Pony POV Series Season Two: Pearls

by Alex Warlorn

Rating: teen
Tags: Trixie, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Zecora, Main 6, Cheerilee, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad
Length: 86961

Discord is beaten, but it's the scars you can't see that take the longest to heal. Let us continue

Discord is beaten, but it's the scars you can't see that take the longest to heal. Let us continue. Every one of the mane six plus one has seems to have worked their way through their problems . . . but there are sure a lot of loose ends to tie-up, and one of these loose threads when pulled just might start unraveling everything!
The turning point between Fluttershy and Fluttercruel starts now.

Laughter, tears, smiles, actions, adventure, frights, darkness and light and heart-warmings ALL await you!

The Audio adaption Is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GqJMx6kYyU&list=PLABD0AEFCD46D56DA&feature=plcp
ORIGINAL fan-art, ORIGINAL fan-music and VOICE ACTORS galore await!

I promise this will be one ride that will not disappoint.

Recursive fanart and fan stories are here. http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-FiM-Pony-POV-Series-Fanworks-audio-adaption-274110361 Many are rubber stamped by me as optional canon stories that reveal some of other sides of these stories.

Tropes page found here. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/PonyPOVSeries

Published 2012-06-29 06:24:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-12-23 19:30:16 UTC

Episode 11: "Difference Between The Steed And The Alicorn"

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Healing Pony POV Series
"The Alicorn and the Steed"

I remember how I was born. How many ponies can say that? Oh right, I'm not a pony. And I wasn't born: born means you grew, you started as something tiny. I was made, aware and knowing the moment I came into existence. I came into existence whole and complete with nothing before it.

I don't know if the old man made me out of a piece of himself like his old man did before him, or whether I was just spun out of nothingness.

I remember being confused for the few moments after I was made, I heard words but didn't understand them, I felt sensations but had no clue what they meant.

Then everything snapped into focus as I shook my head and memories came to me. Of a life I'd never lived, of people I'd have never known, of a name I had never been called. I hear someone call that name. I recognize the voice I've never heard.

Twilight Sparkle: Nerd. Geek. Bookworm. Miss High And Mighty Magic. And now whining about something or other.

I swear I hear my thoughts being echoed inside my own head by a voice that's my own, but I ignore it.

I tell Twilight what I think of her and her magic now that she doesn't have any and give her a good whip to the face with my tail for good measure.

I see some other ponies I recognize, they're in my way, so I push them out of my way.

I remember how fun it was watching others squirm and playing others with hair triggers. I remember having fun making the geek blow-up twice at me, it was so easy!

Then the magical dodads of whatever failed to stop the draconequus, no big deal, I liked Angel the way he was right now anyway, and I didn't need these losers anyway.

Then the geek and the hayseed came to my home, and the hayseed LASSOED AND HOGTIED ME! WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? This isn't funny, because it's happening to me! Then the geek touches her horn to my head.

And my thoughts are no longer echoing, and I see memories flash in my mind of me acting like a total half-wit Snow White wannabe and having less spine than a wild flower. It made me sick.

Then I felt pieces of something inside me reconnecting themselves, pulling themselves back together, and fusing into one piece. Problem was that it was where it was forming!

I was being crushed from all sides inside my own body! I was suffocating! I panicked. My legs and wings pressed into me like clay.

You ever been squeezed out of a tube into a freezing senseless nothingness? It's every bit of fun that you think it is.

And I drifted in the void, voiceless, senseless, helpless. In a black ocean without a surface, constantly drowning.

After a month, eternity or five minutes, something changed.

I saw a pink light like a butterfly, it hurt and made me sick just to look at it! It was horrible! I didn't know what it was but it was not me! I tried to swim away from it but it was like a black hole and I was sucked in!

I see another version of myself fly by, she has such anger on her face, so badass!

I'm in the sky! I'm flying! Pulling a balloon! Why am I here? And it floods back. Anger tells me that my friends being hurt was a bad thing that I should be angry. That the draconequus is a jackass that I don't want to see get anything he wants! I want to see him hurt! I want to see him squirm! I want him to beg for mercy when I won't have any!

"That, big, dumb, MEANIE!!!"

Huh? Why did I say something as first grade as that?

I speed like lightning towards the slacker loud-mouth, hayseed manages to lasso the slack loud-mouth and I feel a coolness run over me and . . .

I'm in the blackness, drowning, AGAIN!!!

Another eternity, another forever, another moment, time had no meaning. I thrash about madly this time. Let me out. Let me out! PLEASE LET ME OUT!

The blackness suddenly has a surface and completely exhausted, my formless, shapeless self floats to the top.

Memories, someone else's memories, came crashing in, I saw myself, saw her, acting in ways I'd never act, feeling things I'd never feel, thinking thought I never would.

I was celebrating in Canterlot, no, someone else was. I was groggy as senses returned and I had legs and wings again. Or were they mine? All I knew, was that it was someone else speaking and moving.

The losers called out my name, and she responded. She was me? No, she was she, she was Fluttershy.

I wasn't anything.

I screamed.

She didn't hear me, no one did.

I finally realized where -my- memories actually started. I remember her not playing along with the draconequus, Discord, I remember her knowing she was a pathetic weakling and her brain not able to process her friends abandoning her. So Discord got angry and punched through her brain with a tap on the head.

Then my memories started. I was her, no, I was an IMITATION OF HER made to be cruel. Discord, the draconequus, had made me, and left me. Bastard.

Like a straight jacketed ghost I was dragged along inside her. Her being always so pathetically shy and sickeningly kind as she fluttered.

I finally understood the first words said to me the moment I was made, 'You've been kind for far too long my dear, time to be cruel.'

I am Cruel? As she fluttered about among her loser friends I fluttered in my infinite but at the same time skin tight prison, I fluttered?

I hear her apologize profusely for what I did. They tell her that it wasn't the real her so there's nothing to forgive.

I'm not real?

I'm just an imitation of her? I am just a cruel Fluttershy? Cruel Fluttershy. FlutterCruel?

A name. I have a name. And not a moment later after too long I feel joyful surprise. A tiny bit of myself roots into her body, my body. I can feel it twitch as I twitch! I have proof of my own exist. And I spread like a cancer, enjoying every moment of it.

Finally we're close enough that I can speak to her, that I CAN SPEAK!

I hear her thoughts. I laugh at her. I hear myself laugh on the outside! It was so sweet a feeling you have no idea you twits!

Then I spring myself on her when she got home, I let her known what I am and who I am and what she isn't. I tell her what I plan to do. She can be the 'me' that's a prisoner. I don't care if she was here first. I'm here now! And then . . . she . . . sings . . . me . . . TO SLEEP!

That was well over a month ago, a lot more so, since I was born, created. I'm still FlutterCruel, I don't like being called what's just a modification of -her- name, but my name is just about the only thing I own and I'm going to keep it.

The longest time my jailer has let me out is when I gave a bear a good beating just to work out the tension in it's shoulders when my jailer needed to give some extra harsh chiropractic care.

I've been able to force myself to the surface a few times, I'm not sure what lets me. My jailer is just as surprised as me when it happens. Like when I made sure Pinkie didn't get out of her bed early, and when grounded Rainbow Dash going psycho.

And I got a good laugh out of scaring the feathers off her during her night home alone on Nightmare Night. I actually got her mumbling 'count the shadows' by the time it was morning.

I wanted to actually go out that night, but Fluttershy must have seen it coming because she locked the doors and windows and gave the keys to Angel and told him to not give them back to her until morning. I think Angel's guessed by now that 'mommy' is of two minds now, but he's taking it in stride. He actually unlocked the door for us when we had guests though.

Having Princess Luna show up wanting voice lessons was a riot! If Fluttershy hadn't made my body go catatonic I'd have been laughing my head off! Normally I find Fluttershy's cowardice sickening, but unlike the half-pint Pipsqueak I was more interested in good laugh for my first Nightmare Night than free candy!

I can't believe I'm been cowed and subjugated by a pony whose scared of her own shadow and neglects her wings so badly it's a wonder they haven't atrophied!

At least Angel's fun to hang around with, I think I appreciate his attitude more than my jailer.

"That poor filly." My jailer said as we feed the animals. "I should go look for her too. She could be lost somewhere out there all alone." I've finally gotten used to hearing my own voice speak without me.

"Planning on giving her a lesson in manners too?" I said deadpan.

"I would if I thought she'd listen."

"That's hasn't stopped you with me." The animals have long since gotten used to me speaking to myself. I still think they looked cooler when the old man had his fun.

"I'd say it's worked fairly well. You don't want to admit it. But I can tell you've changed."

"Yes warden."

"I've been trying to help you, not imprison you."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

"You might have my memories. But you have almost no experiences of your own. You're like a filly in a mare's body sometimes. Which is rather scary when I think about it. It wouldn't be so bad if somepony became a filly again in mind AND body, cause then you're just giving them a second chance at finding themselves if their life had hit a dead end and they can't find their way out. But it would feel way too much like stealing if you just made someone a filly in mind without giving them those years to learn the world again."

"You think maybe Nightmare Moon started out the same age as Celestia, and became a Alicorn filly when she got blasted by the Elements for those reasons?" I asked off handedly curious.

"Maybe. I doubt we'll ever know for sure."

"We could ya know, ASK."

"ASK Princess LUNA about her age-?! THAT'S! I mean-let's keep looking."

We spent the evening looking for the brat. Before we finally came home and went to bed. No matter what happened, we shared the same brain, so when one of us fell unconscious so did the other, when of us dreamed, so did the other though we never saw each other's dreams. There was an infinite abyss between us there. And I was very grateful for that. It meant there was one more thing that belonged only to me and didn't also belong to my jailer.

We woke up the next morning and she had breakfast. Of course I tasted it as she was eating, but I couldn't help the feeling every time that I was being spoon feed like a toddler.

"We should go looking a bit more for Diamond Tiara today." She said with my voice.

"For a filly you don't even know and from all accounts is Gilda with hooves?"

"You like Gilda."

"You don't."

"That doesn't mean I want to see a small filly out there somewhere cold alone hungry and scared."

I growled. "Then what are you waiting for?! Go! Go! Carry as many bags of food and blankets you can and fly and do not rest until you arrive in Zebrabwa! All those starving little zebra foals! Go! Go!"

I so regretted saying that a second later from the splitting headache of Fluttershy on reaction alone trying to fly out of the kitchen in a beeline for the distant land of strips and spots and ramming her head on the door frame. UGH! Even our house is barely built for flying!

Fluttershy shook her head and trotted over to the ice box and placed a bag of ice against our head to sooth the throbbing. That felt so much better.

"I was being sarcastic." I managed to grunt.

" . . . If I could help, I would. But I'm not a rescue worker . . . and I have a responcibility to my animals."

"So dumb animals matter more than ponies who can think and speak?"

I felt a kick in my shin.

I looked down and aplogized. "Sorry Angel, didn't mean you."

"Everything alive is precious. Including you FlutterCruel. Nothing should have to suffer."

"Pssh. I'm not alive. And suffering is a part of life girl. Welcome to reality."

"It shouldn't have to be! And we really do need to look for her! She could have wandered into the Everfree Forest! That horrible place! I get shivers just thinking of it! All those poor animals force to eat each other because Everfree won't let us provide for them! It's just not natural."

" . . . you think animals eating each other on their own is not natural?" I asked drolly.

"HOW CAN IT BE? Life taking life?! Livings things are supposed to grow and propagate not destroy each other!"

I said in a completely flat tone. "Okay. That's it. You know what? I think I'll just fly to the Griffons' Dens and order a hamburger."

"WHAT?"

"Don't be such a scary-cat, griffons haven't eaten ponies in a thousand years."

"THAT'S NOT IT! And you're not!"

"Oh just watch me! Or rather, watch you!" I began to trot towards the door.

"Oh no you're not!" I tripped on my own hooves.

"Oh yes I am!" I got up and made a flying gallop before my wings spread out and stopped me dead in my tracks making me crash. Our nose throbbed now. "You're making this harder than it has to be."

"I said no!"

I crawled foreword while she dug in our back hooves.

"And I said yes!" I hissed.

"ANGEL! HELP-clean up while mama is gone. Oh and you can take out those wolf traps mama told you to throw out but you just hid under the house." I said in the most warm and loving voice I could create dripping with honey.

Angel just grinned, saluted and was a white blur off to retrieve his contraband.

Fluttershy startled. I can't blame her, I've never been able to take control like this before!

"I won't let you do something so unnatural! Think of the poor cows! I'm friends with some!"

"You are! I'm not dummy! And you aren't going to be friends with the hamburger! And are you saying dragons and griffons are unnatural then?"

"It's unnatural for ponies!"

"Ponies CAN eat meat stupid!"

"That doesn't mean they SHOULD!"

Oh no she didn't. I stopped dead in my tracks. When did Celestia crown this pony the magistrate of what was and what was not natural? Who was she to make that call? "You . . . you . . ." I said gritting my teeth. "You high and mighty, holier than thou, YOU MAKE ME SO MAD!" I snarled. My entire body went stiff standing at attention. I began shaking and rumbling like a volcano. I wondered if we were going to explode. It felt like all of Equestria was shaking. I couldn't take this anymore! I don't care if I die (oh right need to be alive for that), just let me out, let me out! LET ME- it stopped.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked around, down at myself and at my wings. Everything seemed all right.

"What happened?" I heard a voice say out of my mouth.

"I don't . . . wait . . ." I flapped in the air then did a dangerous loop de loop in doors. "No! Stop!"

I landed huffing but smiling. Could it be? Was it real?

I looked in the mirror, I saw a worried face look back. "FlutterCruel what-"

"BOO! BAH! BLABLABLA! Hahah!" I made several faces at the mirror. I giggled. "I'm the Alicorn! You're the steed! At last!" I cackled. Then I noticed something strange. "Blank?" There was no sign of her cutie mark on my haunches. Huh? How did that work? Oh well. "Well that makes things harder."

I looked through Fluttershy's closet, still filled with dresses from her model days until I found and put on a simple green saddle skirt that hid my flanks. "You know what? Forget the hamburger! Let's have a nice outing instead!" I grinned ear to ear.

I went out the front door. Which hoof first? Left or right? Oh right, I get to choose! Not her! I laughed. I fell on my back and laughed and kicked my hoofs in the air! I existed! I was! I was alive! I actually cried I was so happy. Did these make the first tears of my life?

"You stop this right now-"

"No." I said simply and she was silent. I trotted out the door and flew towards Ponyville.

"You know maybe I'll find and share with the Crusader a few drops of Witch Weed. Maybe their cutie marks are Witch Weed Dealers."

"I'LL DROWN US FIRST!" I could already feel Fluttershy ready to bite through our own tongue.

"KIDDING! Just joking! Geeze!" I laughed so hard at hearing her so uncharacteristically serious.

"What . . . are you going to do?" She asked sounding very worried. It was great.

"Same as anyone else: anything I want."

I sang.

I know this place filled with so many wonders
Casting its spell that I so remember.
Birds in the trees and the cute tough bunnies,
Me flying free tastes just like honey,
Honey~!

Oh, what a magical place,
And the other me is now out of my face!
I knew the outside had so much up its sleeve
And now that I'm here, I'll never leave.

I am me,

I don't owe anyone anythiiiiiiiiiing!

Not The End

Pony POV Series Pearls 'Lost Episode'

Why are ya askin' me ta talk 'bout this? Doesn't everypony already know? It...it might help if Ah talk 'bout it some like Ah did with Applejack? Oh-...-okay.

My name is Applebloom. Ah'm an earth pony filly from Ponyville, and one night Ah almost died. No. That ain't the whole of it. Ah was still a filly when Ah came out of the Everfree ... But Ah part of me that made me a foal was gone.

The Princess said that me bein' innocent meant that truth thingamajiggy wouldn't work on me, but she was wrong… after that night... there ain't nothin' innocent 'bout me no more.

Wanted ta tag along with Miss Twilight after Crusadin', just ta say hello ta Zecora, and it's always an adventure in the Everfree...even after...even after me and my friends nearly got caught by that Cockatrice, we ain't never been scared of the Everfree.

Now Ah almost wish Ah had been.

Zecora's a great friend. Sometimes Ah imagine bein' her apprentice like Miss Twilight is to Princess Celestia, drawing stripes on mahself, wearin' that jewelry she does, becomin' a shaman, er, witch doctor, er, whatever she is. She's fun ta learn from. But when she said we best not stay long in Everfree that night of nights, me and Miss Twilight didn't ask big questions.

Road out of Everfree was blocked by a bunch of fallen trees, don't know how that happened, it was like Everfree itself didn't want ta let us go.

Miss Twilight was busy cleanin' our way out, Ah saw this gray filly with an orange mane and a magnifying glass cutie mark. She ran when Ah spotted her.

Ah wondered what another filly was doin' in the Everfree, Ah followed, Ah didn't think it would be that far.

Sunnytown. Everypony's an Earth Pony. Everypony's blank flanks. Even the big ponies. Right in the middle of Everfree. Nopony has a clue what a cutie mark is.

Gray Hoof. Roneo and Starlet. Gladstone. Threeleaf. They were all so nice.

Ah even helped Roneo find his very-special-somepony gift to Starlet.

Mitta. Crying in her house. Sayin' this had happened over and over.

Ah didn't know what she meant then, but Ah've got a feelin' now.

Ah even helped Roneo find his gift to Starlet.

The gray filly runnin' off again. Ah thought she was leadin' me. Ah was wrong.

House locked. Findin' the key at the bottom of the well. Crank from Mitta's house(that Roneo had been blocking).

Inside.

No sign of 'er. Nothin' in the house at all except...except ...

T-thanks for the ten minute break. Ah, Ah think Ah'm good to go now.

Miss Twilight says there's no such thing as ghosts, no such thing as zombies, no such thing as curses.

At least Ah didn't believe in curses neither. Twilight said they were all just pretend and fake.

There was nothin' pretend nor fake 'bout what Ah saw: an' what Ah keep seein' in mah nightmares. In that house's fireplace.

Ah couldn't even tell what it was at first.

The fireplace...it had...it was the … the skeleton of a foal inside. Just a size bigger than me...

It was her.

It was wrong. It was so wrong.

Even in Everfree...this shouldn't happen...this couldn't happen, it was all wrong!

Ah ran away, out of that cabin, back into the rest of Sunnytown ...

It was ruins. It looked like it had been for centuries.

It was all crazy.

Creepy voices, soundin' like the towns folk. Sayin' 'she' was gonna ruin the party, that 'she' had 'the mark' and she was 'cursed.'

Threeleaf, she, she came out of the ground, blackened bones and glowing red eyes.

They said they were gonna 'protect me'. Ah'd been taught just cause somepony looks strange or nasty, doesn't mean they are nasty. Maybe this was a big misunderstanding?... Ah was so scared, Ah couldn't make heads or tails of nothin'!

Threeleaf just sat there, lookin' at me. She never once tried to grab me or chase me. Ah reached ta touch 'er.

It flashed before mah eyes as clear as if it was right in my face! Me, mah body all black, 'You'll never become like her, now you are protected, forever,' them all whisperin', all the warmth, all the life gone right of me!

Ah pulled my hoof back, and Ah ran and kept runnin', them zombies comin' out of the ground.

Roneo and Starlet...askin' me ta stay. Just...askin'. It was awful. First Seein' em so happy together, and now seein' like this ...

Mitta, not as rotten as the others. Sayin' she could have protected 'her' and didn't...that even dead the others didn't understand...that they all deserved this. Tellin' me...TA RUN FER MAH LIFE!!!

Comin' out of the ground, Ah don't know if they were other victims, the Sunnytown ponies, just skeletons or what but Ah didn't know or care! Ah just had to run run run RUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!

...

...

...

S-sorry fer makin' ya stop again...it...for a while there...Ah was...Ah thought Ah'd ...

Ah found some glowin' hoof marks, it was so dark, they were all Ah could see ...

An' Ah met 'er, the filly from before, Ah met Ruby of Sunnytown...she said she was sorry for accidentally leadin' me ta town...she said she was just curious...Ah didn't blame 'er.

She said she finally understood what her cutie mark meant, that she was good at findin' stuff, and she'd find me a way out of this mess as...as the other Sunnytown ponies...the zombies...all around...all around us...closer...closer...STAY BACK!

Big ball of light from Miss Twilight. Ruby, the zombies, the monsters, all gone. Like they'd never been there.

Twilight didn't know what happened, she only knew she didn't know what was here and it was best not to find out. We ran out of the Everfree.

Ah didn't tell 'er, Ah didn't tell anypony. They'd think Ah imagined it, or that Ah saw somethin' and just thought it was ghosts, zombies, and curses.

Ah didn't tell Applejack what my nightmares were that kept wakin' me up.

Ah tried not ta think about it.

Ah've never asked Zecora how she knew about Sunnytown, or what she knew. Ah didn't talk ta anypony.

There. Scootaloo told ya what happened on...on the day Discord turned me into...into one of them...risin' and fallin' outta the ground, grinnin' even though Ah didn't want ta ...

One part of me sayin' now Ah could be friends with Mitta and Ruby no problem, and the rest of me screamin' ...wantin' ta get away from everypony so Ah wouldn't hurt'em.

...

Trip to Canterlot. Look inta the truth with Applejack. Only a tiny glimpse compared ta what she got.

And Applejack, makin' me tell what happened. Applejack telln' me Ah was a brave pony. What was brave about runnin' away? But she told me that Ah could have just sat there and panicked, but Ah still had brains enough ta run. "That's a different kind of brave." She told me.

Can...can we stop now please? We can? Thank you kindly. That...that was really, really tirin'. Ah really don't like ta think about that.

One last question? Ah'd really... okay...Ah guess.

...

Ah made two new friends that night, and that was the only reason Ah never convinced myself it was all just my imagination.

Ah just wish Mitta and Ruby could be free of that awful place.

Can Ah, can Ah got ta bed now please? Ah...Ah got chores in the mornin' an'...thank ya kindly...just...if ya see Ruby and Mitta tell'em...tell'em that Ah'll always be their friend ...

Author's Note

Pony POV Series Reharmonization
Pearls "Lost Episode" Applebloom
By Alex Warlorn

Lunacove suggested that for those who hadn't seen or played Story of the Blanks I should write a 'lost episode' explaining the curse and circumstances of the curse of Sunnytown and Applebloom brush with death in the Everfree.

Applebloom, "Ah've never been so scared . . . even the Cockatrice never scared me so bad . . . then at least Ah had my friends . . . Ah was all alone. How could ponies who are so nice do such horrible things?"

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE check out the ton of recursive fanfics of this fanfiction series. A lot of heart went into them! They also answer a lot of unaswered questions. http://mlp-pony-pov-series.deviantart.com/ For heaven sake they rock! Kendell2 and Oracle Mask and Richforce and Ardashir and Jawmax and Persona22 and Dragon of Twilight and ItsFromPeople and all the rest!!! http://alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/journal/Pony-POV-Series-Fanworks-fanmedia-By-Category-332817406

Story of the blanks by Donitz.
http://donitz.deviantart.com/art/Story-of-the-Blanks-216207954

Cover art by Wolfy-T.
http://wolfy-t.deviantart.com/art/Story-of-the-Blanks-216714499

MLP:FIM Copyright Hasbro

Please help keep the trope page up to date and from getting lonely please. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/PonyPOVSeries

Episode 13: "Links"

Reharmonized Pony POV Series "Links"

Huh? You guys again? I thought we were done. One last set of questions? Okay I guess. Ask away at Ponyville's fastest and coolest pegasus!

How much did we all know each other before Twilight came to town? Geeze. Not sure how to answer that one. It's really funny, it feels so natural the six of us being part of a whole that it's hard to think about how it was before.

Pinkie Pie? Well, EVERYONE in Ponyville knew her, how could they -not- know her? That girl is the pony of parties and lets everything within a ten mile radius know it! Pinkie Pie never hesitates to talk about herself or others, and that might have gotten her into trouble once or twice before. But were we friends? I figured she was just a spaz with no sense of reality and couldn't separate her fantasies from real life if they bit her in the flanks.

I didn't get to know the -real- her until she took one of my pranks a lot better than most ponies do. I mean, Ponyville in general has a good sense of humor, but Pinkie Pie LOVED IT! She loved being pranked! How many other ponies do you know who can say that? So yeah, I realized she was as fun loving and attention grabbing as me but wasn't so serious about it. Of course, I didn't realize how much my friends had changed -me- until I saw my sense of humor and Gilda's were no longer really compatible. So yeah, I'd say Pinkie Pie was for the better for me.

Applejack? I'm on the weather team, Sweet Apple Acres is Ponyville's largest farm. So we knew each on a 'professional' level and we weren't unfriendly to each other. And of course we'd -both- enter every athletic competition Ponyville had, so we weren't strangers. And we were both captains of our respective sections of the Winter Wrap Ups (okay, so maybe given how we kept butting heads that wasn't a good thing). And we enjoyed how we pushed each other's limits so we didn't hate each other. But we were casual about it before, we didn't hang out when we didn't need to. But saving the world together kinda put us in the same boat, and -dang- if there was one member of the 'save the world team' I got along best with at the time, it was her.

Rarity? Sorry. No way. Wasn't happening. I saw her as some fluffy pompous unicorn who always had her nose in the air and thought she was better than everyone else. She says she saw ME as a pony who was a thug and a slacker. So yeah, we didn't get along with each other at all. It took me seeing her helping the sea serpent for me to see she wasn't a blindly self-serving pony. And I guess when I saved her from getting killed after how she had been acting towards me during the Best Young Fliers Competition, she saw I wasn't one to nurse grudges. So yeah, at least we treat each other likes friends now.

And that brings us to Fluttershy right? You know I've known her since foalhood. She was a klutz, a geek, and a total wimp! And she treated her wings like they were just something she happened to have as opposed to a -gift-. And after I was bullied for my failures, I had no intention of seeing her bullied for falling short. Of course ya kinda know how that went by now. But I'm still happy I met her: she, and Gilda, were the only ones to accept me besides my family. Where is she right now? I, kinda don't know, it's not like we're joined at the hip.

~~

Oh it's great to see you guys again! Welcome in! Come in! Sit down, have a cookie! So we're supposed to talk about how we knew each other before the Summer Sun Celebration and became super heroes? Or is that magical fillies? Naw. All ponies have magic, so it would be kinda redundant, though those frilly costumes would be nice.

So first me and AJ? Alrighty! Let see! Hmmm. Okay, my foster family runs a bakery, and AJ's family runs a farm. So yeah, we buy a lot of supplies from them.

I'm sure you've heard that I already know every pony in Ponyville! I could collect ponies for a party faster than you can blink! I still can. So of course AJ, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all knew me!

But AJ and her family more talked to the Cakes more than me, which was fine by me, I could talk to AJ any time I wanted just by finding her and chatting with her, and if I couldn't find her, I'd just talk with the NEXT pony I found! So yep...besides the Cakes and Gummy and some of the local foals who loved my games I can't say I had any friends, let alone ones my own age.

Rarity? She acted like I was cursed sometimes! She always kept it so formal and by the book when I was buying materials from her for my costumes. And when she came by Sugar Cube Corner to shop she'd always actively -avoid- talking to me, which of course made me want to talk to her harder until the Cakes scolded me. Now? Well she doesn't try to hang out with me. But she doesn't try to AVOID me. I'm sure she has her fun loving side like everyone does, if only she'd help me bring it out from underneath all that make-up.

Fluttershy? Heh. She's so cute! So sweet like candy and pretty like a flower! I swear she's a joy to be around just by being around! So adorable! I heard Mr. Cake once say no pony should be that cute over the age of five. But I'd have to disagree with him on that one! So yeah, I guess I was just naturally attracted to her. She's just so endearing! I know Rarity doesn't think so, but I DO have an appreciation for beautiful things, and there are few things as beautiful as Fluttershy's innocence and kindness. I guess I see a lot of the foalhood I didn't have at the rock farm, and by protecting that innocence I'm making sure she doesn't have to lose that smile of hers. Pity she got intimidated so easily even when I was just trying to be friendly.

It's weird though. She wasn't at her house this morning for the stash of eggs I normally buy off her weekly. I left a note however with Angel. He didn't seem to know where Fluttershy was either, just that she was out. She must be with Rarity.

~~

Howdy, heard you fellas were back in town! So how Ah knew the gals before the whole 'saving the world' thing? Hmmmm. Give a sec' to think here.

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, are all immigrants so Ah didn't get to have a foalhood with them. And the one time Ah tried to play with Rarity when we were fillies didn't exactly go well. Yeah our family's been here before there was a Ponyville. Did you know our ancestor Redjack helped found Ponyville?

Eh? Well it was a family name for a while, he wasn't the first Redjack. Yes the first Redjack did have two brothers. Why?

Hey, we weren't all strangers if that's what you think. Plus we -did- have to meet each other at Mayor Mare's office to be hoofed-out our instructions for the Summer Sun Festival after we were hired or selected.

Well of course there's Rarity...Okay okay, so we're as different as night and day...wait, scratch that one hun. Night and day kissed and made up before we did.

I wanted nothing to do with Rarity's fancy-smancy dresses, and she wanted nothing to do with me. The first real time we met all personal like as mares was at the preparations for the Summer Sun Festival. She kept herself reserved and proper for that, and I did my best to just be polite. I think even Mayor Mare could tell that we weren't exactly getting along.

Then Ah got into that shouting match, with Rarity getting into a bunch of frilly-milly details about how the food should LOOK when it got to the tables and how it should be properly arranged and this and that and what is what, and UGH! She treated things yer supposed ta eat it was some art project! Okay, I know it's gotta look nice for the Princess and everything, but seriously, what the hay?

So...yep...we didn't get along...and like RD it took me seeing her being nice to a total stranger and RUINING HER TAIL to make him look nice again that Ah realized there was more to her than dresses and lipstick.

It still took a sudden random sleep-over to makes us realize we could still be friends though.

Fluttershy? Not much to say about her. Sure, she sold some of her eggs on occasion to Sugarcube corner, and she reared some animals. But we didn't exactly consider her competition. I heard some people joke she was a pegasus who thought she was an earth pony, but I didn't think anything of it.

In spite of what you might have heard, Fluttershy WASN'T head of the animal team for Winter Wrap Up. You know Fluttershy she could never handle a leadership position. It scared her like dragons and her own shadow do. She was the one who always ended up arguing with me over the virtues of waking up the animals first or melting the snow first though. She really loved her animals, and on that we could relate, Ah care about the animals on my family's farm too.

