Mind Swapby ravensky384ChaptersThe Gangs All HereMeet and GreetFinal Preperationsthe galaswitchedHistorythe journey begins or so I have wings..now what?Cave TrialsThe Gangs All Here"I wonder what's keeping them?" asked Mint Leaf. The green unicorn flipped her light-blue mane out of her eyes and glanced at her companion, a red unicorn by the name of Firebrand. The two of them were good friends who lived in Canterlot, where Mint Leaf worked as an apprentice for a world famous chef, and Firebrand as a renowned musical composer. At the moment, they were waiting at the Canterlot train station for their other four friends, so they could all go to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. In fact, Firebrand was supposed to perform there, at Princess Celestia’s request. Though he would never admit it himself, it was clear to Mint that Firebrand was nervous about performing for all of those ponies. It certainly didn’t help that his very special somepony, Ink Rose, was in Manehattan competing in an art show, and wouldn't make it to Ponyville in time for the celebration. He had a lot on his mind. Just then, a blue pegasus wearing glasses comes running up, his black mane rather unruly and windswept. "Hey, sorry I'm late!” he puffed, coming to a halt. “I had a real brain-wave earlier, so I started writing before I forgot, and then, well, you know." He looked sheepishly up at his friends. Mint and Firebrand just nodded, with knowing smiles on their faces. They both knew how Blazewing could get when he was in a writing mood; easily losing track of time. He was a pegasus, originally from Cloudsdale, but who now traveled all over Equestria searching for inspiration. He was a writer, and if he didn't tell you that himself, the typewriter on his flank made it a bit obvious. For her part, Mint admired his kind-hearted dedication to others, and envied his wings. She loved being a unicorn, mind you, but Blaze could do more with his wings than just fly. He could wave, make gestures, and even type with them. “It’s fine, Blaze,” said Mint, waving her hoof. “The others aren't here yet, either." Firebrand just nodded his head, and a look of relief came over Blazewing's face. "Oh, thank Celestia,” he breathed, “but, then, what’s keeping them?” Firebrand shrugged his shoulders. "We were kind of hoping you might know,” he said. Blaze merely shook his head. Mint glanced at the station platform. "The train will be here any minute," she said, sounding worried. “Where are they?” “Now, Mint, don’t start getting worked up,” said Firebrand. “Yeah,” said Blaze. “They’ll be here, don’t worry.” It was of no avail, unfortunately. When Mint got worked up about something, it would take a miracle to stop her pacing and ranting, and she was working herself into a frenzy now, as the two stallions watched pensively. "What if something happened to them? What if they couldn't get off work? What if they’re sick? What if-” Firebrand put his hoof up to her muzzle to shush her. Her cheeks puffed up briefly, but they shrank back again as she bit back her rant. "I'm sure they’re fine,” said Blaze, comfortingly. “Everypony gets off work for the Summer Sun Celebration. It’s the kingdom’s biggest holiday, after all. It’d practically be a crime to keep anypony from coming!” Mint giggled slightly at this, and Firebrand removed his hoof. "Besides," he said, "Gregory’s a griffin, and Storm Cloud and Chocolate Gem are both pegasi. If the worst comes to it, they’ll just fly to Ponyville and meet us there. Simple as that.” Mint thought for a minute, and gave them a weak smile. "I suppose you’re right," she said. She still looked slightly sad, though. After all, she had wanted them all to ride on the train together. It felt like the right thing for this circle of friends, but perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. That is, until, with a rush of wings and clatter of hooves, paws, and talons, the very ponies and griffin she had been worrying about landed at their side. Mint’s face lit up with delight. “See?” asked Blaze, grinning. “Told you they’d make it.” "Hey, guys! What’s up?” asked Gregory. Firebrand rolled his eyes. "Oh, nothing,” he said, dryly, “Just waiting for you three for the past..." He looked down at his wrist at an invisible watch. "...Two hours." “And I thought I’d been running late,” quipped Blaze. Gregory opened his beak to speak, but thought better of it and closed it again. Chocolate Gem, looking rather nervous, said, "It's my fault. They were helping me close up the shop." Chocolate Gem was a chocolatier who owned her own candy shop in Canterlot. The three ponies just nodded in understanding. They all knew how Chocolate Gem tended to wait until the last minute to do pretty much everything. "Well, the point is, we’re all here now,” said Storm Cloud, in an attempt to break the awkwardness, “so, let's go board the train." She gestured her hoof towards the Friendship Express, which had somehow arrived without anypony noticing. Mint beamed. "Yeah let's go! Come on, everypony!” "Aww, yeah!” “Ponyville, here we come!” Amid these excited cries, the six friends boarded the train. As the conductor came around checking everypony's tickets, Gregory nudged Firebrand’s foreleg with his elbow and asked, “So, Firebrand, you nervous?” Looking smug, Firebrand waved his hoof and made a scoffing noise. "What, me, nervous? No way. What have I got to be nervous about?" The others exchanged looks. “You sure?” asked Blaze. “I mean, I know you’ve performed in venues all over Equestria, Firebrand, but this is the Summer Sun Celebration. It’s a pretty big deal, you kn-” “I know how big a deal it is, Blaze!” said Firebrand, with a bite of impatience in his voice, making the blue pegasus recoil. “I’m completely prepared for it, trust me. Princess Celestia wouldn’t have asked for me personally if she didn’t think I was up tor it.” “Ok, ok,” said Blaze, holding his hooves and wings up in a placating gesture. “Didn’t mean to get your tail in a rustle.” There was an awkward silence, as the train whistled, lurched forward, and started off. The silence persisted as the train picked up speed, leaving Canterlot behind. Everypony was either looking out the window, or determinedly avoiding making eye contact with Firebrand, who seemed lost in his own thoughts. Blaze, for his part, looked slightly guilty at making Firebrand lose patience. “It’s ok, Blaze,” whispered Mint, putting a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. “He’s just a little edgy about...you-know-who,” she added, delicately, glancing briefly at Firebrand. “Ohhh, so she can’t make it after all?” Blaze asked, concerned. Mint shook her head sadly. “Poor guy,” muttered Blaze. “A big event like this, and his own special somepony can’t make it…” Mint nodded. If Firebrand heard any of this, he showed no signs of doing so. After this, the silence continued to drag on as the train rumbled on. Then, out of the blue, Chocolate Gem decided to break the ice. "So, uh, how’s about a song?” she asked, smiling. Everypony stared at her. “Uh, what?” asked Storm Cloud, eyebrow raised. Even Firebrand was jerked out of his thoughts by this. And without further ado, Chocolate Gem burst into song. Tell everypony I'm on my way, To Summer Sun Celebration. With train tracks ahead Yeah, I'm on my way And nopony's gonna keep me away! "Is she seriously doing that now?” asked Firebrand, exasperatedly. Gregory shrugged his shoulders as Mint suddenly joined in, her and Chocolate’s voices blending beautifully. Not the Darkness or the moon can change my mind Nightmare Moon just stay away! Now Storm Cloud joined in, And we just know that Firebrand will just be so great. Just as he is always! Tell every pony we're on our way, to Summer Sun Celebration The two stallions and griffin looked at each other, bemused. Gregory shrugged. "Well, if you can't beat em, join em," he said. Blaze nodded, grinning. Firebrand rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. The three joined in with their friends. With train tracks ahead, yeah, we're on our way, And nopony's gonna keep me away! We're on our way Chocolate grinned before capping the song off, Yes, we're on our waaaaaay The ponies laughed together happily, all of the tension from earlier forgotten. “You guys are the best!” said Mint. “Well, you’re pretty great, too, Mint,” said Firebrand, grinning. “Aww, shucks,” she muttered, her cheeks going briefly pink. “Hey, Firebrand,” said Blaze, awkwardly. “Listen, I-” “Ahh, don’t sweat it,” said Firebrand, breezily. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I’m fine, don’t worry.” Blaze smiled. Storm Cloud glanced out the window at that moment, and her face lit up. "Hey, guys, look! We’re here” The normally serious pony couldn’t contain her excitement as she pointed outside. Everyone gathered ‘round, and they saw, too, a large sign, declaring, ‘Welcome to Ponyville’. Up ahead, they could see the town itself. All six faces split into wide smiles of excited anticipation. "We made it!” squealed Mint "Finally!” said Blaze. In what felt like no time at all, the train pulled to a stop in Ponyville Station. The six friends got off, talking excitedly, only to be collectively knocked over by a pink blur, scattering them like bowling pins. "Oww, what the-?” groaned Firebrand, picking himself up. "Everypony ok?” Blaze asked, concernedly, as he helped Mint and Chocolate up. They nodded, then looked around to try and find the source of their unexpected loss of balance. They didn’t have long to search, however, as all of a sudden, a pink pony with a very poofy pink mane and tail came hopping up to the gang. She was rather pudgy, and a strong smell of both cotton candy and cake frosting was coming off of her. She got right in Firebrand's face, literally, both of their noses pressed together. Firebrand looked very uncomfortable from this invasion of his personal space. "Hi!” she chirped, in a high-pitched, energetic voice. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! I'm sooo sorry I knocked you over, but, you see, I'm in charge of welcoming all the guests to Ponyville, and I got so excited because I thought ‘Yay! Six new friends’, and then you would meet myfriends, and that would be, like, a bunch more new friendships!” All six friends stared in utter bewilderment at this excitable pony. Neither could recall ever meeting somepony who talked so fast, or said so much so fast. At last, Storm Cloud cleared her throat and said, "Nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie. My name is Storm Cloud, and these are my friends: Gregory, Mint Leaf, Chocolate Gem, Blazewing, and Firebrand." She gestured at all of her friends as she spoke, and they all made signs of salutation to her. “Nice to meet all of you!” said Pinkie, beaming. “If there’s anything you need, all you’ve gotta do is ask! I know Ponyville like the back of my hoof!" She held up her hoof, curled at the wrist, and made a show of staring fixedly at it, as though reading a map, before giggling. Blaze, still rather befuddled, managed to find his voice, as he asked, after adjusting his glasses, “Um, well, could you tell us where the hotel is, Pinkie Pie? We’d like to, er, drop off our luggage before doing anything else.” “Of course!” exclaimed Pinkie. "That's one of my Summer Sun Celebration duties, after all! Follow me, everypony!" She started hopping off, literally, like a pronking deer, then stopped. She turned to look at the confused faces of her new friends, still rooted where they stood. "Come on, sillies!” she called. “The hotel is this way! It’s not gonna come to you if you just stand around like that! Let’s go-go-go!” The group looked at one another, then, deciding that all they could do was follow this strange pink pony, started off in their turn, as she bounced ahead of them, singing tunelessly and happily. Author's Note Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the first chapter, The song that they sung on the train was a parody of On my way from the Movie Brother bear. So the gang have met Pinkie Pie, Next time they get to meet five new ponies who they will get to know better than they ever wanted to. Why is Firebrand being so quiet all of a sudden? Why does Princess Celestia seem so nervous? and what is that strange scroll she keeps carrying around? Find out next time in the next chapter of Mind Switch. Also a HUGE thank you to Blazewing for his help proofreading and editing this chapter, he is one of the nicest people on here. Meet and GreetMeanwhile, far, far away, beyond the borders of Equestria, such feelings of happiness and jubilation were not being felt. A purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with light blue, was busy looking at old photographs. Her eyes rested on them one after the other, filled with bitter hatred. Her lips curled into a sneer. “Soon,” she thought to herself. “Soon, she'll know exactly how I feel; hopeless, unloved, unwanted. Just you wait, Princess. It’s only a matter of time..." Back in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was still leading her new friends through the streets. Blaze, in particular, kept turning his head this way and that, trying to take in as much as he could see. The buildings, the streets, the ponies greeting them and smiling at them as they continued on, all of this seemed to make his brown eyes shine with delight behind his glasses. "Wonderful!" he breathed. "The atmosphere here! It's just so, so...quaint! So picturesque! There's a real charm about it! A real rustic charm! It's nothing like Cloudsdale! I've gotta jot this down!" He fished eagerly around in his saddlebags until he pulled out a notepad, many of its pages already filled up. Holding it in the crook of one hoof, he gripped a pen in the fingers of one wing and started writing feverishly. Storm Cloud rolled her eyes. Chocolate Gem giggled. "What's he doing?" asked Pinkie. "Oh, don't mind him," said Mint, grinning. "Blaze can't help jotting down story ideas when the inspiration strikes him." "Yeah," said Gregory, cracking a grin himself. "He says if he doesn't do it right away, he'll forget." "It's happened before, I'll have you know!" Blaze retorted, looking up briefly. "We know, we know," said Gregory, rolling his eyes banteringly. "Neato!" said Pinkie. "I bet you'd get along great with Twilight, Blaze! She loves stories, too! Well, actually, she likes reading in general, but stories are still reading, right? You'd get along like peanut butter and marshmallows!" Firebrand gave her a bewildered look. "Peanut butter and marshmallows?" he repeated. "What?" asked Pinkie, innocently. "They make for one de-lish sandwich!" Firebrand didn't seem to have a retort for this, nor did anypony else, so on they went, no more said on the subject. All of a sudden, Pinkie stopped short, having bumped into somepony. The group of six saw that it was a white unicorn with an elegantly-styled purple mane. The stallions can’t help but note that she’s quite attractive. Beside her was an orange Earth pony with a blond mane, topped with a brown Stetson, who had taken a step back in surprise at Pinkie bumping into the unicorn. “Goodness, Pinkie Pie, do watch where you’re trotting, dear,” said the unicorn, in a very elegant voice. "Sorry, Rarity,” said Pinkie. “Are you headed to Twilight's?" The unicorn, thus addressed to as Rarity, nodded and gestured towards her companion. "Applejack and I were just headed there now, actually. Twilight and Starlight have to try on the dresses I've made for them. They’re going to absolutely adore them!" Applejack rolled her eyes smilingly. Rarity, meanwhile, spied Pinkie’s guests. "Oh? Who are your companions, Pinkie?” “My new friends!" exclaimed Pinkie, eagerly. “Chocolate Gem, Mint Leaf, Storm Cloud, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand!" She pointed her hoof towards each one as they all showed some sign of greeting. Applejack tipped her hat in greeting, “Howdy, folks. I'm Applejack, and this here is Rarity." Rarity nodded her head. "Lovely to meet you all," she said, before turning her attention to Firebrand. “Firebrand, was it? Aren't you the one who is supposed to be performing?" Firebrand nodded his head, and Rarity smiled widely. “Oh, good! Fluttershy is looking for you." Firebrand gave her a puzzled look. The name ‘Fluttershy’ was new to him, as it was to the others. “I’ll, er, just take you to her,” said Rarity. “She's at the castle. Follow me." They all started off after Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack joining in. Blazewing merely paused before saying, to no one in particular, "So...no hotel, then?" "Firebrand’s being rather quiet, don't you think?" Chocolate Gem whispered to Storm Cloud. Storm Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he’s more nervous than we think." "We could ask him,” said Chocolate Gem, “but we both know he'll just shrug it off and claim we’re worrying over nothing.” "He'd tell us if something was wrong, though, wouldn't he?" Storm Cloud asked. She seemed rather unsure of herself as she looked at Firebrand. "We're here," said Applejack. Storm Cloud and Chocolate Gem looked up, and all six of them gaped at the building standing before them. It was a huge castle, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a ‘castle treehouse’, carved from crystal and peaking far into the sky. "Dude," quipped Gregory breaking the silence. “Sweet Celestia,” Blaze breathed. He even went so far as to take off his glasses, rub the lenses, and put them back on, staring in disbelief. Pinkie jumped up in front of the group. “Welcome to the Tree Chest Puzzle Map Castle!" she said, excitedly. “Huh?" was the unanimous response. Pinkie took a deep breath, and when she next spoke, her words came out in a speedy torrent of sound. “This castle appeared when my friends and I opened up a magic chest near this this tree called the Tree of Harmony, which is where Celestia and Luna got the Elements of Harmony (see the connection?), but we had to put them back since these terrible vine things were invading Ponyville! Oh, and they took Celestia and Luna, though I’m not sure how they reached all the way to Canterlot. Anyway, we