight Nightmare Moon when she was released on the night of the last Celebration. He thought he almost had a heart attack then, as he was absolutely sure that Dash would have been swiftly and effortlessly killed by the just-unsealed dark Goddess. The messenger quickly assured him that Dash was still alive, though her duel with Nightmare Moon had been as short and one-sided as Blaze had immediately assumed it was. He was baffled that his daughter had survived, and was utterly convinced that she only did because Nightmare Moon was deliberately holding back to make sure that she didn't kill her, which Dash later confirmed to him. Scorpan might have been a far less competent warrior than Princess Luna, but this had about as much significance to mortal Beings as the fact that cats are much smaller than horses would for mice, and it was clear that Scorpan had none of the self-restraint or mercy his elder sister posessed. Rainbow Dash had already battled a merciful and kind-hearted Goddess, and had lost very decisively; she should have known that a duel against a cruel and merciless God would be literal suicide.

Suicide. That was the correct word. Rainbow Blaze felt exactly the same at that moment as if Dash had just asked him to give her a loaded revolver with which she could blow her own brains out. He was so completely and overwhelmingly shocked and terrified that he was utterly speechless, and had absolutely no idea what to do. This must be the very worst a parent could ever feel, he thought. He was unable to breathe. Blaze might have been about to lose his little girl. His baby. Rainbow Blaze had already lost one daughter, which had been enough to make him hate his ex-wife to the point that he never told Dash about her, and hoped that she'd never see her again.

Blaze had already had one of his children taken away from him. He was not going to lose his other one.

Blaze's eyes narrowed with burning, infernal fury; the fury only a father in danger of watching his child lose their very life could have. He folded his arms across his chest, and he uttered a single word. Dash had never heard the word, nor the firm, intensely harsh tone in which it was spoken, ever uttered to her by her father in her entire life until then:

"No."

Rainbow Blaze said the word very softly, but it rang as clearly as if he had shouted it. It was the only word that could even begin to convey all of his thoughts at that moment, and it held a finality and decisiveness that no other word could. Rainbow Blaze had never invoked his status as Rainbow Dash's father until he muttered that word, and all fifteen years of his stockpiled unspent parental authority were behind it; there would be no arguing. There would be no appeal.

An unstoppable force collides with an immovable object.

Dash remained prostrated before her father, and several more moments of long, tense silence fell between them. Blaze waited for his daughter to stand back up throughout that time, but she was as motionless as a statue.

Blaze's terror and anger built up within him, reddening his face and driving him to clench his jaw, grinding his teeth together. At last his fury and impatience came to a head, at which point he said, "Get up, Dash."

"Teach me, Father," Dash said.

"No."

"Please."

"No."

Dash looked up at her father, returning his glare. "Teach. Me. How. To. Defeat. Scorpan," she said. It was not a request.

"NO!!" Blaze shouted. Though his answer was short, it was loud and fearsome enough to be a roar.

Rainbow Dash continued glaring at her father for a few moments, then she closed her eyes. "Very well," she said. She stood up, turned around, then began walking to the dojo's exit.

"Where are you going?" Blaze said.

"To fight Scorpan," Dash replied.

"No, you are NOT!" Blaze barked, marching towards his daughter.

"Yes, I am," Dash replied. "If you're not gonna help me, I'm as ready as I'm gonna be."

Rainbow Blaze grabbed his daughter's wrist, stopping her. "Rainbow Dash, YOU LISTEN TO ME!!" he roared. "You are absolutely fucking NOT gonna fight A FUCKING GOD!!"

Dash turned around and began attempting to jerk her arm out of her father's grip. "You can't FUCKING STOP ME!!" she screamed.

Dash threw a punch at her father's face, which he caught in his palm. She then attempted to kick him, which Blaze dodged before lifting up the arm he was gripping and twisting it, causing Dash's glare to vanish as she cringed and cried out at the intense pain it caused.

There was a second or two more of struggling, but Rainbow Dash's father swiftly subdued her, keeping her arm twisted so hard that pained tears welled in her eyes. "I will break your fucking arm, Dash," Rainbow Blaze said, his voice quite soft once again.

Dash let out a small sob before screaming through the tears pouring down her cheeks, "Go ahead! Break my legs, too, for all I fucking care! I'll crawl on my fucking hands and knees to fight h-him!"

Blaze was now weeping, as well. With a few well-placed grabs and twists, he wrestled his daughter to the ground, pinned her legs beneath his knees, then delivered a very hard slap against her cheek. His face was contorted with unbearable grief and terror.

Dash's cheek felt like it was on fire, causing her own tears to flow even harder, but her resolve was utterly unshaken; she looked defiantly up at her father and shouted, "You can't stop me, Dad! You can cut off my wings and chain me up in a dungeon, but I'm still gonna fight Scorpan! I don't care if you won't help me, and I don't care if you won't let me!"

"YOU CAN'T BEAT HIM, RAINBOW DASH!!" Blaze screamed. He was completely hysterical at this point. "He will KILL YOU!!"

"I. Don't. CARE!! Rainbow Dash screamed back. She began to struggle to escape from his restraint again as she sobbed, "I know he's gonna kill me, and I know I can't beat him, but I gotta try!!"

Blaze's expression softened and he relaxed a little as Dash continued sobbing, "I h-have to try, Dad! I can't just stand by and do nothing while Scorpan has Scootaloo! I have to save her! Do you fuckin' know what they're gonna do to her?! I... I-I can't...."

Rainbow Dash swallowed, caught her breath, then gave her father the most heartbreakingly pleading look he had ever seen as she whispered, "I can't let them hurt her. I can't. Wouldn't... wouldn't you do the same if he had me?"

Rainbow Blaze's expression was completely blank. His eyes were wide and unfocused, as though he was staring at something in the far distance. His chest felt as though it were filled with lead; a deeper and more oppressive fear than any he had ever known had settled upon him, and its weight was so great that his psyche shattered under it. At that moment, he realized a terrible, devastating truth:

Rainbow Dash was right.

Blaze could see now that there really was no possible way he could prevent his daughter from dueling Scorpan. It was easy to see that her love for Scootaloo was every bit as powerful as Blaze's was for her, and that she would therefore go to any lengths to prevent her from meeting the horrific fate that awaited her. Besides, someone had to try to stop the God of Storms, even if they had no chance of succeeding; they couldn't just sit back and do nothing while that despicable despot of a Prince performed unspeakable crimes against innocent young children.

Rainbow Dash was going to get killed. Almost certainly. Her father was too horrified and devastated by this fact to show any emotion for quite a while, though he released Dash from his restraint and stood up as he allowed it to sink in. Seeing how completely distressed her father was, Rainbow Dash said concernedly, "Um- Dad? Are... are you alright?"

Blaze thought frantically for a few seconds, desperately searching for some other way- any other way, to attempt to save the children Scorpan had taken prisoner without putting his daughter's life in danger. He thought of trying to convince one of the free Gods to duel Scorpan instead, but he knew Scorpan would never agree to it. He thought of asking a Grandmaster to fight Scorpan in Dash's place, but he knew there was no way in the Seven Hells he'd be able to convince one to; the odds of their survival in said suicide mission were barely better than Dash's. He even thought of volunteering to fight Scorpan himself, but he quickly realized that he wouldn't have enough strength or drive to make up for his inability to match Scorpan's skill.

However, with this last observation, Blaze's eyes widened as an idea struck him. He looked back at Rainbow Dash, and gazed thoughtfully at her for a few moments. Though she was far less competent than Blaze at martial arts, she did have an intense, burning passion about this task that no one else could. Furthermore, though she wasn't yet a high-level master, she could still reliably handle sparring with him. This was because her basics and techniques were excellent; all that was left was fine-tuning the details and increasing their efficiency and precision. Though she didn't have highest-tier speed or strength at any of her forms yet, she still knew how to react to any given situation within the context of a one-on-one battle.

Rainbow Dash also had an extremely similar personality to Scorpan, at least so far as their passion and impulsivity went. And this was no coincidence. Perhaps Dash really did have a chance, albeit a tiny one, to defeat Scorpan after all.

Rainbow Blaze sighed with heavy resignation. "Alright, Dash," he muttered. He offered his daughter his hand, which she reluctantly took before he helped her back onto her feet. He then turned towards the dojo's exit and said with a nod, "Come with me."

Confusedly, though with her determination completely intact, Rainbow Dash shook her head and said, "I told you, Dad, you can't stop me-"

"I know I can't," Blaze replied wearily. "Since there's no way to convince you not to duel Scorpan, my best chance at ensuring your survival against him is to train you to fight him."

Dash's eyes widened with shock. "Wait- you're gonna do it?" she said astonishedly.

Blaze nodded. "Yes," he said. "However, I cannot begin your training here. There is a lesson I must teach you first. A story, more specifically."

Even more baffled but now deeply intrigued, Dash obediently followed her father back out of his dojo.

Rainbow Blaze led his daughter to his study, which was a highly cluttered collection of old magazines and accounting books piled on top of wooden bookshelves and a dark oaken desk. Rainbow Blaze sorted through the codexes, tossing them aside for several minutes until he found an ancient, rectangular lidded bamboo box that was closed with a brass latch and bore the Rainbow family name in black-inked, brush-stroked ancient Elvish kanji.

As he unlatched the box and opened the lid, Blaze said to his daughter, "Sit, Dash."

After a moment of hesitation, Dash nodded before kneeling on the ground as her father carefully lifted an extremely old parchment scroll from the wooden box.

"Let me tell you the story of our family," Rainbow Blaze began. He leaned against his desk and folded his arms before continuing, "This scroll contains a genealogy of our ancestral line, and its records reach as far back as the Divided Age."

Dash's eyes widened. "Wait- over a thousand years?!" she said disbelievingly.

Blaze nodded. "That's right," he said. "Our ancestors have diligently recorded our family line for many, many generations. They have done so because ours is a truly proud heritage."

Dash smirkingly scoffed. "Well, duh," she said. "I mean, we're descendants of Commander Hurricane, aren't we?"

"We are," Blaze replied. "However, it was not her that inspired our forefathers to begin recording our line; after all, she was a great commander, but she was not a noble. In those times, no matter how great a commoner was, their name did not grant any prestige to their children. However, Commander Hurricane did carry within her the blood of nobility. Two nobles, in fact. Of course, she was a bastard, so her parentage still didn't grant her any status amongst other Beings; however, her ancestry was still so exceptional that she and the rest of our family vowed to pass our knowledge of it down to our descendants, so that at least they could appreciate the glory that flows in our veins.

"The story of our family began with a young Asgardian Angel farmer-girl named Silent Owl. She was a gardener and pegasus milkmaid who lived rather close to the Royal Palace. She was a child and an orphan, but she was a very diligent worker and was said to possess such great beauty that it could even rival that of Goddesses.

"Every day, after she had finished tending her master's gardens and milking his pegasus mares, she would bring an earthen pot to the city market and wash herself in the fountain at its center. After she had stripped and was pouring the fountain's water over herself one day, the Prince Scorpan passed over her while riding a chariot pulled by two of his own pegasi. He spotted Silent Owl, and was so taken by her extraordinary beauty that he immediately captured her and carried her off to his palace."

Rainbow's mouth was slightly open, and her expression was a mixture of intense anger, fear, shock, and despair, as she had already guessed where this was going.

"He kept her in his dungeon and raped her every night," Blaze continued. "Silent Owl watched as he captured other children and did the same to them, as well. However, unlike the other slaves, Silent found that she remained alive for several years; Scorpan would often grow bored of the other children within a few days or weeks, at which time he would have them beheaded and fed to his dogs. Silent, on the other hand, did not meet this fate like the others did; Scorpan told her that this was because she was so beautiful that doing so would be incredibly wasteful, and so he would keep her until she lost her beauty. As a result, she grew old enough that she was able to bear him a daughter, who she named Firefly."

Rainbow Dash began to feel ill. "Did..." she said. She took a deep breath, then tried again; "Was Firefly... I mean, did Scorpan...?"

Though Dash was afraid to complete her question, her father understood it; he nodded and replied, "I'm afraid so. Firefly was too gifted with exquisite beauty, and so Scorpan subjected her to the same fate as her mother."

Rainbow Dash thought she might vomit; she swooned, bent over, and placed her hand on the floor. "Oh, Celestia...!" she muttered in a horrified whisper. "His own fucking daughter...?!"

Rainbow Blaze said nothing as his daughter took a few deep breaths, desperately attempting to calm herself before she got sick out of horrified disgust. Truth be told, he was feeling more than a little nauseated, as well, though it was largely displaced by his own even-more powerful fury. Nothing made Blaze so frothingly livid as other men exploiting their children in such sickening fashion merely for their own twisted pleasure. He'd immediately ended his closest friendship after learning that his best mate was such a man before sending the Royal Gard after him, so powerful was this conviction.

"How could he?!" Rainbow cried astonishedly once she was sitting back up. Her eyes were narrowed with newly-rekindled white-hot rage. "How fucking could that piece of dogshit do that?!"

"Because he is a God," Rainbow Blaze replied simply. "There's really not anything more to it than that."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Oh! So you're telling me that all Gods rape their kids?!"

"No, I didn't say that," Blaze said, frowning firmly at Dash. "It wasn't his reason so much as his excuse."

Rainbow raised a brow in puzzlement. "What the hell does that mean?" she said.

"Because Prince Scorpan is a God, he has no inhibitions," Blaze replied. "He is immortal, so he does not fear death. Physically, he is perfection, so the adverse consequences that plague mortals engaging in incest do not apply to him. But most importantly, his power is so great that almost none can hope to stop him from doing whatever he pleases."

Dash's eyes narrowed with anger again. "But Celestia could. Why didn't she stop him before he started fucking his daughters?!"

"I don't know, Dash," Blaze replied. His voice was chiding and firm. "Do not condemn our Princess so hastily. There are a great many possible explanations for why Celestia did not act sooner than she did; perhaps she didn't know. Perhaps she had other, even more pressing matters to deal with at the time. Or it might even be that she perhaps cared so deeply for her little brother that she wanted to avoid eternally damning him if at all possible, and doing so was her absolute last resort after trying many other ways to convince him to stop of his own will. But the fact remains that she did eventually Seal him, and so she ultimately did perform her duty to defend us, whatever mistakes she might have made before then."

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash nodded before sighing, "I understand, Father."

Rainbow Blaze gazed silently at his daughter for a moment before continuing, "Back to my story, Firefly was as stunning as her mother, if not more so; fitting, considering that she had a God for a father, I should think."

"Wait- what race was she?" Dash interrupted him. "Was she an Angel, like Silent was?"

Blaze nodded. "Yes, Dash," he said. "If a God sires children with a mortal, their child will be the same race as their mortal parent."

Dash nodded. "I see. Sorry for interrupting you."

Waving his hand dismissively, Blaze replied, "No trouble. Anyway, Firefly's beauty was so great, in fact, that she caught the attention of Prince Horus."

"Ugh! Are you fuckin' kidding me?!" Dash shouted. "Not only did her dad take advantage of her, but her goddamned uncle did, too?!"

"Be still, Dash," Blaze said firmly, to which Dash obediently fell silent, meekly nodded, then returned to her formal sitting position. Blaze then said, "Yes, Firefly's uncle Horus had a physical relationship with her, much like her father Scorpan did. However, there is a key difference between the two; she hated Scorpan and resisted his attentions, while she welcomed those of Horus, and loved him quite dearly."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "W-what?!" she said astonishedly. "How in the Seven Hells...?!"

Dash held her head and was silent for several moments, then her father said, "Horus was quite kind and considerate to her. He gave her anything she asked, though she didn't dare ask for her freedom. At least for a while. But she saw that Horus truly was sorry for her, and he truly did want to help her, though he was either unable or unwilling to."

Dash's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Well, which was it?" she said.

Blaze shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said. "Our family has been asking ourself that same question for thousands of years. Horus never explained the reasons behind his reluctance at freeing Firefly, though she suspected that it had everything to do with Scorpan, and what he would do if Horus went through with it."

Rainbow was quite shocked. "Scorpan... had that much power over him?" she asked. "I thought they were complete equals...."

Blaze shrugged again. "They might be," he said. "Or they might not. We may never know."

Dash nodded. "Alright. So what happened next?" she said.

"After a few years, Firefly built up the courage to ask her uncle for aid. She begged him to free her; he replied that though he couldn't release her, he could help her escape.

"He began training her in the art of combat for many, many nights. Her natural talent and the skill she came to possess was beyond that of any mortal man he had ever seen; even his own personal Guardsmen. She became so strong that he knew she would escape his brother's clutches on her own, and so he gave her her cell key upon the completion of her training. That night, after she unlocked her cell, she fought her way through the Asgardian Royal Guard and fled far from the royal palace. She never encountered either Prince again.

"However, she soon learned that she was carrying Horus's child. She had no doubt that the father was Horus, as Scorpan had taken a band of followers to pillage and raid faraway lands during the period of time that their child could have been conceived in. The child Firefly bore her uncle turned out to be a girl, as well, and Firefly bestowed her and Horus's daughter with the name 'Hurricane'."

Rainbow Dash's mouth was agape, and her expression was one of simultaneous amazement and horror. Blaze finished, "Hurricane was trained by her mother as her mother had been trained by her father, and she grew to become a warrior every bit as fearsome as her parents; she is the same Hurricane who rose to become the Commander of the fearsome Amazonian Army; co-founded Equestria with Princess Platinum, Chancellor Puddinghead, Princess Luna, and Princess Celestia; and was the general of Celestia's armies in her campaigns against Princess Chrysalis and Princess Sonata during the Second War of the Gods."

Upon completing his story, Blaze stood and handed the scroll he was holding to Dash. Dash unrolled it, and read the words written in its header aloud:

"The Lineage of the Rainbow House; the Proud Clan Bearing the Blood of the Gods and Princes of Asgard Scorpan, Lord of Storms; and Horus, Lord of the Skies."

"It is no accident that our family has such a long history of great warriors and legendary fliers, Dash," Blaze said, folding his arms and softly smiling. "Most mortals have divine blood within their veins, but it is a rare thing indeed for a mortal to be born with a God for both a parent and a grandparent. This is because mortals with so much divinity within them are born with exceptional power and potential- not enough to match a God, but still beyond that of any other mortals. A God can only sire truly divine children with another God, but a mortal with two Gods for close ancestors comes so near to this that they were nicknamed 'demigods' in olden times, as their intelligence, beauty, and strength seems 'half-godlike'. The Gods fear this power, and so go to great lengths to ensure that this never happens, lest their children turn on them and wield the strength to potentially usurp them."

Rainbow Blaze placed the tip of his index finger in the center of his daughter's chest. "Furthermore," he said, "though the majority of a Being's apparent strength is in their blood, we often forget that there is an even greater source of power within all of us."

Blaze grinned. "A Being's Chi can be drawn from their nourishment, their strength, or even from the energy and world around them. But there is yet another source of Chi that all Beings can draw from, which cannot be exhausted, and is therefore a wellspring of limitless power: our emotions. Therefore, it is our hearts that are our greatest weapons, for there is nothing is all of the universe that is more powerful."

Rainbow Dash gazed concernedly at her father. "Uh, that's great, Dad..." she muttered. "But, um... I can't exactly use my feelings to cast spells, considering I'm not an Elf-"

Blaze burst into booming laughter. "I'm not talkin' about spells, Dash! I'm talking about your passion. Your determination. Have you ever asked yourself- how in Tartarus did Celestia and her brothers and sisters defeat Discord, the very King of the Earth and Spirit of Chaos? It is said that Discord's power outstripped that of his children as much as his children's power outstrips ours, Dash. They sure as shit didn't beat him with nothing more than the power of their Magic."

"So..." Dash said, "... their determination was great enough that they could match his power?"

"That's my theory," Blaze said, smirking. "And with all the determination you have to save Scootaloo, I'd say your odds are about as good as theirs was."

"But they still only barely defeated him, didn't they?" Dash said.

Blaze stopped smiling. "If you want to back out now, I urge you to," he said calmly.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "It's not gonna work, Dad," she said firmly.

Blaze sighed. "That's how it is, then, huh?" he said. "Alright, then. Since you're going to duel Scorpan, that's how you're gonna have any hope of beating him. What is the path to victory, Rainbow Dash?"

Dash sat up straight and dutifully recited, "You must turn your weaknesses into strengths, and use your strengths as weapons against your opponent. You must make your foe suffer for their weaknesses; and take their strength, and use it against them."

Blaze smirked. "And what is your greatest weapon?" he said.

Dash made a small gasp, suddenly understanding. "My heart," she answered quietly.

Rainbow Blaze grinned triumphantly. "Therefore, what must you do to defeat Prince Scorpan?!"

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes, smirking. "I must rely upon it, and turn his heart against him."

It had been two days since Rainbow Dash had vanished from Avalon, and Pinkie was beginning to grow worried. It wasn't terribly uncommon for Rainbow to go off alone for long flights or to hit nightclubs, but never before had Pinkie not seen her friend for several days without explanation.

For this reason, when Twilight and Fluttershy entered the Sugar Shack in the early evening of the second day since Rainbow's disappearance together, Pinkie immediately cried to them, "Twilight, Fluttershy- have either of you seen Rainbow Dash?!"

Twilight shook her head. "No, I haven't," she said. "Sorry, Pinkie."

"I haven't either, sorry," Fluttershy added nervously.

Pinkie, who had been wiping off the selling-counter, lifted her hands up to her face and curled them as she placed them over her mouth. "Where is she?!" she wailed, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I'm so worried! Something might've happened to her; she could've gone after Scorpan, or-!"

"I don't think she did," Fluttershy gently interjected. "I've seen her do things like this before. Usually, when she's gone for several days, it's because she went to visit her dad."

Pinkie turned surprisedly to Fluttershy. "You mean in Asgard?" she said quietly.

Fluttershy nodded.

Pinkie asked, "What does she do there?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I imagine she goes there to talk to him."

Pinkie blinked a few times, then frowned angrily. "Hmph!" she huffed. "Well, she should at least tell us when she goes off like that! She shouldn't frighten us like that!"

Fluttershy nodded. "I agree," she said. She then turned towards the door and added, "I think we should go to her dad's, just to make sure she's there and that she's alright."

Pinkie blinked, then grinned and replied, "Great idea! My shift ends in twenty minutes, so let's go then! But... how will we get there?"

Fluttershy smiled. "We can ride a pegasus there," she said. "They don't cost too much to rent, one will get us there more quickly than the train, and Rainbow Blaze has stables we can keep it in."

Beaming, Pinkie nodded. "That's perfect, Fluttershy!" she said. "How much do they cost to rent? I could split the price with you!"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, that's alright, Pinkie; it's not a problem," she reassured her.

Pinkie said gratefully, "Thanks so much, Fluttershy. You're the bestest friend ever."

While Fluttershy was off renting a pegasus, Twilight purchased an ice cream cone for herself and one for Spike before returning to the library and leaving Pinkie to finish closing up the bakery. Once her shift was completed, Pinkie went outside to find Fluttershy standing beside a large, brown pegasus fitted with a two-person saddle. Fluttershy was holding its reigns with one hand and gently stroking its neck with her other, which it received with great enthusiasm.

"It's beautiful, Fluttershy!" Pinkie gasped. "What's its name?"

"Caramel," Fluttershy replied, smilingly feeding the pegasus a carrot. "The stabler told me that he was very friendly, and very fast. It was definitely half-true, at least."

Pinkie beamed. "Awesome!" she cried.

Fluttershy mounted Caramel and slid her feet into his front stirrups, then turned to Pinkie and said, "Shall we go, then?"

Pinkie grinned and replied with a salute, "Yes, ma'am!"

Giggling, Pinkie hopped on behind Fluttershy, then gripped her around the waist as Fluttershy took Caramel's reigns and urged him forward. After galloping for a few meters, Caramel flapped his wings and took to the air, rapidly climbing high into the heavens.

True to his owner's word, Caramel was quite fast. He took Pinkie and Fluttershy to Asgard in little more than an hour, at which time Pinkie gasped upon seeing it. "This is Asgard?" she said, stunned at the shining white Sky Marble skyscrapers jutted from the clouds. Each building had a large, unique, billowing flag flying from its top, so that each could be identified no matter how much their foundational clouds shifted and moved between each other.

Fluttershy nodded. "Yes," she said.

Pinkie Pie beamed. "It's so beautiful!" she cried.

A pang of familiar ache pulsed through Fluttershy. "It is," she said. If only it were as beautiful on the inside as it is on the out, she thought to herself.

It wasn't too long before Fluttershy found the flag marking the manor of Rainbow Blaze, which was emblazoned with his prismatic bow and arrow Mark. Fluttershy steered Caramel towards its front door as Pinkie said, "This is where Rainbow used to live? It's just like a castle!"

"Well, it is modeled after castles and temples from the central mainland of the Dragon Empire," Fluttershy replied. "Rainbow's grandfather immigrated to Asgard from there, actually."

"I see," Pinkie said as Fluttershy landed Caramel on the Sky Marble front porch. She and Pinkie slid off of their pegasus, then Fluttershy knocked upon the ornately-carved front doors.

The door was promptly answered by Matt, who gasped elatedly upon seeing Fluttershy. "Flutters!" he cried, catching her in a tight embrace, which she smilingly returned. "It's been forever, sis!" he added.

"It's good seeing you, too, Matt," Fluttershy replied as they pulled apart.

Matt turned and smiled to Pinkie. "You her friend, sweetheart?" he said kindly.

Pinkie grinningly nodded. "Mm-hmm! I'm Pinkie Pie!" she said.

"Nice to meet you," Matt said, offering Pinkie his hand.

Pinkie shook it, saying, "So, are you Dashie's uncle or something?"

Matt laughed before replying, "No, no, I'm just her family butler. Come in, girls; I'll take your horse to the stables for ya."

"Thank you, Matt," Fluttershy replied, handing Matt Caramel's reigns before leading Pinkie into the mansion.

Within a few minutes, Matt returned. After he had closed the front doors again, he said, "So, what brings you here this evening, girls? Would you like some tea or something?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, thank you, Matt," she replied politely. "We're here to see Rainbow Dash. Is she here?"

"She is," Matt replied cheerfully. He then turned around and beckoned to them, adding, "She's training with Blaze in the dojo. Come with me, please."

Pinkie and Fluttershy obeyed; they followed Matt up the mansion's grand staircase, down its eastern hall, and eventually came upon an ornate set of bamboo doors; from the other side, they could hear a man's voice shout:

"... harder, Dash!! I'm not your dad; I'm the motherfuckin' God of Storms!!"

They heard this answered with a hearty, "HYAAHH!!" from Rainbow Dash, accompanied by a painful-sounding SMACK!

"Good work, D!" Blaze shouted. "Now, keep defending! He's not gonna make a lot of openings-!"

Matt interrupted Blaze, however, by smartly knocking on the door and opening it, revealing Rainbow Dash and her father garbed in their combat uniforms and assuming battle stances while they heavily panted and their faces shined with sweat.

"Sorry about botherin' ya guys," Matt said apologetically. He nodded towards Pinkie and Fluttershy, adding, "Dash's got visitors."

Rainbow relaxed and stood up straight, turning to her friends surprisedly. "Pinkie! Flutters! What're you two doing here?" she said.

Pinkie frowned and folded her arms. "We were worried about you, Dashie," she said sternly. "You didn't even warn us you'd be gone so long."

Blaze lightly smacked his daughter upside the head. "What the dick, Dash?" he said admonishingly. "You're tellin' me you just dropped your friends and flew off into the blue without a word?"

Rubbing her head and looking away remorsefully, Dash said quietly, "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just didn't think about it. I'm sorry, guys."

Fluttershy smiled softly and closed her eyes, replying, "I forgive you, Dashie."

Pinkie sighed, then grinned, as well, as she said, "Yeah, I forgive you, too." She then frowned and pointed at Dash as she added, "Just don't do it again, alright?"

"I won't, I won't," Rainbow Dash said, holding up her hands and chuckling nervously.

Rainbow Blaze made a small, intrigued smile and as he turned to Pinkie and held his chin. "'Pinkie,' wasn't it?" he said.

Surprised, Pinkie turned to Blaze and said, "What?"

"That's your name, isn't it?" Blaze said. "'Pinkie,' right?"

Pinkie grinned, then replied, "Yep! It's 'Pinkie Pie', actually!" she then offered her hand to Blaze as she said, "You're Dashie's dad, right?"

"The same; the pleasure's all mine," Blaze replied, taking Pinkie's hand and shaking it.

However, once Blaze had released her hand, Pinkie's smile faded slightly as she saw him look her figure up and down. "So, you're friends with Dash, right?" he said. "Have you ever spent the night with her?"

Pinkie's eyes widened with shock at the highly personal question, and both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flinched as they detected what was coming. "N-no...." Pinkie said.

"Really? That surprises me," Blaze continued, a smirk forming on his lips. "You're a real cutie and a babe. So, you must not be into chicks, then, huh?"

Pinkie frowned. "Um... eww," she said, taking a step away from Blaze. "I'm fifteen, bro."

Blaze shrugged. "Oh, cool, so you're legal, then," he said with a small chuckle.

"Gross," Pinkie said contemptuously. "Not. Happening."

With mock disappointment, Blaze sighed, shrugged, and shook his head. "Well, that's a shame," he said. "Worth a shot, though."

He then walked towards the dojo's exit, waving offhandedly as he called back, "I'm gonna hit the hay. We'll keep training tomorrow, Dash; you're almost ready. Catch ya later, girls."

Once Blaze was out of earshot, Pinkie gave an affronted look to Rainbow Dash and said, "That's your dad, Rainbow? I can't believe that guy...."

"He's not usually this bad," Fluttershy said to Pinkie. "He really is a good guy...."

"Yeah, he usually only gets like this when he's, like, really stressed or worried."

Pinkie groaned, then said, "Well, what is he worried about?"

Rainbow looked nervously away from her friends, then Pinkie's eyes widened as she remembered something. "Wait- what was that about him being the 'motherfucking God of Storms' earlier?"

Rainbow sighed frustratedly, then she said, "Pinkie, Flutters... I'm gonna fight Scorpan."

Rainbow's friends were stunned to the point of speechlessness for a few moments. "... What?" Fluttershy said quietly.

"You heard me," Rainbow muttered, frowning.

There were a few seconds of still, tense silence, then Pinkie and Fluttershy immediately began shouting over the top of each other. Rainbow began quickly shouting back, arguing with them as they both began tearing up.

"... Rainbow, you can't-!"

"-He'll fucking kill you, Dashie-!"

"You two can't fuckin' stop me-!"

"-Please, please don't do this-!"

"-So help me, Rainbow Dash-!"

"ENOUGH!!" Rainbow barked, frightening the other two into silence again. She then muttered, trembling and clenching her fists, "I am going to fight Scorpan. Period. And there's not a goddamn thing either of you can do to stop me."

With that, Rainbow shoved past her friends, marched to her bedroom, then slammed it shut once she'd entered it.

Rainbow was lying across her bed, over her covers, completely awake. The circular, brass mechanical alarm clock on her nightstand told that the time was one thirteen, and yet Rainbow could still detect no signs of any tiredness.

Her hair was still lightly damp from the shower she had taken in her personal bathroom, which was connected directly to this bedroom. She was wearing a soft white cotton tank top and a pair of hot pink panties, but nothing else. She was resting the back of her head on the palms of her hands and staring up at her bedroom's ceiling, which was rather well-lit by the half-moon shining outside her window.

Rainbow had always wondered what it was like to know that you were about to die. She'd always imagined that such a time would be filled with crying, whining, drinking, and a lot of last-minute sex, but she found that experiencing it was significantly different than just wondering about it.

When you were about to die, as it turned out, you actually spend most of your time thinking. This was quite a surprise for Rainbow, honestly.

But you didn't think about anything fun or awesome or cool. All your thought were consumed with all the regrets of everything you hadn't done, and all the things you loved that would be suddenly gone forever.

What was it like, to be dead? To simply not exist anymore? Contemplating this was paradoxically quite terrifying, since all evidence suggested that there was nothing frightening about it; after all, it probably wasn't like anything. It wasn't something you experienced, because there was nothing to experience.

Rainbow decided that the reason it was so terrifying was not that she had anything to fear once she had died; rather, she was afraid because of all the things that she cared about now, while she was alive.

If Scorpan killed her during this battle, she would never know what would happen to Scootaloo. She'd never know if she was alright, or if she were able to somehow escape, or if she'd meet the most terrible and tragic demise imaginable. She'd never know the consequences of her failure, nor be there to protect her any longer.

Celestia, why did she decide to do this?

There was a soft knocking on the door, startling Rainbow and causing her to jolt before sitting upright and calling out, "Who is it?"

"Hey, Dashie," Rainbow heard the soft voice of Pinkie reply. "It's Pinkie."

Rainbow blinked, then groaningly rubbed her eyes. "Come in," she said, loudly enough for Pinkie to hear.

The door quietly creaked open, then Pinkie stepped into Rainbow's bedroom. She was wearing pastel-pink panties and a bright orange hoodie, and she had her hands in its front pockets. "Did I wake you?" she said apologetically.

"Nah, I couldn't sleep," Rainbow replied.

Pinkie closed Rainbow's door again as Rainbow said confusedly, "What're you still doing here, Pinkie? It's past midnight...."

"It was getting pretty late, so Blaze told me and Fluttershy we could stay here for the night."

Rainbow nodded, sighed, then rubbed her head as she said, "Look, Pinkie, about what I said when I stormed of.f..."

Pinkie shook her head. "It's alright, Dashie," she said. "There's no need to apologize."

Rainbow nodded. "Alright..." she muttered. She and Pinkie were silent for a few moments before she asked, "So... what do ya need, Pink?"

Pinkie remained silent. Her head was bowed downward, so Rainbow couldn't see her eyes, and her hands were balled in fists at her sides. "Um... Pinkie? You alright?" Rainbow said worriedly before crawling across her bed a bit closer to her.

It was difficult to see, as the only lighting in the room was from the moon and stars, but Rainbow thought that she could see Pinkie trembling, and... blushing?

"Um... Dashie...." Pinkie said quietly. "You remember.... You remember, um... when your dad asked about...?"

Rainbow groaned, then said, "Look, I'm sorry about that, Pinkie. I'll ask my dad not to do that anymore-"

"But... Dashie...." Pinkie said quietly. "Do... do you want to?"

Rainbow's eyes widened with shock as her mouth opened slightly.

Pinkie raised her trembling fingers to her hoodie's zipper. "I... I don't know how much I'd be worth to you, Rainbow Dash...." she said. She gently took ahold of the zipper as she continued, "I mean... I've never, um... d-done, um, anything like... l-like this, before, and...."