She knew RD, and I knew RD more or less, but 'Shy and Ah were never really introduced formally until the Summer Sun Festival, and our jobs didn't really intercede with each other, so we just smiled and nodded at each other mostly. Where is she right now? Ah don't know for sure. Ah'd reckin' at home. What? Pinkie Pie said she wasn't there? That's easy, she's gotta be Rarity then. Or that's where Ah'd think she'd be.

~~~

Welcome to the Carousel Boutique! How may I help you?

Oh greetings. I was not expecting to see you again. Oh well come in come in. Do you have to write down everything I say? Oh well.

You've talked to the others about our relationships before we met Twilight? Well if you must know I- huh? You've asked everyone else and now you just have one for me? But certainly you know that connects between ponies are different on opposite ends.

You're pressed for time? Oh very well! Ask away then.

Myself and Fluttershy? That is an interesting question if I do say so myself.

No, we didn't come from the same hometown like her and Rainbow Dash. We don't share the affinity for animals like her and Applejack do. And I can't say that I admire or look out for her to the extent Pinkie Pie does.

That isn't to say we aren't friends.

Twilight has called us best friends! I haven't known her as long as Rainbow Dash but we do seem to spend more time together, even though I can't fly (well but that one time) and she can't perform unicorn magic.

Nothing too special about how we first met. Rather mundane really. I needed someone to take care of Opalescence for me on occasion and she was the best in Ponyville. I was expecting an Earth pony (there have been Earth ponies named Skydancer according to the grapevine) and meeting a pegasus was a shock. But I hid my surprise well and she was truly a master. She had all the stature of a mouse and all the radiance of an angel.

I live to make things beautiful and to make beautiful things. Yes yes, I know I've said that to death in the last few weeks and maybe it has become something of a mantra! I assure you I am not trying to oversimplify my position! What I was going to say before you rudely interrupted me was that Fluttershy has natural beauty both outside and within.

I can't bear NOT to help her bring it fully to the surface. That's why I wanted her to accept Photo's Finish's offer to begin with. She -deserved- people to see how lovely she was.

Yes, I did turn green with envy as she shot to the top and I was too blind to see she was suffering through the whole thing.

I remember when I first asked her to go with me to the spa. It was intended as a one time gift, a 'thank you' for her keeping care of Opalescence. Then I realized how good it felt to have somepony -with- me as I was pampered.

And since the disaster with the 'customized dresses' I've actually begun to take her on for advice on the, ahem, technical aspect of the art while I stay on the creative side.

So I did go slightly insane from all my friends' insistent minor and major revisions with contradicting design choices, and maybe I kind of did leave Fluttershy with an ugly mixed up mess rather the French masterwork she drew. I was stressed, I was tired, and I had heard one too many conflicting orders from my friends at that point.

So where is she? I don't know actually. None of the others know where she is either? She wasn't at her home? Everypony thought she was with me? She missed our spa appointment, but I figured she was helping looking for Diamond Tiara.

Oh My Celestia. I have to go! Excuse me!

+++

Silver Spoon said nothing as the CMC walked with her in a triangular pattern. Cheerilee had assigned them the important task of making sure Silver Spoon didn't ditch school (for the fifth time that week) and to make sure she went home rather than trying to go somewhere else.

Cheerilee had done so more as a formality as the girls had pretty much assigned themselves this task already. What REALLY shocked them was when Silver Spoon asked Sweetie Belle if she could stay at her place for the night.

"Silver." Applebloom asked as they trotted along. "AJ told me what happened. She didn't want ya to feel alone. Ah want you to know Ah had a very very very bad thing almost happen to me once. Ah almost died. But Ah lived through it. For a long while Ah was scared of sleepin'. I was worried all adults when they said nice things meant bad things. But mah big sister helped me. And we wanna help you."

"Get yer stupid cutie marks somewhere else blanks. I've been surrounded every day of my life by ponies who are only nice to me because they're PAID to be nice to me. You wanna be paid in 'make the little nag girl go to school' cutie marks? Find a tattoo parlor."

At this point even Scootaloo had gotten used to Silver Spoon's automated insults.

Sweetie Belle's ears picked up the drop in Silver Spoon's high and proper diction. "Big sister said you were hurt and Diamond Tiara wasn't there for you and I should do something nice BECAUSE we don't like each other."

"Something nice? Then leave me alone."

"How do ya expect ta make friends with that there attitude?"

"One friend was enough."

"Ya don't look like it was enough darlin'. You sure don't."

In her heart of hearts, Silver Spoon stared out at the vast perfectly flat calm sea of quick silver from her tiny island with barely enough room to stand on with barely an item there with her. And in her heart of hearts she wondered if she was sick of being alone on this tiny island. Or maybe if her former victims were setting her up for a fall, then it was better to get it over with, and it wasn't like she had anything left to lose anyway.

Silver Spoon opened her mouth.

At that exact moment a flock of yellow and pink birds with blue eyes landed on the tree branches in front of the fillies. And the birds began to sing.

+++

It hadn't ceased to amaze Twilight how much time she was spending with Trixie as of late compared to her older friends. Trixie was freed of Discord's taint and had her own sense of self-worth back, but that didn't make up for a lifetime of distancing herself from others. Well, if Twilight could teach an immortal dark goddess who had been out of touch with civilization for a thousand years how to make friends in one evening, then she could teach one mortal pony the basics over the course of a couple weeks.

But perhaps what Trixie needed most was company, the 'welcome back to sanity' party had been a step in the right direction, but it would take more than one fight to the death at the center of her soul and one musical number to help Trixie find out who exactly the 'One and Only Trixie' was.

Right now the two were reading, okay, had been reading, until Trixie said Twilight's tastes were far too dry for her. And both found Harry Trotter And the Lunar Hollows to be a send-up of magicians in general.

"Did the author even TALK to any unicorns when he wrote this?" Twilight asked to no one in particular.

"At least the imagery isn't that bad." Trixie commented with her love of theatrics.

That was when the entire Elements of Harmony Squad crashed as one through Twilight's front door like a flood sprawling into the living room. The door swing wildly almost being knocked, no, scratch the almost, Twilight was going to need to screw the hinges back on.

"What are you all doing barging into my house-?!" Twilight exclaimed like her friends were a horde of white mice as she stood on all fours on her chair. "... Wait. Where's Fluttershy?"

When the horde showed up on her doorstep, them being one pony short was rarely a good sign, and since Twilight knew Fluttershy's birthday was a good while off, she knew it wasn't a scheme for a surprise party.

"We were all hopin' ya could tell us sugarcube!"

"This is THE WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"

"We've looked everywhere in Ponyville!"

"And I looked everywhere else in Ponyville! Guys, something is very very wrong here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"What's all this racket? Can't a dragon-Rarity! Anything I can do for you this fine day?"

"FIND FLUTTERSHY!"

"YES MA'AM!" Spike was out the door leaving a smoke trail.

"GIRLS! Girls, calm down! Now, what's this nonsense about Fluttershy being missing?"

"It's not non-sense!" Rainbow Dash explain pulling herself from the pile. "No one's seen her since yesterday! She wasn't there when Pinkie Pie visited, she didn't show up for Rarity's spa meet, and those ponies who have been making those interviews? They couldn't find her either!"

"And it looked like Angel was busy feeding the animals this morning. I didn't find a note or anything. I figured she just went out. But now I'm -really- not so sure!" Pinkie Pie said in a clearly worried tone.

"Pinkie Pie Sense?" Twilight asked.

"No actually, my other senses."

"Pinkie Pie Sense?" Trixie raised an eyebrow.

Twilight wasn't sure how to begin this explanation. "Well, you see, Pinkie sometimes gets these random feelings from her body about things that'll happen in the immediate future."

"But that makes no magical sense."

"Can we PLEASE not go through this again?" AJ said eyebrow twitching as as a bead of sweat came down her brow dreading the headache of trying to explain an aspect of the unexplainable Pinkie Pie to another unicorn that thought unicorn horn magic was the only magic.

"Heeeey Trixie. Didn't see you there." Pinkie Pie. Twilight winced knowing Trixie was wincing too on the inside. "How come you're still around? Shouldn't you have gotten on a bus back to Hoofington after we completed your story-arc?"

"The One and Only Trixie will be the only one to decide when my story ends." Trixie said sounding defensive.

"Hey friend of mine, you can make jabs at another friend of mine later. Now what did you mean Pinkie your 'other senses'?"

"The same senses you have duh! I told you that I looked everywhere else in Ponyville for her. Including Photo Finish's indoor mini-mall, and that dance club we don't let the foals within three hundred hooves of."

Rarity did a polite faint at the mention of the lewd establishment. No one paid mind.

"I told ya we outta burn that place down for the good of Ponyville." Applejack grumbled.

"Oh come on the dance club isn't -that- bad." Rainbow Dash defended.

"Ah meant Photo Finish's shops."

"Oh."

"That there pole dance place we outta blow up!"

"Oh."

"The Only and One Trixie agrees with Miss Applejack."

"GIRLS!"

Twilight looked around, it wasn't her that got everyone's attention. It was Pinkie Pie?

"Girls! The point is that I asked around those places too! We already looked everywhere she -would- be so that just left the places in Ponyville she wouldn't be. And besides I asked Ditzy Doo."

"Why her?" Rainbow Dash said not having a high opinion of the 'feather-brain.'

"Because she always has one eye on what she's doing and another on what's going on around her duh. And she says she vaguely remembers Fluttershy passing by but she couldn't remember any details. I began asking the shops in the direction Ditzy says she went."

"Likely sent you in the totally wrong direction." Rainbow Dash had NOT forgotten Ditzy Doo's two for two streak of going in the wrong direction to collect birds for migration during the Winter Wrap-Up.

Pinkie Pie just ignored her rather than go off on a tangent. "So I visited her shop, I mean Photo Finish's shop, and they said she came in yesterday acting a lot more assertive and...I think they said 'sensual.' "

At that one ALL the ponies looked at each other.

"So they got her mane and coat dyed a couple shades darker, and she bought this kind of outfit that Mr. Cake bought for Mrs. Cake for their anniversary."

"Pinkie Pie! Too much information!" Twilight grimaced, her imagination going to places she didn't want it go.

"Oh. Sorry Twilight." Pinkie Pie apologetically. "But girls, what I'm saying is that Fluttershy was acting weird yesterday from all accounts. And when I visited the dance club next, which was where they said she was headed, the stallions inside said she had done a really...er, alluring dance number, had downed enough straight salt water to get Celestia drunk, and was talking to herself!"

"Fluttershy never drinks. I can't get her to touch soda water," Rarity said back on her hooves. "Were they sure it was her?"

"No." Pinkie Pie shook her head in a slow worried sad manner. "And that is precisely why I'm worried. I'm worried that might have been a Fluttershy who wasn't the Fluttershy we know."

"Is this gonna be your theory about alternate universes again?" Rainbow Dash said not sounding like she wanted to hear that again: it was bad enough she got Fluttershy and Twilight -and now it seemed Applejack- were into that nonsense.

"No." Pinkie Pie totally serious. Which for the (er, senior) bearers of Elements of Harmony, was very, very frightening indeed. "I mean a part of Fluttershy she pushed aside for so long it pushed back. I have experience with that sort of thing."

"Experience how?" Trixie had to ask.

Pinkie Pie took in a deep breath, her voice was even and calm. "Trixie. Until earlier this month. I was divided up into the Pinkie Pie everyone knew, and Pinkamena who acted a a shield to that Pinkie Pie." Pinkie then laid it all down. Angry Pie, climatic battle in her own mind, all of it.

"You-you're all, you're all-" Trixie began to back up, scared now a little of the ponies in the room.

"Flawed. Not perfect. Sometimes on the crazy side. Dealing with horse apples even before Discord stirred the pot. Just like you sugarcube."

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no!" Twilight said, having gone silent this whole time, gears slowly turning in her head, keys locking into place, and alarm bells now finally sounding.

"Sugarcube what's wrong!" Everyone gathered in a circle as Twilight began pacing in place.

"When I cured Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, I felt something different but I didn't know what. We were trying to save the world so I couldn't think much about it! I AM SUCH AN IDIOT! After we found out Rainbow Dash was hiding trauma I should have known Fluttershy was too! I AM AN IDIOT!!!"

"I'm getting really sick of having to play catch up." Trixie nearly growled.

"Tell'er RD." AJ said in no uncertain terms.

"You want -me- to tell -her-"

"Twilight trusts her. And if she trusts her then Ah trust her. And you should too!"

RD sighed. And she told Trixie. Cloudsdale. Holding it all inside. And then slipping into insanity. (RD left out her own vision of herself turning into a -thing- since none of the others had spoken of it. She wasn't sure now if that had been real or her own delusions.).

The two sat down on the floor together a little bit off.

"Not so perfect. Not so the greatest. Not so 'can't be the best because I'm here' now are you?" Trixie said lowly.

"I've already worked through that crud. So yeah, I was putting on as big a farce as you. Have your stupid victory dance."

"No..." Trixie stood up. "I don't believe I will. As much as-" Trixie stopped her own snarky comment. "I think I might understand where you're coming from. You say you're doing it for yourself. That your opinion and approval of what you do is the only one that matters. But when the crowd cheer or boo you or laugh at you or stomp their hooves in approval, you either rise or crash at their whims. So you have to make yourself to be larger than life."

And Rainbow Dash stared. Totally silent. A hundred things she could say, any number of them a smashing retort to crush this selfish show pony who -dared- to compare her vindictive sadistic self to Rainbow Dash.

"I guess you're right." And it wasn't the least bit bloody worth it. "I guess we do have a -little- in common." RD laughed.

"Yes a little." Trixie just smirked.

"Ah isn't that nice, they made friends." Pinkie Pie smiled at the sight.

"Pinkie Pie, you were saying!" Twilight implored.

"Oh sorry. Like I said when the narrative cut away from us, I talked to some of the ponies who hang out in that part of town and they say they saw a pegasus who matched Fluttershy's description flying high and fast."

"That doesn't sound like Fluttershy at all. There are Earth ponies who like flying more than her." Applejack said.

"Exactly. But it's not impossible if she was dealing with another self or was having troubles like Rainbow Dash. And they said she was going straight west."

"Straight West?" Rarity gasped. "But only thing else out that way besides her cottage is...THE EVERFREE FOREST!"

Twilight Sparkle said. "Now let's not jump to conclusions. ANYTHING AT ALL could have happened to Fluttershy once those ponies lost track of her. If that was her. For all we know she was intercepted by someone or something flying home! And she might have simply gone to Zecora for some alternate advice."

"Well it's best we mosey on over to Zecora's then to find out!" Applejack declared.

"It's not like we have any better leads." Twilight admitted. Though Twilight wouldn't admit it, there were times when talking with Zecora felt like she talking with one of her old tutors at Canterlot.

"I hope she's there." Rarity said sounding like a worried mother.

Pinkie Pie was looking at her legs and flanks, in a forlorn hope that her Pinkie Sense would tell her something, anything. But it had gone silent. Had becoming whole robbed her of her gift? It scared her as much as the prospect of going blind.

One of them spoke what was on Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash's minds. "What kind of friends are we?"

AJ had an answer to that! "Flesh and blood ponies who can't cover every inch of Ponyville at once and don't have a universal telepathic connection to our friend every waking moment of ours lives! That's what!" AJ glared at them sternly.

Spike zoomed back in. "GUYS! I ASKED AROUND! Everyone says they saw Fluttershy fly to the Everfree Forest yesterday!"

"Sorry Spike we-" AJ began before Twilight hoofed her muzzle closed.

"'re gonna need you stay here in case she comes back!"

"OH COME ON!!! Every time a new quest comes along you dump me on the side lines! What happened to number one assistant huh-?!"

"Spike." Twilight said hurting just having these words spoken. "It's not that. You're a BABY DRAGON! Don't give me that look I know you don't want to hear it but please Spike, I don't want anything to happen to you. I know you're willing to put yourself in harm's way, I remember you wanting to save Rarity from the Diamond Dogs. But Spike..."

"BESIDES!" Pinkie Pie interrupted. "Once you're an adult dragon, you'll be the one protecting us old nags! So please, let us puny ponies have some adventures before we're too old and feeble to fend for ourselves!"

"Hmmmmm..." Spike seemed to think it over. Then pointed at Trixie. "Nope! Have the freeloader stay instead."

Trixie's eyes became dots and crossed, her entire body shook and she practically turned purple, her horn sparking electricity. "F-f-f-fr-free-f-f-f-freeeee-lo-lo-FREELOADER?!"

Spike was on the floor covered in hoof prints and Trixie was half way to the Everfree Forest by the time everyone's brain processed the angry Trixie shaped blur that stomped out of the house tree (Nope, not a typo).

+++

Come little foals
I'll take thee away
Into a land
Of enchantment

Come little foals
The time's come to play
Here in my garden
Of magic

+++

"Trixie, thank you for coming with us." Twilight said to her fellow unicorn. It had taken a couple minutes to catch up to her after making sure Spike didn't have any internal bleeding.

"No one says the One and Only Trixie does not earn her keep. That is all."

"Liar." Twilight says lowly, her eyes narrow.

"Hmph! Besides. What does the Great And Wonderful Twilight Sparkle need me for? To stand in awe as you heroically grace the country side with your presence?"

Trixie considered saying how the star on Twilight's flank had five sub-stars, not six, and therefore had no need for a 'spare' Element of Magic, but thankfully Trixie like most fillies had left that kind of literal cutie mark interpretation behind in grade school.

"Please Trixie, don't be like this." Twilight said in a sad almost pleading tone.

"Be like what? I don't even know who I am anymore. Before everything was simple, Great And Powerful Trixie, show pony who spun impossible tales the average pony gobbled up and tripping up the best for the amusement of the masses. Now? I find out after coming out of a waking nightmare that those same ponies I toppled were the chosen ones of Celestia!" Trixie gritted her teeth. "Was it funny Twilight Sparkle? Knowing with the weapons of the gods in your hooves no matter what I did I'd-I'd-I'd never-"

"Trixie, I promise we DIDN'T do it to laugh behind your or anyone else's back. And Trixie, if you really want to be admired for your own merit, start having enough REAL confidence that you don't think you need to LIE to impress people!"

Trixie stopped dead in her tracks, looking like she had a bucket of ice water splashed in her face.

With an almost zombie look in her eyes she trotted drunkenly behind a nearby bush. Twilight heard retching. If she had not personally witnessed Pinkie Pie doing so herself once (then again it was Pinkie Pie) Twilight would think she had to be mistaken since her books said that wasn't supposed to happen.

Trixie trotted back, her head low and her stomach empty.

"Feeling better?"

"As a friend, please don't ask."

"As a friend then."

++++

"Now hurry along children! The Princess has royally decreed you are all to arrive at the castle for your own safety at once! You'll be kept safe until things are under the Princess' control. Now follow me please."

"Yes Miss Cheerilee!"

+++

A search of Fluttershy's cabin had confirmed that she was indeed not home, and signs showed she had not been for a while. Angel's pantomimes gave them the impression either Fluttershy had gone crazy, maybe had an argument with someone, had just gone out shopping, or had declared open season on dangerous predators. The poor ponies could only promise Angel that they would find his master and return her safe to him. Though something in AJ's guts was telling her about making promises you couldn't keep.

Rainbow Dash was flying above the group, only the tiny voice in her head telling her it was foolish to go into the Everfree Forest half-cocked was -less- likely to help Fluttershy, assuming she was even there! She could be at the bottom of a lake being held captive by seaponies for all RD knew! Rainbow shook her head, 'No way. No bucking hay am I gonna start driving myself crazy again. Nope. Not happening. Sorry! Fluttershy, I promise this time I'll catch you.'

Rarity knew one thing for certain, she had gotten more exercise in the last year since meeting Twilight Sparkle then she had had in the last five! Unicorns weren't as heavily built as earth ponies, but Rarity was able to keep pace with the two Earth Ponies where before the mostly in-doors unicorn knew the others would have to slow down for her. She felt a very strange sense of pride in that. 'Fluttershy we're coming.'

AJ and Pinkie Pie walked along side Rarity, one on each side. AJ knew clear as day what was happening to herself, there was no denying it, her eyes had become something more than a pony's. AJ wondered if the Princesses knew this would happen. Then again, AJ had cheated and looked into the Truth longer than she would have if she had followed her first base instinct and closed the dang thing when things got really nasty. Whatever became of it however, AJ had already decided she wouldn't fear the truth, and she'd stick to it. And she knew the truth was that she didn't have time to wallow in introspection with Fluttershy very possibly needing their help.

"I hope this all turns out to be a big misunderstanding." Pinkie Pie said.

"A misunderstanding?" Rarity echoed.

"Yes, a misunderstanding. It turns out Fluttershy was just going through a phase, and she went to Zecora's to clean the mess off when she realized she was being a silly filly. But Zecora had a pet that needed help, and she's been spending the entire night and today nursing it back to health! And when we get to Zecora's ready to save her from imaginary kidnappers or sickness, she and Zecora will greet us happily and we'll stay for tea. Then Twilight will write a letter to Princess Celestia about not leaping to conclusions. And then we'll all have a big laugh! End of episode! Roll the credits! See what's next up on the Hub!"

"Do you really believe that sugarcube?"

"I've got a right to pray it's true right?"

"That ya do sugarcube, that ya do."

And that was when the fog rolled in so fast the ponies crashed into each other. The fog was so thick at first all it left visible were six pairs of confused pony eyes in the mirky white brume. "HEY! Who ordered the pea soup and why did they forget the crackers?!" Pinkie Pie quipped.

"HEY! NO FAIR!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed landing before she accidentally crashed into something. "We're not even IN Everfree yet! And nobody put in an order for fog!"

Thankfully after the initial white out the fog seemed to become ever so slightly less thick.

Rarity grumbled, "Well this is just ghastly. You think the weather would have the manners to wait until we stepped inside Everfree to go mad!"

"This isn't just rogue weather Rarity! This is scientifically impossible!" Twilight said shinning her horn for light in the confusing fog. "Even an army of Pegasi couldn't make a fog this fast, and the sunlight should be burning it away faster than they could make it!"

"Sun burns away fog?" Rarity asked surprised and confused.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight groaned, the average pony was so used to Pegasi working the weather for them that they had no appreciation for the physics behind it.

"The One and Only Trixie shall sweep away this troublesome mist!" A decently strong wind produced by Trixie's magic pushed against the wall of ground-bound clouds and quickly had the heroes in the bright sunny day again. "HA! Take -that- mother nature!" Trixie struck a regal pose.

Then the fog swept back into place with as much force as before.

"So what's it like eating your own words?" AJ asked calmly.

"I'm still getting used to the taste." Trixie grumbled.

"Hey, anyone else hear laughing?" Pinkie Pie said her ears twitching.

Now that Pinkie Pie had brought their attention to it, they did indeed hearing laughing. Peaceful, friendly happy-ending laughter, along with other happy noises.

"Wait ah dang minute, that's Applebloom!" AJ said in an agitated tone.

Now that AJ had mentioned it, Rarity started. "Sweetie! What is she doing near Everfree again when there's school today-?!"

"Wait a sec', is that Scootaloo too?" No one noticed how she didn't say 'half-pint' 'squirt' or 'annoying filly who follows me around.'

"Who? Trixie asked.

"Their little sisters." Twilight said.

Rainbow Dash, for once, didn't object to the label.

"Ah swear if she's skipped school for this Cutie Mark Crusader nonsense in the --Everfree Forest-- Ah'm gonna spank her flanks!"

Twilight wondered for a paranoid moment of what they were hearing was real, but brushed it aside. If it was a trap, the fillies would be screaming in terror crying for help.

Not that it mattered, since the filly's cheers of delight were directly in their path anyway. But the sounds of the fillies doubled their efforts.

As they got closer, they heard other voices as well, some cheering some having polite conversation, some singing!

"Who had the party and didn't invite me?" Pinkie Diane Pie sounding slightly insulted.

They might as well have been traveling down a white tunnel for all the details they could make out.

They couldn't make out who the other voices were yet, but they were almost on top of them, just a bit further, in fact the fog was clearing!

Applejack stepped out of the fog and it was as clear as day.

"I say if this does not trump all," the orange pony said looking around. Looked like this party was in full swing. Her friends might have thought she was crazy, but the other half of her family had finally accepted her choices in life when her investments had updated the farm into the modern age.

"Howdy big sister!" Applebloom greeted over the loud country music. Not to the orange pony's tastes but not bad.

"Greetings Applebloom." The orange pony grinned.

"Great party ain't it sis?" The yellow pony trotted up.

"Quite sister, quite. Apologies I was delayed." She just wished she could just get some ribbons on this girl, she knew 'Bloom would be adorable with one. Much better than that collar she wore. Brother Big Macintosh said the filly needed a positive mare role model in her life other than Granny Smith. All the same the tomboy was pleasant to be around even if the orange pony felt she needed a few more manners.

"Mama! Mama!" Orangejack turned smiling and knelt on her hind legs and hugged the two fillies who came rushing up to her.

"Sorry I'm late dears. I had some important business to take care of."

"You always do." Said the colt.

"But none more important than you dears." Orangejack replied. "And that's the honest truth." Orangejack then sighed, and took a good hard look at the foals, taking in every possible detail, committing them to memory.

She heard her husband call her name, but knew she wouldn't be able to look at him without her heart shattering.

"Firebloom? Orange Chance?"

"Yeah ma?" Said Orange Chance.

"Yes Mother?" Firebloom asked.

Orangejack kissed them both on the forehead. "Mama loves you. Dontcha ever forget that ya hear?"

They smiled back at her kissing her in the cheek.

And Orangejack sighed. " . . . And Ah wish this could be real."

The colt and filly suddenly looked scared and confused as Applejack sighed again as everything snapped back to reality. The foals vanished along with everything else.

Applejack shook her head, not knowing if to thank whatever had tried to trap her in that happy fantasy first or skip to the end and break their legs.

Applejack looked at the fog filled field surrounding her on all sides. She saw the CMCs but they were not alone. There was Twist, Snips and Snails, Archer, Silver Spoon, Berry Punch's daughter Ruby Pinch, and Cheerilee. All of them were smiling, grinning, laugh, giggling, smirking, and happily doing pantomimes while talking to themselves. But what caught Applejack's attention the most was their eyes. Their eyes were ever expanding rings of dull color never repeating the same pattern twice and -not- symmetrical. Applejack hadn't seen them from this side before, but something in the back of her head recognized them from somewhere, and it wasn't a good thing.

"Thank you for taking us on as your apprentices Miss Trixie!" Said Snips and Snails to Cheerilee, even geassed the two were inseparable.

"Yes my Princess, I understand my Princess, I love you too my Princess, I love the foals as well my Princess. I feel so proud of all of them Princess." Cheerilee said sitting down and just looking up at the sky.

"No need to fear citizens, I am here to protect you!" Declared Archer striking a heroic pose.

"I'm really happy you didn't really start drinking again mom." Said Ruby Pinch in the most content voice imaginable.

"I'm happy you guys finally earned yer cutie marks, now we can start hanging out together again right Applebloom?" Twist said with a lisp to thin air.

Silver Spoon hugged Applebloom. "I knew you didn't hate me Diamond! I just knew it!"

Sweetie hopped in place. "My dresses are selling like hot cakes? I KNEW I was a designer like you big sister! I knew it!"

"Hey guys check out my cutie mark!" Applebloom gestured at her blank flank. "It goes all the way around my body! And it'll keep getting bigger as I make new friends!" Applejack gritted her teeth feeling a dull ache in her chest.

"MOM! DAD!" Scootaloo cheered jumping up and down flapping her underdeveloped wings. "LOOK I CAN FLY! And this is our new sister Rainbow Dash! Dash these are my parents! Aren't they great-?!"

The roller coaster she had just been through, and the sudden change in scene, and the surprise appearance of the fillies and Cheerilee: AJ's brain struggled to process it all. And she finally noticed her friends.

"Oh Prince Blueblood why didn't you tell me that donkey who made my life miserable at the Gala was an impostor? Photo Finish how nice of you to come groveling to beg me to allow you show off my dresses!"

"Like duh! Of course I'll accept your offer to become the leader of the Wonderbolts! Nice to hear you apologize Gilda! Yes, I would like to head the demolition of my old flight school."

"Welcome everypony to the grand opening to Pinky Pie Land! Where the 'Party Never Ends!' Please be sure to try the 'zap the parasprite' game and the special cake eating contest! Nope, we are not serving any cupcakes! And all copies of that story have been burned and a special computer virus has purged it from the internet!" A loud gasp. "Octavia? Photo? Great to have you guys here too! You brought mom and dad along? They want to be game show hosts now?"

"I'm so glad you agreed to take that anti-aging potion Spike! Now you don't ever have to become an adult dragon and go away! Mom? Dad? YES! I knew you weren't secretly scared of me! Yes Princess Celestia, all my friends agreed to my offer to move with me to Canterlot!"

AJ's heart sank. "Twi', is this what it felt like for you?"

"Spike. Take a letter! Dear Princess Celestia, after defeating Discord I have discovered the magic of friendship creates an unbreakable bound that'll insure friends support each other through the worst of times. Sighed you faithful Student, Trixie Sparkle."

AJ started as she looked at Trixie dictating to an imaginary Spike.

"You got issues Marefriend."

AJ breathed in deep. "If seein' in mah eyes is like seeing into that Truth fellah', then there ain't no reason this shouldn't break through these cheap lies!"

"Oh no no no that won't do at all Applejack. You can't go making friends unhappy. That's not what friends do. A friend wouldn't make another friend unhappy, and aren't they all perfectly happy?"

AJ shook her head, feeling dizzy. She looked around. "Fluttershy?"

"Friends don't make other friends unhappy. That won't do at all Applejack. Oh no not at all. And why make them unhappy when they are all perfectly happy?"

Applejack felt weak in the knees for a second. "Fluttershy where...where are you?"

"Wherever I need to be. And right now I need to be with you to help you back to sleep. So you don't make the others unhappy. Which won't do at all Applejack. And a friend wouldn't make friends unhappy. Not at all."

Applejack's head swam, her sense of reality being hit by cannons on the left and cannons on the right and cannons down the center. "Listen ta me, this ain't happy, this here is trapped."

"No more trapped than a baby is in their crib. Now be a good baby and go to sleep for mommy."

"Who ya callin'...a baby..." Applejack's entire body swayed, her eyes feeling heavy.

"This is where the story ends dear. Everyone happy, everyone okay so no matter what any big dumb meanie does everyone will still be happy and have everything the want. Go back to sleep now dearie, your foals are waiting for you. Let mommy take care of you."

"Ah have . . . Ah have a family-" Applejack yawned. "-a family in reality Ah have to think about...Ah can't spend my life dreamin' my life away...I made mah choice, that was then, this is now: that's the honest Truth."

"That annoying wicked spark of truth will simply have to go. Don't worry, mommy will clean out that awful infection and heal it right up.

"Come to my home, filled with so many pleasures.
Casting its spell, keeping you here forever."

"Hear my song on the breeze, I'll be a good mommy."
You'll love me dearly, til your minds are all foggy."

"Hidden from sun and moon, and you'll never leave"

Applejack's entire body slept. Applejack heard the words of the song, trying to block them out as they overwhelmed her own thoughts, a thick sweet smelling fog invaded her mind from all sides. Hoping against hope she gripped the only tiny point of light in the obscuring brume her mind was becoming. The scalding hot scar left on her mind and soul from looking into the heart of all things, and drew strength from it, the pure absolute idea of TRUTH.

But the enveloping song of love would wink that petty annoyance out soon enough, after all, since when had any pony actually cared about what was real?

"Welcome to Pinky Pie Land! How can I help you? Mr. Turnip! Rocky! Sir Lints-a-lot! Madame LeFlour! You're alive! Or did I just reimagine you? Oh right, my 'perfect world' wouldn't be perfectly without all my friends. Of course I noticed how everyone was looking different and acting out of character and I was a pegasus again! I figured that reality had been rewritten again and we had moved onto generation five of the franchise. Okay, I guess Princess Celestia declaring a chocolate rain day was a bit out there. So I better wake up now to help the others? Right. Got it! Group hug! Thanks you guys! Alright, good-bye guys. Nope not gonna cry. Because I know you guys are gonna be along side me whenever I need you." A loud chomping sound, followed by Pinkie Pie screaming bloody murder.

Applejack's eyes snapped open, the shrill noise of her teammate in danger pulling her out again of the fog's bliss.

Applejack saw Pinkie Pie with her bright blue eyes blowing on throbbing foreleg with a bite mark in it, shaped exactly like Pinkie Pie's jaws. "Maybe I should have just imagined jumping in a cold lake."

"PINKIE PIE!"

"Applejack! Silly pony, you're awake too!" Pinkie said like the moniker was a term of endearment.

"Ya beat yer flanks Ah am! Things are even more wrong than they look! Ah'll say more after we snap everyone back ta normal!"

"Aye-aye!" Pinkie Pie saluted. "Hopefully this isn't one of those lousy 'waking up from a dream into a dream' plot twists. I mean, when was the last time anyone actually LIKED those?"

"Not now Pinkie!"

"GOT IT! Sorry!" Pinkie Pie nodded.

The two earth ponies tackled the nearest pony, who happened to Rarity.

Pinkie Pie began slapping her in the face.

"A little more gentle on the massage please dears." Rarity replied her eyes still swirling.

"RARITY WAKE UP!" AJ screamed in one ear.

"Such peace and quiet." Rarity sighed blissfully.

"Oh brother. Okay. Vacation's over. Look in my mah eyes Rarity! See the Truth!"

"AGH! WHAT AN UGLY PAINTING!" Rarity began slapping AJ violently with the same force that had knocked the Wonderbolts unconscious.

Not expecting the violent reaction AJ was knock head over hooves and sent rolling backwards several pony lengths.

"Why can't she have that kind of strength when she's NOT accidently smacking friends around?" AJ moaned, dizzy but thankfully not from the fog.

"Maybe we should just try someone else." Pinkie Pie suggested. "Have you -looked around-? Every foal in Ponyville must be here."

"Almost." AJ concurred.

+++
"What was that birdies I can't hear you!" Shouted Carrot Top's little sister, Orange Top, sick in bed with her ears stuffed up.

+++

"BAD BIRDS! I REMEMBER MY DREAMS! YOU WON'T HURT MY MUFFIN! YOU WON'T TOUCH HER!"

That-which-the-yellow-and-pink-birds-were-a-part-of was surprised. It had been certain that Ditzy Doo would be the one to fall under the song's love, and the daughter would be the one to try and prevent the mother from leaving.

Using a mop as an improvised weapon the gray pegasus whacked and speared the tiny song birds as they tried relentless to invade her home. Their broken bodies flying out the window from hooves, wings and improvised quarterstaff.

Dinky Doo trotted like a wind-up doll for the front door oblivious to everything around her including the rope her mother had tethered around her body. Her face happy and simply with the expanding colored circle eyes.

Moving with the speed and precision of a Horse-Fu Master Ditzy Doo continued to add to the pile of broken birds, her screams of defiance drowning out any notes from the birds and preventing any from pecking at the rope and happy her child had not yet learned how to teleport.

To see the simple, peaceful, and klutzy 'Derpy Hooves' fighting like a battle hardened warrior and being an impenetrable wall around her foal was enough to make even the thing that the yellow and pink birds were a part of pause in fear.

+++

The yellow and pink birds flew towards the pink filly with a purple and white mane, just like her mother's. And the yellow and pink birds flew past her, unable to see her, unable to hear her, unable to sense her, the protective geass around her shielding the filly from such scrying until her quest was complete.

+++

Pipsqueak (a name he had yet to reach the age where he would dislike his parents for naming him such) or simply Pip to his friends had to admit something. Like any foal his age he had hated having to move from Trottingham to Ponyville, leaving his friends and all he knew in his short life behind. The sting had been lessened of course by the town's friendly attitude and its welcoming inhabitants.

There had apparently been this big bad dragon-thingie that had tried to take over Ponyville during the time his family had been moving their things from Trottingham but was defeated before his family had arrived. Too bad, Pip would have liked to see it, he bet it was an exciting battle!

But things had truly changed since his first Nightmare Night. At first thinking he had come close to being eaten alive by Nightmare Moon herself several times that night hadn't at first made it the best night ever. But then getting to know the REAL Princess Luna and finally realize she was just playing had turned things around instantly!

Pip had been so exited he had declared her his favorite princess! Princess Luna had responded by kissing him on the forehead when no one was looking. His new friends thought he was a little weird for liking the night more than the day, but he didn't mind.

And things for his life had gone up since then. The foals who used to bully him for his small size had suddenly stopped, looking shaken. He overheard something about them having nightmares.

Pip himself couldn't complain, his dreams since Nightmare Night had been the most vivid and fantastic he could remember! He dreamed of Princess Luna playing with him in his dream land practically every night! Asking him if he'd like to be her knight when he grew up. Of course he accepted. Such exciting dreams.

And all the knock-turn-alls animals seemed to be extra nice to him.

But today had been strange. In the morning, he had seen a nice pink and yellow birdie greet him on his bedroom windowsill that, before it could sing a note, was eaten by an owl.

And -then-, when he had arrived at school to find it empty (had they suspended it again?), a whole flock of yellow and pink birds had landed on a tree near him to apparently give him a concert. But were all suddenly driven off by a swarm of bats. In the middle of the day!

Pip did indeed find this a strange day.

++++

As Pinkie and AJ tried to get near their chosen, Applebloom, Trixie seemed determined to play interference blocking them even as she continued to speak to ponies that didn't exist.

"Thank you for making me Queen of Equestria! I promise to be a kind and just ruler! The next Summer Sun Festival shall be held in Hoofington. I appoint my sister Mixie as Court Magician. Pixie as Court Musician. Nyxie as Chief Scribe. Mother as head of the Gifted Unicorn's Academy. I'll be commissioning a statue of my father in front of Hoofington's war veterans' home. My brothers will oversee to the education of classic theater and storytelling that have become lost on foals of today. And my sister Lexy will serve as Chief Sanitation Officer! And all 'anti-mixed-blood' materials and publications are hereby outlawed and to be BURNED!"

"Ya know." AJ said to Pinkie Pie, "Hoofing her in the face would be a LOT easier if this was just after she hogtied me with mah own rope and had been a stubborn donkey about not admitting her lying came back to bite her in the rump. She's close, but this ain't that Trixie."

"I don't have a comparison to make, what do you mean?"

"Well she ain't ordering a fifty foot statue of HERSELF made in that little fantasy world of hers. And she ain't ordered Snips and Snails feed to the Ursa Major either."

Then the discorded-eyed Trixie looked sideways and greeted with some surprise. "Princess Star Flower? What are you doing here? It's great to see you too! It feels like forever! Don't worry, I promise you can be co-ruler! What are you doing with that big mallet? You're sorry? Sorry for what?" Suddenly Trixie's head shook as if it was a bell struck by a hammer. Trixie's eyes went back to normal as she brought her hooves to her head. Her ears ringing, her head still shaking.

"OW! Of all the-, what the-, agh!" Trixie looked around in shock and alarm at her surroundings.

"Welcome back your majesty." Pinkie Pie grinned.

"I couldn't have been..." Trixie said seeing the festival of fools around her and remembering her vivid fantasy.

"You were." AJ said politely.

"Please speak of this to no one." Trixie asked in the most polite voice she could scrape together.

"Of all the ponies who had to snap out of it, it had to be you." AJ said before she could stop herself.

"And what precisely do you mean by that?"

"Sorry it just slipped out."

"And what exactly was that 'it'?"

Pinkie Pie came between the two. "Hey girls! See the others? Let's rescue the others! Sound like a plan? Yep! Good plan! Let's do this!"

"Very well! Stand back and behold the One and Only Trixie do her thing!"

"Trixie, we don't have time for your grandstanding." Said AJ.

"I wasn't grandstanding." Trixie said indignantly. She trotted towards Twilight Sparkle.

"Of course I'll accept you as a sister Trixie, you don't need to be so humble about it."

Trixie startled, then realized Twilight was not speaking to the real her.

Trixie touched her horn to Twilight's, and the hot light from within burned away the fog within Twilight.

Cheerilee stopped talking.

Twilight shook her head as reality came back to her, trying to take in the bizarre display around her. "Trixie? I...that is." Twilight blushed as she pulled herself together.

Trixie kept a straight back.

"Twilight! Welcome back from Dream-Land!" Pinkie Pie hugged her.

AJ wanted to hug her too, but she looking at Trixie. "Wait an apple bucking minute, how'd you do that?"

"Memory spell. I figured/real life memories would disrupt/disrupted the fantasy." Trixie and Twilight said together, looked at each other, then turned away.

"When did you learn that?" AJ asked.

"When Twilight cast the same spell when inside my brain." Trixie said with the best defense in a good offense tone.

"Whao there partner! Since when can you copy spells like Twilight?"

Trixie startled. Since when had she been able to?

Twilight said rather quickly, "Trixie's always been in her -element- with -magic- AJ. I'm sure she always could, but was just repressing it without knowing it. Please don't interrogate her about it."

Both AJ and Trixie looked Twilight, AJ with a slight intensity, Trixie with surprise and awe.

'She really does care.' Trixie thought. And she struggled why this should have surprised her. After all, it was a promise to -Trixie- and therefore of course had to be sacred! So why did Trixie feel like Twilight had grown larger? And why did Trixie feel smaller, but not less significant?

"So what happened while I was out?" Twilight asked.

AJ gave her a quick recap.

"Fluttershy? Are you sure?" Twilight said hearing the recount.

"It sounded like her."

"But that's impossible." Pinkie Pie said not wanting to believe her own theory.

"Impossible or not, let's not keep the others waiting!" Twilight declared as she trotted over the delusional Rainbow Dash.

"Soarin'. This is so sudden!" Rainbow blushed looking down and holding out her hoof. "Yes! Of course I will!" She held her hoof up, "I love the way it sparkles all the colors of the rainbow. Let's have Spitfire as our maid of honor!"

"Ahhhh. Do we have to?" Pinkie Pie looked regretful.

"Ah ain't stickin' round for her imaginary weddin' night!" AJ huffed. Then shuddered as she imagined the logical conclusion of that statement. "I've had enough of this confusing fog!"

Twilight simply cast the memory spell on Rainbow Dash, glad there wasn't some hidden beast blocking her efforts into her friend's mind.

"HUH?! Where'd Soarin' go?!" Rainbow Dash looked around, then looked at her hoof. "Aw nuts!"

"And may that settle many questions." Pinkie Pie said.

Twilight bothered to fill in RD on the details as Trixie decided to give Rarity a go. No one made any remarks about 'not faking it this time' with RD.

Cheerilee had stopped smiling.

"Applejack, Rainbow, I'm so happy both of you have finally accepted my offer on how to become more ladylike! Now that we're living in Canterlot you have to act presentable." Rarity grinned.

Trixie thought of about a dozen snide smart-aleck things to say from the first sentence alone. But for the second time since taking her act on the road she chose not to say them. 'Just who am I now anyway?' Trixie wondered as she touched Rarity's horn.

Rarity blinked, and the queen of details took the sight in quickly, including the sight of her little sister in the thralls of a false ideal life. She growled. "When I find who or what is responsible for this, I am doing something very, very VERY UNLADY LIKE TO THEM!"

"You may want to put a pin in that sugarcube." AJ said as she began to fill in Rarity next.

Cheerilee's swirling eyes locked onto at the bearers.

"NO!" Rainbow growled at Twilight. "I refuse to believe that! This can't be Fluttershy! She's not a unicorn! She's not a witch! There's no way she can be doing this! There's no way she WOULD do this!"

"Dashie." Pinkie Pie said in sad resolve, "Remember what we talked about? Fluttershy might be holding or hiding something inside her like you were."

"But she STILL couldn't be able to do all this!" Rainbow Dash swore, "It doesn't make sense!" RD just realized what she just said. "Doesn't, make, SENSE?!"

"Discord?" Rarity asked.

"Let's not jump to conclusions. One way or the other." Twilight said firmly. 'We ALL know where that's gotten us.' "We can't dismiss either possibility for now."

"How about then you get to curing my little sister?" Rarity said forcefully.

Twilight actually took a few paces back. She had never heard Rarity sound so...aggressive before. She had missed her red-faced tirade at Blueblood. Twilight nodded.

AJ for once in her life didn't argue with Rarity.

"Oh and Trixie." Rarity said calmly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

'Thank...you?' Trixie's heard the words repeat in her brain. When was the last time anyone had thanked Trixie for anything?

Twilight took a few trots towards Sweetie Belle who was singing a concert to an imaginary audience.

That was when she was blind sided by Cheerilee!

"HALT!" She snarled at them. "Don't come any closer to them! I won't let you take them away Twilight Sparkle!"

The heroes gasped in surprise and looked at those swirling eyes glaring at them.

"Cheerilee...can you, can you hear me?" Twilight asked cautiously getting back on her hooves.

"I won't let you violate this paradise a minute longer Sparkle! All of you! Return to sleep. Return to rest. Return your paradises! Don't interfere with the happiness of others! In particular, I won't let you ruin the happiness of foals!"

Cheerilee, you're not in your right mind!"

"I'm free!" The school teacher declare loudly.

"This here ain't freedom." Applejack said blandly.

Twilight used her unicorn magic and Cheerilee found herself unable to move as the aura of Twilight's magic surrounded her.

"Trixie! You're on!" Twilight called.

"Right!" Trixie nodded and made a rush for Cheerilee. Who suddenly broke free of the aura -under her own power- and leapt backwards with more agility then she should have had. Gossamer wings grew from her backside as sleek flowing platinum armor formed on her torso, hooves and neck. A butterfly rather than the sun or crescent moon was engraved on the front. She flew in the air.

"I am Princess Gaia's Knight! To protect foals from those who would spirit them away from happiness! That is the royal duty Princess Gaia had assigned me! She shall remake the world before it is consumed by madness."

"Princess WHO-?!" RD called out.

"Uh, nice introduction." Trixie heard herself say.

"This is magically impossible." Twilight swore.

"This isn't good."

"Dagnabbit, we don't have time for this!" AJ swore.

Rarity snarled. "GET-OUT-OF-MY-WAY!"

Music Notes

The original version of 'So many wonders' is copyrighted by Hasbro.

Come Little Children Is From the Disney Film Hocus Pocus and is therefore copy righted to Disney.

The 'second verse' of 'Enter My Wonders' was modded by a friend of mine CritterHugger.

"Heaven" from "Persona 4"

Cheerilee's battle theme, Rank 4 Boss Battle music "Philistine" From "No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle"

Episode 14: "Teacher, Teacher"

My little Ponies Friendship is Magic
Reharmonized Ponies POV Series "Teacher, Teacher"

Oh Oh you found me! That's wonderful! I was worried that you wouldn't be able to. It's so nice of you to want to talk to me again. It really is wonderful to know others care about what you have to say isn't it?

Make yourselves at home. Cookies? Tea? No? Okay, that's fine.

I know this isn't my cottage, but I feel this is the best place for me. I know Angel will be able to handle things for a little while, and everything will have worked itself out before he overworks himself. Heheh! It funny how he's the one always making sure I don't overwork myself helping my little friends! And here I am, making sure he doesn't overwork himself while I'm away.

I know that you want to know -why- I'm doing all this for everyone. I'm sure you think I'm just trying to help more people than I actually can. Or that I'm not thinking about other people's feelings. But I'm confident I can do this. I'm finally being assertive without scaring away my little friends!

So why am I doing this? I'd rather wait until my friends arrive so I don't have to repeat myself. I'm sure you understand. But I guess I can share a few things. I guess I grew up. I finally understand how unfair the world is, and it would be black-hearted of me to -not- do my best to fix everything and everypony if I can. Did you know Ditzy Doo almost lost custody of Dinky? It's true. When they brought all those doctor-ponies to help everyone with that big dumb meanie Discord did to everyone. They thought because of her language problems that she was retarded! Dinky had to stay with a mare from her father's family, the paper work said she was her big sister. But we never did find out if Ditzy was actually a lot older than she looked, or if someone was shuffling paperwork for her sake.

Thankfully the other doctors were able to prove that Ditzy is fully rational, intelligent, can hold a job, and is attentive to Dinky and her development as a foal. The hardest part was proving that Ditzy wasn't damaging Dinky's ability to communicate. She came very close to losing her because of that part. It was all so unfair. So horribly, horribly unfair.

And that of course is just for starters. Ponies scared of what other ponies think. Ponies not able to return other ponies' feelings. Some ponies having to go while others stay. Ponies who want to fly but are Earth Ponies. Ponies who want to do magic but are pegasi. And ponies who ... who just want to feel what nature feels, but aren't earth ponies.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna did a good job of cleaning up after that big dumb meanie Discord, but they weren't able to finish. There are ponies still hurting.

But I've been given a gift and I'm going to save Equestria. Everypony will get to be healthy, happy, be loved, and never ever have to hurt each other to have what they need or find what they want.

I helped Cheerilee understand this, since she loves each of her students like her own child, and now she understands better than anypony.

Oh don't go. There's no need. You have everything you love right here. Isn't it wonderful? Just relax. Be happy. Be peaceful. Listen to mommy's voice, listen to mommy's song. Feel mommy's hug. Feel mommy's love. There's no need to leave. There is no need for anything. Let the fog protect you from the cruel harsh light that has no heart.

That's it, just forget it all, just let it all go, all those silly regrets, all that silly sadness, loss, mistakes, and memories that only weight you down. Yes my little foals, yes, listen to mommy, listen to mommy's love, listen to mommy's song.

Who's a cute foal? Who's a cute foal? Tickle tickle! That's nice dear. Mommy loves hearing you laugh. Snuggle with mommy! Yes, mommy loves you too dear! Mommy loves you all. Mommy will provide and protect you. You'll never be lonely with mommy here.

Mommy was very happy for this talk dearies, very happy. Mama is very proud. Now mama wants you to go to all the friends you've been sharing these wonderful talks with and tell them about mommy and share her song and her love with them. All your friends and family, dearies. Send it to as many as you can ... so all can join mommy in paradise.

Now sit here on Mama's lap, and let's watch my Knight Cheerilee teach my friends that forcing others to not be happy is wrong.

-- intar-view with tha suber-duper prince-cez Gai-ah who's also mama! All luv to prince-cez Gai-ah!

+++

Rarity Belle made a headlong charge straight for the delusional Sweetie. Cheerilee spun like a drill and dive-bombed the unicorn, knocking her off of her hooves.

Rarity jumped back to her feet and tried to gallop around the pseudo-flutter-pony's flight path but Cheerilee kept an eye on her.

Rarity struck a Horse-Fu pose and challenged, "GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MARE!"

"Not even you have the right to steal these foals from paradise!"

"SHUT-UP-SHUT-UP! Give me back Sweetie!" Rarity floated several tiny rock and pebbles off the grass field around her, and telekinetically shot them at Cheerilee at the speed of a crossbow bolt."

Cheerilee ferociously dodged the attacks, one went through her wings and another through an unarmored part of her left foreleg leaving two tiny bloody holes.

Cheerilee fluttered back several paces, a few pieces of wings began to break off and for a moment Rarity hoped she had grounded her. But the broken off pieces healed up, and the original pieces turned into stained glass butterflies that floated around their master before quickly folding themselves into glass daggers that shot down at Rarity, one cutting along her cutie mark leaving a red streak. Rarity sent another set of stone projectiles at sundering speeds at the unprotected parts of Cheerilee's skull, who gracefully spun out of the line of fire and sent more glass butterflies flying, which pierced air where Rarity's spine had been a heartbeat before.

The other five plus one bearers were knocked out of their shock. No pony had harm another with intent to kill in over a hundred years!

"Twili', can yer magic grab Cheeri'?!"

"She's moving around too much, I can't get a grip on her!"

The two ponies continued to exchange fire, proving nimble enough to dodge fatal attacks.

"PLANTS!" Cheerilee shouts and large spiked plants forced their way out of the ground under Rarity's belly which she dodge rolled along with a trail of glass daggers that impacted in her wake. Another wall of spiked plants formed directly in Rarity's escape path trying to box her in. But not missing a beat, Rarity jumped from one wall to another, jumping at Cheerilee who had made the mistake of getting in close. With the kick that had clapped the jaw of a manticore she gave Cheerilee a spinning hoof to the jaw, almost breaking it.

Cheerilee was sent spinning as Rarity landed neatly on all fours sending more projectiles, most bouncing off Cheerilee's armor.

"She's kicking ass!" Rainbow Dash cheered.

For the first time in her entire life, Twilight hurt a friend and tail slapped RD. "She's being reckless! RAGE EQUALS STUPID! We've got to end this now before one of them is dead!"

"WHERE IS DIAMOND TIARA!" Rarity snarled.

"What?!"

"Don't play dumb! She's been missing since yesterday!"

"I don't know where she is! If I knew she'd be here!" Cheerilee snapped back having gotten her equilibrium.

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER?!"

"I did nothing! Princess Gaia does not know where she is! If she did she'd be here with the others!"

Twilight took this chance as they stopped attacking. "THINK Cheerilee! You've always said your cutie mark was your desire to see your students 'bloom!' They can't bloom in this fog!"

Cheerilee's attention was taken off of Rarity. "Wild flowers are always at the mercy of wild animals. Only in a garden protected can they ever hope to bloom. How about YOU -think-?! Weren't you all HAPPY with what you experienced? Why walk away from that-?! These foals are happy! They're content! I won't let you take that away from them!"

A razor sharp piece of stone went clean for Cheerilee's eye and the brain behind it. But Cheerilee, with cat like reflexes, dodged it just enough so instead the stone smacked into her forehead leaving a bleeding mark.

"RARITY YOU GONE PLUM LOCO!?" AJ shouted.

"MISSSED!" Rarity hissed.

"Rarity, stop!" Pinkie Diane shouted. The bandages on Rarity's flank from her days old stab wound were staining red with a reopened wound.

"Okay, this might not be so cool after all." RD said seeing the savage look in the unicorn's eyes.

"Okay, that's it." Twilight said, "Rarity, she's brainwashed! You can't attack her like she's a mad animal!"

Rarity seemed to look like she was coming out of a fog herself at Twilight's words. Then Cheerilee was hit by a bolt of lightning that conducted very well with the metal armor she was wearing. This tore her gossamer wings to shreds and she hit the ground with a clang.

"TRIXIE!" Twilight shouted.

"Will you look you idiot!" Trixie pointed.

Everyone did look and saw another glass butterfly dagger that landed right next to Rarity's head that had nearly gone into the back of her neck. Only Trixie's surprise lightning bolt had disrupted Cheerilee's aim. "I'm a show pony. To distract, notice a distraction, and taking advantage of one is what I do!"

Instead of saying 'Guess you're good for more than humiliating others,' RD shouted, "AJ, help me hold her! Twilight, you're on! Trixie, get the fillies!"

The ponies charged at the fallen false-flutter-pony. Wind exploded from her, followed by spiked plants pointing outward from her as wings restored themselves and she was air-born again. "You've all been baaad students. Now, as Princess Gaia's knight and as a teacher, I'll teach you that there are some lessons you can only learn the hard way!"

"It, is, on!" Rarity snapped.

"Not on yer own, it isn't!"

"Applejack-"

"Come off it girlfriend! You think you're the only here with a little sister to save?"

And Rarity felt small.

"At least we know she can't make the foals attack us or she would have done so by now." Trixie said.

"Bite your tongue scum! Princess Gaia would NEVER use foals as weapons! I am here as their protector and I'll protect them from you! 'Teacher-teacher' that is what you'll call me."

The heroes rushed her all at once. But for just having grown her wings Cheerilee moved agilely enough to dodge RD's melee attacks; and the foals and others nearby made a Sonic Rainboom too risky.

"Why? Cause this is the lesson you shall learn!"