all found these keys, and used the box's powers to beat Tirek!" She beamed at them all. It was clear she expected them to understand every word she had said. No such luck. The six friends looked even more baffled than ever. Applejack stepped forward. "What Pinkie means is, this castle is magic. That’s all you need to know.” Pinkie looked slightly put out at her explanation being dumbed down this way, but her frown only lasted a few seconds; she was all smiles again as Applejack knocked on the massive doors. Presently, one of the doors opened, and a small purple and green dragon appeared. “Oh, hey, Applejack!” he said, "And Pinkie and Rarity, too! You're just in time to..." He trailed off as he spotted the unfamiliar faces in front of him. "Um, who are they?” he asked. “These are my new friends," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Is Fluttershy here?" Spike nodded, and turned to their guests. “I'm Spike, by the way. Nice to meet you.” Mint Leaf spoke up. "I'm Mint Leaf, and these are my friends: Storm Cloud, Chocolate Gem, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand." "Firebrand?” Spike repeated. “You must be the one Fluttershy wanted to see. I'll take you to her right away." He gestured for the others to follow him. As they stepped inside after Spike and started down the corridors, Chocolate Gem whispered excitedly to Blaze, “I can't believe we're meeting the Princess of Friendship!” “Yeah,” said Blaze, an eager gleam in his eye. “D-Do you think she'd let me interview her?” “Maybe,” said Chocolate Gem. It was then that the two of them noticed Rarity, who had been looking at the pair of them for some time. "Your name is Blazewing, right"? she asked him "Yes," he said, looking rather confused. "As in, Blazewing the writer?” asked Rarity. "Uh huh,” replied Blaze, still looking a bit puzzled. Rarity's face lit up, “Then Twilight will most assuredly be glad to meet you! She adores literature of all sorts, after all." Chocolate gave Blaze a friendly punch "Aww, Blaze has a fan!" she teased. "And it's a princess" piped in Gregory, raising his eyebrows. “Aw, cut it out, guys,” mumbled Blaze, bashfully. "We're here!” called Pinkie. The gang looked up. Standing before them were two ponies. One was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, slender and delicate in appearance, downright cute, some might say. She looked slightly timid in the face of so many new faces. Standing beside her was a purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with purple and pink, her face alight with benevolence and cleverness. It was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. “Welcome, everypony,” said Twilight. “I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and this is my friend, Fluttershy.” “Hello, everypony,” said Fluttershy, in a very sweet and mild-toned voice. Pinkie made the introductions, and the six friends greeted Twilight and Fluttershy, unable to keep themselves from bowing to the former, calling her ‘Your Highness’. Twilight looked rather sheepish about this. “Oh, please, there’s no need for all that,” she said, modestly. “Just call me Twilight. It’s wonderful to meet all of you.” “Firebrand?” asked Fluttershy, addressing the stallion in question. “I need you to come with me. We have to check your stage to make sure everything you need is ready for your performance. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, but it never hurts to make sure, right?" she added, smiling. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” said Firebrand, nodding. “I appreciate that.” “I'll come, too, Flutters,” said Applejack, “in case ya’ll need help with anything." The three departed together. Twilight, now looking quite excited, turned her attention towards Blaze. “Are you really Blazewing?” she asked, eagerly. “As in, Blazewing, the famous writer?” Blaze blushed a little, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, I don't know about ‘famous’, Princess Twilight." Chocolate piped up, nudging Blaze in the ribs, “Ahh, he's just being modest. Blaze is a great writer! One of the best writers in all of Equestria, I'd say!” Blaze's face turned a deep shade of scarlet. "Gem..." he muttered, his eyes directed at the ground. Chocolate just grabbed him and pulled him close, the way an overeager sister hugs her brother. "Blaze wanted to know if he could interview you, Princess!” Blaze’s eyes widened and snapped upwards to look at Twilight. He seemed both taken aback at Gem abruptly stating his desire, and pensive about what answer the princess could possibly give. Twilight, however, smiled broadly. “Sure! Is now alright?" Blaze, looking dumbstruck, nodded. Gem giggled and ruffled his mane. “Great!” said Twilight. “Just follow me to the study." She then said to Rarity, “I'll have to try on the dress later, Rarity.” “Of course, darling,” said Rarity. “I have three more dresses and three suits to make, anyway." She turned towards the mares. "I'll need your measurements, so if you could please follow me. As for you, Gregory," she added, turning to the griffin, "I will get yours in a bit." "Ooh, do you wanna help me bake?" Pinkie asked Gregory, getting so close that she was practically in his face. "Um, sure, sounds fun," said Gregory, shrugging. "Yay!" The pink Earth pony grabbed the surprised griffon and dragged him off towards the kitchen. “Spike,” said Twilight, turning to her dragon assistant, “let in any other guests that arrive, and let me know when Princess Celestia gets here." “Got it,” said Spike, saluting. “Alright, then. We'll all meet back here in a few hours." Everypony agreed and headed off in their respective directions. Meanwhile, outside, a chariot came down from out of the sky with a bump and clatter of hooves from its steeds. Princess Celestia herself stepped out, glancing down at a scroll held in her magic. An anxious frown disturbs her normally tranquil face. "I certainly hope you are able to help me, Twilight." she whispered to herself. "You're my one hope right now..." Author's Note hope you enjoyed the 2nd chapter! the 3rd one should be out soon enough. thanks for reading Final PreperationsAs Applejack finished putting up the last speaker, Fluttershy, who had been looking over the music prepared for that night, said to Firebrand, “Umm, I think you're missing a song." “Huh?” asked Firebrand, looking puzzled. “That’s odd. I was told I only needed two songs." “Oh, dear,” said Fluttershy. “There must have been a mix-up when we made arrangements. “Well, what are we gonna do?” asked Applejack Suddenly, the sound of somepony singing reached their ears. They looked at each other, then rushed outside. Chocolate Gem was trotting along, singing to herself, but in a way not even her friends had ever heard before. The three ponies exchanged awestruck looks. “Wow, Chocolate Gem, you sound amazing!” Fluttershy exclaimed, unable to hold it back. Gem looked startled at having been overheard, then blushed shyly. “Huh? Oh, um, I'm just average," she mumbled. “What, are you kidding?” asked Firebrand, grinning at her. “You’re incredible! Why didn't you tell us you could sing like that?" Gem swung her leg awkwardly, looking down at the ground. “I kind of have stage fright," she said. Firebrand looked surprised at this. Gem was normally one of the most outgoing (even eccentric) ponies he’d ever known. “But you sing with us all the time," he said. “Yeah, but, you guys are my friends,” said Gem. “It's not like I'm singing in front of an audience or alone." Firebrand put a consoling hoof on her shoulder. “You won't be alone,” he said. “We'll all be there. You wanna know something else?” Gem nodded, curious. “Well, don't tell anyone I said this, but...I used to have stage fright as well." Gem’s jaw dropped. “R-Really? But you perform all the time!" “That doesn't mean I don't get nervous,” said Firebrand. “Before I could start performing, I had to do a pre-show in front of Ink Rose in order to work up the courage to perform in front of a large audience." “It’s up to you, of course,” said Fluttershy, “but we’d be honored if you could sing for the Celebration.” Applejack nodded, smiling. Gem pondered over this. At last, she said, “I guess one song wouldn't hurt, but only if you’re ok with it, Firebrand." “Are you kidding?” asked Firebrand. “Absolutely!" “Well, alright, then!" said Gem, smiling. "Well, now that that's settled,” said Applejack, “we best be heading back to the castle." The gang agreed with a collective nod, and started making their way back. When the foursome arrived, it was to find that more ponies had shown up. They could see Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, her husband Prince Shining Armor, and their daughter Flurry Heart, who was sleeping gently in a magically-levitating basket. Their crystaller, Sunburst, was deep in conversation with Starlight Glimmer, his old friend and Twilight’s pupil. Princesses Celestia and Luna had also arrived, the latter speaking with Pinkie Pie, the former deep in serious conversation with Twilight. “So, this scroll just appeared randomly, and you have no idea who it's from?” Firebrand heard Twilight ask. “I'm afraid so,” said Celestia. “I do recognize the language, however: a very ancient one that very few remember." “I think I might be able to translate it,” said Twilight, her brow furrowed as her eyes roved over the aforementioned scroll, “and then we can figure out what this is all about." “Thank you Twilight,” said Celestia, “but for now, let's worry about the celebration, I don't want the others to worry." “I understand,” said Twilight, nodding. Firebrand and Chocolate Gem looked at each other, at a loss to understand what was going on. However, they resolved to act as if they hadn’t just overheard, if Princess Celestia didn’t want this interfering with the proceedings. Meanwhile, outside Equestria, the purple alicorn was pacing back and forth in her chamber. “Spark!” she yelled. “Inferno! Kindle! Come here!" At this command, three small dragons came running or flying in. “Yes. mistress!" they all said in unison. "I need you three to travel to Ponyville,” said their mistress. “You need to find Princess Celestia and make sure she reads the scroll I sent her out loud. Also, make sure this little guy is on her when she does." She held out a small jar and handed it to Spark. "Yes, mistress. We will do our best," said Spark, bowing. Spark, Inferno and, Kindle were three dragon siblings that the young mare had taken care of since they were just eggs. Spark, the eldest of the group, was a serious-minded female who usually had to keep her brothers in line. Next was Inferno, who was, to put it mildly, excitable. He tended to be loud and jump into things before thinking. Kindle was the youngest, and the most loyal to their mistress. He was a kind soul, and tended to do all of the cooking and cleaning, not because he was forced, but because he liked to. “Uh, Mistress,” Kindle spoke up, “not to be rude or anything, but won’t three dragons stick out in a crowd of ponies?” “I understand your concern, Kindle,” said the alicorn, “but I've already planned for that." With a flare of her horn and three flashes of bright light, all three dragons were suddenly transformed into pegasus ponies, still bearing their original colors, but indistinguishable from normal ponies. “There we are,” said the alicorn, with a satisfied smile. “Now you shan’t fall under suspicion.” “Whoa! I have hooves!" yelled Inferno, excitedly. "This is so cool!" Spark rolled her eyes in irritation. “Yes, yes,” said their mistress, a slight bite of impatience to her voice. “Just make sure you don't forget your mission. I’m counting on you three." “Yes, mistress!" And with that, the three dragons-turned-pegasi flew off. “Um, Spark?” asked KIndle. “Hmm?” “Where IS Ponyville?” Spark opened her mouth to answer, then closed it, before saying, awkwardly, “Actually, I haven’t a clue." Author's Note phew third chapter is finally out! if you all want to see what our three dragons look like in Pegasi form I'm planning on posting that to my devianart under the same name. Already there are Chocolate Gem, Storm Cloud and Mint Leaf for any of you who are interested. maybe If I can figure out how to draw better or find someone who can I can get them in their dragon forms. until then see you in the next chapter! the galaThe Summer Sun Celebration was well underway, with ponies attending from all over. The Princesses were greeting guests, Firebrand was playing a spectacular rock piece, and several ponies were dancing. Blaze was happy just writing as much as he could down in his notebook. “This’ll make for a great story!” he thought, eagerly. “Alright, all you couples out there!” called Firebrand over the noise. “This one’s for you, so grab your partner.” He began to play a slower, almost waltz-like piece. Everywhere, ponies we're partnering up. Gregory turned to Storm Cloud and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Would you, um, like to dance?” he asked. Storm Cloud considered him for a second or two, then gave him a small smile. “Sure.” The two of them joined the mass of couples already dancing. Spike had found a more than willing partner in Applejack; Fluttershy was being swept along, giggling, by Discord, Master of Chaos, dressed eccentrically, but dapperly; Rarity and Fancy Pants, the most prominent member of Canterlot society, were looking positively awe-inspiring together; and Pinkie Pie and her fellow party pony, Cheese Sandwich, were surprising many with how seriously they were treating such a dance, far outside their usual natures. At this moment, three pegasi walked into the party, very much out of breath. “I-huff-told you to take-huff-a left turn back in Griffinstone!” whispered Spark, angrily. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you. These wings are really loud,” Inferno whispered back. “So, uh, which one is Celestia, guys?” Kindle asked, poking his head in between his siblings. “I (italic)think(/italic) she's that tall white one over there,” said Spark, squinting through the crowd. “How would you know?” asked Kindle. “Just a hunch,” said Spark, shrugging. “You know, guys,” whispered Inferno, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, “Mistress said to complete the mission, but she never said how long it had to take. Why don't we enjoy this party first, huh? Heheh.” Spark frowned. “I don't know…” she said, doubtfully. “Pleeeeeeeeassse?” begged her two brothers, adding puppy-dog eyes just to increase the effect. Spark sighed. “Ugh, fine, but I'd better not regret this…” “Oh, look!” said Inferno, pointing. “The purple one’s about to say something.” As Firebrand finished his piece, Twilight trotted up onto the stage. “Good evening, everypony,” she said, beaming around at everyone. “I hope you are enjoying this year’s Summer Sun Celebration.” This was met with wild, enthusiastic applause. “I am pleased to announce that a new friend of mine will be singing for us tonight. So, without further ado, here she is, all the way from Canterlot: Chocolate Gem!” “Woohoo!” “You go, girl!” “Go, Gem!” The cheers and yells of Gem’s friends could be heard above all others. However, nopony was showing up on stage, and the tumult began to die down in puzzlement. Twilight, looking nervous, whispered to Brand, “Where is she?” “I have no idea,” he whispered back, then, out loud, he asked “Has anyone seen Chocolate Gem?” Several ponies shook their heads. Her close friends were looking concerned. “Wait!” said Rainbow Dash. “I think I saw her out in the gardens. I'll go check.” She flew off. Twilight was left standing on stage, looking rather awkward in the midst of so much silence. “Erm, well, while Rainbow Dash goes to find her, for now, uh…” There was a flutter of wings, and Gregory alighted onto the stage, brim full of confidence. “Allow me, Princess,” he said. “Fillies and gentlecolts, enjoy!” He was soon, ahem, ‘gracing’ the audience with a rather loud, and very much off-key, rendition of ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’. Ponies and guests everywhere were wincing and covering their ears. “Oh, (italic)this(/italic) is getting its own chapter,” Blaze muttered, teeth clenched. The noise carried outside, loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear. She cringed. “I'd better find her fast,” she thought. “Nopony deserves to suffer through that…” Suddenly, she spotted her. Gem was indeed out in the garden, singing softly to herself. “(italic)Looking out a stained glass window…(/italic) Oh, I can't do this..." “Really? Cuz you sound amazing to me.” Gem looked up, surprised. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?” “I’m here to get you,” said Rainbow, becoming slightly stern. “How could you leave everypony hanging like that?” Gem bit her lip, looking anxious. “I changed my mind,” she said. “I can't go up there. What if I’m terrible?” “Hey, now,” said Rainbow, in a gentler tone, “what kind of talk is that? From what I’ve heard, you’re an amazing singer! Nopony’s gonna judge you badly if you’re not perfect. You’ll do just fine. Besides, it’s not like you’re gonna be by yourself. We’ll all be there for ya.” Gem considered this for a moment. She thought of herself, up there on stage, in front of hundreds, thousands of ponies...and then she thought of her friends, her closest, dearest friends, standing amongst the crowd, cheering her on, smiling up at her...It made her feel warm inside. She turned to Rainbow with a new gleam of confidence in her eyes. “All right,” she said. “I’ll give it a try.” “That’s the spirit!” said Rainbow, grinning. “Plus, I'm not sure how much longer everypony can take Gregory's performance.” Gem giggled. “I know what you mean. He’s an amazing dancer, but singing...not so much.” Rainbow chuckled, and with that, the two ran back into the party. “Found her!” called Rainbow. Gem’s friends looked up, smiling at the sight of their friend. Twilight looked immensely relieved, and rather hastily pushed Gregory away from the mic. “Thank you, Gregory, for your, um, interesting performance,” she said, “but now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Chocolate Gem!” “Woohoo!” called Mint Leaf. “Yes!” yelled Firebrand. “You go, Gem!” shouted Blaze. Chocolate Gem walked up on stage, stood before the mic, and took a deep breath. “Ok, you can do this, Gem,” she muttered. “Just breathe." After a few tense seconds, she began, (italic)Looking out a stained glass window Down below, the carts in the city go rushing by I sit here alone and I wonder why Friday night, everypony's grooving I can feel the beat, but it’s soothing heading down I search for the beat in this crazy town Downtown, the fillies are going Downtown, the fillies are growing(/italic) “Hey, let's help her out!” shouted Sweetie Belle, suddenly. “Yeah!” said Scootaloo and Apple Bloom in unison, and before anypony knew it, Chocolate Gem had received accompaniment by three very eager little fillies. (italic)We're the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We're the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music around(/italic) The three beamed up at her, and she beamed back, a whole new energy lighting up her features. In the crowd, the elder sisters (and sister-figure) of those fillies could do nothing but smile with pride. (italic)Bright lights, the music gets faster Look, boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance Won't stop, so give me no problems Much later, baby, you'll be saying nevermind You know life is cruel, but our friends are kind Come along to our new story Everypony deserves some glory We’re the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We’re the kids Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music go round (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Sing! (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Come closer, honey, that’s better Don’t wanna let you go without a fight Oh, don’t try to leave, you know that’s not right Outside, a new day is dawning Outside, the fillies are playing everywhere I don't want to go baby Baltimare to Fillydelphia There's a new wave coming to greet ya We’re the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We’re the kids Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music go round (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Sing! (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria(/italic) As Chocolate Gem finished her song, everypony cheered, but nopony came close to the volume and wildness of her friends. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, huskily. “Thank you, everypony.” Firebrand ran up on stage at this point, and, taking her hoof in his, raised it high. “Let's give it up once again for my friend, Chocolate Gem!” The applause became even louder and wilder. “Thank, Brand,” Gem said, tears still lingering in her eyes. “For what?” asked Firebrand. “For believing in me.” Brand smiled. “Anytime.” The two hugged, and the cheers grow even louder, if that was even possible. Twilight stepped forward once again. “Thank you so much for that spectacular performance, Gem,” she said. “And now, everypony, it’s time to watch Princess Celestia raise the sun!” There was a great excited uproar as everypony rushed forward to get a better view. Meanwhile, three pegasi, two of whom had been blown away by Gem’s performance, while the third didn’t seem all that impressed, headed off towards Twilight's castle to figure out their next move. Their mistress, meanwhile, was watching them through a magic mirror, her eyes fixed intently upon it. “They never were good at turning down a party,” she sighed, “especially when free food is involved. Ah, well, I suppose I can let this slide.” She took her eyes off her mirror to look over her bookshelf, and suddenly, she noticed a brown book that hadn't been there before. Not to her recollection, at any rate. “Hmm? What's this?” Taking it down, she started browsing through the pages. Suddenly, she stopped, something within apparently catching her notice. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, now, this could change everything….” Author's Note alright so for those of you who don't know, Kids in Equestria is based on the song kids in America, also wherever there is a ( ) around the words is where the CMC are singing. see you in the next chapter switchedAs the group headed back towards the castle, talking excitedly amongst themselves, Twilight, falling in step with Celestia, whispered to her, “Don't worry, Princess. We'll figure out what that spell means.” “Thank you, Twilight,” said Celestia, “and I have a feeling we’re going to need the help of your friends.” She glanced over at the six newcomers as she said this. “All of them.” Twilight nodded, seeming to comprehend what her former mentor meant. “You know you were great!" Rainbow Dash told Gem, eagerly, causing the latter to blush. "Thanks,” she said, modestly. “I couldn't have done it without you, Rainbow Dash.” “Huh?” said Rainbow, puzzled. “But I didn't do anything.” “Of course you did,” said Gem. “You believed in me when I didn't. And besides,” she added, “I had to save them from Gregory's singing!” “Hey!” Gregory chimed in, though it was clear he was only pretending to sound offended. The three of them laughed, earning them strange looks from the rest of their confused companions, who didn’t know what they were so amused about. Once the gang where within the safety of the castle, Celestia handed Twilight a scroll. “All right, everypony, let's have a look at this.” Everypony gathered around to listen. Just at that moment, however, there was a knock on the door. Without looking up from the scroll, Twilight called out, “Spike, can you get that?” Obediently, Spike left, returning a few seconds later to report, “There are three ponies here asking to see Princess Celestia.” Celestia looked up, “I’ll see what they want,” she said, following Spike out. Blaze, who was standing closest to Twilight, leaned over to get a better look at the scroll, so close that they were shoulder-to-shoulder. Twilight must’ve known he didn’t mean any harm by it, so she didn’t protest. “Wow, I’ve never seen writing like that before,” Blaze said, adjusting his glasses. “What does it mean?” “I have no idea,” said Twilight. “I don't recognize the language.” “I'm sure you'll figure it, out, darling,” said Rarity, before turning her attention to Storm. “Oh, my! Your mane is all tangled! Let me help you with that, dear.” “Thanks.” While waiting for Twilight to crack the code, the others found ways to keep themselves occupied. Applejack and Chocolate Gem hoof-wrestled, Pinkie and Gregory practiced a new (very complicated) hoof shake, Rainbow and Mint bumped hooves a few times out of boredom, and Firebrand and Fluttershy sat back-to-back cleaning the instruments. At last, however, Twilight's eyes widened, and she let out a gasp that made Blaze jump. “I think I've figured it out!" she said, excitedly. Careful not to light her horn, she started to read out loud, the others listening intently. νου στο μυαλό Líf til lífsins convertit en una Vous osez toucher At the conclusion of this, a white light flashed through the room, so intensely bright that it enveloped everypony inside. Meanwhile, at the front door, Celestia was met with three strange young ponies, ponies she had never seen before. It was Spark, Inferno, and Kindle. “Hello,” said Spark, in her politest tones, “My name is, uh..” She cast about for a name, then settled on, “Bird Flora, and these are my brothers, Sun House and Grass Quill. We lost an old scroll that was passed down in our family, and we were wondering if, perhaps, you had it." “And if you could read it out loud if you did!" interrupted Inferno. “We, uh, can't read," Spark quickly said, glaring at her brother. “Oh, well, I'd be happy to help you,” said Celestia, kindly, “but Princess Twilight has the scroll right now.” The threesome’s eyes widened in shock. “You don't' have the scroll?” asked Kindle, uneasily. “Oh no,” Spark muttered. “ARGH!!” Celestia, Spike, and the three dragon-ponies jumped at the sound. “Twilight!” Celestia and Spike both cried, a note of panic in their voices. The five of them rushed into the room to find the ponies and griffon in a panic. Starlight had joined them, frantically trying to figure out what was going on, but she could hardly make herself heard above the tumult. “All right, everypony, calm down!” called Twilight. There was one slight problem with this. While it certainly was Twilight’s voice, it wasn’t coming out of her mouth. Instead, the mouth that moved to speak what Twilight had just said...was Blazewing’s! Spike looked at Blaze, then Twilight, then back to Blaze in utter confusion. “Twilight, what happened to you?!” he cried. “I have no idea! I just read the spell that was on the scroll, then there was a flash, and suddenly, I'm in Blaze's body! I mean, I didn't even light my horn or anything!” “This can’t be happening!” moaned Blaze. “This has got to be a dream or something!” “Well, if it is, yer not the only one havin’ it,” said Applejack, only her voice was now coming out of Chocolate Gem's mouth. Starlight took a survey of the group of friends. She seemed to be putting two and two together based on who was with who. At last, she said. “So let me see if I’ve got this right: Twilight switched with Blaze, Applejack with Chocolate Gem, Pinkie Pie with Gregory, Rarity with Storm Cloud, Rainbow Dash with Mint Leaf, and Fluttershy with Firebrand?” “Pretty much,” said Mint. “But why is this happening?!” asked Firebrand, frantically. All of the ponies started to work themselves into another frenzy, the most common exclamations being about their familiar body parts and appendages now being gone or different. Gregory in particular was in hysterics over losing his talons (i)and(/i) his wings. “Everypony calm down!” yelled Applejack, reducing them all to silence. “Now, Ah’m sure there’s an explanation for all this and a way to fix it.” Everypony looked expectantly, beseechingly towards Princess Celestia, who had remained silently stunned at the scene before her, but now sighed deeply. “I do recognize this magic,” she said, solemnly. “It is an ancient spell from long ago, although I thought, or rather hoped, it had been long lost.” “Wait a sec,” Spike cut in. “Has anypony seen the three pegasi who were just here?” The three ‘pegasi’ were indeed absent. Everypony rushed out into the entrance hall, only to see Spark, Kindle, and Inferno, now reverted back into dragons, flying off into the night. “Hey! They’re not ponies at all!" yelled Rainbow Dash. “But who are they?” asked Storm. “Spike do you recognize them?"” asked Twilight. The little dragon just shook his head. Celestia frowned. “This confirms my suspicions,” she said. “I know who’s behind this. Everypony, come with me. It is time I tell all of you something I did long ago, something that I regret ever so much…” Author's Note alright so for all of your who dont' feel like googling it, here is the exact pronunciation of the spell and its English Translation, it's actually a mix of four languages Noo stuhm nello-mind to mind=greek leaf tish leafsins-Life to Life- icelandic converteet en oona-become the one- catalan voozu say touche-you dare to touch- french well next chapter we'll discover a secret about Celestia's past and a dark secret she has kept for centuries. see you there! History“It's not entirely true that Flurry Heart is the first alicorn baby born in Equestria,” said Celestia. “Many years ago, there was another.” Everypony’s eyes widened at this. “What’s more, believe it or not, I once had a husband and child.” The collective stupefaction increased tenfold, though none looked more surprised than Twilight. It was evident that she’d never even known this. “My husband was a unicorn named Steel Wool. Of course, you all know him as King Sombra.” “WHAT!?” yelled Pinkie jumping up. “You were married to King Sombra?” She immediately sat down, however, after a look from Twilight. “He was not always evil,” Celestia continued. “He was once a normal pony like you. The two of us had a daughter we named Callista. We loved her with all our hearts. I still do.” Celestia paused, closing her eyes for a moment, as though these recollections pained her. She continued, “Then, it happened. A young unicorn discovered the secret of the windigos, and how to turn them into living, flesh-and-blood wolves. Unfortunately, the darkness that spawned from such a spell had to go somewhere. It would float around in the corners of Equestria until it found a new host to latch onto. It was particularly attracted to negative emotions.” Celestia glanced slightly at Luna, then said, “It caught Sombra after he lost a friend. He blamed himself for it, making him an easy target." “Wait, where was Luna at the time?” asked Storm “I was already being corrupted by the darkness,” said Luna, grimly. “My jealousy was turning me into Nightmare Moon.” Celestia nodded in agreement. “After I defeated King Sombra, I began to fear for Callista's life. I knew it wasn't safe for her here, so I found three dragon eggs and put a spell on them, ensuring that they would stay with her and take care of her. Once they were hatched and ready, I took Callista to a secluded area outside of Equestria, and promised to bring her back someday.”“Wait! Before you continue," said Pinkie, holding her hooves, or claws, out in a stopping gesture, "I need to get more popcorn. Be right back!" With that, she hopped off. The ponies waited, bemused, for their eccentric pink friend to return. Finally, she returned, plunking herself down with a large bowl of popcorn. “Ok, ready!” she said. Celestia, who didn’t seem at all fazed by Pinkie’s interruption, continued. “A few years ago, I tried to bring her back, but she had grown bitter. She claimed that I didn't care for her, because I never told anyone about her and did not come to get her right after I had defeated Nightmare Moon. But, it wasn't true; I was suffering the loss of my little sister at the time. Her magic had grown stronger than either mine or Sombra's over the years, to the point where she had learned to spy on the ponies of Equestria. She was able to break the spell I had put on the dragons, though it's obvious now they still stay with her. She accused me of her present state, and I feared the power of the darkness would overtake her, so I locked her there and left, much against my will.” Celestia’s normally wise and calm face was full of pain and regret at the memory. Luna came over and put her hoof comfortingly on her sister's back. At this, Celestia smiled sadly and sighed. “Upon my return, I had the young wizard unicorn try to help me find a way to capture the darkness and destroy it for good. After years of research, nothing came up. The young wizard passed on, and his research was lost. For years, I have searched for it, but all to no avail. That ancient spell that was just cast on all of you was written by Sombra before he was corrupted, and written in a journal left with Callista. The spell was cast even before you read it, Twilight. All it took was for you to read it out loud for the effect to start. I fear the spell was meant for me, and missed its target by chance." “So then, all of this is my fault?” Twilight asked, looking devastated. “No, Twilight,” said Celestia, shaking her head. “You could not have known, I should have told you not to read it out loud.” Mint looked a little confused. “Hang on a second,” she said. “We already figured out you have to touch whatever you're being switched with, so what were you going to be switched with, Princess?” At that very moment, as though Mint had said the magic words, a yellow parasprite flew out of Celestia's mane. Everyone stared at it in shock. “She wanted to switch you with a parasprite?!” shouted Rainbow in outrage. “Now that’s low! This mare is going down!” “No, Rainbow Dash,” said Celestia, firmly. “Callista is the only one who know how to reverse this spell. Therefore, you will have to seek her out to set this right. I assume she has changed her name by now, so finding her won’t be easy. I fear it will be a dangerous journey, but I know you all can do it. You have my complete faith.” Celestia’s words seemed to act as a kind of stimulant. Everypony, in spite of their swapped bodies and distressed states of mind, now bore an expression of determination. After all, if Celestia was right, how else were they going to fix this? “Alright, everypony,” said Twilight, in an authoritative tone, “let's gather some supplies and meet back here in an hour.” Everypony separated to get ready. As they did, Chocolate turned to Blaze and said, “An adventure to the unknown! I hope somepony remembers to bring snacks.” Blaze turned to look at his now rainbow-maned pegasus friend and said, frankly, “I think I'm going to need a bigger notebook for this.” One hour later, the ponies regrouped as planned, packed and prepared (hopefully) for what lay ahead. They also found, to their surprise, that the parasprite that had been planted in Celestia’s mane had now multiplied into at least a dozen. “Oops!” said Twilight. “We forgot about this little guy.” Pinkie sighed wearily. “I'll go get an accordion,” she said, and trotted off. Author's Note ok so I know this was a short chapter but I didn't' want to bore you with all the backstory stuff, (yes we will learn more as the story goes on about Callista) Now as for what she looks like well it's my OC, the one you see as my avatar on this account. I should also note that I start classes tomorrow (unless the school realized, you shouldn't' try to drive on ice) so I should be getting on a schedule soon hopefully. see you next time the journey begins or so I have wings..now what?The group was finally ready to begin their long journey. Or, at least, they thought they were. “Does anypony know which way we should go?” asked Twilight. “Well, first, I think we ought to learn how to use our new, uh, appendages,” said Applejack, gesturing at her newly acquired wings. “That might be helpful,” said Twilight. “If we have to force Callista to switch us back, we should know how to use our new wings and horns.” She glanced at Blaze, who nodded and turned to the others. “I can teach flying, and Twilight can teach magic,” he