Rainbow Dash the pegasus was lying on her sofa inside her cloud-made home. Her nose was buried inside her new favourite book: Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny.

“Daring pulled as hard as she could, lifting the bottom ring only a smudge. If she were doing this alone, there would be no chance of even moving it. Though with the help of Rainbow, it proved easier.” Rainbow read and reread her favourite part of the chapter, letting the book close as she finished.

A knock at her door made her jump to her hooves. Stretching the stiffness out of her legs and wings, she trotted over to the door and pulled it open. “Twilight! What are you doing here?”

The purple alicorn looked serious. “Come with me.”

“Wh–”

“Just come with me!”

“Okay!” Rainbow complained, following Twilight outside and down to the ground.

Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie were waiting for them as they landed. They all – even Pinkie – looked serious.

“Girls, I asked you all to come because Princess Celestia has sent me a spell to stop the solar eclipse!” Twilight told them, pointing to the rapidly rising moon.

“Um, Twi? Remember what happened last time you were tryin’ a new spell?” Applejack cautioned.

Twilight sighed. “Yes, AJ, I do. But this is gonna be different. We’re gonna save Equestria!” She then opened her saddlebag to reveal five golden necklaces and a single gold crown.

All six ponies were lifted into the air as the necklaces fastened around Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity. The crown sat itself upon Twilight’s head. Light surrounded them and the six ponies blacked out.

Dovewing took a large bite of the fat mouse in front of her. Green-leaf had made prey and herbs plentiful, and with her daughter, Spottedpaw, helping Jayfeather, cats who went into the medicine den came out just as quickly.

Spottedpaw was eating with her littermates, Brownpaw and Blackpaw by the apprentices’ den.

Bumblestripe, Dovewing’s mate, came over to her, picking a thrush out of the pile and setting down next to Dovewing.

Dovewing tensed as something in the air rippled, almost. “Excuse me, a moment.” She told her mate, before expanding her senses to the whole territory. She searched between the trees, under rocks and inside bramble thickets. Then she found it. Six strange cats were lying, seemingly unconscious, in a clearing deep in the forest.

Dovewing quickly said sorry to Bumblestripe; then jumped to her paws and ran to Lionblaze, who was about to leave on a hunting patrol. “Strange cats in the clearing near the lake.”

Lionblaze seemed to understand instantly and nodded to his patrol, “Let’s go down by the lake!” Dovewing tagged along behind the patrol, catching a starling on the way.

When they reached the clearing, the cats were beginning to wake. They wore collars, so Dovewing guessed they were kittypets. But they were very strangely coloured. They were all she-cats.

The first was light purple with violet eyes. Her ears and tail were dark purple-blue streaked with a brilliant rose colour and violet. Her nose and inner ears were dark purple. On each flank was a white star overlaid by an indigo star surrounded by little white stars. Her collar tag looked like the indigo star on her flank.

The second was light cyan with dark rose eyes. Her ears and tail were all the colours of the rainbow, excluding indigo. Her nose and inner ears were dark cyan. On each flank was a cloud, with a red, yellow and blue lightning bolt underneath it. Her collar tag looked like the red part of the lightning bolt on her flank.

The third was bright pink with light blue eyes. Her ears and tail were dark raspberry. Her nose and inner ears were dark pink. On each flank was two blue circle-like things, balloons, Dovewing thought they were called, that had yellow strings, and one yellow balloon with a blue string. Her collar tag looked like one of the blue balloons on her flank.

The fourth was a very, very light grey with blue eyes. Her ears and tail were purple. Her nose and inner ears were dark grey. On each flank was three light blue diamond shapes with dark blue lining. Her collar tag looked like one of the diamonds on her flank.

The fifth was pale yellow with dark blue eyes. Her ears and tail were pink. Her nose and inner ears were dark yellow. On each flank were three pink-winged, cyan-bodied butterflies. Her collar tag looked like one of the butterflies on her flank, except completely pink.

The sixth was orange with green eyes. On each cheek were three white dots. Her ears and tail were yellow with a red stripe towards the tips and her nose and inner ears were dark orange. She wore an oddly shaped brown leaf-like thing on her head. On each flank were three bright red apples. Her collar tag was an apple like on her flank.

Lionblaze held out his tail to keep the patrol back as the strange cats began to sit up.

“Where in the hay are we?” hissed the orange cat, “Twilight, where did you send us this time?”

The purple one, probably Twilight, spoke next, “I have absolutely no idea, Applejack. Though I notice we’re in a forest, and we’re cats.”

“Like that wasn’t obvious.” Meowed the blue one.

“C’mon, Dashie, there’s no need to get pushy!” chirped the pink cat.

Dashie growled back at the pink cat, “Pinkie, I keep telling you to stop calling me that!”

“Sorry, Dashie!” giggled Pinkie.

“Stop it!” yelled Dashie, “I may be new to these claws, but I do know how to use them!”

The white one stepped in between them, scolding Dashie, “Rainbow Dash, darling, stop squabbling!”

“Sorry, Rarity.” Rainbow muttered, pouting.

Twilight spoke again, “Ok, we need to –”

Pinkie interrupted, twitching like crazy, “Twitch! Twitchety twitch twitch twitch!” The twitches began to form a pattern. “Hoof flick, ear flap, tail shake and eye flutter!”

“Hoof?” Thornclaw hissed from the back of the patrol.

“A horse’s paw.” Lionblaze told him.

“What does it mean, Pinkie?” asked the yellow cat.

“Well, Fluttershy, I’ve never had that combination before, but something tells me it means somepony is watching us!” Pinkie replied, glancing around warily.

Fluttershy squeaked and flattened herself to the ground.

“C’mon out, I’m not afraid of you!” Rainbow growled, rearing up on her hind paws.

Dovewing crept forwards and whispered into Lionblaze’s ear, “We ought to get out of the bushes and actually say hi or something to them.”

Lionblaze nodded, stood up, and motioned for the rest of the patrol – Dovewing, Thornclaw and Thornclaw’s apprentice, Seedpaw – to follow him. As soon as the six strange cats saw them, they fell into a messy defensive line.

“Who are you and what are you doing in ThunderClan territory?” Lionblaze asked, stepping closer to them.

Twilight paused before introducing them, “I’m Twilight, the pony who sensed you were here is Pinkie Pie, the one who challenged you is Rainbow Dash, the white pony’s Rarity, that’s Fluttershy and the one with the hat is Applejack.” And then continued with an explanation, “We don’t know how we got here, we just woke up in this clearing,” and finally asked them a question, “Who are you and what is ThunderClan?”

Lionblaze blinked a few times as the sun rose above them and shone in his eyes; then replied, “I’m Lionblaze, this is Dovewing, the golden tabby over there is Thornclaw, and that’s his apprentice, Seedpaw. ThunderClan is one of the four warrior Clans that live around the lake.”

Twilight looked dumbfounded, “Please take us to your ruler.” She told the patrol, lifting her head puffing out her chest fur.

“Um, ruler?” Seedpaw squeaked, “What do you mean?”

“She probably means leader, Seedpaw.” Thornclaw told his apprentice. Dovewing felt worried. What if these cats are lying? She thought.

Lionblaze nodded, “We’ll take you to Bramblestar.” He meowed, beckoning them to follow him.

Author's Note

Oh, and any continuity errors with dead cats, or mentors and apprentices is because I originally wrote this before Bramblestar's Storm. Just so you know.