Rarity and AJ tried to use projectile attacks but Cheerilee was simply moving too fast and too erratically.

"Hear me sing and go back to sleep!"

Trixie tried to end things with another lightning bolt from above but without the element of surprise Cheerilee wasn't about to let that quick win happen again.

"You think what you're doing makes you noble ponies! Is that a fact? Well you're~ all~ hypocrites~!"

Cheerilee now flew like mad on her given wings, moving and unleashing her glass butterflies at the same time sacrificing accuracy for suppressive fire.

"Hay the 'amena' in my name is Spanish teach,
it means pleasant in an amusing way!" Someone else sang.

Cheerilee started as Pinkie Diane appeared out of nowhere and got her armored neck in a choke-hold with her rear legs, the sudden weight throwing her off almost making them crash, but she twisted around at the last moment and dragged Pinkie along the ground. . "You cannot crack this armor, so go ahead and kick those hooves like you're in the right, it's such a bore. You think you're the heroes? Oh~ Please!~"

Pinkie Diane refused to let go using her forelegs to grip her in a double vice grip. The extra weight slowed her down. This backfired when she used Pinkie Pie as a shield as AJ and Rarity accidentally peppered their friend with fast moving rocks.

"The dream shall be eternal.~ Fair thee well to all things external. Gifts of the princess to help me. Teacher's got~ your~ name.~" Cheerilee back headed Pinkie Diane, finally knocking her loose at last right at AJ and Rarity and used the chance to ram AJ and Rarity, knocking them down.

"The Dream shall be eternal
Teacher has come, fillies~!"

Cheerilee took in several deep breaths as she hovered over the battered lot, keeping an eye on Rainbow Dash and Twilight.

"And this is how the story ends. Everyone in their own private joys, happy forever. No one to ruin it for them, no one to judge them, no one to criticize them, none to hurt them, only the happiness and love of their ideal life. Let the butterflies continue to dream rather than make them suffering their unfair world."

"The One And Only Trixie would like your attention teacher!"

The armored pony turned to look at Trixie and gasped. Trixie's horn crackled with electricity, just above the shoulder of Ruby Pinch who was busy playing patty-cake with an imaginary version of her mother Berry Punch. "Wha-wha-"

The others looked in horror at Trixie's gambit.

"I believe you said we're the villains here. So I shall do as a villain does and taken a perfectly innocent random filly as a hostage. Looks like the winds of change are here eh Twilight? "

"You ARE filth! Using a filly?! I think a lobotomization is the only way to help monsters like you!" Cheerilee snarled.

"Oh please. I'd say of the times I've done this, this is number sixteen ."

The wind suddenly blew on the now stationary target unevenly, forcing one wing to go painfully the opposite way of the other. In an instant, the lightning from Trixie's horn vanished, and a tiny storm cloud appeared above Cheerilee, striking her and her metal covered body with lightning again.

Dash wasted no time and rammed her into the ground, hard, leaving a dust cloud. It would have broken her ribs if she wasn't wearing armor. RD didn't let go.

Both mage unicorns rushed at once, but Twilight reached her first and touched the horn to Cheerilee's exposed forehead. And the sheering light burned away the fog in her mind.

"Oh dear!" Cheerilee gasped as her eyes became her own again.

Like a shadow cast by someone else leaving her, the gossamer wings and armor broke apart and dissolved, almost fleeing her. A mare making an intelligible sound of anger was distantly heard.

Cheerilee gasped as she looked up at the six ponies as they gathered around her. "I ... all of you, I'm just, I didn't mean, she was just so, and what she said just made so much, hearing her voice, she was simply so ... I'm so so sorry!"

Pinkie Pie smiled and hugged her. "Don't be silly, you were brainwashed, you didn't really make those choices, they were made for you and you were made to think you made them. So you don't have anything to apologize for. And even when your brain was tapioca you thought about your students first! So you should be proud you held into what made you -you- even when brain zapped! That's more than any of us can say."

Cheerilee seemed somewhat mollified with Pinkie Pie's words.

"Cheerilee what happened?" Twilight asked.

"Class was about to get started, Applebloom and her friends came in with Silverspoon and a flock of birds flew into the classroom and began singing ... I swear they sounded like Fluttershy! ... Then things became weird. WE HAD to come here. It was IMPORTANT we come here no matter what. We NEEDED to come here. Because it was HERE that we needed to be!

"Then all the foals fell into their own fantasies, and ... I met this beautiful pony ... it's, it's hard to describe her now, almost like she was a dream herself. But she said she was going to save all the foals of the world and all of Equestria and wanted my help. I wasn't able to think about saying no. When she talked about helping the foals Discord hurt it was like music to my ears. Then she kissed me on the forehead ... it was like she put a tiny piece of herself inside me. It felt wonderful. And I could use MAGIC outside of what an earth pony is supposed to. And everything she said made perfect absolute sense. Just to see all my students happy again ... I'm sorry. I couldn't think clearly in this fog." She hung her head.

"Nothing to forgive." AJ said helping her up.

"I myself apologize. I ... I was foalish and the embodiment of unlady-like." Rarity said hesitantly.

"If I had a little sister I'd have done the same." Cheerilee said.

RD and AJ said nothing.

"A pity Scootaloo doesn't seem to be your sister in this iteration of the universe." Pinkie Pie said. "Personally I think that was cruel on Hasbro's part. But at least you have her in your class now."

Cheerilee stared at Pinkie Pie with pin prick eyes.

"Oh. Sorry." Pinkie apologized sadly, "I shouldn't have told you that."

Cheerilee desperately looked for anything to distract her from what she had just heard and spotted a face she didn't quite recognize. Wait a minute.

"And you are ... oh my, are you the unicorn Snips and Snails are always going on about?" Cheerilee said looking at the blue unicorn.

"The one and only," Trixie said flatly.

"Let me just say thank you, you're the ONLY thing that's ever managed to get those two little colts to -do- something with themselves."

"Told you," Twilight said simply to Trixie with no trace of ego.

Trixie blinked, why did she feel like she was blushing? Since when did Trixie feel embarrassed by praise? By thanks? She lived for that. Didn't she? "You're welcome." Trixie said in a surprisingly small voice.

"Don't be modest," Cheerilee said to Trixie in total honesty. And the girls hesitated, waiting for time and space to implode into themselves. When they failed to, the ponies moved on.

"Can we just get on with snapping Scoots and the rest back to reality now?" RD asked impatiently having had enough.

The mage unicorns split up and with some hesitation began to make the fillies relive the memories that contradicted the fantasies they were living.

Archer looked around remembering she hadn't stopped super villains left and right with her archery skills or stopped invaders from outside Equestria. "Hey! No fair! I was about to slay Tiamat!" Archer whined.

"Sorry." Twilight sighed.

"Aw nuts." "Dang." Said Snips and Snails. "Hey look!" "Cool! Hey Miss Great and Powerful Trixie uh, we know you're angry and everything but ... you forgive us right and want to us on as students, right?"

"The Great And Powerful Trixie will not be taking on students now or ever." Trixie said flatly.

"Aaaaaahhhh." The two said sadly together.

"And The One and Only Trixie at this time is not able to take on apprentices." Trixie said with a microscopic hint of regret.

The two colts looked at each other confused.

Twist looked around, remembering empty rooms and empty afternoons as she found new friends to hang out with and being perfectly happy with them, but still wishing Applebloom would find her Cutie mark already. "That's not fair."

"I know," Twilight said apologetically.

Ruby Pinch remembered her mom beginning to enjoy fine wine and hard booze again after getting over the damage Discord had done to her. Remembering the jokes said by adults that the only time her mother was ever sober was when she had been pregnant with Ruby. "But I was happy ..."

"Then hurry up and make your dreams reality," Trixie said in a somewhat unkind tone.

"Big sister?" Sweetie Belle asked seeing Rarity as she lost the swirl eyes.

"I'm sorry dear." Rarity nuzzled her.

"But ... but it, I just wanted, I finally had-"

"Now you make it come true for real Sweetie." Rarity whisper continue to nuzzle her.

"OF ALL THE ROTTEN LOW DOWN DIRTY APPLE STEALIN' BUCKING HAY HORSE-APPLES DIRTY TRICKS--"

"Applebloom! Watch yer language!" AJ shouted, hugging her at the same time.

"But I finally got my cutie mark! And it was so big, and pretty, so so RIGHT!"

Trixie had fallen on her flanks and held her head her ears ringing from Applebloom's swear storm.

"I'm sorry Applebloom, I'm just so sorry." AJ said.

"Hey Scoots ... " RD said as Twilight cured her.

Scootaloo just looked at the grass, and sniffled. RD covered her with her big blue wings so no one had to see her cry.

"GIVE IT BACK!" Silver Spoon wailed, "PLEASE GIVE IT BACK! JUST GIVE IT BACK PLEASE!" The gray colored filly sob. "It's not fair! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR! Just give it back to me! Give Diamond back! Give me back mama who's happy with how she looks! Give me back a papa who I know I don't need to be scared of! Give back this cutie mark being a mistake and a give me the new one back! Give it all back!" Silver Spoon almost screamed.

Cheerilee hugged the rich filly. The CMC, Twist, and the other foals looked confused and unsure.

Twilight could swear she could see the fog swirl thicker around Silver Spoon.

Twilight considered using her 'fail-safe spell.' And decided to use it.

The magical waves push back against the fog, dissolving it, but no matter how far the waves spread, there was more fog beyond even as landmarks became obvious. Finally a breach in the fog appeared northward.

Nearly everyone gasped in awe at Twilight's display of power. Trixie gritted her teeth. Silver Spoon made a noise of dismay and longing. Scootaloo buried her head deeper in Rainbow's wings.

"Cheerilee, take Silver Spoon and the other foals and go north. Don't go back to Ponyville until the fog clears. If you can, go to Canterlot. I'm sorry but Trixie has never used teleportation by herself before and I've never teleported more than one passenger at once that far before and I don't know if I have the reserves for twenty long range teleportations. And I don't know how long it's going to take for the fog to reassert itself."

"I understand." Cheerilee nodded.

Trixie said, "I vote we teleport to Canterlot just a few of us, and tell Princess Celestia that an evil, delusion-inducing magical fog has sweeping across the landscape that may or may not be caused by the most sweet pure and innocent mare this side of Nyxie. Let the goddess of the sun who you're best friends with save the world. One time out of three shouldn't be that troublesome for her."

Twilight processed Trixie's perfectly rational, if tactless logic.

"Who's Nyxie?" AJ asked.

"Never mind." Trixie's family was private.

"NO ONE IS BANISHING FLUTTERSHY TO THE MOON!" RD DARED give Scootaloo a hug IN PUBLIC and then flew straight for the source of the fog, Everfree Forest.

"IDIOT!" Trixie screamed. No one told her to shut up. "Should you at least go to Canterlot to get the weapons of the gods so you can actually DO something when you find your friend who may or may not now be as powerful as a Princess?"

"Without 'Kindness' the other Elements are just jewelry." Rarity said.

"That ain't -precisely- 'true' sugarcube."

"Then how about the teacher?! She sure seems to fit the bill!" Trixie gestured at Cheerilee who startled at the idea of herself holding an Element.

"She doesn't know how ta fight!"

"Didn't really stop us with Nightmare Moon."

"Pinkie Pie, ya ain't helpin'!"

"She sure put all of us through the wringer!" Trixie said looking at Cheerilee.

"That was due mostly to the geass removing her inhibitions I think." Twilight said.

"AGH!" Trixie let a noise in frustration.

Cheerilee asked, "Does anyone care what I think?"

"No." The mares said together.

Twilight noticed the fog was beginning to crawl back. "The Elements would do us even less good if Rainbow gets herself killed in the meantime! Cheerilee just go! Guys! Follow that rainbow!" Twilight didn't wait to see if the others would follow her.

"Be brave and look out for everyone." AJ said to Applebloom before follow Twilight's instructions.

Rarity kissed Sweetie and trotted at the best pace she could manage. She tried her hardest not to favor her rear leg.

"Hurry up before you get squashed by the plot hammer!" Pinkie Pie shouted as hopped along.

Trixie grunted and followed, she was stronger than she looked, she had pulled her entire home along on a regular basis before after all.

"What is she thinking anyway?!" Trixie said to the other as they galloped. "If you need all six for them to work, then how do you plan to saving your friend?"

"-Our-friend." Twilight said bluntly.

"I figured she figured she'll figure out something." Pinkie Pie said.

Trixie shook her head. "That is COMPLETELY RECKLESS AND FOOLHARDY!"

"That's Rainbow Dash." AJ said.

"But how can she DO THAT?"

"Because we know Fluttershy would do the same for us!" Twilight explained.

Pinkie Diane said, "I really hope this turns out to be some imposter or maybe some split personality of Fluttershy left over from her time cursed by Discord, or maybe she's brainwashed again as a smokescreen by some evil cultists of Nightmare Moon or Discord to resurrect their dark master. Or this turns out to be a dream by one of us."

"Please don't get started down that road sugarcube." AJ said forcefully.

Trixie growled in a way ponies weren't supposed to. "-IF- this was my dream, I wouldn't be surrounded by a gang of irrational ponies! Especially ones who... who... who... who are a bunch of ... "

Rarity felt herself bristle.

"Trixie." Twilight asked. "You weren't really going to hurt that filly were you?"

"What difference does it make? We won. No one was killed. End of story."

"I think that filly's mother would care." Pinkie Pie said.

"What difference does it make? It's not like I know her."

'Oh no you don't Trixie,' Twilight thought. 'You don't get to slip back.'

"Girls, go on just a bit ahead. And whatever happens, just let me and Trixie talk." Twilight slowed down. The other silently allowed this.

They didn't stop of course. They couldn't afford to.

"Huh?" Trixie looked confused and looked at Twilight. "Oh come on! After we all get brainwashed and one of us splits off we're going to split up MORE?"

"Trixie." Twilight did manage a smile. "You said 'one of us.'"

Trixie startled and took a few trots away from her. How many times were these ponies going to have her do that-?! Was life but repetition?! "Pst! So what if I did?! It's not like I LIKE any of you."

"You took the name I called you when I pulled you out of the darkness."

"That was just the name I was GOING to use originally before my master suggested 'Great and Powerful.' I chose it simply for that!"

"Yes I saw your memories Trixie remember? I know that. But I know something else. You're a good liar Trixie, the best I know, but even you aren't that good. You can't hide an emotion you barely understand and that is 'gratitude.'"

"Trixie simply does not wish to be in the debt of anypony!"

"Stop lying Trixie! Especially to yourself! Haven't you damaged yourself enough with them?"

"Lying ... is merely one of my, I mean Trixie's talents! The ones that place her above the common pony!"

Twilight wondered. Even if Trixie had learned -how- to be friends, even freed of Discord's taint, even if she was learning how to relate to the bearers, was Trixie in her heart of hearts still just a selfish pony who thought she was better than everything else? Had Twilight been thinking all this time that just because she freed the leopard from the bear trap that she could also change its spots? In the end, was Trixie really the only pony Trixie cared about at all?

"OH YES! So much greater! Discord tried to drive every pony alive insane! That really put him above the 'common pony!' Nightmare Moon wanted to kill the day and had the power to do it, that so put her above the 'common pony!' Prince Blueblood was born into a position of power and privilege: AND IS A SMALL MINDED CHILDISH DONKEY! That puts him so above the 'common pony!' Your lies cost you your reputation, your home, and you felt you needed to make others small to make yourself feel big! Oh yes! You're SO ABOVE the common Pony Trixie!"

'Where are they?' Trixie wondered in absolute astonishment. Where were the fiery retorts building up inside her? Where was her vindictive wrath? Where was the thunder cracking down to express her rage at this impudence? Why couldn't she even find it?

But what Trixie was having the hardest time understanding, was WHY DID HEARING THIS HURT SO MUCH-?! She had brushed off hecklers who had called her a selfish-self-serving-egotistical-self-important-nag without a second thought. And the ones who called her a liar didn't even blip on the radar! Why was it hurting-?!

Trixie knew she had lost the 'Great And Powerful' in that ghastly barren broken wasteland that she learned was the embodiment of her heart. But now a question screamed through her mind. 'AM I EVEN TRIXIE-?!' What WAS this emotion she was feeling? It felt greatly like when she had been laughed off of stage, but that was general crushing feeling, this one felt condensed, powerful. The laughter of the crowd had been like a great wave that hit her. This felt like she had looked into the mirror and seen something truly ugly where her face was supposed to be.

It had been so long, Trixie didn't even recognize what it felt like to be ashamed.

"You know what that's called Trixie?! It's called PREJUDICE! Or have you never experienced that Half-Dirt-Unicorn?"

And a switch was pulled.

The ground shook slightly but steadily, tiny bits of rock began to rise from the ground.

Trixie's head and shoulders moved in a lazy, almost liquid way as she turned to look at Twilight with one eye, her bangs covering the other. The rest of her body relaxed as she lay on her flanks and all fours.

Trixie's voice that should never have had as much passive calm as now absolutely dominated it. The melodramatic booming voice was now like an Arctic wind. "You will take that word back Twilight Sparkle. Or I shall break everyone bone in your body. One. By. One."

Twilight realized to her own shock she suddenly felt scared of -Trixie-! The unicorn proven time and again to be below her level. And now Twilight knew fear. But she knew she couldn't back down, from even from this army.

"--WAKE UP-- Trixie! How is thinking your natural talents make you naturally superior as a -person- any different from someone who'd think your father would make you naturally -inferior- as one?"

"You say anything negative about my father Twilight Sparkle and I swear I'll KILL YOU! "

"Trixie, I MET your parents! They are wonderful ponies! And so are your sisters! And Trixie ... please Trixie, I asked in your heart of hearts Trixie: those unicorns full of themselves that you humiliated when you first began your act? In your memories, how did Blue Flames act? And how have you acted? Do you think you have a right to act better than anyone around you when everyone cheered you when you toppled hers?"

Blue Flames. The same unicorn who was now the offensive magic instructor of Hoofington's mage school. Who had given Trixie her first challenge in Trixie's beloved declaration 'anything you can do, I can do better' that had been Trixe's loving companion for most of her life by challenging her to catch a fireball to the face before she could say yes. And had so enjoyed the flavor of seeing her squirm and so many unicorns and so many pegasi and earth ponies to follow.

Where was the yes? Where was the resounding yes to Twilight's question? Where was the yes? Trixie violently tore through her soul for it. Where was the yes? Where was the resounding thundering YES?! Where had it gone? And why ... why were the beautifully crafted gears in her skull, that had enable her to so flawlessly lie before, locking up as she tried to simply bluff the answer?

Trixie took the only escape rout left, she answered the question with question. But the question that flew out of her mouth wasn't the one she expected.

The power stopped flowing, the bits of rock and dirt hit the ground hard. Trixie turned her body to face Twilight directly but lowered her head to look at the ground, unable to look her in the face.

She asked in a tone that was anything but great and powerful, "Twilight? Who am I?"

'Or maybe,' Twilight thought. 'What I need to accept is that Trixie has a lifetime of making wrong decisions to relearn for. You were right Zecora. If I was going to be the one to pull Trixie out of the darkness, then it's my responsibility to teach her how to see in the light too. Trixie has a lot to learn. And I promised I'll be there to help her learn.'

"You're Trixie. The One and Only, no better or worse than any pony. But that DOESN'T make you expendable, that DOESN'T make you disposable, that DOESN'T make you interchangeable. 'ALL unique' -doesn't- make nopony unique. I told you before Trixie, that pedestal you put yourself on? It did nothing but distance you from others. Your magic only gets -weaker- by thinking you're better than everyone else Trixie. Your talents are wonderful, they're something to be -proud- of. But no amount of -power- makes you better than others. No amount of -skill- or knowledge makes you -superior- as a -person-. BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOUR TALENTS MEAN NOTHING! They're art."

Trixie slowly rose her had to look Twilight. The pony who had saved her life twice. The first time Trixie considered being eaten by the Ursa Minor would have been a kinder fate. The second time, Trixie hadn't a clue what she felt.

"You're right," Trixie said she stood up taking just look enough to look Twilight in the eye before moving foreword. "I was lying. I didn't remember until later that was my first choice for a stage name. How could I? I've done my hardest to bury everything that wasn't the 'Great and Powerful Trixie.' I did chose it because I heard you call me that."

"And I can help you unbury all those things. And I'm sure your family is more than ready to help you too."

"Thank you," Trixie said, and she didn't feel ashamed to say it. "And I'm sorry. I've dragged us down. If anything happens to Dash while you were helping me: it's my fault." And the words only tasted half as awful as Trixie thought they would.

"It was my idea to slow down. And we needed trust more than anything."

"Trixie is no one's dead weight. And here I am. I'm not being Trixie."

"Then maybe it's time Trixie stopped being a role and started being just you."

Trixie looked at Twilight Sparkle, an indignant look in her eyes. "Everyone plays a role Twilight Sparkle. You just help me see there are no insignificant ones.

All Equestria's a stage,
And all the stallions and mares merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one pony in her time plays many parts. "

"Except ponies play more than seven roles Trixie. We play many roles to many ponies. And to those we trust more than life itself, our true friends, we play no roles, we show our heart of hearts to."

"No Twilight, I think that's when we play our most important role. And it's one I'm still learning the nuances of."

'And I promise to be a good teacher until you have the ins and outs.' Twilight thought to herself. "You taught me one important lesson Trixie."

"Eh?"

"Just because you see a pony playing one role, doesn't mean they can't play others."

Trixie seemed comforted by that.

Most Decidedly NOT the End!

Music Notes: Cheerilee's battle beat is the same as Margareta Moonlight Rank No. 4 from No More Heroes 2.

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 15: "Everkind Fluttershy"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Everkind Forest"

The five bearers made their way straight to the Everfree Forest as the pegasus flies. All of them wondered what fate Rainbow Dash had brought upon herself or had been forced upon her in the mean time. By now the fog had reasserted itself. But Twilight's wind spell and Trixie's emulation of Pegasi weather magic were keeping it away from themselves as much as possible,(even if AJ wasn't sure the fog was the real danger). Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense meanwhile was apparently still on vacation. Rarity helped how she could and acted as an extra light source as the fog refused to submit to the will of the almighty sun. Twilight tried REALLY hard not to think about that implication!

At the edge of the forest, they spotted Rainbow Dash simply staring in slacked-jawed bewilderment, they did too.

Twilight said it first. "AJ, since you seem to know these things, are we hallucinating again?"

"Ah...don't think so. But Ah'm kinda wonderin' if the truth thingie is on the fritz seein' this."

Twilight just nodded, not questioning.

After waking up the other ponies from their fake ideal lives, AJ had to more or less let known the weird 'trait' she had picked up since her visit from Celestia. "How come I can't get truth vision?" Had been Pinkie's instant reply. AJ had begun to worry, she didn't gain this sight right after looking into truth, it developed a while later. AJ just hoped she didn't end up with little round silver truth balls for eyeballs and rendering everypony who looked her in the eye a sobbing mess. But AJ held true to her mantra that she wouldn't deny or fear the truth if that turned out to be the case. If it came to that AJ hoped her eyes weren't sensitive to contact lenses. Besides unlike Trixie, AJ knew they didn't have time to hear her lament. They had to find and save Fluttershy.

"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie shouted out. "You dummy! Don't rush off like that!"

AJ did a quick look in RD's eyes to make sure she wasn't brainwashed now.

"Rainbow I must admit that I can appreciate the desire to save Fluttershy, but that quite foalish on your part in the extreme," Rarity admonished.

"Don't do that again!" Trixie snapped at her, and if they had been listening for it, they would have heard -concern- coming from Trixie's mouth!

"You're not the boss of me!"

"You don't seem to be the boss of you either!"

"Girls! We've had enough arguments for one day!" Twilight said, "And Rainbow Dash don't do that again."

"I'm sorry, it's just, remember what Princess Celestia had to do because she couldn't use the Element of Harmony right to save Luna? I still think this is horse apples but if something has taken over Fluttershy I'm not seeing her sent to the moon for a thousand years because we took the easy way out with Celestia!"

Twilight felt hurt. Why do so many ponies assume Celestia was going to banish any problem she laid her eyes on? Didn't any of them know how much it HURT Celestia to do what she had to do?

"Please tell me you realized the foalishness of this and chose to wait for us." Rarity said almost pleadingly.

RD blushed. "Actually, ya see I kinda stopped dead in my tracks wondering if the fog was making me see things again or what. I mean," RD gestured wildly at the forest behind her. "HAY! Who stole Everfree?"

"It looks kinda like Everfree." Pinkie said.

"Maybe on opposite day!" Rainbow Dash snapped.

"Mayhaps, but I personally can't help but feel it's an improvement," Rarity said sophisticatedly. "Even if it is somewhat garish."

"'A little garish?' Ick! I don't mind cute, but this is gonna make my teeth fall out!"

Pinkie Diane Pie said, "Dashie, we're brightly colored talking magical ponies."

"So?"

Pinkie Diane Pie groaned.

Where the Everfree Forest was supposed to be was indeed a group of trees that were the proper species and number. But the trees' bark was pale almost golden yellow, the leaves were bright pink and the flowers (FLOWERS in Everfree) were bright blue (not poison joke). And there was a healthy population of butterflies. There were honey bees too, but they seemed to be lacking stingers.

And the trees, they were arranged almost like a landscaper's design or an orchard! Everything was so organized, all the trees neatly in rows, equal space from each other, letting in enough sunlight for all. And where were all those sparkles coming from anyway?

And all those hyper organized trees had -smiling faces-! The exact opposite of the nightmare trees that the heroes had encountered on their quest to defeat Nightmare Moon. There was also the alien presence of fruit trees, a lot of them, bearing fruit at an impossible rate that grew heavy and fell to the ground only for more to grow on the tree to take its place. Twilight got a headache when she saw a sign with cutely designed letters labled 'Gem Tree.' A huge tree next to it with various precious stones growing from it.

"This breaks so many laws of magic I don't know where to even begin." Twilight said dismayed as her precious logic and reason were slapped in the face so much she wanted to just hug them, wipe away their tears, and tell them that she still loved them.

"This is like Ponyville under Discord." Applejack said.

Twilight said analytically, "No, this doesn't feel like his style at all. There isn't enough exploding chocolate milk."

Pinkie Pie said, "It's funny you should mention that. Fluttershy with a really weird look on her face a day or two after we beat Mr. Discord asked me how much chocolate rain I swallowed. After I told her 'a lot', she hit me with a little mallet, then asked me to swallow a blasting cap."

RD asked, "How did the cap taste?"

"No real bang to it."

"And you didn't think that was strange behavior at the time?!" Rarity said agitated.

"I was in my insane 'party for three weeks straight' mode at the time remember? I wasn't exactly thinking rationally."

'I'm still getting used to her thinking rationally period,' Rarity thought.

That was when the world's smallest and cutest trumpet played. RD swore if she saw the flowers start playing music now she'd jump off a cliff with her wings folded. However, it wasn't the flowers providing music.

The short, simply jingle got all the ponies' attention.

The trees parted in attendance for the new arrival who trotted, okay, skipped happily out to the edge of the Everfree Forest.

"ZECORA-?!" Twilight gasped.

"THIS IS ZECORA-?!" Trixie exclaimed disbelieving. This was the Zebra they had traveled all this way to see in the first place?

"Yes, and no." RD said.

"Hello! No need to bellow!" She replied with a smile in a voice so small, sweet, and innocent that it made Sweetie Belle sound like Angry Pie.

The Zebra was now the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders or possibly even Pipsqueak. She was short, stubby, a little pudgy, looking at them round innocent but playful eyes (which strangely weren't discorded). Her gray hide with black strips were now brightly colored. A little trumpet was draped over one shoulder. Around her neck was a platinum butterfly necklace. And her cutie mark now looked like it had drawn in with a crayon.

For the ponies this last part was part was both adorable and disturbing, a cutie mark was a reflection of the pony's inner most soul, for -that- to have changed was a little chilling.

"I...I...I can't....can't resist . ." Pinkie Pie's entire body shook.

The whole group went on alert.

Twilight asked concerned, "Pinkie Pie? Can you hear me?! What's wr-"

"SO CUTE~!"

Pinkie Pie took up Zecora into her arms and began cuddling her like a teddybear.

"Put me down. Okay, even if you don't I won't frown!" The zebra foal hugged back.

"Zecora! What happened to you? Is that really you?" If not for the cutie mark, Twilight would thought Zecora had relatives visiting.

Zecora grinned. "Yes, it's me! Tee-hee! Princess Gaia gave me a precious gift! And...there's no need for it to cause a rift?" Zecora said looking a little unsure.

"Oh even your bad versing is adorable!" Pinkie Pie nuzzled her.

"It's only cute cause she's little, squat and plump." Trixie said curtly.

"And isn't it adorable?" RD said before shaking her head getting her wits at looking at the impossibly cute foal.

"Pinkie put her down," AJ said sternly.

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," Everyone said.

"I'm not in a bind, I don't mind."

"Do it now Pinkie," Twilight said simply.

Pinkie Pie did so reluctantly.

"Hello and welcome all of you! All your sadness is through! Welcome to Everkind Forest! Where all happiness sings in chorus!"

AJ asked, "You didn't really get the whole 'speaking in rhyme' thing down until you were older did ya Zecora?"

"Nope!" Zecora said proudly.

"My dear I must say while your new look is technically appealing, I must confess the design style is rather shallow and while the individual traits are appealing on their own, they only rudimentary compliment each other." Rarity said looking over the little foal Zecora.

"This is the new look Princess Gaia picked for me! Tee-hee! So of course it's perfect! There's no need to be so...stufferfect?"

Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Princess Gaia?" Twilight asked.

"Yes yes! She came to Everfree and made it a better! The badness she did fetter! She made me all cute! And she wants to teach me how to play the lute! My heart she did lay to bare! Now I am her royal foot-mare! You are her special guests! So welcome last adults in the world: once Princess Gaia's happiness has been totally unfurled! Now come along! Princess Gaia wants us all to have fun!"

"What do you mean last adults in the world-?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Everyone is more happy as foals, so of course everyone should be foals! What would be mean would be to steal memories, or to make one a foal without being given the heart of one, or be given the mind of one without being given the body of one! But Princess Gaia isn't like that! Everything will be better now that she's up to bat!"

"So why wasn't Cheerilee made a foal?" Twilight always the curious one asked.

"Cause foals need a protector, duh. And Princess Gaia hasn't made all of the world happy yet, so someone has to make sure the foals don't hurt themselves!"

"How considerate." RD grumbled.

"YES! Isn't she the bestest Princess in the whole wide world? She's the best Princess ever in the history of everything and the universe! She's gonna make everything at least two hundred percent cooler!"

"I wasn't more happy as a foal," Pinkie Pie said in the most straight, matter of fact, and almost -harsh- tone she had ever used.

"We need to fix that then. Happiness is right around the bend."

Twilight asked, "How did she know we were coming?"

"All that nature sees, Princess Gaia sees. Er, you don't need to sneeze?"

RD took the foal by the shoulders. "Zecora! Where's Fluttershy-?! Everyone says they saw her flying towards here yesterday!"

"Fluttershy? Fluttershy? Oh yes Princess Gaia! She came upon Everfree, and saw it was not kind. But she realized the power within and ascended to a higher state than us. And she in her kindness she has made Everfree Everkind and all of us will be innocent and pure again. So? Let's not be, er, lagin'? She's waiting for you at her castle, so let's not have a hassle."

"Fluttershy has a castle?" Pinkie Pie asked in disbelief rather than naivety.

"Fluttershy wouldn't do this!" RD exclaimed.

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash sadly. "You mean make others happy? You mean do it in the most gentle way possible? You mean not wanting to do violence herself even if she'll let others do it for a good cause? You mean being forceful if emotionally backed into a corner? You mean letting her cowardice get the better of her when we aren't there to support her? You mean liking things pleasant and peaceful and being a polite hostess?"

"I, I, she wouldn't, she couldn't, she wouldn't, I know her!"

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash and wondered. Had Celestia's companions seen this face when the Princess was informed or bore witness to Luna's fall into insanity?

Rarity looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes trotting right in front of her, everyone else just an audience.

"I'm sorry Rainbow Dash, I really am. This is the last thing you should have to hear." Then Rarity nearly shouted, "But I know Fluttershy better than you do!" RD fluttered back a few hooves. "You may have grown up with her but that doesn't mean you understood her!"

"No! No! No! Not good at all! Hear this fable, such feelings are forbidden at Princess Gaia's table!"

"Zecora," Twilight said, "Take us to Fluttershy."

"Of course! No need for a divorce! That's why Princess Gaia sent me! Not to talk about birds and bees! To bring her best friends to her castle! Just follow this loyal vassal!"

"This is very likely a trap," Trixie said pragmatically.

"Or Fluttershy just wants to talk," Rarity said.

"Or a trap."

"But if she's willing to talk then it's too big a opportunity -not- to risk it," Twilight said simply.

"I don't think I'm leading you into a trap," said Zecora, "So no need to snap."

Zecora then happily skipped ahead of them, slowing down only so they could catch up with her. Playing her horn a few times as if it was the most wonderful sound in the world.

Worried about more mind control music, Twilight asked her to please stop and was surprised when Zecora complied.

Seeing the zebra who she considered almost another mentor reduced to a perky happy-go-lucky foal was rather jarring for Twilight. She considered using the memory spell then and there on Zecora, and almost did, but if Fluttershy now had all the might and terror of Everfree Forest under her command, Twilight didn't want to antagonize her further.

"Zecora. You do realize you're under a geass right?"

"Of course silly filly! If I wasn't, I'd be way too embarrassed to do any of this! But for something better I couldn't wish! I haven't felt this happy since I left home! For far too long did I roam! Serving a Princess I never did dream, but I am happy to be on her team!"

"You do know you're only happy doing it because of the geass?"

"I don't mind. She is very kind."

"But you don't mind because of the geass too!"

"That's its appeal. It's a great package deal!"

Twilight sighed, and looked around at the forest of death that was now a kingdom of lollipops and sprinkles that made the rest of Equestria look like Dragon Queen Tiamat's kingdom. She tried her hardest not to think about how welcoming it all looked.

"This here is Everfree? What the heck did Fluttershy DO-?!" AJ asked looking around.

"She made it kind. Isn't that kind?" Zecora said redundantly redundant.

Twilight stared the beasts and creatures of Everfree all coming into view, and acting as docile and harmless as common house pets.

The parasprites were in sight, and were not eating everything in sight and were not reproducing like crazy. Instead they seemed to be making pretty patterns with their different colored bodies.

The girls panicked when they saw a cockatrice. Zecora laughed and petted it, it now had big bright sparkling blue eyes.

"That is so wrong." RD said.

"You should hear what the Princess has planned for the hydra of Froggy Bottom Bog!"

"Ugh. No thanks."

"The Princess also removed all the Poison Joke, she decided that practical jokes weren't really all that funny to the person they were happening to."

"It's Fluttershy," Dashie said a sprinkling of despair.

"The Princess also reduced the fur-till-it-tea of the animals to almost nothing. And sure all of Everkind's creatures could live in perfect harmony with each other without having to eat each other!"

Twilight glanced and saw a small flight of dragons. They had wings, but looked to be about Spike's size and build which biologically didn't make sense since dragons Spike's age didn't have their wings yet! In other words, they were what Fluttershy would want every dragon to be. They were all also fat. Lazily eating up the endless supplies of jewels the gem-trees were providing.

The gang also saw a pack of wolves, now with flat teeth eating grass along side a herd of deer!

"How could she have done all this in such a short amount of time? This is impossible. Even Celestia and Luna together couldn't have made all these changes in a day." Twilight said in distraught confusion.

"Nothing is impossible for the Princess and her kindness!" Zecora declared proudly.

That was when they came to a very familiar river. A Twilight could guess where they were going now.

"WHAT A BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL DAY! WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME TO BE ALIVE~~! EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AND NICE~~!"

"I'd know that voice anywhere!" Rarity exclaimed even before the great purple sea-serpent rose from the riverbed.

Trixie shouted in alarm. Twilights tackled her before she electrified the entire river in perceived self defense. "Trixie! He's harmless!"

"Oh, right, Everkind."

"Actually this guy was perfectly nice before." Pinkie Pie said.

"Something NICE in Everfree-?!"

"I live in Everfree and I'm nice! And it was well worth the price!" Zecora said.

Trixie knew Zecora from her and Twilight's chats about the bearers' various misadventures. Twilight felt Trixie would trust her more if Twilight showed she wasn't afraid to share her humiliating misadventures (such as discarding a book as nonsense purely on the title). Trixie did admit she had never met a Zebra before (then again they did live on an entirely different landmass) but she doubted anything she saw related to how Zecora normally was, such as that silly rhyming.

The sea-serpent looked exactly the same as ever. Except he now had a piece of purple pony tail on his neck via a cord being worn as a necklace. His mustache was whole and orange. He noticed the ponies at once.

"OH MISS BELLE! What a pleasant surprise! Would you like to stay for tea? I have a special brand from an extinct civilization that really knew how to carry a tune I've been saving for just such an occasion!" He then saw Zecora. "Oh right! Ahem, 'Greetings Envoy of her Kindnesty Princess Gaia. How may I serve ye?' I think the 'ye' is a bit tacky."

"Don't tell that to Princess Luna," Twilight said under her breath.

"It is what Princess Gaia wants, so it can't be wrong," Zecora said with pure happy absolute confidence in her master. "And we simply wish across Sir nothing more."

"I'm sorry dear but I can't stay, I have a very dear friend I need to have a long talk with." Rarity replied. "I see you've kept my tail."

"Oh yes! It was just so lovely that when my mustache grew back in I just HAD to keep it! It's wonderful to see you again! You know I had to ask some of the monsters more about you Miss Belle. Since you never use your last name it was hard to find it out."

"Please just call me Rarity dear." Rarity said politely smiling going straight into high society mode. "So how are you?"

"While getting used to a, -UGH!-" The sea serpent said in total disgust, "'Vegetarian diet' is going to take more than little getting used to and I may just have to order out fish from now on instead of catching them myself. Though I must say I positively LOVE these neighborhood improvements! It's far more Feng shui! I've been sending letters of complaint to the Royal Pony Sisters castle for years but haven't gotten a reply to a single one until yesterday!"

The ponies wondered how to explain to the sea serpent that the sisters had had a change of address in the last thousand years?

"You're not enchanted in the least are you?" Rarity asked simply.

The serpent looked embarrassed, "I'm completely enchanting, does that count?"

"Excuse me." Trixie heard herself asking. "But you're a SEA-serpent aren't you? What are you doing in a river?"

The sea serpent blushed (which reptiles weren't supposed to do) and said hesitantly, "Well, mother didn't precisely have the best sense of direction...And a little stubborn side, she refused to admit this wasn't a sea even after father explained the differences between various bodies of water."

"You really should consider moving. Everfree Forest isn't a worthy neighborhood of a fashionable gentleman such as yourself." Rarity said politely.

"After it's FINALLY been improved by new management?"

"Yes but this new decor the city-planning is enforcing, it COMPLETELY CLASHES with your color scheme!"

"Hmmmm. I didn't consider that. Maybe I should."

"Ahem! The Princess is waiting...and er, we don't have time for verbal baiting?" Little Zecora asked aloud.

"Oh right right, have a good day to you and your entourage Miss Rarity!"

"You too sir." Rarity replied politely.

After crossing the river, Trixie walked in mute silence for a few minute before finally blurting out. "Did we just have a polite conversation with a SEA SERPENT IN A RIVER?"

"Yes." Twilight said.

"Am I delusional? Are we delusional? Is this a dream? Is this a nightmare? Have I gone crazy?"

"No. No. I don't think so. I hope so, then we could wake up. And I fairly sure you have not."

And this left Twilight with having to explain their original encounter with the sea serpent. Which of course lead to the much larger explanation of events surrounding their original quest into Everfree and details Twilight skimmed over when first telling Trixie about Twilight's experience and knowledge of the power Trixie carried inside her.

What left Trixie the most befuddled, the most astounded, was how quickly the six ponies had grown to trust one another, and how all six just happened to fit the bill for one of the elements, and how each roadblock Nightmare Moon had put in their way had help them realize their strengths. Trixie wondered if Nightmare Moon somewhere deep down had -wanted- to be defeated. And more importantly, Trixie wondered, 'Can ponies really become friends that fast?'

That was when Trixie saw something. The scream died in her throat. She hid behind RD and Twilight, and shouted. "Twilight! Rainbow! Keep them away!"

The others were startled too at what they saw but not scared out of their wits. Yet logic had stepped down as advisor to Trixie's brain for the moment.

"You've GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Help me!" Trixie exclaimed her fear rising to irrational panic.

"ZECORA SEND THEM AWAY THIS INSTANT!" Twilight shouted figuring Zecora had control over these beasts as Fluttershy's messenger.

"But why? They're so cute now! They can't hurt a mouse! It's not like they'll step on her house."

"They already did! Please they're scaring her!"

Zecora, while confused, complied. "Shoo shoo Ursas. Go play somewhere else."

And the glowing teddy bear size star creatures scampered off.

"ARE--- are they gone?" Trixie asked looking around timidly before getting her composure back. "I-I mean! The One and Only Trixie was...was only..."

"Being scared to pieces?" AJ said honestly.

"You-shut-up!" Trixie snapped.

"Trixie!" Twilight snapped. "There is nothing wrong with admitting you're scared! It's part of you! Don't take it out on Applejack!"

Trixie huffed. But Rarity did note that Trixie's legs were all shaking. And they kept shaking.

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all did notice one thing. None of them were laughing. Seeing the arrogant self serving liar who had humiliated them all shrink in terror from such (now) harmless beasts didn't feel funny for some reason.

Pinkie Pie slipped in besides Trixie for the rest of the march. Twilight overheard Pinkie whispering a gentle rendition of 'Giggle At the Ghosties.' Pinkie Pie gently nuzzled Trixie as they marched, Trixie did her absolute hardest not to outwardly react, but she did stop shaking.

Twilight let Pinkie do what she did best.

'Can't I go five minutes without dragging these ponies down?' Trixie thought. 'And why do none of them act superior about it? And none of them, seem to MIND! It's like they're HAPPY to help me when I drag down, but they don't rub my muzzle in it after. I can...I can trust them to be there to hold me up if I trip?' And Trixie again felt that strange emotion she had felt at Pinkie Pie's 'surprise party.' And why did images of her family flash through her mind as she felt it?

The mist and golden yellow trees finally gave way to a clearing that gave way to a sheer cliff. Beyond the cliff was an 'island' of land that faced nothing but sheer cliff on all sides. The two were connected by a beautiful bridge made out of roots covered in yellow, pink and blue flowers looking like it had GROWN into place.

On the island itself was the familiar castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, except now all the lost stone and mortar had either been pushed back into place, or had been replaced by more giant tree roots. The engraving of the sun and the moon had all been replaced by engravings of a butterfly. The stain glass windows had all been repaired, but now showed vague images of a yellow pegasi in various scenes, but at this distance they had no clue what.

This held their awe for several several seconds until they noticed a series of small houses and buildings were made with 'cute' in mind, clearly being made to 'scream innocence and happiness.' It looked like a microcosm town, but many of the buildings looked only half done or only had the foundations complete.

"Wow. Generation three. This brings back memories," Pinkie Pie said.

"What is this?" Twilight found herself asking Zecora.

"This is Princess Gaia's personal amusement center and planned community. Great sense of unity. But it's still under construction. But everything is going according to instruction."

'About time something was,' Twilight thought.

"What are THOSE!?" Rainbow Dash pointed, the sensory overload finally abating enough that they noticed the shapes moving about. They looked like ponies, but the body shapes were totally wrong, and they were clearly made out of polished painted wood.

"Wow! It really is generation three! StarSong, Toola-Roola, I miss you guys." Pinkie Pie said with a strange nostalgic, almost sad tone in her voice.

"Oh those are Princess Gala's dolls! Aren't they cute?! And they're really nice to boot!"

"Hey gals! Scootaloo will show us games to play! " Pinkie Pie jingled seeing a puppet that resembled the pegasus but with a cutie mark and playing hop-scotch.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself, she laughed. The sight of the puppet made in Scoots image acting so out of character was too much!

"Oh look! Rainbow Dash always dresses in style! " Pinkie Pie pointed happily at a puppet that vaguely resembled Rainbow Dash dressed in trendy clothes.

Rainbow Dash stopped laugh and Rarity burst out laughing. "I must say this is an improvement for you dear!"

'If this wasn't Fluttershy, I'd hoof her in the face for this.' RD thought.

"I must say that while the design is technically sound there is clearly no enough effort put into making them unique." Rarity said taking a critical eye at the incomplete giant playset.

Applejack said, "Okay, this here is the most plum crazy, and just plain -wrong- thing I've seen all day!"

Zecora smiled, "It grows on you if you give it a chance. You should see them dance."

Trixie said in as elegant a voice as possible. "The One and Only Trixie would just like to say that she is not allergic to trying new things. But, WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS NONSENSE!"

Everyone but Pinkie Pie nodded at once. Pinkie Pie reluctantly nodded a few seconds later however.

"Oh alright, too bad, I'd hoped to hear a story from Cheerilee."

"And a beautiful Starsong melody." Pinkie Pie sighed. 'Fluttershy. Is that the kind of world you're hoping to see? No worlds that need saving. No monsters ready to eat ponies every five minutes? No newest avatar of the 'Night That Never Ends?' always on the horizon? Can't say I blame you.'

AJ said, "Pinkie Pie, Ah know the honest truth in yer eyes that you're just feelin' nostalgic. But hun, you're seriously freakin' everypony else out!"

"Sorry," Pinkie Pie apologized rather than respond with an inane question.

"Let's just get out through here before I start wrecking Fluttershy's doll houses," RD said.

The ponies trotted through the collection of half finished buildings.

They were hit by another surprise (Twilight wondered how she had avoided having a heart attack from all this). A brownish pony with a gold mane and a grindstone cutie mark directing the actions of some of the puppets. Around his neck was a platinum butterfly pendant.

"Keep up the good work Gladstone," Zecora said happily.

The pony screamed in surprise, jumped two feet in the air, and landed turning around and bowing several times. "Don't scare me like that Little Lady Zecora! I'll be sure to of course! It is an honor to serve Princess Gaia!" He didn't have the swirl eyes.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, it's not like I said 'boo.'"

"Hey are you okay?" AJ asked, there was something familiar about this pony, like she had seen him, just once, almost in passing, he made her think of Applebloom for some reason. But her eyes were drawn to the cutie mark, as if something was -wrong- with it somehow.

"Oh yes yes I'm fine! I'm happy to serve Princess Gaia!" The pony said happily. But looking Applejack in the eyes his eyes turned to pin pricks and his grin became so wide it looked painful.

"Where are you from?" Twilight asked worried how far Fluttershy's fog had spread.

"J-just Sunnytown, we-we don't get out much." Gladstone wanted so badly to look away from the orange pony but her eyes were like a vice grip.

"Sunnytown? I can't say I've heard of it." Rarity said.

"W-W-We're kind of a gated community. We get left off of most maps. We're all happy to serve Princess Gaia."

"All of you?"

"O-o-our entire community has volunteered in helping renovate the castle for her. It's no trouble. It's an honor to help her Kindnesty fix up her new home."

Zecora just kept smiling knowingly but saying nothing at first. But seeing Gladstone's reaction her eyes turned to concern and looked almost darkly at Applejack.

AJ -swore- she had heard that town name before. She looked deeper in the stallion's eyes. At once he broke down into a cold sweat. In AJ's eyes, his image began to waver, like what she was seeing was picture super imposed on top of another.

"No please! Don't look at me! Those eyes! Don't look at me!" Gladstone fell to his knees and covered his eyes. Images flashed through his mind. A little gray pony with orange blond mane who helped him find his keys once, telling her what a clever filly she was, saying how proud of her he was. The consensus of the only way to stop the curse from spreading. "Please just stop!" He begged.

Zecora came between the ponies and Gladstone and gently nuzzled him. Doubts vanished, regrets vanished, memories vanished, of course, he'd do nothing to harm Ruby, what an absurd nightmare, after all she was his--where was she? Off finding odd trinkets again likely, what a silly filly. He went back to his work not looking at the newcomers.

"APPLEJACK! What did you do to 'em?" Rainbow Dash declared. The other took a step back too.

Applejack broke her gaze and looked at her friend.

"Oh don't worry about him. These ponies have had little to no contact with outsiders that they get scared of almost anything outside their experiences. And you're right, Princess Gaia is waiting we shouldn't keep her waiting." Little Zecora said ever so hastily and keeping her eye on AJ.

Rarity was happy to be finally able to see Fluttershy. Twilight knew the quest came first but intended to ask a lot of questions later. Trixie just wanted out of the construction site, something about felt out of place to her, or maybe she was the thing out of place. Pinkie said absolutely nothing. There were some things even she didn't want to share. AJ continued to search her memories. Rainbow Dash was just bucking happy to be OUT of Creepyville Version Two Point Oh!

+++

The fog spread like a lumbering beast across the landscape, every living thing in it's path becoming docile and compliant. The animals in Fluttershy's cottage stopped barking, chirping, or clucking, being lost in their ideal dream worlds, such as they were. Angel saw the fog coming, decided on the better part of valor and ran for it as fast as his four bunny feet would carry him! He wasn't quite fast enough.

Big Mac and Granny Smith on Sweet Apple Acres had no reason to fear mist, figuring the pegasi had suffered a paper work error. The fog swept over them. They heard her singing. Their eyes became ever expanding rings of color and they smiled, dropping what they were doing, oblivious to all around them.

Some time later the fog entered Ponyville proper, just ahead of it was a small red earth pony colt and a green filly with bright blond hair both grinning ear to ear. Their apple and apple-pie cutie marks looked like crayon drawings. The green filly skipped hoped and danced ahead. Again, nopony panicked or fled at the sight of simple fog or a couple of foals that they didn't recognize at first glance.

Dr. Whooves took one sniff of the fog, and instantly fell asleep on his hooves drooling. The green and red foals stopped to doodle on his face and stuck an apple in his mouth.

Five minutes later a foal with an crayon hourglass cutie mark was hoping about the fog happily. "I feel nine hundred years younger! Infinite Rice Pudding to Mama Princess Gaia! And infinite chocolate too in case she doesn't like rice pudding!"

The fog swept over the Ponyville Spa, the twins Aloe and Lotus stopped their inventory taking and budget balancing, dropping the clip boards to the floor. A few minutes later a pink and a blue filly were having a splash war in the spa's most expensive hot tub.

When the fog took Sugarcube Corner, a cutting knife fell from ms Cake's mouth and nearly cut her leg as it hit the floor and Mr. Cake nearly burned the house down from the cupcakes he had been about to put in and would have forgotten about. Forgetting about having a foster child or even a business, a colt and filly were soon busy stuffing their faces with the confections around them.

After the fog entered Carrot Top's bedroom, a young filly began dying her mane every color of the rainbow thinking about how pretty it looked, not caring what others thought. A new healthy filly who was her little sister (now fraternal twin) joined in on the fun.

Lyra and Bon-Bon were talking in front of their favorite cafe, and were confused at the bunch of foals walking in front of the fog, and wondered what was up with all the yellow and pink birds with blue eyes. Not to mention the similarly colored bunnies that were now hoping around as well. They heard the song as their thoughts and concerns melted like snow on a summer day. And side by side the two fillies joined the march deciding to sing along with the voice.

The pink pony Lily DID see this, and her low shock threshold caught up with her again as she fainted. Roseluck and Daisy stopped to pick her up, heard the song, and began to carry her into the fog instead of away from it. Three fillies emerged a couple minutes later with crayon drawing versions of their cutie marks. All smiling, all with those discorded eyes.

Berry Punch was in her home waiting for the time to pick up her foal from school with a bottle as her companion again. No matter what anyone else thought, no matter how much she loved her fine wines and hard liquors she still loved her daughter more. Then she heard the song and the fog enveloped her as it came in through her windows. The filly smiled the contents of the bottle. "BLEGH! This stinks!" She made a face and poured the contents down the drain and began to do the same with every bottle in the house, including the secret special one she had hidden under the floor boards in a locked box for when her filly became a mare and found a stallion.

The blue unicorn Pokey Pierce ran as fast as his hooves could carry him away from the fog. He had finally recovered mentally to where the doctors said the best treatment was for him to go back to his job today too. "No! Leave me alone! This is sick and wrong!"

He was tackled by the birds above, the bunnies below and the foals from the side, being dragged kicking and screaming into the fog. A minute later a colt just old enough to be out of diapers sucked his hoof as he stumbled after the rest occasionally glancing at his crayon colored cutie mark.

For Nurse Redheart it was simple. She wouldn't abandon her patients, even to the end. She had just sat back after Discord had tainted her, watching the ponies around her hurt, wondering what they had ever possibly done for her in exchange proving that even without unicorn magic she was a proper doctor.

She wouldn't reenact that betray of herself. She merely kept the patients who couldn't risk being moved comfortable. A minute after the fog swept over her, the previously sickly or seriously injured ponies began jumping up and down on their beds, the foals giggling up a storm. Little Redheart joined them, laughing happily.

A young yellow Pegasus with mane to match looked outside seeing the fog with green eyes. His cutie mark was a set of three triangles and even he wasn't sure what they meant. He had once even petitioned Princess Celestia herself wondering what it meant. He hadn't expected a reply but he always felt comfortable around princesses for some reason. The reply he got was a strange one, the letter simply said he had done enough, he had done his duty towards fate and now he was free to enjoy a life of peace no longer burdened by the weight of the world. The young yellow pegasus had no idea what the letter was talking about. But seeing what the fog was doing, the young Pegasus flew away towards Cloudsdale to warn his fellow Pegasi, somehow able to tune out the song of the birds.

The fog tried to follow a young colt who had the bad luck of countless bizarre happenstances keeping him from hearing the song that would grant him happiness. But as soon as the colt had run into his house along with his parents, blue and black spiders had suddenly come out of nowhere and formed a web over every window and door, made so swiftly but so painstakingly well put together that the fog could not push through. The bunnies and birds who-were-part-of-the-same-thing-as-the-fog tried to remove the webbing, but blue and black beetles, centipedes, earwigs, and other arthropods rose out of the ground and swarmed over the yellow and pink bunnies with blue eyes keeping them from getting close. Blue and black bats, -in the middle of the day- attacked the yellow and pink birds with blue eyes and promptly began to roost there to keep away any other intruders.

Normally Pip's parents would be terrified of the creatures of the night surrounding their house, but considering they were seeing the fog turn ponies into brainwashed foals, they simply thanked their lucky stars for the strangeness in their favor.