Pinkie then tremblingly sighed as she slowly began pulling her zipper down. "B-but, I'm told that I'm pretty sometimes, so maybe that's enough...."

"Pinkie-" Rainbow began worriedly.

Pinkie began trembling harder as she suddenly pulled firmly on her zipper, quickly undoing the rest of it. Rainbow could now see that she was wearing nothing underneath it. Rainbow's face was burning so hotly it should have lit up the room. "B-but... maybe an inexperienced girl would be a... treat for you," Pinkie continued. She was now beginning to pull her hoodie off, slowly exposing her chest, belly, and the sides of her breasts. Pinkie then looked up at Rainbow, revealing that her eyes were quite tearful. "Rainbow... if you just promise me that you won't do this... you can take me. You can have my virginity. No strings attached."

Rainbow found that her eyes wandered down to Pinkie's partially-exposed torso for a fraction of a second, though she clenched her eyes shut and turned away, saying firmly, "No, Pinkie."

"I'll do whatever you want," Pinkie said, her voice growing desperate. "Do-do you want me to do this again? You can have me whenever you like, and you can do whatever you like, too."

"Pinkie-!"

Pinkie had started sobbing. "And- and there won't be any rules! If you want to humiliate me in public, or see other girls, or chain me up-!"

Rainbow grabbed Pinkie by her arms and shook her. "I'm not gonna do that, Pinkie!" she shouted, stunning Pinkie into silence. She then released Pinkie's arms and said quietly with a weak smile, "I've gotta do this. For Scootaloo. You understand, right?"

Pinkie's eyes widened. "This is... for Scootaloo?" she said surprisedly.

Rainbow scoffed. "Yeah. What, you think this was for the glory of besting a God or some shit like that? Yeah, I'm not that stupid."

Pinkie blinked. "So... you know that Scorpan is going to kill you?"

Rainbow shrugged with resignation. "Probably, yeah," she muttered.

After a few more moments, Pinkie fidgeted with her fingers as she said, "Then... then I make the same offer to you, Dashie, except...."

Rainbow's eyes widened, and she gazed astonishedly at Pinkie as she fell silent for a few moments. Pinkie then looked tearfully up at Rainbow, sobbing, "But if you won't promise me you won't fight Scorpan, at least... at least promise me that you won't die!"

Rainbow had to admit, she desperately wanted to. Not just to take Pinkie up on her offer, but also to assure herself that she would live to see the day after her duel with Scorpan ended.

With a sad, apologetic smile, Rainbow said, "I'm sorry, Pinkie. I can't promise that, either."

Pinkie's face twisted with deep despair, then she ran weeping out of Rainbow's bedroom and back to her own, quietly sobbing all the way.

Rainbow climbed back into her bed, then began silently sobbing, as well, until she cried herself to sleep.

It had been about three days since Scootaloo and her peers had all been thrown into this forsaken prison. Their shackles had all been removed shortly after Scorpan brought them all to the surface; he explained to them that doing so, like taking away their gags, was a "reward" for their "good behavior". Which, of course, was referring to the fact that they had resigned to their fate and were no longer resisting.

Fortunately, none of the children had been violated since they had been locked in this cage, by the strict orders of Prince Scorpan; Scootaloo had overheard that this was because Scorpan intended to put up the privilege of breaking each one of them in for auction individually. For this purpose, Scorpan had ordered his men to set up a massive, ornate tent to perform the auction in, which they had then filled with fine oaken dining-tables and cushioned chairs so that the prospective auctioneers might be provided food and comfort as honored guests while they placed their bids.

Scorpan had funded all this with the tribute he had extorted from the children's parents. With this tribute, he had also established a temporary inn and a temporary brothel with several more tents, as well as many more carts of fine furniture and decorations. He'd also had his men set up a temporary kitchen by placing open-air grills and iron shelves beside a well in their campgrounds; meals were being prepared there now for their customers by a few of the hostage children, who had been chosen for their cooking skills, taken out of the cage, and were being closely monitored as they worked by Scorpan's followers.

Once they'd established a makeshift inn with some of their tents, it was swiftly filled with tenants from all over the world; they didn't have to advertise, as the customers had been eagerly awaiting an opportunity to engage in consequence-free tourism such as this for quite a long time. The prospective bidders all wore full-body concealing clothing, masks, hats, hoods, and other such articles with which they might hide their identities while they were outside of the camp's many tents.

During this time, the imprisoned children were provided with sufficient food and water, as well as a wooden outhouse that had been installed in the side of the cage. They had also all been given cheap, rough cushions and blankets for sleeping, though their main source for warmth and comfort throughout the long nights was each other; the children had all formed small groups that slept together in small, compact huddles.

Scootaloo had grouped, of course, with Dinky, Aura, Rumble, and Pipsqueak. During her entrapment, Scootaloo had attempted to approach Diamond Tiara to personally thank her for trying to protect her, though Diamond immediately brushed her off with the same hostility she had always shown her. So even now, they couldn't be friends. Scootaloo had to admit that she was quite saddened by this, as she had been hoping that they could be. Heavens knew they all needed any friends they could get right then.

On the noon of the third day since their entrapment, the tent their cage stood within was entered by Noir, who grinned nastily at them. "Good afternoon, worms," he said before chuckling cruelly. "Lord Scorpan asked me to thank you all again for your patience, and let you know that you're gonna start work shortly, but that he's gonna say a few words to you first."

Before Noir could leave again, however, Dinky stood up and tearfully called out to him in a meek voice, "Um... Mister...?"

Stopping, Noir turned around and looked annoyedly at Dinky. "What?" he said harshly.

Dinky swallowed fearfully before tremblingly begging as tears streamed down her cheeks, "P-please let us go, mister. I... I'm sure my mommy's worried about me, and that the others' mothers-"

"Just your mommy, sweetheart?" Noir said, a smile spreading over his lips. He turned back to the cage and slowly approached it, eliciting a flinch from the children as he continued, "What, isn't your daddy worried about you, too?"

"I... I don't have a daddy..." Dinky said, shrinking under Noir's predatory gaze.

"Really?" Noir said, gleefully placing his hand on one of the cage's bars. "Well, then, I guess I'll just be your daddy, then."

Even though she was surrounded by many other children, Dinky felt completely alone as she felt Noir's frightening stare upon her. She tearfully whispered, "N-no, that's okay, you don't have to..."

"What a naughty girl you are, asking to be let go," Noir interrupted her. Scootaloo felt as though ice water was being poured down her back; she could hear the twisted excitement building in Noir's voice. He then muttered, almost in a growl, "You're pretty adorable, though, so I might just do it. But you have to ask again...."

Her trembling now almost uncontrollable, Dinky said again, "P-please let m-me go...."

"Daddy," Noir said, his grin now seeming to reach to his ears. "'Please let me go, Daddy.'"

Whimpering in terror, Dinky obediently repeated, "P-...p-please let me g-go, d-...d-Daddy...."

Noir chuckled perversely. "What a naughty little girl," he said softly. "Asking daddy to let her go again, after daddy already told her not to. Maybe daddy should spank her for being such a bad little girl. But daddy might forgive her, if she sits on his lap and-"

"That's enough, Noir," Scorpan said, entering the tent with two more of his followers.

Grunting in frustration, Noir turned to the Prince and said, "Oh, please let me have this one first, My Lord- she's such a hot little cutie-"

"No," Scorpan said firmly. "You know the bidders are entitled to the first taste, Commander."

Noir scoffed, then said, "Fine. I'll just win the little Elf babe at the auction, then. How much was my cut of the gold, again, My Lord?"

"A quarter of a percent," Scorpan replied. "So two hundred twenty-five gold pieces from the tributes, as of now."

"I'll have to get some gold from my own purse, too, then...." Noir muttered as he dutifully exited the tent.

Once Noir had departed, Scorpan smirked down at the children as he said, "Hello, again, little guests. Once again, I thank you for your patience. The auction begins in an hour; after it's completed, your new routines will properly get started. Once you all begin servicing our customers, there will be certain expectations of you, and rules that you must follow.

"The first of these rules, of course, is that none of you are permitted to attempt to escape. Anyone caught doing so will be punished.

"Your second command is that you must do absolutely anything that your clients ask of you, without question. Regardless of whether or not you want to. Like attempting to escape, refusing the requests of your clients will result in punishment.

"Now lastly, know this: you can lay some of your fears to rest, as there are several things that your clients will all not be permitted to do to you. Under no circumstances will they be allowed to kill, maim, or otherwise inflict permanent serious injuries upon you. Under most circumstances, they will neither be allowed to inflict more minor injuries upon you; meaning, they cannot strike you, choke you, whip you, or otherwise cause you terribly significant amounts of pain."

Scorpan then smirked as he added, "However, this will not always be the case; after all, you will have some clients with tastes for such things, as well as pockets deep enough to pay for them." His cruel smile widened. "Of course, if you are good little children, obey the rules, and do as we say, you will have nothing to fear; you will not have to serve such clients. However, if you're bad, and disobey us, then serving such clients will be your punishment."

He turned his gaze to Scootaloo, and then to Diamond, who paled and trembled under his merciless eyes. "And fortunately, two of you have kindly volunteered do demonstrate the consequences of resistance and disobedience for the rest. One lied to me, and the other dared to attack me. When they return, let their tears serve to warn all of you against rebellion against the authority of the Lord of the Heavens."

Scorpan then smirkingly spun around and said, "Take the short-haired Angel and the heiress Human to my chambers, gentlemen."

Scootaloo and Diamond tearfully protested and desperately begged Scorpan's two followers to spare them as the door was opened and one of the men chained them up while the other aimed a pistol at the doorway, ensuring that none of the other children attempted to escape.

Once Scootaloo and Diamond were locked in the iron restraints, their captor roughly shoved them out of the cage and the tent before locking the door behind them.

The two girls fell face-first into the dirt, then they were pulled back onto their feet by Scorpan's followers, who dragged them towards the grandest and most ornate of the residential tents, which Scorpan was smilingly standing behind.

Barely able to speak as she wept in terror, Scootaloo whispered as she was forcedly inching closer to the entrance of Scorpan's bedchamber, "Please... please don't...."

Once she was within his arm's reach, Scorpan softly laughed as he slowly lifted his hand towards Scootaloo's throat.

"HEY!! You keep your hands OFF of her, asswipe!!"

Scorpan's smile vanished as he turned towards the sudden, raspy shout, which had come from a small teenaged Angel girl with rainbow-colored hair and large, sky-blue wings whose magenta eyes were glaring at him with deepest rage and loathing.

Scorpan glared back at Rainbow Dash. "You dare insult the God of Tempests?!" he shouted angrily. "Men, silence her!!"

Two of Scorpan's followers charged towards Rainbow Dash; however, she efficiently made a leaping kick against one's forehead, knocking him out. She then swiftly caught the other's punch, flipped over him, then twisted his arm, badly breaking it.

As Rainbow's second assailant writhed and howled in agony on the ground beside her, Scorpan and his followers gazed astonishedly at Rainbow. After a few seconds, however, Scorpan's eyes narrowed again as he began to advance on her, growling, "Why, you little-!!"

"Shut the fuck up, you sniveling, worthless pig," Rainbow snarled, folding her arms. "I came here for you, Shithead, and you are gonna listen to what I have to say."

Too stunned at her sheer brazen defiance to answer her, Scorpan remained silent as Rainbow continued, "I hereby challenge you to a duel, Motherfucker. A contest of honor, 'tween you and me. No tricks, no weapons. Skill against skill alone."

After a few more moments of silence, Scorpan and his followers all burst into mocking laughter. "Oh, really?!" Scorpan cried contemptuously. "Isn't this just rich! This scrawny little whore stands before me, the Lord of Lightning, and challenges me to a duel!"

There was another round of laughter, then Scorpan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Go back to tending kitchens and sucking cocks, where you belong."

Rainbow smirked. "What? You too much of a little chickenshit to face me?" she said.

Scorpan flinched, then turned back to Rainbow. "What?" he said. His voice was incredibly soft, but there was more fury in it than there had been until that point.

"You heard me," Rainbow said. "You're too much of a fucking coward to fight me. I'm not surprised, considering you're hiding behind all these little kids."

Scorpan's eyes and Marks glowed with Ether, thunder boomed from far above them, and electricity began to faintly crackle from his fingertips. "Why, you...!!" he muttered, stepping towards her.

"Yeah, go and kill me now," Rainbow said, spreading her arms and casually stepping away from him. "'Cause there's so much honor and glory in that, right? Kill the tiny little mortal girl while she's surrounded at all sides by your thug cultists. Nothing pathetically cowardly about that."

Scorpan flinched, hesitated for a few moments, then looked around at his followers. They were all looking at him; watching him.

Barely holding in an enraged roar, Scorpan growled through grinding teeth, "You've just made a grave mistake, you little cunt. Very well. I accept your challenge. I could win it with both of my arms tied behind my back. In my sleep. Name the time and place that would be most convenient for you."

Rainbow smirked again, folded her arms, and nodded with satisfaction. "Tomorrow at sunset, in this field," she said.

With a wild, bloodthirsty grin, Scorpan muttered, "I cannot wait to hear you howlingly beg me to let you die, Angel."

II-VII. The Duel

It was time.

This was it.

Rainbow Dash had just finished the last session of her training with her father to prepare for her duel with Scorpan early that morning, and their much-anticipated battle was set to happen just a few hours later that day. All that was left was to await the arrival of Horus, after which Rainbow would sleep so as to be as well-rested for her duel as possible.

Horus was coming to Avalon to act as the referee and diplomatic intermediary between Scorpan and Rainbow Dash during the preparation of their duel, as well as the duel itself. It had been immediately decided after Scorpan had accepted Rainbow's challenge that the both of them would swear via the Oath-Taking Ritual to the terms that Horus wrote (based on input from the both of them) defining the laws of their contest; the Oath-Taking Ritual, which was universal within the world of formalized duels and nearly as old as dueling itself, was a relatively simple Chi-based incantation with a single, even simpler effect: in the event you broke any oath you made via the Ritual, your heart would immediately and permanently stop beating.

It was known for an absolute certainty that there was no possible way to even slightly reverse the magically-induced cardiac arrest that the Oath-Taking Ritual could induce; countless methods had been attempted on Oath-breakers by their allies to restart their hearts in the first moments after their breaths ceased, including electric shocks, Magic, and even (in one extremely infamous case) tearing the victim's heart out of their chest and attempting to squeeze it back to life manually.

The utterly irreversible and uncompromising nature of this spell was deeply terrifying to Rainbow and her friends, but there was a great benefit to it, as well: though it put Rainbow much closer to mortal peril than she had been in already, it also gave them complete assurance that breaking the Oath of their duel would be no less suicidal for Scorpan, either.

"So... if Scorpan breaks the Oath that he and Rainbow take, his heart will stop beating?" Pinkie said, gazing at Twilight as they and their friends stood in the Golden Oak library, with an intense look of desperate hope in her eyes.

Twilight nodded. "Yep," she said. "I mean, we can't be completely sure that it will, since a God has never broken a supernatural Oath before, but I doubt Scorpan would risk being the first to try it."

"But... how can it do that?" Pinkie said, growing equal parts confused and worried. "I mean, Gods can't die, right? And Beings die when their hearts stop beating, so-"

"Yes, the Gods cannot die," Twilight replied. "However, aside from that, they can be subjected to any other ailment that a mortal can, assuming it's not a genetics-based illness or something a Being's immune system could conceivably handle. In other words, they can be poisoned, choked, receive broken bones, or even be knocked unconscious. So what I imagine will happen if Scorpan breaks the Oath is that his heart will stop and he will be rendered forever unconscious with only the barest sliver of life; an eternal coma. In other words, he won't be dead, but he might as well be."

"Then why didn't Luna get knocked out when Dashie threw one of Fluttershy's tranquilizers at her?"

"Well, she partially did," Twilight replied. "She was just able to heal from its effects far more quickly than they could overwhelm her. Luna can nearly instantaneously recover from pretty much anything, because she is quite literally overflowing with power. I don't need to remind you that she is the Goddess of the Moon, which holds so much potential energy it could obliterate entire planets should the fancy ever strike it.

"But no matter how much Chi a Being has, however, there are still many absolutes in place that no Magic can counteract; not even a God's. No Being can perform Sorcery while touching Etherial iron, for instance. Likewise, no Being can penetrate a time-based Etherial Barrier until its power expires and it shatters. And lastly, there is no way whatsoever to reverse death; not even with a God's power."

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. "Not even Discord could?" she said skeptically.

Twilight shook her head. "No," she said.

"How do you know that?"

"Celestia told me," Twilight replied. "Discord himself complained to her of his inability to raise mortal Beings back from death, and told her it was the main reason he decided to have God children; so that he could have toys that would last forever."

Rainbow, who was leaning against a wall and listening in on their conversation, scoffed. "Guess some apples didn't fall far from the tree then, huh?" she said, smiling bitterly. "Like his good 'ol dad, Scorpan has children just so they can be his own playthings. What fucking sacks of shit."

"But not all Gods are like that, Dashie," Fluttershy interjected softly. "I mean, Celestia and Luna are Discord's daughters, too, but they don't seem to be anything like him."

"That's fer sure," Applejack muttered. "But what Ah don't get is why Celestia's lettin' Horus, who is like Scorpan and Discord, come here to be in charge of Rainbow's fight. Ah mean, they ruled Asgard together durin' the Chaotic Age and the Second Gods' War, didn't they? And from the sound of it, Horus seems hardly any better. He went along with all the sick shit that Scorpan got away with before he was Sealed."

"I don't know why Celestia allowed it," Twilight confessed. "But here's what I do know: it was Horus who first let Celestia know that Scorpan had been released; why would he do that, if he wasn't truly loyal to Celestia?"

With a confident smile, Twilight finished, "If Celestia trusts Horus, then I do, too."

Applejack sighed in response, "Whatever ya'll say, Twi...."

Spike was leaning against one of the library's windows upon one of his arms. He rested his forehead against his arm and gazed out into the city, contemplating all of the many powerful emotions spinning throughout his body.

He stood meters away from the girls, all alone. The others had wondered why he was isolating himself like this, except for Twilight, who knew him so well that it was clear to her that he had more on his mind because of all that was happening than any of them, with the possible exception of Rainbow.

To begin with, when Rainbow had first returned to Avalon with Pinkie and Fluttershy to tell the rest of her friends that she intended to fight Scorpan, Spike had been the first one to unequivocally support her. While the others were panicking, begging, or gently attempting to persuade her not to, Spike had decisively assured her that she should do it; after all, it was obvious that Rainbow thought of Scootaloo as her little sister. Exactly like Spike, Rainbow had a sister who would likely be subjected to some of the most hellish tortures a Being could experience, and Spike confessed that he would do exactly the same were he in her position.

In addition, Scootaloo, along with several of Scorpan's other captives, were Spike's friends. Some were barely younger than he was, or even young enough to potentially be his apprentice when he turned fifteen, but he was still as close friends to them as he was to his and Twilight's five older girl friends. His heart had been absolutely crushed when he learned what had happened to them, resulting in a sorrow second in power only to that he had felt when Sunset, his only family, had been captured, as well.

Truth be told, Spike's hatred for Scorpan and his followers, as well as his desire to save his friends, were powerful enough that he had considered attacking the dark God, as well. However, he quickly realized that there was no chance whatsoever he could succeed; as talented and skilled a Sorcerer as he was, and even as a fairly competent fighter, he was still a far cry from the combative abilities Rainbow Dash possessed, let alone the magical prowess of Twilight. He was even less of a match for the Gods than Rainbow was.

And Rainbow was about to fight one of the Sealed Gods. One of the seven Beings that mortal Beings feared above all others; the subjects of their darkest legends and gravest songs. Spike had once attended a concert performed by the Olympus Symphonic Orchestra in which one of the pieces they played was the Thunderstorm Symphony, which was one of the master composer Bee Wingbeat's most highly acclaimed and famous works. The great songwriter had been inspired to pen it by his most nightmarish memory: the invasion of his village by Scorpan, accompanied by a band of equally-savage men.

When Scorpan arrived to pillage little Bee's village, he had brought with him a massive lightning storm, which roared and flashed with great ferocity throughout the long, long night, catching cottages alight as rain unrelentingly poured down, producing raging infernos and rushing, river-like floods in equal amounts. His parents, a pair of powerful blacksmiths, had protected him and fought off the invaders that came with the terrible tempest until the storm was lifted at the dawn of the next day. However, despite coming to no harm himself due to the inspiring stand of his parents, he still witnessed many terrible horrors going on around him; including murder, burning, drowning, and violent rape. When Scorpan, his men, and the rain departed the next morning, his father succumbed to the wounds he had accumulated during his battles and died. However, before Bee and his mother could bury him, his mother contracted tuberculosis and died, as well. Bee was then taken in by his grandfather, who buried his parents, raised him, and divided his gold between his grandson and the armies of Celestia in his will after his death, begging the High Princess to end Scorpan's reign of terror with it.

The symphony that this terrible night inspired was widely said to only have been performed correctly if the audience was left with a powerful impression of the horror, rage, and despair that Bee Wingbeat must have felt throughout it. Indeed, at the performance by the world-class orchestra that Spike attended, he had left crying, trembling, and feeling absolutely miserable. And now the man that had inspired that epically tragic song was standing mere minutes away, waiting to do the exact same thing all over again to Spike's own best friends.

Though Spike couldn't take his mind away from all this no matter how hard he tried, he still attempted to guide his thoughts to a less dreary and hopeless place; he took a deep breath, turned away from the window he had been leaning against, and walked to join the others. He took a seat between Twilight and Rarity and interjected with a tiny, hopeful smile, "At least Scorpan's not gonna do anything to any of the boys he's got, right? I mean, it doesn't make it any less terrible what he's planning for Scootaloo or the other girls, but-"

"No, Spike," Twilight interrupted her apprentice, with a voice and expression filled with miserable resignation. "All of the children in Scorpan's captivity will share the same fate."

Spike's eyes widened with shock. "But- why?!" he cried. "It doesn't make any sense! Scorpan and his cult hate male homosexuality! They-!"

"They actually hate homosexuality between men," Twilight muttered, again interrupting Spike's thought. "But they don't consider boys to be men until they become teenagers; until then, they are considered to be exactly the same as little girls: children."

Spike, along with a couple of the other girls, gaped in horror at what Twilight had just told them. "And they think that children are more okay to screw than men are?!" Spike cried disbelievingly.

"Exactly," Twilight muttered. "Scorpan's followers don't think like, say, the Sonatians do; they don't oppose homosexuality because they see it as 'deviant'. In fact, they have no objections whatsoever to female homosexuality, nor to male pederasty, because it's not about morality to them; it's about power. To the followers of Scorpan, might is literally right. They hate gay men because they see them as 'lowering' themselves to the status of 'inferior' women. They do not believe that sexual partners ought to regard one another as equals; they believe that one must always be completely dominant over the other, because they view sex as first and foremost a demonstration of a man's power. In summation, they don't view sex as 'consensual or non-consensual'; they view it as 'acceptable or non-acceptable,' and anyone except someone viewed as an equal or superior is seen as an 'acceptable' target for them and their desires in their eyes."

After a few stunned, silent moments, Spike frowned, narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and growled through gritted teeth, "What pathetic fucking hypocrites. So they view life as nothing more than one big dick-measuring contest with everyone around them?" He scoffed, then concluded, "I'd rather be one of their targets or captives than to live like that. What empty, shallow, hellish, miserable lives they have...."

At that moment, there was a knocking on the library door. Twilight stood up from her chair, walked to the entrance, then opened it, though she was not quite prepared for the Being that stood on the other side; she involuntarily took a small step back and slightly gasped as she beheld him.

Prince Horus had to deeply bend down to prevent his head from striking the doorframe, so tall was he; in fact, he was only centimeters taller than Cadance and Luna and about a head shorter than Celestia. Neither Spike, Twilight, nor any of the other girls had ever seen nor stood so closely to a male God before, so everything about him was overwhelming; his great size, the aura of sheer physical and supernatural strength he carried about him, and even his divine attractiveness, which was so immensely piercing that it penetrated the sensual desires of even Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Spike.

Unsurprisingly, Horus looked identical to Scorpan in the shape and tanned complexion of his lean muscular body, his rather large perfectly-shaped head, and his angular face. However, you would immediately know Horus was not the same man by looking at his eyes; they were a soft, contemplative sky blue, contrasting sharply against the wild, intense electric-blue of his brother's. His smooth, white hair was short and carefully teased, making it appear perfectly attractively messy, and was matched by his enormous feathered wings that seemed to flow through the air like soft, bright silver clouds. He wore a loose, billowing white shirt, tight brown leather leggings, and regal matching brown leather boots, which all gave him the appearance of a hero from the cover of a steamy bodice-ripper novel set in the early modern era. His shirt and leggings left very little to the imagination; the shape of his legs were displayed quite flatteringly, and his loose white shirt was almost sheer, so his well-sculpted tan chest was shown off rather well through it. The Markings on his sides and up his arms were weaves of rainbows and the black outlines of flying birds, culminating in the Marks on the backs of his hands and his shoulders, which consisted of a majestic silver cloud from which a grand falls of rainbow-colored water was pouring.

Looking down at the stunned, blushing face nearest to him, the God of the Skies said softly, "You are Duchess Twilight Sparkle, this library's head stewardess, I presume?"

Her ability to speak returning to her, Twilight nervously replied, "Y-yes, Your Highness...."

Horus nodded, seeming not to take notice at how flustered he was making her- or any mortal in the room, for that matter. He looked around and swiftly found Rainbow, to which he said, "And are you Rainbow Dash, the daughter of Rainbow Blaze, my fair young lady?"

Rainbow blinked, and gaped, but didn't respond. She hadn't heard what he said. What the hell's going on?! she wondered in great bafflement to herself. He's a fucking dude, but I'm drenching my panties just looking at him! Did someone slip me an aphrodisiac potion or something?! Come to think of it, though, I've always wondered what it'd feel like to shove a real dick in- ...No, wait! Shit! I don't have any condoms! I'd better get out of here before-!

"Miss?" Horus said, breaking Rainbow out of her daze.

Rainbow rapidly blinked a few times. "Huh?" she said.

"That is Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "She's the one who's going to fight Scorpan."

Horus gazed at Rainbow for a moment. "Hmm," he said casually. "You're smaller than I thought you'd be. Good luck in your battle; you'll need it."

Horus then collapsed in one of the library's armchairs, letting out a weary sigh as he did so. "I can imagine that you young mortals are wondering why I have been chosen to be your referee," he said, bending over and rubbing his eyes with one hand. "In truth, I'd rather not be; I would have preferred to not get mixed up in all this in the first place."

Applejack glared at Horus, though she was still intensely blushing with arousal. "Why in tarnation are you not fighting your goddamned brother?!" she shouted. "There ain't no excuse you could make for what he's doin' to all the young'uns he's roped up!"

"Yes, that is true," Horus replied flatly. "And it is for that reason that I am not at his side. However, the fact remains that he is my brother- my twin brother, no less. And so I will not stand against him either."

Applejack was absolutely furious- not just at Horus, but at herself for feeling such immense attraction to him despite how much she was swiftly coming to loathe him. "Ah'm sick of your horseshit and nonsense!" she bellowed.

"Applejack!" Twilight cried fearfully. "Don't anger him-!"

"Ah don't give a damn if Ah anger him!" Applejack shouted. She pointed directly at Horus's face as she continued, while her face grew steadily redder, "If family is so important to ya, why'd ya'll help Celestia overthrow yer pa?! Don't ya'll tell me ya can't protect us mortal folk from your son-of-a-bitch brother-!"

"King Discord was hardly a father to any of us," Horus said wearily, but without any anger. "Have you ever wondered just why Scorpan turned out the way he is, Human? Why some of our brothers and sisters turned so rotten that Celestia had to Seal them to protect you from them?"

Stunned into silence, Applejack remained still as Horus let his pointed questions hang in the air for a moment, then relaxed back into his armchair with another heavy sigh. "Our father was as terrible a parent as I can imagine," Horus muttered. "He was neglectful, abusive, and completely indifferent to our well-being. I was a child once too, you know. You must remember that we Gods are Beings just like any of you mortals are; we are born into this cruel world and must be nurtured, and loved, and taught to be decent and compassionate, just like any of you do. Have you ever thought of that?"

After a few more moments of silence that allowed this last question to sink in, a tinge of remorse colored Applejack's expression and caused her to look away. "Ah... no...." she muttered.

Horus's eyes narrowed as he raised his hands to his lips. "You cannot imagine what it was like to grow up in Discord's own household," he said sternly. "We all had to fend for ourselves, and fight over even basic necessities. Starvation cannot kill us, but we still wished we could die for the pain our hunger caused. You had to hide any blankets or other small comforts you found, or one of your more violent elder siblings would beat you and rip it right out of your hands."

Horus allowed himself a bitter smirk. "And that's without even detailing what monsters my siblings and I could be to each other. The time that Tirek shoved a flaming lump of coal down my throat just for the hell of it, for example, springs to mind. Or the night I couldn't sleep, because I could hear him and Sombra raping Sonata just meters away. Oh, and Sonata was just six at the time, by the way. I was four."

The flushing had completely vanished from the faces of all the mortals in the Golden Oak Library by then. With hardly a moment to allow them to take his terrible revelations in, Horus continued, "We couldn't turn to our father for help; he couldn't care less what we did to each other. We couldn't run away, because there was nowhere in the world we could hide where he couldn't find us. Our lives were every bit as much living nightmares as the Hells of Tartarus are. The only reason I think any of us turned out any better than our father was because those of us who were desperate for affection of any kind turned to others like us. Luna and Celestia, for instance, were inseparable. They were partners who faced the world and everything it threw at them together. Demeter and Poseidon eventually joined them, as well.

"But those four were bound together by a common cause: they all shared a deeper affection for you mortals than our father or any of their other siblings, including myself, possessed. As for the rest of us, Sonata formed an uneasy alliance with Seti upon their shared hatred for our father. As you might imagine, Tirek, Sombra, and Chrysalis naturally grouped together, though it was not for affection; if they ever had any love or loyalty for each other, I doubt they would have so swiftly turned on each other and fought so bitterly over our father's empty throne once we had usurped him.

"That left Scorpan and I; the youngest of the first Gods. Celestia, of course, offered us a place alongside her and our other mortal-sympathising siblings. I wish I'd taken her up on her offer, looking back, but Scorpan and I refused; he thought that the mortals weren't worth our concern, and I was more concerned with looking out for my own well-being.

"We considered allying ourselves with Sonata and Seti, but our fear of our father was too great; we knew that he particularly enjoyed punishing them, as they made no secret of how deeply they despised him, and Scorpan and I wished to avoid as much of the God of Chaos's wrath as we possibly could.

"I wish I could say that neither I nor Scorpan had even considered joining our three heartless, cruel, Dark elder brothers and sister, but I must confess that we attempted to. It was Scorpan who suggested the idea; he wanted desperately to join them on their raids to terrorize, rape, torture, and slaughter the mortals. I don't even think he ultimately wanted to do those things; I think he just wanted to be feared and respected like they were. He wanted status; he wanted to be seen as strong. As for me, I was just looking for someplace to belong, and was willing to follow Scorpan wherever he went; no matter how vile or unsavory the place.

"But there was no place for us in the circle of darkness; our cruelest siblings responded to our request to join them by spitting upon us and breaking every bone in our bodies. They told us as they destroyed our spirits that we were far too weak and soft to measure up to them. I think Scorpan took their words deeply to heart.

"It was then that we realized that during all that time, we had had each other. We depended on one another and watched the other's back just as well as any of the other groups, and so we decided that we would be partners; just Scorpan and me against the world.

"And it stayed that way for many, many years. Celestia might have been our leader, but Scorpan was well and truly my brother. No one else could truly understand me like he could; and though we had differing personalities, we happily put up with our differences for the sake of our unshakeable bond.

"Of course, I now see my folly at being so blindly loyal to Scorpan that I continued to remain at his side, even as he sank to the level of our family members who had caused us so much grief and despair as children. Never have I hated someone so passionately as when Celestia damned him and threatened to do the same to me; however, as the ages passed, I came to realize how foolish I was to allow my affection for Scorpan to mask what a loathsome and pitiable creature he had become. I learned that Celestia had felt truly sorry for him, and wished that she could have shown him the error of his ways rather than condemn him to the same fate as our hateful father.

"Once I finally understood the nature of Celestia's boundless compassion for all Beings, and began to learn to imitate it, I found myself growing a loyalty to her as powerful as that I had felt for Scorpan. However, my loyalty to Scorpan remained and still remains, though I will no longer allow him to lead me any further into darkness. Therefore I cannot aid one to betray the other; in matters of conflict between the two of them, I will forever remain neutral. It is for this reason that they have chosen me as the referee for this duel."

Horus then lifted up his hand and conjured a parchment scroll bearing the Asgardian Royal Seal into it. He offered it to Rainbow, saying, "I have drafted up a set of suggested laws for this contest. Scorpan has declared himself to be satisfied with it; please read over it, and inform me of any adjustments you'd like to make."

Rainbow blinked. "Uhh...." she said uncertainly.

"Here; let me read it," Twilight said, stepping forward. Horus gave her the scroll, which she unrolled and carefully began reading.

Once she had reached the end of the scroll a few minutes later, Twilight nodded and said, "This looks perfect. As far as I can tell, it's exactly the terms you and Scorpan set, Rainbow."

"Cool," Rainbow said, softly smiling. "Thanks, Twi; I dunno if I'd have been able to tell if those were fair or not. Reading's not really my thing."

"Very well," Horus said, taking the scroll back and standing from the armchair he'd been sitting in. "In that case, I will use these as the official terms for your battle. Farewell, valued subjects," he added with a bow. "I look forward to seeing you all again this evening."

With that, Horus strode gracefully back out of the library, leaving Rainbow alone with her friends once again.

The second the library's door had been closed after their esteemed royal guest, Rarity said brightly to Applejack, "See? Was he really so bad as you'd thought he'd be?"

"Not as bad," Applejack muttered, frowningly folding her arms. "But Ah still ain't holdin' my breath 'till we meet again."

Spike began snickering, causing Rainbow to turn to him and say, "What's so funny?"

"You looked so confused when you saw Horus," Spike replied. "He was making you question everything you thought you knew about your sexuality, wasn't he?"

Rainbow intensely blushed again. "I-I...!" she stuttered.

Spike stifled another laugh. "It's okay, Rainbow; it wasn't just you," he said reassuringly. "It's the nature of the Gods, after all; they are the fairest of all Beings, right?"

Rainbow blinked surprisedly. With one last chuckle, Spike leaned back and rested his hands beneath his head. "I've never met a male God before, either, but Twilight's brother has the exact same effect on everyone."