said. “Good idea,” said Rainbow Dash. “That’s usually my thing, but I kind of need to learn this magic stuff first.” The lessons soon began, Blaze and Twilight taking charge. It didn’t take long, however, for everypony to see that this was going to be a lot of work. “No, no, no Rainbow!” exclaimed Twilight, in exasperation. “I told you, you have to feel the magic. Let it build up inside, and then let it go. Now, concentrate and try again.” “Ok, Mint, you’re doing good,” said Blaze, patiently, “but, er, let's try actually flapping your wings this time. Hopping on the spot and flapping your legs isn’t quite the same thing.” “Ugh, this is impossible!" groaned Mint, collapsing onto the ground. “I wish I had my horn back.” “We all wish we had our old bodies back, sugarcube,” said Applejack, gently. “I could do without these wings. They'd just get in the way of my bucking.” “Well, at least some of us are getting used to our new bodies,” said Mint, gesturing over at Pinkie and Gregory, who were amusing themselves by playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt. After what seemed like an eternity (but was actually only about ten minutes), Blaze and Firebrand seemed to have a handle on their new abilities. Firebrand could fly with relative ease, and Blaze had at least mastered some basic unicorn spells, though he wasn’t too willing to try teleporting just yet. The girls, however, were still having some trouble. “That's it! I give up!” yelled Mint. “Hear, hear,” said Rarity, grumpily. Gregory watched them with a concerned look on his face. He whistled to get Firebrand and Blaze’s attention. “Guys, over here!” he called. “What is it?” they both asked, coming over. Gregory pulled them in closer to form a huddle. “The girls are in serious need of a cheer-up,” he said. “We need some serious motivation out here, something to get them back in the spirit.” “Well, sure, but how?” asked Brand. “I have an idea,” Gregory told them. “Just follow my lead.” He made his way back toward the girls. All of a sudden, rather ominous music started playing from nowhere. “Uh, where did that come from?” asked Storm. The others just shrugged their shoulders, until Gregory started to sing. This time, however, he surprisingly didn't sound bad this time. Perhaps it had something to do with having Pinkie’s body, as Pinkie was well-known for her spontaneous (and well-sung) musical moments. Just a small town mare Living life without a care She took the midnight train Going anywhere Blaze understood in an instant, and, without missing a beat, took the next verse. Just a city colt Wishing that life just halt He took the midnight train Going anywhere Firebrand shrugged his shoulders as he took the last verse. )A singer in a crowded room The smell of cider and perfume For a smile they can share the night It goes on and on and on and on And now, much to the girls’ surprise and amazement, the three guys all joined together for the chorus. Fillies waiting Up and down Ponyville Their shadows searching in the night Starlight ponies Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night Gregory took the next part. Working hard to get our fill Just to learn this brand new skill Firebrand continued on. Giving anything to change us back Before we crack Blaze took the next part, glancing at Mint as he did so. You will fly, you will soar No need to worry anymore The three guys sang together We will always be here by your side For our friendship it will never end Fillies waiting Up and down Ponyville Their shadows searching in the night Starlight ponies Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in thenight Gregory held onto the last night for a while, before breaking out into air guitar, which somehow sounded like a real guitar. Don’t stop believing Hold on to that feeling Starlight ponies Oh-oh-ohhh Don't stop believing Hold on... Starlight ponies Oh-oh-ohh Don't stop believing Hold on to that feelin, Starlight ponies The music slowly began to fade out, but the girls, completely enthralled, continued jamming out. “All right!” cried Mint, leaping into the air. “I feel motivated! Let's try this one more time!” “Uh, Mint, don't look now, but you're flying!” exclaimed Storm. Mint looked down, and noticed that she wasn't back on the ground like she should be. She looked behind her, and saw that her new wings were indeed keeping her aloft. Her face lit up. “I'm doing it! I'm doing it!” she screamed happily. Bolstered by the song and Mint’s success, the others began to follow suit. Soon, everypony had managed to grow accustomed to their swapped bodies, and the real journey could finally start. Pinkie, meanwhile, was reading the scroll containing the switching spell, peering at a spot on it through narrowed eyes. “Hey, guys!” she called. “I found some small print on the switching spell scroll! Listen!” And she began reading it aloud. The others panicked. Who knew what might happen now?! “Wait, Pinkie! No!" they all cried. But they were too late. There was another flash of light. When it cleared, Pinkie blinked. “I don't feel any different, she said. But something was different. Her voice sounded just like Gregory’s again! Everyone gasped. “What in the-?! Did you two switch back?” exclaimed Rarity. She clapped her hooves to her mouth. Her voice had sounded a lot like Storm's. In fact, it sounded exactly like hers. “Nope,” said Gregory, who, although sounding exactly like Pinkie Pie, looked largely unconcerned, as did Pinkie. “Great, so our voices switched back, but not our minds,” said Rainbow. “Well, we can at least agree on one thing,” said Gem. “This just got a whole lot more entertaining.” Her friends just laughed in agreement. Meanwhile, over in Raven Sky's territory, she was watching the events unfold in her magic globe, a smile of cold amusement on her face. “Well, she's right,” she said aloud to herself. “That is more entertaining." She turned off her magic globe for a moment and trotted over to her bookshelf. She pulled out one particular book, which opened a secret compartment within. Inside lay her father's journal. She took it out, and started flipping the pages. “Kindle, Spark, Inferno!” she barked, and her three dragon friends all rushed in “Yes, Mistress?” they all replied in unison. “I have a job for you.” She handed each one of them a small ring, and after they had all slipped these onto their claws, she continued, “With these, you can change your appearance and voice to whomever and whatever you want. Now, here is what I need you to do.” She pulled her friends in closer and whispered her plan to them. “But, I don't understand,” said Spark. “It's a bit difficult for me to explain,” said Raven, “Let's just say that in order to cast this spell, we need these twelve elements to be present.” The three dragons, though obviously still confused, just nodded and flew off in different directions, planning on how they would try to bring out these new elements. Back in Ponyville, the group had finally decided to start heading west. Why? It seemed logical to them. As they walked, Mint noticed that Gem was looking a bit absentminded. "Hey, Gem, are you alright?" she asked. “Huh?” Gem looked up into her concerned friend’s face. “Oh! Uh, yeah, sorry, Mint.” Mint saw her eyes flit toward Blaze, walking near the head of the pack with Twilight. She smiled knowingly. “Let me guess,” she said. “You still haven't gotten over your crush on Blaze yet.” Gem, her cheeks going scarlet, rushed to put her hoof over the Pegasus's mouth. “Shh!” she hissed. “Don't go telling all of Equestria!” “I don't know why you don't' just tell him.” Gem bit her lip. “I'm afraid,” she confessed, half-whispering, half-exclaiming. “What if he doesn't like me back, and then it ruins our friendship?” Mint placed her hoof on the poor mare's shoulder. “That won't happen,” she said, gently. “Trust me.” In time, the group approached a rather large cave, one with six entrances. They looked at each other. “So, which one do we take?” asked Rainbow. “We should split up,” said Mint, quickly and rather loudly. “I'll go with Rainbow, Firebrand can go with Fluttershy, Rarity can go with Storm, Applejack can go with Twilight, and Blaze can go with Gem.” “Sounds good to me,” said Twilight, quite impressed. “What are you doing?!" whispered Gem, frantically, to Mint. “Trust me on this one,” Mint whispered back. “Now you can tell him how you feel!” Gem didn’t know whether or not she wanted to kick Mint for this, but it was too late. The group was splitting into their chosen pairs, and each was choosing an entrance. “Well, Gem, shall we take door number three?" asked Blaze, turning to his friend. “Oh, yeah, sure,” said Gem, her cheeks still a bit pink. With their entrances chosen, the six pairs delved into the cave, one step closer to the strange alicorn princess and their new destiny. Blaze and Gem had chosen the third from the left, and had disappeared into darkness, but only for a few seconds. An unexpected light shone further on. They quickened their steps, then came to a halt, mouths falling open. “Woah!” breathed Blaze. “Check this out!” The chamber they were standing in was filled with beautiful crystals of all sorts of colors, and a huge, sparkling pond sat in the center, as smooth and still as glass. “It's wonderful!” exclaimed Gem, in awe. As she looked about her, taking in the breathtaking sight, she suddenly realized what she needed to do. Something about this room seemed to make it the right time. She glanced over at Blaze, cleared her throat, and said, a bit hesitantly, “Uh, Blaze, there's something I wanted to tell you. Uh..you see...I..” She was struggling to find the right words. However, to her disappointment, Blaze wasn't even listening to her. He was too busy writing feverishly in his notebook, gripped in his new horn-powered telekinesis. He stopped for a moment and glanced up at Gem. “Did you say something, Gem?” he asked. Gem looked away, sadly. “Uh..No.” Blaze looked at her for a second or two, slightly puzzled, shrugged, then went back to writing. Gem trotted over to a small area right by the pond and looked down into it. A single tear fell from her eye as she began to sing. [i)]Guess I wasn’t the first mare too scared To try and tell him how I feel No matter how I try There's just no getting over you You know I’m just a fool who's willing To trod around and wait for you But Blazewing can’t you see There’s nothing else that I can do I’m hopelessly in love with you But now I can’t even try To tell you how I feel My feelings stay inside I’m hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you My head is saying don’t even bother My heart is saying tell the truth Keep trying till the end That’s what I intend to do I’m hopelessly in love with you But now I can’t even try To tell you how i feel My feelings stay inside I’m hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you “What's a girl to do?” Gem whispered softly to herself. Author's Note sorry for the long wait for this chapter guys, been soo busy lately with classes. and then I had this medical issue I had to deal with but I'm fine now so though I've tried to make it clear who sings when it's a bit difficult so I color coded the lyrics to make it easier Red=Firebrand Blue=Blazewing green= Gregory Yellow=all three also two songs in one chapter! bet you didn't' expect that to happen. the first song is based on the song Don't stop believing by Journey and the 2nd one on the song hopelessly devoted to you from the musical Grease. see ya guys next chapter Cave TrialsIn one section of the cave, Rarity and Storm had found themselves in front of a small gnome, who was standing directly in their way, and looking very grumpy. “So, if you could just let us pass, please," said Rarity, in her most polite and gentle tone, “we would be ever so grateful.” “No,” grumped the gnome, crossing his tiny arms. “Why not?” asked Storm, calmly. "Cause I don't feel like moving," he said, sitting down. Something in his attitude told the two that he wasn’t going to budge easily. Rarity groaned and turned to her friend. “What do we do now?” she asked. Storm looked thoughtful for a moment or two as she paced up and down, the gnome’s eyes following her as he continued to look stubborn and sour. And then, suddenly, her face lit up, and Rarity could almost swear she saw a light bulb flash over her head. Storm walked up to the grumpy gnome and said, “Listen, if we can make you laugh, will you let us pass?” she asked Rarity looked astonished. That wasn’t the solution she had been expecting. The little gnome thought this over for a moment, and then, nodded his head. “Alright, miss. You have yourself a deal.” Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Firebrand had found themselves at a fork in the road, literally. “Who leaves an actual fork sticking in the road?” asked Firebrand, peering at it with an incredulous look on his face. Fluttershy simply shrugged her shoulders and bent down to pick up the fork. It wouldn't budge. “It's stuck,” she said. “What? Here, let me try.” Firebrand reached down and took hold of it. He struggled as he yanked and pulled at it, until finally, he pulled it loose. He held it up, a triumphant grin on his face. “See? Nothing to it,” he said. At that moment, the cave was filled with an ominous rumbling noise. The two looked at each other, the smile gone from Firebrand’s face. “Um what was that?” asked Fluttershy, nervously. Her question was soon answered as, with a loud crack, the ground broke beneath them, and they fell deeper down into the cave. Over by Pinkie Pie and Gregory, the two seemed to be going in circles. “Ooh, look! It's that rock that looks just like a frog!” exclaimed Pinkie, in delight. “But didn't we see that rock, like, five minutes ago?” asked Gregory. Pinkie nodded her head sadly, the knowledge of this wiping the joy from her face. “There has got to be a way out of here,” she said. The two looked around for anything that might clue them to the way to go on, something...out of the ordinary. No sooner did they wish this, however, than they saw something that made them wish they hadn’t… Back with Chocolate Gem and Blazewing, the two were trying to find a path to take them through the rest of the cave. “Maybe we should just make our own path or something,” said Gem. “I mean, you do have alicorn magic now.” She was doing her best to avoid looking into Blaze's eyes as she said this. Blaze found it a bit odd, but he made no mention of it. “I don't know,” he said, frowning. “I just feel there must be something we’re missing here.” “The others are probably already through and wondering what happened to us,” said Gem. “Not if their paths are as confusing as ours,” said Blaze. Gem just sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Something about it soon began to pique her curiosity. And then, her eyes widened, she seemed to understand. “Hey, is it normal for sunlight to shine through cave ceilings?” she asked. Blaze looked over, surprised. “No,” he said. “Why?” Gem pointed silently, and Blaze’s eyes traveled up to where she was pointing. He gasped. Sunlight was shining through in various small gaps in the cave ceiling. The two friends were too stunned for words. They simply looked at each other and smiled broadly. Finally, they’d found a way out! Now, there was just one problem: how were they going to fit through those holes?... After their harrowing fall, Fluttershy and Firebrand had found themselves in a small pocket inside the cave. Firebrand sat up, but Fluttershy didn’t move. “Fluttershy? Are you alright” Firebrand asked, concerned, as he put a hoof to her shoulder and shook her. Finally, to Firebrand’s enormous relief, Fluttershy coughed a few times and managed to sit up. “Yes, I’m alright,” she said. “What about you?” Firebrand just nodded, then started to glance around the room. “Where are we anyway?” he asked. “I have no idea, but I suppose we don't have much of a choice except to move forward.” So, with no alternative, the two headed deeper into the unknown territory, not knowing what awaited them just ahead… Meanwhile, in Raven's territory, the alicorn was busy watching the events unfold. “Geez, I didn't think they would actually try to pull that fork up,” she mused. “Oh, well. I suppose it can't be helped.” At that very instant, something dropped from the ceiling right in front of her. Bemused, she looked down to see what looked like a multicolored puddle on the floor. Before her eyes, something shot out of it, rising straight up, until it formed into the unmistakeable form of Discord, Spirit of Chaos, and best friend of Fluttershy’s, stroking his tufty beard as he contemplated Raven. “Well, what have we here?” he asked, in his smooth and unctuous voice. “A little birdie told me somepony had made trouble for my dear Fluttershy and her friends.” He snapped his fingers, and a literal bird appeared in the palm of his lion’s paw. It was tweeting shrilly, ‘Fluttershy’s in trouble! Her friend’s, too! Raven’s fault!” He snapped his fingers again, and the bird vanished. “Discord, what are you doing here?” Raven asked. The chaotic draconequus was an old acquaintance of hers, but the fact that he was now friends with one of her current victims made her slightly wary. “I figured I'd see what you were up to, but I see you are up to your old tricks again,” said Discord, casually. “That wasn’t my fault!” snapped Raven. “Princess Celestia was supposed to read the spell. It wasn't supposed to affect these ponies." Discord raised one bushy eyebrow. “Knowing you, you've already figured out how to use this to your advantage," he said, shrewdly. “Yes,” said Raven, a smile playing about her lips. “Actually, I need you to do something for me." Discord pondered her for a moment or two, his expression unreadable. Then, he shrugged. “Well, I suppose I have nothing better to do,” he said. Raven’s unpleasant smile widened, her teeth glinting. “Excellent. Here's the plan, then…” Author's Note Hiya, so in case there is any confusion since we switched the voices back, when a character is speaking its the one where their mind is, so for instance if Pinkie Pie says something, It is with Gregory's voice.