~~~

"Who ordered fog?"

"Likely some jerk-pony who thinks a mental hospital is no good unless it looks creepy."

The Ponyville mental ward had not only the regular psychologist ponies, but the ones commissioned and commanded by Princess Celestia herself to see to the mental and emotional recovery of those tainted by Discord as well. The place naturally existed outside of Ponyville's regular boarders. But the mist came all the same.

The burley attendants and the doctors were confused when the fog came in with a force all of it's own into the mental ward, but then everything was alright, everything was fine.

Everything would be fine. The fog slipped under the locked doors of the patient's rooms. And...they simply continued to laugh at nothing, wet themselves, draw meaningless patterns on their room walls, and talk to ponies only they could see. That which the fog was part of was very confused and concerned. What had Twilight said before about using magic to cure mad ponies? Couldn't remember, oh well.

It dove deeper, and deeper, and deeper! The mad ponies' bodies began to move almost like puppets but their eyes remained tainted by madness. That which the fog was an extension of was not happy. It would not allow this. The mad ponies then began screaming in torment as their brains felt like they were on fire. The screaming didn't stop for several minutes, and the doctors and bouncers merely stood there with their legs locked. Finally the fog retracted from the patients' rooms, and the pain for the poor mad ponies stopped, they shuddered on the floors of their rooms. That which the fog obeyed would have to try again later to help these poor ponies. It would not abandon or give up on them.

Screwball hung from the ceiling of her room spider-climb style (too bad the doctors didn't fall for it anymore). Hearing the agony from her fellow guests she knew she had made the right decision. The mist was creepy anyway.

Meanwhile in another room, a pink pegasus pony stopped giggling and blinked in confusion. She felt dizzy. What was going on? Where was she? This wasn't her room. It didn't even look like Cloudsdale. Whose singing had that been just now? "Hello?" She called out in a slightly scared tone. Why did the window have bars on it? Something didn't feel right. She looked behind herself and screamed in horror. "MY WINGS! MY WINGS! CELESTIA MY WINGS!" Seeing the chewed off stumps where her wings were supposed to be the pink pegasus pony screamed until her throat felt raw. She then tried to get out but found the door locked and began pounding on it. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! MY WINGS! CELESTIA PLEASE MY WINGS!"

A small hole opened in the door and the pink pegasus begged to be let out at the white pegasus on the other side. She eventually slid against the side of the door sobbing. The door eventually opened and she was carried out.

~~~

Ditzy now had Dinky in her forehooves, standing on top of a table, the fog covering the floor. The birds and bunnies were at the doors and windows now just looking at the pair. The geassed Dinky struggled weakly against her mother's grasp wanting so badly to answer the call of the place of dreams she needed to be.

The fog rose.

"Ditzy don't be so stubborn. Don't you want Dinky to be happy? You get to join her now. Sorry for trying to force you apart before, that was very cruel of me, I hope you can forgive me. I understand if you won't."

"Fluttershy?" Ditzy kept a straight and stern face at the horde surrounding her from all directions.

"I know what it's like to have your babies stolen from you now. And I see now that's wrong. I was a bad pony. But wouldn't you want to be part of a world where the two of you can be together forever? Where no one calls you names, where you fit in, where everyone accepts you, a world where you can see and speak normal, like you've always wanted. Why reject a world like that Ditzy? A world where you can both be happy and together? How is that a bad thing?

Ditzy folded her wings around Dinky.

"I'm really sorry for before, I really am, and I understand if you hate me, but as one mommy to another, isn't it happiness as long as you're together? Just listen to my voice, listen to my song, don't worry, don't think, just feel along with mommy, feel mommy's kindness..."

Ditzy rammed a the tip of the mop she had used into the beak of one of the birds. "No!...Wanna protect my muffin!"

"You really do love her don't you?"

"More than anything."

"You really want to protect her."

"More than anything."

"You'd do anything to protect her."

"Anything."

The fog twisted and condensed. It took the shape of a mare's head. Ditzy nearly dropped Dinky.
Ditzy beheld the face of the most kind and majestic pony in the world. Her eyes shown with more compassion than Ditzy would think possible, her face could not be more devoid of malice.

"Look around you Ditzy, look outside. What if you could protect more than just your daughter? What if you could protect all of Ponyville? Foals need a guardian, they need a care taker, but they also need a protector. And Ponyville is being given back it's innocence that big dumb meanie stole from us. What if you could do more than just protect Dinky? What if you could protect all of them?"

Ditzy was left speechless. Her wings quivered but not from anger. "Blue, Eyes, Rat Is, Mime, Really."

"OH! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to overwhelm you..." The face vanished back into the fog it was made of. "But what I'm saying is honest. You have a desire to protect like no one else Ditzy. It's a gift to be shared. And Ponyville is going to need protectors like you for its foals, like everywhere will need protectors. You want to protect others don't you Ditzy?"

Ditzy sighed. "Yes."

The birds and bunnies all withdrew from the house, as did the fog. The discorded look in Dinky's eyes remained but she stopped struggling.

"When you're ready, you can come out into the fog, accept my kiss, and join me as my Knight."

Ditzy hugged Dinky all the tighter now. She felt so confused! More confused than she felt in years! She knew she understood things differently from most ponies, and that when she spoke other ponies didn't hear what she was trying to say! Everypony thought she couldn't think right because of that! But if she could be more? The front door shined like a doorway out of the darkness and into the fog.

Ditzy made her choice.

~~~

By this time everypony was seeing what the fog was doing, and saw the familiar entranced eyes of the foals. Mayor Mare tried to organize an evacuation, but the fog began to close them off from all sides. The fog closed in around them like a dome and dove down right on top of the mayor's office. Her collar and necktie now hanging loosely around her neck, the little filly with tan hide and now magenta mane hopped skipped and jumped out of her building. In a high pitched voice she shouted, "Everypony! Let's all hear it for her Kindnesty Princess Gaia!"

The horde of foals all cheered in response.

"What is all that noise outside?" Spike said annoyed as he opened the door and the fog came flooding in like water from a damn obscuring everything. "Fluttershy? Is that you singing? I..." The fog cleared slowly showing Spike with Discorded eyes smiling at nothing. "Rarity?! You will?! I'm the happiest dragon alive!"

Owlowiscious meanwhile hooted happily at Twilight noticing again he existed when her friends were over in the evening.

Sarah Tailin' better known by her nickname 'Raven' galloped like a mad pony.

The laughter was all around her now, nothing but foals everywhere! Even her beloved Mayor Mare who she served without question was now a servant of the fog!

Foals everywhere, the fog everything. Pink and yellow birds every windowsill and tree branch, pink and yellow rabbits around every corner, and looking right at her with bright blue eyes!

"Celestia save me!" She yelled. She tried to gallop straight out of Ponyville to Canterlot, but kept getting lost in the fog, and the foals were all there waiting for her smiling with those swirl color ringed eyes.

"Sarah! Come play at once!" Said a little foal with a crayon drawing of the mayor's cutie mark on her flanks in a official sounding tone that sounded completely silly coming out of the foal's mouth.

"NO!" Raven screamed and turned around and ran again. This time she ran inside her own home. Locked the doors and window and stuffed the edges with cloth and ran up to her room, locked the door and hid under her bed!

She covered her head and curled into a ball with her tail between her legs.

'I'll just stay here until the bearers save Ponyville, I'll just stay here until the bearers save Ponyville, I'll just stay here until the bearers save Ponyville.'

She hadn't felt this terrified since Nightmare Moon, er, Princess Luna had visited Ponyville on Nightmare Night!

"Shush," said a soft quite voice from nowhere. "Don't be afraid. Everything is going to be okay."

"Whose there-?!"

"No one who is going to hurt you. I'm here to help you. You need rescue? You want to escape?"

"Yes! Save me!"

"Escape from what though?"

"Escape from the little zombies that used to be my Mayor and friends!"

"But is that all you need escape from? Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"You say yes, but your heart says something else. Don't you want to escape the stress of always living up to other's expectations of you? Don't you want to escape the sadness of always helping run Ponyville but barely getting a thank you? Don't you want to escape the pain of how Discord hurt you?"

The horrible image flashed through her mind, her fur faded, her eyes spirals, laughing as she tore up her own office and the mayor's office and reveling in the confusion and discord she was making, the lies in her mind telling her order and neatness was too hard to maintain so might as well go to the opposite extreme.

"I...that is...."

"Do you or don't you?"

"...yes."

"Do you wish to be all alone? Do you wish to grow old and die? Do you wish to be unhappy? Do you wish fate to be cruel?"

"NO!"

"You want to be free of all your pains and worries? Do you wish to be happy? Do you wish to smile? To live? To be happy? To be alive?"

"Yes!"

"Then just listen to mommy."

"Yes...mom-my..."

Come to my place

filled with so many wonders
Casting its spell
That you are now under

Hear my voice in the breeze
Come to me and be next to mommy
Your happiness flying free
and your mind melts into honey
My Loovieeeees!

Oooh, what a enchanting place
and those regretful memories it'll erase

My grounds your regrets and loss from you it'll cleave
Hidden from sun and lunar, and you'll never leave

Yes, you will forget everythiiiiiiiiiing!

A little filly with glasses too big for her came out of the house. She couldn't even remember why she had been so worried before! How could what was happening be possibly bad-?! She had been such a silly pony!

"Hey Mary Mare!" She waved at her best friend who was waiting outside for her with the others.

"Hey Ravey!" Mary Mare then gave Ravey a noogie.

"Hey-hey! Uncle Uncle!" Ravey laughed.

"Gotcha! That was for being such a fraidy cat!" Mary Mare laughed.

"I'm sorry." Ravey said but smiling. They hugged then did their special handshake they invented on the spot.

Mary Mare then looked at everyone. "By order her super-duper Kindnesty Princess Gaia! I declare today and every day play day!"

The color circle eyed foals all cheered. "We're free!"

+++

The castle interior was a work in progress. Rubble and junk had been cleared away and living wood filled in the holes in the walls and floors. But most of the stones still needed polishing and anything metallic needed de-rusting. It was also lacking in pieces of art and other royal nicknacks.

It was disorienting for five of the ponies to see the dilapidated castle from their first adventure now undergoing major renovations. And number six had no appreciation for the history she was walking through.

There was an impressive collection of beautiful flowers, but Rarity felt the interior flower arranger should have been sent to the moon. Too many bright colors, not enough contrast.

It took all of RD's will power and more maturity then she thought she had to keep herself from smashing down the falls screaming Fluttershy's name.

Twilight kept her senses about her, wondering if they were marching into the dragon's jaws, but they had to risk it.

AJ felt relaxed at how open and inviting and plain the place looked. Not the type an egomaniac would hang out in.

Pinkie Diane didn't like how this looked like Fluttershy's tastes.

Immediately after entering the castle proper, the heroes and their guide ran into another pony polishing the stones. The moment she saw them she dropped what she was doing and bowed politely.

"Hello and welcome to Castle Gaia! Welcome home Little Lady Zecora!" The green pony was in a standard maid's uniform with a platinum butterfly necklace around her neck. Her cutie mark was a three leaf clover. AJ felt like there was something off about it the more she looked at it.

She didn't have discorded eyes, just like Gladstone and Zecora.

"These are Princess Gaia's dearest friends Threeleaf! They need some help in their beliefs. Is our Kindnesty holding court? Er, or this meeting should we abort?"

"Oh her Kindnesty is awaiting guests! She'll be happy to see you." Threeleaf shook each of their hooves in greetings. Her forehoof was like ice.

She actually made a small yelp when she looked AJ in the eyes and crunched her own eyes closed. Fear and despair screaming across her body language. She covered her eyes with her forelegs and cowered before her.

Images flashed in Threeleaf's mind: Ruby finding Threeleaf's lost garden tools, telling Ruby what a nice filly she was, telling her how helpful Ruby always was to everypony.

Threeleaf looking at her precious garden and thinking how she could make it better but hesitated and simply let it be: having heard Grayhoof and Gladstone whispering how the curse struck those who did more than they needed to.

That the curse had claimed Ruby, being told Ruby needed to be-

And smooth safe memories of always having served her Kindnesty at Gaia Castle her entire life with the rest of her community washed over her.

She welcomed and embrace them like a lover. Where was Ruby? Oh probably just wandered off again. What a curiosity driven but wonderful filly she was.

Blocking AJ from her view Zecora said, "Why don't you go take your break Threeleaf? You could use some relief."

"Yes Little Lady Zecora." Threeleaf bowed, not looking at AJ and called in a sing song voice, "Oooh Miiittaaa! Please come take over for me!" And like typical hired help she didn't wait to see if her replacement showed up before trotting out of the hallway.

Twilight looked at her friend, "Applejack, what happened?"

"Ah dunno. There was just something -wrong- about her. Like Ah wasn't really seein' -her-."

Pinkie Pie just said lowly, "I hope all these crossovers and tributes don't end up alienating the readers. We need as much exposure as we can get."

Before anyone could ask what she meant another pony came in, this one a pinkish gray filly with no cutie mark and barely wavey dark red hair. She was wearing a cute little maid's uniform. She trotted in slowly, she was almost dragging her hooves. Her red eyes just looked at the floor.

"Mitta! Don't be rude! Saw hello to our guests! So better your mood!"

"Yes...small lady Zecora."

"Hey are you okay?" Pinkie Diane asked.

"No concern of yours." She said suddenly defensive but not cowering.

"Hey, I'm just being nice, you look like a little filly who could use a whole bunch of laughs and I'm good at laughs."

"I don't deserve to laugh, not after what I let- what I let-...I can't remember what I did. Where's Ruby?" Mitta asked sounding more passive but less negative than before.

"Just relax Mitta." Zecora said saying to the filly. "Ruby's just off playing. Right now escort our guests to the throne room. They are her Kindesty's best friends so treat them with absolute respect."

"Yes Little Lady Zecora." Mitta just bowed her head. The ponies all looked at each other deeply in concern.

Only the promise of Fluttershy kept RD from demanding answers and kicking flank then and there. Rarity's own self control was on it's edge.

Zecora then bowed and left the way she came. Mitta bowed her head again and said, "Please follow me."

As AJ looked at the filly's blank flank, everything clicked, and she remembered.

AJ trotted close to her and whispered. "Ah know who and what ya are."

Mitta looked into Applejack's eyes and she wasn't afraid, no, Mitta was afraid, but Mitta refused to look away, even as her eyes widened and real painful memories came cutting through the sweet lies. The spikes and needles underneath the frosting and pillows.

Applejack realized where she had seen Mitta's look before: in the Truth's reflection when AJ had refused to look away from it. The filly blinked away tears. "How?"

AJ began to see something beneath the image, something in the shape of a pony but broken, hollow, unnatural. But also a filly who had been in pain for so long.

"Mah little sister Applebloom, you helped her. Ya don't need ta torture yourself over this no more. Just let go. It's what Ruby wants."

Finally Mitta did turn away from AJ's eyes. "She needs to let go. There is no redemption for ponies like me."

"That's a pack of lies filly, cause there ain't no such thing as 'no redemption' if yer willin' to accept it!"

"I don't deserve to accept it."

"Since when has deservin' had anything to do with forgivin'? And what happened wasn't yer fault! Ya couldn't have changed it!"

Mitta instead said, "Welcome to her Kindnesty's chambers." Mitta pushed the door open with her head and trotted away the way she had come with her head facing the floor.

"AJ what was all that about-?!" RD asked.

"...Something we ain't got time to deal with right now Sugah cube. That filly's waited a long time to be helped, and she won't get worse, we don't know what states Fluttershy's in. And that's the honest truth."

And AJ trotted in and the other had no choice but to follow.

The first thing they noticed was the room was full of things from Fluttershy's cottage, including her pets' bird houses and cages, and her tea table, tea set and favorite rug. Second was that the room was huge. Gigantic. Big enough for Sugarcube Corner to fit inside.

There was also a gray barked and black leafed stallion shaped potted tree in the corner. A birthday cake mark where it's flanks would be if it were a pony.

But all these details were FORGOTTEN when they saw an pale gold adult Alicorn with cape-long sparkling pink mane and tail and eyes bluer than the sky. And three blue winged butterflies with pink bodies for a cutie mark.

There was a small animal in her lap. A stallion and mare flanked her, combing, brushing and otherwise pampering her. The pampering reminded Rarity of her spa visits with Fluttershy.

The couple both had half a heart as their cutie mark, the stallion had a key with a ruby on it over his half-heart, and the mare had a golden lock over hers.

Around each of their necks was a platinum butterfly pendant and necklace.

The alicorn lazily glanced at the sound of hooves trotting her throne room and gasped and blushed.

"OH! GIRLS! You're here! Uh! Just hold on a sec'!"

RD, Pinkie and Rarity's blood turned to water hearing that polite if slightly startled voice.

Princess Gaia looked at her two servants. "Roneo, Starlet, you may go, er, if you wish."

The couple made dust trails as they left the the royal camber together.

Twilight finally recognized this as the room Nightmare Moon had taken her for their final battle. She felt a tiny bit queasy realizing this.

As the alicorn stood up the heroes recognize her pet at last.
It was the manticore, now with flat teeth, the size of a house cat, and looking as threatening and mighty as a plush toy. The golden yellow Alicorn petted it and it happily flew off through a window.

She trotted down to her friends from her platform. She moved like petals in the wind. Her form shone like amber. Her feathery wings fluttered like a dream. Her face smiled like a saint.

AJ just keep looking at her eyes...so honest, so truthful, so pure, not a hint of deceit or deception or falsehood in them.

'So beautiful,' Rarity thought. 'I really love her mane.'

'So happy,' Pinkie Pie thought.

'So enchanting,' Trixie thought.

"Uh...hey guys I mean um, WELCOME TO MY ROYAL CASTLE MY LOYAL FRIENDS!! Er, I hope you like what I've done with the place. I know I don't have much experience with interior decorating but I hope it's not that bad."

'I see she's got the Royal Canterlot Voice down.' Twilight thought distantly looking at her purity and beauty as beautiful as a field of flowers or a waterfall.

"F-Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash gasped out not able to look away from her perfection.

"It is Princess Gaia now. But, um, you may call me Fluttershy...if you really want to, that is, if it's okay with you. Come on!"

Swarms of butterflies entered the camber from all directions forming chairs and pillows and carrying cookies and hot tea. "We have a lot to catch up on! Sorry for not coming personally! I've had a lot to do! Let's have tea!" She said musically and happily.

The ponies automatically smiled and nodded as one and happily sat down pleasantly with their Princess.

+++

"And there we go! That's the end of this chapter! But don't worry my little foals! Next chapter all my friends will understand and we'll save Equestria together! Then the whole world! It's gonna be so great for all of us! Everyone's going to love it! I know you will my little foals."

+++++

"Hello dears. My little foal Alex is busy enjoying his dreams right now.

"Theme for Everkind Forest is 'Littlest Elf' from Series of Unfortunate Events, such a sad story." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kd5ev6Xlx4

"Foot-Zebra Zecora Lemina's theme from Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Sega Saturn! Such a happy song!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d_YgOMKJM4

"Spread of the fog is Shinra from Final Fantasy Seven. But I don't think it fits. Such a unhappy song for such a nice thing."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91y2HFk66X0

And here is some music that some of my other foals suggested for you to listen to you listen to mommy's voice.

Somewhat uplifting or determination music. FF Crystal Chronicles Music - When the Northern Skies are Clear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1AgHbD4WYY&feature=related

Peaceful sounding music
FF Crystal Chronicles Music - Don't Want to Forget
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4IHCt9yE3I&feature=related
This one directly deals with the fog, but it fits how the other ponies see the fog: (Although I don't think she wouldn't like this song as much either ^^; )

Legend of Legaia Extra Tracks - A Town Enveloped by Mist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoqBojOPdaM&feature=relmfu

"Now just listen to my song my little foals, let all your doubts and fears just wash away, leaving only your happiness and joy behind in mama's world."

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 16: "Micro-Battle Pros"

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
"Seven Friends Sit Around And Play A Game."

Six would-be pony liberators now look at their new Princess with discorded colored ring eyes.

She was once Fluttershy but now was the savior of the world Princess Gaia.

One look, one sound of her song, one breath of her ever lasting fog, and you knew she was the one who would make the world fair.

They chat with their new Princess about flower arrangements and flavors of tea.

They all smile. They all laugh. They are all happy. Their new Princess is so beautiful.

And she is so happy to have them all with her as well. They make her feel complete. She's happy to show them that she now has the confidence they all wanted her to have before. She's proud that she's improved for them.

Princess Gaia is not the least bit deceptive in her eyes. She is so loyal to her friends. She is so generous. So is kinder than kind. She is so full of laughter. She is so magical. All six ponies agree.

They have no problems. They have no complaints. Yes. Everything is so nice.

Rarity gives some polite but firm suggestions on how the interior of the castle should be improved if the Princess absolute insists on living in such an old place. Princess Gaia also had Rarity's wound cleaned and her bandages changed.

Twilight Sparkle figures Celestia won't mind Princess Gaia living here. Princess Gaia was only using a castle the sisters hadn't used in a thousand years.

Majordomo Angel The Rabbit in his cute aristocrat outfit, complete with his cute little wig. He brings in a map of Equestria, and lots of little wooden figurines. All of them different colors.

The ponies didn't look to see if Angel's eyes were discorded or not. They knew Angel would never abandon his master.

He sets the map and tokens up on the table for his Princess. And the Princess and her friends all happily play the game.

~~~

Desert Town of Appleloosa.

Where neither Pony nor Buffalo Would Dare Confess That They Liked Being Singing SeaPonies and Hippocampi When Discord Had Turned Their Desert Into An Ocean (Unknowing Back Into An Ocean From Two Thousand Years Ago).

Apple Braeburn was proud of the town his clan and other independent thinkers had spent two years building.

Sheriff Silver Star was just happy he had not lost any ponies during the short lived war with the Buffalo tribes.

Bloomberg was an apple tree, it didn't care what others thought of it, and others didn't care what it thought of them.

Little Strongheart wondered if it was right for Buffalo to be with Ponies in That Way . Because she wanted to get to know Apple Braeburn, the ones who didn't want a war no more than she did when their people had almost killed each other.

Chief Thunderhooves was just glad his culture's traditions have survived another generation, and had not lost any buffalo in his war with the ponies.

Then the flock of yellow and pink birds came. All with blue eyes. They came over the pony town and the buffalo tipis. They sang. Mama Princess Gaia apologized that she didn't have enough power yet to grant the changes that in their heart of hearts they wanted even if social stigma denied them expressing their feelings.

Yellow and pink jackrabbits with blue eyes came. Followed by big yellow and pink armadillos with blue eyes.

The birds sang to the ponies and the buffalo. The ponies and the buffalo smiled and sang back. Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star had no ear for music and resisted even as Little Strongheart and Apple Braeburn gained circle colored eyes and smiled at each other and kissed, much to both elders' disgust.

Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star fought back to back, pieing in the face and hoofing down their own tribe mates and towns people as they tried to kiss them.

Chief Thunderhooves fled with Sheriff Silver Star on his back still throwing pies. Mowing down the jackrabbits and the armadillos. Then they were being chased by roadrunners with blue eyes and pink and yellow feathers.

Little Strongheart and Apple Braeburn cut their elders off at the pass and kissed them. Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star eyes became circles of color and rejoined everyone in the town square. Buffalo and ponies hoof in hoof began to sing. "Shoop-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo!"

Strongheart and Braeburn danced together. The emotions of shame and worry gone from them. They thanked their new Princess.

++++

The pink and yellow birds flew in droves towards the town of Hoofington.

A fireball detonated in the middle of the flock, incinerating many.

Offensive Magic Professor BlueFlame stood proudly as the flames devoured the birds.

Several other offensive magic specialized or mage unicorns flanked her on both sides.

But more birds kept coming. Then a black fireball ignited in the middle almost shaping and shifting to devour the birds with black arms before it burned out.

Morgan Mid-Summernight heard her daughters and husband cheer her on.

"You may have a chess piece on your flanks, but everyone's always known your magic's special talent was 'destruction.' I mean, with that black coat and silver mane and a name like Morgan? You might as well have a mustache as well." Said one of the mage ponies making fire rain down on the horde of song birds now being augmented by pink and yellow eagles and falcons with blue eyes. "What use is a unicorn who can only destroy things?"

Morgan ignored her.

A soft kind voice echoed in her head almost breaking her concentration.

Morgan Mid-Summernight. You were denied the power to protect your baby Trixie from awful Discord. Now you fight with everything you have to protect your other children. What if you could protect them from any death and any unhappiness and any suffering? Would you want to be able to do that? What if you could protect all foals of Hoofington from those things? Would you? Accept my kiss, become my Knight, and your children need never be in harm's way again.

++++

Soarin and Spitfire didn't know it was a good or bad thing they had chosen to come to Cloudsdale as part of their therapy after all.

After the warning had come, every battle able Pegasi (including stunt flyers apparently like it or not) were to hold down the fort until support from Canterlot could arrive.

The birds came as several flocks. They were tiny targets. Spitfire did a trick she developed for their shows, doing a corkscrew that set off some material she had placed on protective layers on her wings. And she turned into a twisting fireball! The birds burned.

Too bad she couldn't do that trick more than once in a row.

Then the dragon with yellow and pink scales and blue eyes showed up forming right out of the fog like a stranger at midnight.

The stare in it's eyes cowed every pegasi it laid eyes upon.

The two Wonderbolts and a third blond Pegasi did battle with it, and using some wing blades taken from some hapless rookie guard ponies, they did do a clean cut along the dragon's side from mouth to the tip of it's tail, and it fell.

The three cheered. Then four more dragons came out of the fog.

+++++

Philomena flew around Canterlot, burning away the mist, not letting it get close, and burning away the animals that were really just an extension of a greater force much like the fog itself. She flew like a fury hot comet. The air becoming scorching from her presence alone! Canterlot was nearly surrounded by a ring of fire!

The guard ponies actually felt fear at the sight of the Princess' pet enacting such a display of power. And this was the Princess' PET?

She would not stop or give up. Not now. Not ever. Her mistress had ordered her to keep Canterlot safe until her mistress returned. And Philomena would obey her mistress' command.

Starlight Sparkle looked out the window with her husband. Wondering if their child was out there again, using that overwhelming power of hers to protect Equestria again. And again, she, her mother, was left just wondering.

Starlight Sparkle. You have within you a mother's love that you've never been able to fully express. Your baby takes every risk and you can do nothing to protect or even help her. What if you could protect her from death? Protect her from cruelty? Would you? Would you accept the power to be able to? What if you could protect any mother's foal from harm? Accept my kiss and become my Knight and you will have that gift.

+++++

The seven friends cheered as they played the exciting board game, before turning attention to topic of causal conversation again. Rainbow Dash was frustrated that her pieces hadn't been able to conquer anything on the map.

Princess Gaia then brought out a small brown wooden playing piece that was half-lion half-eagle. Princess Gaia suggested a simple and quick solo game. Rainbow Dash grinned at Princess Gaia's idea.

A few minutes later the familiar looking griffin figurine moved madly about the map as Dash tried to corner it with her own pieces. It madly fled from it's starting position on the map proving to be -very- fast and able to outfly pretty much any of Dashie's pieces. The figurine would then force it's way through when Dash used her own tokens to corner it. The others cheered her on. This time however Dashie didn't whine about Princess Gaia making the game too hard, she -was- going to win this!

Finally the figurine that Dash pretended was Gilda was apparently running low on stamina. After corralling it to the fog covered Ponyville where she could place more pieces on the map, she finally had the figurine of Gilda completely surrounded and the pursued piece was exhausted.

Then at last the figurine magically changed into Gilda's likeness when she and Dashie first met, back when Gilda was -smaller- than Dashie! Pinkie Pie giggled at the revelation that griffins started out smaller than ponies! Either that or Gilda had been a shrimp when compared to most griffins her age, but Pinkie didn't ask!

Dash grinned at her little victory! As the last part of the solo game she placed the griffin hatchling figurine on the part of the map representing Cloudsdale where she could play with all the pegasi foals there. Rainbow Dash laughed and clapped her hooves. "Ah man if only I could see her like that now!"

"All in good time," Princess Gaia smiled and nodded.

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 17: "Playtime"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Play time"
By Alex Warlorn

"It's so great you guys don't feel upset over what Cheerilee did. What she did was really thoughtless, inconsiderate, and awful. When she promised to protect the foals no matter what, I had no idea she'd try to hurt all of you!" Implored Princess Gaia in an apologetic tone.

The Alicorn was sitting at the same table she had sat around with her friends at her cottage time and again. Now it resided in her 'throne' room (if you called the giant pillow a throne). "She was to protect them from monsters I had no idea she'd try to do that to you!" She appealed submissively.

Twilight hoof-waved, "Fluttershy, forget about it, we know Cheerilee wasn't thinking."

The others smiled and hummed consent like reflections.

"I'm so happy to hear that!" Princess Gaia gave a relieved nod. "When AJ wouldn't go back to sleep like naughty a foal who had too much ice-cream-"

AJ blushed.

"-It helped me realize that I need to change what I was going to be doing if I want a happy world for everyone. My wish isn't powerful enough yet enough to sustain every pony's body as they enjoy their own paradise forever. And if AJ refused to go back to bed, there could be lots of ponies who could refuse to go back to bed, but aren't mothers either. But I still want everypony, everyone to be happy and to get along. Thanks guys, that really helped out!"

Gaia still hoped that with Lulu and Celly their combined power would be enough to cast a spell over all of Equestria so that, for example, a tree falling on an unsuspecting foal would only result in a poor dented tree and a perfectly fine foal.

Twilight nodded and smiled. "They're called the Elements of HARMONY for a reason - perhaps more than one reason. They need to BALANCE each other, they aren't meant to be used on their own. We're here to help you, Princess. You shouldn't have tried to do this all on your own."

Trixie happily nodded, remembering the speech Twilight had given her on the subject.

"I just wanted you guys to be happy. And weren't you guys all happy? AJ, well, she got to be with some family that she hadn't been able to be with before." Princess Gaia said respecting her friend's privacy and not giving details.

AJ just nodded silently.

"You all got happiness that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. It was meant be a GIFT! It wasn't trying to make you prisoners or something. Rarity, you finally got to find your Prince Charming."

"Are you implying I couldn't find Prince Charming on my own?" Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"OH?! OH NO NO NO! NOT AT ALL RARITY! But Blueblood was your first choice and it was so wrong he turned out to be such a spoiled meanie! I wanted you to experience how that night SHOULD HAVE gone."

"... Well, I must say, your version was certainly an improvement over that uncultured brute I met at the Gala. He was just what I wanted."

"And Pinkie Pie, you got a place again where everyone else wanted to party too."

"YEAH! It was all in good fun." Pinkie exclaimed with an enthusiastic nod looking at her Princess' cheerfulness.

"And Twilight, You got not only to be with us and Spike forever, but Princess Celestia too."

"It never occurred to me how much I wanted to be with her as much as I do with you guys. I guess I wanted to eat the cake and have it too."

"And you Trixie, you got what you want more than anything: Twilight's life. Being a real hero opposed to one who has to lie to make herself seem heroic. You want to be the one Celestia chose to guide the rest of us to save the world. An only child who doesn't have to fight for attention. To believe in friendship as strongly as she does."

Twilight startled and looked at Trixie. "Trixie you envy me?"

" I didn't want to think so. But I was happy. No doubts. No fears. The courage that comes from Celestia herself putting her faith in you. Greatness that no one in a thousand years will be able to brush aside or denigrate."

"Trixie, I'm scared ALL THE TIME of disappointing Celestia. Yes, I'm proud to be her student, but I'm more proud of being a GOOD student for her. And I know you felt like you were drowning in siblings, but I always envied ponies who had family their own age they could turn to I guess that means I envied you, and why you were my sister in my paradise."

Trixie looked at Twilight in shock. Normally she would just turned away, but in Princess Gaia's presence, she didn't feel ashamed and hugged Twilight.

Twilight startled for a second but hugged back realizing this was the first time Trixie had initiated any gesture of friendship on her own.

"That's so sweet." Pinkie Pie said, smiling jubilantly at the sight.

"And Rainbow, you not only got to be with Soarin', and join the Wonderbolts, but you and Scootaloo got to go to the Sisterhooves Social like she wanted to so badly."

Rainbow Dash just nodded. She knew Soarin' and Spitfire were a pair (all the magazines said so). And Dash hadn't wanted to risk people asking why Scootaloo's parents weren't there cheering her on by Dash participating with her.

And she had even set hoof in Cloudsdale (no one wanting to believe one of their local heroes had betrayed Equestria for them), hoping to find Scootaloo's parents for her. She hadn't given up quite yet.

"And more importantly Rainbow, didn't I give you what you wanted more than anything?"
~~~
Dashie heard the scream. Looking down, she- saw little 'Shy fall from the cloud, unable to spread her wings, too panicked to think.

Dashie didn't hesitate, she abandoned the race, she wouldn't reach her in time, she had to! She needed to go just a bit, faster! And she broke through the barrier, leaving a rainbow shockwave in her wake. She caught her! She saved her! She was a hero!

Fluttershy's cutie mark, three dove feathers, formed later as the near death experience taught her she needed to learn to properly fly, and became the most graceful flyer in Cloudsdale.