"He does?" all of the girls, except for Twilight, said astonishedly. "As in, even you are attracted to him?" Rarity pressed.

Spike shrugged. "Without hesitation, I admit that I am."

Rarity tried and failed to prevent a small, lustful smile from spreading over her lips.

Rainbow was shaken awake by Spike. "Get up, Dash," Spike said, without the barest tinge of lightheartedness. "It's almost sunset; let's go."

Softly closing her eyes once more, Rainbow sighed heavily before sitting up and replying, "Alright. Let's go, Spike."

Rainbow stood up from the sofa she'd been using as a bed, slid her hands into her sky-blue hoodie's pockets, and followed Spike out of the library. Her expression was blank, but in truth, she was terrified; she felt as though she were a condemned prisoner taking her last steps as she approached the gallows.

But she had to be brave now. For Scootaloo.

And even if she died doing so, she must win today.

It seemed to be an eternity before Rainbow and Spike found their friends in the field to the north of Avalon. Many of the townspeople were also there, including Stephen Magnet, Ditzy Do, Filthy Rich, and all of the other parents of Scorpan's captives.

And, of course, Scorpan and his followers were also there, standing beside the Etherial iron cage that the one hundred kidnapped children were imprisoned in.

Scorpan was standing with his feet spread and his arms folded, and he was wearing a condescending, threatening smirk. Rainbow only felt all the more intimidated looking up at him; next to her, he was practically a giant.

Rainbow closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, attempting to soothe her mind and calm herself. A fanfare was blown, then a Royal Guard shouted, "I hereby present His Royal Highness, Horus, Prince Regent of Asgard!"

Everyone turned to the east, where they saw an extremely luxurious silver litter carried in on the shoulders of four shapely, beautiful, scantily-clad Angel girls. Sitting atop the throne it bore was Horus, who was slouching against his seat as though he were extremely bored.

Rainbow sneered and scoffed at him; even if he was supposed to be neutral while overseeing this duel, did he have to act as though he didn't even care about it?

Once Horus's litter was gently lowered to rest against the ground, one of the girls bearing it walked around to a chest that sat at Horus's side. Horus stood as she picked it up, then he walked into the field with the girl right at his heels.

Horus stopped, to which the girl set the chest against the ground and opened it up. It was filled with bright, vibrant blue powdered chalk.

His Marks glowing with sky-blue Ether, Horus telekinetically lifted all of the chalk from the chest and shaped them into a levitating Ritual Circle. He then gently lowered it to the ground, then stepped forward.

"Prince Scorpan, Rainbow Dash, please step into the Circle," he said.

Before Rainbow could do so, however, she felt a hand grasp at her hoodie's sleeve. She looked back, and saw Pinkie and Fluttershy gazing desperately at her.

"Dashie- be careful," Pinkie said quietly.

Nodding, Fluttershy added as tears welled in her eyes, "Don't leave us. Please."

Allowing herself a few more seconds to gaze back at her two friends, Rainbow nodded. "I'll try," she said, then she walked the rest of the way into the Circle.

Once Rainbow and Scorpan were standing within the circumference of the Oath-Taking Ritual Circle, Horus conjured the scroll he had earlier lent to Twilight to read into his palm. "Contestants, make the Oath-Taking Signs with your right hands, please," he said, loudly and clearly.

Rainbow and Scorpan both balled their right hands into fists, except for their thumbs, index, and second fingers, which they clawed over their hearts.

The Circle began glowing along with Horus's eyes and Marks as he cried out, "Duelists, lend me your ears!"

Sky-blue Ether woven into small chains rose up from the Circle and began encircling the bodies, heads, and arms of both Rainbow and Scorpan. Horus continued, reading aloud from the scroll, "Do the two of you hereby swear to do battle on this day, beginning with the completion of this Oath, and ending with the death, incapacitation, or surrender of one or both parties? Furthermore, do the both of you swear by the lives in your hearts that you begin this duel unarmed, having come with nothing more than the clothes on your backs and the barehanded combative skills in your own repertoires? And finally, do the both of you swear that you will not accept the aid of any allies that can in any way influence the results of this battle, nor endanger the lives of any third parties, on the blood that flows through your veins, until this duel is completed and any winners can be definitively determined?"

"I swear," Scorpan said casually, to which the chains of Ether circling him constricted around him before dissipating.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow forced her mind to empty of all outside thoughts or worries before she said quietly, "I swear."

And thus, the duel between Rainbow Dash and her divine ancestor Prince Scorpan officially began.

Rainbow unzipped her hoodie, then tossed it out of the Circle's boundaries. She assumed a defensive stance, then slowly began circling across from Scorpan.

With an amused scoff, Scorpan mirrored Rainbow by tossing aside his soft, short-sleeved cotton shirt, leaving his arms exposed by a sleeveless sports jersey, as well.

Scorpan began casually strolling around the circle's edge, keeping time with Rainbow, who maintained her defensive stance as she cautiously prowled around him. Several of Scorpan's followers began jeering, "Fuck her up, m'Lord! Rape her little pussy! Rip her ass! Make that cunt cry!"

But Rainbow didn't seem to hear them; in fact, she didn't seem to know they were there. Her focus continued to remain utterly fixated on the dark God across the battleground from her.

"I must admit, I'm a bit sorry to fight you; yours is quite a pretty little face," Scorpan said with a cruel smirk. "So I think I'll go easy on you; as soon as you surrender, you can join the little brats in their first auction. If you surrender now, you'll not endure as much pain, and I won't have any blood or bruises to hurt your selling-price...."

Scorpan's followers burst into laughter, and Rainbow's friends began trembling with rage; Scorpan still saw Rainbow and his child prisoners as nothing more than objects to be sold like meat.

However, to their surprise, Rainbow herself still didn't seem incensed in the slightest. Her focus was unwavering, and her movements remained steady.

"It's almost adorable, really, that you have challenged me to a duel," Scorpan continued, each word more mocking and belittling than the last. He punctuated this by leaning over towards Rainbow, turning his cheek towards her, and pointing at the side of his jaw, saying, "Here, I'll even give you the first strike. Come; hit me, right here. As hard as you can. Come on."

But Rainbow didn't bite; she maintained her defensive stance, and her low, slinking steps neither slowed nor sped up.

"I promise I won't hit back," Scorpan continued, speaking with an infantile tone as though he were addressing a five-year-old. "Come on; you're not afraid of the big, bad God of Storms, now, are you?"

Scorpan's followers burst into laughter again; however, Rainbow and her movements remained unchanging. Twilight's eyes widened slightly as she began to wonder what Rainbow was doing....

After trying unsuccessfully to taunt Rainbow for a few more moments, Scorpan stood up straight once more as he said, "Alright, then. I gave you a chance. I guess I'll have to show you just how out of your element you are...!"

With that, Scorpan suddenly dashed forward and directed several strikes at Rainbow. They were blindingly fast and carried great power; however, Rainbow was able to successfully neutralize each of them.

When Scorpan backed off again, Rainbow had returned to her original defensive stance and slow, creeping walk around her opponent.

Scorpan began sneering, and all of his followers fell silent. "Well, are you going to fight or not?!" Scorpan shouted. "Come, now, I haven't got all day!"

He rushed forward again, directing a kick at Rainbow, which Rainbow efficiently dodged. She then blocked several more strikes, then once again returned to her defensive stance as Scorpan again backed away from her.

The citizens of Avalon held their breath as they watched Rainbow remain entirely on the defensive for several more rounds of punishment from Scorpan's fists, resulting in her arms and hands becoming quite horribly bruised, though she made no indication that she felt any pain at all.

Scorpan began to lose his patience, and his followers began to boo at Rainbow, demanding that she do something. "This isn't a game, Angel!" Scorpan roared. "Come on! FIGHT ME!!"

Scorpan rushed forward to attack Rainbow again, and directed several more punches at her. However, he made a mistake; he put too much power into one of his strikes, and wasn't quite on target; as a result, he threw himself off-balance, giving Rainbow a brief opening that she immediately exploited; she swiftly counterattacked, using Scorpan's lack of balance to misdirect him with a feint before spinning and landing a solid kick at his chin.

The spectators gasped as Scorpan stumbled backwards, holding the bloody cut Rainbow had made on his face. He gazed surprisedly at her, and saw that she had returned to her defensive stance, though she was now wearing a small, satisfied smirk.

While she had been training with her father in preparation for this battle, Dash remembered Rainbow Blaze say these words to her, while they were sparring: "Remember, Dash: while you cannot wound your opponent for too long before it heals, you can still irreparably wound his pride. That's how you must gain the high ground over Scorpan: wound his pride, and make him lose his composure."

Rainbow had just completed the first connecting strike of the battle, and had drawn the first blood. Indeed, her smirk she made now was calculated to pour salt on the wound she'd just made in her opponent's ego.

Rainbow had practiced waiting, waiting for her opponent to make the first mistake, then deeply punish him for it. Her father had done what Scorpan was doing now, and whaled on her while she did nothing but defend herself. "You must wait for just the right moment," Blaze had said while doing this. "Whether it takes seconds, minutes, or hours, do not give your opponent an opening unless you see a weakness in him that you know you can exploit."

Part one of Rainbow's carefully-constructed strategy was complete; she had drawn the first blood from Scorpan and, more importantly, his fragile and arrogant sense of dignity.

"Once your opponent has suffered from his first humiliation," Rainbow's father had said, "he will become steadily more dangerous; however, he will also begin steadily making more mistakes. You must punish every fumble he makes, Dash, if you have any hope of defeating him."

As Rainbow Blaze had predicted, Scorpan became enraged by Rainbow's successful attack and mocking smirk; he glanced at his followers, and saw that they were all simply stunned that a mere teenaged mortal girl had drawn the first blood in their duel.

A new, murderous spark of blood-thirst in his eyes, Scorpan growled and sprinted forward, attempting to attack Rainbow again. He was holding back less this time; his strikes were even faster and stronger than before, but he also made another mistake even more quickly; as Rainbow Dash was frantically parrying his blows, he grabbed her blue basketball jersey by the lapel. He then attempted to head-butt her; however, Rainbow allowed herself to fall out of his path, grabbing his fingers and twisting them until they broke as she did so.

As Scorpan cried out in agony, Rainbow punched his nose, breaking it as well. As blood streamed down Scorpan's face and he stumbled back, gazing at Rainbow in shock, Rainbow scoffed, "What, is that all you've got, Pretty Boy?"

"Like your fists, your insults are weapons that must be used only when the time comes," Rainbow's father had told her during their training. "Your main goal is to turn your opponent's heart against him, and so you must use your words even more sparingly than your physical strikes."

As she had planned, Scorpan grew ever more enraged by her taunt. He roared as he ran at her again with fists faintly crackling with static discharge.

Thunder faintly rumbled over the battlefield, and the spectators looked up to see dark storm clouds gathering overhead. Rainbow continued neutralizing most of Scorpan's strikes, though he was now moving so quickly that she could not hold back all of his attacks, and so he connected a few punches and kicks, as well. However, aside from a few pained grunts and wiping away some drops of blood that rolled down her skin, Rainbow made no acknowledgement whatsoever that Scorpan had caused her any pain at all. Scorpan's wounds had healed, and he looked to be in a far better state than Rainbow Dash, but he was clearly losing the battle between their wills; his pride was badly wounded, but Rainbow's was as strong and unshaken as iron.

After Rainbow had exploited another mistake on Scorpan's part to knock his breath out of him by shoving her palm into his solar plexus, Rainbow scoffed and said mockingly, "So, this is what the great, terrible God of Storms is capable of? Talk about a letdown."

"Shut up, you BITCH!!" Scorpan roared, attempting to kick her head.

As Rainbow dodged away from this, she replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt poor widdle Scorpan's feewings?"

As Scorpan screamed and exchanged a few more blows with her, Rainbow added, "Y'know, I might be nothing more than a little mortal girl, but you are by far the most pathetic sack of SHIT I've EVER seen!!"

Scorpan connected a punch with Rainbow's cheek, sending her collapsing to the ground. However, she quickly stood back up, saying with another smirk, "What, that's all you've got? C'mon, I'm just getting warmed up!"

Scorpan and Rainbow continued exchanging blows, during which Rainbow continued, "You're nothing but a worthless, sniveling coward. You sit here, hiding behind these poor kids who are nothing to you, just so you won't have to face your fucking SISTER!!"

Scorpan roared and savagely attempted to knife-hand Rainbow's belly; however, Rainbow blocked this and continued as she struck back, "You boast and run your damn mouth off, spouting bullshit about how women are so much weaker than you! But it's clear as fucking day that your entire pathetic life revolves around how jealous you are of Celestia!!"

"You know nothing of which you speak!" Scorpan snarled.

"I know that you're too scared to pick on someone your own size!" Rainbow shouted back. "You only dueling me, and not another God, because you. Are. A. Fucking. COWARD!!"

Scorpan was now literally frothing with rage. However, Rainbow wasn't done; "You don't know if you could beat another God! You're only fighting me because you're too much of a cowardly little chickenshit to face anyone you don't think you could beat! You have to face a mortal girl; THAT'S how insecure and cowardly you are!!"

Scorpan kicked Rainbow in the mouth, cutting her lip and filling it with blood. However, once Rainbow had spit it back out, she fiercely smiled and said, "But you know what, Scorpan? If you knew how strong I am, you would've never accepted my challenge. Because I'm also stronger than you!!"

"WHAT UTTER NONSENSE!!" Scorpan screamed. "I'm a GOD!! You're a GIRL!! YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!!"

"You're wrong," Rainbow said softly. "You've never been more wrong about anything, bro. I'm much, much stronger than you are. And do you know why?!"

Scorpan didn't answer; he responded by directing a roundhouse kick at Rainbow. Rainbow dodged this and continued, "You say that girls are weak. You say that our compassion and our emotions MAKE us weak. Well, guess what, bro?! My love for Scoots and my friendship with her don't make me weak; they make me STRONGER!!"

Rainbow backflipped against Scorpan's face; upon landing again, she panted, "You hide behind her. You're lower than a maggot. You'll never understand, because you're ruled by your fear.

"But my love for Scootaloo- it gives me a power you couldn't even imagine! A power greater than your wildest storms and harshest tempests! THAT POWER WILL GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO DEFEAT YOU!!"

Rainbow's friends- including Scootaloo- all gazed in wonderment at her.

Twilight softly smiled. "She's gonna win," she muttered.

Scorpan, now at the height of his fury, conjured up a torrent of flame and attempted to sweep it across Rainbow's body. However, Rainbow had leapt away, and was now flying high into the sky.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME, ANGEL GIRL!!" Scorpan shouted up at her. He spread his wings, grinned with insane bloodlust, and took off after her.

Scorpan was much faster than Rainbow, though Rainbow had far more maneuverability; she flew around the trees, signs, and even some of the buildings near them, and Scorpan struggled to stay on her tail.

Eventually, Rainbow was able to lose Scorpan; after frantically attempting to find her for a few moments, Scorpan flew to the roof of one of Avalon's buildings before roaring in all directions, "WHERE ARE YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF!!"

A rock hit the back of Scorpan's head, and he turned to see Rainbow flying high above him and waving at him. "Over here!!" she shouted.

Rainbow began flying directly at the storm clouds, and Scorpan immediately took off after her. Rainbow heard an electronic hum as Scorpan's Marks and eyes glowed with Ether, and she only barely managed to dodge away from an enormous lightning-bolt he cast after her.

"YES! BURN!! BUUUUURN!!" Scorpan laughed maniacally, hurling a torrent of more thunderbolts at Rainbow.

Rainbow was pushed to the limit of her flying abilities as she continued to barely avoid the intensely blue lightning. Just a little more...! she thought desperately as she approached the high storm clouds. Almost there...!

Once Rainbow entered the black, thundering clouds, Scorpan was quick to follow her in. He cast lightning in all directions, bellowing, "COME OUT AND DIE, ANGEL!!"

Rainbow briefly emerged from the curtain of clouds, again striking Scorpan in the face. Scorpan hurled a bolt of lightning in the place she had vanished into; however, Rainbow immediately emerged from above him and made a dive kick against the top of his head.

His ears ringing, Scorpan roared and flung lightning in every direction he could think of. However, from a gap in between them, Rainbow emerged from directly in front of him. She dodged a strike he made at her, flipped over his head, then grabbed both of his wings.

Rainbow then pulled down against Scorpan and brought her feet down, badly breaking both of the God of Storm's wings by their joints under her soles with two simultaneous sickening cracks.

Scorpan's eyes widened with agony and sudden terror as he began abruptly dropping out of the sky.

However, Rainbow didn't give him a chance to manually heal his wings or cushion his fall; she fell with him, continuing to strike at him to keep him dazed and unfocused on their way down. She pummeled him and dodged his frantic attempts to fight her off until they were seconds away from the ground, then she grabbed him by the arms and shoved his head beneath her feet.

When the two airborne Beings struck the ground, a high cloud of dust billowed up around them.

Quite fearful now, Rainbow's friends all took a few steps towards her landing spot. "Rainbow...!" Pinkie and Fluttershy called out together.

Then, when the dust cleared, they saw her.

Rainbow Dash was kneeling against the ground, panting and quite bloodied, but still alive. Scorpan laid beside her, unmoving, with a pool of blood slowly forming around his head.

The air was very still for a few moments. Then, it filled suddenly with uproarious cheering and applause.

Many things then happened all at once; Scorpan's followers began panicking and fleeing, to which the Captain of the Guard immediately shoutingly sent soldiers after them. A few of the Elvish guards were also sent to bind the now-unconscious Scorpan and free his young captives.

The second the Etherial iron cage's door was opened, Scootaloo immediately sprinted towards Rainbow, shouting with an enormous smile and tears of unspeakable relief and gratitude, "Dash!"

"Hey, Scoo-OOF!!" Rainbow said wearily before Scootaloo caught her in a rib-cracking embrace.

Just seconds later, Pinkie and Fluttershy tearfully embraced Rainbow, as well.

"You did it, Dashie!" Pinkie laughed.

"You're alive!" Fluttershy wailed. "Thank Celestia you're safe...!"

The children were all reunited with their families, and everyone was crying and laughing with joy in equal measures. After all of Rainbow's friends had released her from their lung-crushing embraces, Stephen Magnet stepped in and wailed, "Thank you! Thank you, Rainbow Dash!" before planting kisses all over her face.

"Gross! Geddoff, Steve!" Rainbow laughed, pushing him away.

"Can you stand?" Rarity said concernedly, noticing that Rainbow was still kneeling.

Rainbow shook her head. "I don't think so," she replied. "I think my legs are broken...."

"Well, then we'll just have to carry you!" Stephen cried. With surprising strength, he and several of Avalon's other citizens lifted Rainbow up onto their shoulders. "Let's hear it for Avalon's greatest hero, Rainbow Dash!" Stephen shouted.

II-VIII. The Knighting

"It's a work in progress," Pinkie said with a small, shy smile. "But this is what I've come up with so far- I hope you like it."

Pinkie was clothed in a medieval bard's traditional attire- right down to the soft leather boots, fur cape, and large crimson teller-beret. She was holding a beautiful dark brown walnut mandolin, and was standing before her six best friends, who were sitting attentively in a semi-circle around her.

The seven young Beings were alone in one of the Castle Camelot's fine drawing-rooms. Except for Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, they were all adorned in the same ensembles they had worn to the Gala just a few weeks ago. It was late afternoon, and they had all just enjoyed a long day of fun, relaxation, and celebration; they had gone shopping in Olympus's grand market district, enjoyed some of the finest dining the capital city had to offer, and had even spent a few hours rolling dice and playing cards in some of the exuberant casinos there.

None of these were the reason they had come back to Olympus, however. At four o'clock, they had returned to the guest bedchambers Celestia had lent them to change and prepare for the ball being thrown in Camelot that night; a ball in celebration of the extraordinary and brave deeds of Rainbow Dash, who was to be honored with knighthood in commemoration of her remarkable heroism by the High Princess herself.

In the modern age, accolades had become such rare and momentous events that there was no living mortal who had been born before the day Celestia had last performed one. Other Gods, of course, had honored mortal Beings from the nations they ruled with knighthood to recognize great acts of service they had performed to their communities and countries- but to be dubbed by Celestia herself was to be marked as having served the entire world and all Beings, mortal or immortal.

For this reason, Rainbow had received a unique and ornate military uniform as a personal gift from the Pantheon. Far finer and more valuable than even the uniforms of the Royal Guardsmen, Rainbow Dash's uniform was a work of art that had astonished her and her friends with its sheer beauty when it was first delivered to Avalon and they first beheld it.

It consisted of a pair of high leather dress-boots, trousers, and a jacket. The trousers and jacket were hand-woven from the finest Dragon Imperial silks and stitched together with silver and gold thread. The jacket was sky-blue, and the trousers were as silvery-white as clouds, and both of them were covered in delicate indigo embroidery that depicted a breathtaking skyline of waterfalls, flowers, drifting leaves, and majestically flying birds. The jacket had a black, hot pink-edged standing mandarin collar embroidered with a lightning-bolt; a golden braided epaulette draped over each shoulder; the ribbons of the medals awarded to Rainbow by the mayors of various towns sewn onto the left breast; and was fastened at the front by golden frogs and gold buttons bearing the likeness of Rainbow Dash's cloud and lightning-bolt Mark. In addition, Rainbow had been given a stunning silver basket-hilted saber, which she was now wearing in its scabbard at her hip; she was to present this to Celestia at the ceremony, who would then use it to knight her.

In addition, Rainbow had allowed her friends to further make her up as a showing of their gratitude; Rarity had carefully applied makeups of vibrant magentas, blues, and violets to her lips, cheeks, and eyes, and Fluttershy had ornately braided Rainbow's hair into an intricately regal woven ponytail worthy of a Goddess. When Rainbow beheld the results in a mirror, she was astonished to find that she was quite impressed; she was worried that the makeup and braiding would make her look too "girly," and that she would lose her trademark tomboyish charm as a result. However, Rainbow instead saw an image of the grace and beauty of a fierce tropical bird, such as a peacock or phoenix. Noble, courageous, dignified, and strong. Rainbow saw a true shining knight in the mirror.

"Wow," Rainbow had said, making a small smile as her chin quivered and her eyes began to water. "This is... amazing. Thank you so much, you guys. I really-"

"Be careful not to ruin it, darling," Rarity cheerfully interjected as she dabbed at the corners of Rainbow's eyes with a disposable paper handkerchief.

Rainbow laughed. "Yeah, sorry, Rare," she said. She then took a long, deep breath, smirked at her reflection, and said with a voice again filled with a warrior's determination, "I'm ready."

"There's just one thing you're missing...!"

Rainbow and her friends had all turned surprisedly to the dressing-room's door, where Pinkie the Minstrel was standing, grinning and holding her dark walnut mandolin. "You can't be a knight if you don't have a bard, Dashie!" Pinkie cried before strumming a few chords and giggling.

Pinkie had told them that she had a surprise for Rainbow, and would meet them at Camelot just before the accolade the day before. She explained as they were moving from the dressing-room to the drawing-room that she had been writing a traditional knight's ballad in Rainbow's honor, and planned to perform it during the ball. With's Rainbow's permission, of course.

Rainbow had grinned delightedly upon hearing this. "Hell yeah!" she cried. "On just one condition: you gotta let me hear it first."

Pinkie nodded, beaming. "Alright, Dashie!" she said. She then gestured to the chairs, adding, "Have a seat, please, everyone!"

Now that her audience was attentively seated, Pinkie took a few deep breaths to calm her nervousness, positioned her fingertips into a chord on the mandolin's bridge, then began plucking an arpeggio. After a few bars to set the introduction, Pinkie began singing the song proper;

"This is the story of Dashie,
Fair Avalon's greatest hero
There are none that are braver than she;
To number such Beings yields zero!"

Spike and the girls in Pinkie's audience laughed at her perfect delivery, causing her smile to widen as she continued,

"From the dark depths of Tartarus, there came
A Dark Thunder-God so wicked and vile
He snatched up the babes; Scorpan's his name
And his stench could be smelled for miles!

Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash!
I sing the deeds of Dame Rainbow Dash
Who felled a God as a lightning-storm flashed!
A toast to the steadfast and loyal knight Rainbow Dash!"

With this, Pinkie strummed two more chords, then bowed.

After a moment, Pinkie's friends all burst into loud, enthusiastic applause. "That was spectacular, Pinkie Pie!" Rarity cried.

"That was awesome!" Spike added.

"Don't reckon Ah could'a done it any better!"

"That was a beautiful song, Pinkie. Thank you for playing it for us. It was lovely."

"I assume there'll be more verses, yes?"

"Of course I'll write more, Twilight!"

"You rock, Pinkie." Rainbow was smiling with tremendous gratitude, and she was clearly in danger of weeping again.

As Pinkie answered Rainbow with an affectionate, thankful smile of her own, however, the door was gently knocked before Twilight's family butler Frederick pushed it open and poked his head in. "We're ready for you, ladies," he said pleasantly.

Jumping to their feet, Twilight, Spike, and their friends all followed Frederick together as he led them to Camelot's throne room.

As it was midday, the castle was brightly lit by the flood of sunlight pouring in through every window. There were no added decorations within the long chamber, except for a new stained glass window that Celestia had made and installed in one of the walls that depicted Rainbow's victory in her historic duel against Scorpan. Nobles from all over the world were standing alongside the families of the children freed from Scorpan's captivity (they had all been invited here, and most had come) on either side of the long red carpet leading up to the two raised thrones, where Celestia stood in her traditional toga and Luna and Cadance at her sides. Standing at the foot of the throne's platform was Shining, who was in full dress and officially on-duty as Captain of the Royal Guardsmen, who were holding bugles adorned with the High Princess's Banner.

Twilight, Spike, and their friends all entered together- except for Rainbow, who stayed behind with Frederick. She was to enter the room only after her arrival had been officially heralded.

Upon Twilight's entrance, Celestia nodded at Shining, who turned to address the Guard. "Tennnn... HUT!" he shouted.

The crowd feel silent as the Guardsmen all clacked their boot heels together and stood in attention.

"Raise your horns!"

The guards obeyed, pressing their lips to their mouthpieces.

"On behalf of Her Royal Highness and her subjects," Shining shouted, "I introduce to you... Rainbow Dash of Asgard!"

The doors were magically flung open, revealing Rainbow herself.

As Rainbow began marching in, a drumroll sounded, then the Equestrian National Anthem was blown by the guards over their bugles. Rainbow's strides were confident and sure, and it wasn't long before she was standing just before Celestia. She fell to one knee, placed her hand over her heart, and bowed her head in deference as the horns blew their last notes.

Upon the Anthem's completion, Celestia held out her hands. "Rainbow Dash, Angel of Avalon," she said with booming authority. "Present your sword to me."

With a single smooth motion, Rainbow drew her silver saber from the scabbard at her hip, carefully placed her empty palm beneath the blade, then released the hilt and turned it towards the Princess.

Celestia took the saber, then laid it across her own hands as Rainbow bowed her head again. "Rainbow Dash," Celestia said. Her voice was loud, but the room was silent, so the volume almost seemed unnecessary. "When Prince Scorpan, the Dark God of Storms, returned to our world, he threatened the lives and communities of all mortals. As the personification of tempests, few except for the most courageous of mortals could muster up the bravery to challenge him to a duel."

Celestia made a small smile. "But not only did you have the courage and valor to challenge a Dark God, brave Rainbow Dash- in the defense of the many innocent children he threatened, you did what had been deemed impossible and defeated him."

Celestia gripped the saber's handle, and held it at her side. "Today, we honor the immeasurable courage and compassion you showed on that day, and the service you've demonstrated for all the world." Celestia raised the saber and gently tapped the tip of its blade against each of Rainbow's shoulders, declaring, "I hereby dub thee Dame Rainbow Dash the Loyal, in my name and title: Celestia, Princess of Equestria and High Princess of the Earth."

The hall burst into uproarious applause, and Celestia quietly returned Rainbow's saber to her.

After her sword had been sheathed, Rainbow received handshakes from each one of the nobles, as well as a thankful embrace from all the relatives of each child she had freed- including, to her surprise, Filthy Rich, who was every bit as tearful as Stephen had been.

After Rainbow had greeted all of the guests to her knighting and had received congratulations from her friends, father, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Celestia called for the feast to begin.

The feast was opulent, delicious, and very long and merry. Laughter mixed in the air with the smells of the finest spices, fruits, and meats to be found in the world as the feasters exchanged jokes, stories, and songs. Rainbow and her friends all agreed; this was how a party should really be.

After several hours, as the dusk began to fall, the feasters all finished their meals before making their way to the ballroom. It wasn't long before the sounds of fiddles and mandolins filled the air, and nearly everyone began dancing.

No one was a more popular dancing-partner than Rainbow Dash. Her father had insisted on having the first dance with her, which she cheerfully obliged, and Dash's friends were all astonished at the naked adoration in Rainbow Blaze's eyes for his daughter as the first jig played.

"Wow...." Pinkie had whispered to Rarity during this. "Blaze really does love Dashie...."

"Of course he does," Rarity said, turning surprisedly to Pinkie. "She is his daughter, after all. I'm sure he thought he'd never see her alive again."

"Yeah, well," Pinkie said, looking down and frowning, "he didn't really seem like he did when I met him. He was too busy staring at my boobs."

"He was, was he?" Rarity said, sounding pleasantly surprised. Pinkie astonishedly looked back at her, and saw that Rarity was gazing at Rainbow Blaze with a hint of lascivious curiosity.

"He's a creep, Rare," Pinkie said, frowning.

"So you rebuffed him?" Rarity said, not looking away from Dash's father or losing any of her mischievous smile. "I can't imagine why you would. I don't think his handsomeness is too far behind that of a God...."

Pinkie rolled her eyes, but then saw that Luna had approached Rainbow Blaze as the song finished. Her flirtatious body language suggested that she was trying to pick him up.

Pinkie smirked. "Looks like he might already be taken for the night," she commented. "Better luck next time, huh?"

"On the contrary," Rarity purred, narrowing her eyes and widening her smile, "if Rainbow Blaze has the appetite you describe him having, I can't imagine him or the Princess turning down one more...."

Pinkie gaped in shock at Rarity. "W-what...?" she stuttered. "You'd...?"

"Of course," Rarity replied, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I thought that you weren't into girls," Pinkie said confusedly.

Rarity cast a sideways, smirking glance at Pinkie. "The beauty of the Gods is transcendent, remember?" she said.

With that, Rarity regally made her way towards the Goddess of the Moon and her newest suitor.

Pinkie scoffed and rolled her eyes again, then looked over at Rainbow Dash, hoping to see her alone. However, this hope was dashed, as she saw that Rainbow was now laughingly dancing with Scootaloo, causing her to let out a small, sad groan of disappointment.

Pinkie felt someone tap her shoulder, and she turned to find that it was Spike, who was offering a hand to her. "May I?" he said politely.

With a flattered, surprised smile in return, Pinkie took Spike's hand and waltzed through the next song with him.

Pinkie desperately searched for a chance to steal Rainbow during the next few songs, but each time another Being beat her to it; first Stephen, then Filthy Rich, then Twilight, then Spike.

Noticing how dejected and lonely Pinkie looked, Fluttershy approached her and quietly muttered, "Umm... Pinkie?"

Pinkie turned to Fluttershy, who blushed and looked away as she said, "Um... may I... may I have a dance with you... please?"

Pinkie's eyes watered a little as she nodded and gently grasped Fluttershy's hands.

The next song was a slow one, and so Fluttershy and Pinkie were steady enough in their movements to have a conversation.

"Are you having fun, Pinkie?" Fluttershy said.

"Oh, yes. This is a great party. Definitely way better than the Gala," Pinkie giggled.

Fluttershy smiled. "I'm glad," she replied. "And I agree."

Pinkie flashed an enormous grin.

They were silent for a few more moments, then Fluttershy said, "Um... Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you... um... like Dashie?"

Pinkie blinked. Her expression was blank. "... What?" she said quietly.

Fluttershy's face burned. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she reassured Pinkie quickly.

Pinkie's mouth opened slightly. However, after a moment, she smiled again as she said, "Well, of course I like Dashie! She's one of my best friends, right?"

"That's... not what I mean...." Fluttershy said.

Pinkie's smile immediately vanished. Of course she already knew what Fluttershy had meant. "Why do you ask?" she said.

"Just... the way you were looking at her," Fluttershy said. "It looked like you were just watching her while she was dancing."

Pinkie nodded, but said nothing.

After a few more moments, Fluttershy again said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

After a short pause, Pinkie scoffed and looked away, muttering, "I'm sure you know already."

"Why don't you tell her?"

Pinkie's eyes widened, and her gaze shot back to Fluttershy's. "What?" she said softly.

"Why don't you tell Dashie that you like her?" Fluttershy said.

Pinkie's mouth opened slightly, and she stuttered, "I... I...."

Fluttershy blinked and made a small nod, letting Pinkie know she was still listening.

After a few moments, Pinkie frowned and looked away, muttering, "I don't know."

Fluttershy nodded. "Well, I think you should," she said.

Pinkie shrugged.

They were silent for the remainder of the song, and Pinkie didn't look at Fluttershy's face again.

She had just lied.

Pinkie did know why she didn't tell Rainbow how she felt. And why she never would.

Pinkie was utterly, hopelessly in love with Rainbow Dash. She always had been, ever since they first met. But she knew that Rainbow would never feel the same way about her.

Why? Because Pinkie annoyed her. Exhausted her. Pinkie could already tell that Rainbow could barely tolerate being her friend, let alone seeing her every day.

And Pinkie knew Rainbow was attracted to her. As dense as Pinkie was, even she could understand all of the lewd looks and suggestive flirting Rainbow directed at her, but whenever this occurred Pinkie always had to remind herself that Rainbow was like that to all of their female friends.

Pinkie wanted nothing more than to take Rainbow up on one of her joking suggestions to shower with her or decorate her naked body with cake frosting, but she didn't dare do it; Rainbow would surely have no use for Pinkie as anything other than a bedmate, though Pinkie would have gladly given anything to spend every waking moment of the rest of her life with her.

The song ended, and the dancers all applauded the orchestra.

"Hey, Pinkie?" Fluttershy said politely. "Do you want to play the ballad you wrote now?"

Perking up a little, Pinkie smiled back at Fluttershy as she nodded.

"Go do it, then," Fluttershy said.

After giving her gentle, soft-spoken friend an affectionate hug in thanks, Pinkie stepped up onto the musician's platform and cried, "Um... hey, everyone!"

Once the other Beings had her attention, Pinkie announced, "I'm Pinkie Pie, and I'm a friend of Rainbow's. If you don't mind, I'm going to play a ballad I wrote for her for you all."