The Gangs All Here"I wonder what's keeping them?" asked Mint Leaf. The green unicorn flipped her light-blue mane out of her eyes and glanced at her companion, a red unicorn by the name of Firebrand. The two of them were good friends who lived in Canterlot, where Mint Leaf worked as an apprentice for a world famous chef, and Firebrand as a renowned musical composer. At the moment, they were waiting at the Canterlot train station for their other four friends, so they could all go to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. In fact, Firebrand was supposed to perform there, at Princess Celestia’s request. Though he would never admit it himself, it was clear to Mint that Firebrand was nervous about performing for all of those ponies. It certainly didn’t help that his very special somepony, Ink Rose, was in Manehattan competing in an art show, and wouldn't make it to Ponyville in time for the celebration. He had a lot on his mind. Just then, a blue pegasus wearing glasses comes running up, his black mane rather unruly and windswept. "Hey, sorry I'm late!” he puffed, coming to a halt. “I had a real brain-wave earlier, so I started writing before I forgot, and then, well, you know." He looked sheepishly up at his friends. Mint and Firebrand just nodded, with knowing smiles on their faces. They both knew how Blazewing could get when he was in a writing mood; easily losing track of time. He was a pegasus, originally from Cloudsdale, but who now traveled all over Equestria searching for inspiration. He was a writer, and if he didn't tell you that himself, the typewriter on his flank made it a bit obvious. For her part, Mint admired his kind-hearted dedication to others, and envied his wings. She loved being a unicorn, mind you, but Blaze could do more with his wings than just fly. He could wave, make gestures, and even type with them. “It’s fine, Blaze,” said Mint, waving her hoof. “The others aren't here yet, either." Firebrand just nodded his head, and a look of relief came over Blazewing's face. "Oh, thank Celestia,” he breathed, “but, then, what’s keeping them?” Firebrand shrugged his shoulders. "We were kind of hoping you might know,” he said. Blaze merely shook his head. Mint glanced at the station platform. "The train will be here any minute," she said, sounding worried. “Where are they?” “Now, Mint, don’t start getting worked up,” said Firebrand. “Yeah,” said Blaze. “They’ll be here, don’t worry.” It was of no avail, unfortunately. When Mint got worked up about something, it would take a miracle to stop her pacing and ranting, and she was working herself into a frenzy now, as the two stallions watched pensively. "What if something happened to them? What if they couldn't get off work? What if they’re sick? What if-” Firebrand put his hoof up to her muzzle to shush her. Her cheeks puffed up briefly, but they shrank back again as she bit back her rant. "I'm sure they’re fine,” said Blaze, comfortingly. “Everypony gets off work for the Summer Sun Celebration. It’s the kingdom’s biggest holiday, after all. It’d practically be a crime to keep anypony from coming!” Mint giggled slightly at this, and Firebrand removed his hoof. "Besides," he said, "Gregory’s a griffin, and Storm Cloud and Chocolate Gem are both pegasi. If the worst comes to it, they’ll just fly to Ponyville and meet us there. Simple as that.” Mint thought for a minute, and gave them a weak smile. "I suppose you’re right," she said. She still looked slightly sad, though. After all, she had wanted them all to ride on the train together. It felt like the right thing for this circle of friends, but perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. That is, until, with a rush of wings and clatter of hooves, paws, and talons, the very ponies and griffin she had been worrying about landed at their side. Mint’s face lit up with delight. “See?” asked Blaze, grinning. “Told you they’d make it.” "Hey, guys! What’s up?” asked Gregory. Firebrand rolled his eyes. "Oh, nothing,” he said, dryly, “Just waiting for you three for the past..." He looked down at his wrist at an invisible watch. "...Two hours." “And I thought I’d been running late,” quipped Blaze. Gregory opened his beak to speak, but thought better of it and closed it again. Chocolate Gem, looking rather nervous, said, "It's my fault. They were helping me close up the shop." Chocolate Gem was a chocolatier who owned her own candy shop in Canterlot. The three ponies just nodded in understanding. They all knew how Chocolate Gem tended to wait until the last minute to do pretty much everything. "Well, the point is, we’re all here now,” said Storm Cloud, in an attempt to break the awkwardness, “so, let's go board the train." She gestured her hoof towards the Friendship Express, which had somehow arrived without anypony noticing. Mint beamed. "Yeah let's go! Come on, everypony!” "Aww, yeah!” “Ponyville, here we come!” Amid these excited cries, the six friends boarded the train. As the conductor came around checking everypony's tickets, Gregory nudged Firebrand’s foreleg with his elbow and asked, “So, Firebrand, you nervous?” Looking smug, Firebrand waved his hoof and made a scoffing noise. "What, me, nervous? No way. What have I got to be nervous about?" The others exchanged looks. “You sure?” asked Blaze. “I mean, I know you’ve performed in venues all over Equestria, Firebrand, but this is the Summer Sun Celebration. It’s a pretty big deal, you kn-” “I know how big a deal it is, Blaze!” said Firebrand, with a bite of impatience in his voice, making the blue pegasus recoil. “I’m completely prepared for it, trust me. Princess Celestia wouldn’t have asked for me personally if she didn’t think I was up tor it.” “Ok, ok,” said Blaze, holding his hooves and wings up in a placating gesture. “Didn’t mean to get your tail in a rustle.” There was an awkward silence, as the train whistled, lurched forward, and started off. The silence persisted as the train picked up speed, leaving Canterlot behind. Everypony was either looking out the window, or determinedly avoiding making eye contact with Firebrand, who seemed lost in his own thoughts. Blaze, for his part, looked slightly guilty at making Firebrand lose patience. “It’s ok, Blaze,” whispered Mint, putting a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. “He’s just a little edgy about...you-know-who,” she added, delicately, glancing briefly at Firebrand. “Ohhh, so she can’t make it after all?” Blaze asked, concerned. Mint shook her head sadly. “Poor guy,” muttered Blaze. “A big event like this, and his own special somepony can’t make it…” Mint nodded. If Firebrand heard any of this, he showed no signs of doing so. After this, the silence continued to drag on as the train rumbled on. Then, out of the blue, Chocolate Gem decided to break the ice. "So, uh, how’s about a song?” she asked, smiling. Everypony stared at her. “Uh, what?” asked Storm Cloud, eyebrow raised. Even Firebrand was jerked out of his thoughts by this. And without further ado, Chocolate Gem burst into song. Tell everypony I'm on my way, To Summer Sun Celebration. With train tracks ahead Yeah, I'm on my way And nopony's gonna keep me away! "Is she seriously doing that now?” asked Firebrand, exasperatedly. Gregory shrugged his shoulders as Mint suddenly joined in, her and Chocolate’s voices blending beautifully. Not the Darkness or the moon can change my mind Nightmare Moon just stay away! Now Storm Cloud joined in, And we just know that Firebrand will just be so great. Just as he is always! Tell every pony we're on our way, to Summer Sun Celebration The two stallions and griffin looked at each other, bemused. Gregory shrugged. "Well, if you can't beat em, join em," he said. Blaze nodded, grinning. Firebrand rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. The three joined in with their friends. With train tracks ahead, yeah, we're on our way, And nopony's gonna keep me away! We're on our way Chocolate grinned before capping the song off, Yes, we're on our waaaaaay The ponies laughed together happily, all of the tension from earlier forgotten. “You guys are the best!” said Mint. “Well, you’re pretty great, too, Mint,” said Firebrand, grinning. “Aww, shucks,” she muttered, her cheeks going briefly pink. “Hey, Firebrand,” said Blaze, awkwardly. “Listen, I-” “Ahh, don’t sweat it,” said Firebrand, breezily. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I’m fine, don’t worry.” Blaze smiled. Storm Cloud glanced out the window at that moment, and her face lit up. "Hey, guys, look! We’re here” The normally serious pony couldn’t contain her excitement as she pointed outside. Everyone gathered ‘round, and they saw, too, a large sign, declaring, ‘Welcome to Ponyville’. Up ahead, they could see the town itself. All six faces split into wide smiles of excited anticipation. "We made it!” squealed Mint "Finally!” said Blaze. In what felt like no time at all, the train pulled to a stop in Ponyville Station. The six friends got off, talking excitedly, only to be collectively knocked over by a pink blur, scattering them like bowling pins. "Oww, what the-?” groaned Firebrand, picking himself up. "Everypony ok?” Blaze asked, concernedly, as he helped Mint and Chocolate up. They nodded, then looked around to try and find the source of their unexpected loss of balance. They didn’t have long to search, however, as all of a sudden, a pink pony with a very poofy pink mane and tail came hopping up to the gang. She was rather pudgy, and a strong smell of both cotton candy and cake frosting was coming off of her. She got right in Firebrand's face, literally, both of their noses pressed together. Firebrand looked very uncomfortable from this invasion of his personal space. "Hi!” she chirped, in a high-pitched, energetic voice. “My name’s Pinkie Pie! I'm sooo sorry I knocked you over, but, you see, I'm in charge of welcoming all the guests to Ponyville, and I got so excited because I thought ‘Yay! Six new friends’, and then you would meet myfriends, and that would be, like, a bunch more new friendships!” All six friends stared in utter bewilderment at this excitable pony. Neither could recall ever meeting somepony who talked so fast, or said so much so fast. At last, Storm Cloud cleared her throat and said, "Nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie. My name is Storm Cloud, and these are my friends: Gregory, Mint Leaf, Chocolate Gem, Blazewing, and Firebrand." She gestured at all of her friends as she spoke, and they all made signs of salutation to her. “Nice to meet all of you!” said Pinkie, beaming. “If there’s anything you need, all you’ve gotta do is ask! I know Ponyville like the back of my hoof!" She held up her hoof, curled at the wrist, and made a show of staring fixedly at it, as though reading a map, before giggling. Blaze, still rather befuddled, managed to find his voice, as he asked, after adjusting his glasses, “Um, well, could you tell us where the hotel is, Pinkie Pie? We’d like to, er, drop off our luggage before doing anything else.” “Of course!” exclaimed Pinkie. "That's one of my Summer Sun Celebration duties, after all! Follow me, everypony!" She started hopping off, literally, like a pronking deer, then stopped. She turned to look at the confused faces of her new friends, still rooted where they stood. "Come on, sillies!” she called. “The hotel is this way! It’s not gonna come to you if you just stand around like that! Let’s go-go-go!” The group looked at one another, then, deciding that all they could do was follow this strange pink pony, started off in their turn, as she bounced ahead of them, singing tunelessly and happily. Author's Note Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the first chapter, The song that they sung on the train was a parody of On my way from the Movie Brother bear. So the gang have met Pinkie Pie, Next time they get to meet five new ponies who they will get to know better than they ever wanted to. Why is Firebrand being so quiet all of a sudden? Why does Princess Celestia seem so nervous? and what is that strange scroll she keeps carrying around? Find out next time in the next chapter of Mind Switch. Also a HUGE thank you to Blazewing for his help proofreading and editing this chapter, he is one of the nicest people on here.
Meet and GreetMeanwhile, far, far away, beyond the borders of Equestria, such feelings of happiness and jubilation were not being felt. A purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with light blue, was busy looking at old photographs. Her eyes rested on them one after the other, filled with bitter hatred. Her lips curled into a sneer. “Soon,” she thought to herself. “Soon, she'll know exactly how I feel; hopeless, unloved, unwanted. Just you wait, Princess. It’s only a matter of time..." Back in Ponyville, Pinkie Pie was still leading her new friends through the streets. Blaze, in particular, kept turning his head this way and that, trying to take in as much as he could see. The buildings, the streets, the ponies greeting them and smiling at them as they continued on, all of this seemed to make his brown eyes shine with delight behind his glasses. "Wonderful!" he breathed. "The atmosphere here! It's just so, so...quaint! So picturesque! There's a real charm about it! A real rustic charm! It's nothing like Cloudsdale! I've gotta jot this down!" He fished eagerly around in his saddlebags until he pulled out a notepad, many of its pages already filled up. Holding it in the crook of one hoof, he gripped a pen in the fingers of one wing and started writing feverishly. Storm Cloud rolled her eyes. Chocolate Gem giggled. "What's he doing?" asked Pinkie. "Oh, don't mind him," said Mint, grinning. "Blaze can't help jotting down story ideas when the inspiration strikes him." "Yeah," said Gregory, cracking a grin himself. "He says if he doesn't do it right away, he'll forget." "It's happened before, I'll have you know!" Blaze retorted, looking up briefly. "We know, we know," said Gregory, rolling his eyes banteringly. "Neato!" said Pinkie. "I bet you'd get along great with Twilight, Blaze! She loves stories, too! Well, actually, she likes reading in general, but stories are still reading, right? You'd get along like peanut butter and marshmallows!" Firebrand gave her a bewildered look. "Peanut butter and marshmallows?" he repeated. "What?" asked Pinkie, innocently. "They make for one de-lish sandwich!" Firebrand didn't seem to have a retort for this, nor did anypony else, so on they went, no more said on the subject. All of a sudden, Pinkie stopped short, having bumped into somepony. The group of six saw that it was a white unicorn with an elegantly-styled purple mane. The stallions can’t help but note that she’s quite attractive. Beside her was an orange Earth pony with a blond mane, topped with a brown Stetson, who had taken a step back in surprise at Pinkie bumping into the unicorn. “Goodness, Pinkie Pie, do watch where you’re trotting, dear,” said the unicorn, in a very elegant voice. "Sorry, Rarity,” said Pinkie. “Are you headed to Twilight's?" The unicorn, thus addressed to as Rarity, nodded and gestured towards her companion. "Applejack and I were just headed there now, actually. Twilight and Starlight have to try on the dresses I've made for them. They’re going to absolutely adore them!" Applejack rolled her eyes smilingly. Rarity, meanwhile, spied Pinkie’s guests. "Oh? Who are your companions, Pinkie?” “My new friends!" exclaimed Pinkie, eagerly. “Chocolate Gem, Mint Leaf, Storm Cloud, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand!" She pointed her hoof towards each one as they all showed some sign of greeting. Applejack tipped her hat in greeting, “Howdy, folks. I'm Applejack, and this here is Rarity." Rarity nodded her head. "Lovely to meet you all," she said, before turning her attention to Firebrand. “Firebrand, was it? Aren't you the one who is supposed to be performing?" Firebrand nodded his head, and Rarity smiled widely. “Oh, good! Fluttershy is looking for you." Firebrand gave her a puzzled look. The name ‘Fluttershy’ was new to him, as it was to the others. “I’ll, er, just take you to her,” said Rarity. “She's at the castle. Follow me." They all started off after Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack joining in. Blazewing merely paused before saying, to no one in particular, "So...no hotel, then?" "Firebrand’s being rather quiet, don't you think?" Chocolate Gem whispered to Storm Cloud. Storm Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Maybe he’s more nervous than we think." "We could ask him,” said Chocolate Gem, “but we both know he'll just shrug it off and claim we’re worrying over nothing.” "He'd tell us if something was wrong, though, wouldn't he?" Storm Cloud asked. She seemed rather unsure of herself as she looked at Firebrand. "We're here," said Applejack. Storm Cloud and Chocolate Gem looked up, and all six of them gaped at the building standing before them. It was a huge castle, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a ‘castle treehouse’, carved from crystal and peaking far into the sky. "Dude," quipped Gregory breaking the silence. “Sweet Celestia,” Blaze breathed. He even went so far as to take off his glasses, rub the lenses, and put them back on, staring in disbelief. Pinkie jumped up in front of the group. “Welcome to the Tree Chest Puzzle Map Castle!" she said, excitedly. “Huh?" was the unanimous response. Pinkie took a deep breath, and when she next spoke, her words came out in a speedy torrent of sound. “This castle appeared when my friends and I opened up a magic chest near this this tree called the Tree of Harmony, which is where Celestia and Luna got the Elements of Harmony (see the connection?), but we had to put them back since these terrible vine things were invading Ponyville! Oh, and they took Celestia and Luna, though I’m not sure how they reached all the way to Canterlot. Anyway, we all found these keys, and used the box's powers to beat Tirek!" She beamed at them all. It was clear she expected them to understand every word she had said. No