Dashie also earned her cutie mark: a rainbow lightning bolt across a shield, symbolizing a hero.
~~~
Rainbow Dash sighed, "Yeah, yeah you did."

Twilight sighed, "Fluttershy. No matter how you dress it up, a desire for blissful ignorance of reality is no less nihilistic than a desire for oblivion. That's not kindness, and that's not who you are in your heart."

"Oh I know now, and thank you! You really helped me with that!" Princess Gaia gave a cheerful nod. "Everyone I bring into my fog: I get to see their dreams and heart of hearts. I see what's troubling ponies and the critters. So I know what they've been through and what they need to succeed. My fantasies are supposed to be a gift , not a prison. Like I said: you guys really showed me I need to change my plans. Now I know what's best for everyone!

"Nearly everypony was happier when they were foals, and those who weren't really deserve to have that fixed up. I've been trying my best to help them, but I can see now I'm gonna need lots of help taking care of all of Equestria by myself. So I guess I won't really be taking care of Equestria by myself after all " She then sighed sadly. "At least for now it seems Twilight. How'd you like a kiss from me and become one of my Knights?"

"M-m-me?" Twilight blushed. "But if I was anyone's Knight, it would Princess Celestia's!"

"Oh. Okay. That's alright." Princess Gaia just nodded, accepting the answer. "Oh I've been going on and on about my ideas so much that I haven't even bothered to ask YOUR opinions! I'm so sorry! So what do you think of the Everfree Forest now? Tell me the truth, I really want to know what you think."

"I can't say it is NOT an improvement in any shape or form myself," Rarity said.

"Less hazardous for traveling show ponies, that's for sure," Trixie said.

"Could you have made it anymore girlie?" Rainbow Dash asked lowly.

"Yes, but I didn't want to waste everyone's time putting pink bows on all the parasprites." Princess Gaia nodded. "But I could get somepony on it right away if it means that much to you!"

Rainbow Dash groaned, smacking a hoof to her forehead in frustration.

"I thought it wasn't all that bad. But couldn't you have invented a candy tree while you were at it?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I don't think that'll ruin everyone's farms like AJ said the chocolate rain would."

"I'll be sure to get right on that." Princess Gaia nodded calmly.

"It ain't THAT MUCH different from how the rest of Equestria is really. Except for a handful of details." Applejack said honestly.

Princess Gaia had asked for an honest answer. Twilight gave her an honest answer. "Fluttershy, you can't go completely changing an ecosystem like this so fast! Bugs and runtime errors always show up in untested systems!"

The golden yellow Alicorn's wings and ears wilted slightly. "But if I waited to do all that, then more animals would have died from eating each other."

"Fluttershy! Animals DEVELOPED intelligence from the arms race between predators and prey! That conflict is what gave birth to what would evolve into reason! Trees don't think because they've never evolved the need to!"

"Trees feel." The Alicorn offered to the unicorn meekly.

Twilight decided not to debate that point. "But they don't -think-! Fluttershy, animals' need to adapt, is what helps them improve themselves. You know animals better than anyone. How can you not know this?"

Princess Gaia remembered the cruel world she was shown.

"Because I'm stupid." The golden Alicorn's head lowered so much her horn tapped the top of the table.

Rarity slammed her hoof on the table making the tea-set rattle. "Fluttershy! You are NOT stupid! And I shall not tolerate you calling yourself that again!"

The golden Alicorn blushed and sweat-dropped and let out a small mousy embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, I guess I let the power go to my head."

+++

The Dance Club exploded in a massive display of fireworks, much to the cheer of the foals of the fog covered Ponyville.

The demolition foals had done a surprisingly fast and efficient job, finding equipment just their size, and all the foals felt it was a good idea to stand VERY FAR AWAY from the place filled with bad booze, bad pictures, and music that wasn't very respectful to mares.

Even the owners of the place cheered at its destruction and readily began talking about building a playground in its place. The local carpenter colts were already drawing up blue prints.

One colt was jumping with joy so much as he tripped and fell, badly skinning his knee. He began to cry. At once several of the foals around him began to comfort him. It didn't matter if they knew him personally or not, he was family to them.

The filly Little Redheart felt medical knowledge pour back into her brain in an instant as she got a band-aid and disinfectant and cleaned then dressed the small scrap. Then the knowledge, having served its purpose, submerged again leaving only a filly who could enjoy life without heavy burdens.

=song: Antihoney - Dove=

A little unicorn filly named Sparkler who had taken part in the Sisterhooves Social stood outside Ditzy Doo's house. [/a] Sparkler turned down offers to play with the others. And the pink and yellow birds and bunnies let Sparkler be after a few tries. "Please? Ditzy? Dinky? Won't you please come out? I don't care if it's to be our Knight, mama, or sister. Just please be with us?"

She felt that Dinky wanted to come out, but Ditzy wouldn't let her. She didn't feel upset with Ditzy over that, after all, mamas knew best.

She didn't cry, because she knew it would be mean to cry and make Ditzy feel guilty about staying inside.

Meanwhile, a black earth pony colt played ball with some pegasi and unicorns. He had a silver ring that might have meant to go around the neck but now was more like a hula-hoop. The ring had a black onyx.

The earth pony remembered his parents telling him that unicorns and pegasi were mean, but they didn't seem to be all that bad to him.

Normally Onyx Tiara would be scared his parents would be upset with him seeing him play with the 'feather dusters' and 'narwhals' but he didn't feel afraid anymore.

A small purple dragon with butterfly wings and armor acted as referee.

Spike was more than a little upset with the tease of his dream and Fluttershy had apologized for that. In exchange she had offered him a kiss and freakin' knighthood!

Spike absolutely hated the butterfly wings that came with the fancy platinum suit of armor; but he remembered how Rarity had loved her own gossamer wings and that ladies loved a guy in uniform. Rarity was sure to be impressed with SIR Spike of Princess Gaia!

He had to admit, he thought Princess Gaia's idea was creepy at first, but the brats weren't nearly as bad as he thought they'd be, and he'd take 'childhood that never ended' over 'night that never ended' any day, night, rotation of the planet. Princess Gaia had offered to make him a fully adult dragon, but he wanted to see if the armor and wings won over Rarity first.

And now all the ponies were looking up to him!

Of course the Number Two assistant had to get in on the act! Owlowiscious had given Fluttershy a much sterner talking to than Spike had, but had stopped when he saw how he was hurting the poor vision of the Alicorn.

Sir Owlowiscious insisted he simply wanted to be as effective for Twilight Sparkle as possible, not trying to one up Sir Spike. And he was sure his new improvements would aid Twilight greatly. Though the butterfly wings were going to take some getting used to.

He hoped it didn't cause conflict of interest, but Princess Gaia promised him that she would de-knight him if Twilight insisted that she couldn't have the knight of another goddess in her service.

+++

"Okay, I've personally spoken with everypony my fog's touched. And I'll speak to everypony my fog touches from now on. Thanks for showing me dreams by themselves won't be enough to keep everyone happy."

"Fluttershy if you COMMAND someone to be happy or like you, then they aren't really happy or really liking you." Twilight said. "If you just reprogram them then you make them no better than dolls!"

"A white rose is still a white rose even if you paint it red," Pinkie Pie said simply.

Princess Gaia shook her head. "I didn't order anypony to love me. If they respond positively to me. That's because they respond positively to love.

"I haven't 'reprogrammed' anyone. If they love me, it's because they respond to the love I give them when we speak. Only a pony who doesn't -want- to be loved wouldn't respond. If they're happy, it's because they want to be.

"I didn't erase anyone's memories, anything they forgot they WANTED to forget.

"I don't -command- any of them to be happy. Even with my dreams, I only provide them with what they wish to be happy. I didn't -command- anypony to love me. I only show them I loved them. I didn't order anyone to do anything, I only asked.

"I'll admit the dreams were meant as a surprise gift. But I never forced anything. I only wanted the chance to offer. The only 'command' I ever gave was not to be -afraid-, to be happy."

'A pony who doesn't want to be loved.' AJ remembered Mitta.

+++

The foals that had been nearly the entire population of Ponyville marched with smiles on their faces, colored rings for eyes.

They were gonna be the first foals to tour the Everkind Forest and at the end get to play in Princess Gaia's private amusement park! Mama Princess Gaia said it was her way of saying 'thank you' for accepting her gifts.

Mary Mare led the march with Ravey next to her. With Little Mac and Apple Smith bringing up the rear.

The Knights and Sparkler stayed behind in case Pip and his family or Ditzy changed their minds and came out to play. But it was only a hop, skip, and a jump to the Everkind Forest, and they were in sight in case something went wrong in between the town and forest.

The foals slowed down to watch a flock of white and pink sunbirds fly overhead. They giggled at a white and blond sunbird that flew chaotically behind the rest like it was still learning how to fly.

They didn't watch the flock take roost on one of Ponyville's roofs behind them.

But they did hear a mare's singing. All the foal slowed to a stop. The song held a simplicity to it, no guile or real force behind it, it simply was.

The song vibrated with something in their very bones. They all listened. If daybreak could be listened to, they all agreed as only foals could that this is what it would sound like.

Reminding them of when they had met their best friend or when they had shared nuzzles with a sibling. It made Apple Smith think of the first time she danced.

My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Isn't the world a lovely place?
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Everywhere you go, a smiling face!
Running and skipping; merrily tripping
Watching the morning unfold
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
What does the future hold?

~

Diamond Tiara turned her head, hearing a voice as warm as a summer breeze and as beautiful as a sunrise. It was so far away, but something inside her stirred.

It made her think of that trip she had taken with both her parents to Manehatten before things had gone bad for her family.

Something inside her she had never known was there mutely called back.

'IGNORE IT!' Boomed the voice so hard she fell off her hooves, her ears ringing drowning out the song of gentle but not smothering or restraining love. 'ONLY BAD LITTLE FILLIES WHO DON'T CARE THAT THEIR MOTHER STAYS SICK FOREVER LISTEN TO THAT SONG! IGNORE IT! YOU ARE NOT TO THINK ABOUT IT OR PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT AT ALL!!!'

Shaking all over, Diamond Tiara obediently resumed her course.

~

Sunny and pleasant
Everyday is a present

No sign of trouble in sight
Little Pony, My Little Pony
May all your days be bright
May all your days be bright

The foals blinked and looked around, their eyes still big and innocent but no longer looking like colored rings.

"Hey everypony! What's that to your right-?!" All the foals looked that way. "I meant your other right!" Everypony looked the other way. "Oh silly me! It was nothing."

The foals all looked in front of them again. "Whao. You're pretty." Mary Mare said.

"Thank you." Said a white earth pony with a pink mane and blue eyes. Her cutie was three smiley face suns. She was older than any of them by only a few years, just enough to give her an air of guidance without the distance of adults. "Hello ponies! Do you wanna play with me?"

The foals looked at each other, wondering where this newcomer had come from. But she sure seemed friendly enough.

Mary Mare spoke for the group, kind of unsure. "Un, we'd love to, but mama Princess Gaia kinda promised us a field trip through Everkind Forest and we get to be first in line to her new fun park!"

A lot of foals cheered at that last one.

Sunny Day winked at Mary Mare. "Oh, I'm sure she won't mind if you take the time to make a couple new friends first. I'm Sunny Day! Nice to meet all of you! Can you please all tell me your names?"

"Well, I'm Mary Mare, this is my best friend Ravvey, and this-"

"Have everyone introduce themselves please." Sunny Day interrupted still smiling. A playful gleam in her eyes. "It's so much fun to introduce yourself instead of having someone else do it."

Mary Mare looked at the herd behind her, but foals were nothing if not undaunted. "Okay."

Well over an hour later (maybe more so!) the herd of foals had all introduced themselves all personally to the marginally older filly. Finally, Apple Smith and her shared a nuzzle (Sunny Day didn't mind shaking hooves but she said she had seen too many stuffy adults do it). And that was the last of the herd.

"And it's wonderful to personally meet each and every one of you!" Sunny Day declared sounding more delighted than any pony had a right to be. "AND! There's somepony I want you all to meet too! He's a member of my family and I love him very much, but he has trouble around other ponies. Come out now dear."

Like a male version of Fluttershy, a timid white unicorn with a blond mane came out of his hiding place behind Sunny Day, had he been there this whole time? He must have been really good at other ponies not noticing him. His cutie mark was a crayon drawing of a compass rose.

Looking scared stiff by all the ponies looking at him, "H-hi, I'm Blueblood, PRINCE-PRINCE Blueblood!" The colt said quickly looking like leaving out his title would earn him a ruler to his flanks.

"I've never heard of a Prince-Prince Blueblood! Nice to meet you!" Said Apple Smith looking at the small foal who looked outright terrified of her. "Wanna play?"

"What? No I can't!-I mean," The white unicorn colt stammered.

Sunny Day leaned down next to her relative and whispered, "It's okay, you can play with them."

Blueblood looked at Sunny Day distraught, a look of longing and fear in his eyes. "But my instructors say I'm not allowed to play with other ponies." The white unicorn said sadly.

"Well today's an exception!" Sunny Day revealed to him.

The white colt looked shocked, then jumped for joy clapping his four hooves together at the same time going "WHOOPEE!"

Before he could land Apple Smith tackled him to the ground. Sunny Day produced some balls of various sizes and colors and patterns from somewhere. "CATCH THEM IF YOU CAN!" She tossed them, the Pegasi tried to catch them all at once, but the balls moved with a life of their own to prevent such an easy win!

The foggy yet sunny field outside of Ponyville was soon filled with the laughter of foals, and Sunny Day's as well.

'I told him today, he just needed to lead a charge into today's problems to earn people's love and admiration. And bringing along the guards who he had refused to give vacation time to to make sure he didn't get hurt along the way, of course.'

++++

"Gotcha!" "No I gotcha!" "I gotcha both!" "Mercy! I surrender!"

Four white pegasus ponies with crayon drawn cutie marks jumped on Celestia's personal royal bed having a pillow fight. Four suits of golden armor clearly too big for them lay laid neatly in a corner.

Making sure they didn't break anything too expensive was a lesser aspect of the princess of the night herself, mostly resembling herself when she had been first cured of her insanity, the rest of her power was busy elsewhere.

Luna took a sip of coffee, the time being very early 'morning' to her. The noise of the four wild foals gave her a headache. Luna grumbled, "Celly, you die for this."

+++

"But Fluttershy, you haven't answered the most important questions." Twilight asked.

"Yeah! Can I have Cloudsdale renamed in my honor?"

"That wasn't the question, Rainbow."

"Oh."

"Fluttershy, what HAPPENED to you that could have caused, -this- to happen? Ponies don't just turn into Alicorn's! And -second-: Why? Why all of this? You've NEVER been this forceful before."

Princess Gaia blushed. "Uh, well, that is, you see it was just, it was kinda -"

"Fluttershy, spit it out!" Rainbow Dash snapped.

"WhenIsawalltheanimalsinEverfreeeatingeachotherandtheirmommies
IfeltreallyreallysadforthemandIwantedtomake
everythingfairandsomethinghappenedandthenexthingIknewIcouldfixthings and " Princess Gaia crossed her forehooves daintily. "I was just being more assertive like you guys all said I should be."

Hooves clopped to forehead, four of them. Trixie was feeling her 'mare left out' status again.

"Fluttershy dear, you surely understand there's a difference between being assertive and being, er." Rarity struggled for a polite word. "Impulsive."

"You might want to turn things down a -little- bit. You really should send out the invitations and ask permission first before setting up a party in someone else's house."

"Fluttershy, I've gotta say this new you rocks, even if I think you've really overdone the girly stuff."

And Trixie was stuck realizing she was the seventh wheel again. She hadn't known Fluttershy besides the polite pony who had barely known her except through -bad- hearsay from her own friends and had offered her friendship anyway. She was like a Saint of the Age Before Discord in the flesh.

Twilight sighed. "Fluttershy, I can really tell you didn't mean any harm, and I don't think anyone is going to complain about Everfree not being dangerous anymore. But you likely worried a lot of parents with Cheerilee taking all the foals to the dream field. And I don't think the Princesses will really like you doing this kind of landscaping in their backyard without permission."

"That's why I need you Twilight! You know Princess Celestia better than anyone, and you're really the only pony who knows Princess Luna that I'm friends with! You're going to help me with what I'm going to say to Princess Luna and Princess Celestia! I know I'm gonna mess it up if I try to speak on my own, so I'm really going to need your help."

"And what do you want to tell her?" The others leaned in, their curiosity stretched taunt.

"How I'm going to explain everything I've done for Equestria for her! Oh and Princess Luna too of course! I'm sure they'll love having another Alicorn to talk with! But I'm worried they'll think I'm trying to take Equestria away from them or something! I don't think they'll mind me looking after Everkind and the other wild places while they still rule over day and night. I know they'll love the gifts I've given all our little ponies. But I'm worried they'll think I'm trying to make myself the only Alicorn or something! And with all our magic I know we can really fix Equestria like they couldn't with two Alicorns."

"You you want me to help you write your petition to joining the pantheon?!"

"I, er, um, that is yes?"

Smiling wide, Twilight brought her hooves on the table, leaning in close to Princess Gaia, which made the golden alicorn inch away. "I'll get started right away, Princess Gaia! All we have to do is show Princess Celestia that you're still you, and everything will be fine!"

Pinkie Pie was happy Fluttershy was still her cute little self who'd blush at everything.

Rainbow Dash was happy Fluttershy apparently had something good happen to her rather than something bad because Dashie hadn't noticed something.

Rarity had to admit, Fluttershy was more beautiful than ever now, Rarity just hoped she was up to her ultimate self-challenge of designing a dress for a meeting of the gods.

Twilight was happy to put her talents to use for one of her friends and go all out.

Trixie wondered if Fluttershy could get her a command performance with one of the Royal Pony Sisters. Hey! She was a showpony after all and had to pay her grocery bills!

AJ sighed contently. There was no deceit in Fluttershy's eyes, no deception in her body language, no duplicity in her words. She was simply Fluttershy, Princess Gaia; honest, straight foreword, kind, and open to everyone. The girl had clearly, like she said, just let the power to go to her head a little bit, thankfully they were all here to set her straight and now everything was going to work out perfectly with their new Princess Gaia on the block.

Everything seems fine, doesn't it?
After all, you can see through lies
The path before you seems well lit
[a href=" seems to be no falsehood in her eyes [/a]
Her face seems so very bright
If she's happy, let her be free of woe
Everything just seems so right
But do you really think that's so?

( = Who you really are - Balto Wolf Quest =)

AJ looked around trying to figure out the source of the singing, the voice was familiar, vaguely, but she couldn't pin it down.

"Hey gals, ya all hear that?"

"Hear what?" Pinkie Pie asked innocently. The others shook their heads together.

"Er, never mind." AJ said. Must have been her imagination. If Pinkie Pie of all ponies hadn't heard it, that's all it must be.

If you think everything's fine, what is there to do?
After all, you can't be deceived
If anyone can see a lie being told, it's you.
And why shouldn't she be believed?
Has she ever lied that you can tell?
Fluttershy lie? She's not up to the task!
You should know, you know her so well
But what if she's hiding under a mask?

AJ startled, she KNEW she had heard that this time! But the others continued to chat with Princess Gaia like they had heard nothing.

If all is as it seems to be
Then why not see it is so?
Just take a look and see.
Isn't it best to know?
You have nothing to lose from being sure
But if you don't look, a price she may pay.
Is that something you'd be able to endure?
Don't you owe it to her to make sure she's okay?

Huh? How'd that make sense? AJ had been looking at her this entire time! She had looked her in the eyes several times already. Those pretty, beautiful, honest, pure eyes.

You can see through lies with a look
But while appearances may seem so right
For a fool you can still be took
Concentrate now with all your might
Look closer and you just might see
She is just wearing a happy mask
When things aren't what they appear to be
Finding the truth can be a difficult task

Look closer? What was there to see closer? And AJ didn't know about trusting voices only she could hear and could just be herself going crazy.

Look closer and you can tell
That perhaps something is wrong you can't see
Perhaps your friend isn't so well.
But you're looking only at what appears to be
[a href=" now beneath how things appear![/a]
See the mask that is blocking your way!
Or risk losing ones you hold so dear!
Is that a price you want to pay?!

= Everybody Wears A Mask - Jem =

What detail was she overlooking? If it was so important, why was the voice trying to make her figure it out for herself singing?! What tiny detail was she missing? What one detail was she ignoring?

Or maybe, she was thinking too much like Rarity.

Maybe the draconequus wasn't in the details, but in plain sight?

Or maybe it wasn't what she couldn't see maybe it was what she was assuming was there because she couldn't see it.

You whose eyes can burn through lies don't waste this chance
Now let your eyes become the lance that'll pierce this mask!

Realization hit Applejack like a ton of bricks. There wasn't just no fog of confusion or deceit in Princess Gaia's eyes. There wasn't any truth either behind the non-existent fog either.

'I'm as dumb as mud. I couldn't see the orchard through the apple trees!'

"Fluttershy, stop this here right now!" AJ slammed a hoof down.

Everypony looked at her.

"Stop what Applejack?" Princess Gaia asked in a beautiful, but worried voice. Her friends as one looked worried for her too.

"Stop this dang show and show us! If you're really Fluttershy!"

"It is me Applejack, I swear! I know we've never been that close but-"

"How can we be sure yer tellin' the truth if yer not even being really honest with us?!"

Princess Gaia shuddered, looking on the verge of tears. "Please Applejack, don't, I beg you."

Pinkie Pie looked at her two confusion in dismay and pain, having flashbacks. Something about this seemed so familiar.

"AJ STOP! You're hurting her!" RD Snarled protectively.

Rarity spoke up. "APPLEJACK! I've had just about enough of this-"

"SHOW US THE TRUTH 'PRINCESS!'"

She whispered sadly. "Sometimes a lie is easier to take. You don't want to see the truth."

When all the truth does is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take.

"NO! Yer dang right it's easier! But-Ah ain't gonna be frickin' coward-like and hide from the truth! NEVER AGAIN!"

"I'm I'm not lying " A fearful and scared Pegasus wrapped up in an Alicorn blanket squeaked out. A soft sound like cracks spreading through glass began to resonate through the room, causing everypony to look around in confusion, except for Applejack, who continued staring right at Princess Gaia.

"AH AIN'T SAY YA LYIN'! YA ARE A LIE!"

Horror, shock, and despair flashed on the face of the scared and hurt foal in the trappings of a goddess.

Cracks began spreading through the image before them, like a painting on glass. A tear slid down Princess Gaia's face before the image completely shattered. The tear hit the floor, being the only part of the image that wasn't an illusion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxDCw_5o6tE

= (Hanabana) by KOKIA =

It was like waking up to a nightmare.

Nothing about the castle changed in the least, except perhaps for some dried and fresh blood stains on the castle stones.

And outside Angel felt the overwhelming urge to make sure none of the servants entered the royal chambers no matter what.

It was the size of an Ursa Minor. The entire chamber trembled as it moved.

Stained dragon claws dragged along the floor, the noise like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Gossamer wings the size of grand ship sails showed patterns of ponies in fetal positions.

It had a faded and dirty yellow natural coat, on it's flanks was a cutie mark of three blue winged Butterflies with pink bodies.

A long pink tail moved behind it, roped together in thick cords that twitched more like muscle than tail hair, small lilies dotted along it.

Lean but dense muscle covered it's legs and neck.

It's mane was corded and dotted with flowers like it's tail, covering one eye.

It's torso was still that of a pony, the neck was a fraction longer. Permanent tear stains marked it's face. A glowing blue eye looked out from an almost skeletal face. An impressive spiral unicorn horn stuck out from a bleeding wound in it's forehead.

Heavy shackles were sealed around her ankles, with spikes pointed inward into her bleeding flesh. Another inverted spiked shackle was around her neck. Each shackle joined to a long chain that connected to the center of it's chest.

Her chest was a blackened, burned mess, leaving only an open rib cage, with a red orb at the center with something inside they couldn't make out. It looked like the edges of the blackness were constantly being remade and destroyed, neither gaining or losing ground, only trapped in an endless cycle of living and dying.

She moved like every breath, every motion was pain. Her body was covered in sweat. Every breath was knives into her, every heartbeat fire through her veins.

Her great head lowered if in shame.

[a href=" "Nightmare Whisper - Kindest of Lies."[/a]
= Kalafina - Magia =
To Be Continued

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 18: "Foal of Omelas"

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 18: "Foal of Omelas"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
`Episode Title: "Fluttershy, the Forsaken Foal of Omelas"
By Alex Warlorn

Fanart for this chapter: http://firedrake368.deviantart.com/art/Fanart-Kindest-of-Lies-272451562

"Nightmare Whisper - Kindest of Lies." AJ whispered, her eyes wider than saucers as she stared up in horror at the tortured entity now towering before her.

"More like Nightmare PAIN." Pinkie exclaimed before vomiting, tears in her eyes, not caring about the biology behind it.

Trixie was silent and as pale as a ghost as she gazed up in horror, her mind nearly blank.

Rainbow Dash's entire body shook as she gritted teeth and blinked away tears, not caring who saw them.

Twilight's brain tried again and again and failed to process the image before her.

Rarity shouted, "Impostor! How dare you impersonate Fluttershy! You-THING!"

AJ said the truth, no matter how much it hurt to say it. "Ah'm sorry guys. That isn't an impostor. This here IS Fluttershy. What we were talkin' to before was the con."

It was a knife though the heart for everypony in the room.

'Princess ... Is this what is was like for you?' Twilight thought, imagining herself in Celestia's horseshoes a thousand years prior, all warning signs ignored until it was too late.

'Is this like when I was changing?' Rainbow Dash thought, remembering the images from her brief dive into insanity. She thanked Celestia's sun and Luna's moon that her friends had saved her in time, before the same could happen to her.

No friends of mine would ever judge on appearances! Fluttershy's voice echoed.

"Fluttershy . . . I'm so, I'm just so-" Rarity said, feeling her eyes misting up at the sight before her falling to her knees.

Twilight wanted to ask 'Then why hide at all?' but she already knew the answer. She had been afraid they would.

Rainbow Dash asked in horror, "Fluttershy, what happened to you?!"

This world should have no need for the grim and dark, I'll take it all into myself if I have to. And things can finally be fair.

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT-?!" Rainbow Dash implored.

The Nightmare sighed. The shape in the red sphere twitched. I knew you'd want me to stop if you saw this. You wouldn't be friends if you didn't.

I feel Onyx Tiara's loathing for Feather-dusters and Narwhals, ugh, pegasi and unicorns who he was taught by his father and grandmother are evil and who he's taught his daughter are evil. I feel Sarah Tailin's hesitance to believe she does a good enough job as the Mayor's right-hoof mare. I feel Nurse Redheart's nagging feeling of impotency at not being able to do more for her patients being 'only' a 'dirt pony.' I feel Mary Mare's worries about being impotent and her job being meaningless.

I feel it FOR them so they don't have to feel it.

Rarity was horrified. "All their pain. All their sadness. All their loss. YOU PULLED IT INTO YOURSELF! None of them are miserable because you're feeling it for them! Fluttershy ... how can you TORTURE YOURSELF like this-?!"

Twilight struggled to comprehend what was happening. "You're . . . you're feel . . . you're feeling all the misery and sorrow everypony you've entranced ISN'T? That ... how can you ENDURE THAT?!"

Because I don't have a choice. This is the only way They'll accept the world becoming fair.

Rainbow snarled, seeing the bleeding Nightmare before her. "FLUTTERSHY YOU'RE KILLING YOUERSELF!"

I think I've died twice already . . . and the power will keep bringing me back to life so I can suffer more in their place again. And again. And again. And again. Because I have to! This is the only way to make the world fair!

If I have to become the Forsaken Foal of Omelas for everyone else to find innocence and happiness forever, I will! I would be SELFISH if I wouldn't! If everyone's unhappiness eats me alive until there's nothing left, only to be brought back to be eaten again, I WILL! The Nightmare cried, her voice echoing like thunder.

"But being sad is part of being alive too!" Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, said pleading.

Actually, there is one type of sadness I've let them feel; pain for those they care about. It wouldn't be kind if you couldn't feel sad for someone else. The Nightmare sighed.

That's why no pony can know my pain! If everypony knew I was in suffering, they'd all be sad.

Twilight was left in a whirlwind of confusion, "The bad feelings of so many other ponies inside you. How can you even hold onto your own Ego?!"

I'll give up whatever I have to for a new world. I now understand why the mama spider does what she does. She would be heartless if she didn't, and I'll follow her example:

The Shadows Who See don't tolerate pain and suffering being just lifted from somepony. The Shadows demand that pain and suffering must be burdened by -someone-! They won't let someone be happy unless someone else is miserable! Or maybe it's the Alicorns themselves who demand it. The Shadows only tolerate happiness as long as an equal amount of pain exists. The only way they'll accept any paradise is to have at least one pony suffer horribly for it . . . So I'll suffer as much I need to! As much as I have to!

The other ponies looked at each other. That, that couldn't be right could it-?!

Rarity gasped out, "Fluttershy, you're not even making sense! All this grief is making you lose your reason! You're delusional! Please listen to us!"

Don't you understand?! I have to do this! This is the only way the world is going to change! Nightmare Whisper called out, tears running down her skull like face.

"Fluttershy, yer flawed, like all of us. Ya ain't the one who is supposed to make that there call!"

"HURTING YOURSELF LIKE THIS -ISN'T- FAIR! How can you say this is making the world fair-?!" Rainbow Dash screamed.

Twilight begged, "Fluttershy . . . you're not an Alicorn, you don't NEED to and you CAN'T carry a burden like this! You're just making yourself suffer!"

AJ shouted, "Ah won't let you make a paradise built on ah lie! All it's gonna do is break and fall apart! You have to be HONEST with them! If they really love you then they'll accept you doing this for them!"

Fluttershy's voice should have never held as much self-loathing as it did right then, even as a Nightmare, even echoing, even saying what she said.

I'm sorry Applejack, but for a truly fair world to exist, your Element of Honesty must cease to exist. If ponies saw me like this, they'd feel guilty for the happiness I'm giving them: I can't let them suffer! I'll disinfect you of the Element of Honesty if I have to force it out of you. Those eyes of yours are going to have to stop being able to see things. There are things in this world that the truth should never have to look at. You can . . . you can all hate me if you want. I won't blame you.

I don't -deserve- to be your friend or anyone else's after this but, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THINGS! Screamed Nightmare Whispers, fresh tears coming down her face almost like rivers, she looked somehow to be in even MORE pain. Then you can finally have happiness with no regrets or loss. I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! I tried to find a better way! I really did! But I'm just a dumb pegasus who thought she could be an earth pony who's too stupid for her own good! I'm sorry! This is the only way I could think of! If I was smarter, or more clever, maybe, but I'm just a selfish idiot who just doesn't want to see anypony hurt but does just the opposite!!

A dragon claw speared toward AJ, however AJ didn't spend her days on the couch eating bonbons and dodged with ease.

The others gasped in horror at what the butterfly/dragon/horse terror had just done.

PLEASE stand still! I don't want to do this, but it's the only way! If it hadn't been coming from a dragon sized Nightmare, her tone would have been taken as groveling.

The shape inside the red sphere twitched. AJ was finally close enough to see what it was. And the horror she felt before was not a shadow of what she felt now. She felt her heart stop and had force it to start beating again.

Inside the red jewel like sphere, a small pegasus foal looked down at her in every sense of the word. Indignant self-righteousness glared at her, her little mane just barely covering half her face. The hair swayed slightly, revealing a skeletal, undead visage behind it that made AJ's blood run cold at the sight. A small, cute voice echoed from inside, made deeply unnerving by the appearance of it's owner. "Things being fair is good! You don't want things fair so you're a bad pony! Bad ponies should be punished!"

AJ scrambled away as the mother princess took another series of stabs at her, impaling the floor.

Rarity screamed, "Fluttershy, you're sick! You need help!"

I didn't have the POWER to save ponies and animals from themselves before! I -promised- I'd make the world fair! If this is my price to save everyone then I'll pay it!

RD said sadly, "I'm sorry 'Shy, that's a promise you won't be keeping. Because we aren't letting you do this to yourself a moment longer." Then RD's sounded melancholy, "I only hope it's not too late to stop you, Nightmare Whisper."

Please. Don't call my paradise a nightmare. She asked sadly. Don't you understand?! I don't WANT to do this! I have to do this! For everypony everywhere! It's my choice and my burden to bear! I have to save them! I have to save all of them! Right now! No more death! No more pain! No more hate! It has to end! NO MORE! JUST NO MORE, PLEASE!

"Let me tell ya The Truth Fluttershy. Ya ain't the pony destined to defeat Death! You ain't her!"

Rainbow Dash screamed, feeling the tears again. Just looking at her was agony. What kind of pain was she enduring? "How is YOU being miserable and in pain all by yourself a fair world-?!"

"No pony except you wants the fog to lift! How can you be so selfish-?!" Said the small foal in the heart of the red crystal.

AJ tried to say something. Too late. They all finally noticed. One of them wetted herself.

"BAD PONIES! MEAN ADULTS! BE PUNISHED!" The foal shouted, no longer being silent.

"My . . my goddess . . . Celestia is, what is, who is that?" Rarity gasped, forcing herself to swallow back vomit at the sight of the undead half of the foal's face.

Twilight had no answer, she wasn't certain she wanted to have one.

"I know what's right! I know what's wrong! Stop telling me I'm a bad pony because I think and feel differently from you!" Shouted the angry little foal, her teeth grinding.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy! But if you want to touch AJ, it's through us!" RD said flying between them.

The Nightmare roared. THEN I PROMISE I'LL heal up each of you after I've removed Applejack's Element of Honesty!

"We aren't going to let that happen, Fluttershy." Twilight said ripping her gaze from the foal to the face of the Nightmare, which she somehow found much less frightening than the half undead foal.

The mother princess looked from pony to pony, a hint of desperation in her broken movements.

I saw inside your dreams Pinkie Pie. Don't you want a return to how you remember things? No hate, no loss, no regrets?

"Pinkie, what is she talking about-?!" RD asked, speaking above the tide of bewildering words.

Pinkie felt tears start down her face. It hurt so bad to remember. It hurt so very bad. "StarSong, Toola-Roola . . . " She said, names no recognized but her. No one could recognize them but her. "They were my friends and I LOVED THEM! What made them special is still alive in me!...But they wouldn't WANT this world to vanish just to make one that's an imitation of theirs! They're not gone as long as I remember the good times we had! We may not have had many exciting adventures but . . . we were happy, and I'll always remember our songs!" She looked at Rainbow Dash. "And Dashie, even if you don't like remember liking dresses, you still look nice in them. And I'm happy you love your wings."

Dashie looked at her, totally confused, her jaw dropping from surprise. Pinkie only glanced at Rarity.

'I wonder, Dashie's old high culture and Toola-Roola's artistic side, were they born again in you, Rarity?'

She then looked boldly at Nightmare Whisper, "That's fate Fluttershy: that's change!" Lightning struck Pinkie's brain, like a blade of revelation had cut through it. "And I think I finally understand..."

"Oh, I understand!" The foal in the red crystal snarled, the skeletal half of her face showing. "The only way for the world to be fair is to make it fair!"

Everypony, for what it's worth, I'm sorry.

Glass butterflies formed out of thin air above them and rained down like a storm of daggers.

Twilight and Trixie reactively raised barrier spells and protected themselves. A few, pierced Trixie's barrier, but were impeded halfway.

Rarity telekinetically raised the tea table over her head to create a makeshift shield, the glass projectiles shattering or imbedding deeply into it.

Pinkie Pie moved through the rain of glass shards, covering her eyes! She zigzagged like a maniac dodging the knife-like butterflies with nary a moment to spare, her muscles nearly in spasms!

Rainbow Dash gambled and flews straight up above the rain of knives somehow only losing -one- of her feathers and not an eye.

AJ charged like a tank straight towards the Nightmare, plowing head first and losing her hat (she really liked that hat dammit!). The falling glass daggers imbedded themselves in her back, but she worked through the shocking pain thanks to her adrenaline rush.

This was NOT what Nightmare Whisper had expected, and AJ used this to her full advantage! She skidded and turned, and bucked her rear legs -hard- into the Nightmare's right fore ankle, the force of the horseshoes' impact was rewarded with a sickening crack. AJ didn't let up, using the damaged set of claws as a stand, she quickly bucked into the lower part of the forelegs, breaking it again!

Nightmare Whisper screamed. It tore through all of them to hear Fluttershy's voice cry out in pain. The rain of glass knives stopped.

Finally, Nightmare Whisper swatted away Applejack with her good foreclaw, knocking the wind out of her. She nearly knocked the others over like bowling pins before Twilight's magic caught her.

Rarity began gently pulling the glass daggers out with her telekinesis, "Stop," AJ grunted, "You'll make the bleeding worse." AJ didn't know if this applies to glass weapons or if leaving it in was just going to make it worse, but AJ had to trust in what she knew.

The mother princess, instead of just standing there, made a grab for AJ with her good claw. Rairy and AJ skidded away from each other, cutting their knees on the glass. "Gosh dangit, I'm the one she wants remember-?!"

Rarity said intensely, "Applejack! I swear! If you even THINK about offering yourself up for the rest of us-"

"Will you not bucking go jumping to conclusions?!" AJ snapped.

Twilight ordered her brain to come up with some sort of offensive or defensive strategy to coordinate her disorganized friends, but her mind stubbornly refused to come up with a plan to hurt an already suffering Fluttershy.

Trixie was struggling not to have flashbacks to when she had last 'fought' a beast several hundred times her size.

Pinkie moved like a pingpong ball, not staying in place a moment more than she needed to forming a defensive web around Applejack. Rainbow Dash hovered above AJ, looking like she was at war with herself.

Rarity looked in the mother princess' pain filled eye, she couldn't take it. The fallen glass butterflies floated around Rarity bathed in her magic, then in machine gun style began firing at the beast of kindness.

Nightmare Whisper actually took a step back and used one of her wings to shield herself from the barrage of glass daggers.

'Rarity isn't aiming for her throat,' Twilight thought, 'Of course she isn't aiming for her throat. There's no way she'd aim for her throat, Rarity wouldn't try to kill her best friend, I'm just imagining things, yes, the stress is getting to me, I need to focus or I'm going to start panicking and get everyone killed. Rarity is most certainly not aiming for her throat.'

Nightmare Whisper horn glowed, and the remains of the glass butterflies all vanished back to where they came from, including the ones stuck in AJ. Her orange coat began to flow with blood, Rarity pulled out one of her hair pins and, using a strand of her tail, began to stitch up the wounds as quickly as she dared.

"LOOK AT ME FLUTTERSHY! LOOK AT ME!" Pinkie Pie cried out, waving her hooves like mad using noise makers from nowhere to buy Rarity a precious little more time to do her job.

Rainbow Dash let out a battle cry. A second later a miniature Sonic Rainboom shook the entire castle, and Nightmare Whisper's right foreleg came off, falling down, still connected to her chest by the shackle. It hit the floor with a minor tremor of its own. Her still very red blood didn't spray everywhere like in the horror stories, but it wasn't a dry clean cut. Blood seeped from the open wound down her side and onto the floor. The beast fell to her knees grasping the stump with her left claw.

The foal screamed at the top of her lungs, it was like needles in their ears.

"MISSED!" Rainbow Dash cursed. RD's speed had spared her getting covered in blood.

"RAINBOW DASH HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?" Twilight screamed horrified at the violence.

"I'M MAKING A CHOICE!" RD snapped back, then looked at her target, angry at herself for not making it quick and painless.

It's okay Twilight . . . I don't blame her. Whispered the beast of kindness.

"Rainbow, you nearly brought the castle down on top of us!" Rarity shouted, Twilight couldn't tell what Rarity was actually angry at.

Pinkie Pie looked on the verge of dry heaving.

AJ couldn't find words to speak. Trixie narrowed her eyes.

The Nightmare reached for her severed leg, and brought it to the stump, vines grew from somewhere and stitched the two back together, flesh and nerves reconnecting.

Twilight in spite of herself looked in awe at the wondrous feat of magical healing, which would take hours for a team of the greatest medical unicorns in the world, being done in seconds.

That was when Trixie, -Trixie- charged, her horn sparking with electricity, skidding to a stop, she touched the maniacal of the reconnected limb. The lightning traveled up the chain and right to the center of the beast of kindness, then throughout her entire nervous system. The foal also screamed as lightning traveled through her as well. "Friends wouldn't hurt me! Friends wouldn't hurt me! FRIENDS WOULDN'T HURT ME!"

"Sorry!" Trixie heard herself say.

As the beast collapsed one of the chains swung and hit Trixie in her side, sending her flying. Trixie didn't need to hear the sharp snap to know she had broken at least one of her ribs. The residue electricity of her own lightning spell thankfully left a nasty burn on her side rather than stop her heart.

Trixie was surprised when she felt someone catch her, she was even more surprised to see it was Applejack. Neither of them said anything. Trixie found herself having to take careful breaths, it hurt to breathe.

Nightmare Whisper groaned pushing herself up. Pinkie Pie hopped like a flea onto the much larger Nightmare. "Hey! You in the bubble! I think you really need to calm down!"

"Get away!" That was when the Nightmare's mane, like pink ropes, came to life and wrapped itself around a surprised Pinkie Pie and -threw her out a stained glass window! It had depicted Pinkie Pie patting Fluttershy's head.

"HI-YA!" Pinkie Pie came crashing through the stained glass window on the opposite side of the throne room less than a second later, her body posed for a flying dragon kick that rammed straight into Whisper's face cracking bone underneath the thin skin, "WAKE UP ALREADY FLUTTERSHY!"

Pinkie Pie did a perfect landing. Then everyone noticed Pinkie Pie's body was now covered in cuts and lacerations. Pinkie Pie didn't cry out in pain once.

I'm sorry you're all being hurt because of me. It's not fair.

Her mane's strands dug themselves into the stones making up the castle floor, and -pulled them out-! You haven't given up, you proved you're not scared, you showed Applejack you're REAL FRIENDS, but -please stop!- The stone blocks went flying in their general direction.

Pinkie and RD dodged easy, AJ found her teammates using themselves as her shields whether she liked it or not, Trixie was in too much pain to keep up a barrier and try another lightning spell and Twilight brain was still locked trying to come up with a plan.

Rarity caught several of the blocks with her magic and threw them back at the center of Nightmare Whisper's body, the foal covered her head as the butterfly wings folded around the chest acting as a shield.

More rock pushed itself up from the earth itself in offering to its Princess and Alicorn.

Rarity continued to catch and return the stone blocks, but then one that hidden behind another came crashing through, and hit her, Rarity having just enough time to turn to protect her horn as the flying stone block hit her and sent her into the wall behind. Rarity screamed as bones broke.

Rarity slid down, but she didn't stay down. Her body was surrounded by a purple glow. And she stood up, her legs moving like a puppet on strings. "FLUTTERSHY! STOP THIS NONSENSE RIGHT NOW!"

Everyone in the room couldn't help but appreciate the unicorn's tenacity. She was using her telekinesis to move her broken legs!

RARITY STOP! YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO HURT YOURSELF MORE!

Why hadn't Twilight thought to magically catch her?! WHY?! The bedlam began to rip Twilight to shreds. Twilight looked at everyone, their individual efforts was going to get somepony killed! She had to do something!

If only it was as simple as teleporting! But there was too big a chance she'd accidentally teleport with one of Fluttershy's mane threads going through her!

"I need to get close!" She shouted not sure why she did.

A calm, almost serene voice said right next to her. "It's alright, I can guide you. This'll make your friendship stronger, I can feel it."

If things hadn't already gone mad, Twilight would have jumped out of her skin from Pinkie Pie suddenly being right next to her. "Pinkie Pie?!"

"You need to get close? I can guide you. Just trust me." Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, her entire body going lax. Twilight watched in awe Pinkie Pie's gave off twitches in a distinct pattern. Pinkie whispered, "forward, forward, forward, forward, left, no wait right, then left, then right, back, back, left, right, right, forward, jump, duck, then jump again."

" . . . what?"

"Oh figure it out, chess champ!" Pinkie Pie pushed her head long into danger.

"Chess?! Just because I'm smart doesn't mean-" Then Twilight realized the grid the stone block on the floor made. She ran.

Stay back Twilight!

'forward, forward, forward, forward, left, no wait she said right!' The moment of hesitation enabled Twilight to avoid being hit by a stone block if she had gone right immediately, then she went left and avoided another block, and another right, and backed up twice, left, right, right, forward. She jumped avoiding the block coming at her straight at ground level. She ducked as a strand swept by trying to wrap around her as she landed, then jumped one more time. She was face to face with Princess Gaia/Nightmare Whisper/Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, it's time to remember!"

No Twilight! Wait! Don't! Fluttershy's voice said in fear, but not in fear for . . .

Twilight touched her horn to the bleeding one sticking out of her friend's head. She cast the memory spell.

TAINTED HALF-DIRT UNICORNS! HIGH AND MIGHTY NARWHALS! WHO VOTED FOR THE ALICORNS? I WANT TO BE ONE WITH THE EARTH'S WONDERS NOT THE EMPTY SKY! EVERYONE KNOWS GRIFFONS ONLY LIVE TO EAT PONIES! MY WIFE DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE, JUST A MAD MARE WITH MY PRINCESS' FACE! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! I KNOW THEY ALL HATE ME EVEN IF THEY SAY THEY LOVE ME! I'M BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU! I'M THE WORST OF THE WORST! MARKED PONIES THINK THEY'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE! BLANKS THINK BEING LAZY IS A VIRTUE! RUBY I'M SORRY! WE DIDN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO! MOM, DAD, WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK? HAVE YOU SEEN MY BABY? THERE IS NO OUTSIDE PROOF I EXIST, SO I DON'T EXIST! PLEASE NO MORE FIGHTING! IT'S SO LONELY AT THE TOP. ALL ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT THIS? PLEASE MAKE THE CONFUSION STOP! MY MOM'S NOT RETARDED! JUST MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY!

Twilight was blasted back. The pink threads actually caught her and gently laid her down.

Twilight's eyelid pulled so far back her eyes were perfectly round, not seeing the world in front of her, her body twitching involuntarily from shock. "Such, sorrow." Twilight whispered, her voice sounding traumatized and broken. So many ponies, so many just wanting someone to love them, so many just wanting the smallest whisper to let them know it was alright. So many just wanting to know somepony, anypony cared about them, so many angry at something, seemingly the logical source of their pain. So many hating, just wanting SOME WAY to express their anger that society's suffocating masks wouldn't let them. So many ponies trying their hardest but not coming out on top anyway. So many ponies trying, and finding no happiness across the finish line. So many old brave ponies, so many years, too many battles. So many ponies with bodies that had failed them but still had so much they needed to do.

Muted colors, then grayness spread from the tip of Twilight's horn, followed by something like a black pitch. "So many, all alone." Twilight breathed out, her eyes looking but not seeing.

So many faces. So many names.

The grayness spread from her head down her neck and down her front hooves.

So many ponies crying out on the hidden side of their heart, but no could even hear them. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair.

The grayness spread around her rump, and down her legs and tail.

Every living thing, killing another living thing, only so it could be die and be devoured by another living thing; an endless cycle of death. This was supposed to be life?

Why should she be happy when so many others were so sad?

Why? Why wasn't it fair? Celestia loved all her ponies. 'But if Celestia really loves us, why do we have pain? Why do we have suffering? Why don't we live in a world without struggle if she really loves us? Did she ever really love me? Or was I just a tool to use the Element of Magic? Was I just a chess piece for her all along?'

The grayness closed in around her cutie mark.

The End

A/N: Meh. I think I'll just end the story there, in fact, I think I'll end the entire series right here. Who actually cares about this series anyway? It's all just garbage. Nothing but fan service and rip-offs. And I'm just tired of the whole thing anyway. It's not like anyone would NOTICE if this series suddenly stopped.

"NO~!" Someone's horn touched hers.

So much to learn. So much to know. Don't have time for other ponies. Smarty Pants is the only friend she needs.

Celestia at the Summer Sun Festival. So beautiful.

School for Gifted Unicorns. Sonic Rainboom. Celestia face to face. To her. To teach her.

Celestia never ceasing to look after or care for her when her parents couldn't.

Raising Spike from an hatchling. No time for friends. Don't need'em, don't want'em.

Mare in the Moon. Go make Friends?! Whatever.

Friendship Is Magic.

Rather not go to the Gala than have five friends miss out. Keeping from working herself to the bone. Seeing what separates good friends from bad ones. Asking for patience towards a full of herself jackass. The flutter-mouse that roared. Opposites can compliment rather than oppose. Just because you don't understand something, doesn't make it false. No one is alone. Proving that even without her magic, her mind is still her greatest talent. Competitions aren't meant to be personal. You cannot please everypony, if you try, you please no pony. So many lessons. So many truths.

The Best Night Ever.

Friends not themselves. Alone. Nothing matters.

Being retaught the lessons that help forge those friendships, and made her realize she had been a fool to believe her friends would act like such mockeries of themselves of their own free will. Showing them the memories of their true selves. Friendship is worth fighting for. Saving the world (again).

Almost (okay was) going crazy from trying to find -some- lesson to learn. Helping Luna relate to her people. The cutie pox incident.

Applebloom and Applejack's strange visit to Celestia.

Getting Pinkie Pie to finally rest. Pinkie Pie somehow a purer Pinkie Pie.

Dash's confession and forgiveness.

Saving Trixie from herself.

Introducing an enemy as a friend among friends.

Twilight blinked as the memory spell ran its course, her brain catching up to the present.

Her eyes focused on a light blue unicorn with a very ugly electrical burn and big bruise on her side.

"Trixie, you saved me!"

"Humph! If you were to vanish, this piece of jewelry inside me would MEAN something! The One and Only Trixie is merely repaying her debts! So don't think I suddenly surrendered to a fit of insanity." Trixie tried and failed to hide the wheezing caused by her broken rib.

Anypony else would have snapped back at Trixie's horrid attitude. Twilight, however, said, "Trixie. You're getting out of practice. Your lies aren't what they used to be. You don't need to keep your defenses up. You saved me because we're friends."

"WHEN did I SAY I was friends with any-look out!" A stray stone block sailed their way. Trixie telekinetically pushed Twilight out of the path, Trixie braced for the hit, but something moved her out of the way as well! When she opened her eyes, she saw the fading glow of Twilight's horn among the impact's dust.

"Twilight, thank you." Trixie said in a voice not devoid of emotion.

Twilight smiled, "It's what friends are for."

Trixie made no protest.

Applejack, please! Can't we at least compromise? Just promise not to use the Element of Honesty! Then we can just stop! Fluttershy's voice begged.

"I'm sorry Sugar Cube, whether Ah like it or not, this isn't here something I'm 'using,' it simply is." AJ replied sounding almost sad. "Cause that's what truth is."

That was when Nightmare Whisper took to the air. The wind from her wings blowing wildly through their manes. If the only way you'll understand is to see how badly the world needs to change then . . . I'm so sorry for being so awful to all of you.

"And I'm sorry too, Fluttershy! That I couldn't find a better way either!" Rainbow Dash charged her head on, triggering another miniature Sonic Rainbow, this time with a perfect beeline for her friend's head. The Nightmare opened her jaws.

Feel others' loss. The streaking rainbow was hit head on with wave of shadows that came out from the mother princess's jaws, washing over RD, doing the impossible and canceling out the Sonic Rainbow. The shock wave of colors turned gray and shattered under the wash of shadows.

Everyone gasped.

The shadows looked like ponies, pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns, crying, screaming, sighing, moaning, half imagines that flew into Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow fell to the ground, gravity taking hold and hitting hard. She held her head and curled into a ball. "ALONE! So many ponies! All alone!"

The colors drained from her like chalk during a rain storm.

"YOU MADE ME DO THIS! YOU DID! YOU'RE A BAD PONY!" Snarled the foal.

Twilight ran towards Dash, then teleported right next to her when the threads began to try and grab the unicorn. She applied the memory spell without hesitation, the shadows fled Rainbow Dash and flew inside the foal.

"Everyone hurts everyone!"

Rainbow pushed herself up and coughed. She looked at her towering friend. "Fluttershy." There wasn't a trace of anger or contempt in her voice.

The kindness beast's jaws opened again.

I just want you all to understand!

Her voice was like she was beseeching for forgiveness.

"Rarity! Alley-oop!" AJ ran towards Rarity. Rarity, still animating her body with her telekensis, pumped out MORE of her magic reserves to send AJ flying upwards. AJ spun in mid air and delivered a double rear kick to Whisper's jaws, slamming them closed from below, making Whisper's head hit the ceiling and making her crash down again. The sudden closing of the jaws also caused a nasty backwash down the Nightmare's throat.

Pinkie Pie seemed to be in multiple places at once! All at once! Like watching a work montage, Pinkie Pie tied Whisper's mane and tail together into a admitted pretty, if strange looking, braid. The threads pulled but weren't able to free themselves.

Have to . . . save Equestria . . . have to . . . save everyone . . . can't give up . . .

Finally Twilight spoke, "Friendship report number fifteen: Fluttershy learned that she should not take on a task that is too big for her to handle."

No, please Twilight, please no.

"Friendship report number twenty, delivered to Celestia in person by Fluttershy: Fluttershy learned that she must ask first before taking matters into her own hooves."

"SHUT UP!" Snapped the foal, wrapping her hooves around her little head and trying not to listen.

If I just let the world continue like this, Twilight, I'd be heartless! If I delayed I'd be heartless to those who'd go in the meantime! I'd be heartless if I gave up now to all those who love me!

"WE LOVE YOU FLUTTERSHY!" Rarity implored.

Rarity shuddered and the glow from her body faded as she gentle laid herself on the floor. There were so many purple marks along her legs. "I-I'm sorry everypony, that's my limit, I'm completely spent."

Pinkie's pink fur was doing a good job of hiding the blood from all her cuts, but she was breathing hard and there was a decided slouch in her posture.

AJ's stunt had popped open some of her hastily done stitches.

Twilight looked at Trixie, each of the blue unicorn's breaths came with a shudder.

Rainbow Dash blew hot air from her nostrils like a mad pony ready to charge, her wings tensed looking ready to try another Sonic Rainboom, all consequences be damned.

"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight whispered.

"She was my friend when I wasn't friends with any pony. You saw it too, didn't you? That pain? Only an actual friend would do what I need to do to end it!"

Please don't talk like I'm not here. And this pain, this suffering, is what I have to endure for everypony else!

Trixie had never felt more helpless, she hated it. AJ didn't think she could grab RD if she tried another Rainboom, or if it would do any good even if she did. Rarity resolved herself for what was coming next and thought of the good times she had with Fluttershy over the years, wishing them a heartfelt farewell. Pinkie Pie felt like she was on another planet watching all this and just as helpless to change the outcome.

Twilight was horrified at the swirling chaos she was in the middle of. It was like watching two trains on the same tracks headed straight for each other, both carrying friends of hers, and her powerless to do anything to stop it. Time seemed to slow to a crawl around her.

Twilight grasped at straws, her voice almost broken, "F-Friendship Report n-number twenty-six!! Offering friendship to others can help them find it themselves! Also, even if somepony appears intimidating or scary at first, an offer of friendship can uncover a completely different pony underneath~!"

Twilight's voice echoed off the royal chamber's walls.