After the partygoers applauded, Pinkie smiled gratefully, bowed, and began.

It turned out that the complete ballad that Pinkie had written was an energetic, fun, and utterly hilarious epic that lasted for over ten minutes. During this time, everyone was dancing and clapping along, and they even all joined in during her last recitation of the chorus.

"... I sing the deeds of Dame Rainbow Dash
Who felled a God as a lightning-storm flashed!
A toast to the steadfast and loyal knight Rainbow Dash!

A toast to the steadfast and loyal knight Rainbow Dash!"

Upon the song's completion, the crowd applauded again, to which Pinkie's eyes again watered as she smiled and made a final deep bow to them. "Thank you."

After Pinkie had stepped back down to the dance floor, she was shocked to see Rainbow Dash approach her.

With her maddeningly charming smirk, Rainbow offered her hand to Pinkie. "Wanna dance, Pink?" she said.

With a small, delighted gasp, Pinkie struggled to keep herself from weeping as she nodded and allowed Rainbow to pull them closer together.

It was heaven to dance with Rainbow Dash. She was a surprisingly sweet and competent partner, even though she wasn't head-banging as she was prone to do in her favorite nightclubs. Pinkie had never felt happier than having Rainbow's fingers gently holding her waist and hand now.

After a few silent moments, Rainbow said, "Uh... Pinkie?"

"Yes?" Pinkie replied.

Pinkie was surprised to see Rainbow's face burn a little as she said, "Listen, Pink... about that night before the duel...."

Pinkie flinched.

Rainbow continued, "I just... you don't have to do anything." She swallowed, then added, "I know that you promised if I survived, you'd...."

"It's okay, Dashie," Pinkie interrupted her.

Rainbow looked astonishedly back at Pinkie, and saw that she was smiling serenely at her. "I was just... scared. I wasn't all there. I was worried that we'd lose you."

Pinkie laid her head against Rainbow's shoulder, whispering, "You're alive. That's all that matters. I'm glad I got to see you again."

Rainbow's face was burning intensely, though she continued to gently sway with Pinkie resting against her.

When the song finished, Pinkie was roused by the sound of the other partygoers applauding. She looked around, then turned back to Rainbow. "Well, I have to go pack," Pinkie said. "Goodnight, Dashie."

Pinkie kissed Rainbow's cheek. When she drew back, she saw that Rainbow was still intensely blushing.

With a small, girlish giggle, Pinkie said, "Well, anyway, see ya later!" before cheerfully turning, waving, and skipping away.

Rainbow gently stroked the cheek Pinkie had kissed, then let out a low, sorrowful sigh.

She went made her way to the castle's restrooms. She'd have to remove her makeup before it could betray the tears that were ruining it.

During this, Twilight was finishing a dance with Spike. Once the song ended, Twilight saw that Celestia was approaching and looking directly at her.

"You wish to speak to me, Your Highness?" she said once Celestia was standing before her.

Celestia nodded. "Indeed, Twilight," she said. "Alone."

Twilight could tell by Celestia's frowning lips that it was something serious. She nodded, then said to Spike, "Go get our things ready for our trip home, alright?"

Spike nodded, making a small smile to his mentor. "Right on it," he said before saluting her, spinning around, and jogging to their living-chambers.

"Follow me," Celestia said.

Nodding, Twilight obeyed the High Princess, who led her out of the ballroom and into the castle's halls.

Twilight was surprised that they didn't go towards the Royal Bedchambers. "Um... where are we going, Your Highness?" Twilight said confusedly.

"The library," Celestia replied.

"Why's that?"

"Because Luna's currently occupying our bedchamber," Celestia answered bluntly. "She has guests; your friend's father Rainbow Blaze and your friend Rarity, to be specific. We mustn't disturb them."

After a moment, Twilight blushed as her eyes widened and her jaw fell open. "Oh- ... oh." she said, suddenly understanding.

"Besides," Celestia added, "there's something I want to show you in the library."

With another nod, Twilight remained silent as she and her teacher crossed the rest of the way to the tower that housed the castle's library.

Once they were inside, Celestia locked the door, then cast a quick spell to be sure that no one else was there. She then extinguished all the lights, leaving only the stars in the night sky.

"What's going on, y-Your Highness?" Twilight said nervously.

"We can't have anyone knowing we're here," Celestia said. "You must also swear to tell no one of what you're about to see without my permission."

Swallowing, Twilight made a small nod. "I promise," she said quietly.

Nodding in reply, Celestia took a deep breath, then held her hands up. Her eyes and Marks glowed with pink Ether, and Twilight gasped as she saw lines of pink light materialize above the ground and weave themselves into a Ritual Circle.

Once the Circle was drawn, Celestia snapped, activating the Ritual.

There was a faint, low rumbling, then Twilight heard stone scraping. She gasped again as she saw the marble blocks in the floor lower, forming themselves into a spiraling staircase leading underground.

Celestia beckoned to Twilight. "Come," she said, before descending down beneath the library.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Twilight followed Celestia down.

It seemed like ages before the stairs stopped. Twilight asked when they were about halfway down them, "Where are we going, Your Highness?"

"A secret prison," Celestia replied, cupping a flame in her hand to light the way. "It's a dungeon that only you, your brother, your parents, Luna, Cadance, and I know of."

Twilight nodded. She didn't speak again until they'd reached it.

When they reached Celestia's secret dungeon, Twilight was shocked at how small and bare it was. There weren't any cells, bars, torches, or even a door; the only object Twilight could see in this stone room was what looked like a tall statue blanketed by shadow in the far left corner.

"This is the dungeon?" Twilight said.

Celestia nodded. "Yes," she said.

Celestia then turned towards the statue. "Take a closer look at that," she said softly.

With another hard gulp, Twilight carefully conjured a flame and slowly crept up to the statue, then gasped in fear upon seeing it clearly.

It was a granite life-sized statue of Scorpan, turned away and reaching outwards as his mouth gaped and eyes bulged, as though he had been screaming in terror the moment it was carved.

"Is that...?!" Twilight whispered in horror.

Celestia nodded. "It is," she said. "That is none other than my wretched brother Scorpan himself, imprisoned in stone."

Twilight turned fearfully to Celestia. "Why is he here?!" she cried. "Why didn't you put him back in Tartarus?!"

"There's no point," Celestia answered simply. "This is as good a place as any to keep him now."

Twilight gaped at Celestia, who sighed before continuing, "Listen close, my student. What I am about to tell you is of the very gravest importance."

After a moment of hesitation, Twilight nodded.

"As you might have guessed," Celestia began, "Scorpan is Sealed here in the same manner that Discord is Sealed in Tartarus. I used the same Ritual, in fact.

"There is no better prison than this one. Any Being imprisoned with the Entombing Ritual is literally transformed into a block of stone. If this were done to a mortal, of course, they would be instantly killed. But because we Gods are immortal, we are still alive, even if made into stone statues. Gods' Souls still cling inseparably to our bodies, no matter what forms they assume, and they will continue to cling to us until the very end of time."

"So Scorpan and Discord are doomed to be stone forever?" Twilight said.

Celestia nodded. "Indeed."

As horrible as Scorpan was, Twilight found herself growing distressed at this realization. "Is he... aware of it?" she asked quietly.

Celestia shook her head. "No. My brother is nothing more than a block of stone with a Soul. He shall sleep eternally."

Twilight let out a relieved sigh. So he wasn't suffering, at least.

"My father, however..." Celestia continued ominously.

Twilight turned back to Celestia. "W-what?" she whispered fearfully.

"The God of Chaos is not like other Beings, Twilight," Celestia muttered. "He's not even like the other Gods. In fact, I think it might be an insult to call Discord a God; it's seems more likely that we Gods are pale imitations of him."

Celestia turned to Twilight, and the fire in her hand cast an ominous glow over her grim face. "He assumes the shape of a male God, but his shape is whatever he desires it to be. He can shape himself into an insect, a tree, or even a dream. But no matter what shape he takes, his will and mind are still as present as his Soul."

"So Discord's... awake?" Twilight whispered, her voice filled with terror in equal parts at the suffering this implied, and the idea of how much rage he must have accumulated from it.

Celestia nodded. "That's right, Twilight," she said. "He's awake. He's watching. Always. Waiting, waiting for the day he can escape from the deepest Hell in Tartarus and retake his rightful place on the world's throne."

"But... how can he be?" Twilight said. "I mean, he's literally a stone statue, right?"

"That's true," Celestia replied. "And I don't know. But that's the nature of Discord's power; he can alter and warp reality by means we cannot even begin to fathom. It's difficult to explain what those powers even are. But you must understand, even to a small extent, what he is. And what Discord is is a Being who is trivially capable of drinking stars, creating a weight he cannot lift, rendering a creature incapable of dying, or making a rock capable of thought. Twilight, my siblings and I were only barely able to defeat him. My siblings could shake the cosmos, and I was stronger than all of them combined, but we were still no match for him, even were he using only the Magic in his little finger."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Twilight said. She wasn't sure she could take any more; she was trembling as though there were an earthquake beneath her, and she was worried that she might faint.

"To explain why I have done what I have done," Celestia replied. She gestured towards Scorpan, adding, "To explain why I haven't just sealed all of the Dark Gods in stone."

"Why's that?" Twilight said.

"To ensure with every once of my power that Discord never, ever returns."

Twilight blinked confusedly, then Celestia said, "Do you remember how Luna was Sealed?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. You bound her in Etherial Iron shackles, right?"

"Correct," Celestia answered with a pleased smile. "That was her Seal. For Scorpan, I Sealed him with Etherial shackles and a cell of Storm Marble."

Twilight's eyes widened. "You- what?!" she shouted. Storm Marble was what common prisons were made out of, along with Etherial Iron. Like Etherial Iron, it was indestructible without a specific counter-Ritual, but Twilight didn't imagine that would be too difficult to find.

"You never would have guessed it, right?" Celestia asked with a grin. "Such an ordinary method of imprisonment. Quite clever, I should say. The first two Dark Gods are Sealed only with ordinary magical prison-ware."

After a moment, Twilight found herself smiling back. She then gasped, however, as a realization struck her. "Wait- so Sonata is bound with three Seals, right?!"

Celestia chuckled. "Correct, Twilight," she said. "One that I uniquely made for her, and the others that I made for Scorpan and Luna. Likewise, Sombra is bound with four Seals, Chrysalis with five, and Tirek with six. And at the heart of Tartarus lies Discord, who is bound by the six Seals of his children and is petrified in stone, which acts as the seventh Seal."

"So you've made the Sealed Gods into an alarm system," Twilight said, beaming and nodding with understanding. "The more that have been released, the closer those responsible are to unsealing Discord, right?"

"That's right," Celestia said. "In truth, I wish I could simply Seal them all in stone and be done with it, but one irreversible fact keeps me from doing this: every spell can be broken."

"But how can this spell be reversed?" Twilight said.

"How indeed," Celestia said. "Since a Being subjected to this curse becomes a living block of stone, one would have to manually transmute every individual molecule in their body into its original shape to reverse it, yes?"

"Y-yeah," Twilight said.

"A feat such as that is nearly impossible. Nearly. But it is still possible, provided you have enough power and time."

"And it takes more and more of both to break each succeeding Seal?" Twilight said.

"Precisely," Celestia said. "The Gods and the Seals form a twofold barrier: first, only someone with great power and knowledge could seek to break them. Furthermore, they must have the will to do so, even knowing the malice and unpredictability they unleash by doing so. And the seven Sealed Gods vary so widely in temperament that one would have to be even madder to desire all of their releases."

Twilight's dread had returned. "You think the cult I saw unseal Luna also unsealed Scorpan."

Celestia nodded. "I am almost certain of it," she said. "Powerful, wise, and yet mad enough to unseal two Dark Gods who couldn't be any less alike. I don't believe their end goal was to release either of them; at the very least, I believe they're attempting to make an ally of any Sealed God, regardless of which one they do."

"And at worst...." Twilight whispered.

Celestia nodded. "Though still unlikely, it is certainly possible. This cult might aim for nothing less than bringing about the God of Chaos's return."

That was all that needed to be said. Twilight knew exactly what Celestia had summoned her for now; to make her realize how all-important her mission of reporting suspicious activity to her was.

They ended their conversation with Twilight agreeing to send a report to Celestia every week from then on; in addition, Twilight promised to redouble her efforts, then she left to regroup with her friends.

Once they were all in pajamas, Twilight and her friends made their way to the train station. Of all of them, Rarity and Rainbow seemed the most exhausted. Rarity seemed quite happy; though she looked quite ready to spontaneously fall asleep, she was still slightly wet from a recent shower and grinning at her pleasant (if strenuous) experiences that night as she filed with the other girls, the Crusaders, their parents, and Spike onto the train home. Rainbow, however, had bloodshot eyes. When Twilight asked her what was wrong, Rainbow insisted that she was just tired, though Twilight noticed an undercurrent of depression in her voice.

Once they were on the train and chugging along back to their little farm-town, everyone was fast asleep beneath warm woolen quilts and lulled by the clacking of the car's wheels.

Except for Twilight.

Twilight leaned against her seat's window throughout the whole night, gazing worriedly at the full moon. Though she and her friends had just celebrated the overcoming of a great menace of awesome terror together, Twilight had the deeply unsettling and horribly unshakeable feeling that their nightmare was only just beginning.

II-IX. Twilight's Madness

Twilight anxiously paced over the Golden Oak Library's floor, holding her chin and frowning in concentration. It was Saturday evening, and she and Spike were wrapping up their work for the week so that they could take tomorrow off.

However, something was missing. Twilight was certain that there was something important, something that she needed to do, but just couldn't remember.

Spike sat at the library's writing-desk, quill in hand, turned towards Twilight as he awaited her instructions.

After Twilight had changed directions about half a dozen times in her nervous trek across the hollowed oak tree's diameter, she looked to Spike and said, "We've taken inventory?"

"Yep," Spike replied, nodding at a checked item on his list.

"Hmm," Twilight said, continuing her walk. "We've done this week's book repairs?"

"Yep."

"Shipped our trades with other libraries?"

"Yep."

"Mailed all the overdue notices?"

Spike smirked. "Rainbow delivered them personally," he said with an air of complete confidence.

Twilight nodded, then kept walking. "Maybe we needed to chop some firewood...?" she softly suggested to herself.

Spike shook his head. "Already took care of that last week, remember, Twi?"

Spike placed his quill back down, rolled his parchment up, and closed his inkwell, adding as he did so, "Relax, Twilight. We've already gone over the list like three times. Maybe you're just overthinking things; but even if you did forget something, I'm sure it'll come back to you eventually."

Twilight shook her head. "No...." she insisted. "It was really important, and I need to do it...!"

Spike sighed wearily. "It's gonna be fine, Twi," he assured her. "If it's really that important, I'm sure we can do it tomorrow."

Twilight softly nodded, but she still couldn't shake her anxiety. This elusive and critical task, whatever it was, was definitely urgent; Twilight had the feeling that it might not be able to wait until tomorrow....

Then it hit her. Twilight gasped, spun around, and cried to Spike, "Have we sent intel to Celestia yet?!"

Spike blinked, then realization dawned upon him. "Aah," he said. "You're right; we did forget about that."

There was a moment of panic within Twilight. How could she have forgotten? It was why she and Spike were there running the library in Avalon in the first place. Celestia's mission. That was the all-important duty she had neglected to attend to that week.

Twilight's first and foremost job was to collect as much field intelligence regarding the potential activity of radical cults to Dark Gods for the High Princess as she could possibly find. She mentally berated herself for somehow letting her field assignment slip away from the forefront of her consciousness, and accusingly demanded of herself that she explain how it happened.

To be fair, Twilight thought, it had been a crazy week. Not only had she and Spike had to change out their wardrobes and furnishings around their home to prepare it for the rest of the autumn, but they also had had to tutor the Cutie Mark Crusaders, having promised to aid them in their educational struggles (particularly since they were still recovering from a recent highly traumatic event). In addition, Twilight had personally advised Mayor Meyer in recommending and sending requests for children's psychological councilors from Olympus and Athens so that the mental and emotional damage Scorpan had caused them could be effectively treated. To top all this off, since most of their friends now believed that they were a couple, Spike and Twilight were forced to continue playing the role of secret, illicit lovers for them, which was made even more difficult by the fact that they also had to continue keeping their acted romance a secret from everyone who didn't know; particularly Applejack. Twilight and Spike strongly suspected that, at best, Applejack would not take the knowledge of their extremely illegal and taboo pretend presumably sexual relationship well, especially considering the fact that Spike was still underage. Twilight gave Applejack better-than-even odds of immediately reporting her to law enforcement in the event she found out about it.

And Twilight had to do all this, of course, while continuing to run the Golden Oak Library.

Honestly, Twilight was beginning to grow extremely sick of this whole charade. She was quite honest by nature, and it was ridiculously exhausting to have to lie to her friends all the time, and to make up reasons for the odd behavior she and Spike displayed. If you tell the truth, Celestia had once said to her, you don't have to remember anything. One of the best proverbs she's ever written, Twilight thought. And that was saying something.

But the absolute worst part about this whole thing was undoubtedly the unending theatrical act that was her counterfeit romance with Spike. It wasn't even an entire month since Twilight's apprentice had been struck with the (admittedly brilliant) idea of telling their friends that they were engaged in a courtship of forbidden love, and she had already decided that she had indulged in quite more than enough playing the part.

It wasn't because Twilight was disgusted or repelled by Spike. Quite the opposite, actually. The problem wasn't that she was repulsed every time she had to shove her tongue down his throat or allow him to stroke her thighs in front of their friends, because she wasn't; indeed, the problem was that she liked it. In fact, she liked it far too much.

Twilight was enduring the astonishingly paradoxical agony of being tortured by pleasure. Even before they began masquerading as a couple, it took an enormous amount of self-control for Twilight not to give Spike any response whenever he made an advance at her; giving him an inch would only encourage him further, which would only make her more likely to give in and indulge him. Twilight also didn't have it in her heart to chew Spike out for so flippantly suggesting that they commit a felonious crime together; after all, she would have gladly ignored the laws against student-teacher fraternization during her own tenure as Cadance's apprentice. The only reason that, as Cadance's apprentice, Twilight didn't attempt to forge a romance with her mentor and former babysitter, was that Shining was Cadence's boyfriend. Twilight couldn't live with herself if she had facilitated and aided her brother's lover in betraying him.

In Twilight's eyes, were Shining not taken into account, she could have become Cadance's lover without putting any weight on her own conscience whatsoever- at least at the time. However, with the positions reversed between herself and Spike, Twilight could no longer break that law and truthfully say she was still at peace with herself; after all, when Twilight was Cadance's apprentice, it was only Twilight who was underage. If the two of them had engaged in sexual activity while studying together, Twilight would not have been considered a criminal; she would have been considered a victim. Twilight would have fiercely defended Cadance in the event their hypothetical illicit affair came to light, and insisted that it would have been entirely consensual on her own part. Now, however, Twilight was deeply ashamed of having seriously entertained such an idea, and was extremely glad that she didn't go through with it; if she had, it would have likely caused Cadance a great amount of stress, regardless of whether or not Twilight's feelings were returned by her. It would have potentially forever ruined their entire relationship, as Cadance would have been forced to reject and push her away like Twilight was afraid she would soon be forced to do to Spike.

The worst part about this, however, was that Twilight was forced to bear this burden entirely on her own. She had no one she could confide her deeply repressed intense carnal desire for Spike in; she couldn't tell Spike, obviously, since he would certainly immediately attempt to seduce her, and have a significant chance at succeeding. She couldn't tell her friends, since they already believed they were illegally intimate, and exposing this as a lie would increase the pressure on her to reveal the truth of her mission from Celestia.

Twilight considered writing to Cadance and Shining about it, but immediately abandoned the idea when she realized this would mean confessing her feelings to Cadance and straining their relationships with Shining and each other. She considered telling Celestia, but decided against it almost as quickly when she realized that Celestia might then remove Spike from her tutelage to defend him from potential endangerment. She considered telling Luna, but immediately realized that the utterly uninhibited Moon Goddess would definitely encourage her to act on it and not worry about the potential ethical violations or adverse consequences that might come of it.

Twilight didn't think she'd ever been so constantly stressed out before in her life. She could handle stress, but not this much. Honestly, the fact that she hadn't made a report to Celestia that week was just one too many of the things on her mind. It was the final straw on the camel's back, and the camel's knees were beginning to slowly buckle beneath the weight.

Twilight's eye faintly twitched, causing Spike to wince with anxiety. "Uh... are you alright, Twilight?" he said concernedly.

Twilight swallowed. "We..." she muttered, "... we haven't... sent a report... this week...?"

Spike slid off of his chair and placed a comforting hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Twi, it's alright," he said reassuringly. "I mean, we can't decide when we'll find more intel, right? Why don't we just write a letter to Celestia explaining that this week's report might be a little late?"

Twilight's eyes widened, then she turned abruptly on Spike, who flinched away slightly from her hysterical expression. "Our report might be late?!" she cried. "Spike, our report can't be late! We have to help Celestia with her mission! We have to give her something!"

"And we will," Spike said with a soft, soothing tone. "But it's not the end of the world if we can't get a report to Celestia on time this once, right?"

"It very well might be the end of the world, Spike!" Twilight shouted, tightly gripping her head between her palms with panic. "The dark Gods are getting unsealed, Spike! Do you know what this means?!"

"Of course I do," Spike replied, raising his voice a little. "But we've been alright so far, right? Besides, like Celestia said, she-"

"Celestia said we have to stop whoever's doing this!" Twilight cried. "What if they unseal another God, Spike?! What if they make an ally of that God, Spike?!"

"I'm sure Celestia can stop them," Spike said, trying desperately to remain calm. "She's beaten them before, and she can beat them again."

"We almost didn't beat Scorpan, Spike!" Twilight retorted. "And the other five Sealed Gods will only be even smarter and stronger than him! We have no idea what they'll do! What if Celestia can't beat them?! What if they join the cult that unsealed them to release more dark Gods?!"

"Twilight-!" Spike shouted in a frail attempt to interrupt her.

Twilight's pupils were the size of pinpricks and she was shaking with terror. "They might overthrow Celestia! They might unseal Discord!! And if they unseal Discord, then all is lost! Our forsaken world will be engulfed in FLAMES!! Civilization as we know it will DIE, and ALL BEINGS WILL LIVE IN ENDLESS TORMENT UNTIL THE VERY END OF TIME!!"

Tears welled in Twilight's eyes as she curled up, toppled to the floor, and began sobbing and whimpering while continuing to tremble.

With deep concern and worry for his friend, Spike knelt down and gently stroked Twilight's cheek, wiping away some of her tears with his palm. "Twilight, please...!" he anxiously pleaded. "Please calm down, Twi! You're gonna go into serious shock or something! You've got to calm. Down!"

Twilight made a few small, shallow gasps, gazing up from her tightly-gripped legs at spike with wide, bloodshot eyes.

Spike gently lifted Twilight into an upright sitting position, wiped some more of her tears away, then pulled her into a gentle, comforting embrace. "It's alright, Twi..." he whispered, slowly stroking her back beneath her hair. "You're safe... it's gonna be alright...."

Twilight sniffed, was still for a moment, then tremblingly sighed as she closed her eyes and returned Spike's embrace.

After consolingly holding Twilight for a few moments, Spike stood up, helped Twilight onto her feet, then suggested cheerfully, "I think we should call it a day. Why don't you take a bath, Twi? That should help you relax a little."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, that... that sounds like a good idea, Spike...." she muttered feebly.

Spike gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then scaled up the stairs to their bedroom. "I'll be reading. Take as long as you like!" he called back before closing the door.

Twilight gazed at the shut bedroom door for a few moments. Spike really was rather amazing. She couldn't be any luckier to have him as an apprentice, really.

Once Twilight had drawn herself a hot bath in the library's bathroom, she locked the door before stripping down and placing her clothes in the room's woven wicker laundry bin. However, before she stepped into the tub, she went to the latched carrying-case that held her makeup kit. After flipping its steel latches open, she unfolded the top and gazed inside.

Spike found it a little odd that Twilight had an entire large makeup kit; after all, though she was a girl and occasionally wore it, such occasions were few and far between. He wouldn't have been surprised to see such a case under the ownership of Rarity, Fluttershy, or even perhaps Pinkie Pie; those three girls were fashion-conscious and knew how to dress and make themselves up formally. However, unlike them, Twilight didn't seem to much care about improving her appearance; though she was undeniably very pretty, any of the days that she wasn't wearing her usual sneakers, t-shirt, jeans, and miniskirt were few and far between. Wearing makeup was even rarer for her, being reserved only for very formal events such as Rainbow Dash's recent accolade, weddings, and the like. By all accounts, Twilight shouldn't need an entire case of makeup, considering how infrequently and minimally she used it.

In the end, though, Spike decided that girls and their makeup was just something he'd never get before promptly forgetting about it. He never guessed that his puzzlement at Twilight's case was entirely correct.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight channeled Ether into two of the screws in the bottom of the case, causing them to faintly glow violet as they twisted themselves out. She then telekinetically lifted out the case's false bottom, revealing a secret compartment. Lying within it, resting in a bed of insulating foam, was a highly-detailed and realistic hand-blown glass dildo.

Twilight didn't use this often; she was usually content to pleasure herself manually. However, when her desire to indulge in an accurate recreation of one of her fantasies reached its peak, she would call upon this marble-like glass toy towards that end.

Now was one of those times.

Twilight stepped into the hot water of her tub, sat down, then laid her legs outward as she wearily leaned back against the tub's head. She closed her eyes as she gently lowered her right hand and toy beneath the bathwater's surface, conjuring up an image of her young apprentice.

Twilight was weighed down by no small amount of guilt over this; after all, not only was Spike her student, but he was also barely twelve years old. Furthermore, he looked still younger than that, which only made Twilight's shame at her attraction to him all the more intense. As brilliant and wise beyond his years as he was, Spike was still a child. How could Twilight possibly justify harboring such a deep carnal desire for him, even knowing that she'd been discouraged from entering a mixed-gender apprenticeship in the first place for this very reason?

However, as much as she beat herself up over it, Twilight had to admit that it at least made sense that she found Spike so desirable; after all, he was very attractive. Not only did he have an inherently adorable size and build, but he was also extremely handsome. This was not just a result of his maddeningly good-looking face and sweet, enormous green eyes; his slender little body was also surprisingly toned and muscular, which made him a nearly impossible-to-resist treat for the eyes whenever he removed his shirt. Twilight entirely blamed Sunset for this; after all, she had worked very hard to stay in shape and retain her supermodel figure, which drove her to very intense self-exertion as she trained for school athletics at the Olympus Magic Academy. Because Sunset and Spike had been nearly-inseparable, Spike had joined Sunset in all of the workouts of her training routine, firmly entrenching within himself a habit of daily exercise that he continued even to that day. The only mortal girl that Twilight could think of who could rival Sunset's beauty was Fluttershy; because of her, Twilight was sure that the little brother following in her footsteps would likewise grow to rival even Shining Armor.

Especially after hearing of Sunset's descriptions of him, Twilight was sure that Spike looked just like his dad. Prometheus had been painted by his daughter as being extraordinarily handsome, to the point that he might well have been able to seduce even the likes of Goddesses and other men. Twilight could already see Spike himself beginning to make true to these claims; she had observed others' reactions to him, and had seen that even Fluttershy seemed to have a mild crush on him, and that Applejack was uncomfortable around him in a way that she didn't seem to be around any other men.

No matter how guilty she felt about it, Twilight couldn't deny that the idea of defiling her bed while holding Spike in her arms was absolutely blissful. She imagined just that; she pictured that the pressure between her legs was Spike himself as she clamped her left hand over her own mouth to muffle her shuddering whimpers and moaning screams.

When she was finished, Twilight slumped down further into the water, submerging herself until only her face and ears were still surfaced. She then draped both of her arms over the tubs' edges, letting them dangle loosely at her sides.

"I really need to get laid...." Twilight muttered, frowning up at the ceiling.

After a minute or so of still relaxation and deep, heavy breathing, Twilight sat up, magically heated her bath back up a bit, then soaped herself down and washed her hair. Once she'd rinsed herself off, Twilight dried herself, put on her pajamas, then took a long drink of water at the bathroom's sink before washing and replacing her dildo in her makeup case's secret compartment. She hid it so that Spike wouldn't accidentally stumble upon it; though she doubted it would happen, Twilight didn't dare to imagine what Spike would do if he did....

Once Twilight brushed her teeth, she exited the bathroom to find Spike lounging on one of the library's armchairs while reading the newest volume of Clockmoon. "Your turn, Spike," Twilight said. She then muttered while scaling up the stairs to their bedroom, "I'm gonna go to bed. 'Night."

"'Night," Spike replied with a brief, smiling glance in Twilight's direction before returning his attention to his comic.

Twilight's cheek and the palms of her hands were pressed up against something cold and smooth. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw that she was lying against a polished white marble floor.

Confused, Twilight sat up, looking around at her surroundings. She soon recognized it; it was Camelot's throne room, and she had been sleeping on the stone floor before one of Celestia's beautiful stained-glass windows.

"How'd I end up here?" Twilight muttered tiredly as she rubbed her eyes. She could have sworn that she had just been at the Golden Oak Library in Avalon....

Twilight looked towards the hall's end, where she saw the two thrones of Equestria's princesses; Celestia's elegant golden seat, as well as Luna's stern iron chair. From behind them, however, Twilight could see the recognizable celestial patterns in the High Princess's multi-colored hair, flowing freely as they always did.

"Celestia...?" Twilight muttered as she stood up onto her feet. "Your Highness...?"

Celestia didn't respond, however. Growing a bit concerned, Twilight cautiously stepped closer to the regal thrones.

"Princess? What... what is going on?" Twilight said, her voice nearly breaking a few times.

Still, silence.

When Twilight reached the throne, she stopped. She wasn't sure why; after all, Celestia was surely standing just behind it, but a strange, terrible sense of dread and foreboding had suddenly overtaken Twilight.

Tightly closing her eyes and clenching her hands into fists, Twilight took a few deep breaths, opened her eyes, and placed her hands over the throne's edge. She slowly, slowly peeked around it, tremendously fearful at what she would see....

However, she soon saw Celestia's ear, as well as the side of her cheek. With a relieved sigh, Twilight stepped out completely, saying, "Thank goodness. Hello, Your Highness, there's-"

However, Twilight froze as she saw: it was just Celestia's head. On a pike.

The fractured seconds of Twilight's paralyzed terror felt like an eternity. Celestia's head was severed roughly from her body, as though as someone had ripped it off. The pike it was mounted on had been thrust into the stone floor, leaving rubble and splitting a large crack in its wake. But worst of all, blood was slowly dripping from the High Princess's head down the shaft and onto the floor, creating a small puddle at its foot.

Once Twilight regained her mobility, she let out a shriek of horror before running to the head's front. It would have been disturbing enough to see her mentor's eyes dull and her mouth agape with lifelessness, but even that wasn't as horrible as what she saw: Celestia's eyes were wide, frantic, and gazing fearfully at Twilight, and her mouth was sloppily sewn shut, as though she were desperately trying to shout at her to run, but was unable to.

Before Twilight could say another word, however, a sound rang across the hall. It was low and soft, but chillingly cruel and menacing; it was the sadistic laughter of a moderately-aged man.

After the voice had chuckled in its terrible glee for a few moments, it began to speak. "My dear, dear Twilight...." it said.

"W-who are you?!" Twilight cried. "How... how do you know my name?!"

"Whatever do you mean?" the voice replied in false confusion. "It's only natural that I would know your name, is it not? After all, you are an extension of me...."

Twilight held her head and turned away, scrunching her eyes closed. "N-...no!" she cried. "No, that...! That can't be true-!"

"Oh, but you know it to be true, poor little Elf...." the voice continued. "As unpleasant as it might be to realize, you are no different from any other Being."

Twilight's eyes widened. Though she had been covering her ears to block out that cruel, horrible voice, she still heard it perfectly clearly. "Are you saying...?" she began, lowering her hands again. "... Are you saying that... that all Beings are a part of you...?"

"Naturally," the voice laughed. "Not only all Beings, but all things are merely a piece of my own will and power..."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Twilight cried.

"Make sense?" the voice said, once again faking shock. "Oh, but what fun is there in making sense?"

The voice burst into laughter once again, and Twilight turned fearfully back to face the hall. "Who are you?!" she shouted angrily. "Show yourself!"

"I'm afraid I can't, darling," the voice replied. "Can you see something that is both everywhere and nowhere?"

"Shut up!" Twilight shouted. "I know you're here! What have you done to the Princess?!"

"Why, nothing," the voice replied with a tone of mock offense. "I haven't laid a finger on her...."

"Liar!" Twilight barked. "You sewed her mouth shut!"

"Ah, but you are mistaken...." the voice said. "Of course, to someone like me, not only have I done as you say, but I am now doing it. Time is, after all, an illusion. But as far as you are concerned, it is not that I have done it.

"No. It's that in time, I will do it."

A force that Twilight could not see or detect suddenly jerked her from her position, causing her to scream in surprise as an invisible entity dragged her down the hall. It then suddenly stopped about halfway down, then turned her forcefully towards one of the windows: a depiction of a Human, an Angel, and an Elf screaming in agony as they were dangled over a blazing fire from marionette puppet strings. The crossed wooden handles were being gripped by a black, winged humanoid silhouette; an image that all Beings knew since childhood; a nightmarish man-shaped darkness with a blood-red right eye, a flame-golden left eye, and an unnaturally wide, crescent-shaped, fanged smile....

The eyes of the stained glass depiction of Discord, the God of Chaos and Lord of the Cosmos, looked up to gaze at Twilight.

II-X. Betrayal

Time stood completely still.

Twilight was completely motionless, her eyes fixed upon the glass eyes in the window staring back at her.

Discord. The First Sealed God, the King of the World, the very Lord of the Cosmos himself. Discord, the God of Chaos, was smiling threateningly at Twilight from his inky depiction in Celestia's beautiful stained glass window.

The dread and terror that had descended upon Twilight was indescribable. Fear had overtaken every inch of her body, rendering her to enter such complete despair that she couldn't even run or scream.

And Discord was relishing every moment of it.

Not breaking his gaze with Twilight, Discord let out a low, cruel chuckle through his clenched teeth. "Oh, what a magnificent expression...." he muttered. "It has been far too long since I have seen such a delicious look of horror.... It's a shame that I do not have my body; I'm shivering just to imagine the expressions I could get out of you...."

The God-shaped, grinning shadow in the window then suddenly darted off, disappearing from Twilight's view.

The moment he was out of her view, Twilight gasped and looked frantically around, trying to see where he had gone. She flinched and froze again, however, as she felt a hand slowly close around her shoulder. She felt warm breath as the voice whispered in her ear, "I can hardly think of anything more delightful than the sound of a pretty girl like you... screaming."