such luck. The six friends looked even more baffled than ever. Applejack stepped forward. "What Pinkie means is, this castle is magic. That’s all you need to know.” Pinkie looked slightly put out at her explanation being dumbed down this way, but her frown only lasted a few seconds; she was all smiles again as Applejack knocked on the massive doors. Presently, one of the doors opened, and a small purple and green dragon appeared. “Oh, hey, Applejack!” he said, "And Pinkie and Rarity, too! You're just in time to..." He trailed off as he spotted the unfamiliar faces in front of him. "Um, who are they?” he asked. “These are my new friends," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "Is Fluttershy here?" Spike nodded, and turned to their guests. “I'm Spike, by the way. Nice to meet you.” Mint Leaf spoke up. "I'm Mint Leaf, and these are my friends: Storm Cloud, Chocolate Gem, Gregory, Blazewing and Firebrand." "Firebrand?” Spike repeated. “You must be the one Fluttershy wanted to see. I'll take you to her right away." He gestured for the others to follow him. As they stepped inside after Spike and started down the corridors, Chocolate Gem whispered excitedly to Blaze, “I can't believe we're meeting the Princess of Friendship!” “Yeah,” said Blaze, an eager gleam in his eye. “D-Do you think she'd let me interview her?” “Maybe,” said Chocolate Gem. It was then that the two of them noticed Rarity, who had been looking at the pair of them for some time. "Your name is Blazewing, right"? she asked him "Yes," he said, looking rather confused. "As in, Blazewing the writer?” asked Rarity. "Uh huh,” replied Blaze, still looking a bit puzzled. Rarity's face lit up, “Then Twilight will most assuredly be glad to meet you! She adores literature of all sorts, after all." Chocolate gave Blaze a friendly punch "Aww, Blaze has a fan!" she teased. "And it's a princess" piped in Gregory, raising his eyebrows. “Aw, cut it out, guys,” mumbled Blaze, bashfully. "We're here!” called Pinkie. The gang looked up. Standing before them were two ponies. One was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, slender and delicate in appearance, downright cute, some might say. She looked slightly timid in the face of so many new faces. Standing beside her was a purple alicorn with a dark blue mane, streaked with purple and pink, her face alight with benevolence and cleverness. It was none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle herself. “Welcome, everypony,” said Twilight. “I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and this is my friend, Fluttershy.” “Hello, everypony,” said Fluttershy, in a very sweet and mild-toned voice. Pinkie made the introductions, and the six friends greeted Twilight and Fluttershy, unable to keep themselves from bowing to the former, calling her ‘Your Highness’. Twilight looked rather sheepish about this. “Oh, please, there’s no need for all that,” she said, modestly. “Just call me Twilight. It’s wonderful to meet all of you.” “Firebrand?” asked Fluttershy, addressing the stallion in question. “I need you to come with me. We have to check your stage to make sure everything you need is ready for your performance. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, but it never hurts to make sure, right?" she added, smiling. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” said Firebrand, nodding. “I appreciate that.” “I'll come, too, Flutters,” said Applejack, “in case ya’ll need help with anything." The three departed together. Twilight, now looking quite excited, turned her attention towards Blaze. “Are you really Blazewing?” she asked, eagerly. “As in, Blazewing, the famous writer?” Blaze blushed a little, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, I don't know about ‘famous’, Princess Twilight." Chocolate piped up, nudging Blaze in the ribs, “Ahh, he's just being modest. Blaze is a great writer! One of the best writers in all of Equestria, I'd say!” Blaze's face turned a deep shade of scarlet. "Gem..." he muttered, his eyes directed at the ground. Chocolate just grabbed him and pulled him close, the way an overeager sister hugs her brother. "Blaze wanted to know if he could interview you, Princess!” Blaze’s eyes widened and snapped upwards to look at Twilight. He seemed both taken aback at Gem abruptly stating his desire, and pensive about what answer the princess could possibly give. Twilight, however, smiled broadly. “Sure! Is now alright?" Blaze, looking dumbstruck, nodded. Gem giggled and ruffled his mane. “Great!” said Twilight. “Just follow me to the study." She then said to Rarity, “I'll have to try on the dress later, Rarity.” “Of course, darling,” said Rarity. “I have three more dresses and three suits to make, anyway." She turned towards the mares. "I'll need your measurements, so if you could please follow me. As for you, Gregory," she added, turning to the griffin, "I will get yours in a bit." "Ooh, do you wanna help me bake?" Pinkie asked Gregory, getting so close that she was practically in his face. "Um, sure, sounds fun," said Gregory, shrugging. "Yay!" The pink Earth pony grabbed the surprised griffon and dragged him off towards the kitchen. “Spike,” said Twilight, turning to her dragon assistant, “let in any other guests that arrive, and let me know when Princess Celestia gets here." “Got it,” said Spike, saluting. “Alright, then. We'll all meet back here in a few hours." Everypony agreed and headed off in their respective directions. Meanwhile, outside, a chariot came down from out of the sky with a bump and clatter of hooves from its steeds. Princess Celestia herself stepped out, glancing down at a scroll held in her magic. An anxious frown disturbs her normally tranquil face. "I certainly hope you are able to help me, Twilight." she whispered to herself. "You're my one hope right now..." Author's Note hope you enjoyed the 2nd chapter! the 3rd one should be out soon enough. thanks for reading
Final PreperationsAs Applejack finished putting up the last speaker, Fluttershy, who had been looking over the music prepared for that night, said to Firebrand, “Umm, I think you're missing a song." “Huh?” asked Firebrand, looking puzzled. “That’s odd. I was told I only needed two songs." “Oh, dear,” said Fluttershy. “There must have been a mix-up when we made arrangements. “Well, what are we gonna do?” asked Applejack Suddenly, the sound of somepony singing reached their ears. They looked at each other, then rushed outside. Chocolate Gem was trotting along, singing to herself, but in a way not even her friends had ever heard before. The three ponies exchanged awestruck looks. “Wow, Chocolate Gem, you sound amazing!” Fluttershy exclaimed, unable to hold it back. Gem looked startled at having been overheard, then blushed shyly. “Huh? Oh, um, I'm just average," she mumbled. “What, are you kidding?” asked Firebrand, grinning at her. “You’re incredible! Why didn't you tell us you could sing like that?" Gem swung her leg awkwardly, looking down at the ground. “I kind of have stage fright," she said. Firebrand looked surprised at this. Gem was normally one of the most outgoing (even eccentric) ponies he’d ever known. “But you sing with us all the time," he said. “Yeah, but, you guys are my friends,” said Gem. “It's not like I'm singing in front of an audience or alone." Firebrand put a consoling hoof on her shoulder. “You won't be alone,” he said. “We'll all be there. You wanna know something else?” Gem nodded, curious. “Well, don't tell anyone I said this, but...I used to have stage fright as well." Gem’s jaw dropped. “R-Really? But you perform all the time!" “That doesn't mean I don't get nervous,” said Firebrand. “Before I could start performing, I had to do a pre-show in front of Ink Rose in order to work up the courage to perform in front of a large audience." “It’s up to you, of course,” said Fluttershy, “but we’d be honored if you could sing for the Celebration.” Applejack nodded, smiling. Gem pondered over this. At last, she said, “I guess one song wouldn't hurt, but only if you’re ok with it, Firebrand." “Are you kidding?” asked Firebrand. “Absolutely!" “Well, alright, then!" said Gem, smiling. "Well, now that that's settled,” said Applejack, “we best be heading back to the castle." The gang agreed with a collective nod, and started making their way back. When the foursome arrived, it was to find that more ponies had shown up. They could see Princess Cadence of the Crystal Empire, her husband Prince Shining Armor, and their daughter Flurry Heart, who was sleeping gently in a magically-levitating basket. Their crystaller, Sunburst, was deep in conversation with Starlight Glimmer, his old friend and Twilight’s pupil. Princesses Celestia and Luna had also arrived, the latter speaking with Pinkie Pie, the former deep in serious conversation with Twilight. “So, this scroll just appeared randomly, and you have no idea who it's from?” Firebrand heard Twilight ask. “I'm afraid so,” said Celestia. “I do recognize the language, however: a very ancient one that very few remember." “I think I might be able to translate it,” said Twilight, her brow furrowed as her eyes roved over the aforementioned scroll, “and then we can figure out what this is all about." “Thank you Twilight,” said Celestia, “but for now, let's worry about the celebration, I don't want the others to worry." “I understand,” said Twilight, nodding. Firebrand and Chocolate Gem looked at each other, at a loss to understand what was going on. However, they resolved to act as if they hadn’t just overheard, if Princess Celestia didn’t want this interfering with the proceedings. Meanwhile, outside Equestria, the purple alicorn was pacing back and forth in her chamber. “Spark!” she yelled. “Inferno! Kindle! Come here!" At this command, three small dragons came running or flying in. “Yes. mistress!" they all said in unison. "I need you three to travel to Ponyville,” said their mistress. “You need to find Princess Celestia and make sure she reads the scroll I sent her out loud. Also, make sure this little guy is on her when she does." She held out a small jar and handed it to Spark. "Yes, mistress. We will do our best," said Spark, bowing. Spark, Inferno and, Kindle were three dragon siblings that the young mare had taken care of since they were just eggs. Spark, the eldest of the group, was a serious-minded female who usually had to keep her brothers in line. Next was Inferno, who was, to put it mildly, excitable. He tended to be loud and jump into things before thinking. Kindle was the youngest, and the most loyal to their mistress. He was a kind soul, and tended to do all of the cooking and cleaning, not because he was forced, but because he liked to. “Uh, Mistress,” Kindle spoke up, “not to be rude or anything, but won’t three dragons stick out in a crowd of ponies?” “I understand your concern, Kindle,” said the alicorn, “but I've already planned for that." With a flare of her horn and three flashes of bright light, all three dragons were suddenly transformed into pegasus ponies, still bearing their original colors, but indistinguishable from normal ponies. “There we are,” said the alicorn, with a satisfied smile. “Now you shan’t fall under suspicion.” “Whoa! I have hooves!" yelled Inferno, excitedly. "This is so cool!" Spark rolled her eyes in irritation. “Yes, yes,” said their mistress, a slight bite of impatience to her voice. “Just make sure you don't forget your mission. I’m counting on you three." “Yes, mistress!" And with that, the three dragons-turned-pegasi flew off. “Um, Spark?” asked KIndle. “Hmm?” “Where IS Ponyville?” Spark opened her mouth to answer, then closed it, before saying, awkwardly, “Actually, I haven’t a clue." Author's Note phew third chapter is finally out! if you all want to see what our three dragons look like in Pegasi form I'm planning on posting that to my devianart under the same name. Already there are Chocolate Gem, Storm Cloud and Mint Leaf for any of you who are interested. maybe If I can figure out how to draw better or find someone who can I can get them in their dragon forms. until then see you in the next chapter!
the galaThe Summer Sun Celebration was well underway, with ponies attending from all over. The Princesses were greeting guests, Firebrand was playing a spectacular rock piece, and several ponies were dancing. Blaze was happy just writing as much as he could down in his notebook. “This’ll make for a great story!” he thought, eagerly. “Alright, all you couples out there!” called Firebrand over the noise. “This one’s for you, so grab your partner.” He began to play a slower, almost waltz-like piece. Everywhere, ponies we're partnering up. Gregory turned to Storm Cloud and cleared his throat awkwardly. “Would you, um, like to dance?” he asked. Storm Cloud considered him for a second or two, then gave him a small smile. “Sure.” The two of them joined the mass of couples already dancing. Spike had found a more than willing partner in Applejack; Fluttershy was being swept along, giggling, by Discord, Master of Chaos, dressed eccentrically, but dapperly; Rarity and Fancy Pants, the most prominent member of Canterlot society, were looking positively awe-inspiring together; and Pinkie Pie and her fellow party pony, Cheese Sandwich, were surprising many with how seriously they were treating such a dance, far outside their usual natures. At this moment, three pegasi walked into the party, very much out of breath. “I-huff-told you to take-huff-a left turn back in Griffinstone!” whispered Spark, angrily. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you. These wings are really loud,” Inferno whispered back. “So, uh, which one is Celestia, guys?” Kindle asked, poking his head in between his siblings. “I (italic)think(/italic) she's that tall white one over there,” said Spark, squinting through the crowd. “How would you know?” asked Kindle. “Just a hunch,” said Spark, shrugging. “You know, guys,” whispered Inferno, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, “Mistress said to complete the mission, but she never said how long it had to take. Why don't we enjoy this party first, huh? Heheh.” Spark frowned. “I don't know…” she said, doubtfully. “Pleeeeeeeeassse?” begged her two brothers, adding puppy-dog eyes just to increase the effect. Spark sighed. “Ugh, fine, but I'd better not regret this…” “Oh, look!” said Inferno, pointing. “The purple one’s about to say something.” As Firebrand finished his piece, Twilight trotted up onto the stage. “Good evening, everypony,” she said, beaming around at everyone. “I hope you are enjoying this year’s Summer Sun Celebration.” This was met with wild, enthusiastic applause. “I am pleased to announce that a new friend of mine will be singing for us tonight. So, without further ado, here she is, all the way from Canterlot: Chocolate Gem!” “Woohoo!” “You go, girl!” “Go, Gem!” The cheers and yells of Gem’s friends could be heard above all others. However, nopony was showing up on stage, and the tumult began to die down in puzzlement. Twilight, looking nervous, whispered to Brand, “Where is she?” “I have no idea,” he whispered back, then, out loud, he asked “Has anyone seen Chocolate Gem?” Several ponies shook their heads. Her close friends were looking concerned. “Wait!” said Rainbow Dash. “I think I saw her out in the gardens. I'll go check.” She flew off. Twilight was left standing on stage, looking rather awkward in the midst of so much silence. “Erm, well, while Rainbow Dash goes to find her, for now, uh…” There was a flutter of wings, and Gregory alighted onto the stage, brim full of confidence. “Allow me, Princess,” he said. “Fillies and gentlecolts, enjoy!” He was soon, ahem, ‘gracing’ the audience with a rather loud, and very much off-key, rendition of ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’. Ponies and guests everywhere were wincing and covering their ears. “Oh, (italic)this(/italic) is getting its own chapter,” Blaze muttered, teeth clenched. The noise carried outside, loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear. She cringed. “I'd better find her fast,” she thought. “Nopony deserves to suffer through that…” Suddenly, she spotted her. Gem was indeed out in the garden, singing softly to herself. “(italic)Looking out a stained glass window…(/italic) Oh, I can't do this..." “Really? Cuz you sound amazing to me.” Gem looked up, surprised. “Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here?” “I’m here to get you,” said Rainbow, becoming slightly stern. “How could you leave everypony hanging like that?” Gem bit her lip, looking anxious. “I changed my mind,” she said. “I can't go up there. What if I’m terrible?” “Hey, now,” said Rainbow, in a gentler tone, “what kind of talk is that? From what I’ve heard, you’re an amazing singer! Nopony’s gonna judge you badly if you’re not perfect. You’ll do just fine. Besides, it’s not like you’re gonna be by yourself. We’ll all be there for ya.” Gem considered this for a moment. She thought of herself, up there on stage, in front of hundreds, thousands of ponies...and then she thought of her friends, her closest, dearest friends, standing amongst the crowd, cheering her on, smiling up at her...It made her feel warm inside. She turned to Rainbow with a new gleam of confidence in her eyes. “All right,” she said. “I’ll give it a try.” “That’s the spirit!” said Rainbow, grinning. “Plus, I'm not sure how much longer everypony can take Gregory's performance.” Gem giggled. “I know what you mean. He’s an amazing dancer, but singing...not so much.” Rainbow chuckled, and with that, the two ran back into the party. “Found her!” called Rainbow. Gem’s friends looked up, smiling at the sight of their friend. Twilight looked immensely relieved, and rather hastily pushed Gregory away from the mic. “Thank you, Gregory, for your, um, interesting performance,” she said, “but now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Chocolate Gem!” “Woohoo!” called Mint Leaf. “Yes!” yelled Firebrand. “You go, Gem!” shouted Blaze. Chocolate Gem walked up on stage, stood before the mic, and took a deep breath. “Ok, you can do this, Gem,” she muttered. “Just breathe." After a few tense seconds, she began, (italic)Looking out a stained glass window Down below, the carts in the city go rushing by I sit here alone and I wonder why Friday night, everypony's grooving I can feel the beat, but it’s soothing heading down I search for the beat in this crazy town Downtown, the fillies are going Downtown, the fillies are growing(/italic) “Hey, let's help her out!” shouted Sweetie Belle, suddenly. “Yeah!” said Scootaloo and Apple Bloom in unison, and before anypony knew it, Chocolate Gem had received accompaniment by three very eager little fillies. (italic)We're the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We're the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music around(/italic) The three beamed up at her, and she beamed back, a whole new energy lighting up her features. In the crowd, the elder sisters (and sister-figure) of those fillies could do nothing but smile with pride. (italic)Bright lights, the music gets faster Look, boy, don't check on your watch, not another glance I'm not leaving now, honey, not a chance Won't stop, so give me no problems Much later, baby, you'll be saying nevermind You know life is cruel, but our friends are kind Come along to our new story Everypony deserves some glory We’re the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We’re the kids Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music go round (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Sing! (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Come closer, honey, that’s better Don’t wanna let you go without a fight Oh, don’t try to leave, you know that’s not right Outside, a new day is dawning Outside, the fillies are playing everywhere I don't want to go baby Baltimare to Fillydelphia There's a new wave coming to greet ya We’re the kids in Equestria (oh-oh) We’re the kids Equestria (oh-oh) Everypony live for the music go round (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) Sing! (La la la la-la la-a La la la la-la la) We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in Equestria(/italic) As Chocolate Gem finished her song, everypony cheered, but nopony came close to the volume and wildness of her friends. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, huskily. “Thank you, everypony.” Firebrand ran up on stage at this point, and, taking her hoof in his, raised it high. “Let's give it up once again for my friend, Chocolate Gem!” The applause became even louder and wilder. “Thank, Brand,” Gem said, tears still lingering in her eyes. “For what?” asked Firebrand. “For believing in me.” Brand smiled. “Anytime.” The two hugged, and the cheers grow even louder, if that was even possible. Twilight stepped forward once again. “Thank you so much for that spectacular performance, Gem,” she said. “And now, everypony, it’s time to watch Princess Celestia raise the sun!” There was a great excited uproar as everypony rushed forward to get a better view. Meanwhile, three pegasi, two of whom had been blown away by Gem’s performance, while the third didn’t seem all that impressed, headed off towards Twilight's castle to figure out their next move. Their mistress, meanwhile, was watching them through a magic mirror, her eyes fixed intently upon it. “They never were good at turning down a party,” she sighed, “especially when free food is involved. Ah, well, I suppose I can let this slide.” She took her eyes off her mirror to look over her bookshelf, and suddenly, she noticed a brown book that hadn't been there before. Not to her recollection, at any rate. “Hmm? What's this?” Taking it down, she started browsing through the pages. Suddenly, she stopped, something within apparently catching her notice. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, now, this could change everything….” Author's Note alright so for those of you who don't know, Kids in Equestria is based on the song kids in America, also wherever there is a ( ) around the words is where the CMC are singing. see you in the next chapter
switchedAs the group headed back towards the castle, talking excitedly amongst themselves, Twilight, falling in step with Celestia, whispered to her, “Don't worry, Princess. We'll figure out what that spell means.” “Thank you, Twilight,” said Celestia, “and I have a feeling we’re going to need the help of your friends.” She glanced over at the six newcomers as she said this. “All of them.” Twilight nodded, seeming to comprehend what her former mentor meant. “You know you were great!" Rainbow Dash told Gem, eagerly, causing the latter to blush. "Thanks,” she said, modestly. “I couldn't have done it without you, Rainbow Dash.” “Huh?” said Rainbow, puzzled. “But I didn't do anything.” “Of course you did,” said Gem. “You believed in me when I didn't. And besides,” she added, “I had to save them from Gregory's singing!” “Hey!” Gregory chimed in, though it was clear he was only pretending to sound offended. The three of them laughed, earning them strange looks from the rest of their confused companions, who didn’t know what they were so amused about. Once the gang where within the safety of the castle, Celestia handed Twilight a scroll. “All right, everypony, let's have a look at this.” Everypony gathered around to listen. Just at that moment, however, there was a knock on the door. Without looking up from the scroll, Twilight called out, “Spike, can you get that?” Obediently, Spike left, returning a few seconds later to report, “There are three ponies here asking to see Princess Celestia.” Celestia looked up, “I’ll see what they want,” she said, following Spike out. Blaze, who was standing closest to Twilight, leaned over to get a better look at the scroll, so close that they were shoulder-to-shoulder. Twilight must’ve known he didn’t mean any harm by it, so she didn’t protest. “Wow, I’ve never seen writing like that before,” Blaze said, adjusting his glasses. “What does it mean?” “I have no idea,” said Twilight. “I don't recognize the language.” “I'm sure you'll figure it, out, darling,” said Rarity, before turning her attention to Storm. “Oh, my! Your mane is all tangled! Let me help you with that, dear.” “Thanks.” While waiting for Twilight to crack the code, the others found ways to keep themselves occupied. Applejack and Chocolate Gem hoof-wrestled, Pinkie and Gregory practiced a new (very complicated) hoof shake, Rainbow and Mint bumped hooves a few times out of boredom, and Firebrand and Fluttershy sat back-to-back cleaning the instruments. At last, however, Twilight's eyes widened, and she let out a gasp that made Blaze jump. “I think I've figured it out!" she said, excitedly. Careful not to light her horn, she started to read out loud, the others listening intently. νου στο μυαλό Líf til lífsins convertit en una Vous osez toucher At the conclusion of this, a white light flashed through the room, so intensely bright that it enveloped everypony inside. Meanwhile, at the front door, Celestia was met with three strange young ponies, ponies she had never seen before. It was Spark, Inferno, and Kindle. “Hello,” said Spark, in her politest tones, “My name is, uh..” She cast about for a name, then settled on, “Bird Flora, and these are my brothers, Sun House and Grass Quill. We lost an old scroll that was passed down in our family, and we were wondering if, perhaps, you had it." “And if you could read it out loud if you did!" interrupted Inferno. “We, uh, can't read," Spark quickly said, glaring at her brother. “Oh, well, I'd be happy to help you,” said Celestia, kindly, “but Princess Twilight has the scroll right now.” The threesome’s eyes widened in shock. “You don't' have the scroll?” asked Kindle, uneasily. “Oh no,” Spark muttered. “ARGH!!” Celestia, Spike, and the three dragon-ponies jumped at the sound. “Twilight!” Celestia and Spike both cried, a note of panic in their voices. The five of them rushed into the room to find the ponies and griffon in a panic. Starlight had joined them, frantically trying to figure out what was going on, but she could hardly make herself heard above the tumult. “All right, everypony, calm down!” called Twilight. There was one slight problem with this. While it certainly was Twilight’s voice, it wasn’t coming out of her mouth. Instead, the mouth that moved to speak what Twilight had just said...was Blazewing’s! Spike looked at Blaze, then Twilight, then back to Blaze in utter confusion. “Twilight, what happened to you?!” he cried. “I have no idea! I just read the spell that was on the scroll, then there was a flash, and suddenly, I'm in Blaze's body! I mean, I didn't even light my horn or anything!” “This can’t be happening!” moaned Blaze. “This has got to be a dream or something!” “Well, if it is, yer not the only one havin’ it,” said Applejack, only her voice was now coming out of Chocolate Gem's mouth. Starlight took a survey of the group of friends. She seemed to be putting two and two together based on who was with who. At last, she said. “So let me see if I’ve got this right: Twilight switched with Blaze, Applejack with Chocolate Gem, Pinkie Pie with Gregory, Rarity with Storm Cloud, Rainbow Dash with Mint Leaf, and Fluttershy with Firebrand?” “Pretty much,” said Mint. “But why is this happening?!” asked Firebrand, frantically. All of the ponies started to work themselves into another frenzy, the most common exclamations being about their familiar body parts and appendages now being gone or different. Gregory in particular was in hysterics over losing his talons (i)and(/i) his wings. “Everypony calm down!” yelled Applejack, reducing them all to silence. “Now, Ah’m sure there’s an explanation for all this and a way to fix it.” Everypony looked expectantly, beseechingly towards Princess Celestia, who had remained silently stunned at the scene before her, but now sighed deeply. “I do recognize this magic,” she said, solemnly. “It is an ancient spell from long ago, although I thought, or rather hoped, it had been long lost.” “Wait a sec,” Spike cut in. “Has anypony seen the three pegasi who were just here?” The three ‘pegasi’ were indeed absent. Everypony rushed out into the entrance hall, only to see Spark, Kindle, and Inferno, now reverted back into dragons, flying off into the night. “Hey! They’re not ponies at all!" yelled Rainbow Dash. “But who are they?” asked Storm. “Spike do you recognize them?"” asked Twilight. The little dragon just shook his head. Celestia frowned. “This confirms my suspicions,” she said. “I know who’s behind this. Everypony, come with me. It is time I tell all of you something I did long ago, something that I regret ever so much…” Author's Note alright so for all of your who dont' feel like googling it, here is the exact pronunciation of the spell and its English Translation, it's actually a mix of four languages Noo stuhm nello-mind to mind=greek leaf tish leafsins-Life to Life- icelandic converteet en oona-become the one- catalan voozu say touche-you dare to touch- french well next chapter we'll discover a secret about Celestia's past and a dark secret she has kept for centuries. see you there!
History“It's not entirely true that Flurry Heart is the first alicorn baby born in Equestria,” said Celestia. “Many years ago, there was another.” Everypony’s eyes widened at this. “What’s more, believe it or not, I once had a husband and child.” The collective stupefaction increased tenfold, though none looked more surprised than Twilight. It was evident that she’d never even known this. “My husband was a unicorn named Steel Wool. Of course, you all know him as King Sombra.” “WHAT!?” yelled Pinkie jumping up. “You were married to King Sombra?” She immediately sat down, however, after a look from Twilight. “He was not always evil,” Celestia continued. “He was once a normal pony like you. The two of us had a daughter we named Callista. We loved her with all our hearts. I still do.” Celestia paused, closing her eyes for a moment, as though these recollections pained her. She continued, “Then, it happened. A young unicorn discovered the secret of the windigos, and how to turn them into living, flesh-and-blood wolves. Unfortunately, the darkness that spawned from such a spell had to go somewhere. It would float around in the corners of Equestria until it found a new host to latch onto. It was particularly attracted to negative emotions.” Celestia glanced slightly at Luna, then said, “It caught Sombra after he lost a friend. He blamed himself for it, making him an easy target." “Wait, where was Luna at the time?” asked Storm “I was already being corrupted by the darkness,” said Luna, grimly. “My jealousy was turning me into Nightmare Moon.” Celestia nodded in agreement. “After I defeated King Sombra, I began to fear for Callista's life. I knew it wasn't safe for her here, so I found three dragon eggs and put a spell on them, ensuring that they would stay with her and take care of her. Once they were hatched and ready, I took Callista to a secluded area outside of Equestria, and promised to bring her back someday.”“Wait! Before you continue," said Pinkie, holding her hooves, or claws, out in a stopping gesture, "I need to get more popcorn. Be right back!" With that, she hopped off. The ponies waited, bemused, for their eccentric pink friend to return. Finally, she returned, plunking herself down with a large bowl of popcorn. “Ok, ready!” she said. Celestia, who didn’t seem at all fazed by Pinkie’s interruption, continued. “A few years ago, I tried to bring her back, but she had grown bitter. She claimed that I didn't care for her, because I never told anyone about her and did not come to get her right after I had defeated Nightmare Moon. But, it wasn't true; I was suffering the loss of my little sister at the time. Her magic had grown stronger than either mine or Sombra's over the years, to the point where she had learned to spy on the ponies of Equestria. She was able to break the spell I had put on the dragons, though it's obvious now they still stay with her. She accused me of her present state, and I feared the power of the darkness would overtake her, so I locked her there and left, much against my will.” Celestia’s normally wise and calm face was full of pain and regret at the memory. Luna came over and put her hoof comfortingly on her sister's back. At this, Celestia smiled sadly and sighed. “Upon my return, I had the young wizard unicorn try to help me find a way to capture the darkness and destroy it for good. After years of research, nothing came up. The young wizard passed on, and his research was lost. For years, I have searched for it, but all to no avail. That ancient spell that was just cast on all of you was written by Sombra before he was corrupted, and written in a journal left with Callista. The spell was cast even before you read it, Twilight. All it took was for you to read it out loud for the effect to start. I fear the spell was meant for me, and missed its target by chance." “So then, all of this is my fault?” Twilight asked, looking devastated. “No, Twilight,” said Celestia, shaking her head. “You could not have known, I should have told you not to read it out loud.” Mint looked a little confused. “Hang on a second,” she said. “We already figured out you have to touch whatever you're being switched with, so what were you going to be switched with, Princess?” At that very moment, as though Mint had said the magic words, a yellow parasprite flew out of Celestia's mane. Everyone stared at it in shock. “She wanted to switch you with a parasprite?!” shouted Rainbow in outrage. “Now that’s low! This mare is going down!” “No, Rainbow Dash,” said Celestia, firmly. “Callista is the only one who know how to reverse this spell. Therefore, you will have to seek her out to set this right. I assume she has changed her name by now, so finding her won’t be easy. I fear it will be a dangerous journey, but I know you all can do it. You have my complete faith.” Celestia’s words seemed to act as a kind of stimulant. Everypony, in spite of their swapped bodies and distressed states of mind, now bore an expression of determination. After all, if Celestia was right, how else were they going to fix this? “Alright, everypony,” said Twilight, in an authoritative tone, “let's gather some supplies and meet back here in an hour.” Everypony separated to get ready. As they did, Chocolate turned to Blaze and said, “An adventure to the unknown! I hope somepony remembers to bring snacks.” Blaze turned to look at his now rainbow-maned pegasus friend and said, frankly, “I think I'm going to need a bigger notebook for this.” One hour later, the ponies regrouped as planned, packed and prepared (hopefully) for what lay ahead. They also found, to their surprise, that the parasprite that had been planted in Celestia’s mane had now multiplied into at least a dozen. “Oops!” said Twilight. “We forgot about this little guy.” Pinkie sighed wearily. “I'll go get an accordion,” she said, and trotted off. Author's Note ok so I know this was a short chapter but I didn't' want to bore you with all the backstory stuff, (yes we will learn more as the story goes on about Callista) Now as for what she looks like well it's my OC, the one you see as my avatar on this account. I should also note that I start classes tomorrow (unless the school realized, you shouldn't' try to drive on ice) so I should be getting on a schedule soon hopefully. see you next time