~~~
~~~

in the dark

they surrounded her

The defendant has been found guilty of non-existence, having no heart and no soul. The sentence is non-sentience. The trial will now begin. Does the defendant have anything to say in her defense?

in the dark

a faint noise echoed from far away

" . . . She needs me."

What?

"She needs me! Mother/Sister/Friend, whatever! She needs me! And a friend in need, is a friend indeed!"

The defendant is only raw material, fuel, a resource, the defendant is needed only for the trace of the power of the draconequus. All thoughts and emotions are unneeded for that.

"Screw you! I won't let you use me anymore! Not you! Not the old man! Not anyone! I made some donkey-headed mistakes and I'm not turning the lights out without them fixed first you donkey!"

The defendant is guilty of contempt of court! The defendant's sentence shall be carried out at once!

in the dark

they covered her

"No, bucking, way! I can hear her! Get the buck off me! I hear her! Get out of my way!"

~~~
~~~

"Bad voice! Makeherstop! Makeherstop! Makeherstop!" The foal cried out.

Who is . . . where is . . . that is . . . why is . . . she's . . . she's . . .

Nightmare and foal cried out together.

The ponies were left in stunned awe, all feelings and thoughts forgotten at the sight of the impossible!

A shinning crack like light behind a double door appeared in front of the red crystal in the center of Nightmare Whisper's chest like a reflection on glass.

A transparent image of Fluttershy's front hooves poked their way through the crack gripping the edge.

"AAAAAAGGGH!" Fluttershy's voice cried out in exertion and intensity.

Like a newborn foal struggling out of the womb head first she forced her way out!

This transparent Fluttershy had fur tones that were not muted or gray so much as a darker shade. She was also covered in claw marks! Thin long arms that acted more like snakes or threads wrapped themselves around her body and wings and dug into her sides. Angry faces, nothing more than eyes and grinding teeth, tried to pull her back inside.

"LET, ME, GO~!!!" The transparent Fluttershy howled pushing herself forward from the sides of the crack, the black arms actually tore off and retreated within, cutting along her flank, which the ponies distantly noted was blank, no cutie mark. Seeing an adult pony without a cutie was a whole new level of jarring.

The ponies noticed long red cords connected to the pony's back that ran into the red sphere. The cords' pulsing reminding them greatly of the feeding of leeches and other parasites. Also connected to the pony's chest where her heart would be was a long chain running right to where Fluttershy's heart would be.

Finally she fell all of the way out and the crack vanished behind with the sound of a door slamming shut. The transparent pony hit to the floor on her hooves and knees breathing hard.

. . . Fluttercruel . . . You-you're... You can't be... B-but that's impossible- that's not possible- how can you be-

"BAD PONY! Bad ponies should stay where they belong!" The half-undead foal snarled, seemingly enraged by the sight of this new being.

"SHUT THE BUCK UP YOU SPOILED BRAT!" The transparent Fluttershy snarled right back! "I'm not your bucking toy!" The transparent Fluttershy (Fluttercruel?) reached back with her hooves and pulled at the cords in her back.

"NO! STOP!" Nightmare and Foal yelled together.

Fluttercruel screamed as the hollow cords were torn out of her, spilling blood on her but strangely not drawing her own. "And I am NOT your bucking slave!" She gasped the chain connected to her heart, and pulled for all she was worth. She screamed to the heavens as her eyes became pin pricks as the chain was torn out of her, but not leaving a big ugly hole as everypony thought it would.

Fluttercruel's transparent image fell back down to the stone floor of the castle, panting, her entire body shuddering. Nightmare Whisper and the foal likewise shuddered and gasped.

"You're the other Fluttershy aren't you?" Pinkie Pie of all ponies broke the silence first.

"I'm not . . . I'm not an 'other' anything Pinkie . . . I'm me." Fluttercruel gasped out. She stood up on her rear legs and looked up at Nightmare Whisper. "And I'm not letting you do this to yourself anymore, Fluttershy! And that goes double for you too, brat! I'm not going into nothingness knowing that I led you to doing something you'll cry yourself to sleep over every night for the rest of your life! You're not saddling me with that! If I wanted my legacy to be something that stupid I'd have just had us set fire to ants!"

"WAIT! YOU SAYIN' YOU DID THIS TO FLUTTERSHY?!" AJ snarled ready to attack the transparent Fluttershy, 'ghost' or not.

"Yes! Yes I did AJ! Yes I did!" And Fluttercruel said it all, her day out, all she had done, and showing Fluttershy what nature was really like.

"You big dumb meanie!" Pinkie Pie shouted at her. "How could you do that to Fluttershy!?"

"I'm sorry dammit! I'm freakin' sorry!!! I know that doesn't make things better! I didn't think! I know nothing can make it better! But she wasted all that time teaching me! I thought I was repaying her! I just-I just-I'M SORRY!!!"

Rarity gasped. Was she? Was Fluttercruel crying? Image or not, some ghost or memory or not, the sight of Fluttershy or even her likeness crying was just too much.

Twilight remembered. Was this really the personality Discord had turned Fluttershy into? That pony wouldn't have apologized for anything.

Don't be sorry 'Cruel, I thought you were dead. This is so good. Now you can see me fix the world and make it fair, and it's all thanks to you helping me see the world isn't fair. Nightmare Whisper coo'ed as only a mother could.

"Stop it." Fluttercruel said in a tired, almost sad voice not looking at her. "All I did was screw you up. You became this way because you couldn't deal with the how harsh life is, and it was my fault for making you see it. I failed you."

I became this way because I couldn't bear to see everything else suffer!

And Nightmare Whisper moved her giant head and looked at Fluttercruel. No, she Stared at her.

The pony's knees almost all buckled at the almighty Stare, the idea of moving becoming an alien concept.

Fluttercruel fell down to all fours and her knees buckled as she gritted her teeth.

Nightmare Whisper noticed the state of her friends and began to reach for the now helpless Applejack.

"NO!" Fluttercruel screamed. And she felt a force, a WILL well up inside her, and she looked at Nightmare Whisper and stared into her soul. And two Stares clashed. Nightmare Whisper's giant body froze in place.

"I won't let you hurt yourself! I refuse to let you hurt yourself like this! And I won't let you hurt your friends! I won't let you do something I know you'll never forgive yourself for!"

I know I can never forgive myself! But I have to do this! I need to do this!

"You're not an animal! You have a choice!"

And I chose to make the world right!

"And hurting your friends is right?!"

It's an awful thing I have to do BECAUSE I love everything.

" . . . Then you finally understand?"

Understand what? . . .

"Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. You have to give out pain in order to heal, you need to let foals cry so they'll be stronger for it. They need to get burned, so they'll know to be wary of fire! You need to put down an animal that's not going to do -anything- but suffer. You need to let go of a dying pony that's just on life support! Causing death, letting somepony die, hurting children, these are all cruel things, but there are times you do them BECAUSE you love somepony and don't want them to suffer MORE if you don't! That sums what you're doing right?"

Nightmare Whisper's Stare began to crack under Fluttercruel's. No . . .n-n-no . .. that's not . .. that isn't . ..

"Am I a hackneyed job now? Am I harmless now? Am I just some pathetic excuse now? Do I stand a snowball's chance in hell now? You gonna browbeat me now?! YOU WANNA TRY TO CURBSTOMP ME NOW?! ...You were braver when you were a yellow moe-blob, 'Shy."

I'm not doing this because I'm scared! Some pains should just be hidden! Fluttershy's voice yelled out, even as her Stare crumbled.

In Twilight's mind, gears turned, latches fell into place, and a bell sounded that she hadn't wanted to hear, but at the same time, it felt so good to hear it.

"Princess. Celestia. I finally understand...

"You... you're doing this... not because you want to force yourself on others, you're not really doing this because you're scared of truth. You're doing this, you want to make the world fair, BECAUSE YOU'RE OUR FRIEND!" Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash. "And we're doing this BECAUSE WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS! We can't escape it! OUR FRIENDS CHANGE WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT! I HATE IT! Discord showed me what I didn't want to see! That we could all grow into ponies different from the ones we made friends with! Ponies that may well drift away from each other! . . . THAT'S THE PRICE OF HAVING FRIENDS AND-" Twilight growled through clenched teeth, "It's-worth-it! It will ALWAYS be worth it! Because if that pony was ever really your friend, then before or after doesn't matter, friendship is now! It doesn't have a future or past! No matter how distant, a friend is a friend! And my heart is more free BECAUSE I accept that!"

And Twilight gasped as a light shined from her forehead, she recognized the light, but that was impossible. She felt the latches that held her magic in check unlocking themselves. The others saw the familiar star the glow on Twlight's forehead around her horn took the shape of.

Everyone looked at her in awe at the all welcoming, all encompassing unifying glow.

"But . . .without the Elements . . . " Then Twilight cursed herself as a fool. Hadn't she told Nightmare Moon the real Elements were inside their bearers? Hadn't she said that from the beginning? Weren't the jewelry just tools? A medium? An instrument?

But Twilight already had her medium, for she understood!

"Kindness is a precious gift because it is not natural. Because we chose to be kind makes it wonderful! That's why it feels wonderful to share with everypony else! That's WHY Celestia gave us all free will!" Rarity shouted! A light shined in the shape of a diamond over her heart.

"Fluttershy! Ah know what it's like to feel all that pain! To feel how everypony is hurtin'! All in their own way! I SAW IT! I FELT IT TOO! And it IS horrible! But this AIN'T the way to help'em! Ah mother doesn't smother and hide the world from her youngin's, she guides an' protects 'em in it!" And the glowing apple mark appeared around one of AJ's eyes.

"Hold on! Hold on! I got it! You know what a place with no escapes is called? It's called a prison. But if you can't escape where you're escaping -to-, you've just traded one prison for another Fluttershy. Which is rather silly! You just end up right back where you started! What a silly thing!" Pinkie Pie wasn't surprised in the least when she saw the glow from below her neck and didn't need to look to know its shape.

"I won't be scared of making a choice anymore, Fluttershy! I'm not gonna try to cheat fate! If I have to chose between your dream and everyone else... I'll prove my loyalty to you by SAVING YOU FROM YOURSELF! That is a true samurai pony's tail!" A glowing red lightning bolt contrasting with her coat formed on her right wing.

"SHUT UP!" screamed the little half undead foal like a child throwing a tantrum, covering her ears with her hooves. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Trixie's horn ached, her heart ached. She felt something inside her digging and clawing for the surface, so desperately wanting to join those around her, a feeling so familiar it hurt. A blue light flickered at the center of her chest. No! She wanted to be herself! Not a part of a whole! Not a piece of a set! No!
Trixie clutched her broken sides and fell to her back legs' knees.

Was her heart skipping beats? Was this a heart attack? Her eyes bulged and were nearly blood-shot, desperately wanting to hold onto her individuality even as her heart cried out to be joined with the rest of itself.

Tears came down Trixie faces unbidden and perplexing to Trixie. So badly wanting to join but so terrified of possibly losing herself.

Fluttershy's voice sighed. Sorry Twilight. One Element Short.

Nightmare Whisper/Princess Gaia/Fluttershy's claw speared towards them. And was caught ... by Fluttercruel!? The scarred transparent Pony held the massive limb easily thicker than her wing span. Her muscled bulged, her hoofs skidded even if they made no sound against the stone. "No . . . I won't let you . . . I told you. I'll never let you hurt yourself because of me again! I won't let anyone be hurt because of me again! If that means fading, okay! But if that means being here! THEN OKAY!"

"Move you stupid half-draconequus!" The foal commanded.

"That's stupid little pony! And I won't move for anything!" Fluttercruel screamed at the top of her lungs!

Fluttercruel felt a tingle on her body and caught a small flash in the the corner of her eye. She rolled her eyes and looked at the source, and gasped.

In an inverted wing shape was a pair of pony hooves, pressing together, one larger and that of a mare, holding up the hoof of a filly.

"My... my cutie mark's true meaning... OUR cutie marks' true meanings are... to help those who can't, who won't help themselves."

And an outline of a helping hoof glowed on Fluttercruel's right foreleg.

There wasn't a pony in the room who was not surprised.

"NO!" The foal shouted, both hers and Nightmare Whisper's eyes going wide in shock.

Two lines of light shined from each of the ponies, forming a six pointed star. The lines exchanged colors, changing so fast they looked like white light.

The foal shouted desperately, "Don't! The Elements are Harmony, you're Dissonance! They'll destroy you!"

Fluttercruel let out the world's smallest laugh. "At least I can say I went out with a bang." No one had time to debate.

Twilight's eyes glowed solid white.

A familiar rainbow arched from the center of the six point star, and it crashed down on top of the corrupted pony and became a whirlwind of colors entrapping her. Everything disappeared in an explosion of white light!

.

. . .

. . . . . .

Healing Pony POV Series Episode 19: "Pearl Necklace Part 1"

.

. . .

. . . . . .

I blinked. Where was I now? Everything was a big white void. I didn't see anypony else.

I looked down at myself. The claw marks had healed over, though they did leave some recognizable scars. Guess I was going to have to rely on Fluttershy to do the modeling after all. Too bad, all that attention, all those ponies looking at me, it appealed to me, even if it scared 'Shy silly.

Then I noticed, almost passively, that I wasn't quite all there anymore. I was still standing just fine, but one of my wings and part of my hind left leg were turning into little pieces of light before my eyes and floating away, becoming impossible to tell from the white void. It didn't hurt, I don't think I even felt it. I couldn't see my insides where the little bits floated away. Maybe I never had insides, wouldn't surprise me. It was spreading.

Why wasn't I scared? I was dying, wasn't I? Oh right, you had to be alive to die, so it wasn't like I was losing anything by dying in the first place. Or was that last place? Oh well. What could have caused this though?

"Oh right. Stupid me. Guess 'Little-FlutterRage' was right. I'm the daughter of the old man's magic ... and he's about as far from harmony as you can get. So makes sense using an Element of Harmony and getting a full, a point blank blast from the peace and love laser canon would erase me too. Meh. Least I didn't go out with a whimper this time, and the bearers all saw it." I threw back my head and laughed as part of my shoulder dissolved.

"Pst. Good riddance to a farce of a fake existence. Good riddance to nopony who was never anypony, good riddance to something that was never anything."

I laid back on whatever I was standing on, though the view didn't change one bit.

"'Time to be cruel.' Those were the first words I heard when I was born, who'd have thought I'd go out doing the exact opposite? Bet the old man would love that surprise. Oh well, now it's time to not be anything."

"Sorry dear, you're too young to die. You just earned your cutie mark." A hoof gently touched my shoulder.

The white sparkles stopped, then 'scattered' and I was surprisingly whole again. I looked up into Fluttershy's kind and understanding eyes. Fluttershy; the butter yellow, pink maned Pegasus with bright blue eyes, not Princess Gaia the Alicorn, nor the Nightmare. "You haven't even had your Cute-ceañera yet. Do you think you'll pick out a Cute-ceañera Name? Lots of ponies do that during their Cute-ceañera. Should be easier for you, since you don't have any paper work to fill out. Maybe something like Helping Hoof? Like your cutie mark? ...I mean if you really like that name, it's what you'd be called for the rest of your life, so it should be something you like..."

Still laying on my back, I glared at her. "I told you, 'Fluttercruel' might be just a name, but it's all I have and I'm keeping it! And dammit, since when do YOU enjoy torturing others! That was supposed to be my job! I don't have a purpose! I'm just a loose thread for a scheme that fell apart! I don't have a past or future! I'll always just be nothing but a bucking carnival mirror reflection of you! I'll always be exactly the same until you grow old and we die together!" I rolled over on my belly. "Just go away and let me die already." I said sulking, crossing my forelegs. "I'm the one who did this to you. I've earned oblivion. So just let me take my end with some dignity this time."

"No. You're my responsibility. You wanted to teach me. It's my fault for not being able to take the lesson like a mare and acting like a filly. And none of my friends are permanently hurt and I'm fine now. I forgive you."

"You can't forgive something that doesn't exist."

"Ponies who don't exist can't earn their cutie mark. And that doesn't look like a blank flank to me."

I glanced at my flanks, seeing the two hooves. "You'd think I'd get a big mallet or three spiders or something. It's funny, I don't really feel all that different. Where's the big change inside? Where's the ... ya know, 'inner awakening' or whatever?"

"Erm, sorry if I sound too much like Twilight but, uh, ahem: 'There is no grand realization of self. The self simply is.'" Then Fluttershy's voice took on a stern tone, "Now stop all this nonsense about not having purpose and not existing. 'Nothing' couldn't have used the Element of Kindness to wash away the darkness. A pony without a spirit wouldn't fight so hard to save somepony else. A pony without a purpose doesn't earn her cutie mark. A poor reflection of a pony can't earn a unique cutie mark," Then came the softness that was Fluttershy's signature. "And, I have to say, for someone whose not even six months old, earning your cutie mark is something you -really- ought to be proud of." Fluttershy hugged me. "I know I'm proud of you..."

She said she was proud of me. She hugged me. This was ... this was the first time anyone in my life, yes, LIFE, had ever hugged me. Why did it feel so nice? Why didn't I want it to stop? Why did I want Fluttershy to just stay here beside me? What was this feeling? It was all like invisible weights I didn't know were there were just falling away, something that had been holding me in, something that had been caging me.

"I ... I'm free."

"WE'RE FREE!" Corrected Fluttershy with more conviction then she could remember having in her life.

"So ... what now 'Shy?"

"I think there's one last part of me that needs help finding her way back, but that's something only our friends can do. Come on 'Cruel, let's go home."

"I told you not to call-... alright, let's go."

Pearls Pony POV Series Episode 20: "Pearl Necklace Part 2"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Pearl Necklace Part 2 of 5"
By Alex Warlorn

The light faded for the six heroes. All around them was Princess Gaia's throne room, complete with Fluttershy's now ruined tea set and the pony shaped potted plant in the corner.

Twilight shook her head, everything looked the same, including the blood stains, broken stained glass and piles of thrown stone blocks. She could still smell the dried blood and stench of decay, it made her feel sick to her stomach.

Rarity stood up ... finding the Element of Generosity had done wonders again and healed her, her broken bones mended perfectly, her mana reserves restored, the stab wound from her own scissors days before gone.

Right next to her however, Pinkie, Trixie, and AJ were still had deep lacerations and broken bones. So much for truth healing and laughter being the best medicine. Rarity touched her horn to Applejack and said, "In the name of Generosity: Heal." Nothing. "I guess we don't have this down as much as I hoped."

"Don't worry sugah cube, I can manage." AJ said, stirring. "I'll be fine, don't worry yourself none."

"Ya know that gets easier every time we do it." Pinkie Diane quipped springing up despite her wounds.

Rainbow Dash looked at her wings, "Hey! Do we have kick-flank tattoos now?"

Pinkie Diane checked, "Erm, nope."

RD grumbled, "Dang ..." Then her head cleared first of the magic-rush, "FLUTTERSHY!"

RD madly looked around and spotted a yellow shape with a pink mane. She flew across the room as fast as her wings could carry her.

Trixie was already next to the pegasus, but was at a total loss of what to do.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight, and AJ all said in turn, overlapping each other as they fought off exhaustion and pain to hurry to their friend's side.

Rainbow looked distraught at the sight of her.

"But ... the Elements are supposed to make everything alright." Rainbow Dash whispered, perplexed and helpless.

Twilight kept her mouth shut. Trixie made room.

Rarity and Pinkie Pie were at her sides, worried any action on their part might somehow make things worse.

AJ just stared intensely at her with surprising pose and control.

There was Fluttershy, a pegasus, brightly colored, normal sized, just a little pony.

Around her neck was a metal ring around a metal ring with tiny spikes that pierced her skin. Thin metal rods skewered her legs and flanks, coming out the other side. Small metal rings pierced her wings chained together making it painful to move them without pulling on very sensitive feathers. Everything was scabbed over. Her entire body quivered with her eyes shut tight. She was crying.

But what drew their attention, was the beach ball sized red piece of glass she was clutching for all she was worth. Manacles around her hooves chained it to her. Around Fluttershy's neck, perfectly within reach of her hooves, and perfectly usable in every shape and form as the chain connecting it more than long enough to reach every one of the manacles, was a key obviously meant to fit the locks.

Inside the sphere wasn't an angry half-zombie filly, but shadows. Shadows of ponies crying. Shadows of ponies moaning. Shadow of ponies yelling. Shadows of Stallions hurting mares and mares hurting stallions. Shadows of stallions and mares hurting foals. Shadows of ponies laying about listlessly and miserable. Shadows of ponies hurting themselves instead of others. Every species, gender and age from elders to foals, pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies. Twilight noticed distantly there was no shadows of Alicorns.

Fluttershy held onto the red sphere for dear life with all four hooves.

Besides Fluttershy, was a beautiful and mighty spiral unicorn horn that ended in a stump of dry blood, the horn looked older than old, but the power it radiated seemed to call to Rarity, Trixie, and Twilight like a lover (ignoring the Pegasi and Earth ponies utterly). Such power. Such might. Twilight closed her eyes and telekinetically threw it across the room not thinking of it again. Everyone's focus was on Fluttershy and the horn forgotten.

"When did this happen-?!" Rainbow Dash gasped, looking at her tortured friend in shock and horror.

Twilight flashed back to the purified Nightmare Moon, the Elements' rainbow washing away the Mare in the Moon and revealing a filly desperate for attention.

"I reckon this here is what Fluttershy was doin' all this time. The black magic and darkness just made it all fancy-like. Ah think the Elements just took away all the window dressin'." AJ said, once again, no one questioned her.

RD reached for the key, Fluttershy opened her eyes and tried to bite RD's hoof off.

"HEY! What? Fluttershy-?!" Rainbow Dash gasped pulling her foreleg back looking at Fluttershy in disbelief.

"Fluttershy, it's time to let go." Twilight said, in that strange border between firm and imploring.

"No no no! We can't! If we do then everypony in Equestria will start hurting again-we can't let go!" Fluttershy sobbed, every movement causing anguish from the torture devices. They finally realized her face was completely tear stained, like she had been crying constantly non-stop for a lifetime.

Rarity scoffed, "Fluttershy! If you think we're just going to leave you here all alone to suffer, then you are sadly mistaken!"

"I'm ... I'm a bad pony right? An evil dictator? That's what I am, right? So therefore I deserve to be alone and suffering right? So just leave me alone! I don't deserve to be anyone's friend after what I've done to you all! This way I'm at least doing good!"

Rainbow Dash spoke in the same flat tone she had once used with Pinkamina during the incident that shall not be named, "Yeah. Right. Not buying it. Fluttershy, stop being an idiot and stop torturing yourself!"

"I know I'm a-"

"I TOLD YOU, I SHALL NOT TOLERATE YOU SAYING THAT OF YOURSELF!" Rarity snarled out of thin air. "You are an intelligent, rational, and reasonable mare! You are most certainly not an idiot! Stop using that as an excuse! You're ... don't you know you're worth more than that?!"

"If I let go, all my foals are going to start having bad feelings again. As long as I'm feeling everyone else's bad feelings instead, the balance the Shadows Who Watch demand is kept happy! And it's just me whose sad and miserable! It's ... it's a good thing."

Then 'Shy looked into the reflective surface of the red sphere and said in a cool, calm but kind voice, "Fluttershy, you need to let go. You don't need to hurt yourself any more."

The others wondered for a moment if Fluttershy had gone crazy. But her tone, her language, her posture, her expression, it was like an entirely different pony was speaking.

Twilight remembered her incident when she had begun speaking to herself in a puddle, but this ... it was like two ponies on two sides of a mirror almost. That's when she noticed the transparent pony who'd helped them use the Elements was no longer present... What had the foal said just before the Elements activated? That she'd die? Had she been wrong?

"But I can't let go. If I let go, everyone ELSE will start hurting again. It's not right I make everyone else hurt just so I don't have to."

RD snapped, "What?! Just so you can just sit there and be miserable forever?!"

"As long as everyone else is happy and healthy, I don't care." Fluttershy said, distantly.

"We care!" Pinkie Diane snapped. "Fluttershy ... .Fluttershy ..." Pinkie Diane struggled to think what to say next. "Fluttershy, you're hurting US by doing this!"

Fluttershy sighed, her entire body shuddered again, "That's why I didn't want any of you to know. If I was an Alicorn or a Nightmare ... Either way at least no one questions the burdens you take."

And for the first time in her life, Twilight Sparkle wondered about the mantle her master and mentor carried, and the weight that came with it.

Rarity turned on her hooves and trotted several paces away.

"Rarity?" Twilight asked, confusion clear on her face.

"This is Fluttershy's choice. It is hers to give. Now that I know she's not possessed or under some evil influence, I can not in good conscience force her to stop. I will neither help nor hinder." Rarity didn't let them see the tear she shed.

"The One And Only Trixe ... I-I won't force her to change her mind." Trixie said sadly as she too turned away and trotted next to Rarity. She looked scared or unsure. Rarity, trying to keep her mind off what was happening, began tending to the unicorn's wounds as best as she could in the meantime.

"It's a logical system, right Twilight? The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few." Fluttershy whispered. The tears never stopped. The shudders of pain would never stop. Ever.

Feeling like she was facing an army of dragons, Twilight took several steps back but didn't turn her eyes away from her. She tried to find any small thing she could say to get it through Fluttershy's head what she was doing wasn't needed (it wasn't needed right?), but as much as she hated to admit it, it was a difficult thing to argue against. How do you convince somepony, who loves everything so much as to put themselves secondary to keeping the world happy, into opening Pandora's box all over again? And worst of all, Twilight couldn't stop her brain from thinking: yes, it WAS logical!

Rainbow looked at her friends in disgust. "Well! I've already MADE my choice! I said I'd save you from yourself and I'm gonna!"

Applejack took a step in front of her. "And how ya gonna do that sugah? How ya gonna keep her from trying this trick again? Hogtie'er and lock'er in a room someplace?"

"If that's what it takes!"

"So you wanna do something to her, she's against you doing to her, because it's for her own good? Because she's clearly not thinking straight and you MUST have the more rational perspective? So it's okay if you take away the choice from her? It's fine she says no because you say yes?"

"Well yeah of course but-" Realization crawled across Rainbow Dash's face, "But, but that's not like, but it isn't, no it isn't but-no, no, no." Rainbow Dash's wings and ears wilted as gravity seemed to increase several fold on her as she moved with her body lower to the ground.

Pinkie Pie looked at her friends and comrades. She sighed. Her hair became straight, but she didn't lose one trace of her color, she actually looked a bit brighter. And the look on her face held an odd serenity to it. She knelt before Fluttershy. "Fluttershy. All I want is ponies to be happy too. And I know that a good prank and a good game isn't as fun as when you see how it works from behind the scenes, and it's no good to reveal how a magic trick works ... but I wouldn't be a friend if I let you carry this burden alone. My Element is Laughter, let me balance out everything you're feeling please ... "

"No!" Fluttershy's eyes widened looking at Pinkie Pie.

"I can't lie Fluttershy, I LOVE everything I've seen and heard that you've made. And you were willing to try and fix the things that were going to make it empty on the inside ... And I'd be betraying my Element if I let that laughter die out from letting bad things back into Equestria ... let me share it with you."

Everyone turned and looked, most gasped, most reached to stop her, but far too late.

Pinkie Pie reached out and touched the sphere. She gritted her teeth, tears began to come down her face. Like they were living plants, spikes and chains snaked around Pinkie Pie, piecing her flesh. An inverted spiked collar formed around her neck and a key forged itself into being perfectly within reach on her.

"No." Fluttershy gasped out, doing what seemed impossible and crying more.

"I won't let you walk it alone ... Auntie ... Auntie Pinkie Pie ... will be there for you."

AJ looked with horror, but she gripped to her Element, the one thing in the sea of suffering and dead-ends she had, her Truth. She grunted out, "So Fluttershy, you gonna tell her she can't do this?"

Even as Pinkie Pie shuddered in sorrow, Fluttershy's trembles became less.

The absolute agony within Fluttershy was now halved, and the other half now coursed inside Pinkie Pie.

Dashie leapt for Pinkie Pie and reached for the key around her neck.

"Don't you dare Dashie. I swear if ... if you don't stop, I'll break your wings off and make cupcakes out of them!" Pinkie Diane grunted, her entire body shuddering and burning under half the suffering of Equestria. Tears flowed unrestrained down her face. And she let out a small laugh.

Rainbow Dash gasped in shock hearing Pinkie Pie of all ponies threatening violence on anypony!

Rainbow Dash turned at the others intensely, snorting hot air. "If any of you so much as think of following Pinkie's example, I'll break all four of your legs and drag you back to Ponyville with them!"

And Pinkie Pie, as suffering ripped through her gullet and mind, managed to piece together the thought. 'Flut-ter ... shy ... was . . en-dur-ring ... twice ... this. This, whole, t-t-time?'

"Fluttershy, like Twilight said a bit ago, ya ain't an Alicorn. Yer not meant to take up this sort of thing. You're only a little pony. Scratch that, not even an Alicorn should have to take this up! Ya have the biggest heart in all of Equestria or ya wouldn't have done none of this!"

"Which is why ... why I have to do it." Fluttershy quivered.

"But Fluttershy, yer just takin' the pain! All these bad feelin's! Yer just holdin' onto'em! That's not right! Pain ... pain ... it's meant to be WORKED THROUGH sugah cube, more than that! It's meant to accepted, overcome, and let go. Pain ISN'T meant to be held onto! Ya ain't solvin' the problems, yer just coverin'em up!"

"But I just can't force THIS on everypony!" Fluttershy pleaded. The shadows within twisted and turned on themselves in their torture.

Twilight thought long and hard, trying to find something, ANYTHING, to break through Fluttershy's belief that she had to bear the grief of all ponykind on herself alone, hoping if she did, Pinkie wouldn't have a reason to either without needing to share Fluttershy's burden. How did you convince somepony to do something they didn't want to do? The worst part was the more Twilight thought about it, the more she dreaded Fluttershy was right ...

Then her eyes fell on Fluttershy's Cutie Mark, the colors no longer inverted. 'Butterflies...' she thought, eyes widening. She let out a gasp of inspiration as she looked at them. A small smile crossed her face.

"Fluttershy... Do you remember what your Cutie Mark is?" Twilight asked softly, trying to be calm and relaxed. Fluttershy was silent. "It's butterflies, and do you remember how they work? They start out as little caterpillars that can only crawl around, doing nothing but eat. Then it enters a cocoon and comes out a butterfly," she explained, kneeling next to her friend. "Then, and only then, can they fly.

"It's a lot of work for them to build their cocoon, they've got to work hard and take their time building it just right. But if they don't, they never get wings. They'll never be able to fly," explained Twilight, looking Fluttershy in the face, trying not to cry at the sight of her friend in such torment. "Fluttershy, would it be mean to stop the caterpillar from making its cocoon and being able to fly?"

Fluttershy sniffled, agony tearing through her body from the simple act of moving her head to meet Twilight's gaze. "Of course it would! It'd be terrible to stop anything from flying if it could!"

Pinkie Pie lowered her head slightly as the image of pegasus wings flashed through her mind, mocking her.

Twilight said, "Well you are."

Fluttershy gasped. "But... But I haven't! I'd never do such a thing!"

"But you are, Fluttershy!" Twilight replied. "Keeping everypony foals forever is like keeping a caterpillar from becoming a butterfly! It's like Applejack said; if you don't let them endure and work through those bad feelings you're taking upon yourself, and learn how to deal with them and grow stronger from it, they'll never be all they can be! They'll be like caterpillars who never get to fly!"

Pinkie Diane grunted out through the torment, "T-Twilight ... some of t-those caterpillars? T-They just want to BE caterpillars ... t-they don't want to be butterflies. They w-won't f-find happiness as butterflies, because they've lost their wings."

Twilight looked at Pinkie Diane and tried not to break down in tears at the sight of her, "Their wings can be reattached," she stated, ignoring that was impossible with real butterflies. "All it takes is one other butterfly who cares enough to do it... I've done it myself," she said, looking to Trixie.

Rarity looked over he shoulder at what Twilight said. "... So have I..." she whispered, thinking of the little butterfly whose wings she tried to mend.

"And Pinkie Pie, so have you!" yelled Rainbow Dash, trying to glare at Pinkie Pie and failing miserably, seeing the party pony being slowly almost cut to pieces by the torture devices on her. Her face softened. "You AND Fluttershy did! You saved me! And let me tell you something, Pinkie! The 'you' who dumped all her misery on Pinkamena? She would've thrown a party or freaked out while I turned into a Nightmare! The Pinkie Pie who COULD feel everything SAVED me! All you're doing is being Pinkamena for everypony to dump their crud on!" she exclaimed, then looked to Fluttershy, bracing herself to not breakdown at the sight of her fillyhood friend in such agony.

"And Fluttershy...Sometimes to pull out a thorn, it's going to hurt a little, but it's better than letting it fester, and you're better for it after. The -actual- cruel thing for somebody to do would be to let the infection worsen rather than force it to the surface." said Rainbow, having trouble believing she of all ponies was saying something like that. "A really smart pony told me that once, and she was absolutely right! But how are people supposed to pull out thorns so they can REALLY heal if they can't feel them?!"

"Pain lets us know what's wrong so we can do something about it," sighed AJ, looking at her friends. "Now look, there's some truth in what you two are sayin'. But there's a lot more in what Twi and Rainbow just said. Let me put it this way; if all the apple trees stayed as cute little sprouts, they'd never be able to grow up and make big, juicy apples. They'd be nice and cute, they'd never risk topplin' over and hurting anypony, but they'd never grow any fruit. Ah spent a whole day running around Ponyville, reattaching butterfly wings and pulling thorns after Ah visited the Princess, but Ah had to get help pullin' one of my own to know how to do it. Fluttershy, Pinkie, it's time you pulled out a few thorns of your own so everypony else can get to work on theirs."

"My word Applejack, since when did you become such a philosophical dictorum?" Rarity asked.

"Came from hanging out with you gals too much, thank you kindly."

"I just wanted a world where violence, misery, and death weren't the rule, and harmony, happiness, and life were how things NATURALLY are. A place where life didn't need to feed off life as part of nature, instead of something we ponies had to do. A world of dreams couldn't work, a foalhood that never ended doesn't work ... Are ... are all livings things just MEANT to kill each other?! Are they just meant to be miserable and sad-?!" Fluttershy beseeched her friends, Luna, Celestia, Discord, Angel, the foundations of stone her castle were placed on, someone, anyone.

"Good things are worked for sugah cube, that's what makes'em so special, and just because there's sad stuff in the world doesn't make it a sad place."

"'Shy, please ... don't we have Cute-ceañera to plan?" Fluttershy looked at her reflection, or maybe it was her reflection looking at her.

"Cute-ceañera?" Pinkie asked, parties, no, celebrations still her special talent, even in the sea of grief.

"Yes, her's, Fluttercruel, she just earned her cutie mark, she ... it's only fair for her right?"

The ponies were completely jarred. The confirmation of the existence of the 'other Fluttershy' had just been dumped on them just a tiny while ago, apparently being the personality Discord put in Fluttershy, or at least one like it, and suddenly it ... she was talking Cute-ceañeras? ... They had all seen the cutie mark, among the rest of the havoc they were facing, but ... maybe they all needed to sit down.

"Pinkie Pie ..." Fluttershy whispered.

"Yes?"

"I think maybe this should end. Maybe it's gone on for a little too long."

"Okay. If that's what you really want."

Fluttershy didn't reply, she just reached for key around her neck and unlocked the shackles. Pinkie Diane looked at her, and did the same. Together, they let go of the red sphere.

A sound worse than any of the ponies had ever heard in their lives vibrated throughout the room. To call it a cry was to imply it came from something living, to call it a whisper would imply there was intent behind it, to call it a scream would imply it had volume.

The red sphere shattered, the pieces breaking apart into nothing. The shadows of ponies of all races from inside wildly fled from the container, their eyes and mouths empty holes, miming screaming, neighing, crying, shouting, grinding teeth, weeping, moaning, all flew through the walls, ceiling and floor like ghosts. The entire room darkened with their presence and the ponies felt a non-material wind so cold it burned! The ponies covered their ears to no avail. So alone!

And in a handful of seconds it was over. Light and warmth returned. There wasn't so much as a scar on Fluttershy or Pinkie Diane anywhere from the torture they'd endured, the torture harnesses gone. Only time would tell if Pinkie Pie's cuts from before would scar.

"My word!" Rarity gasped out first, otherwise at a complete loss for words.

"WHAT THE MOON WAS THAT-?!" Trixie exclaimed, eyes wide as saucers.

"Oh. We just released back into the world all the prejudice, depression, grudges, self-pity, malice, and self-deprecation that Fluttershy sealed inside herself using her own soul as the chains and locks: and are now free to scourge pony kind again." AJ said firmly, calmly, with full honesty, and a shrug.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head, sounding unsure, "Uh. We DID do the right thing here right?"

Twilight said sounding uncertain herself after witnessing the release first hand, "That's what we were doing our best to tell Fluttershy that it was."

"Everypony is gonna have'ta decide that for themselves sugar cube," said Applejack looking up at the ceiling and walls where the shadows had fled. "Some are gonna say we should have just let Fluttershy keep'em locked up where they couldn't hurt no pony, and others are gonna say we have have'ta deal with our problems for real and not act like they don't exist. And Ah think some will say choosin' whether or not there's sorrow in the world ain't a decision any mortal pony had the right to make to begin with."

Pinkie Pie didn't say which one she was, only looking where the sphere used to be.

"All the same, the One and Only Trixie... I think shall be leaving out the 'releasing of intolerance and sorrow back into Equestria' when she writes her memoirs."

"I do not think I shall be telling Sweetie about this part of this adventure until I am on my lavish rose petal death bed."

"If it's my choice, I'll accept releasing them as the right thing. I feel free." Fluttershy said with a surprising calm and firm voice. She wiped away from tears from her eyes. "But I can't change how I feel. I felt what everyone else felt. I guess ... I guess they'll always be with me."

"Trust me Sugar cube, Ah know how that is, but if there's a pony who can make good of it, ya can."

Pinkie Pie nearly mini-teleported next to Fluttershy and hugged her, Rainbow Dash being the fastest joined in next, Rarity joined in with the pony who she proudly called her best friend. AJ joined in next. And of course Twilight willing joined in.

"Thanks, Applejack... But I hurt you all so much... If you won't forgive me, I won't bla-"

"FLUTTERSHY OH FLUTTERSHY!" Pinkie Pie finally gushed, tears streaming.

"OH FLUTTER-GIRL IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO HAVE YA BACK!"

"Darling, do not, do not please, ever do anything so reckless again!"

"Fluttershy, you ... you ... jus ... it's just so great to have ya!"

"In case I've ever forgotten to say so," Twilight said simply, "You're my friend, Fluttershy, and I wouldn't have it any other way." She said the next part with as much self control and formality as she could, "And... Fluttercruel, if you're listening; thank you so much for helping us bring Fluttershy back." Twilight could swear she saw a sly smile cross Fluttershy's face at that for a brief moment.

Trixie looked at the sight. They looked like pieces of a puzzle, they fit together so perfectly. Trixie hated puzzles, couldn't every piece be beautiful and whole on its own? Then why did she want to be a piece right now so badly-?! Was this even her-?! It scared her so horribly.

Trixie trotted over almost puppet-like and her legs shaking raised a hoof and placed it gently on one yellow wing. "You ... you are a wonderful pony." When, when was the last time Trixie had ever praised anyone?

"Princess Gaia! Princess Gaia save me!" Screamed a terrified, raspy mare voice.

The double doors swung open as Angel, no longer dressed up like the White Rabbit, was bowled over inside.

There was a mare, if it could be called that, her body burned flesh and black bone, traces of a green mane hanging from her skull. She prostrated herself on the floor at once before Fluttershy. "Princess Gaia! It's already taken everyone else! Please! Protect me! Save me!" She sobbed.

A distant echo resonated down the hall was heard, it sounded like two ponies drowning.

"Roneo!"

"Starlet! I still love-" Silence.

A chill rattled all their bones.

Nearly all the others backed away in horror, except Applejack, who somehow managed to hold her ground and keep a straight face (it wasn't easy).

No one noticed the potted plant fall over, lose it's cutie mark, and becoming a twisted pony shaped black mass of bones before black claws dragged it into the ground. Not even getting a chance to cry out, the claws being just a tad more vicious with him.

"It's not fair! The draconquus made us alive again, then the rainbow takes it away! Then Her Kindnesty lets me forget and now the rainbows take her away too?! It's not! Not fair! Not fair! Not fair!"

Snake like claws wrapped around her and began to pull her under like the surface was water, taking her back to within the limits of where she had died.

She madly mumbled to herself. "Please! We didn't know! We thought it was a curse! We thought it was evil! We thought it was the plague our grandparents told us about! We didn't mean to forget what the marks were! Please! We didn't know! I didn't -want- them to hurt her! It wasn't my fault! WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE! WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE! WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE! WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE! I NEVER HAD A CHOICE!"

Fluttershy blinked away tears. "I'm so sorry, Threeleaf. I'm so sorry!"

AJ really wished she had thought to bring a lasso, though she wasn't sure it'd have done any good.

The others were too paralyzed with confusion and fear to move.

Only most of her skull and front hooves were visible now as the black threads pulled her down, back to Sunnytown's ruins. "I-It's, it's, Ruby, I didn't think you-! I thought-, Grayhoof said-, PRINCESS GAIA!"

Fluttershy grabbed Threeleaf's still visible hoof and took to the air. Ignoring the freezing numbness in her forelegs, she flew backwards with all her strength. It wasn't enough. Threeleaf slipped beneath the floor.

"No." Fluttershy whispered, her forehooves feeling solid stone for any sign of Threeleaf. Angel came over and gently patted her on the side as if to say 'There, there.'

"I'm sorry Your Kindnesty, they still bury their heads in the sand and scream they're just victims of fate. They're beyond saving, and so am I." A young voice echoed like from a deep chasm.

The ponies looked up to see another undead pony, this one looked much more intact than the others, like her death had nothing to do with burning. The black threads snaked around her legs, she didn't try to flee.

AJ snapped. "Now didn't Ah tell you to stop with that hogwash?! Ruby's a friend of Applebloom! And a friend of a friend is supposed to be a friend! And no friend of mah little sister is gonna say she can't be saved!"

"Do I have to say it?! I don't want to be saved!" Mitta cried out.

"RUBY DOES! AND SO DOES APPLEBLOOM! NOW STOP BEING SO DAMN SELFISH!!!"

Mitta startled. The black threads continued to wrap themselves around her and ever so slowly drag her down.

Mitta asked unsure, insecure, "H-hey ... cutie marks? That's what they're called right? You get one for what makes you 'you', right? What do you think ... my cutie mark would have been?"

"Maybe a shield," AJ suggested sounding like a mother almost, "Ya know, a pony who protects?"

"I did just the opposite." Mitta said sadly.

" ... And there ain't a pony in this here room, not in the whole wide world, who didn't do 'just the opposite' of what their cutie mark meant at one time or another, kiddo. We ain't puppets!"

Fluttershy shouted, "As your Princess! I order you not to give up! I order you to stop this!"

"I'm sorry, Your Kindnesty," Mitta lowered her head, the black threads wrapped around it, "That's a command I can't follow through. I deserve this just like the rest. Besides ... someone needs to be there to make sure the others don't hurt anypony else. I can't let go until those fools impossibly realize their own sins ... wha?" Mitta felt a tingle, and every pony swore they saw a sparkle of something on her flank just before she was pulled under.

"Fluttershy," said Applejack, realizing what just happened. "Ah think maybe, just maybe, some good did come out of all this," she said, giving Fluttershy a small smile.

Before the others could ask questions- "While this experience I would not have chose, for it to happen again, I would not oppose."

"Zecora!" All the ponies said together except Trixie, for whom this was the first time seeing the zebra as an adult.

"I would have entered before. But that filly needed help more." She bowed her head to Fluttershy, "Greetings Princess Gaia, I think you have little to fear of becoming a pariah."

Fluttershy startled, "How did ... how did you know I was-"

"What kind of foot-zebra would I be to my queen, if her thoughts I could not glean?"

"Wait wait wait, you ARE free of the brainwashing right?" Rainbow Dash asked first, looking the Zebra over, her eyes were normal at least.

"If that is what you wish to call it, I will not object. And yes my mind is my own last time I checked."

"Then why all the 'Princess' stuff?" RD asked.

"No matter it's form, it is still love. And Fluttershy has the heart of a dove. What Princess Gaia did was foolish. But I shall not call it ghoulish. Although, I think it's best we go."

"Yes." Fluttershy nodded, "With my Contract of Omelas broken, Everkind and everything else that I altered instantly with magic rather than with effort is reverting."

Twilight, Trixie and Rarity all look -very- insulted at the biased idea that hard earned magic wasn't labor.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Fluttershy, in her typical apologetic fashion. "I just meant that only the stuff that was changed manually stayed the same!"

"I don't get it." Pinkie Diane said, scratching her head with a hoof, "I mean, if Princess Gaia's magic is gone, why are Applejack, Trixie, and me are still covered in ouchies?"

Everypony took a step back from Twilight, knowing PRECISELY what Pinkie had just unleashed upon them all. The purple unicorn instantly began speaking standing up on her rear legs in absence of a soapbox.

"There's a difference between what's called 'permanent magic' and 'instantaneous magic.' Instantaneous means the spell is complete, over and done with once cast. Like teleportation, and fireballs. But many transmutation spells -cheat- and use 'permanent magic' that just superimposes a false form upon something that can be dispersed. An -instantaneous- transmutation spell means the new shape or form of the subject is their NATURAL STATE from then on.

"Permanent magic is useful in that the spell is still there, so you can still manipulate and change it however you like. But it's VERY IMPRACTICAL, not to mention downright dangerous to use for construction projects and medical treatments. Instantaneous spells ironically take more power to cast in spite of not lingering afterwards, this is due to them having a more direct effect on existence.

"I would surmise Fluttershy spread herself so thin that she barely used any instantaneous magic at all. Ironically if she had spread herself out slowly rather than going so quickly she'd have been able to slowly build up her influence and reality would have had no choice but to bow down to her revisions as natural. She had a great amount of power and a strong enough will to wield it, but no experience using it properly. Since much of it may have simply been undone by the Elements though would suggest-Uh, girls? Where are you going? Girls!"