Twilight whipped around, though she found that there was no one there.

After a few moments of confused, panicked silence, Twilight began slowly backing away from the place she was sure the malicious God had laid his hand on her. However, she then heard more laughter, though it was high and humored this time. "Oh, you should see the look on your face!" the voice of Discord cried. Twilight turned in its direction, and saw the God of Chaos's black silhouette in another one of the windows, curled over in uncontrollable laughter. "Priceless!"

Though Twilight was as terrified as ever, her fear mixed with rapidly-building rage. "You- you monster!" she shouted. "You twisted, vile, insane-!"

"Yes, yes," Discord interrupted Twilight, waving his hand dismissively and rolling his eyes. "I'm a horrible, despicable, unfathomably wicked demon, yeah, yeah, yeah, blah blah blah. In other news, beaches are sandy and water is wet. You should get a better writer; your material is more prehistoric than I am!"

With a small chuckle at his own joke, Discord slithered into the neighboring window, where he lounged horizontally across nothing in particular as he continued with a tone of amused boredom, "I wasn't lying when I said I don't have my body. You were supposed to be smart; I thought you knew this already."

"Then, what did I-?" Twilight muttered to herself.

"You mortals are such simpletons," Discord said with another condescending chuckle. "You just cannot seem to ever be able to grasp how treacherous your senses can be. Without touching you, I can make you perceive or feel anything I like. Here...."

Twilight flinched and her eyes widened again. She felt a hand pressing against her bare left breast.

Flushing, Twilight yelped in protest as she brought her hands up to pull her groper off, though she found that she grasped only at empty air. She looked down, and saw that there was nothing on her chest aside from the cloth of her pajama top, though she was sure that she felt a hand gently squeezing her breast.

"Don't-!" Twilight cried distressedly as she felt the fingers begin massaging her nipple.

"Don't what?" Discord said innocently. "I'm not touching you...."

"Stop it!" Twilight shouted, clenching her eyes shut and crossing her arms over her chest. However, not only did the sensation of a pervert's hand unwelcomely caressing her not stop, but she felt her right breast begin to get fondled, as well.

With a desperate sob, Twilight crouched down and pressed her torso up against against her legs. However, the sensation of being groped continued unabated. "Please! Stop!" Twilight wailed.

Discord responded with a sadistic laugh before the intangible fingers began to teasingly pinch. "Even if I were doing anything," he said, "which I'm not, you are still obviously enjoying it...."

"No, I'm not!!" Twilight screamed. "Get away from me!!"

"Oh, naughty little Twilight still hasn't learned her lesson, it seems," Discord muttered, each one of his words dripping with mounting glee and excitement. "Perhaps she'll need a little... punishment to remind her who her Lord is...."

Twilight felt the hand lift away from her left breast, though the right one remained. Twilight then shouted in surprise as she felt someone slap her bare backside, though she could definitely still feel the texture of her pajama bottoms' seat....

Twilight was spanked again, which was accompanied by the loud, sharp, distinctly unmistakable slap of flesh striking together.

"Stooop!" Twilight wailed, now weeping uncontrollably. Discord responded only with more mocking laughter as Twilight continued to undergo the humiliating sensations of being spanked and violated.

Only when Twilight's sobs began to subside did the sensations end, at which point Twilight's face was completely soaked with tears. Twilight weepingly glared up at the image of Discord, who was gazing at his hand with a disappointed frown. "You're disgusting," Twilight spat.

Discord shrugged. "A lot of good it does me now," he muttered. "Though I can make you perceive that I am violating you, and even make myself feel as though I am touching your body, I must admit that it is just not the same if I am not doing it in reality."

Before Twilight could denounce him further, however, Discord's sadistic grin returned. "That will soon change, of course," he said.

Twilight was completely full of fear, though her anger allowed her to push through it. "Y-you're wrong!" she shouted. "You'll never escape from Tartarus!" Here Twilight smirked. "Celestia will make sure of it!"

For the first time, Discord's cheer instantly melted. His cruel grin was replaced by a snarling sneer of such fearsomeness it caused Twilight to involuntarily step back. "Celestia is a speck next to me," Discord growled softly. "I admit that my greatest shame is that I was foolish enough to allow her to capture me. She surpassed even what I thought her to be capable of, though that will be irrelevant soon enough."

Twilight paled. "W-what?" she whispered.

Discord's sadistic, smug grin returned. "Oh yes, dear Twilight," he said. "The Sun is setting on the age of Celestia's rule."

Discord slithered between the window panes; as he did so, he began chanting:

"A thousand years after the Sealing of the Seventh,
The stars will align, heralding the Crumbling of the Labyrinth.

One by one, the Seven Stars shall fall from the sky
Under the Lord of the Cosmos's watching, unblinking eye.

Though his eldest child will imprison him, he shall once again be freed
By a son and a daughter of the Sun, as well as a son and a daughter of me.

To prevent my return, the High Queen shall name seven saviors,
But they will be thwarted by a servant, a brother, and two of her children; traitors.

The Sun-Princess shall take my place, the world shall become a Hell infernal..."

Here, the stained glass windows all simultaneously shattered. Twilight gasped in horror; outside, the surface of the Earth had become a barren wasteland, completely enveloped in flames, and the sound of a thousand voices screaming in agony accompanied the roar of the fires.

Discord's voice boomed his final words:

"FOR THE GOD OF CHAOS SHALL RETURN TO THE EARTH, AND REIGN ETERNAL!!"

Twilight then heard high, shrieking, maniacal laughter from the dreaded Lord of the Gods, and her eyes poured with horrified tears as her Soul seemed to break....

Then she bolted upright in her bed in the Golden Oak Library, gasping and weeping, from her dream.

It was still deep nighttime, so Twilight found that she was in near-complete darkness, except for the faint light of a few stars outside the library's windows. She was covered in a cold sweat, and her eyes were wide with terror. Twilight held her head, looked around, then made a relieved sigh. "It was just a dream. It was just a dream...." she muttered. She laid back down and went back to sleep. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to sleep properly, for her slumber was light and restless.

Spike had to shake Twilight awake the next morning. "Twilight!" he said. "C'mon, get up!"

Twilight responded by groaning, curling over, and wrapping her blankets more tightly around herself. Spike shook her again. "Come on, Twi!" he pleaded. "It's ten in the morning! You need to get up! We have lunch with our friends in a couple hours, remember?"

"Leave me alone...." Twilight muttered irritably. "I'mma go back to sleep...."

Spike narrowed his eyes annoyedly. "Hell no," he said firmly. "You've never let me sleep in when I've wanted to, so I'm not gonna let you do it, either."

"Too tired...." Twilight mumbled. "I'm your mentor, Spike, you have ta do what I zhay...."

Spike rolled his eyes. "For the love of...." he muttered.

Spike walked over to Twilight's private bookshelf, where he tilted one of the codexes towards himself. "Hey, Twilight," he sang, sporting a wicked grin. "While I'm waiting for you to finish sleeping, I'm gonna pass the time with a book. How does your journal sound?"

Twilight's eyes shot open.

In moments, Twilight leapt out of her bed and tackled Spike to the ground. "Don't you fucking dare!" she shouted furiously as she did so. "I swear, Spike, if I see you take one look in my diary-!"

"Great, you're up," Spike said, grinning cheerfully. "Oh, and by the way, you might wanna save the whole 'forcefully pulling me to the ground' thing for when we have an audience."

Twilight intensely blushed, realizing the position she and Spike were in. She was holding him firmly around the waist, and her face was pressed up against his torso.

With an angry, embarrassed groan, Twilight quickly stood back up and smoothed her hair down. Spike stood up, as well, and Twilight saw that he was already fully dressed in his day clothes. After chuckling at Twilight's beet-red, affronted glare, he nodded towards the bathroom while suggesting, "Go get dressed, then we'll pick up groceries and pick up our cupcakes at the Sugar Shack. Sound good?"

After a moment of tense silence, Twilight took a deep breath before she spat, "Fine."

As Twilight began marching to the bathroom, however, Spike said with a tinge of worry, "Twi- are you alright?"

After taking another deep breath, Twilight replied softly, "Y-yeah. I'm sorry for snapping at you, Spike. I just got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, is all...."

Spike nodded. "Alright," he said. "Well- just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will," Twilight replied with a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Spike."

Once Twilight had locked herself in the library's bathroom, she splashed some cold water onto her face before wearily rubbing her forehead. "Spike can be so infuriating sometimes," she muttered under her breath. "It's like having an annoying little brother."

After a moment, Twilight realized that she'd just thought of the subject of her fantasies last night as her little brother, and subsequently shuddered and became nauseous with disgust. "Ugh. What is wrong with me...?" she said anxiously to her reflection.

When Twilight came back out of the bathroom again, she was less unkempt, but looked no more better-rested. She constantly wore an anxiety-tinged frown as she and Spike purchased food for their upcoming picnic in the shopping district, which Spike worriedly took note of. Once they had finished shopping and had stored their groceries in the library kitchen, Spike said to Twilight as they were making their way to the Sugar Shack, "Are you sure you're alright, Twilight?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight replied. "It... it's just...."

"Are you still worried about our report?" Spike said.

Twilight nodded. "Y-yeah," she said.

With a hopeful grin, Spike said, "Well, why don't we ask our friends if they've seen or heard anything at the picnic? That way, we'll be able to go home and get the report to Celestia in time afterwards."

Twilight made a small, excited gasp, then she enthusiastically hugged Spike. "Yeah, that's a great idea, Spike!" she cried. "You're brilliant! Thank you so much!"

Twilight gave Spike a small peck on the cheek, then continued forward, far more upbeat than she'd been moments ago. Spike closed his eyes and made a gentle smile of satisfaction; as fun as making out with his mentor to maintain their facade to their friends were, he had to admit that there was just something special about getting an unsolicited and voluntary kiss from Twilight, even if it was always on the cheek.

Once they were inside the bakery, Twilight and Spike found that Pinkie and Mrs. Cake were already waiting for them. "Hi, Twilight! Hi, Spike!" Pinkie cried to them cheerfully after they stepped through the glass front doors.

"What's up, Pink?" Spike answered. He nodded at Mrs. Cake as he added, "It's good to see you, Mrs. Cake."

"Same, young man," Mrs. Cake chuckled. "Your cupcakes are ready for you- let me just go get them...."

As Mrs. Cake went into the shop's kitchen, Pinkie made a concerned glance at Twilight. "Are you alright?" she said.

Twilight blinked, turning surprisedly to Pinkie. "Huh?" she said.

"You don't look too good," Pinkie said. "Is something wrong?"

Twilight shook her head and laughingly reassured Pinkie, "No, no, everything's fine. I just... had a little trouble sleeping last night, is all."

Pinkie gazed at Twilight with slight curiosity for a moment, then shrugged and grinned. "Okie dokie lokie!" she said.

Mrs. Cake then came back out of the kitchen, holding a box of white cupcakes topped with pink frosting. "Here you are, dearies!" she said as she passed it to Spike.

"Thanks!" Spike replied.

However, before Spike could place the lid over the box, Twilight put her hand in the way, stopping it. "Mrs. Cake-" she began. "... are there... thirteen cupcakes in here?"

Mrs. Cake gasped. "Oh my goodness!" she cried. "I am so sorry, Twilight! You needed fourteen, so you and each of your friends could have two, didn't you?"

Twilight took a deep breath, then said with a small, friendly smile. "That's alright. You surely have another one, right?"

Mrs. Cake shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Dear," she said. "We've just sold out the rest of our stock. We won't have any more baked until after lunch break."

Twilight's eye twitched. "B-but...." she said. "...That... that'll be after the picnic's over...."

The air was absolutely still for a few moments as Spike, Pinkie, and Mrs. Cake gazed warily at Twilight's eerie motionlessness. Twilight then turned to Pinkie and said, "Pinkie- surely you can get us another cupcake...?"

"Well, yeah," Pinkie said, as though it were quite obvious. "I have a whole stash of cupcakes. But those are for emergencies only."

Twilight gripped Pinkie's shoulders. "This is an emergency!" she cried. "If we don't have fourteen, then one of us will get less than the others-!"

There was a loud, distinct munching sound, and Twilight and Pinkie turned to see Spike messily devouring one of the cupcakes. Twilight and Pinkie both gaped speechlessly at this until Spike was finished, at which point he expertly balled up the wrapper and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. "There," he said decisively. "I ate one of 'em early. As punishment, I don't get my other one."

Spike wiped the excess frosting from his face with his thumb, licked it off, then slid the lid over the box. He then nodded towards the bakery's front doors, saying, "Let's go, girls."

Spike walked out, and a few moments later Twilight hesitantly released Pinkie's arms. "Y-yeah...." she muttered.

However, Pinkie stood still for a few moment before following her friends out. "Are you alright, Pinkie?" Mrs. Cake said.

Pinkie visibly shivered. "Yeah, it's just... something about Twilight and the cupcakes was just unsettling...."

However, before Mrs. Cake could inquire further, Pinkie shook her head and jogged off after Twilight.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a few minutes between Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike as they made their way down Avalon's cobblestone roads. Spike and Pinkie both noticed that Twilight was restlessly fidgeting with her fingers, and that her eyes were fixed firmly on her striding feet. Twilight seemed to be on the verge of panicking, though Pinkie knew it would be futile to try to coax the reason why out of her. She would have privately asked Spike about it, were it not for the fact that she couldn't pull him aside without Twilight noticing. Had something happened? Was Twilight aware of some kind of emergency or had she made a mistake she was too embarrassed to confide in her?

Pinkie took a few steps forward, and gently laid her palm over Twilight's shoulder. Twilight gasped and whipped her head around to face Pinkie, who said with kind, compassionate concern, "Are you worried about something, Twilight?"

A bit of color disappeared from Twilight's cheeks, and her pupils dilated. "N-no," she replied, after just a moment's too much hesitation.

"You can trust me," Pinkie continued. "Whatever it is, I won't tell anybody. I won't get angry or laugh at you, or anything like that. I Pinkie Promise. I'm here for you."

Unconsciously, Twilight stopped in her tracks. Spike and Pinkie halted, as well, as they gazed expectantly at Twilight. Pinkie's eyes were caring and concerned, and everything in her expression indicated that every word she had spoken was completely sincere. Pinkie would stay by her side, and continue supporting her and being her friend, no matter what Twilight confided in her. Twilight wanted nothing more than to break down in pent-up, stressful tears, and tell Pinkie everything. Celestia's mission. Her dream last night. Her lies about her relationship with Spike. Her desperate desire for Spike. For anyone. Though Pinkie was almost always as cheerful and carefree as a hyperactive toddler, Twilight had to admit that very few other Beings could exude such intense trustworthiness or undying supportiveness.

But even if she could trust Pinkie, Twilight would be violating Celestia's trust by telling her anything. She couldn't live with herself for committing such a reprehensible betrayal of her mentor and idol. It wouldn't make her feel better at all.

Twilight shook her head. "I- ...no, there's nothing wrong, Pinkie," she lied. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

Before Pinkie could protest any further, Twilight turned forward again and resumed marching. With a quick glance at Spike, who ashamedly avoided eye contact with her as he followed after Twilight, Pinkie sighed before continuing her trek, as well.

Within a few minutes, the three friends reached Avalon's grassy public park. The rest of the girls were already there, chatting amicably with each other as they arranged the food they'd brought. In moments, Rarity spotted Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie. She beamed; however, before she could greet them, she noticed Twilight's fearful face. "Twilight?" she said worriedly. "Are you alright, Darling?"

The others then turned to Twilight, as well, who had flinched at receiving yet another query regarding her well-being. "You alright, hon?" Applejack said after a few moments of tense silence.

Twilight couldn't take it anymore. "NO!!" she shouted, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. "I am not alright! There! You all happy now?!"

Worry building in the others, as well, Fluttershy said, "What is it, Twilight? Maybe we-"

"I can't tell you!" Twilight interrupted Fluttershy desperately.

"But why ever not, Darling?" Rarity said. "We promise, we won't-"

"It doesn't matter!" Twilight barked. "I just. Can't. Tell. You! Alright?! The end! That's it!"

"But how can we help you if you won't tell us what it is?!" Rainbow said, a little angrily.

At this, Twilight's expression brightened. "W-Wait!" she shouted cheerfully. "I forgot! Maybe you girls can help!"

After exchanging confused looks with each other, the girls said kindly simultaneously to Twilight that they'd be happy to help in any way they could.

"Wonderful!" Twilight said with a wide, relieved grin. She knelt down, folded her hands over her lap, and said expectantly, "So. Have any of you seen or heard about anything unusual going on? Around town, or anywhere else?"

The girls' expressions melted into confusion again, and they exchanged more puzzled looks with each other. "What, um... kind of 'unusual things' do you mean?" Fluttershy said.

"Anything!" Twilight replied, her panic swiftly returning. "Anything at all!"

"Um...." Fluttershy said, looking down and fidgeting with her fingers. "Well, I saw an owl in the middle of the day over the past week. That was a little odd."

Her anxiety building to an apex, Twilight looked to the others, who one-by-one shook their heads apologetically. "Nah, not that Ah know of," Applejack said. "Sorry, Sugar."

"Can't say I've seen anything too weird, either," Rainbow Dash said.

"The closest I've come to what you're asking is receiving an order for some hooded black robes," Rarity said with a shrug. "I'm so sorry, Twi-"

However, Twilight gripped Rarity's arms and jerked her forward, so that their faces were only a centimeter apart. "WHO?!" Twilight screamed. "WHO DID YOU SELL THOSE ROBES TO?!"

Now equal parts angry and worried, Rarity replied, "Of course I can't tell you, Twilight! That would be a violation of the privacy of my clientele-!"

"This isn't about privacy, Rarity! This is a matter of life and death!"

"Honestly," Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "What's gotten into you, Twilight? You're trying to bully our friend into telling you a super-serious secret over nothing-!"

"This. Isn't. Nothing! This is everything!" Twilight shouted. She glared intensely into each of her friends' eyes as she ranted, "I've got to know everything that's relevant to my job here! Our very LIVES depend on it!!"

"What job?!" Rainbow shouted. "Twilight, you're goin' waaaay off the deep end! What the fuck could be so horrible about a stupid clothes order?! Y'know what I think?! I think you should see a doctor! Have yourself checked out!"

Twilight rolled her eyes and sneered. "Oh, ha, ha," she said. "I'm soo glad to have friends like you, Rainb-"

"Ah hate to say this, but Rainbow's gotta point," Applejack interjected. However, her tone was much kinder and gentler than Rainbow's. "Maybe you, uh, ate somethin' funny yesterday. Or maybe you had another brush with a Soul Toxin. Why don't we take you to get a check up, just to be safe?"

Now so red that steam was practically coming out of her ears, Twilight made a frustrated, enraged groan, then teleported with a violet etherial flash. Her friends flinched in surprise, saw that she'd materialized a few meters away, then turned toward her just in time to see her teleport again- this time to somewhere out of their sight.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Pinkie turned to Fluttershy and said worriedly, "Do you think she's okay?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't know... I mean, I have no idea what she's even going on about...."

"Wait!" Rainbow shouted, drawing the others' attention. "Maybe Spike knows something about it!"

The girls turned to look at Spike, who shrunk under their gazes. "You got any ideas, Big Guy?" Rainbow said.

Spike gulped, clenching his eyes closed for a moment. "M-maybe...." he muttered.

Before the others could inquire further, however, Spike stood up and gazed off after Twilight determinedly. "Wait here," he said. "I'm gonna talk to her."

With that, Spike jogged off.

After Spike had slipped beyond their sight, Rainbow sighed, shook her head, and muttered, "I've just had enough of this shit...." before spreading her wings and flying after Spike.

Twilight was lying on a bench across town, anxiously stroking her hair.

"Calm down, Twilight...." she muttered, though her fingers continued trembling. "The day isn't over yet...."

Twilight looked up, and saw that the sun was fast approaching the horizon. She gasped with terror, then shouted, "But it WILL be over soon!"

Twilight whimpered as tears welled in her eyes. "K-keep it t-together, Twilight...." she muttered. She clenched her eyes shut, then shouted, "Keep. It. TOGETHER!"

She opened her eyes again, however, when she heard Spike calling to her in the distance, "Twilight! Twilight!"

Twilight looked towards Spike, who was pantingly jogging to meet her. When he was before her, he bent over, placed his palms over his legs, and took several deep breaths as sweat rolled off his forehead to the ground. "Wow, you got far," Spike gasped before standing up straight and wiping his face.

After panting for a few more moments, Spike said, "Are you sure you're okay, Twilight? I mean, maybe we should write to Celestia about-"

"Hey, Egghead!" A familiar aggressive voice shouted from above them. Twilight and Spike looked up to see Rainbow Dash, touching down just a few steps from the bench, with a rather infuriated frown on her face. She folded her arms once she landed, stood silently for a few moments, then cried, "What the fuck is wrong with you two?! I mean, both of ya geeks have acted weird ever since you came here, but this is insane, even for you!"

"It's none of your business, Rainbow!" Twilight angrily retorted.

"Are you pregnant, Twi?" Rainbow said.

Twilight blanched. "W- ...WHAT?!" she bellowed.

"Maybe you two forgot to cast the, uh... 'Infertelization Spell,' or whatever?" Rainbow suggested. "I don't know much about what you Elves do in your bedrooms, but-"

"I AM NOT PREGNANT, RAINBOW DASH!!" Twilight shouted.

Rainbow shrugged. "I dunno, Twi," she said. "I mean, you might not even know yet. Maybe you got drunk one night, got knocked up, then forgot all about it. I was wonderin' when something like this might happen-"

Twilight was red enough to be mistaken for a demon at this point. "I can assure you, Rainbow, that there is precicely zero chance whatsoever that I'm pregnant," she said with soft, icy dangerousness. "Spike is twelve. There's no way in the Seven Hells I'd be careless enough to make him a father now."

Rainbow scoffed, then turned to Spike, who was just as red as Twilight, but was looking away in shame and embarrasment. "How about you, Bro?" she said. "Are you as fuckin' certain you've not knocked your mentor up as she is?"

"Y-yes...." Spike muttered. "We've, um... n-never done it w-without pro-"

However, Twilight had spun on her heels and was fumingly striding away. "Hey!" Rainbow shouted after her. "Come back here, Twi!" she shouted, jogging after her.

Once Rainbow was walking beside Twilight, she demanded, "Seriously, Twi, if you don't tell me what the hell's goin' on-!"

"Shut up," Twilight snarled. "I've had far enough of you, Rainbow Dash. Kindly leave me be."

"Not until you tell me what the fuck's goin' on!" Rainbow retorted. Twilight took a sudden sharp turn, however, causing Rainbow to stutter incredulously, "H-hey! Where d'you think you're-?!"

"Leave. Me. Alone," Twilight spat. "I'm through obeying the rules. I've had enough of this nonsense. I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place."

"I'm not finished, Tw-!"

However, Twilight suddenly spun to face Rainbow, glaring fiercely down at her, holding up her hand in the preliminary position for a snap. Her eyes and Marks faintly glowed with violet Ether as she trembled with barely-restrained fury. "Don't test me," she growled, so fiercely that Rainbow flinched and backed ever-so-slightly away. "If I hear one more word out of you, Rainbow- so help me, Celestia- you're going to sorely regret it."

Rainbow was tempted to remind Twilight that she'd defeated a Dark God in a duel not a month ago, but the animalistic ferocity in Twilight's expression caused her courage to falter. "Understand?" Twilight said.

Rainbow opened her mouth as though to respond, but said nothing. "Good," Twilight said, sporting a grin of maniacally spiteful glee. "Have a lovely afternoon, then."

Twilight spun away again, and continued her walk away. Rainbow didn't follow her this time.

Rainbow turned back to gaze at Spike, whose expression was filled with every bit as much panic as her own was.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been in the middle of a volleyball game when Twilight materialized in between them. They were in a small clearing in the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres, where a half-century-old volleyball net stood amidst a patch of grass. Just moments ago, the Crusaders had been laughing and shouting elatedly as they hit the ball across the net to each other, but they all shrieked with fright the instant Twilight's frazzled, unnaturally-wide grin entered their sights.

"Hiiii, giiiirls!" Twilight sang through clenched teeth as a bead of sweat rolled past her twitching eye.

Apple Bloom gulped, then tremblingly muttered with a courageous attempt at a smile, "Umm- h-hey, Twilight. How're things-?"

"Great! Juuuust great!" Twilight inturrupted her, unwavering in her manic glee. "I just wanted to come by and see my very good friends! After all, I could use a little help with something...."

The Crusaders were growing deeply worried. Sweetie Belle cautiously ventured, "Uh... what... what kinda thing do you need help with, Twi?"

"Oh, nothing much," Twilight giggled in reply. "Just a teeny, tiny, itty bitty little favor from some good friends. Of course, if some good friends WERE to do this favor, they couldn't tell a-ny-one about it!"

Twilight directed her chilling smile at the Crusaders once again. Making brief, worried glances at each other, each of the Crusaders was beginning to wonder if she should begin running for help.

Swallowing and putting on a small smile, Scootaloo replied with a small, trembling voice, "Uh, I mean, um... Well, uh, I guess, I might be up for what you've got in mind, Twi... Uh... But-"

"Oh, it's so sweet you want to help me so much, Scootaloo," Twilight said, adopting a high-pitched, infantile voice. "You can certainly help, if you like. But I must confess that only Sweetie can give me what I need...."

Twilight was now focusing her predatory gaze squarely on Sweetie, filling the little Elf girl with such utter terror she was on the verge of bursting into tears. "P-please don't, Twilight...." she whimpered. "I... I don't want-"

Twilight grabbed Sweetie by the shoulders, stunning her into silence. She then leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "I promise, Sweetie; you're going to be very grateful that you did."

Rainbow Dash and Spike had returned to the picnic. Their friends were stunned to see that Twilight hadn't come with them, but were outright fearful to see the fear in their faces; particularly Rainbow's.

"Is somethin' wrong, sugarcubes?" Applejack said worriedly. "Is Twilight alright?"

"I... I don't know...." Spike replied hopelessly. "I've never seen her like this before...."

"Have you any idea what might be bothering Twilight, Spikie?" Rarity asked sweetly. "I'm sure she must've told YOU something, Darling."

Spike shook his head. "Not a clue," he muttered.

Pinkie looked surprised for a moment, though her expression quickly morphed into anger. "She wouldn't even tell you anything?!" she shouted with rapidly-building rage. "Not even YOU, Spike?! Does she really-?! ... Oh. My. Gosh! What a terrible friend she's being! I mean, I know you should respect others' secrets, but she should not be keeping them from YOU! I mean, sure, it hurts my feelings that she doesn't trust ME enough to tell me what's wrong, but if she doesn't even trust you enough to-!"

"What in tarnation are you yammerin' about, Pinkie?!" Applejack interrupted her. "Ah mean, Ah might not know much about Elves and their apprenticeship business, but Ah can't see why Twilight should have to tell hers about her own damn business any more'n she is to tell us!"

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Well, duh!" She cried. "Of course she's not! But if she can't even trust her own boyfriend to support her through her deepest-!"

"... Wait, WHAT?!" Applejack shouted, gaping with horrified shock. "Her BOYFRIEND?!"

After a fraction of a second of tense silence, Pinkie realized what she'd done. The color vanished from her face, leaving her pale as a ghost. She gasped, her eyes widened, and she slapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh- ... oh...." she whimpered, turning tearfully to a visibly-panicked Spike. "I... I didn't mean-!"

"YOU'RE BEIN' TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY YOUR MENTOR?!" Applejack roared.

"Wait, Applejack!" Spike cried desperately. "Let me explain-!"

"There ain't nothin' to explain, Spike!" Applejack barked over him. "I'm sorry if it hurts to hear this, but someone's gotta say it to ya: you're too young to be doin' things like that with Twilight, and she oughtta know better-"

"Oh, come now, Applejack!" Rarity interjected. "I was even younger than him when I lost my virginity, and I'm quite happy to have done it with a more mature and experienced older man! I initiated it, but he was sweet and gentle-"

"You were younger than Spike?!" Applejack shouted again. "How old were ya?!"

"Ten," Rarity replied calmly. "What of it?"

Except for Rainbow, who made an impressed smile, and Fluttershy, who cringed with anxious anticipation, all the other Beings gaped with horrified shock at Rarity. "W-WHAT?!" Applejack screamed. "Rarity! Ya'll-?! An adult man molested ya when y'all were ten-?!"

"I wasn't molested!" Rarity shouted angrily. "As I said before, I was the one who initiated it! It was never non-consentual, and I loved every moment of it!"

Applejack looked to be on the verge of fainting. "Y-ya mean he did indecent things to ya more'n-?!"

"Yes, we had an ongoing relationship for over a year," Rarity interrupted her impatiently. "It ended when I began my apprenticeship under Grand Finale."

Applejack gripped her head between her palms like a vice. "It was one of your teachers?!" she screamed hoarsely.

"Yes, if you must know," Rarity answered, rolling her eyes. "I refuse to speak any more on the subject."

"Rare!" Pinkie cried. "You have to report him! What if he's preying on other little girls?!"

"Why haven't ya'll reported Twilight?!" Applejack shouted.

"It's not the same!" Pinkie shouted. "Twilight and Spike are much closer in age-!"

"It's exactly the same-!" Applejack shouted over Pinkie.

"Who cares?!" Rainbow shouted. "Spike and Rarity are obviously cool with-!"

"It doesn't matter!" Applejack screamed. "Mah land, am Ah the only sane one here?! Or am Ah short of a fruitcake?!"

Before the shouting match could continue, however, the young Beings heard the voice of Apple Bloom call out, "Sis! Spike!"

They all turned to Apple Bloom, and saw that she was pantingly jogging alongside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo towards them.

"What's the matter, Sweetie Dear?" Rarity said concernedly as Sweetie bent over and breathed heavily for a few moments.

"Twilight's gone nuts!" Scootaloo cried.

"What do ya mean?!" Applejack cried fearfully.

"We can't tell ya, sis!" Apple Bloom replied. "She said if we told anyone-!"

"WHAT DID SHE DO TO YA, APPLE BLOOM?!" Applejack roared, so fiercely that the others all shrunk away from her and Apple Bloom tearfully cowered beneath her glare. "Ah swear, if she's laid ONE FINGER on ya girls-!"

"Oh, I wish that's what she wanted!" Scootaloo interrupted her. "She just made us break into the Carousel Boutique and get Rarity's order records for her!"

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie cried in dismay. "We promised Twilight-!"

"Screw that," Scootaloo scoffed. "Twilight's lost her friggin' marbles. I'm not gonna listen to her until she gets 'em back."

Applejack took a deep, angry breath, then began striding away from the others. "Applejack!" Rarity cried. "Where are you going?"

"To turn Twilight in to the Guard," Applejack muttered in response. "She should be grateful it was only Spike she was takin' advantage of; if she'd done anything to Apple Bloom, she'd never even see the guards."

Spike began panicking. "Wait- no, Applejack!" he cried, rushing forward and gripping one of her arms. He leaned back, digging his heels into the dirt in a vain attempt to slow Applejack down, but so great was her strength that she barely seemed to notice him. "You can't!" Spike wailed, sounding to be in danger of bursting into tears.

Applejack roughly shook him off, causing him to fall into the dirt. "Ah'm sorry, Spike," she said, coming to a stop. She turned and gave him a deeply remorseful look as she continued, "Ah know how much ya'll care about her, but what she's doin' to you ain't right. That's why Ah-"

"But she's not doing anything to me!" Spike shouted, climbing back up to his feet.

All the girls gaped in astonishment at Spike; after a few moments, Applejack folded her arms, frowned angrily, and said, "Ya'll are tryin' to tell me that you're Twilight's boyfriend, but you ain't ever done anything-?"

"But I'm not her boyfriend!" Spike cried.

Applejack's expression became one of enormous confusion, while the other girls all gasped. "Ya- ya ain't...?" Applejack said.

"No! I never was!" Spike shouted.

"Bullshit!" Rainbow shoutingly growled. "We saw you kiss her, Asshole!"

"You did?!" the Crusaders all shouted together.

Applejack's anger was quickly returning, and the color was draining out of Spike's face. "Don't ya'll try weaselin' your mentor outta this!" she shouted. "It's not gonna-!"

"That was the first time I'd kissed Twilight!" Spike cried desperately. "Honest! I'm not her boyfriend, and I never was, but we had to do something!"

Spike let this confession hang in the air for a few moments; he slid his hands into his pockets and bowed his head, cringing in anticipation. "Is... is it true?" Fluttershy said. "You really... never were a couple with Twilight, Spike?"

Spike shook his head. "No."

"You... you lied?" Pinkie said, her eyes narrowed with infuriated betrayal.

Spike nodded. "Yes."

The girls all gazed at Spike with such intensity he felt as though he were being pierced by eight pairs of needles from all directions. The agonizing silence stood for what seemed an hour.

"... Bloom, get along back home," Applejack said with disturbing calmness.

"Go with her, Sweetie," Rarity said with equal iciness. "You should go home too, Scootaloo Dear." The Crusaders all silently obeyed, turning and walking away from Spike.

Under the quietly furious glares of his five remaining friends, Spike began trembling as a tear dripped down from the tip of his nose.

II-XI. The Letter

It was the first time she'd ever taken the train alone, Twilight noticed.

She was on her way to Olympus again for what she hoped would be the last time for a while. She was alone in the car, so she was able to stand, pace, and softly mutter to herself as she studied the book in her hands without worrying of drawing any suspicion from potential eavesdroppers.

It was also the first time she had committed a felony, Twilight observed. Not only had she just committed burglary against one of her best friends, but she was now also committing corporate espionage against that same friend; she was studying the recent business records of Rarity, which were inscribed in a highly ornate, jeweled, purple journal.

"I wish that Rarity were better organized," Twilight muttered. "Her books don't have any rhyme or reason to them...."

Nonetheless, Twilight continued reading on.

As much as she hated to admit it, Twilight was forced to: the nightmare she'd had last night had deeply shaken her. Discord himself hadn't spoken to her, of course; that would be ridiculous. In addition, she highly doubted that the ink-black entity that had called itself "Discord" in her dream was anything like the real, actual Discord of reality. She couldn't deny that her dream-Discord was terrifying, but he had also been... weird. A little too weird.

Why would the omnipotent Lord of the Cosmos feel the need to play petty practical jokes on anyone? Why would the most primordial of all deities be full of jest and childish humor, rather than aloof, stoic dignity?

This was the single greatest reason Twilight didn't buy that she had truly spoken to the spirit of Discord last night: he had not been at all serious. He'd struck Twilight as far closer to the personality of a Harlequin than that of an all-powerful, cruel tyrant. How could such a silly creature invoke the utter and complete dread that Celestia held for him?