the journey begins or so I have wings..now what?The group was finally ready to begin their long journey. Or, at least, they thought they were. “Does anypony know which way we should go?” asked Twilight. “Well, first, I think we ought to learn how to use our new, uh, appendages,” said Applejack, gesturing at her newly acquired wings. “That might be helpful,” said Twilight. “If we have to force Callista to switch us back, we should know how to use our new wings and horns.” She glanced at Blaze, who nodded and turned to the others. “I can teach flying, and Twilight can teach magic,” he said. “Good idea,” said Rainbow Dash. “That’s usually my thing, but I kind of need to learn this magic stuff first.” The lessons soon began, Blaze and Twilight taking charge. It didn’t take long, however, for everypony to see that this was going to be a lot of work. “No, no, no Rainbow!” exclaimed Twilight, in exasperation. “I told you, you have to feel the magic. Let it build up inside, and then let it go. Now, concentrate and try again.” “Ok, Mint, you’re doing good,” said Blaze, patiently, “but, er, let's try actually flapping your wings this time. Hopping on the spot and flapping your legs isn’t quite the same thing.” “Ugh, this is impossible!" groaned Mint, collapsing onto the ground. “I wish I had my horn back.” “We all wish we had our old bodies back, sugarcube,” said Applejack, gently. “I could do without these wings. They'd just get in the way of my bucking.” “Well, at least some of us are getting used to our new bodies,” said Mint, gesturing over at Pinkie and Gregory, who were amusing themselves by playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt. After what seemed like an eternity (but was actually only about ten minutes), Blaze and Firebrand seemed to have a handle on their new abilities. Firebrand could fly with relative ease, and Blaze had at least mastered some basic unicorn spells, though he wasn’t too willing to try teleporting just yet. The girls, however, were still having some trouble. “That's it! I give up!” yelled Mint. “Hear, hear,” said Rarity, grumpily. Gregory watched them with a concerned look on his face. He whistled to get Firebrand and Blaze’s attention. “Guys, over here!” he called. “What is it?” they both asked, coming over. Gregory pulled them in closer to form a huddle. “The girls are in serious need of a cheer-up,” he said. “We need some serious motivation out here, something to get them back in the spirit.” “Well, sure, but how?” asked Brand. “I have an idea,” Gregory told them. “Just follow my lead.” He made his way back toward the girls. All of a sudden, rather ominous music started playing from nowhere. “Uh, where did that come from?” asked Storm. The others just shrugged their shoulders, until Gregory started to sing. This time, however, he surprisingly didn't sound bad this time. Perhaps it had something to do with having Pinkie’s body, as Pinkie was well-known for her spontaneous (and well-sung) musical moments. Just a small town mare Living life without a care She took the midnight train Going anywhere Blaze understood in an instant, and, without missing a beat, took the next verse. Just a city colt Wishing that life just halt He took the midnight train Going anywhere Firebrand shrugged his shoulders as he took the last verse. )A singer in a crowded room The smell of cider and perfume For a smile they can share the night It goes on and on and on and on And now, much to the girls’ surprise and amazement, the three guys all joined together for the chorus. Fillies waiting Up and down Ponyville Their shadows searching in the night Starlight ponies Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in the night Gregory took the next part. Working hard to get our fill Just to learn this brand new skill Firebrand continued on. Giving anything to change us back Before we crack Blaze took the next part, glancing at Mint as he did so. You will fly, you will soar No need to worry anymore The three guys sang together We will always be here by your side For our friendship it will never end Fillies waiting Up and down Ponyville Their shadows searching in the night Starlight ponies Living just to find emotion Hiding somewhere in thenight Gregory held onto the last night for a while, before breaking out into air guitar, which somehow sounded like a real guitar. Don’t stop believing Hold on to that feeling Starlight ponies Oh-oh-ohhh Don't stop believing Hold on... Starlight ponies Oh-oh-ohh Don't stop believing Hold on to that feelin, Starlight ponies The music slowly began to fade out, but the girls, completely enthralled, continued jamming out. “All right!” cried Mint, leaping into the air. “I feel motivated! Let's try this one more time!” “Uh, Mint, don't look now, but you're flying!” exclaimed Storm. Mint looked down, and noticed that she wasn't back on the ground like she should be. She looked behind her, and saw that her new wings were indeed keeping her aloft. Her face lit up. “I'm doing it! I'm doing it!” she screamed happily. Bolstered by the song and Mint’s success, the others began to follow suit. Soon, everypony had managed to grow accustomed to their swapped bodies, and the real journey could finally start. Pinkie, meanwhile, was reading the scroll containing the switching spell, peering at a spot on it through narrowed eyes. “Hey, guys!” she called. “I found some small print on the switching spell scroll! Listen!” And she began reading it aloud. The others panicked. Who knew what might happen now?! “Wait, Pinkie! No!" they all cried. But they were too late. There was another flash of light. When it cleared, Pinkie blinked. “I don't feel any different, she said. But something was different. Her voice sounded just like Gregory’s again! Everyone gasped. “What in the-?! Did you two switch back?” exclaimed Rarity. She clapped her hooves to her mouth. Her voice had sounded a lot like Storm's. In fact, it sounded exactly like hers. “Nope,” said Gregory, who, although sounding exactly like Pinkie Pie, looked largely unconcerned, as did Pinkie. “Great, so our voices switched back, but not our minds,” said Rainbow. “Well, we can at least agree on one thing,” said Gem. “This just got a whole lot more entertaining.” Her friends just laughed in agreement. Meanwhile, over in Raven Sky's territory, she was watching the events unfold in her magic globe, a smile of cold amusement on her face. “Well, she's right,” she said aloud to herself. “That is more entertaining." She turned off her magic globe for a moment and trotted over to her bookshelf. She pulled out one particular book, which opened a secret compartment within. Inside lay her father's journal. She took it out, and started flipping the pages. “Kindle, Spark, Inferno!” she barked, and her three dragon friends all rushed in “Yes, Mistress?” they all replied in unison. “I have a job for you.” She handed each one of them a small ring, and after they had all slipped these onto their claws, she continued, “With these, you can change your appearance and voice to whomever and whatever you want. Now, here is what I need you to do.” She pulled her friends in closer and whispered her plan to them. “But, I don't understand,” said Spark. “It's a bit difficult for me to explain,” said Raven, “Let's just say that in order to cast this spell, we need these twelve elements to be present.” The three dragons, though obviously still confused, just nodded and flew off in different directions, planning on how they would try to bring out these new elements. Back in Ponyville, the group had finally decided to start heading west. Why? It seemed logical to them. As they walked, Mint noticed that Gem was looking a bit absentminded. "Hey, Gem, are you alright?" she asked. “Huh?” Gem looked up into her concerned friend’s face. “Oh! Uh, yeah, sorry, Mint.” Mint saw her eyes flit toward Blaze, walking near the head of the pack with Twilight. She smiled knowingly. “Let me guess,” she said. “You still haven't gotten over your crush on Blaze yet.” Gem, her cheeks going scarlet, rushed to put her hoof over the Pegasus's mouth. “Shh!” she hissed. “Don't go telling all of Equestria!” “I don't know why you don't' just tell him.” Gem bit her lip. “I'm afraid,” she confessed, half-whispering, half-exclaiming. “What if he doesn't like me back, and then it ruins our friendship?” Mint placed her hoof on the poor mare's shoulder. “That won't happen,” she said, gently. “Trust me.” In time, the group approached a rather large cave, one with six entrances. They looked at each other. “So, which one do we take?” asked Rainbow. “We should split up,” said Mint, quickly and rather loudly. “I'll go with Rainbow, Firebrand can go with Fluttershy, Rarity can go with Storm, Applejack can go with Twilight, and Blaze can go with Gem.” “Sounds good to me,” said Twilight, quite impressed. “What are you doing?!" whispered Gem, frantically, to Mint. “Trust me on this one,” Mint whispered back. “Now you can tell him how you feel!” Gem didn’t know whether or not she wanted to kick Mint for this, but it was too late. The group was splitting into their chosen pairs, and each was choosing an entrance. “Well, Gem, shall we take door number three?" asked Blaze, turning to his friend. “Oh, yeah, sure,” said Gem, her cheeks still a bit pink. With their entrances chosen, the six pairs delved into the cave, one step closer to the strange alicorn princess and their new destiny. Blaze and Gem had chosen the third from the left, and had disappeared into darkness, but only for a few seconds. An unexpected light shone further on. They quickened their steps, then came to a halt, mouths falling open. “Woah!” breathed Blaze. “Check this out!” The chamber they were standing in was filled with beautiful crystals of all sorts of colors, and a huge, sparkling pond sat in the center, as smooth and still as glass. “It's wonderful!” exclaimed Gem, in awe. As she looked about her, taking in the breathtaking sight, she suddenly realized what she needed to do. Something about this room seemed to make it the right time. She glanced over at Blaze, cleared her throat, and said, a bit hesitantly, “Uh, Blaze, there's something I wanted to tell you. Uh..you see...I..” She was struggling to find the right words. However, to her disappointment, Blaze wasn't even listening to her. He was too busy writing feverishly in his notebook, gripped in his new horn-powered telekinesis. He stopped for a moment and glanced up at Gem. “Did you say something, Gem?” he asked. Gem looked away, sadly. “Uh..No.” Blaze looked at her for a second or two, slightly puzzled, shrugged, then went back to writing. Gem trotted over to a small area right by the pond and looked down into it. A single tear fell from her eye as she began to sing. [i)]Guess I wasn’t the first mare too scared To try and tell him how I feel No matter how I try There's just no getting over you You know I’m just a fool who's willing To trod around and wait for you But Blazewing can’t you see There’s nothing else that I can do I’m hopelessly in love with you But now I can’t even try To tell you how I feel My feelings stay inside I’m hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you My head is saying don’t even bother My heart is saying tell the truth Keep trying till the end That’s what I intend to do I’m hopelessly in love with you But now I can’t even try To tell you how i feel My feelings stay inside I’m hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you Hopelessly in love with you “What's a girl to do?” Gem whispered softly to herself. Author's Note sorry for the long wait for this chapter guys, been soo busy lately with classes. and then I had this medical issue I had to deal with but I'm fine now so though I've tried to make it clear who sings when it's a bit difficult so I color coded the lyrics to make it easier Red=Firebrand Blue=Blazewing green= Gregory Yellow=all three also two songs in one chapter! bet you didn't' expect that to happen. the first song is based on the song Don't stop believing by Journey and the 2nd one on the song hopelessly devoted to you from the musical Grease. see ya guys next chapter
Cave TrialsIn one section of the cave, Rarity and Storm had found themselves in front of a small gnome, who was standing directly in their way, and looking very grumpy. “So, if you could just let us pass, please," said Rarity, in her most polite and gentle tone, “we would be ever so grateful.” “No,” grumped the gnome, crossing his tiny arms. “Why not?” asked Storm, calmly. "Cause I don't feel like moving," he said, sitting down. Something in his attitude told the two that he wasn’t going to budge easily. Rarity groaned and turned to her friend. “What do we do now?” she asked. Storm looked thoughtful for a moment or two as she paced up and down, the gnome’s eyes following her as he continued to look stubborn and sour. And then, suddenly, her face lit up, and Rarity could almost swear she saw a light bulb flash over her head. Storm walked up to the grumpy gnome and said, “Listen, if we can make you laugh, will you let us pass?” she asked Rarity looked astonished. That wasn’t the solution she had been expecting. The little gnome thought this over for a moment, and then, nodded his head. “Alright, miss. You have yourself a deal.” Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Firebrand had found themselves at a fork in the road, literally. “Who leaves an actual fork sticking in the road?” asked Firebrand, peering at it with an incredulous look on his face. Fluttershy simply shrugged her shoulders and bent down to pick up the fork. It wouldn't budge. “It's stuck,” she said. “What? Here, let me try.” Firebrand reached down and took hold of it. He struggled as he yanked and pulled at it, until finally, he pulled it loose. He held it up, a triumphant grin on his face. “See? Nothing to it,” he said. At that moment, the cave was filled with an ominous rumbling noise. The two looked at each other, the smile gone from Firebrand’s face. “Um what was that?” asked Fluttershy, nervously. Her question was soon answered as, with a loud crack, the ground broke beneath them, and they fell deeper down into the cave. Over by Pinkie Pie and Gregory, the two seemed to be going in circles. “Ooh, look! It's that rock that looks just like a frog!” exclaimed Pinkie, in delight. “But didn't we see that rock, like, five minutes ago?” asked Gregory. Pinkie nodded her head sadly, the knowledge of this wiping the joy from her face. “There has got to be a way out of here,” she said. The two looked around for anything that might clue them to the way to go on, something...out of the ordinary. No sooner did they wish this, however, than they saw something that made them wish they hadn’t… Back with Chocolate Gem and Blazewing, the two were trying to find a path to take them through the rest of the cave. “Maybe we should just make our own path or something,” said Gem. “I mean, you do have alicorn magic now.” She was doing her best to avoid looking into Blaze's eyes as she said this. Blaze found it a bit odd, but he made no mention of it. “I don't know,” he said, frowning. “I just feel there must be something we’re missing here.” “The others are probably already through and wondering what happened to us,” said Gem. “Not if their paths are as confusing as ours,” said Blaze. Gem just sighed and stared up at the ceiling. Something about it soon began to pique her curiosity. And then, her eyes widened, she seemed to understand. “Hey, is it normal for sunlight to shine through cave ceilings?” she asked. Blaze looked over, surprised. “No,” he said. “Why?” Gem pointed silently, and Blaze’s eyes traveled up to where she was pointing. He gasped. Sunlight was shining through in various small gaps in the cave ceiling. The two friends were too stunned for words. They simply looked at each other and smiled broadly. Finally, they’d found a way out! Now, there was just one problem: how were they going to fit through those holes?... After their harrowing fall, Fluttershy and Firebrand had found themselves in a small pocket inside the cave. Firebrand sat up, but Fluttershy didn’t move. “Fluttershy? Are you alright” Firebrand asked, concerned, as he put a hoof to her shoulder and shook her. Finally, to Firebrand’s enormous relief, Fluttershy coughed a few times and managed to sit up. “Yes, I’m alright,” she said. “What about you?” Firebrand just nodded, then started to glance around the room. “Where are we anyway?” he asked. “I have no idea, but I suppose we don't have much of a choice except to move forward.” So, with no alternative, the two headed deeper into the unknown territory, not knowing what awaited them just ahead… Meanwhile, in Raven's territory, the alicorn was busy watching the events unfold. “Geez, I didn't think they would actually try to pull that fork up,” she mused. “Oh, well. I suppose it can't be helped.” At that very instant, something dropped from the ceiling right in front of her. Bemused, she looked down to see what looked like a multicolored puddle on the floor. Before her eyes, something shot out of it, rising straight up, until it formed into the unmistakeable form of Discord, Spirit of Chaos, and best friend of Fluttershy’s, stroking his tufty beard as he contemplated Raven. “Well, what have we here?” he asked, in his smooth and unctuous voice. “A little birdie told me somepony had made trouble for my dear Fluttershy and her friends.” He snapped his fingers, and a literal bird appeared in the palm of his lion’s paw. It was tweeting shrilly, ‘Fluttershy’s in trouble! Her friend’s, too! Raven’s fault!” He snapped his fingers again, and the bird vanished. “Discord, what are you doing here?” Raven asked. The chaotic draconequus was an old acquaintance of hers, but the fact that he was now friends with one of her current victims made her slightly wary. “I figured I'd see what you were up to, but I see you are up to your old tricks again,” said Discord, casually. “That wasn’t my fault!” snapped Raven. “Princess Celestia was supposed to read the spell. It wasn't supposed to affect these ponies." Discord raised one bushy eyebrow. “Knowing you, you've already figured out how to use this to your advantage," he said, shrewdly. “Yes,” said Raven, a smile playing about her lips. “Actually, I need you to do something for me." Discord pondered her for a moment or two, his expression unreadable. Then, he shrugged. “Well, I suppose I have nothing better to do,” he said. Raven’s unpleasant smile widened, her teeth glinting. “Excellent. Here's the plan, then…” Author's Note Hiya, so in case there is any confusion since we switched the voices back, when a character is speaking its the one where their mind is, so for instance if Pinkie Pie says something, It is with Gregory's voice.