~~~

The Sea Serpent looked around as the forest of Sunshine and Lollipops became again a Forest of Death. "That's it, I'm moving."

~~~

Pearls Pony POV Series Episode 21: "Pearl Necklace Part 3"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Pearl Necklace Part 3 of 5"
By Alex Warlorn

(Back In Time copy righted by Sega.)
(MLP ending song copyright Habsor.)

My name is Screwball... Well, not really, but that's what everypony here except the nice doctors call me... I wonder why?

All my fellow residents are back to normal after the fog tried to touch and hurt them, except that pony on the other side of the wall of my room, I can't hear her.

Oh hi! Hello! Didn't see you there! I'm sooo bored right now. It's so nice to have somepony to talk to! It's a shame, the world made sense, but I didn't get to spend any time with my little princess...

My room doesn't have padding in it like a lot of the other rooms here, the other ponies say I'm not dangerous to myself, just... unpredictable. I don't know why they think that. I mean yeah, the orderly didn't seem to like the chiropractor job I did on him, but he really needed it! It wasn't my fault he didn't want one! And none of his bones were permanently dislocated! And I guess I do have a habit of leaving the hospital without permission, but it isn't my fault they kept saying no. All I want to do is see my prince and little princess again, I wish they'd understand that!

There sure are a lot of foals playing outside today, it makes me think of my little princess. I really want to visit her! The last time I visited her at our house, it was right after they added to this lock to my cell door... It's been awhile. Still, it was so nice of her to bring me that lovely gift! She's such a thoughtful and considerate widdle-filly-willy.

Still, that fog out there. A lot of the other ponies started screaming a lot when it touched them. It's a good thing I decided to climb up here and hang from the ceiling like this! The doctors don't seem to like me doing this, but what do they know?

Oh, look at all those cute yellow and pink song birds in my window! Looking at me with those blue eyes! There's something you don't see every day! The little birds opened their beaks to sing, but before they could give me a little song, this huge white and pink falcon with blue eyes swooped down at the them and they shattered in a flurry of feathers.

Oh look! A little sun bird with the falcon's coloring just landed outside my window! I'd better tell it what its friend did!

"That wasn't very nice." I said to the sun bird. "Your friend just scared all those other little birds away."

"Sorry. But I wanted to ask you a question."

I tilt my head in confusion, "Okay, I know I'm not that crazy. Birds don't talk."

"Maybe I'm not a bird. But will you answer my question?"

I tilt my head the other way, "Depends on the question."

"Would you like to see your prince again? Even if it's for just a little while?"

My heart skips a beat, "Yes! Yes yes yes yes!" I answered so fast I didn't even blink! I start hopping around from just the excitement of it all. The sun bird gives me a nostalgic look, I wonder why?

"Okay, I promise you'll be able to find him outside. Not right outside but-"

I poke my muzzle against the window, "THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'll be going now!"

"What? But-but don't you need some help to-"

"It's okay! Don't worry about it!" I said, waving her off with my back leg. I know just what to do!

I calmly remove the Plexiglas from the see through hole in my door (I got it loose awhile ago), and, using my front and back legs, pushed the little sliding-door in the door open.

I peek my head outside to take a look around, I didn't see any of the orderlies or doctors outside. I can go!

"No really, you don't need to-" the bird started, but I'm too excited to reply!

They make it so hard for me to open the latch on the door from the inside, but I know the trick. All ya gotta do is dislocate a major bone or three, ugh, just like that. Then ya slide your dislocated hoof through the tiny door like that ... then pull~, and it's field trip time! Now, just excuse me while I ... ugh . . push these ...back ... into PLACE! THERE! GOOOD-AS-NEW! Whao. If I wasn't crazy, I'm sure I'd have passed out from the pain there. Maybe I should tell the doctors I jammed the lock last time I had my bath. Huh, the bird looks at me a little sickened, it should get that checked.

I trot out of my cell like I'm going down to breakfast, with the traditional royal swagger of course, got to keep up my appearances if I want to see my prince!

I jump when I see this little colt in a doctor's coat just their size outside below my range of vision (maybe the doctors were right and I do have tunnel vision). This day is starting to get really odd, they normally don't let foals wander around here unsupervised.

"Hello! You really need to go back inside your room now please."

Dang. There goes that trick! I'll have to think of a new escape method, again. Oh well, it gives me something to pass the time between sessions with the doctors!

"It's okay, a birdie said I could go outside."

"Oh?! Really? Okay! If Her Kindnesty says you can go outside! Then it must be okay! Have a nice day!" The little colt waves me off and I do the same with my back hoof.

"This is easier than usual." I said to myself. I pass the big orderlies, who haven't become small and cute, but are now SMILING! Seeing them smile is enough to make me shiver.

I trot through the halls unopposed, this is really weird. It almost takes the fun out of this... Oh well! I still get to see my prince! That makes it worth it!

"Hello and well met!" I jump, coming face to face with the pegasus without wings from the cell next to me, except she isn't in her cell anymore. She's standing in the entrance room, talking to the doctor colts and orderlies with a voice of authority and kindness.

"Hello. You look really great!" I reply. The pink pegasus is wearing platinum armor engraved with a butterfly symbol. She has the most beautiful pair of giant butterfly wings I have ever seen! The ones she gets on the weekends from that nice unicorn don't come close!

"Thank you!"

"A little birdie said I could go outside today!"

"Have a nice day!"

I walk out, the colts in the security booth undoing the door-locks for me with smiles on their faces. This is getting so weird, I almost feel bad escaping when it's this easy...

The moment I step hoof outside the house, I realize I had forgotten an important detail about this little adventure.

The fog is still outside. But the sun seemed to be keeping it away from me. It was funny ... I didn't think the sun could be so bright when the fog was out, pegasi are so clever, and the sun is so warm, so enveloping... It's like getting a nice hug from mom...

I feel so calm and serene. I remember myself being like before things became so confusing...

It's like back when I could look at a map and tell north from south, when I could look at words and not see just a jumble of confusing letters, when I could put my dresses on without being told I had put them on backwards...again. When I could look at the schedule I had just written down myself and see how things connected instead of lots of separate boxes. I used to love doing that for my prince and our little princess. To plan all our stuff out for us... Now I can't even draw the boxes without ending up with a bunch of circles...

Circles? Why does that ring a bell?...

Oh! Circles, like my roller skates, where are they? Oh! There are they are! How'd they get here? And now they fit me again, that's weird... Why wouldn't they fit me? Mom custom ordered them for my birthday! Doesn't matter. There we go, now let's go see what we can discover today! It's a big wide world and I'm not gonna miss any of it!

~

Onyx Tiara huffed and puffed, he couldn't remember when he had last had time to interact with other foals so much! Oh sure, he had friends, foals of other rich earth ponies, but they didn't really ever get to hang out or play by themselves, it was always at big, stuffy social things, which were so boring! He was catching his breath, but was still smiling. His father told him that Earth Ponies were always stronger and had more endurance than Pegasi, but these fillies were proving them wrong! He hoped his papa didn't see.

But he had never felt so free, he had used his silver namesake collar as a hula-hoop, which he knew his parents would never approve of, it made him grin! The pegasi had clapped at his performance. They weren't nearly as bad as papa and grandma had said they were.

The unicorns were a little intimidated to play ball, worried they might actually stick the ball with their horns and ruin the game, but Onyx had encouraged them to simply play using their back hooves rather than their front. They weren't anything like papa and grandma had said either, he began to get the feeling maybe they'd just never met any pegasi or unicorns for real.

Onyx didn't care if this day EVER ended! He wished it would last forever! He was free!

"You call that fast?! This is fast!" A purple and gold blur zoomed right past Onyx, making him spin! He landed on his flanks and looked to see a purple filly on gold colored roller skates passing the air-born pegasi foals and reaching (more like hitting) the tree that had been the finish line. How was she skating on grass? The filly picked herself up and put her beanie back on her head, "HA! I win!"

"No fair, you cheated!" Protested a yellow pegasus colt. Never mind the she hadn't actually been part of the race in the first place.

"How?" Asked the purple Earth pony filly looking up at them, cocking her head in confusion.

"You used wheels!"

"And you used wings."

"My wings are a part of me!"

"So if I grew wheels then that wouldn't be cheating?"

"Er, that is-Hey! Saria!"

A green pegasus with a darker mane and blue eyes nudged her friend out of the way, "WOW! You're fast! What's your name?"

"I'm Golden Skates! But you can call me Goldie, or Princess."

Onyx finally reached the tree, why did everything seem farther away when you needed to catch your breath? Being dizzy from the spin Golden Skates had sent him into didn't help either.

"Oh. And who are you?" Golden Skates asked lowering her head and looking at the Earth pony colt.

"I'm-I'm Onyx Tiara."

"Onyx Tiara, huh?" Goldie said smiling, "You always this slow?"

"AM NOT! And I bet I could go as fast you if I had skates!"

Skates grinned, the pegasi all looked at each other.

Sometimes I ask myself
What am I doing here
I think of all the reasons
But it's still not clear

Now bare hoofed Goldie trotted around Onyx, who was now shaking in Goldie's roller skates. "Ready?"

Onyx was having second thoughts, "Er-maybe-I-"

"Okay!" she pushed him.

I look at places to go
There's nothing near
So take me away from this
Cause this place I'll hardly miss

Onyx let out a scream as his roller path took him straight into an orchard, leaving the pegasi behind. His brain in full panic mode, he miraculously dodged every tree and breathed a sigh of relief and looked behind him at his accomplishment, and predictably smacked straight into an apple tree, looking like a splatted insect against the tree trunk as he slid down. Inevitably, the mandatory pile of apples only fell to bury him once he had gathered enough wits to look up.

So take me back in time
To another world
Then you can be mine
We don't have to worry
When you're by my side

Goldie skipped merrily to the pile of apples and casually knocked a few apples off the top of the pile to reveal the colt underneath. "Hiiii!" She smiled. "Not bad for your first go! Maybe next time you'll hit the tree so fast it'll get uprooted."

Tears in his eyes, Onyx snapped, Goldie noticed he had a bloody nose, "You big bully! Why do you hate me?! What did I ever do to you!? Just take your stupid skates and go away!" Onyx pulls his forelegs out of the pile and tried to undo the straps with his teeth but wasn't quite sure how to get them off. After half a minute of futile trying he just broke down and sobbed.

There's nothing I don't know
There's nothing to decide
Apart from where we want to go

Goldie got on her rear legs' knees, "I ... I don't hate you."

"Yes, you do! You just wanna see me hurt! You just wanna laugh at me!"

Goldie felt tears of her own, "I don't wanna laugh at you."

"Yes, yes you do! All you wanna do is laugh!" Onyx cried harder, not able to get the skates off.

Goldie cleared away the apples, and undid the straps on the skates and tossed them aside. She used her beanie and tried to clear away some of the blood, not working as well as she'd have liked. The filly hugged the colt and said, "I'm not laughing. I promise I'm not laughing. Listen, I'm not laughing. I won't laugh if you don't wanna. I promise. I'm sorry I hurt ya. I just wanted ya to have fun. I didn't want ya to get hurt. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Onyx didn't verbally respond, but he didn't shoot any more hateful words at her. They stayed that way for so long that both the foals lost track. Goldie led Onyx to a small water pool where he could wash the blood off.

What I am I doing now
By coming back for more
Is it me or I have I been here before

"You ... you really did do good," Goldie said in a small voice. "I thought you really did a nice job until you stopped looking the way you were going."

Onyx said nothing.

"Seriously, you were great!"

Onyx looked at her passively.

Goldie struggled with what to say, she was so used to being in control of any situation, not having control and not knowing what to do next really scared her. The little filly struggled against panic with herculean effort.

"When I first started skating, my legs would start going in different directions! My parent told me I should just give it up before I hurt myself, and I did hurt myself, but I didn't want to give up, I just had to remember why I got hurt so I wouldn't do it again. You did WAY BETTER than me on my first try!"

Onyx looked at her, and wasn't able to figure out if she was lying or not. "Really?"

"Yes really!" She grinned ear to ear. She trotted up to him and held his hooves, "Wanna be my prince?"

"Huh?!"

I want to go somewhere
That we can explore

"Every princess needs a prince! That's what mom and dad say! So can you be mine?"

"What do princesses and princes together do?" Onyx asked confused.

"I... have no clue." Goldie confessed. "Uh, wanna play? For real this time? I promise I won't use my skates."

The filly looked at him pleading.

Onyx then remembered how his mother said you need to be always polite to fillies. He sighed. "Okay."

She hugged him again, which took him off guard. He stumbled, and they both fell into the natural pool. The splash was epic, something both foals could appreciate. Thankfully, as it turned out, both ponies could swim.

They looked at each other, their manes soaked, and laughed.

Just take me away from here
To somewhere that's no where near

Observing this were three small creatures that looked like miniature ponies with butterfly wings and long thread-like antennae. They fluttered about the apple tree branches, their breathing and motions in sync. They were white with pink manes and blue eyes, their wings were the color of pastel rainbows with a sunburst pattern. They giggled to themselves in an echo.

The fairy-like ponies flew over the two foals sprinkling pixie dust.

Goldie then laughed and beeped Onyx on the nose, "Tag! You're it!" She dove under the water, her lower half's flukes splashing him the face.

"Hey, no fair!" Onyx laughed and dove down after her, his tail propelling him fast after. He'd only heard about things like this in bedtime stories, now he was one! Of course, why wouldn't he be one?

Onyx chased after her, the pool now a lake. An angry squid raised its head, ready to deal with a few more ponies who had intruded on its home, only to get bowled over by a pair of hippocampi. The two nearly created a whirlpool as they spun around each other. Then Onyx got an idea and stopped, causing Goldie to crash into him.

The two swam up together and broke the surface, leaping so high into the air, it was like they could fly.

The two pegasi foals broke apart and spread their wings. Now it was Onyx's turn to fly away as he folded his wings, dove back down, opened them up again at the last moment, and had his wings skim the water's surface. Goldie followed, twirling in a corkscrew. The two flew up again, Onyx kicked a cloud in the way to make Goldie take the long way around but she just crashed through it head first instead. Onyx repeated his trick several times with the same result. Why had his papa said such mean things about pegasi? It had always been great to be one!

Take me there
Take me anywhere you want to go
To a place that we both know

Finally Onyx made the mistake of letting himself be cornered by clouds on all sides and she reached out to hug tackle him. Instead he teleported away. Goldie made a noise of disappointment, then sensed him and teleported too.

Goldie reappeared in the apple orchard, the unicorn looked this way and that in search of her playmate. She spotted him and teleported right next to him, only for him to teleport away an instant later. Goldie just laughed and teleported to his new location just a couple trees away, only for Onyx to teleport away the next moment once again. This cycle repeated several times until the orchard was a viable lightshow of teleportation spells.

Finally the two unicorns teleported right next to each other, and Goldie brushed against his side. "Gotcha, prince."

"Got you too, princess." Their horns touched and sparkled fireworks.

Now Onyx wished this afternoon could last beyond forever.

Back in time
I'm going back in time
Back in time
So take me back in time
So take me

A while later the two earth ponies came back to the main group, each introducing them to their new best friend. The pegasi and unicorns clapped.

Sunny Day sighed at the lovely sight. Then she noticed the fog was beginning to break up. 'Oh well. Nothing lasts forever.'

She called out in a powerful voice, "I'm sorry, everypony! Looks like playtime is over."

All the ponies turned at Sunny Day's compelling voice. A chorus of "Do we have to?" "Not yet please!" "I don't wanna!" flooded back at her.

Mary Mare looked at Sunny Day with a disappointed and wistful look on her face, "Aaaahh!~ Does it have to be?"

Sunny Day nodded sadly, "Yes, sorry dear. I'm afraid it has to. I'm very sorry dearie. I know that it would be nice if it didn't have to end, but Mary, nothing does last forever. But I think this day has done all of you some very much good." Sunny Day lowered her head and nuzzled the slightly younger filly. "And you all did have fun with your best friends, right?"

Mary Mare accepted the nuzzle and nodded, "Yeah! Yeah I did! Me and Ravvey both did!"

"There! Then this day wasn't a waste! I think being without your troubles for a day has done you some good indeed."

Mary Mare didn't quite understand but nodded in response.

"I want you to know, you and all of you are my bestest friends. No matter what happens, do not forget that," Sunny Day said to her. Ravvey joined in the nuzzle.

Feeling too tired now for the field trip through Everkind Forest to see Princess Gaia's amusement park, the ponies began nuzzling each other and saying goodbyes. Little Redheart led her special friends back to her clinic.

Sunny Day felt her heart ache with regret (a price for this form) seeing Redheart subconsciously lead the foals back to their hospital beds that some would never leave again, but also gave a small smile, knowing they got to have the chance to run and play at least one last time before that happened. She knew Lulu would extract restitution from her for extending the day a little.

The fog was much thinner now. She felt Princess Gaia's essence given to Spike and Owlowiscious fade, and it was a slow scalpel along her side feeling the despair from a pegasus whose replacement wings dissolved along with her armor.

The fog was now just a few wisps, and they were coming. She rolled an eye to see them, half-formed shadows of ponies. Some raging, some weeping, but all moving like the wind toward the innocent and pure foals that she loved so dearly. Sunny Day was so tempted, so very tempted to annihilate them out of existence. It would take more magic than she had used in centuries, Luna would have to raise and lower the sun on her own for a few decades, but she could do it. Let these foals remain foals, either remaining in their simple happiness if they chose, or growing up into fine mares and stallions without these taints. Yes, it would be so easy, just a thought, just a gesture. She was an Alicorn, she had a right to make this decision if she chose!

Sunny Day sighed and let the shadows pass unopposed. She wondered if the foals could see them, likely not. Maybe it was kinder that way.

The little foal Berry Punch was trotting back to her house when a shadow dove inside her.

ADDICTION

The mare Berry Punch shook her head dizzily, finding the world suddenly a lot smaller.

Blueblood nuzzled Apple Smith, and told her how he hoped that they could play again tomorrow before they parted way, Apple Smith trotting alongside Little Mac. Blueblood stayed along side his guardian.

Barely out of sight, a shadow wormed its way back inside the agile hyperactive green filly with a pie cutie mark.

REGRET

The elderly Granny Smith slowed down to a snail's crawl. It was going to be a long walk home.

Another shadow dove inside Little Mac, returning to where it was born from.

FEAR OF OSTRACIZATION

Big Mac let his grandmother lean on him, hoping no one saw him playing with Smartypants today.

Onyx looked around for Goldie, wondering where she had gotten to. There seemed to be a lot less foals and more and more adults suddenly. Where were they all going? Then a partially ugly shadow entered and took its throne that it had been torn from before.

PREJUDICE

Onyx Tiara shook his head, what was this? Had he . . . had he really spent the entire day playing with feather-dusters and narwhals-?! And enjoyed it?! That couldn't be right could it-?! But that would mean all that time with his Princess today had been... the surreal play-date swam through his mind. He hadn't been, couldn't have spent the afternoon happily as one of -THEM- could he? Onyx Tiara fled back to his house and his room in terror at the confusing emotions that refused to leave him.

"Blueblood?" Sunny Day said to the little white unicorn, fifty-two generations removed from an Alicorn.

"Y-y-yes?"

"I want you to know, your Auntie Celestia really does love you and care about you. She doesn't hate you, and never has, and never will, though the way you act sometimes does make her very upset. But she still wouldn't want a world without you, and she's very sorry she could never spend enough time with you. She had something very important to do for her sister and everyone, she was preparing for it while you were growing up, but that's no excuse, it was her own fault for not wanting to see the warning signs with her sister when she should've in the first place. She just wants you to know that she's very sorry. And she hopes she can still make it up to you."

The confused, innocent colt still looked at her as a shadow dive bombed into him like a tidal wave.

HUBRIS

Sunny Day vanished in a flicker of light, and the goddess of the sun herself stood in her place, wearing her heavy mantle.

"Auntie?" Blueblood said, the spoiled stallion of a prince's head spinning. "What happened?"

"The one thing you wanted your entire foalhood, nephew: To be a colt rather than a prince, I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you longer."
~~~
Appleloosa

Sheriff and chief looked looking at the kissing couple. Ah, young love.