Twilight cracked a small smile. Yes, of course that Discord had been a mere figment of her imagination; the more she thought about it, the more certain she was. Celestia was the key. The stained-glass windows, the High Princess's head mounted on a stake, the surreal goofiness of the Chaos-God's personality- it had all been centered around Twilight's fixation on Celestia.

Seeing her mentor's severed head dripping blood onto the ground- what could be a more terrifying image for Twilight? Celestia was the ultimate cornerstone of comfort and safety- not just for Twilight, but for nearly all Beings in the world. On top of that, why had the dream-Discord's cheerful demeanor dropped the instant she'd mentioned Celestia? Discord was, by definition, all-powerful; what reason could he possibly have to fear Celestia, whose finite power was by definition infinitely lesser?

Twilight blushed and shivered; even the dream-Discord's physical molestation of her could be attributed to her thoughts of Celestia. After all, Twilight was intensely attracted to her mentor; every bit as much as she was to Cadance and Spike, in fact, if not more. Twilight was actually a bit annoyed that she'd lived with and studied under two Goddesses; she'd developed a taste for Gods and God-like Beings, it seemed. Twilight had grown accustomed to exceptional beauty, talent, and intelligence within her companions. She smirked as she noted that even Rainbow Dash was a demigoddess, and Twilight wouldn't have been at all surprised if she'd eventually learned that Spike and Sunset were, as well.

But above all, Twilight was convinced of her dream's absurdity by the silliness of Discord's personality. She made a small, scoffing laugh. Discord couldn't be that silly, right?

Twilight flinched.

... could he?

At that moment, Twilight remembered something, which filled her with tremendous fear. Discord had been described in The Elements of Harmony with only three attributes; namely, he was horrifically cruel, tyrannical, and above all insane.

Honestly, Twilight had never paid much attention to that particular last adjective before. After all, evil tyrants were by definition insane, right?

But at that moment, Twilight came to realize that Celestia had always placed as much emphasis as she possibly could on her father's insanity whenever she spoke or wrote about him. She always referred to him as the "Lunatic King," the "Lord of Pandemonium," or "the Mad God." Hell, even the name "Discord" held the definition of "panic induced by madness."

Twilight paled. Now that she thought of it... why had she imagined Discord as having such an absurd persona? If, as she had theorized, her dream of the Dark God had been inspired by her memories and thoughts of Celestia, why hadn't he been, like her, full of dignity and majesty?

Twilight clasped her hand over her mouth, suppressing a retch as she nearly vomited.

She had suddenly realized: Celestia wasn't always entirely regal or stoic, either. In fact, she could often be quite mischievous, and would occasionally show hints of a very childish sense of humor. Like at the Gala a few weeks ago, when the formality had been utterly capsized and all the nobility had fled in panic. Celestia hadn't been upset then; she was delighted. In the face of great chaos, she had expressed only glee.

Much like Discord had within Twilight's dream.

Again Twilight convulsed as she again nearly vomited. If anything, Princess Luna was even more mischievous and wild than Celestia sometimes hinted at being. The Ruler of the Night was also a free-spirited Goddess who could send her soul to visit her subjects' dreams while her body slept.

Just like her father.

There was a rather peculiar practice in the discipline of studying and recording history (as Angels, Humans, and Elves did it): it was the perpetuation of an error that was deliberately and universally repeated. So ubiquitous was this, in fact, that its effects were deeply felt even in modern, everyday parlance and mortal culture.

This academic oddity had to do with the Gods; to be specific, their genealogy. Historians would always, as a show of respectful discretion, deliberately leave pieces of data missing so as never to make the exact structure of the Pantheon's family tree explicit. Parentage among the Gods would therefore always have to be inferred from official records by "reading between the lines."

Discord had no parents. He was eternal; an entity with neither beginning nor end, and as a result he was recorded as parentless in any documents making a thorough discussion of him. Discord was therefore given a unique classification within the hierarchy of the Pantheon; he was the sole occupant of the so-called "Prime Generation" of Gods. Below him were, in order from eldest to youngest: Celestia, Tirek, Poseidon, Sombra, Chrysalis, Seti, Sonata, Demeter, Scorpan, and Horus. These ten Gods made up the Pantheon's First Generation, for they had all been hand-crafted by Discord himself as babes to be his first children. Because of their unconventional births, Celestia and her nine siblings were recorded as having only one parent: Discord, their father.

There was a common misconception- especially among mortal children- that Luna was a First-Generation Goddess, too. In actuality, she was a Second-Generation Goddess, though some made the cheeky argument that she was a "One-and-a-Half" Generation Goddess, because she was the only other member of the Pantheon who could claim Discord as her father.

The definition historians used for the Pantheon's "Second Generation," which Luna occupied alongside Hermes, Crystal, Persephone, and Athena (among others), was that they were "Gods directly sired by at least one First-Generation God, but with no parentage of the Second or later generations." It was carefully emphasized to history students that this categorization was strictly one of pedigree, rather than chronology; the Philosophy-God Kong, for example, was a Third-Generation God because at least one of his parents was a Second-Generation God, even though he was centuries older than Cadance, herself a Second-Generation Goddess in spite of her great youth. However, though Luna was a Second-Generation Goddess, the only parent historically attributed to her was Discord, her mother's identity always left conspicuously blank. The knowledge that her sister Celestia was also, in fact, her mother was only ever passed on orally.

When Twilight had first asked her parents if Celestia was Cadance's mother, her parents had confirmed that she was. Twilight had suspected it since she'd been in diapers, since Celestia had raised Cadance and the two of them seemed to have a parent/child relationship dynamic. Twilight had then asked why Cadance only ever addressed Celestia as her "aunt," which her parents promised to explain to her when she was older.

Shortly before she became Cadance's apprentice, Twilight's parents did as they promised. They explained to Twilight that Cadance exclusively referred to Celestia as her aunt because Celestia was her aunt, as well as her mother. This had initially confused Twilight, but with some slight gentle guidance she was able to deduce that this was because Cadance's parents had been brother and sister, meaning that they were her aunt and uncle as well as her mother and father. Twilight then asked if Poseidon was Cadance's father, which her parents also confirmed. Twilight was proud to have figured that out by herself, though now she had to admit it had been quite easy; after all, Cadance often traveled to Atlantis to visit the Sea-God, and she had shown as much excitement as a daughter eagerly awaiting her father's return home from a war the two times Poseidon had come to visit Camelot himself. Twilight had then asked if any of the other Gods were Celestia's children, to which her parents replied that there were two: Luna, as well as Athena, the Goddess of Civilization.

However, Twilight then asked why Cadance never called Celestia "mother," and why Celestia never addressed Cadance, Luna, or Athena as "Daughter." Her parents had explained that this was a custom of modesty; a euphemistic avoidance so as to never draw attention to the incestuous nature of their conceptions. Twilight's parents said that the reasoning for this was twofold; firstly, it showed sensitivity to the divine First Generation's trauma from their abusive childhoods. Discord had created Celestia and her siblings solely to be his playthings, after all, and it was easy to understand why this would be an extremely painful truth for them to dwell upon. The second reason was to acknowledge the fact that there was a dramatic difference separating the Gods from mortals: there was no genetic danger for offspring the Gods conceived incestuously, which was decidedly not the case for mortal Beings. Because the Gods were physically flawless in every way, they had no need to fear that any children they directly sired would suffer any kind of inherited illnesses or disabilities from them, and therefore the innate disgust and taboo around incest that most mortals possessed simply didn't exist in any of them. Because written histories were solely for the benefit of mortals (Gods had no need for them, as they possessed eternal memories which never decayed), the carnal internal aspects of the Pantheon were always left officially unsaid to discourage mortal attempts to imitate them.

Twilight rushed towards one of the car's trashcans, where she finally vomited the stress and terror out of her body. After she had spit the last bit of bile she could hack out, she took several deep breaths as she reflected on the horrific truth: Discord was Luna's father and her grandfather. His personality could only have been all the more apparent within Luna, as three-fourths of the genes she possessed were his. Twilight had come to the realization that the God the Discord of her dream most reminded her of was Luna, and not Celestia; if she thought logically, this made perfect sense, as the two resembled each other to an uncanny degree.

With an exhausted sigh, Twilight made her way to the train's restrooms to cleanse the remaining acid from her mouth and face. After Twilight shut off the water, wishing she'd brought a toothbrush with her, she gazed at her reflection and thought over all this again as calmly and rationally as she could. Now that she'd had a bit more time to dwell on it, she realized that her dream-Discord had been based on Luna, rather than Celestia, which suddenly caused her dream's creation to make sense again. In addition, why would Discord come to visit her as she slept? He might have been insane, but Discord wasn't stupid; surely he must have known how foolish preemptively gloating that he would soon return would be?

Twilight grinned as she made one more observation: the chant that Discord had recited in her dream sounded unmistakably like a prophecy. There was no way that could have actually happened; after all, if Discord truly were capable of seeing into the future, would he not have avoided becoming Sealed in the first place? Further, wouldn't his current state of being a block of etherial stone prevent him from sending his soul to visit dreams?

However, Twilight flinched as she then remembered Celestia's words: Discord is not like the other Gods. Celestia had made the immensely disturbing suggestion that the God she had defeated millennia ago was not truly Discord, but merely only a part of him. Twilight again felt her flesh become ice-cold as she remembered that the dream-Discord had told her that she, along with all other Beings, was a piece and an extension of Discord; this made sense, Twilight thought, when she distressedly mused that Discord was the God of Chaos in the most primordial and visceral sense of the word; the cosmos, and life itself, are chaos, meaning that Discord's Soul penetrated and infused all creatures and living things, binding them together. Twilight almost fainted at the next resulting conclusion she drew: even Celestia, the good, kind, wise High Princess of the World, was merely a Being whose Soul was but a piece taken from her all-powerful father's fire. The first thing that Twilight had ever learned about Magic was that its purest form was utterly chaotic; Chi and Ether were nothing more than Soul-energy crafted from Mana, the basest form of energy that all things were crafted from. Discord, Twilight concluded with immense despair, was the sadistic God of the Chaos that was Mana, and was therefore the cruel God of Everything.

Twilight's hand slipped over the counter's edge, jolting her back into full consciousness. She shook her head, then took another deep breath. No, that couldn't be the case; after all, if Discord were truly the God of Everything, shouldn't it have been completely impossible for Celestia to defeat him? Couldn't he simply escape his prison in Tartarus now, just by willing the prison around him to crumble and break away?

Perhaps that's what he's doing now.

Twilight slammed her palm against the sink's surface. "Get ahold of yourself, Twilight!" she shrieked. "Stop thinking about it! Discord is imprisoned in the deepest Hell of the pits of Tartarus; that's a fact. If he could escape, he would have done it already; so long as C-Celesia's protecting us, we... we'll be fine...."

Fearful tears welled in Twilight's eyes, as she remembered the tremendous weariness she had seen in the High Princess's eyes.

... Would they...?

Twilight felt the train lurch as it came to a stop. "All off for Olympus! All off for Olympus!"

Twilight stood up straight, turning towards the sound of the conductor's voice. After a moment, she looked down at Rarity's record-book, then she sighed before frowning at it with grim determination. "It's my job to ensure that never happens," she muttered. She then picked up the book and ran out, determined to fulfill Celestia's mission to prevent the return any more Sealed Gods, no matter the cost.

Spike had never felt so ashamed or full of self-contempt as he did now.

He had sat, motionless, on his favorite chair in the Golden Oak Library as five of his best friends furiously shouted at him nonstop for several long minutes. It must have been less than twenty minutes that he endured their screams of betrayed anger, but it felt like at least a thousand.

"... an ASSHOLE, y'know that, Spike?! I've done some shit I'm not proud of, but even I wouldn't stoop this low!"

"We trusted you, Spike! We thought you trusted us! Have we done anything to make you believe you'd need to lie to us?! W-well, I did break my Pinkie Promise-"

"Never mind that, it weren't true to begin with! Tarnation, what were ya thinkin', Spike?! What in your right mind made ya think tellin' us you were foolin' around with yer mentor was a good idea?!"

"Yes, this I'd like to hear," Fluttershy added darkly. "Perhaps Dashie was right to be so suspicious of you two when you came here."

This roused Spike's attention. With a shocked gasp, he looked up at Fluttershy and asked, "Y-you really think that, S-Shy...?"

Fluttershy's expression softened slightly, but Rarity shrugged. "Whatever you two are covering up must be... very serious. After all, flouting statutory rape laws is no small matter, and yet you decided that was the lie you should go with."

"Twi and I aren't doing anything illegal! I swear!" Spike cried tearfully.

"Why won't you tell us what it is, then?!" Applejack barked.

"Because I can't!" Spike sobbed, lifting his palms up to his face. "I just... can't...." he wailed, and the girls felt a little of their sympathy return.

"... Why not...?" Pinkie asked.

Spike shook his head. "I promised not to," he said remorsefully. "I can't tell any of you any more than that. I'm sorry."

Pinkie frowned. "Do you Pinkie Promise you're telling us the truth this time?"

"I'll make an Oath ritual, if you like," Spike replied. "Yes, everything I am telling you girls is completely, honest-to-Celestia the truth. What Twilight and I are here for is not illegal, and the only thing preventing me from telling you what it is is my word I gave that I would not."

The girls continued gazing at Spike for a moment, then Rainbow Dash sighed wearily. "Well, we're at a deadlock, then," she muttered. "I, for one, believe ya, man."

Spike made the tiniest of smiles.

"Still, I ain't gonna let you off the hook yet," Rainbow continued, raising her index finger for emphasis. "You and Egghead Twi have a lot of explaining to do."

Spike tried to speak, but Rainbow hissed, "Shut up. I know you're not allowed to tell us anything, but we're gonna get some fuckin' answers. I'm stayin' right here until your mentor comes back, then I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind."

The other four girls nodded and voiced agreement, prompting Spike to take a few deep breaths. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but at least his friends weren't shouting at him anymore.

Several hours passed, and still Twilight didn't return. One by one, all six young Beings gradually fell into an uneasy sleep, during which time neither a gust of wind nor a knock at the door interrupted their slumber.

Shortly after midnight, a small bell tinkled, awakening Spike. His eyes fluttered open as he turned to the library's letter-basket, which was tied to a string that rang a signalling-bell whenever a weight had been dropped into it. They had just received mail.

Spike groaned, wiped his eyes, and stretched, which stirred the girls on the sofas (and rug, in Pinkie's case) back into consciousness. "Who'd send mail at half to one in the morning...?" Spike muttered as he plodded to the basket.

Upon seeing what laid in the basket, however, a surge of panicked adrenaline instantly brought Spike to full lucidity. His eyes widened, he paled, and he gasped as though emerging from an icy pool. He snatched an envelope from the basket; on its back was written in typewritten letters:

"Addressed to: Spike, Assistant Librarian of the Golden Oak Library, Avalon
From: Twilight Sparkle, currently under the detention of the Olympian Royal Guard in the Dungeon of Camelot, Olympus
This document represents the single written letter its author is allowed to send to any Being of his/her choosing as his/her right guaranteed by law to all detainees in legal custody under the Royal Crown."

"What is it, Spike?" Rarity asked concernedly as Spike urgently ripped the envelope open and shook Twilight's letter out.

"Twilight's been arrested!" Spike wailed, to which all the girl became lucid as swiftly as he had. They all gasped distressedly and gathered around Spike as he unfolded the letter and read its typewritten contents aloud:

"Spike,

Please forgive me. I don't know what's come over me; I was just so terrified. I know my parents and Shining will immediately be told about this, so I decided to use this letter to let YOU know what's going on.

I've been charged with aggravated assault, and if Rarity wants she can accuse me of breaking-and-entering, burglary, and corporate espionage. Tell Rarity that she can, and I will admit guilt to all of them if she does.

I really have no-one to blame but myself for the mess I'm in. The Beings I attacked turned out to be innocent, I stole our friend's property and examined her classified records without just cause, but most of all I made the spectacularly stupid mistake of not turning to you- or anyone else- for help.

Spike, I beg you: do not think for one INSTANT that you have even an inkling of blame for what I've done. You could not have done any better. You honored your promises, kept calm when I couldn't, and always had the right idea to get us out of whatever rut we were in. If anything, I didn't trust you ENOUGH. Perhaps if I'd told you what was going on with me lately, none of this would have happened.

I don't know what's going to happen to me, but I'm certain I will not be permitted to have you as my apprentice any longer. In all likelihood, I'm going to spend several years in prison. Princess Celestia might intercede and give me a lighter sentence than that, but I doubt she will. I deserve whatever punishment I receive, after all.

I'm so, SO sorry for all the heartbreak I've put you through. It's been an unspeakably deep honor to have you as my apprentice, as well as my friend. I could never have had a better one, and whomever your next mentor is will be lucky beyond description. Thanks for everything.

With all my love,
Twilight Sparkle"

A few dried tears had caused some of the ink of the signature to run; the rest of it was now being swiftly ruined by Spike, who had sobbed through the closing words.

Spike lowered the letter, and gazed weepingly out the window in utter silence for a few moments. His five friends gaped at him, all their faces as drenched as his.

With a choked sob, Spike abruptly crouched down and hugged his knees, weeping like a small child into the blue denim of his jeans. His friends were too stunned to speak, but they silently wept as hard as he.

Rarity was the first to act; she rushed to Spike's side and embraced him, wailing, "Of course I won't press charges against Twilight, Spike! Oh, If I'd only known how serious this was, I would've given my book to her in an instant...."

Pinkie let out a sharp, tortured cry. "She d-did tell us how s-serious it was!" she said, wiping some snot from her nose. "She s-said it was a matter of life and death, but we t-treated it like some silly little thing...."

"Aww, damn it all!" Applejack bawled. "How could Ah've been so stupid?! Twi might have her eccentricities, but she wouldn't have been so serious if it weren't a small thing!"

Rainbow Dash trembled, coughed, and fiercely wiped her eyes. "I'm not gonna let Twi do this alone," she growled.

Before the others could say any thing to her, however, Rainbow dashed at the door and flung it open.

"Dashie!" Fluttershy cried, running forward and touching Rainbow's shoulder to stop her before she flapped her wings. "Where are you going?!"

"To Olympus, duh!" Rainbow replied impatiently. "What're you all waiting for?!"

"W-what...?" Pinkie stuttered in astonishment.

"Twi's right; it's not Spike's fault they're in this shit-storm. It's ours. We were the ones who wouldn't listen to her, and didn't do everything we could to help her."

"What are you going to do, Darling?" Rarity interjected.

"I'm gonna go tell 'em that I was an accomplice to the crimes," Rainbow replied without hesitation.

The others' jaws all dropped. "W-what?!" Spike shouted. "B-but, you didn't-!"

Rainbow shrugged, and made a sad grin. "Yeah, I did," she interrupted him firmly. "I've accused you two of bein' in league with whoever's been letting the Sealed Gods out of Tartarus. Twice. I can see now how stupid that was of me; I can see now that you two have done nothing to deserve anything but my undying loyalty."

Rainbow chuckled. "If I hadn't been such a shitty friend, maybe Twilight would have trusted us more. If anything, I'm the one who drove her to do what she did. I'm as culpable for her crimes as anyone, and yet I've never atoned for what I've done to her."

Here Rainbow let out a sincere, full-throated laugh. "Who knows; maybe they'll let us share a cell in the big house, and I'll be able to make it all up to her in there." Her smirk indicated that the "penance" she had in mind wouldn't be a sacrifice or punishment to her in the slightest.

With that, Rainbow flew off, and within seconds Fluttershy lifted off after her.

After the rest sat, stunned for a moment, Pinkie slammed the butt of her right fist into the palm of her left hand. "Dashie's right!" she declared. "We have to be there for Twilight! We weren't there for her when she needed us the most; we have to be there for her now!"

There was no dissent whatsoever among the others; after a few wordless nods of agreement, the six young Beings were at Avalon Station, tickets in hand, boarding the next train to Olympus.

II-XII. The Order of Celestia

"I don't see how you think the rules could be 'easy,'" Rainbow muttered, frowning down at the checkered wood board resting between her and Spike. "There's, like, twelve different kinds of pieces here."

Spike chuckled. "Yeah, it looks like a lot, but there's really only six," he said. He then pointed to both of his rooks, then his knights, then his bishops, adding, "See, these six are in identical pairs of two. And all the pawns in front of them work in exactly the same way as each other. All you really have to remember is how they're set up and how they're moved."

Rainbow scoffed. "I can't figure it out," she remarked, folding her arms. "It looks like a bunch of brainiac mumbo-jumbo to me."

Spike's grin widened. "That's really not the case," he replied. "The rules for each piece are really quite simple. The weirdest ones are probably the knights," he added, pointing to one of his horse-shaped pieces. "Otherwise, it's really not hard to figure out the rest."

"Cool. Show me," Rainbow said.

Rarity was sitting next to Pinkie in the booth across the train car's aisle from Rainbow and Spike, watching their lesson with great fascination. Spike had been near-inconsolably afraid and upset for the first twenty minutes of their ride, and so Rainbow had retrieved one of the train's Chess sets and asked him to teach her how to play it. Rarity had commented to Pinkie that she found this incredibly sweet and heartwarming, especially since Rainbow very clearly viewed the distinctly non-athletic strategy game as overly intellectual and dull. Nonetheless, she was still swallowing her pride and learning how to play it to give some comfort and distraction to her friend, which the other girls agreed was deeply commendable.

"These are probably the easiest to figure out," Spike said, placing one of his castles in the center of the board. "These 'rooks' only move up and down or left and right, like this," he said, demonstrating its potential vertical and horizontal paths.

Rainbow nodded. "Okay, I getcha so far...." she said.

"Good. Next are the 'bishops,' which move diagonally, like this," Spike continued, replacing the rook and demonstrating a bishop's movement.

Another nod from Rainbow.

Before long, Spike had successfully relayed each piece's movement to Rainbow, who immediately grasped and replicated them in simple exercises Spike presented to her. By the time Spike introduced the king and its central role in the game's objective, Rainbow had become genuinely engrossed in the lesson and was intently listening to him.

"So I win if I put your king in a position where I'd capture him in my next turn no matter what you do?" Rainbow said excitedly.

Spike nodded. "Yep," he said. "And that's all there is to it. Well, there are a couple of other rules, but they mostly have to do with something called 'castling.' Let's play a game without it, just everything I've told you so far, and I'll explain castling afterward."

Rainbow smirked, then nodded. "Alright. You're on," she replied.

"Since you're new, I'll let you move first," Spike said, smoothly spinning the board around so that the white pieces were on Rainbow's side.

"Thanks," Rainbow said, holding her chin and gazing thoughtfully down at the board. "I can only move pawns and the knights right now, right?"

"That's right," Spike replied with a grin.

With a smirk, Rainbow lifted her kingside knight and placed it on the empty F-Three square. "I can do this, right?" she said, looking up at Spike.

Spike nodded. "Yep," he said. "Knights are the only pieces that can leap over other pieces."

Rainbow chuckled. "I think these're gonna be my favorite pieces," she said. "They're knights and they fly. Like me."

"Good to know you won't forget how they move," Spike laughed.

"Was that a good move?"

"Oh yes. It's actually one of the most popular openings. It even has a name: the 'King's Knight Opening.'"

Rainbow's eyes widened. "Wait- that's a move professional players make?"

Spike's grin was absolutely ecstatic. "Yes!" he cried. "See, Rainbow? You're getting a hang of it!"

Rainbow returned Spike's grin as Spike advanced one of his pawns.

Spike, of course, won his first game against Rainbow quite easily, though Rainbow didn't mind at all; she was already quite fascinated by the game, and immediately challenged Spike to another match.

When Spike again won the next game, Rainbow eagerly asked Spike to explain castling to her before they began another match. She of course memorized the rules of castling quite easily, and so Spike was then able to describe how an "en passant" worked, as well as the minutiae governing one's ability to castle.

"And that's it," Spike said, grinning. "You now know all the rules of the game."

"Awesome!" Rainbow cried, pumping her fist. "That wasn't really so hard at all!"

Spike rolled his eyes, continuing to grin. "Yeah, who would've thought...?" he said.

Rainbow didn't detect his sarcasm. "Alright- let's play for real this time!" she cried.

"My pleasure," Spike said. He nodded down and added, "White's move."

As Spike and Rainbow continued playing the young Angel's newest obsession, Rarity chuckled and muttered to Pinkie, "Looks like Rainbow has something new to pass the time while in Camelot's dungeon, eh?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Dashie's not going to prison," she said. "She didn't do anything wrong. I'm not going to let her."

"What about Twilight?"

Pinkie gave Rarity a quizzical look. "Huh?"

"You won't let Twilight go to prison, will you?" Rarity said with a small, coy smile.

Pinkie looked even more confused. "Uh... why do you ask?" she said.

Rarity shrugged. "I was just wondering if perhaps Twilight had something to do with your not wanting Rainbow to get locked up with her so strongly."

Pinkie's face flushed so deeply it matched her hair. "N-no!" she cried a little angrily. "Of course I don't want either of them to go to prison!'

"Alright, alright, I was only asking...." Rarity chuckled, resting her chin against her hand and gazing back out the window.

After a few moments of silence, Pinkie looked down at her hands, which were clasped in her lap. "Um... Rarity?"

Rarity turned back to her friend. "Yes?" she said kindly.

"Can... can I ask you something...?" Pinkie continued.

Rarity nodded. "Anything," she said.

Pinkie's eyes were watering up. "Am... am I a bad friend...?"

Rarity was taken quite aback. "W-what...?" she said quietly.

"Do... do I bother you?" Pinkie said. "Am I... annoying...?"

"Of course not, Darling!" Rarity replied, laying her hand over Pinkie's. "Whatever would make you think that?"

"I just...." Pinkie said, wiping at her eyes before tears could begin falling. "Do you remember when Twilight first came to Avalon?"

Rarity nodded. "Of course," she said.

"And you remember that I was her and Spike's guide?"

"Yes."

Pinkie nodded, and took a deep breath. "Well, when we got to the Sugar Shack, I...."

Pinkie was now trembling. Rarity's expression grew a little fearful. "What is it, Darling?" she said gently.

Tears were streaming down Pinkie's cheeks. "I was suggesting things we could do around town together, telling her about Avalon and you guys, trying to be a good guide...." Pinkie let out a silent sob. "And... and Mr. Cake gave her a bottle of apple cider. She gave me a look of dislike, then she chugged the whole thing down right then and there."

Another soundless sob, another mop at her eyes. Rarity's expression was simultaneously stunned and heartbroken. "You've... never told me this before," she muttered. "It really hurt you, didn't it?"

Pinkie made a small, bitter laugh. "Pathetic, isn't it?" she said. "Four months later, and I still haven't gotten over it...."

"No, it's not pathetic, Pinkie," Rarity said firmly. Pinkie turned surprisedly to Rarity, whose lips were pursed in a sharp frown. "Pinkie, that was very rude and... well, a bit cruel that Twilight did that to you."

Pinkie winced at hearing the word "cruel" being applied to Twilight, but Rarity added, "I think Twilight really... had a lot to learn when she first came. And it sounds like she never apologized to you for it, which she still needs to do."

Pinkie squirmed uncomfortably. "Well... I said there was no need for her to apologize...."

"You're too hard on yourself, Darling," Rarity said, gently hugging Pinkie.

Pinkie hugged Rarity back. After a few moments of silence, Pinkie choked out, "Twilight and Rainbow, I...." Pinkie sniffed. "I love both of them so much. They're both amazing friends."

Rarity chuckled. "I agree," she said.

"I mean, neither of them're perfect, but they're...." Pinkie had to take a few deep breaths. "They're both so selfless, and brave, and smart. I'm just...."

Pinkie's hold on Rarity tightened. "I'm just a nuisance."

"Pinkie," Rarity said, pulling back and cupping Pinkie's cheek in her palm. "You are not a nuisance. I won't hear a word of it. Yes, your energy can be a bit much, but...." Here Rarity laughed. "Pinkie, you're what holds us all together. After all, you were the first one to insist we all go help Twilight in Olympus, right?"

Pinkie laughed, and Rarity wiped a tear away from her cheek. "I promise, Darling: we all love you, and wouldn't trade your friendship for the world."

Pinkie made a wide smile. "Th-thank you, Rarity...." she whispered.

Rarity continued holding Pinkie until Pinkie sleepily slumped against her shoulder and let her arms fall away. "I... I guess I don't know a lot about what being loved feels like.... My... my parents didn't love me.... At least... not as much their... stupid damned religion...."

Rarity gave Pinkie's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Pinkie was weeping as she whispered these words before falling completely asleep, "My sister... if... if she loved me, why... why didn't she come... with me...?"

Pinkie then began gently snoring, and Rarity felt a single tear streak down her own face.

"Celestia," Rarity heard Rainbow mutter under her breath. She turned around, and saw that Rainbow and Spike were gazing astonishedly at her and Pinkie.

"I mean...." Rainbow muttered, narrowing her eyes as she gazed back at the chessboard. "I knew that... Pinkie didn't like talking about her life before coming to Avalon, but damn... her own parents didn't love her...?"

Rarity looked back down at Pinkie, who was now slumbering peacefully. "I never would have guessed she was hurting so much...." she muttered, affectionately nuzzling the crown of Pinkie's head.

"I mean... I didn't exactly have an idillic childhood, either, but at least I fucking knew my dad loved me...." Rainbow muttered, now looking to be on the verge of tears herself.

No-one said anything for about a minute, then Spike markedly cleared his throat. "Um... 's your move, Dash...." he said stiffly.

Rainbow looked back at Spike, and saw that his face was quite expressionless, though he was hiding an unbearable amount of agony behind his eyes.

"Y-yeah," Rainbow said quickly, reaching up to pick up one of her pieces. "There, check."

Spike nodded, then lifted his hand to respond with a move of his own.

Spike's play during that match was significantly poorer than it was during their previous ones, Rainbow noticed.

Rarity was soon fast asleep, as well, and Rainbow and Spike joined the rest of their friends in sound slumber in the middle of one of their chess matches. About an hour after all of them had fallen asleep, the train arrived at Olympus Station.

"All off for Olympus!" the conductor's cries rang over the train's speakers, startling all six friends into consciousness. "All off for Olympus!"

Spike stretched with a groan, then muttered, "Here we are."

They were surprised at how quickly they were able to hail a cab once they reached the streets, as it was nearing three in the morning. However, their driver was in a profoundly foul mood, and he grumblingly complained as they all entered the carriage.

"First the goddamned press is all up and about, needing rides at one in the blasted morning, now some teens want a midnight joy ride...."

"Wait- what?" Rarity said as Applejack closed the cab's door. "The press?"

"Yeah, you hadn't heard?" the cabbie said as he urged his two-unicorn driving team forward. "There was a rock concert going on at one of the parks. 'Death metal' or some rubbish like that. Anyway, the Duchess Twilight Sparkle saw a group of them wearing black hooded robe costumes, screamed something about 'cultists' at them, then she used her Magic to knock 'em around so rough their grandmas are gonna feel it."

The young friends exchanged worried glances with one another, and their cabbie laughed. "Girl must've been high on moon rock or something. Heiresses like her do stupid nonsense like this all the time. Anyway, the entire concert got ruined; the attendees all panicked and broke into a riot, half the entire Royal Guard had to break it all up, and the Duchess got arrested and thrown in Camelot's dungeon."

"Did she hurt anyone?" Fluttershy said, her voice trembling with worry.

"Nah, the worst that happened was a few broken bones and some minor concussions," the cabbie assured them. As the young Beings sighed in relief, the cabbie added, "She's pretty lucky that no one died or got crippled. The hospital's just gonna have its hands full for a while. The press was on it quicker than a bee gets to honey, though, which means we cabbies have had to be awake since midnight."

Spike groaned into his palm. "Nice job keeping a low profile, Twi...." he muttered wearily.

Rainbow blinked. "'Low profile'?" she said curiously.

Spike flinched, then slapped his other palm over his face. "Oh, fuck me...." he groaned in self-directed frustration.

"Let's not pry anymore, Rainbow," Rarity said stiffly.

Rainbow scoffed. "Ah, fine...." she muttered, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms and leaned against the cab's window.

After about half an hour, the six friends arrived at the castle Camelot, where the feeding frenzy of paparazzi and lawyers was still very much in full force. There were hundreds of Beings at the front gates, flashing cameras and shouting questions or having arguments with the Royal Guardsmen and Twilight's parents and lawyers.

At seeing the carriage pull up, one of the guards looked and saw Spike exiting it. "Spike!" he cried.

"Hey, Flash!" Spike replied, waving.

"Who's he?" Pinkie said, pointing at the now-approaching Angelic guardsmen.

"Flash Sentry, First Lieutenant to Shining Armor," Spike replied. He added with a shrug, "I've known him before he was a guard, though; he dated my sister for a while."

"Oh!" Rarity said. "Well, glad you have connections, Spike."

As Flash reached Spike and his friends, he removed his plumed bronze helmet, revealing a head of messy bright blue hair slicked back. "You guys here to see Twi?" Flash asked.

Spike nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Can we?"

"Course," Flash replied cheerfully. He nodded towards the castle, adding, "Follow me."

As they entered the castle proper (prompting the affronted protests of the lawyers and journalists being barred from entry), Spike asked, "Where's Shining?"

"He was, uh, speaking with Princesses Luna and Celestia in their map-room," Flash said. "It's been a PR and political nightmare. They're also sorting things out with the Olympian political courts, the attorneys of the concert-goers she attacked, and they're gathering up all the reports us guards had to fill out."

Spike nodded, though Applejack noticed the tangible discomfort in Flash's voice. "You sound a bit embarrassed," she commented.

Flash blushed. "Yeah, well, the Captain was, um... busy, when I delivered the news to him," he said.

"With what?" Applejack prodded.

Flash squirmed his head and rubbed his arm. "He, uh... was with Princess Cadance," he said. "I didn't even think to knock, and they were... um...."

Rarity's eyes widened. "Wait- what?" she said, stunned.

Rainbow laughed. "You got a good look at the Princess?" she said, grinning.

Applejack slapped Rainbow upside the head. "Oww...!" Rainbow cried, shooting a glare at Applejack. "What the fuck-?!"

"That ain't none of your business, Dash," Applejack said sternly.

"The Captain and Princess were indeed both... less then prepared for an audience," Flash said, laughing nervously. "I almost got a face full of fire from my boss for my troubles."

Rainbow smirked. "Heh, bet Cadance's tits were great- OW!!"

Applejack had sharply struck Rainbow's head again. "Shut up," she growled.

"You know what?!" Rainbow shouted. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want!! You think I give two shits if you've got a problem with it, AJ?! 'Cause I-!"

"Shut up, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie murmured.

Rainbow turned surprisedly to Pinkie, who was glaring even more fiercely than Applejack. "Just shut up."

The other Beings all stared astonishedly at Pinkie for a few moments, then Rainbow sneered and scoffed. "Fine, whatever...." she muttered.

A few more moments of awkward silence, which was then broken by Flash clearing his throat. "Um, we're almost to the dungeons...." he said quietly.

The others wordlessly nodded, then they all continued walking.

Nothing more was said until they reached Camelot's dungeons, which was separated from them by a tall doorframe flanked by two more guards. "They're with me," Flash said, to which his fellow soldiers nodded and allowed them to pass through.

"All Magic is nullified in the castle dungeons," Flash said as they began walking down the dark, black stone staircase. "Just so you know."

"Storm Marble, eh?" Rainbow said, looking impressedly around at their surroundings.

"That's right," Flash replied. "We're just about there... ah, here we are."

They had reached a massive, iron doorway blocking them off from the dungeons proper. Flash whistled as he produced an iron key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it. The door's mechanisms loudly activated, and there was a dull thud before the door slowly swung open.

On the other side, they saw Shining, hunched over on a suspended iron bench beside the bars of the nearest cell, where Twilight was curled up and asleep on the cell's bunk.

"Twilight!" Spike cried, running forward and grabbing the bars. Twilight and her brother were stirred from their sleep, and looked up to see Spike pressing his tear-streaked face in the spaces between the Etherial Iron rods.

"Spike!" Shining and Twilight said together. Twilight stood up and said surprisedly, "What're you doing here?"

"We're here for you, silly!" Pinkie replied with a small giggle.

Twilight turned and saw that the rest of her friends had come, as well. "G-girls...!" she cried.

She rubbed her puffy, bloodshot eyes while Shining stood and made a small bow to them. "Thank's for coming all this way, Spike," he said with a small laugh. "And thanks, Flash, for bringing Spike and her other friends here."

Flash nodded. "Again, I'm so sorry about barging in on you and Cadance, Shi-" he began.

"You're fine," Shining said wearily. "You may turn in for the evening, if you like. Thanks for everything, Flash."

Flash placed his fist over his heart and bowed. "Yes, Sir," he replied before turning and scaling back up the stairs.

"What happened, darling?!" Rarity cried, joining at Spike's side.

Twilight flinched, then looked away. "I... I can't-"

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!"

All eight young Beings in the dungeon jumped in startlement, and looked back at the stairway, where they saw the High Princess herself.

Celestia, though she was still in her silken pajamas and her expression was quite stoic, looked absolutely furious. Upon seeing such unbridled rage in her eyes for the first time, all of the mortals immediately fell to their knees and bowed to her. "Whoa, nelly...." Applejack muttered as she removed her hat.

"P-Princess...!" Twilight cried, her voice trembling with terror. "I-I...!"

Celestia raised her hand. "Be still," she said authoritatively.

Twilight promptly closed her mouth, lowered her gaze, and said nothing more, though she was still shaking.

"Captain, open her cell," the Princess said. None of her usual warmth was in the command.

"Y-yes, Your Highness...." Shining said quickly, fumbling Twilight's cell key out of his pocket and into the lock.

"Please, Your Highness!" Spike cried, bringing Celestia's attention to him. "This isn't her fault!"

"Y-yeah!" Rainbow cried. "S-she tried to warn us, but we wouldn't listen-!"

"SILENCE!!" Celestia boomed, splaying her wings out.

For the first time since any of them had met her, Rainbow's friends saw her be cowed back into submission.

"I've heard quite enough squabbling for tonight, thank you very much," Celestia added stiffly before returning her attention to Twilight. She seemed as though she were going to begin berating the terrified, weeping Elf girl for a moment, though she ultimately decided against it. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then said, "Twilight, meet me in the library."

As she turned to exit, Celestia added, "I'll tell the castle guards not to intercept you unless you attempt to flee. I expect to speak with you, alone, very shortly." She then scaled up the stairs, leaving Twilight alone with her brother and friends once again.

Twilight stood up, then stepped out of her cell, looking down and weeping. "Goodbye, girls," she whispered. "If you want to see me... I'll probably be here."

Twilight then began following Celestia up the dungeon stairs.

They were all silent for a few moments after Twilight left, then Fluttershy turned and tearfully asked Shining, "Is Twilight really gonna get locked up here...?"

Shining shook his head. "I doubt it," he muttered. "But I doubt she'll get to be on the Royal Court anymore...."

Shining sighed, then rubbed the back of his head. "The Princess'll probably ask me and our parents to step down from the Court. Conflict of interest, and all that. That's probably why she's so upset; she's gonna have to appoint new advisors to fill a third of her Court seats after tonight."

Shining sighed wearily, then stood up. "I'd probably better go prepare to clean my office out. Console Cadance, and Mom, and Dad. Maybe congratulate Flash on being promoted to Captain soon." With a bitter chuckle, he added, "Have a good night, girls," before following the lead of his sister and the Princess.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. To ease it, Rainbow muttered, "Well, you were right, man."

Spike turned confusedly to Rainbow. "Huh?"

"Twi's brother is really hot," Rainbow clarified, smirking. "Even I think so."

At this, all six of the remaining young Beings burst into laughter, which slowly dissolved into sobs. After all, what else could they do?

The few minutes it took for Twilight to reach the castle library from the dungeon's exit felt like hours.

This must be what it feels like for condemned criminals marching up to the gallows, she thought.

She couldn't stop crying. She had no idea how she had any moisture left in her body, she was crying so much.

She had failed everyone. She'd failed Spike, she'd failed her friends, she'd failed her parents, and she'd failed Shining, but above all she'd failed Celestia. Not only had she done nothing to aid the High Princess in the mission she'd been tasked with, but she'd made Celestia's hunt for cultists even harder by adding this disaster- which would no doubt make headline news in all the international newspapers- on her plate.

Twilight felt the overwhelming urge to run away, and she wasn't sure why her feet continued leading her to the library. Nonetheless, she made it there.

When she reached the library, it took every molecule of her willpower to overcome her terror and knock on its front door. Though she had barely tapped her knuckles against it, she heard Celestia's voice say from the other side, "Enter."

Twilight wasn't sure, but she thought the Princess's tone had softened a little. Latching onto the glimmer of hope this gave her, she tremblingly gripped the knob and turned it, opening her way into the library.

Celestia was standing before one of the tall, clear glass windows, clasping her hands behind her back, and gazing up into the clear night skies. Though her expression was still stoic, her eyes seemed significantly more relaxed than they'd been before.

"Y-Your Highness...?" Twilight whispered, mopping some tears from her eyes.

Celestia hummed in response. "Please have a seat, my student," she said. "I'll speak with you in just a few moments."

Twilight hummed back a small squeak of affirmation, then made her way to her favorite armchair, where she took a rigid seat and formally folded her hands across her lap.

Twilight had stopped weeping, though a great deal of her fear still remained. She was still faintly trembling as Celestia continued gazing at the heavens for a few moments, evidently in an effort to re-collect herself.

With a sigh, Celestia then turned around, made her way to a loveseat across from Twilight, and sat down, as well. She was hunched over, all the anger in her expression having melted away, leaving only weariness.

"Twilight," Celestia began.

Twilight flinched, then nodded. "Y-yes, P-Princess...?" she stuttered.

"I am told that you made an unprovoked attack on a group of Beings attending a concert, incited a riot there, and resisted arrest by the Royal Guard. Is this true?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness...." Twilight said, having begun weeping again.

"I presume that's not the entire story...?" Celestia said, her tone gentle and even a little sympathetic.

Twilight weepingly relayed everything that had transpired from the dawn of the previous day until that moment, to which Celestia listened intently. By the end, Celestia looked more concerned and saddened than anything.

"And now... here I am," Twilight finished, sniffing.

Celestia softly nodded. "I see," she said.

Twilight sobbed, to which Celestia asked with a touch of distress, "What's wrong, my student?"

"I... I can't be Spike's mentor anymore, can I...?" Twilight said. "A-and I can't b-be your student anymore, e-either-"

"Twilight, you are a wonderful student," Celestia said, stepping forward and gently caressing her cheek. "I don't have to get a report every single week to know that,"

Twilight, who was now staring astonishedly into Celestia's eyes, saw that her mentor's expression was one of pure concerned caring. "B-but- I h-hurt innocent people!" she stammered before again sobbing into her hands. "I-!"

Celestia, however, had pulled Twilight into a gentle embrace. "Shh, my child," she said. "I know, I know."

After a few moments, Twilight sobbed and wrapped her arms around Celestia's torso, gripping the silken fabric at her mentor's pajama top's back.

After about a minute, Celestia released Twilight, who mopped away at her tears. "Yes, you've done something you wish you didn't tonight," Celestia said with an understanding smile. "But I'm sure you've learned from it, and that you never intend to repeat it, right?"

Twilight nodded, laughed, and tearfully grinned. "Y-yeah, Your Highness," she replied.

"In truth, Twilight," Celestia said, gazing out the window thoughtfully, "I too have just made a mistake I regret."

Twilight's eyes widened. "W-what's that...?" she stammered.

"I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you," Celestia said. "Nor should I have lost my temper with your friends. Both were wrong of me."

Twilight shook her head. "But... I was the one who caused all this!" she protested. "I was-!"

"While it is true that you have made a mistake, my dear student," Celestia interrupted her, "the blame for the events of tonight doesn't rest with you alone. In fact, I would say that the majority of the blame rests not on you, but with me."

Twilight made to protest again, but Celestia lifted up her hand to stop her. "While it's true that it was you who acted as the catalyst for the riot at the concert, it is ultimately my responsibility that you were ever driven to your actions in the first place. I've been asking too much of you, dear Twilight. I've placed a larger burden on you than I should have expected you to reasonably bear, and for that I hope you will forgive me."

Twilight was speechless. She was being begged for forgiveness by... Princess Celestia...?!

Celestia made a small smile. "In fact, you've done quite superbly, given all things!" she laughed. "Though the task I'd given you was much too great to expect of you, you more than tried everything within your power to carry it out. I'm so proud of you, Twilight."

"You're not... angry with me... at all, anymore...?" Twilight asked softly.

Celestia shook her head. "Of course not," she said. "After I'd lost my temper, and I had a few minutes to think, I realized that I was projecting my anger at myself onto you."

Twilight continued listening eagerly as Celestia took a deep breath and confessed, "My greatest error, I think, was my failure to see the toll I was taking on you. I was so wrapped up in my own tasks that I failed to remember to ask how you were faring with yours. You do absolutely everything I request of you to the best of your abilities, without once complaining. I couldn't ask for a better student, though it's clear I must learn to be a better teacher."

Twilight nodded, though she looked puzzled. "So... I'm not going to be punished...?" she asked.

Celestia shook her head. "No," she said. "I think you've been punished more than enough. You were acting out of desperation, you clearly feel terrible about what you did, and I'm sure you'll continue to receive grief over the spectacle you put on by other mortals. As far as I'm concerned, your debt's repaid in full."

Twilight nodded. "So... why'd you ask me to come here...?" she said.

Celestia grinned. "So that I can begin repaying my debt to you."

Twilight blinked. "I don't understand."

"This all transpired because I asked too much of you," Celestia said. "Therefore, I have decided to lighten your burden."

Twilight paled, anticipating fearfully for Celestia to relieve her of her mission and ask her to return to Olympus from Avalon.

"Twilight," Celestia said, "how would you like to recruit the aid of your five new friends in your mission?"

Again, Twilight was speechless. After a few stunned, silent seconds, she whispered, "W-what...?"

Celestia's smile widened. "It's clear nothing would grant you more relief than to confide completely in your new friends," she said.

Understanding dawning on her, Twilight nodded enthusiastically. "Y-yes, Your Highness!" she cried.

"Do you trust them, Twilight?" Celestia asked. When Twilight nodded, Celestia added, "How much?"

"I'd trust all of them with my life," Twilight answered without any hesitation. "I would tell them anything."

Celestia nodded. "Very well," she said. She then stood up and concluded, "Go and ask them if they will aid you in your mission, then. Tell them everything. When you're done, come meet me in my chambers."

Twilight did, indeed, return to her friends, gather them into one of the castle's drawing-rooms, and told them everything.

The five other girls listened to Twilight and Spike relay the truth of everything they'd seen and done from the moment they were assigned to overseeing the Summer Sun Celebration in perfect silence. Once Twilight concluded, after a moment of stillness hung in the air, Rainbow grinned victoriously. "I knew it!" she cried. "I fucking knew it! The Dark Gods' cults are the reason you came to Avalon!"

"But it was Celestia who sent you," Fluttershy added.

Applejack shook her head, softly smiling in disbelief. "Ah'll be...." she muttered.

"I wish you'd asked Celestia sooner, Darlings!" Rarity cried. "Oh, everything makes so much more sense now!"

"No kidding!" Pinkie cried, jumping in place and grinning infectiously. "That's the most super-duper coolest amazing secret ever!"

Twilight smiled. "Will you all help me, then?"

Naturally, her new friends all immediately agreed.

After much laughter, joyously relieved tears, and many exchanged apologies, Twilight's friends all returned to the castle rooms that Celestia had previously lent them to spend the night. Twilight, only barely awake herself, but now very happy, made her promised trek to the Princesses' bedchambers.

Twilight knocked on the Royal Bedroom's front door. "Come in, Twilight," she heard Luna's voice say, to which she smiled and entered.

Twilight's face flushed as she saw that Luna was wearing a titillating black lingerie set as she lounged on the carpet before her and Celestia's fireplace. "Hello, Twilight," Celestia said, bringing Twilight's attention to her. She was still in the pajamas Twilight had seen her in earlier, and she was sitting on the edge of her circular bed. Philomena was perched on Celestia's knee, the High Princess gently stroking the bird's back and wings. "It went well, I presume?" Celestia asked cheerfully.

Twilight nodded. "Yep!" she replied with identical elation. "We even came up with a name for ourselves."

Celestia raised one of her brows. "Really? What's that?" she said curiously.

Twilight laughed. "I actually suggested 'The Order of the Phoenix,' but Pinkie said that was already taken."

Celestia's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? By whom?" she asked.

Twilight shrugged. "No idea," she replied simply. "Pinkie doesn't have any, either; she just says someone's definitely taken it already."

Celestia smiled. "Alright. What did you decide on instead?"

Twilight giggled, slightly blushing. "'The Order of Celestia,'" she said brightly. "Has a good ring to it, don't you think?"

Celestia chuckled. "I'm flattered, my dear student."

Twilight sighed. "Well, I'm bushed," she said, stretching and yawning. "Thanks for everything, Princess."

Celestia shook her head. "No trouble, dear Twilight," she said.

Twilight turned around, scratched her head, and murmured, "And to think... all this happened because I had a stupid dream of Discord last night!"

Except for Twilight's soft laughter, there was utter silence in the Royal Bedchambers. "What... what did Discord say in your dream, Twilight?" Celestia asked. Twilight was too tired to notice the tension in her mentor's voice.

Twilight shrugged. "Something about seven stars falling from the sky a thousand years after Luna was Sealed," she replied offhandedly. "He also said a 'labyrinth' would crumble, and that you would switch places with him. After all that, he said he would return and reign over the Earth forever."

Twilight laughed again. "Stupid, right? Well, I'm going to bed. G'night!"

Twilight never looked back as he closed the Royal Bedchambers' door. If she did, she would have seen the Princess' eyes, which were wide with a terror that neither Goddess had known since thousands of years ago.

They indeed knew what Twilight was speaking of. They could have recited the entire chant Twilight had heard in her dream, if Twilight had asked them to. Those words were the most vivid ones in their memories, for they were an oath of revenge sworn by their father. They were the last words he'd uttered before he was Sealed in stone, petrifying him in the midst of a fit of cruel laughter.

The Sun-Princess shall take my place, the world shall become a Hell infernal
For the God of Chaos shall return to the Earth, and reign eternal.

II-XIII. Introducing...!

Had Twilight ever done this before? She didn't think she had. She'd relaxed before, but never this completely. She'd never admit it, of course, but she had one thing deeply in common with Rainbow Dash: she was very easily bored. However, unlike Rainbow, Twilight's preferred methods of alleviating her restless need to expend her energy depended far more on cerebral pastimes such as reading and gaming than anything as physically exhausting as her Angel friend's carousing.

Well, that wasn't quite fair; Rainbow was also a surprisingly prodigious sports enthusiast. In addition, thanks to Spike, she had also just become a devoted Chess player whose obsession with the game rivaled Twilight's own. Over the past few days, Twilight had played several matches against Rainbow, and she was certain she'd never encountered a faster learner of Chess strategy in any other student of the game.

In fact, while the two girls were deepening their friendship with each other over that week, it was slowly dawning upon Twilight that Rainbow Dash was- along with Spike- one of her most intellectually gifted companions. She didn't look it, but Rainbow Dash was incredibly bright, even if she only rarely demonstrated it. The young Angel put a great deal of effort into cultivating for herself the image of the "cool, non-nerdy sports star," but it was quickly becoming apparent to Twilight that Rainbow was brilliant enough to become one of the top students in Athens University, should she ever have the desire and put in enough effort to do so. Rainbow's grades from her childhood school days were... pitiful, quite frankly. However, Twilight was now more than certain that this was solely due to a lack of motivation, rather than an absence of raw ability, on Rainbow's part.

Twilight was honestly rather frustrated by how much Rainbow had been squandering her latent mental talents, though she quickly realized a highly alluring silver lining to this: Rainbow Dash was, for Twilight, a secret treasure of untapped potential whose hidden gem of a mind was known only to her, and was therefore exclusively hers to study and mold. This pleasure was much alike to that Twilight had felt when she had first begun her tenure as Spike's mentor.

A faint blush crept onto Twilight's cheeks. She'd also, of course, swiftly noticed another strong parallel between Rainbow Dash and Spike, her academically-sanctioned ward: for both of them, she had discovered that by far the most effective method of motivating them to excel in their studies was to harness their obvious and intense physical attraction to her.

When he first began his apprenticeship under Twilight a year ago, Spike had been immensely clumsy and awkward around his mentor; especially when she was clothed only in her undergarments or nightwear, when like clockwork he would always fail miserably to disguise his lingering gazes at her breasts, legs, and backside. Spike's sense of shame must have only been amplified by the fact that Twilight's parents and brother had treated him, for all intents and purposes, as a member of their family; almost as though he were Twilight's little brother.

Twilight, for her part, didn't mind at all. On the contrary, she had found Spike's admiration of her to be nothing but endearing, herself- at least before he began to show the first major signs of physical maturity, at which point Spike swiftly noticed that Twilight began to show identical attention to him. Initially, Spike had- of course- been utterly baffled by this; after all, his sister Sunset had always described his new tutor as a deeply introverted and shy girl who had never even had her first kiss. That such a seemingly-prudish girl would show only flattery or outright pleasure at Spike's erotic visual appreciation of her was, naturally, a possibility that had never even occurred to him.

However, once it had become clear that Twilight and Spike shared mutual attraction, and that each one was fully aware of the other's interest in them, their friendship had rapidly become highly flirtatious and even borderline romantic. Twilight privately observed to herself that this was likely one of the variables that had made their weeks-long masquerade as a couple as successful as it was; they were arguably all but a couple, already. Were it not for Twilight's consummate professionalism and resulting refusal to compromise the integrity of their teacher-student relationship, neither they nor any outside observer had any doubt that they'd happily go much farther with each other than merely Twilight giving Spike the occasional peck on the cheek as reward for putting extra effort into his studies.

If Twilight was honest with herself though, even that was very questionable in terms of ethicality; not only was she arguably "leading Spike on" as a reward for good academic performance, doing so was almost certainly inflaming her own desire for Spike, as well. Twilight had also just demonstrated that she did have a breaking point, and under sufficient pressure she was seemingly capable of breaking any rule. In practically every variable regarding Spike's apprenticeship under her, Twilight was constantly in extremely dangerous waters. Further, to violate the conditions of this tremendous privilege that Celestia had granted her would not just be an unbearable weight on her own conscience; it would be an irreparable betrayal of the High Princess's trust.

In retrospect, Twilight wished that she hadn't refused to make any friends outside of her family besides Spike or Cadance until that summer. She hadn't realized how agonizingly lonely she'd been until now, having believed until the last few months that she didn't need any more social connections than the ones she already had.

Before she had met her five new companions in Avalon, Twilight had neglected her emotional needs in the name of dedicating herself wholly to her studies. It had been short-sighted and foolish, looking back on it; even as she became a teenager and began to intensely feel the aches of sexual need, she had refused to even casually date anyone, despite the concerned protests of her parents and brother.

Twilight was well aware that she was a stark anomaly in one regard; especially in comparison to other Elves: she was almost sixteen, but she was still a virgin. It was nigh-unheard of for a Being her age to have never shared her bed with anyone else even once; particularly since she was an Olympus-born Duchess Elf. The "hard" age of consent within Equestria was fifteen, but sexual contact was legal for Beings as young as eleven, so long as their partner was no more than one year older than them. At thirteen, the boundary was extended to two years, making unions between thirteen and fifteen-year-olds acceptable within the eyes of the law- although fifteen-year-olds engaging in such relationships were viewed socially with suspicion and wariness.

Celestia had designed and issued these so-called "allowances for natural early sexual exploration" statutes for two reasons; first, she said, children did have sexualities, even if their parents weren't comfortable with that fact. Repression of one's own fundamental instincts is deeply perilous, she'd added, and it is far more damaging to forbid the exploration of them than to allow it.

The second reason Celestia had made these strange decrees was to facilitate her Elvish mentor/apprentice Magic educational program. She knew that the danger of potential sexual misconduct that could arise when assigning any two young teenagers to live as roommates together for four years was quite high, and so she'd enacted multiple safeguards to disincentivize it as much as possible. The most immediately apparent policy she'd implemented towards this end was her forbiddance of cross-gender apprenticeships, except for those granted special permission by the students' local Divine Pantheon lord; Rarity had only been allowed to become Grand Finale's student after Princess Athena had signed off on the letter requesting her permission they had jointly sent to her, and Celestia had personally signed the orders allowing Sunset Shimmer to study under Shining Armor; Spike to study under Twilight; and Twilight's father Night Light to study under her mother, Twilight Velvet.

Setting the age of consent to fifteen was Celestia's other major safeguard against potential student sexual misconduct; this, in conjunction with Celestia's complete legalization and regulation of prostitution within the borders of Equestria, allowed all of her Elvish mentors to freely utilize alternate channels to sate their libidos aside from their apprentices.

Twilight now realized that she had not taken advantage of the liberties Celestia had granted her in order to neutralize the perilous temptation caused by her attraction to Spike, and she was beginning to gradually understand just how foolish that was. Celestia hadn't just insisted that Twilight make friends during her journey to Avalon for her own benefit, or even just as a precaution against the possibility that Luna might get unsealed; Celestia had also done it to protect Spike.

Twilight was constantly amazed at how far Celestia would go to personally maintain the well-being of her subjects. As a matter of fact, Twilight Sparkle's parents had been "matched" together by Celestia herself as a peacekeeping measure between their feuding families.

Twilight Sparkle and her elder brother Shining Armor were the children of the two most prestigious families of Beings throughout the entire world, aside from the Divine Pantheon itself. As well-known as the names of Pie, Apple, and Rainbow (which three of her friends carried) were, even their fame shone dully next to the magnificent wealth and regard commanded by the two lines the greatest Magic Grandmaster of all time had founded: House Dawnbringer, and House Lulamoon.

These two Houses were named for the son and the daughter of Starswirl the Bearded, the legendary Court Magician and Royal Consort of Princess Luna and High Princess Celestia. With Celestia, Starswirl had sired Prince Dawnbringer, the first Elvish Grandmaster pyromancer; and with Luna, he sired Princess Lulamoon, the mother of the science of astronomy. Dawnbringer's claim to glory was that he was the most decorated knight in the Second War of the Gods, serving as the Captain of the elite Phoenix Squadron that had overwhelmed and captured the Dark Goddesses Chrysalis and Sonata. Princess Lulamoon had composed the first complete accurate maps of the stars, Moon, and Earth, and with her father Starswirl had co-designed the elegant calendar that all Beings still used to that day.

The demigod brother and sister each became the head of their own two massive families, siring dozens of children and hundreds of grandchildren. Dawnbringer's children, of course, were initially considered the more "regal" of the two; in addition to sharing more blood with the High Princess herself than their Lulamoon cousins, the Dawnbringers also quickly became a fearsome clan of warrior-kings who earned the nickname of "the Dragons" by winning a dozen fortunes slaying the great lizards and seizing their treasure-hoards. However, the most well-remembered of Starswirl's grandchildren was the youngest daughter of Lulamoon: Clover the Clever, one of the six mortal co-founders of Equestria and her grandfather's immediate successor as the Royal Court Magician of Olympus.

The Houses' rivalry only became truly vitriolic after the Sealing of Luna. As High Princess, though Celestia knew Equestria as her home, her duty of overseeing the rest of the world prevented her from ruling the capital as attentively as it needed to be. Before rechristening herself Nightmare Moon, Luna had acted as the Princess Regent of Equestria, consulting Celestia only concerning the most sensitive and difficult decisions she faced.

When her sister was Sealed, however, Celestia was forced to choose and entrust a new Lord Regent with the task of overseeing the people of Olympus and Equestria. Naturally, the two Beings who immediately came forward and asked to receive the honor were the then-current heads of the Houses of Starswirl: Spartacus Dawnbringer, and Velvet Lulamoon. However, though Spartacus represented a far wealthier and princely family than Velvet's, the Dawnbringers had since become the world's most notorious and powerful criminal dynasty. The international mafia they ruled from the opulent Promethean Manor in Olympus was infamously friendly with the cultists of Sealed Gods, and had for over a thousand years continuously maintained the most enrichment from the world's black markets and criminal underworlds of any people, as well as the most influence over them. The House Lulamoon, on the other hand, had quietly become a far more respectable (though albeit far less glamorous) clan of scientists and scholars of trivially superior repute.

Without hesitation, Celestia named Velvet the Duchess of Olympus, making her the Lord Regent of Equestria. Of course, Spartacus angrily protested this decision, asserting that Velvet was the direct descendant of the same traitor who had made selecting a new Lord Regent necessary in the first place. He shut up, though, when Celestia asked him if that meant he thought that Beings ought to be held accountable for the crimes of their ancestors.

However, the Dawnbringers' grudge at this perceived "snub" did not die with Spartacus. The House Dawnbringer had since nursed a deep resentment towards Celestia and the House Lulamoon, regarding itself as the "rightful" ruling dynasty of Equestria. That grudge swiftly evolved into a burningly lethal feud between the two Houses which had claimed countless lives from both families over the centuries.

The feud between the Houses of Starswirl came to a head about thirty years ago, when a minor disagreement on one of Olympus's streets sparked the bloodiest battle to ever come about from their mob war. The outraged Princess Celestia separately summoned both of the Houses' heads to Camelot Castle, where she confronted both patriarchs and presented an individualized ultimatum to each.

To old Duke Mountainpool Lulamoon, who was soon expecting a grandson who would be next in line for the Equestrian Regency after Mountain himself and his eldest son (the grandchild's father) had passed away, the High Princess offered him two choices: first, he could swear his grandson to an apprenticeship under a mentor of Celestia's choosing, stipulating that they would both live and study together under Celestia's personal supervision in the Castle Camelot. Celestia explained that she intended to teach the Duke's still-unborn grandson how to be a good and peaceful Duke who could guide his Lulamoon clan into a lasting truce with the Dawnbringers. If he refused, Celestia threatened to strip Mountainpool of his title, and to revoke all of his descendants' claim to it after him. Mountainpool immediately accepted, and that same day he swore under the Oath-Taking Ritual that he would allow Celestia to pair his young grandson with a mentor she had chosen for him when he turned eleven years old.

Celestia then dismissed Mountainpool and summoned Cometlight Dawnbringer, whose second-in-line heir was his four-year-old granddaughter, Twilight Velvet. Celestia made a similar offer to him; he was commanded to relinquish Velvet over to Celestia when she turned eleven, so that Celestia could mentor her personally and then choose for Velvet her own apprentice when she turned fourteen. The shrewd mafia don Cometlight of course immediately deduced that Celestia intended to pair Velvet with one of the children of Lulamoon, but before he could turn her proposal down Celestia revealed a harrowing piece of knowledge to him.

Celestia revealed to Cometlight that she had covertly obtained extensive evidence of his family's criminal activities and enterprises, and blackmailed him into turning Velvet over to her by threatening to confiscate every copper piece of his House's ill-gotten wealth and to prosecute him personally for every crime he'd looked the other way from for the benefit of his kin.

Thus, Cometlight was strong-armed into swearing the same Ritual Oath that Mountainpool had taken, putting the last seal on the intertwining destinies of he and his rival's blood.

With the apprenticeship of Night Light under Twilight Velvet came a fragile truce between their Houses that neither of their parents expected to persist past the end of the children's studies together. Of course, Celestia had planned for this, and planned brilliantly; she had chosen the subjects in her precarious experiment well, as Velvet and Night did precisely what Celestia hoped they would.

They fell in love.

Of course, there was nothing the two young teens could do about it during their studies together; Celestia's ever-watchful eye ensured that. Unsurprisingly, though, they immediately gave their virginities to each other on the eve of Night Light's graduation; they never expected to see each other again, and so their last farewell to each other was the most passionate, adoring, and tearfully mournful one imaginable.

After they made what they expected to be their last goodbyes to to each other, Twilight Velvet and Night Light braced themselves for their Houses' bloody war to resume. However, their last night of passion together had resulted in a more perfect binding on the Houses' ceasefire than any treaty could have been: Velvet had become pregnant with Shining Armor.

The instant that Velvet realized that she carried her former apprentice's child, she panickedly returned to her old mentor Celestia to beg her to tell her what to do. She was shocked to learn that Celestia was delighted; in fact, the High Princess told the young Elf-woman that this was even better than she had hoped.

Celestia invited Velvet to stay at Camelot until this situation could be sorted out, which she immediately accepted. Celestia then summoned Night Light to her court, where she told him that he was about to become a father; she then suggested to the young couple that they consider raising their child together as husband and wife. Needless to say, the young Elves eagerly agreed.

Celestia promised her newly-betrothed subjects her protection from the wrath of their Houses, and then she publicly announced their engagement. Their families were (of course) initially outraged, but Celestia swiftly quelled them by pointing out to the Lulamoons that the uniting of their families would bring a permanent end to their Houses' feud, and to the Dawnbringers that this marriage would result in their clan finally sharing claim to the Duchy they'd coveted for the past millennium.

Thus, Twilight Velvet Dawnbringer and Night Light Lulamoon were wed; uniting their families, ending the feud between Starswirl's Houses, and making the young couple the Heirs Apparent of Equestria's Regency. Peace and order were restored to Celestia's kingdom, and the High Princess granted permission to the newlyweds to continue calling the Castle Camelot their home to show her gratitude.

The story of her parents' courtship was the very spitting image of romantic and heartwarming, but it still presented an unavoidable problem for Twilight: because of it, the sexual tension between her and Spike was undeniable.

Just like her mother had done before her, Twilight had taken a male apprentice with the recommendation and blessing of Celestia herself. Twilight still couldn't think of why Celestia would do this; as far as she could tell, Shining and Twilight being assigned to be the mentors of Sunset and Spike didn't serve any peacekeeping measure like the pairing of their parents did. Still, Twilight couldn't dismiss it as a possibility; Celestia worked in mysterious ways, after all.

Celestia also seemed to always know best, Twilight observed. She wondered if Celestia would have been so insistent on her coming to Avalon and making friends, had Spike not been assigned to her; in retrospect, Twilight realized that their move here had been for Spike's benefit as much as for her own. Twilight and her apprentice were both at the age when most Beings had begun dating, and yet Twilight's insistence that the both of them dedicate themselves fully to their studies had not left any time for either of them to. The perils of this would have been obvious to Celestia: due to their self-imposed isolation, Twilight and Spike were all but guaranteed to violate the laws forbidding them from fraternizing together sooner or later.

It had been immensely foolish of Twilight to believe that she could go this far without intensely testing the limits of her own sanity; after all, not even the Gods themselves could remain perpetually celibate, so why in the world should Twilight think that she would fare any better? Even notoriously disciplined Gods such as Kong, Athena, and even Celestia herself had to sate their physical cravings from time to time; that Athena was the daughter of Celestia and Horus was, in itself, proof of this. Granted, Athena had been born just before Discord was Sealed, but it had been less than twenty years ago that the High Princess had given birth to a daughter sired by Poseidon, the eldest of her (unsealed) younger brothers.

Twilight's blush again intensified at the thought of Cadance. That she had been apprenticed to her for four years didn't help things at all, either.

Unlike mortal Beings, it was always immediately clear what a God's Soul was the personification of from the moment they was born. Only other Gods could explain why this was; as best as they could describe it, this intuitive certainty was like feeling a "piece" of the Mana permeating the universe be "cut" from the edge of the spiritual firmament, like a section of fabric being severed from a seamstress's bolt. There were infinite potential Gods, the Pantheon explained; after all, there were always going to be aspects of nature that didn't yet have avatars in the physical plane.

When the Princess Cadance was born on April Ninth nineteen years ago, as the Sun was setting on the oceans at Atlantis's coast, the Divine Pantheon all felt the same realization the very instant the sweet, infant Princess emerged from Celestia's womb at Poseidon's Palace: the world had just received its Goddess of Love.

It took no time at all for Cadance to demonstrate the truth of this; every Being who ever laid eyes on her was forced to admit that they couldn't help instantly feeling overwhelming paternal adoration for her, as she was the most gorgeous and sweet little baby that they had ever seen. Even Celestia's Divine siblings commented that only her other Goddess daughters- Luna and Athena- could match Cadance's immeasurable allure when they were babes.

Throughout her infancy, Cadance was always happy, but this came at a steep cost: she always had to be held by someone. Whether awake or sleeping, Cadance would not remain in good cheer if she wasn't in physical contact with another Being at all times. Of course, Celestia and Poseidon were her favorite caretakers, but she was always contented so long as she was receiving a contact stream of affection from whomever's arms she was currently cradled in. She wouldn't sleep in a crib; it had to be with her parents on their bed, suckling at Celestia's breast throughout the entire night. It seemed as though Cadance depended more on Celestia's touch and presence than even her milk for sustenance and survival, despite the fact that she was immortal.

Like all other Gods, Cadance grew her Marks immediately after her first set of teeth and the ability to walk and talk. A Mark signified the destiny of the Soul of its owner, and a God received the Markings that signified what they personified the instant they could fully comprehend what that thing was. Cadance therefore perfectly understood every potential form of love there was from a very tender age, and as a result became one of the most difficult children Celestia had ever had to raise.

As it turned out, Cadance fell in love with everyone else just as easily and inevitably as everyone else fell in love with her. To declare that one had fallen completely for the young Princess was to declare that one had ever met her, even for an instant. The very moment she learned what marriage was, Cadance immediately declared that she would marry Celestia and Poseidon, only for her heart to break for the first time when her parents responded by explaining to her that they would never marry anyone, as they did not personally believe in it- on top of the fact that Cadance was far too young to wed in the first place.

However, though no Being's heart broke more easily than the little Love Goddess's, no heart healed more rapidly than hers, either; within a few days, she finished mourning the eternal death of any possibility that she would ever be her father or mother's bride. She then innocently declared to her personal maid as she was bathing her that she wished to marry her when she came of age.

This caused the poor servant immeasurable distress; Cadance's naive proposal caused her maid to realize that she returned the child's affection and desire, despite the fact that she'd never harbored any attraction of any kind to another girl, fully grown or little. The maid guiltily confessed her attraction to Cadance to her parents, and was stunned at their acceptance and understanding of it; they replied that all of the other servants had confessed to the same unwanted desire for their daughter. There was no helping it; Cadance was the Goddess of Love, after all. However, they offered to bind her to a Ritual Oath to never reciprocate Cadance's advances, if she was worried that the temptation would become too strong to bear.

The servant was relieved to hear she was not alone in her troubles, and immediately took the Ritual Oath. Celestia had now realized, however, that this would only grow worse as the little Princess grew older; as a result, she decided to mentor Cadance personally so that she would be guaranteed to have a teacher who would never allow herself to take advantage of her.

Twilight suspected that Celestia had gone on such a lengthy visit to Poseidon in Atlantis in relief and celebration of the end of the Olympian mob war between the Houses of Starswirl, secure in the knowledge that her newly-appointed young Duke and Duchess could handle any troubles Equestria experienced in the meantime. Twilight Velvet and Night Light acted as Regents of Olympus and Equestria for about five years, during which time they had had Twilight Sparkle, as well. Celestia returned to Camelot with Cadance at this time, where her niece was enrolled at the Olympus Magic Academy while Celestia reassumed the role of Equestria's Regent so that the Duke and Duchess could devote their time to raising their child.

Naturally, now being Cadance's upperclassman at the Magic Academy, the seven-year-old Shining Armor immediately fell in love with the little Goddess, and she with him. Of course, this was exactly the same with all of Cadance's other classmates; Shining would later remark that it had been sheer luck that he lived in the Castle with her, and had thus been the one ultimately chosen to be her lover. Twilight had to admit that she harbored some jealousy towards Shining for this; their romance had blossomed when she was only a newborn, and therefore never had the chance to compete for the Princess's heart.

Of course, Twilight had tried, anyway; aside from her parents and brother, her favorite caretaker by far was Cadance, even from infancy. Cadance also acted as Twilight's babysitter as she was growing up, showing only restrained (but loving) affection to the younger girl, even as Twilight constantly displayed the most transparent crush of all time on her. Though Twilight never successfully stole her mentor's heart from the grasp of her elder brother, she still received from Cadance the assurance that the Princess's love for her was no lesser than the bond she shared with Shining.

As a result, during their Magic studies together, Twilight found that the dynamic between her and Cadance was borderline identical to the one now present between her and Spike: flirtatious, overly affectionate, and thick with sexual tension. Twilight had no doubt that her parents had been unusually tolerant of the fact that their fifteen-year-old son had spent almost every night with Cadance for this very reason; it allowed the Love Goddess to control the flames of her lust enough that they wouldn't be in danger of being targeted at Twilight herself. Twilight still harbored a sliver of subconscious resentment at her parents for this.

And to top off the decade and a half of sexual frustration she had accumulated from being around the literal divine attractiveness of her mentor, the words that Cadance had whispered in her ear on the day she had met Spike had practically doomed her to her current fate:

"And besides... you can still raise him to be a perfect lover, right? After all, I raised you, didn't I?"

"I need to get laid. Damn you, Cadance," Twilight murmured to herself with a sardonic chuckle.

Twilight stretched, rested the back of her head on her hands, and deeply exhaled as she crossed her legs, lounging across the surface of her bed. It was about nine in the morning, and Spike was still asleep. Twilight had- of course- gotten up, brushed her teeth, and made her bed hours ago, but she had ultimately decided against waking Spike up; he deserved a break. They both did.

She was now wearing a light pink sundress, leaving her shoulders and legs bare. She usually dressed more modestly than this, but she knew Rainbow Dash liked sundresses; if she was going to ask her out today, she might as well improve her odds as much as possible, right?

Twilight didn't expect to end up between the sheets with Rainbow after their first date, but it would be relieving to know it was a possibility. The fact remained: she needed to start dating, and who better to start with than her friend who had displayed the most obvious interest in her thus far? And besides, Rarity had told her what Rainbow had said on the night she had been arrested and then the seven of them had formed the Order of Celestia; if Twilight decided she did desire to lose her virginity to Rainbow, she knew her Angel friend would be more than eager to oblige.

Spike stirred, groaning, and Twilight turned to face him with a gentle smile. "Good morning, Spike!" she said.

Spike's eyes opened slightly, he opened his mouth in a wide yawn, and he he asked groggily, "What time is it...?"

"About nine in the morning," Twilight cheerfully replied.

Spike's eyes widened to the size of dinner-plates. "Oh, SHIT...!" he exclaimed, throwing his blankets off and darting to his dresser. "I'm so sorry I overslept, Twi!" he cried, throwing aside articles of clothing as he assembled a day outfit. "I promise, to make up for it, I'll-!"

Twilight heartily laughed, interrupting Spike and prompting him to turn confusedly back to her. "It's alright, Spike!" she assured him, sitting up. "You don't need to worry!"

"W-why not...?" Spike asked.

Twilight shrugged. "I've decided we should have the day off," she answered, simply.

Spike blinked. "... Are you serious...?" he said suspiciously.

Twilight smirked. "We've earned it," she replied. "We can do whatever we want today. Enjoy it, Spike; you've earned it!"

Spike made breakfast for the two of them, Twilight read for a few hours while Spike went to the skate park with Scootaloo and Rumble, then she made herself a cup of tea before saying to herself as she sipped from it at her kitchen table, "Just gotta clean up, and then walk over to Rainbow's then."

However, just as Twilight was standing back up, she heard the voices of dozens of migrating men moving past her library. She turned to the front windows perplexedly, and saw that a small herd of male Beings were gathering towards Town Square. She shrugged, and made to move towards her sink; however, before she could, her eye was caught by the bright green of Spike's hair, as well as the prismatic hues of Rainbow Dash's.

Twilight immediately set her teacup back down and rushed to the library's front door, throwing it open. "Spike! Rainbow!" she cried.

Her two friends turned surprisedly to her. "Oh! Hey, Twi!" Rainbow cried.

"Hi, Twilight!" Spike added with a little wave.

"Where're you two going?" Twilight said, before gesturing towards the river of men and teen boys moving past them. "Are you following them?"

Spike's face flushed as he grinned and looked away sheepishly, but Rainbow burst into laughter. "Haven't you heard?" she said. "It's all over town: the Great and Powerful Trixie has come to Avalon!"

Twilight's mouth opened in surprise as Rainbow gestured for her to follow them. "You're into girls, too, right Twi? Why don't you come, too? It's gonna be awesome!"

II-XIV. ... the Great and Powerful... Tr-r-r-r-rixie!!

Rainbow promptly continued her trek, leaving Twilight stunned and motionless in the library doorframe. Spike also stayed behind, nodding towards the Town Square. "Why don't you come too, Twi?" he said, grinning enthusiastically. He was still blushing, but it had simmered down significantly. "It's not every day we're gonna get an opportunity like this, right?"

It was Twilight's turn to flush with embarrassment and discomfort. "I- ... I don't know...." she muttered, looking away. "... I mean...."

"... You've... never been to one of these before...?" Spike said, his eyes widening with mild surprise.

Twilight scoffed. "Of course not!" she huffed, sounding rather affronted. "What do you take me for, Spike?!"

Spike anxiously waved his hands, his expression fearful and apologetic. "S-sorry, Twi!" he cried. "I didn't mean that-!"

"N-no, I'm sorry, Spike...." Twilight sighed, having calmed down a bit. She rubbed her brow, mentally berating herself for snapping at her student. "You're not in the wrong here; I apologize," she continued. "This has all to do with me, and not you."

Spike frowned with confusion. "... What's wrong...?" he asked concernedly.

Twilight's blush intensified. "It... i-it's not just that I've never gone to any- ... p-performances like these...." she stammered, fidgeting with her fingers. "But also... w-with this one...."

"... Yeah...?" Spike prodded.

"... Well... this is the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie, right?"

"... Yeah...?"

Twilight looked more uncomfortable and embarrassed than ever. "Well... that's Trixie Lulamoon."

Spike blinked. "... And...?" he said.

Twilight growled with angry frustration. "Spike, she's my cousin!" she cried exasperatedly.

It took a moment for Spike to process what Twilight had just said. "... Wai- OH!!" he cried, suddenly understanding. He then laughed, "Yeah! She would be, wouldn't she?"

Twilight had never met "the Great and Powerful" Trixie Lulamoon before, but she certainly knew of her. On top of being Twilight's cousin on her father's side, Trixie Lulamoon was also one of the most famous (or, others would argue, infamous) living members of the esteemed House Lulamoon. That Trixie- a nineteen-year-old, reportedly prodigious magician Elf girl- had deigned to visit Avalon was nearly as big news as when Twilight had moved there.

Like many members of her House, Trixie had been born in the kingdom of El Dorado; the domain of the jolly and hospitable Luxury-God Dionysus. The Wine Prince's kingdom lied to the West of his mother's kingdom of Arcadia on the equator of the Western Pillar. El Dorado encompassed great swaths of hot, arid deserts; as well as vast rainforest jungles. These were united by the presence of rich underground gold veins that webbed under the canyons and mountains that cut through their landscapes, and topped by many ancient ruins that were filled with the priceless treasures and artifacts of many primitive civilizations. It was for this reason that El Dorado was often called "the Kingdom of Riches," and its capital of the same name was nicknamed "the City of Gold."

The kingdom's largest and most famous metropolis- aside from the capital of El Dorado City, which stood majestically from the Easternmost coastal mountains of the Diamond-Jungles- was the gambler's oasis of Pegasus City, which shined atop the most inhospitable plateau of the California Desert. Trixie had been born in a private suite of Pegasus City's most famous hotel-casino resort: the Hotel California, which had just been given to the House Lulamoon as a peacemaking gift by the House Dawnbringer during the wedding between Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Of course, absolutely no-one believed that this gift had been given out of genuine altruism; it was obvious that old Cometlight Dawnbringer had presented the deeds for the Hotel California- as well as all the other resorts his House controlled in Pegasus City- to the Duke Mountainpool Lulamoon, as a direct result of arm-twisting from Princess Celestia.

Were it not a thinly-veiled punishment in the form of reparation payments that Celestia had blackmailed from Cometlight, his gift of a monopoly over the world's most valuable gambling niche to the Lulamoons would have been the most expensive freely-given present of all time, as the deeds were valued at a combined total of approximately two billion gold pieces. Of course, the Dawnbringers had entire small mountain ranges of gold in their vaults, and their resort-chain in Pegasus City was only one of nearly a dozen scattered throughout the world, so this loss amounted to only a fraction of their fortune. Nonetheless, it was still a stark humiliation that Cometlight had seethed over for the remainder of his life.

Not that anyone but a handful had felt any sympathy for Cometlight; not even his own heir. Velvet had told Twilight as a child that she had little affection for her grandfather, upon whom she placed the entirety of the blame for the perpetuation of their Houses' blood feud and the deadly street-fight which had resulted in Night Light being assigned to be her apprentice by the High Princess herself in the first place. The Lulamoons had always freely offered reconciliation and forgiveness to their enemy dynasty, Twilight's mother explained; and many members of the Dawnbringer clan pleaded with their patriarch to accept it; but the hard-hearted Cometlight had always answered, "Until I sit upon Equestria's throne as its Grand Duke- its rightful Lord- those thieving Lulamoons shall only have their traitorous blood spilt upon its streets and soil."

Even her parents' marriage was, itself, regarded as insult by her great-grandfather Cometlight, Twilight had learned; it gave his House and heir the claim to Equestria's Duchy which they'd always coveted, but only because they were now connected by marriage to his enemy. The House Lulamoon still carried Equestria's lordly title; Twilight Velvet was only the Grand Duchess-Apparent of Olympus because she was- through her marriage to Night Light- a member of the House Lulamoon. Of course, this also meant that Night Light was- conversely- wedded into the House Dawnbringer, as well, but Velvet had learned from a favorite aunt that Cometlight had grumbled over this, "I'm now forced to call a shadow-skinned, mud-child Lulamoon my 'son'. My only greater shame is that I am descended from the very same weak-willed woman who ordered and approved of such miscegenation."

Velvet, Night Light, and their children shed no tears when he died in a fire that claimed the Promethean Mansion, nor did they attend his funeral.

"The racist old windbag finally did himself in," Night Light had said when their family butler Frederic had delivered the news to him and his wife.

"Goodbye, Grandfather; you won't be missed," Twilight Velvet had bitterly muttered.

"Good riddance; fuck that guy," an eleven-year-old Shining had remarked after his parents first told him and Twilight the story. For the only time in his life, he wasn't reprimanded by his parents for cursing in his little sister's presence.

Trixie had been born just a couple years after her birthplace's ownership had been transferred to Mountainpool, who she shared with Twilight as a loving, beloved, and wise great-grandfather. Trixie grew up in Pegasus City, living her childhood in the same private suite she'd been born in. She had attended El Dorado University after the end of her apprenticeship, where she graduated at only eighteen as the valedictorian of her class with a full degree in the performing arts and a sub-diploma in advertisement.

Since then, Trixie had rapidly made a name for herself in Pegasus City as its most savvy and skilled erotic dancer. She had performed at her birthplace's burlesque stage between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and had shattered the records for earnings within that two-year career; she was the most wealthy stripper of all time relative to the length of her tenure on the stage. It was widely accepted that this was directly attributable to two things: first, she was a fully-trained theatrical performer; and second, she was a master sorceress, and had pioneered the art of incorporating ornate Magic into burlesque by fusing her visually amazing spellcraft directly with the showmanship of her own performances. Of course, it didn't hurt at all that she was also exemplary in terms of physical fitness and beauty, being a demigoddess descendant of both Celestia and Luna.

As immensely impressive as Trixie's accomplishments as a Pegasus City stripper were- particularly since she had only been able to perform part-time throughout that career, as she was still in university- her record-making earnings on the Hotel California's stage still only represented a little less than half of her true wealth. The other half, of course, had come from her illegal-but-utterly-obvious shadow career as a high-class escort, for which her stripping acted as little more than advertising for.

Trixie's black-market prostitution career was far from unusual; in fact, there wasn't a single burlesque performer in Pegasus City who wasn't a whore. Indeed, across the entire world, the professions of erotic dancing and prostitution always went hand-in-hand with only exceedingly rare exceptions. Every stripper was a prostitute, and the few prostitutes who weren't dancers were invariably the very most impoverished of their trade, for they were totally unable to auction off their services and thus consistently increase their selling-prices for them.

As a general rule, attendance for strip shows was free. Nonetheless, strippers' audiences were always peopled by eager "bidders" with pockets and purses full near to bursting with gold. You had to bring a great deal of money, if you intended to bid. Therefore, coins tended to be tossed onto performers' stages by only a handful of attendees; these were collectively referred to as the "pool," and strippers constantly strived to draw in the largest "pool" possible. The rest of the crowd almost always came to watch empty-handed, but the performers never ignored their non-bidding attendees. This was best exemplified by the proverb, "Always give a fantastic show, both to your poolers and to your spectators; if you do, your poolers will bestow you a rainstorm of gold, and your spectators will be seduced to dive into your next pool."

Before the beginning of a burlesque performance, an enchantment was placed on the surface of the stage. This enchantment was either Spellcasted (if the performer was an Elf) or anointed with a pre-Mixed potion (if the performer was a Human or an Angel). This enchantment counted the total amount of currency all the poolers had thrown onto the stage, as well as which pooler had casted any given coin. If you threw a coin onto a performer's stage, that coin was forfeit; it now belonged to the performer, whether or not you won the "auction." However, until a performance ended, every coin a pooler cast to the stage remained in their "bid," which could therefore only grow bigger; never smaller. Nonetheless, it could still of course be quite devastating to cast a generous sum in the auction only to be outbid, losing both your offer and the services of the performer you wanted to buy with it. For this reason, poolers had formulated a triad of popular proverbs of their own: "You are not a bidder; you are a gambler. Never join a pool unprepared to lose the purse you bring to it, and remember that every coin you cast is a gift. Even if you lose the chance to win the pleasure a performer's company, you have still won the pleasure of receiving their gratitude and witnessing their art."

When a show ended- which was usually when poolers had ceased casting coins onto the stage- the stripper performed a "Final Bow Ritual": they thanked their audience, expressed especial gratitude to their pool, and finally they thanked their most generous pooler while looking them directly in the eye and bowing to them. This "chosen" pooler then usually stepped up to the stage, where the performer gave them a handwritten card listing an address and a time; these were where and when the chosen pooler was expected to meet the performer to enjoy the services they had won.

Though this was how burlesque shows were usually conducted, it was by no means universal. Most of the variations were resulted from and made necessary by the few holds where prostitution was illegal. El Dorado- and, therefore, Pegasus City- were among these unusual prohibitionary kingdoms.

Prince Dionysus had grudgingly outlawed prostitution in order to restore public peace, which had been consistently disturbed by Sonatian anti-sex work extremist activists. The Cult of Sonata (obviously) prohibited and condemned sex work of any kind as cardinally sinful, with only slightly more leniency towards theatre and other performative arts. It wasn't uncommon for their zealotry to result in violence; several public riots had broken out as a result of their protests around the world, and some had even gone so far as to engage in acts of overt terrorism to "punish" the perceived moral bankruptcy of the world's civilizations. After decades of attacking the public well-being, the Sonatians finally managed to pressure Dionysus into caving in and signing the anti-prostitution mandate to pacify them.

The God of Wine and Wealth received widespread criticism for this; including from Celestia herself, who had begged him not to reward authoritarian violence by restricting their subjects' freedoms. Once El Dorado outlawed prostitution despite her protests, Celestia had considered exercising her powers as the world's High Princess to strike the law back down, fearing that a long-term germination of malignant puritanism would come about as a result of this, what she described as a short-sighted solution for a manufactured moral panic.

Ultimately, however, Celestia had chosen to allow Dionysus to do what he believed was for the best interests of his kingdom, and let him learn from his own mistakes. Twilight thought that Celestia was glad she had decided to err on the side of tolerance and mercy; the law Dionysus had enacted was all but a law in name only, and he seemed to intend to abolish it again as soon as would be possible without painting himself as impulsively indecisive.

Dionysus had insisted on presiding over every criminal court case drawn up against those accused of engaging in prostitution within the borders of his kingdom. He dismissed all but the most high-profile cases, stating that the evidence was too insubstantial or the damage done by the accused was so trivial that conviction would do more harm than good. In this way, almost all sex workers arrested and brought before him endured little more than the annoyance of having their time wasted.

Not all of these arrestees were so lucky, however. When a prostitute had reached a certain height of wealth and renown, it was no longer possible for Dionysus to just quietly pardon their transgressions and sweep their charges back under the rug. The reason for this was simple: tax evasion was an innately and deeply serious crime, particularly when the offender was exceptionally wealthy; and prostitution, being outlawed in El Dorado, was therefore by definition a profession that was inseparably tied to it.

The Sonatians were quick to point out that even if Dionysus was willing to look the other way for illegal sex work, it would be an indisputable sign of corruption on his part if he were also willing to ignore grand theft from his kingdom. They made barely-veiled threats to rally even more supporters into riots around his demonstrable leniency towards thievery if he refused to punish prostitutes for this, and so Dionysus felt that he had no choice but to convict and jail the very most wealthy and famous accused and proven practicers of prostitution brought before his court of law.

Like all of the other most elite escorts of Pegasus City, Trixie had learned to master the art of completely cleaning up after herself. One of the preventative measures Sonatians had demanded of Dionysus's anti-prostitution law in order to ensure a firm separation of whoring from strip-teasing was that the coin-counting enchantment could no longer be placed upon a stage, for example; in response, Trixie and her peers had learned to count and categorize the currency their poolers cast by sight and memory alone. This was reportedly extremely difficult, and so many burlesque artists were said to take illicit magical devices disguised as mood-jewelry onto stage with them while they danced to make it easier. Such devices were given the street name "Alicorn Amulets," but Trixie was said to have required the aid of her own Amulet only rarely during her tenure in the Hotel California.

Nonetheless, though Trixie was clearly a master of staying one step ahead of the law, even she evidently believed that her luck was going to run out. She had amazingly avoided being arrested even once for her lucrative and famous escort career in Pegasus City, though she had ultimately decided to leave- likely to avoid the possibility altogether. She was now a nomadic traveling performer, visiting whatever settlement seemed to draw her interest. Though she would never make the small fortunes she'd regularly formerly won outside of Pegasus City, she was still doing quite well for herself- partially from brand recognition alone.

It's no wonder, Twilight thought, that it seems every single man in town is going to see her (not to mention Rainbow Dash, of course).

"Is it alright if I go see her show, Twilight?" Spike asked. He was subtly pouting, and his eyes were wide in pleading.

Twilight thought about it for a moment, then made a half-groaning sigh, "Yes, you may go, Spike," she answered drily.

Spike tightly embraced his mentor. "You're the best, Twi!" he cried.

Spike then released Twilight, turned to walk away, and raised his hand in farewell, saying, "I'll see ya later, the-"

"Not so fast," Twilight sighed, sliding her hands into her pockets as she stepped forward to rejoin Spike's side. "I think I should come with you."

Spike blinked. "Bu- ... really...?" he said, stunned. "... But... didn't you have problems with... y'know... watching your cousin...?"

Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Spike. I wouldn't do this if things were different. But you are underage, and we're in deep enough trouble already."

Spike replied confusedly, "It's not illegal for me to see strip shows."

"No, but it is illegal for you to bid on them."

Spike looked a little hurt. "You don't trust me, Twi?" he asked softly.

"Of course I trust you, Spike," Twilight quickly assured him, squeezing his shoulder and giving him a sincerely apologetic look. "It's Trixie and the other attendees I don't trust. Burlesque shows have been known to get dangerous, you know. Brawls over tied bids, predatory drugging- all sorts of nasty things happen at these things."

Spike nodded. "Yeah, but... what's wrong with Trixie, though?" he asked anxiously.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with her, necessarily," Twilight said. Her eyes narrowed as she added, "However, technically, she is a criminal, by her own admission. Illegal prostitution in El Dorado isn't a dangerous crime, mind you- but the fact that she was willing to risk jail time, and never got caught, despite becoming its highest-earning escort, gives me a little pause."

Spike smirked. "Do you really think she could hurt me, though?" he said, holding up his hand to show her the green flame Mark on it. "I doubt it's me you'll need to worry about if worst comes to worst."

Twilight laughed. "I agree," she said. "Still, you never know- and I don't know her. Until I've met her, I just wanna be on the safe side."

Spike shrugged. "I get it," he said. With another grin, he nodded in the direction the crowd was gathering towards. "Let's get going, then."

Twilight nodded, then began walking down the road alongside Spike.

Within minutes, they arrived at Avalon's Town Square, where a cart fastened to a bright blue Alicorn was parked. There was no doubt that his cart belonged to the "Great and Powerful" Trixie Lulamoon; aside from the posters and advertisements plastered all over it, to own an Alicorn as a personal steed was a sign of great wealth on the part of its owner, and this particular Alicorn was one of the youngest and most famous ones the world currently knew.

The traditional fifteenth birthday gift for members of anything at or above the higher tiers of the economic middle class was a Horse. A personal steed was a social symbol of independence and freedom; in other words, it was seen as the perfect coming-of-age gift for new adults. The races of such horses traditionally corresponded to the race of the Being they were being gifted to; for wealthy young Elves, turning fifteen meant receiving a Unicorn from their parents. Their Human counterparts were given Earth-Ponies, and likewise young Angels were traditionally given Pegasi.

Many young children, however, fantasized of receiving their very own Alicorn when they turned fifteen. This was particularly true for little girls; in fact, using a birthday wish to ask for an Alicorn was so ubiquitous amongst little girls that it was universally considered cliché. Unfortunately, there weren't nearly enough Alicorns to fulfill all these wishes; though this race of Horses was divine, and therefore as immortal as the Gods, breeding was exceptionally rare for them.

Like all other immortal creatures, such as phoenixes and dragons and Gods, Alicorns were in no hurry to rear offspring; since they could not die, their only worry about their brood was the possibility of being cramped and crowded by them. As a result, there were only about a thousand Alicorns in the world; all of whom were direct descendants of Vega and Ganymede, and the birth of an Alicorn foal was nearly as much of a rarity and cause for worldwide celebration as the birth of a new God.

Since Luna was first imprisoned, her steed and dear friend Ganymede had been so depressed that he was totally unwilling to even consider fathering any foals. Vega had continued to be affectionate to him and one of his few sources of comfort during that time, though Camelot's stable-keepers reported to Celestia that Ganymede had evidently completely lost his sex drive; neither Vega nor any of the castle's other mares had even once been courted by him throughout the entire thousand years of Luna's Sealing.

However, though Ganymede showed no interest in parenting foals during Luna's imprisonment, Vega continued courting other stallions throughout that time- albeit with less enthusiasm than she had originally displayed. Ganymede was her favorite mate, after all, and Vega had also seemed to share some of the stallion's deep sadness at Luna's absence. Nonetheless, Vega had birthed and raised about two hundred mortal Horse foals during Ganymede's millennium-long bout of depression. This was a dramatic decrease in Vega's personal fertility rate; before Luna's imprisonment, Celestia's Alicorn mare had reared an average of about three mortal foals per decade. Likewise, before Luna had been banished to Tartarus, an Alicorn foal had been born to Vega about once every twenty-five years; in the millennium since, Vega had become a new mother to only one.

The stallion who had sired Vega's sole immortal foal for a thousand years was- interestingly- not Ganymede, but his firstborn son. This Alicorn stallion- whose name was Umbriel- was something of a folk legend among the mortal Beings. Widely considered the wildest and most mysterious of all immortal Horses, Umbriel was a midnight-black living shadow who was described in legends as the most beautiful of all stallions, mortal or divine; he was even said to be more handsome than Ganymede, his own father.

Umbriel's nature could best be described with a string of contradictions. He was massive and earthshakingly powerful, yet when he moved he was as silent and stealthy as a stalking tiger. His inky-black coat and moon-silver eyes gave him the aura of terror and intimidation that one otherwise only felt in the grips of a terrible nightmare, and yet the few Beings lucky enough to befriend him had described his nature as being quite retiring and sweet.

However, though Umbriel was usually very gentle, this didn't mean he wasn't also capable of being extremely dangerous; those who roused his wrath invariably met swift and brutal deaths. Fortunately, this only seemed to happen to those who deserved it, by all accounts; legends featuring him usually described him as entering the narrative when young children were in danger. If the source of the danger was another mortal Being, Umbriel would quickly dispatch them, then allow their distressed young victims to climb onto his great back to silently carry them until they were returned to safety.

For this reason, Umbriel had become a popular symbol of deep goodness and compassion masked by misleading or fearsome appearances, as well as benevolent but lawless rogues and travelers. The Shadow-Stallion never stood still and often inspired dread in the few eyes that caught glimpses of him, but by all accounts he never brought anything but the gentle blessings of a tranquil night wherever he went. Indeed, almost five years before Luna's return, Umbriel blessed his mother Vega with the foal who would come to be retroactively described as a good omen of joyful reunions- both for his parents, as well as their Goddess masters. Though Twilight thought this recent rumor rather superstitious and silly, she still regarded it as fitting that Luna's return was immediately preceded by a joyous event that had not occurred for almost a thousand years. Celestia named Vega and Umbriel's colt "Oberon."

Oberon's birth was, like the births of all other Alicorns, an event for great celebration. The world threw an impromptu holiday on that day, though it was comparatively small in scale; no shops or businesses were closed, but many lords and socialites held public and private feasts at which they toasted the arrival of a new Lord of Horses. Commoner mortals looked forward to the births of Alicorn foals because they promised a large and delicious free meal; lords looked forward to them because they (usually) promised them the chance of having a divine steed of their own in just a few short years.

It was all but impossible to call yourself an Alicorn's "master" if the Alicorn refused to accept you; at heart, all Alicorns were wild, even if they had Being riders who cared for them, housed them, and called themselves their "masters." If a divine Horse stayed in a stable, it was by its own choice; you could no more keep an Alicorn trapped against its will than you could fill a fist with sand and then prevent any of it from slipping out of your grip. Locks and chains were no more obstacles preventing them from leaving than a simple doorknob was for a Being; and whenever they did leave, only strong fondness and friendship with their masters could assure their return. To attempt to "break" an Alicorn was futility and suicide; to ride one could only ever be a privilege and a gift from them.

About one in ten yearling Alicorns born in the care of Beings decided to escape into the wilds once they had been weaned from the milk of their mothers. The rest became the subjects of the most lucrative auctions in all the kingdoms of the world. However, to win one of these auctions did not guarantee a Being the right to call themselves that Alicorn yearling's master; only the first rights to offer themselves to the yearling as a partner and rider. For this reason, offered payments for an Alicorn's deed were never given until the Alicorn met the winning bidder and indicated whether it was willing to accept them as a master or not. If the yearling accepted, money changed hands; if not, the winning bidder kept their offer, and the second-place bidder was contacted next, and so on.

Before Trixie Lulamoon's fifteenth birthday, her parents- being some of the wealthiest mortal lords on the face of the Earth- had quietly and anonymously won Celestia's auction for the first rights to present a hopeful "master" to the newly-weaned Oberon. Such auctions Celestia held were always made for charitable causes; therefore, Trixie's parents insisted that Celestia keep their payment, whether or not Oberon joined their household. However, when Trixie was taken on a surprise visit to Camelot's stables and met Oberon for her fifteenth birthday, the majestic little colt took to her with no hesitation. There was no doubt that they would be fast companions for life.

Now that Oberon was a full-grown stallion, it wasn't hard to see why. His manner, temperament, and flowing magenta mane were all every bit as haughty and ostentatious as the Elvish performer he served was reputed to be. He was as obviously full of himself as a Horse could be; he was standing quite still, but he flapped his great feathered wings for no practical purpose every few seconds; his blue coat was too clean for him to have allowed anything to soil it since it was groomed; and he was looking at the densely-packed audience gathering around him with unmistakable aloof amusement. If a Horse was physically capable of smirking, Twilight and Spike had no doubt Oberon would be smirking right now.

The cart behind Oberon was almost as impressive as him; it was like no other cart Twilight or her friends had seen before. It seemed to have been constructed partially out of wood; but also from sturdy, lustrous precious metals such as silver and titanium. It was perched above black rubber tires reinforced by steel spokes and axels; and the cushioned, red, velvet driver's seat on its front wouldn't have looked out-of-place as a sofa in a lordly parlor.

However, Twilight couldn't see anything resembling a door anywhere on the cart's surface. While the crowd of men (and a few women) around them excitedly murmured amongst themselves, Twilight leaned over and muttered to Spike, "Why do you suppose the cart's made out of metal?"

Spike looked to her. "Huh?" he said.

"Why do you think Trixie had her cart built like that?" Twilight repeated. "I mean, what purpose could it possibly serve? It's probably much heavier than carts ought to be."

Spike shrugged. "She has an Alicorn," he observed. "He can pull it comfortably."

"Yes, but why does he need to?" Twilight said. "I don't get why she would insist on making it out of metal, instead of just-"

"You'll see why, Twilight!" Rainbow laughed, startling and interrupting her. Twilight whipped her head around, and saw that Rainbow had silently snuck up to her side. Rainbow then smirked and leered mischievously at Twilight as she crossed her arms and said with faux incredulity, "What are you doing here, Egghead? I thought you were an innocent and prudish little librarian!"

Twilight's face burned as she stared daggers at Rainbow, but Rainbow wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Rainbow sarcastically added, "You mean to tell me that the so called "innocent" librarian is secretly a raging hornball? Shocking."

"It's not like that, Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied, barely refraining from snarling. "I'm just here to make sure Spike stays safe."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah, suuuuuuure," she drawled through a wide, sadistic grin.

"Get your mind out of the gutter; Trixie's my cousin," Twilight said.

Rainbow shrugged. "So?" she said, frowning.

Twilight's eyes widened; Rainbow's flat expression screamed, Yeah, I knew that. "You think that's why I'm here...?!" Twilight cried, affronted.

Rainbow's smug grin returned. Before she could begin a new sentence, however, a blast of brass band music erupted from the cart. Twilight (and several other Beings) yelped in fright, returning her attention to it. To her shock, a pair of speakers had materialized at the front and back of the cart.

The music suddenly stopped. A second later, as if on cue, Oberon stomped his right hoof twice against the road. "Ladies and gents," a young woman's voice then cried from the speakers, "this is the moment you've waited for!"

Again, Oberon made two resounding "clops" against the pavement.

"Your faces were in the dark; your sweat dripping to the floor!"

Clop stomp. This time, many attendees had stomped along with the Horse.

"And buried in your bones is an ache that you can't ignore, so take in a breath, steel in your mind, while all that was real was left behind...!"

Twilight again made a small, startled jump as several jets of steam escaped from unseen cracks in the cart's surface with loud hisses. Oberon began rhythmically marching away from the cart, and it began to twist and transform.

Twilight gaped awestruck at the cart as it began unfolding into a curtained stage as Trixie's voice continued chanting to the beat of Oberon's hoof-clops and the audience's stomping, "Don't fight it, it's coming for ya; running atcha... it's only this moment, don't worry what comes after...."

Bright blue flames rose up from pipes in the newly-emerging stage's floor, and several complementary fireworks flew up from behind the curtains. As breathtaking as this was, however, Twilight's brow furrowed in concentration. "I've heard this voice before," she murmured to herself. "Where have I heard this voice before...?"

No one heard her, however; the stomping around her drowned it out. At any rate, she couldn't answer her own question. Her attempt to was cut short by another startlement: there was a particularly large burst of more bright blue flames on the stage, and when they subsided- to uproarious applause- the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon smirkingly emerged from them.

II-XV. The Greatest Showgirl

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