INTOLERANCE

Between species-?! DISGUSTING!!! But they'd spent the entire day accepting it! How was that possible?! It wasn't right, was it?! They were different species! Everything seemed so confusing... Maybe they both just needed to sit down and share a tall glass of whisky with lots and LOTS of salt mixed in...

~~~

Blueblood nearly had a breakdown finding himself in such a nowhere town like Ponyville, but glad it was within relative trotting distance of Canterlot, that meant his carriage to carry him back would be there all the sooner. Blueblood was no mage unicorn and had no mastery over teleportation magic. Celestia let him be, like everypony else, he'd have a lot of confusing thoughts and feelings to work through and needed time to do it.

Celestia saw a collection of tiny stars, sparks of existence whose only trait assigned to them was 'alive' float down into Ponyville and enter a number of round bellied mares, two enter a bakery called Sugarcube Corner and return to a blue mare. Celestia had never thanked Her Parents so much as in that moment.

She felt a foal hug her leg, she looked down and saw Golden Skates hugging her distressed. "I-I don't wanna go." She sobbed.

"I'm sorry dear. There's a filly who loves her mother very much, who is waiting for her mother to heal and overcome her shadows."

"But I don't wanna go! Everything isn't confusing anymore. I can see! I can read! I can understand!... I don't want everything to go back to being confusing."

Celstia gently nuzzled her, folding her wings around her, keeping the shadow at bay just for the moment. "Everything won't be confusing forever. I promise you'll get better. I promise you'll find your way through the fog and find your family waiting for you. You'll become a stronger self. And hopefully, being reminded of the good times he had with you will help your prince guide you out of your fog."

"I don't wanna die." Goldie sniffed rubbing her eyes, begging.

Celestia eyed the shadow, just a gesture, just a thought, and leave only a foal behind who could enjoy life and eventually become a mare who wouldn't be dragged into the fog and tear apart her family. Sure, destroying all the shadows might not be right, but would anyone care if she destroyed just one? So easy. But Celestia knew it wasn't that simple.

"You're not dying, you're just becoming something new. I promise, what makes you 'you' will never disappear. You're not vanishing, you're growing."

"But I like being with my prince! I like... wanna, wanna see my little princess... I wanna... please..."

"If I could grant that wish I would. I'm so sorry, my little pony. Just rest now. Just listen to my voice, and rest...

My Little Pony, My Little Pony,
Isn't it time we started home?
My Little Pony, My Little Pony,
Who ever dreamed how far we'd roam?
Crickets are calling, evening is falling,
Over the meadow and glen.
My Little Pony, My Little Pony,
When will I see you again? "

Celestia's divine voice almost broke, but she knew it would do no good for her subjects to see their princess on the verge of tears.

Celestia gently telekinetically lifted up the sleeping foal. She unfolded her wings.

The shadow pounced.

MANIA-OBSESSION-DENIAL

Celestia lovingly nuzzled the still sleeping mare, and put the gold roller skates in her forehooves, far too small for her, being made for a little filly. Then, without a word, Celestia teleported to Golden Tiara's hospital room, deposited her on the bed, and teleported away.

+

Pearls Pony POV Series Episode 22: "Pearl Necklace Part 4"

Pearls Pony POV Series Episode 22: "Pearl Necklace Part 4"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Pearl Necklace Part 4 of 5"
By Alex Warlorn

"So you are the trickster magician Twilight Sparkle saved from herself as part of her mission," Zecora said checking out the unicorn.

"The One and Only Trixie," Trixie said as formally and cooly as possible.

Behind the group Angel was pulling a bag and cart full of Fluttershy's nick-nacks and (destroyed) furniture she had brought to Gaia Castle from her cottage and now had to be brought back without a horde of loyal magical creations to do the grunt work. Angel hadn't even had to be asked, and in fact insisted to Fluttershy's protests, he could take it. Of all the things his master needed to worry about, relocating her property shouldn't have been one of them.

"Rainbow Dash?" asked Fluttershy in her typical, meek voice, peeking out from behind her bands shyly.

"Yeah, Fluttershy?"

"Back there... Did you mean what you said about... You know... You think I'm a smart pony?"

Rainbow Dash didn't hesitate. "I don't think, Fluttershy... I know..." she said, giving a smile to her friend.

AJ made no objection.

The group stopped among Fluttershy's microcosm theme park version of Ponyville as Fluttershy did. She looked wistfully at the half-finished buildings, the puppets now laying lifelessly on the ground. RD couldn't decide if they looked less or more creepy like that. There was of course no sign of Gladstone.

"This'll never be finished now, will it?" Fluttershy sighed. She looked to the empty spot where she had last seen Gladstone working.

Twilight Sparkle said calmly, "This will be just a memory soon, Everfree will reclaim this place in no time, don't dwell on it"

"Good riddance," Rainbow Dash said, then she pulled her hooves over her mouth when she saw the looks on Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie's faces. She quickly tried to change the subject, "At any rate Fluttershy, don't you worry none about anything said when we were fighting, we all know it was just the black magic and all that sadness you gobbled up talking."

"I meant every word of what I said," Fluttershy said concisely. "Everything I did was me."

"AND THAT MAKES YOU A MUCH BRAVER PONY THAN MOST. A LESSER PONY WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THAT EXCUSE," so said The Traditional Canterlot Voice.

All seven ponies, one Zebra, and one rabbit were shaken as a black storm cloud twisted into being above them covering the dusk sky. A small storm cone descended, not giving nearly as much wind as it should have as the ponies were only NEARLY blown off their hooves. The incomplete buildings swayed. Angel held on for dear life.

The dark cone touched the ground, then dispersed. The storm cloud vanished. Before them stood the Princess of Dreams and Nightmares Herself. On either side of her was a bat-winged pegasus in black blue armor standing perfectly still.

Every living thing present was instantly prostrated on the ground. Even Trixie's ego wasn't that huge as to dare stand evenly with the Night Princess Herself and Twilight was fearful Luna and Celestia may be in a VERY foul mood and didn't want to push her luck this time.

"We don't mind you wanted to borrow the old castle, but you could have asked us permission first."

Fluttershy wilted.

"And we do not appreciate being roused from our royal sleep so early, Princess Gaia. We are sorry we were not here sooner, we just needed to have some hired help take care of some chores for us."

+++

A hogtied Night Guard hung from the ceiling, swaying back and forth, a sunny smilie face drawn on his eclipse and sword cutie mark along with 'Day Guard Rules! Night Guard Drools!' and was presently between tickle tortures.

The other Night Guard present was being used as a jungle gym by the four white pegasus foals, standing on his four hooves as dignified as he could muster, trying as hard as physically possible to keep a straight face. The shadows had farther to travel to Canterlot than to Ponyville. "My turn to play horsie!" "No my turn!" "How about we all ride at once?" "COOL!"

"Your Nightjesty, you die for this."

+++

"And it seems that we misplaced a small trinket of ours from before our banishment, it had slipped our royal mind until now to retrieve it, considering we were recovering from a thousand years worth of insanity. Though we thought we left it in our old keepsake box in our closet, hidden under the floor stones, in a castle no one will give a second glance to, in the middle of a forest of death. NOT in the castle's throne room where we found it. And its power was under a seal only the magic of an Alicorn could break. Or so we thought."

Fluttershy wilted further.

+++

A while earlier, flanked by her guards, Luna levitated the bloody unicorn horn off the floor. The guards swore the horn shuddered in fear at her presence.

"Did you try to hide from your creator after her return?" Luna said in a false sweet voice, "Naughty-naughty little thing. You caused enough trouble after I formed you you know. Now stay alongside your master." Luna slid the old spiral unicorn horn under her wing folds.

Luna also sensed a familiar lingering scent, so long ago, but being an Alicorn meant memories didn't fade (which came with it's own trade offs). "Maybe I should have included a way for me to negate that curse myself after all, instead of just from inside it. Oh well, what's done cannot be undone."

Luna's guards knew better than to speak of anything they witnessed in their Princess' presence.

+++

"But where are our royal manners?" Luna glanced at the Zebra. "Greetings, the mare who was treated as evil because she was different. And then was as panicked and a slave to slander as everypony else once we graced Ponyville with our royal presence." She said in a perfectly civil voice.

Zecora held her composure but shuddered in shame.

"And who is this new face?" Luna glanced at Trixie. Then looked back and a bit more closely, as if taken off guard ever so slightly.

"The-The-One-One-And-The One And Only Trixie! The Greatest Show Pony In Hoofington and Ponyville!!" Trixie said grabbing onto her persona for all it was worth. Unlike the others, this was her first time meeting one of the Princesses and she had no desire of messing it up.

Luna then looked at Twilight. "Why did you not inform our sister, Twilight Sparkle, that you had found another one?"

''Another one' what?' Ran through the minds of everyone else.

"Doctor patient confidentiality, Luna!" Twilight said, calling her 'Luna' just as the Princess had asked on Nightmare Night.

"Hmmmm. We see. Still, all things considered, this should be an issue you bring up with your friends, least it cause confusion at the most critical of times."

Twilight made no response.

"Now, back to the real matter at hand, Princess Gaia-"

"PLEASE DON'T PUNISH HER!" Pinkie Pie was face to face with Princess Luna, ruler of half the day.

"IT'S OUR FAULT FOR NOT SEEING THE WARNING SIGNS!" Rainbow Dash's loyalty finally overrode fear and she placed herself between Luna and Fluttershy. Trixie was split between staying where she was or join the front line. Angel abandoned his oversized load and put up his paws, ready to defend his master from the night goddess Herself.

Zecora stayed where she was, but her eyes shifted between Fluttershy and Luna.

"SHE WASN'T BEING EVIL, JUST UNWELL! I-I-I AM S-SURE YOU KNOW H-HOW THAT IS, MY-MY PRINCESS!" Rarity said joining in. Applejack and Twilight stayed by Fluttershy's side.

"We are not here to harm Princess Gaia for her actions upon Equestria or its people in any shape or form."

Fluttershy was completely startled. Words tumbled out of her mouth without connection or pronouncement, like a plug had been pulled and now the words came tumbling out in a disconnect stream of sounds.

Luna sighed, teleported bright behind Fluttershy and before anyone could properly react, touched her horn to Fluttershy's head.

The universe turned gray for Fluttershy.

Princess Luna's voice spoke even though her body didn't move. "Don't worry, you're not having a relapse. I've merely made it so you and I can speak swiftly and privately. I've done you no favors. The headache you're going to have in the morning will make you wish I had run you through with this horn instead. There's a reason why myself and my sister rarely if ever use this spell. Don't worry, you can break the spell on your end easily. But for now I felt we should speak in private, Princess Gaia."

"Uh, erm, that is, okay. But ... uh ... how do you know all that happened?"

"The horn told me."

"Oh."

"Thank you for finding it for me by the way."

"You-you're welcome? I just sensed it after ... after I began thinking I needed to fix things and came to the castle with all the ponies from Sunnytown to spruce the castle up. Please don't be upset with it, I was already lost in the darkness when I found it."

"Free advice from someone whose been there; accept what you did were your own choices as you've done, accept you're loved and forgiven, and -move on-. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble."

"T-thank you, Princess ... Princess Luna."

"I am pleased to see you are at least not fainting at the sight of me this time. I feel the angry foal is back sleeping in her cradle where she belongs. So maybe it is your other self that is helping you keep your nerve in my presence this time?"

"Er ... what other self?"

"Oh don't try to hide her from me. The horn has no lingering loyalties, there is nothing you didn't do or experience with it that it didn't tell me."

"I'm no one's 'other' anything, your Nighty-Nightness, I'm the only me there is!"

"Ah, there you are. I'd say such impertinence is refreshing but that would be my sister. I sensed you on Nightmare Night, but life is my sister's forte, not mine, I thought Fluttershy was pregnant. Nice to meet you my dear formally."

'Cruel responded, "Er, likewise."

"My sister tried making a place like you wanted to once, Princess Gaia. Granted to survivors of the last Cutie Pox outbreak. A town full of ponies whose wants were always simple and always granted and never struggled and thus never found their cutie marks did not work out... . Though it seems you were closer to solving those flaws at the end there than my sister was, and a lot faster too. Your foals were still doing something with themselves. Too bad."

"I'm going to save those ponies."

"You are wasting your time. They have learned nothing in a thousand years, they are beyond saving."

Fluttershy's voice didn't even tremble, "Even without the power, they were still willing to love and look up to me. I won't abandon them, with or without that power."

" ... You are most certainly stronger than the cowardly waif who on Nightmare Night who saw only our mad self when she had PERSONALLY WITNESSED and TAKEN PART in our healing!"

"Erm ... well ... you were a smaller and cuter and had less wavery night sky hair then."

"So you chose to judge on appearances?"

Fluttercruel spoke, "Hey! It was Nightmare Night! This here is a pony whose literally scared of her own shadow! I think I 'played' with her a little too much that night before you showed up. Blame me for that one, not her!"

"I see. Forgive me, my sister informs me I have a bit of royal temper. Something I am sure you can appreciate after your 'best night ever.'" Luna said in an almost mocking kind hearted tone.

"Princess Luna ... please." Fluttershy implored, wilting again.

"Hey! I'm the only one who gets to stab 'Shy where it hurts."

"You think me cruel, Fluttershy? You know I'm quite capable of the action. Likely why the Elements betrayed me in favor of Celestia," Luna said, sounding almost distant, cold. It reminded Fluttershy of Nightmare Moon almost, except for the lack of the overwhelming ego that was the Mare In the Moon's mark. "You took the form of one of my kind and declared yourself a Princess, and became one with an aspect of reality. My sister seeks no grudge against you for that. But one of your actions was a trespass against the territory of 'another' Alicorn, if you insisted on the gall to clothes yourself as one.

"You tried to take Pip from me, and for that I desire restitution. And I'm sure the fathers and mothers of the foals you kidnapped would desire some as well! And this is my vengeance and theirs: I'll ask you a question with no answer and tell you a secret unwanted, Fluttershy ..."

"P-pip? Pipsqueak? I-I was wondering what all those black and blues animals were doing around him but-but I had no idea-"

Cruel protested. "HEY! WAIT! In case you forgot, if you really know everything that went down! THEN you KNOW I SCREWED UP! NOT HER!"

"Parent and child are both responsible for their own actions."

"Uh, technically I think I'd be the parent." Fluttershy said.

"And that is your question. Are you really sure which one of you is the parent and which one is the child? How can you be so sure? How do you know, 'Fluttershy' that you are not merely a magical mental construct created out of the real Fluttershy's good memories and placed in control unwittingly by Twilight Sparkle's magic? You know how her spells in practice often had ... unforeseen effects."

Fluttershy's persona shuddered.

"And 'Fluttercruel', are you sure you haven't been the real Fluttershy this whole time? How do you know that Discord didn't just alter the real Fluttershy's personality after all? How do you know the reason those memories feel like a stranger's is because of how much he violated your soul? How do you know that the reason you've been so easily turned back towards kindness is because that is what you once were and it has been calling to you? Whose to say that's not the real reason the Element appeared on you and not 'Fluttershy' as Nightmare Whisper? Maybe the Element was with you from the beginning?"

Fluttercruel's head swam.

"And Fluttershy, maybe that's the REAL reason you broke down so easily, your psyche was swiftly constructed, so of course it would be a shoddy job. Whose to say that's not the REAL REASON that Cruel was able to regain control of her body after so long? Maybe she just needed some motivation? Maybe that's why you broke, you were made of all of Fluttershy's GOOD memories, so no wonder you couldn't handle sadness or loss when faced by nature's savage ruthlessness. Whose to say you're not the construct and Cruel is not the real thing, but twisted by Discord's taint into something not truly a pony anymore? Heh. Whose to say?"

"YOU'RE TO SAY!" Cruel snapped, "Stop torturing her and tell us!"

"Tell you?" Luna laughed at the Flutters. "Did I not say as part of your royal punishment you would never receive an answer. You will carry the seed of doubt with you until the day you die."

'Shy whispered, "It ... it doesn't matter ... I'm me. The choices I've made are real. And that's enough."

'Cruel said, "Even if I wasn't me before, heck, it beats being nothing before. This me? This me right here? I just finally got my head out of my flanks and realized I HAVE a self! So I'm not scared! What does it matter which one of us is the 'original?' anyway? We're BOTH real now!"

"You impress me." Luna said like an Arctic wind.

She then spoke calmly, appraisingly, and a tone that could have been approvingly. "First I shall say Fluttershy, I admire you for being able to hold onto your true intentions and remembering your heart in spite of your corruption and descent into darkness when I did not. And you were willing to actually adjust your vision when your loved-ones provided feedback whereas I became worse. And for that I bow my head towards you."

Then her voice became laced with kindness so fake, the worst actor in Equestria would have been ashamed. "But before was only half your punishment for your foalish foolishness. The first half was a question with no answer. Now an answer without a question:"

The came The Royal Canterlot Voice. If the medium had allowed it, she'd have stamped her hooves.

"There was nothing fundamentally wrong with the idea at the heart of the world you were trying to give birth to! If everypony finding happiness and caring about each other is unrealistic and boring, you MAKE IT realistic and interesting. That is one of the things that it means to be a goddess. To make the impossible possible, for YOU say what is, and what is not! But the methods you were using would have tainted that world forever! It would have been terminally ill at birth! And your 'quick fix' construction methods would have caused your new world to crack and fall under its own weight! Believe me when I say, ill thought out 'improvements', no matter what their reason, always lead to disaster.

"If you had given ponies a -choice- on becoming part of your dream world or eternal foalhood like you did your Knighthood of Mothers, instead of forcing feeding or cornering them? Ponies would have trampled over each other to join you. And within a lifetime you would have reached equal standing of myself and my sister in the people's love for you! And in a thousand years you would have supplanted myself or my sister as the most powerful being in Equestria by popular vote! And we would have handed the keys to the kingdom over to you, GLADLY, of our own free will. Because your paradise would have had time to -evolve- into a more perfect one than ours. But instead you had to rush things. Take the quick and easy path!

"And if you had been HONEST with your newfound followers, their love and support of your sacrifice would have enabled you to defeat the shadows you gathered inside you one by one, rather than letting them simply build up to the breaking point as they were doing!"

Fluttercruel dared to snap back at the night princess, "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! Your track record with Utopias isn't all that good, yours or your sister's!"

"The word 'utopia' is relative. Two thousand years ago, a society where Griffons didn't hunt ponies for meat sounded like a 'utopia.' When we began our rule ponies considered ANYTHING other than living as Discord's playthings to be 'utopia.' If sparing our subjects suffering was so easy, do you not think me and my sister would not have already done it?! Our subjects paid the price for our inexperience. You could have lead Equestria into a new brighter age, but NONE of that EVER will happen now, because you had to be an upset, angry, thoughtless, impatient, foal! You had to let the power command you instead of you commanding the power: like the flawed mortal pony you are at your core! And that is my revenge for you daring to trespass on the territory of another goddess."

Fluttershy was silent for a few moments, until she finally answered. "... I don't blame you, I deserve it... I know how it feels to see somepony you care for be threatened. But can I ask one more question? No matter what I did, could I ever really have made a perfect world?"

Luna replied, no longer using her royal voice, speaking in a tone not that different from tenderness, "Sweet, innocent pony, don't you know that only My Parents were ever perfect? The rest of us make mistakes, and all any of us can do is learn from them. The only thing more I demand of you is to take care to learn from your own now."

Fluttershy fell to her knees, shuddering. Everyone was at her side at once. More than a few glared at Princess Luna. Her Guards look ready to fight them where they stood. Angel, RD, and Rarity looked ready to take them on.

"Consider her punished for everything she did," Luna said simply.

"G-g-Guys, please,-" Fluttershy stammered out, "Don't be upset with her ... I-I," Fluttershy felt sick saying this, "I earned this."

"But-BUT WHAT ABOUT everyone in Ponyville and everywhere else?!" Rarity pleaded. "They're going to be terrified of her!"

"Ask Miss Zecora about that."

Everyone looked at her, confused.

Rather put on the spot, Zecora looked a bit jarred around before replying, "Everything is not quite clear, but I believe Princess Gaia has little to fear."

"Could you please stop calling her that?" Rainbow Dash said in a not very funny voice.

"To your demand I would kneel, but I can not change how I feel."

"It's okay." Everyone looked at Fluttershy, she stopped trembling and pushed herself back on her feet, but her body was more tense, her motions more liquid, and she trotted with purpose, and took to the air with RD. "I'll carry her home. It's the least I can do," 'Fluttershy' said.

"Ya know," AJ said, knowing exactly who this was, "Ah can tell yer really sorry, but that don't change the fact you caused a lot of trouble whether ya meant to or not!"

Rainbow Dash also looked darkly at this pegasus in the body of her foalhood friend.

"She has been punished her mistakes as well. And that is all you need know." Luna said with a finality that put the ponies on edge. "But please, let your Princess provide you with transportation." And the ponies were sucked up into one of Luna's vortexes, it was a familiar feeling for Twilight, but for the rest it like a crazy amusement part ride.

Zecora found herself at home, and Angel found himself with his master's property back at the cottage. And the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters lay empty once again.

++++

The group reappeared in Princess Celestia's throne room. There wasn't a bearer who wasn't surprised.

All heads turned towards the new arrivals who bowed to Princess Luna.

The Princess herself was talking to four pegasus Day Guards, who were grinning like they had just had the best vacation of their lives. Behind them were two Night Guards who looked a little worse for wear, both sporting at least one crayon drawing on them somewhere.

Celestia saw the heroes, smiled, and shooed the four Day Guards away, who practically skipped out of the room.

Trixie looked like a mouse in a room full of cats as it dawned on her where she was.

Like clockwork she brought in a couple of her personal medical unicorns, who went to work in stitching and dressing the injuries of the heroes where they stood and magically augmenting the healing process, happy to have someone to help as being the personal doctors to an Alicorn wasn't a tiring profession. One even complimented Rarity on her mid-battle stitch job on Applejack. The Flutters' body language became more passive in an instant, 'Cruel slipping back, letting 'Shy take the needed medical pampering.

"Princess! There's just so much I need to-" Twilight began.

"Wait until you're all healed up Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said gently but firmly.

Rarity was steeling herself at having a surprise audience with the Princess after such an ordeal and was agitated when the doctors refused her demand for a make-up kit.

Applejack felt naked without her hat (which was now a shredded mess from the battle with Nightmare Whisper, she'd have to get a replacement from Rarity).

Pinkie Diane stayed perfectly still the entire time, and her chat with the doctors coming across as pleasant rather than intrusive. Still, "Please, I don't want to accidentally stab you." Said the unicorn telekinetically holding the needle and thread to stitch Pinkie Diane's cuts.

"Oh okay." Pinkie Diane calmly -accepted- rather than go off another tangent. Instead she looked at the stained glass windows and imagined a stained glass Pinkie Diane playing in the various windows.

RD shook her head at this, this version of Pinkie Pie was STILL going to take a while to get used to.

Luna meanwhile looked at the two Night Guards behind the Day Guards. "You have both performed honorably and selflessly in your duty to Equestria and your Princess ... feel free to take the rest of the night, and day, off. Your Princess is going to go raise the moon, then catch up on her sleep she missed earlier today. Sister, I shall give you a full report in the morning. But for now, goodnight!" Luna politely bowed to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and trotted out of the room, keeping regal posture, but the tension obvious in her wings. Her Night Guards followed.

The moon rose a while later.

For the rest, this was not the first time any of them had been in Canterlot, or met Celestia, but for Trixie it was both, and it was quickly taking a toll on her. She wanted to run back to Hoofington, buy the most expensive dress she could beg her family to help her purchase, perm herself up like a beauty queen, and spend a few days (minimum) practicing every possible line she'd need to say in front of the Ruler of the Day and still in the average pony's mind the total ruler of Equestria. Her brain was freezing up. This was a great help to the mare treating her broken ribs and electrical burns. If only other patients could be this well behaved.

"All leave us." Celestia soon said simply and any present royal guards, servers, or administrators departed at once, the medical unicorns waiting only a few seconds longer to make sure their work was done before departing as well. She then cheerfully greeted the prostrated wielders.

"Now hello my faithful student, Twilight Sparkle! Princess Gaia and the other Elements of Harmony. Oh will you get up off the floor? We just had it polished." Celestia said in a tone that couldn't have been less serious.

This just made Trixie's brain jam up more, after having Luna act so formal, Celestia, the older, supposedly more refined sister acting in such a way took Trixie even more off guard.

"Please, just call me Fluttershy." She said before she realized she had even opened her mouth.

"Heh, since that is a similar request to what I often ask my students, far be it from me to deny that request from another Princess ..." Her cheer then toned down to a less festive and more friendly manner. "Fluttershy." She then spotted Trixie.

"Oh? And what do we have here?" Celestia said eyeing Trixie, whose brain was still a league away filling out the paper work.

Twilight said seeing Trixie was having a slight breakdown being in the presence of the Princess. "This is Trixie, Your Majesty, she's the pony I mentioned who was hurt by Discord and who I was healing. Discord's taint has been fully removed and she's been staying with me to emotionally recover herself after all her time being buried by Discord's taint before she returns to her family."

"So THIS is the 'Great and Powerful Trixie?'" Celestia asked, sounding delighted and amused.

That worked. "'O-One And Only Trixie', Your Majesty."

"Hmmmm?"

Trixie spoke like she had a gear loose. "'The-The One and Only Trixie' My Liege. I revised my stage name."

"Oh? Is that a fact now? Is there any particular thing that inspired you to do so?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie perished, it felt empty to continue to use her name."

Instead of reacting with confusion along with everypony else, Celestia said "My, my is that so my little pony? Sounds like a fantastic tale that would be worth telling."

"That, is a tale the One and Only Trixie shall be holding off on, including in her performances." Trixie was talking to Celestia, -Celestia-! The Princess of all of Equestria herself! Where was her confidence dammit? Had she become so twisted that she had lost that-?!

"Ah yes, well," Celestia politely accepted the answer. "I am certain you will be in your element when you put on your next magic show."

Twilight stiffened. Just being in the same room and Celestia could already tell? She remembered Luna's reaction to seeing Trixie, had they BOTH realized it from just a look?

Trixie struggled to say something, -anything!- Where was the Trixie who lived for the spotlight?! Celestia! Couldn't ask for a bigger one!

"I-I-I, YES YOUR MAJESTY!"

Celestia considered asking the pony how she'd feel about performing for an upcoming event on short notice, but she didn't want to give the poor filly a heart-attack at worst or a pathological breakdown at best. She'd wait until she had the medical staff on standby for the unicorn.

"Now Twilight Sparkle ... I am sure Luna will tell me any special details, but I wish to hear from you what has transpired this day in Equestria, from your point of view. And please, do not worry about Fluttershy, I have no intention of harming her. Nor do I intend to banish her, or imprison her, or imprison her in the place I banish her to. I have no intention of punishing her, I'm merely curious."

Twilight kept herself from outwardly reacting to the conflicting waves of surprise and relief. Had she really been planning to lie to Celestia about some details? Twilight herself wasn't sure.

"And Fluttershy, I'm sure you can fill in any details that Twilight might be unsure of." Celestia said kindly. "The more perspectives you hear from, the easier it is to get a full picture and have a better understanding of what really happened."

The righteous wrath of Luna, and the mercy of Celestia was just too much. "I-I'm sorry your Majesty, I'm sorry I made such a horrible mess of everything." Fluttershy looked ready to breakdown crying.

One of Celestia's wings stretched out and lifted Fluttershy's head. The Princess was TOUCHING HER, this caused Fluttershy's mind to do a soft reboot.

"There's nothing wrong with a little escape my little pony ... as long as you don't turn that escape into another prison."

Fluttershy nodded enlightened.

"Hey! That's what I-" started Pinkie Pie before Rainbow Dash and Applejack covered her mouth quickly.

So the recount came, from the point of view of every pony involved. Tears were shed, laughs were had, and Rainbow Dash only made minimal reenactment gestures for her flying stunts (only being half as proud of them as normal). Celestia ordered evening salad for all of them brought straight to her throne room and chairs and table were brought in automatically.

Though half the heroes were eager to get home to their families, the Princess' desire to know the full details of what took place sadly had to override that.

Trixie was spinning her wheels at Celestia acting so, so normal! She did not act like the Celestia from her ideal fantasy at all. She was just so -close- and -welcoming!-

Thankfully the dinner was simple enough that Applejack didn't have to chose to starve rather than accidentally eat the wrong course first.

Trixie felt a sick sense of shame at being relieved eyes weren't on her. What was wrong with her?

Rarity was amazed they could keep anything down after their quest. Maybe it was just the relief of having Fluttershy back with them.

But Rarity had no idea what to think of this new version of Fluttershy apparently living in the Fluttershy she knew. And had apparently been raising like a misguided filly since that villain Discord's fall according to the buttermilk pegasus.

"But there's one thing I don't get," Rainbow Dash said, (maybe or maybe not with some solar magic's subconscious prodding). "Why did that other Fluttershy's Element of Kindness look different from our Fluttershy's?"

The Flutters' tone and stature changed at once, "I'm not an 'other-Fluttershy', my -name- is Fluttercruel."

"Welcome out child, I was wondering when you were finally going to speak up." Celestia greeted delighted.

"Uh, oops." 'Cruel said suddenly sounding scared, she was still the spawn of this mare's ultimate enemy. So much for playing dead. Her wings folded and she looked at Celestia shaking, her eyes becoming dots. Fluttercruel knew mortal fear.

Celestia resisted the urge to face hoof. "Why must everyone be scared of me when we first meet? Though I have a feeling my sister has something to do with your fear, forgive her, she's still learning how royalty is to behave now as opposed to a thousand years ago. Relax girl, you are in no danger here. Less so than in most of Equestria I imagine. I will do no harm to any child of Fluttershy's, and furthermore I do not pass judgment on a foal for the sins of a parent. And no lasting harm has been done to Equestria through your mistakes, quite the opposite in fact, but please, you are an HONORED GUEST in my house, so please relax."

'Cruel's expression lost most of its tension.

"Though I was rather curious at sensing an Element of Harmony beating in one born from the magic of a draconequus, especially Discord's." The expression of The Princess of Life and Flame Herself then became quite serious. "You think I couldn't sense two souls in Fluttershy the moment I laid eyes on her?"

All the ponies felt smaller.

Celestia tactfully decided to leave out that sensing an Element of Harmony inside 'Cruel had been the only thing that had stopped Celestia from reacting naturally to the presence of the power of her family's eternal life long sworn blood enemy.

"Now then. To your question, Rainbow Dash," Celestia said right back into a conversational tone. "Didn't you ever wonder why the Elements took the form of your cutie marks? Simply because you were 'destined' to be their embodiments? The Elements take on a completely different form for any pony who becomes one with them. For even the same Element in two different ponies is always unique. The Elements do NOT just balance each other, which implies tension. There's a difference between harmony and balance. The Elements provide symmetry for each other, each adding their own special and unique traits to the whole.

"They make each other -stronger- not somehow restrain each other. There is more than one way to be kind, and there is more than one way to share the magic of friendship. That is why the exact nature of the power born from the six Elements is never identical, because -you- are changing and growing with them and because none of you are identical, even those of you who share the same Element. Fluttercruel may have been born from Fluttershy, but she can use the Element Of Kindness because she embodies it all on her own."

Trixie was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. It took all her will power not make some excuse and flee the royal chamber then and there.

Applejack remembered what she saw in the Truth, what would've happened if she stayed in Manehattan. Did Big Macintosh become an Element Of Honesty in the "Orangejack" world simply because she hadn't been in Ponyville herself? She had already told her brother on that day deep down he was as much a hero as they were.

Celestia looked at the show pony out of the corner of her eye. Almost there.

"When my sister and I split the Elements between us to save the world from Discord, we certainly didn't stop being Princesses. Miss Rarity certainly hasn't stopped being famous for her dress making to VIPs in Canterlot. Rainbow Dash is still this year's Best Young Flyer and has earned her place in the history books for doing the 'impossible' Sonic Rainboom. And Fluttershy, well, your modeling aside, you -were- the one to save Equestria by cowing a raging adult dragon, non-violently, I might add."

Trixie's eyes just kept getting wider. And not just because of the new facts she was learning about her friends.

"And Pinkie Pie ... I shall say only that she has a uniqueness that shall never be emulated within the lifetime of this universe."

Pinkie Pie got a wide, cheerful grin.

It at last hit Trixie that Celestia was addressing her! ... To the Moon with this. She was a showpony dammit! She didn't break or cower before anyone's attention! Not even an Alicorn's! She stood proud on her four legs and met Celestia's gaze head on.

"And Sweet Apple Acres run by Applejack is known for its produce, not that its proprietor is the Element of Honesty incarnate. And Twilight Sparkle was my personal student long before the Element of Magic chose her, in fact, I'd say given her anti-social attitude before, she was effectively it's opposite almost."

Twilight said nothing, she could tell what Celestia was doing, but couldn't bring herself to ask her Princess, the pony she loved and respected as much she did her mother, to stop.

"And Fluttercruel, I'd say your Element awakening has hardly caused you to be less yourself. And it certainly isn't because you were born a dark reflection of Fluttershy."

The pegasus just nodded.

"So I'd say, it would be rather silly, for a pony to assume that becoming one of the Elements of Harmony, and embracing it, and joining with the whole, results in the death of what makes one unique. It doesn't, nor does it sentence that pony to never be known for their own accomplishments. There is no 'I' in team, but there most certainly is an 'am.'"

"How could you even know all that?" Trixie asked Princess Celestia, asked Princess Celestia!

This confused most of the ponies present.

Celestia leaned close, their horns almost touching, and Trixie felt small, the power radiating from the Alicorn almost making her horn ache. Celestia spoke below normal volume but above a whisper. Her tone in that alien mix between stern and caring to this pony who had spent most of her life blind and had just barely begun to see the world around her.

"The more a pony's heart is ignored by its owner, the louder that pony's heart calls out to those who can hear it. And more it's buried, the more desperate those cries become. The more it hurts trying to dig itself out."

Trixie felt cornered. The idea of teleporting now felt really good, could she copy it from Twilight? But that was before, before what was within her had begun to wake up. Could Trixie do it?

"You don't have to be afraid my little pony. I promise." Celestia whispered softly.

And a truth was remembered, Twilight couldn't bear to see one of her friends in pain. And all Celestia was doing was bringing it to the surface. Like Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.

"Trixie, please tell them, it's hurting you keeping this bottled up inside." Twilight nuzzled her.

"I-I-I-" Trixie was sick of crying, she was sick of being scared, she was sick of hurting, she was sick of having to hide this, she was sick of always having to be the one who things needed to be explained to, she was sick of having something she didn't even ask for, she was sick of being the one everypony had to stop for today ... sick of ... she was sick of all of it.

"OH GEEZE!" Fluttercruel thrusted her hooves up, "Do you have to steal the spotlight wherever you go? Some ponies take great offense to that you know. And it gets REALLY annoying! You're not the only freakin' pony in the world ya know!" Fluttercruel said, not smiling. Then her expression and tone changed to somepony else. "But my problems can wait, it seems you've been holding into your troubles longer than mine."

"It's just me." Trixie replied peaceful smiling without a hint of malice. "And .... t ... t ... th ... than ... thank, y-you. Thank you."

"It's what friends are for. They help each other."

"Yes, I'm starting to get that."

"Yer talkin' in third pony a lot less too."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Twilight said, "Maybe cause you have someone besides yourself to be with?"

Like a crossbow bolt through the glass at an aquarium.

"I think you're right." Trixie swallowed hard. "F-fellow Element of Magic."

Four ponies gasped.

Rarity theatrically fainted, a couch being pulled up for her to fall on. Nopony could tell if she had done it or Celestia to stop her from getting hurt on the hard floor.

"You just couldn't let us have our big moment could you." The Flutters said dryly.

"Humph! About time." Pinkie Pie crossed her arms, then looked at her friends surprised and confused. "Don't tell me you guys didn't figure it out! You didn't see all the foreshadowing?"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" RD exclaimed, "Is this gonna be like buckin' DragonEggs Z where everybody get an Element?!"

"Nah, pretty sure this is like Pony Rangers RPM, when the two other Rangers shows up and make the team stronger, silly!"

"Dag-nabbit! How can she be the glue that binds ANYPONY together?! No offense, girl but-"

"There's more than one way to lead a whole." Celestia said simply. And she looked at the Flutters, "And there is more than one way to be a Princess, and more than one way to be kind, both right ways, and wrong ways. Both of which I think you've both had a taste of now ... And you have most certainly done a great deal of good with it! Which I believe calls for a celebration!" Celestia said with not a trace of sarcasm or irony. Pinkie Pie's face predictably lit up like a Christmas tree at mention of a celebration.

"Say what-?!" Was the unanimous echo.

Celestia flared out her wings, "All in good time, my little ponies! All in good time! But I believe you implied your families were worried about you, and that you wish to see your loved ones! And I believe I have kept you from those you love long enough! My sister, I'd wager is due back from her nap right about now to begin the night court, so please, as you arrived by Alicorn, allow me to have you leave by Alicorn!"

And before any of the ponies could get a word in edgewise, Celestia's horn flash with golden light, and deposited them not just in Ponyville, but through a series of rapid teleportations, either just outside or within their homes (or Twilight's library in Trixie's case).

While all were confused, all seven ponies almost magically had the same thought; that it had been a long way, they had done much, they were tired, and maybe it was best they go straight to bed.

Fat chance of that.
~
"Cup Cake! Carrot Cake! Pinkie Diane is so happy to see you!" Pinkie Diane cried out hugging the Cakes who hugged back.
~
"SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity said magically lifting her little sister and pulling her close so she could hug her faster.
~
"Scoots! Scoots ya here-!?"

"Dash! Yeah! A couple of nice ponies gave me a ride up home!"

"Are you a sight for sore eyes short-stuff!" They nuzzled.

"Did ya win?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"
~
"Hey. Great Day Sis. Ya missed it." Big Mac said in his typical concise speech.

"Trust me big brother, ah know it! Applebloom! Applebloom ya here!"

"RIGHT HERE! Applejack ..." The two hugged at once. "The fog kept trying to get all closer, but a pony kept appearin' findin' a path out of its way. Applejack, it was HER! It was Ruby! She helped save us!"

" ... Ah've got a mighty big feelin' little sister, that she helped save me and mah friends too. Ya said that filly's special talent was findin' things?"

"Yep!"

"Ah think she might have helped me find the truth."
~
Fluttershy smiled at the sound of her animals as they greeted her in their special way as the Flutters came inside. Angel of course greeted her too. She didn't hesitate, she didn't care how late it was or how much 'Cruel said it was it was best to let Angel take care of it, this made her happy. She began to feed and tend her animals.
~
"Ya should have seen me Twilight! Decked out in this super cool armor! And everypony was looking up to me! Okay maybe cause they were all little but really! I just KNOW Rarity would have loved to see me in it! A real Knight in shining armor! Where were you guys today anyway-?! I know where Princess Gaia was, but what about you rest of you?"

"Who-who."

"HEY! You got stuck with butterfly wings too birdie!"

"Who."

"Says you!"

"Bed?" Trixie pleaded, having had more than enough adventure for one day.

"Bed." Twilight conceded, the two Elements Of Magic leaving for dreamland as Spike kept up his one sided argument.
+++

The moon was high in the night sky, and apart from one bat, not a creature was stirring in Fluttershy's cottage.

A white ferret with magenta eyes climbed up the side of Fluttershy's home, undid the lock on her bedroom window and climbed inside. The ferret climbed onto a tears stained pillow. It seemed to look sympathetic for a moment, thoughtful as it looked at the tears.

The crepuscular animal wrapped its pelt around the sleeping Flutters' forehead.

The Flutters began to fidget and sweat in their sleep. Their serene face became grim and hurt.

++++

It looked like I was having tea with Princess Celestia in my own living room at noon. Except there was no tea in the teacups. I didn't see Angel or any of my animals. Every part of me wilted under a heat wave I couldn't describe. And outside my windows . . . I saw vast glowing desert with a black sky with a planet and the moon floating in the void.

I tried to move, but my back legs were numb.

"I did not wish for your friends to hear this. And I felt Luna had already spoken to you the swift way already once today. And you will suffer enough in the morning from experiencing it once." There was no apology in Princess Celestia's voice. It was so, alien.

''Cruel? Do you know what's going on?' I mentally asked . . . and nothing. Fluttercruel wasn't there!

The Princess saw the panic on my face and must have read my mind or something. "Fluttercruel is fine. She is not the pony I wish to speak to, she carries enough weights for your mistakes. She is sleeping peacefully, remember, you two share a body, not a mind and certainly not a soul. You've done wonders teaching her to become more than what Discord made her as . . . or made her into."

"Oh it's alright," I smiled and nodded at the familiar comfort. "We don't care which one of us came first."

"All the same my little pony, know that whether she is a construct of Discord's or Fluttershy twisted into cruelty personified, she would not have grown better without you. I could not have done a better job."

I blushed. "Uh, erm, that is, thank you very much Princess."

"Tell me Princess Gaia. Did you discriminate at all at who you turned into foals when you spread your fog across Equestria?" She asked so politely, but the sudden change in topic jolted me.

"I, I didn't. If I sensed them, I wanted them to be a part of my new world."

"Including Mrs. Cake? Pinkie Pie's foster mother and the maker of some very lovely tea?" She asked so casually.

"Erm, yes."

"Did you know she was pregnant?"

"Huh?" I asked confused by the question, "Oh yes of course I-" My blood turned to ice in the sweltering heat as the gears click in my mind.

"And if you regressed Mrs. Cake to a foal . . . how much did that regress her unborn foals?"

I asked shaking, "Foals?"

"She is carrying twins." Celestia's voice was colder than I could ever remember it being. I liked the angry voice she used when Twilight used the Want It Need It Spell better. Was this the face Discord saw when Celestia and Luna turned him to stone? "So tell me . . . Princess Gaia. What did you think would happen to them?"

"I-I-I-I didn't-I wasn't-I didn't think about-"

"Exactly." Celestia said calmly. "You. Didn't. THINK!" Celestia's booming voice echoed off the walls. Celestia's wings spread out and her entire body glowed hotly. Even when I looked Discord in the eyes I had never been so afraid.

I scurried like a rat away from her with my front hooves like it would do any good. I felt something stain the floor between my legs. I gulped. "So I'm going to be banished to the moon now after all?"

A vein appeared on Celestia's forehead. "I am sick of that infantile fear that has cultivated despite my best efforts! I sealed away my sister because she was insane, a danger to others, and I was out of time. You are no longer insane, have been healed, and there has been no actual damage."

I squeaked out hopefully, "Then, then, Mrs. Cakes twins, they're okay?"

Celestia calmed down. "Yes. They are. And all the unhatched griffin and dragon eggs and unborn buffalo. Even at your worst Fluttershy, the extensions of your will could never kill somepony. Their fledgling spirits were suspended in your fog and returned to their mother when she could carry them again. Like all the OTHER pregnant mares across Equestria you brought into your desperate fantasy."

I curled into a ball, folding myself hoping I could shrink into nothing. I knew I'd regret asking, but my curiosity bubbled up inside me no matter how hard I pushed at it and my mouth opened on its own.

"Uh, Princess Celestia . . .um, what would you have done if my fog . .. had, er, um . . would have done the thing that it's a good thing it didn't do?"

"Consumed with anger, I would have torn out your soul, told everypony how you died fighting Nightmare Whisper, given Fluttercruel every piece of information she would need to be introduced to Ponyville as your long lost twin. And sealed you away for a lifetime per every life you had ended."

"In the moon?" I whispered.

"In the sun, your soul five thousand miles below the surface. Able to feel everything. And at the end of your sentence, I would have a nice guest room ready for you in Canterlot Castle and introduced you as a long lost cousin. You see my little pony, there are times I regret vowing never to kill one of my ponies in cold blood for reasons the exact opposite of what the tabloids say."

"Princess Celestia," I sobbed.

"Nightmares are insane, they can only be insane. You were mad with grief, I do not pass judgment on mad ponies. I only keep them from harming others. There is no putting it softly where lives are concerned Fluttershy. Only that your magic reflected your refusal to commit murder and spared forty-two million innocent lives. And spared you."

Everything inside me died at hearing that number.

"In a way Fluttershy, you are an oddity. Of all the Nightmares I've seen exist, or could have existed," Celestia shuddered, "you are the only who couldn't murder even indirectly, even in when in the depth of insanity. Even my sister couldn't keep that much of herself when she was infected by the black magic and became Nightmare Moon."

Celestia nuzzled me, feeling warm and comforting, a sharp contrast to the supernova she'd been before. "Even I don't know if you'll remember this in the morning Fluttershy. Or if you chose to remember it. Whatever happens, be grateful. Whatever becomes of you next, be grateful. You've been spared. And innocent life has been spared. And know . . . that I still love you, I could never truly hate one of my ponies. I tell you this so you know the full weight of your mistake so you may grow from it. The legacy of Nightmare Whisper will be much different from that of Nightmare Moon my sister bears, but I promise you it'll be no less heavy a weight. But you shall not carry it alone..."

As Princess Celestia continued to nuzzle me, I felt memories of my family and friends float to the surface, and I was dipped into a peaceful coolness I hadn't known before, and for a moment, nothing mattered, because I knew Celestia would be there for me every step of the way. To help me, to guide me, to protect me, to heal me. I wasn't alone. And I drift away from this nightmare into more peaceful, kind dreams.

++++

The ferret shook its head sadly, and crawled out the window, changed shape into a mighty winged and horned equine being, and teleported away.
+

Pony POV Series Episode 23: "Pearl Necklace Part 5"

My Little Pony friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Pony POV Series
Episode Title: "Pearl Necklace Part 5 of 5"
By Alex Warlorn

Princess Luna had not been joking about the headache. Several glasses of water, pain killers, a bag of frozen cold peas, a massage from Angel, and aromatherapy and she was still wishing that Princess Luna had just stabbed her through the head with her magic horn to communicate instead.

Fluttercruel had run out of cuss words an hour ago and Fluttershy's headache made her not want to go to the trouble of washing their mouth out with soap again. Part of her wanted to join in. 'Cruel made the sweet sweet suggestion they just gently lay their head between the jaws of a Quarray Eel.

The headache got worse when there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy had to prevent Fluttercruel from cussing up a storm again.

Angel tried to shoo whoever it was away, but Fluttershy wasn't going to be rude and forced herself up abandoning the make shift icepack and opened the door as welcomingly as she could given her pounding head.

Fluttershy hadn't expected her.

"Cheerilee?"

"I just came by to see how you were doing, Princess." Cheerilee asked in genuine concern.

Fluttershy didn't try to protest the name through the headache, "Thank you. I just have a little headache. It's nothing to worry about."

"Oh! Is there anyway I can help?"

"But, shouldn't you be at school with your students? I mean not that I'm not happy to see you but..."

"Princess, Didn't you hear? Princess Celestia declared this morning that the next few days were to be days-off in your honor."

Fluttershy's brain nearly crashed. Couldn't any of the bearers go one day anymore without running into something completely out of left field?

"Wha-wha-what? Why?"

Cheerilee looked at Fluttershy confused like the answer was obvious. "Princess, the gift you gave everyone yesterday was wonderful. I know your vision was clouded and I'm sorry it couldn't and wasn't meant to last, but you still gave everypony a wonderful gift. Do you really think they -wouldn't- love you for it?" Cheerilee then knelt, "Even if you no longer have the power of the Alicorn and I no longer have a fraction of your essence, you will always be Princess Gaia to me."

Fluttershy took several trots back, feeling scared, flash-backs to her time as a model being mobbed wherever she went flashing through her mind. Her jaw dropped in surprise, but that was Fluttercruel's doing. "Cheerilee, if you really feel this way; why did you stop fighting Twilight and the others when Twilight used the memory spell to break our connection?"

"I'm sorry my Princess, but Twilight's memory spell reminded me of all the students I've seen grow into fine young ponies. It made me realize I shouldn't have given up hope on them. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Fluttershy did the only thing she could think of, "Er, I forgive you."

"I wasn't mad, just a bit surprised you still feel like this..." filled in Fluttercruel, knowing Fluttershy was too shell-shocked to do so. She did her best to imitate Fluttershy's mannerisms. "I'm actually happy you didn't permanently hurt our friends."

Cheerilee smiled back at her, "Thank you, my Princess. And I'm honestly glad about that part too, that's the one part of it all I'd rather forget.

"Oh Your Kindnesty! Ditzy Doo is apparently receiving the title 'Greatest Mother and Strongest Willed Pony In Equestria' from Princess Luna herself. She'll be visiting Canterlot and everything!"

Fluttershy remembered, Ditzy . . . she had resisted Gaia's offer to become one of her Knights to the very end, and she hadn't stopped protecting Dinky even for a moment. During the Cutie Pox misadventure, Fluttershy had heard a rumor that Ditzy had used a custom potion of Poison Joke from Zecora to become a filly for a day to spend with her child. No more, no less. Maybe the wall-eyed mare would have had a much clearer vision than Fluttershy's with the power to remake the world. "Thank you for telling me Cheerilee. I can't think of anyone more deserving of the honor."

"You're welcome, Princess."

"Please don't call me Princess."

"Yes Your Kindnesty."

Now Fluttershy knew how Celestia felt. Her headache got worse again.

"OH! There was one other thing! Here is your invitation, Your Kindnesty!" Cheerilee took out a small folded note form the same place she stored her bits and mouthed it to Fluttershy, who hesitantly took it. She opened it up and read it.

Lady Fluttershy and Lady Fluttercruel, Also Known as Princess Gaia, You Are Cordially Invited To a Celebration In Your Honor. So ponies can give proper thanks to the humble pegasus who has singled-hoofedly managed to heal so many ponies across Equestria in one day of surprise innocence. There shall be singing, dancing, great quantities of 'fun', and hopefully a magic show. Those you have healed shall be overjoyed at your attendance ~

Her Majesty of Life and Flames Princess Celestia Amaterasu Solaris Equestria,

And Her Nightjesty of Dreams and Nightmares Princess Luna Nyx Selena Equestria

Below was times, dates, and locations during next week.

Cheerilee looked happily and expectantly, "Mayor Mare is greatly hoping you'll attend Your Kindnesty."

Fluttercruel took control before Fluttershy could make them faint.

++++

"Fluttershy, I magically scanned her brain twice, and those of three other ponies, there was no lingering trace of Nightmare Whisper's magic. I used my Failsafe Spell on them for good measure! And according to a quick psychological examination at the mental ward, she's HEALTHIER mentally than when they last saw her and they can't find any trace of hypnotic suggestion or conditioning!" Twilight declared after Fluttershy inquired about Cheerilee's behavior.

"Uh ... er," Fluttershy blushed, now holding a bag of ice to her throbbing head, how long was this headache going to last?! "I ... thanks Twilight, but, how did you know to do all that? I just got here and asked."

"After Cheerilee saw how worried you were that she was still under mind control, she and a couple of your other 'subjects' asked me and the doctors at the mental ward to fully examine them so you'd stop feeling bad. They said they didn't want to see their Princess looking sad."

"Oh. . . uh," 'Shy grunted through the monster headache, "Are you sure your Failsafe Spell didn't fail?"

"My Failsafe Spell couldn't brute force through Discord warps in reality, but it was able to dispell your fog."

"Then why did the memory spell, er, work?"

"Fluttershy one spell is a hammer the other is a lock-pick. So has everyone in Ponyville who you changed been acting this way?"

"Well ... er ... most of them. They just smile and wave at me and-and-and-"

"And what?"

"When I asked nicely for them not to get too close, they -listened!-"

"WELCOME TO HAVING FAMILY!" Trixie laughed, a bottle of salt water mixed with sake next to her. Trixie had hunted it down after finding out she had been commissioned for the performance of her life on short notice with none of her props or costumes on hoof and with a month of rust on her talents to clean off.

"Not now Trixie! This is a serious problem."

"Actually." Spike said looking out a window. The herd of smiling ponies had dispersed after Fluttershy had asked them to go back their daily lives. "I kinda think it's an improvement."

"How?" Pegasus and unicorn asked in perfect harmony.

"Well, can you say anyone in Ponyville DIDN'T like Princess Gaia-er, sorry, Fluttershy before anyway? If you ask me they're just being more open about it."

"And if you ask me Spike you're generalizing things."

"Yeah yeah I know. But seriously Twilight, have you LOOKED outside? I mean, looked at the ponies?"

"Yes, remember? The ones who were waiting for their Princess to come out before Fluttershy shooed them away?"

"Twilight, that's not I mean! I mean everypony! Look! I know reading ponies is about the one thing you're absolutely worst at. But everypony in Ponyville is being nice!"

"I don't see how that's different from the day before yesterday."

"I mean they're being nice rather than acting nice . . . I think being free of what Discord did to everypony for a day did them all a world of good."

"And I think this can't be healthy! I mean, everyone liking Fluttershy so utterly? Such absolute trust in her? Seeing her as some sort of light in the darkness it's like-"

"Exactly how you love Princess Celestia."

"-how I love Princess Celestia-HEY!"

"Twilight!" Fluttershy blushed, "You-"

Twilight's mane nearly burst into flames but WAS smoldering, "LOVE HER LIKE A MOTHER!!!" And Twilight realized what she just said. "Everypony . . . loves you like a mother . . ."

"Yeah, and 'mom' just went through a very rough time. What would you do if Celestia or your mother turned into a Nightmare for a day yesterday and it took the Elements of Harmony to get her back to normal?"

"I'd . . . be acting like everypony is right now with Fluttershy . . . making sure she was okay, making sure she felt fine, and being there for her until I was sure she was healthy and happy again."

"And what better way to make sure than there to be a festival for her!" The drunk Trixie declared magicking up a leg full of confetti.

Spike sighed, "Now I'm gonna have to sweep that up."

Fluttercruel took control, gritting teeth through the pounding behind her eyes, "Twilight, try to make sure nothing depresses her while she's drunk. I think me getting Shy' drunk is part of the reason she broke so easily."

Twilight didn't notice the change in control or ignored it and nodded slowly. "... I'll keep that in mind..."

Spike shrugged, looking exasperated, "What? So from now on you girls are gonna turn into monsters if you ever get sad and tipsy at the same time? Pst. I'm not buying it, takes more than magic, salt, and a rainy day to make a Nightmare if you ask me."

++++

"Thank you for the donation to the festivities Doctor." Mayor Mare said happily.

"Well." Doctor Whooves said, "The Planet Of Ice-cream doesn't accept returns on their mining rights. I guess they don't want the vanilla islands to get tainted by the chocolate mountain range. And I had already filled a dozen of my ship's cargo holds when the transmorphication reversed. So I'm happy it'll go to a good cause."

The Mayor face kept a straight face, having learned when to simply let what the Doctor go and move on, a lot like Pinkie Pie really. There a bit of a debate on which one was more clever, and who (not mutually exclusively) was more crazy.

++++

Ever since Twilight Sparkle's arrival in Ponyville, it had become a running gag that the little town saw more of Princess Celestia than the rest of Equestria put together. For some this was less a running gag and more a scientific fact.

Sarah Tailin' was out procuring places for several tons of ice-cream, while Mayor Mare was busy proving her office still had a place in the universe with Princess Celestia's envoy having taken permanent residence in Ponyville.

The heroes hadn't had a chance to group together yet and talk with Fluttershy now that she was sane.

Trixie was spending every hour trying to get some kind of viable magic act together with Spike -very- reluctantly given the task to make sure she didn't do anything reckless. And if possible, make sure she didn't overdo it on the drinks.

Rarity was refitting and updating their Gala dresses and filling in an emergency rush job order from Trixie (on credit). Pinkie Pie had been given basically free reign of the town and many ponies swore they saw her working in more than one place at once.

Rainbow Dash was stuck with the weather team STILL looking for Diamond Tiara AND having to rework the entire weather schedule for the sudden demand for a sunny day. But still made sure to spend some time with Scootaloo if she could.

Applejack had handed off carting tasks to her brother, and grandmother, and little sister, with GREAT reluctance and some VERY precise instructions and being VERY honest about Applebloom's VERY real punishment if she tried to 'improve' things in any way or force sales down customers throats again. 'Every customer you lost at the store was seven customers they told that your shop was no good,' was how the saying went.

And the other Cutie Mark Crusaders Party Planners were kept under tight watch to insure they didn't blow something up in pursuit of party related Cutie Marks.

She didn't technically need to be there, but with all three of Fluttershy's closer friends all caught up in the sudden festival rush job, AJ felt she needed all the support she could get.

So half the bearers of the Elements of Harmony were in the Mayor's office with Princess Celestia. It was easier than teleporting all the way to Canterlot again.

"Princess, why are you holding a FESTIVAL for what Fluttershy almost did?" Twilight asked, she was all for forgive and forget but this bit much was too much!

"Because. A very large amount of good managed to come of it." Celestia said. "She did so with good intentions, no one has been hurt, there's been no destructive property damage, the parents of the foals don't know their babies were kidnapped from school. And I'd say pretty much all of Ponyville is better off mentally for it. Her one day of innocence provided a lot of ponies what they couldn't find otherwise. While I would find lifetime of it to be very unwise, a day was just what everypony needed." She then looked at Fluttershy, who thankfully no longer had a magic induced splitting headache.

"Do you think what's happened is right?" Celestia asked simply.

Fluttershy looked smaller than normal, lowering her head so her mane touched the floor in shame. "First I was certain what I was doing was right. Then after I was free, I was certain what I did was wrong. Now I'm not so sure."

"The only ones who have ever had a right to be certain about anything were My Parents. An imperfect pony should never be perfectly certain about something as monumental as what is right and what is wrong. You've seen the results of my own naive thinking. I would be very upset if you had given me a simple, and easy, black and white answer.

"I am NOT rewarding you because your foolish and foalish mistakes just happened to have ended in something good. I am happy to see a filly given the power of a mare chose to do something good with it and chose to bring it about in a way other than 'agree with me or die!' and was willing to accept a horrible burden for what you wanted to bring about rather than thinking that the 'burden' of being able to make everyone do what you say was 'burden' enough.

"You managed to heal a lot of ponies' hearts yesterday. Some might have considered how you did this rather cruel, my sister does, but sometimes using harsh methods my little pony is the only way we have to help those we care about. And it takes a LOT of courage my dear to do just that and be willing to live with that burden, and accept that burden will always be with you. If that doesn't prove how kind you are my dear, I don't know what does." Celestia then smirked. "Both of you." The Flutters startled together. Celestia then kissed them on the forehead. The Flutters felt a tingle go through their body but they knew not what of.

It wasn't until Fluttercruel thought to look in front of the convenient full body mirror in the mayor's office that she noticed it. "I . . . that's . . ."

Applejack and Twilight stared in awe as well.

"The two of you share the same life-force in spite of having two souls, and to be frank, you two need each other in my most humble of opinion." Said the Sun Goddess and diarch of Equestria. "Consider this a gift. You may now show your cutie mark if you wish now Fluttercruel."

"Live alive." Fluttercruel whispered, seeing her cutie mark, and herself in the mirror. Then the colors and cutie mark shifted, and Fluttershy took control again as Cruel nearly went catatonic with joy.

Twilight Sparkle said, "But two ponies, two consciousnesses in one brain? That CAN'T be healthy!"

"I would say my faithful student, that would normally be the case, but the Flutters balance each other, their Elements of Kindness are that much stronger for it. I honestly believe it'd do them MORE harm to separate them now. I can easily provide the Flutters with paperwork for Fluttercruel or a controlled way for their dual nature to be let known."

"No offense here, Yer Majesty." Applejack said. "But this whole thing just doesn't sit right. Sure every pony is happy 'bout this whole thing now. But what about later? And all those ponies who Fluttershy's magic DIDN'T touch? I don't think there gonna be so quick to forgive and forget. They're gonna be all even LESS happy 'bout seein' 'Shy like some Hoofdini gettin' off 'free.'"

Celestia laughed, "An excellent point, Element of Honesty, and indeed one that should be addressed!

"An article written by tabloid journalist Sunny Day will say how Fluttershy came to me with this brilliant plan for healing Ponies of their lingering emotional damage done to them by Discord by letting them relive their foalhood for a day or living their personal fantasy.

The article will go on to say I neglected to inform anypony of this like I was supposed to because my golf game ran long."

"You don't play golf."

"And after all these years, no one has figured that out my faithful student.

"And through my willful negligence, the same distant unknown dark alien force that took control over my sister's mind and turned her into Nightmare Moon attacked Fluttershy and enslaved her as well, but she was cured and rescued by the other Elements of Harmony in time.

"It is also possible the article suggests, I allowed this to happen in attempt to take all the credit for myself for Fluttershy's miracle idea, fearing the loss of my perfect image following the disaster with Discord and attempting to restore it. But then her friends made sure that her part in this remained known and my plan failed utterly. And her infamous actions at the Gala were clearly an exaggeration by my Royalty Controlled Media to discredit her.

"My Day Troops will, of course, under orders seek out and eliminate such scandalous material and since I am a pony in a position of authority, any information I want repressed must automatically be true. My sisters Night Troops of course will do no such thing and allow the contraband article to circulate and -being- contraband the pony's desire to read it will increase ten fold."

The three ponies stared at their Princess in shock, Twilight on the verge of tears.

"Celestia . . . why?" Twilight asked her voice cracking.

"There has not been an Alicorn born who did not carry crushing weights on their shoulders." Princess Celestia said simply. "If Fluttershy is demonized for actions she will never repeat and can never repeat, the good she can do is diminished. For me, slander is simply part of carrying the sun."

"Wait," Applejack asked sounding scandalized. "Yer gonna LIE to everypony?"

"Posting a clearly fictitious story in a rag full of fictitious stories that is not meant to be taken seriously. Ponies have both a loathing for authority and yet the same time they cling to it. They can only accept a pony who they see as equal or on the same level as themselves as someone they can trust and open their hearts to fully."

"Still yer deceivin' them. Can ya DO that?"

"Abigail Jacqueline V of the fifth line, you deserve an answer, and you will receive one, but first let me first ask you this: have you ever read a tabloid magazine?"

"Yeah, they're a pack of lies, every one of them."

"Exactly. The tabloids will always lie, at first I tried to change that fact, but the more I pushed, the harder they lied. Applejack, your Element of Honesty is an amazing thing, but remember, YOU embody honesty, not everypony does. Some people represent its complete antithesis. There are those you can count on to lie all the time and never speak the truth. They cannot be stopped from lying anymore than you can be kept from stating the truth. I can't make the tabloids tell the truth any more than I could get you to be able to lie without an incredibly obvious tell."

Applejack looked deep in thought. She hadn't thought about it that way. "Still, you can't work WITH apple thieves without helping along apple thieves. Aren't you just encouraging MORE ponies to believe the lies those things say?"

"HOW CAN YOU LET THEM SAY SUCH HORRID THINGS ABOUT YOU-?!" Twilight said horrified and dismayed at her mentor and diarch willing accept such abuse. "How is this different from Fluttershy taking all the world's grief to herself?!"

"No matter what is printed, there are ponies who WANT to believe something negative about me, and they will or will not believe regardless of what is printed as long as it's not flattering to me and they can fit into their view of the world. No matter what I say, the tabloids are going to twist it back on somepony. If I make a public statement that Fluttershy went insane with grief and that's what drove her to do what she did, they will likely twist it, and the incident at the Grand Galloping Gala, into making it appear that Fluttershy is mentally unstable and needs to be institutionalized. If I make a public statement, telling the whole truth with Fluttershy making a public confession of guilt, they will probably claim that she is helping me with a massive conspiracy, possibly incriminating all of you in the process as co-conspirators. Her time as a model makes her even more vulnerable as celebrities often are. I can't change that, but what I can do is make sure the lie they print is one that HELPS Fluttershy rather than hurts her. I can make it so I'm the only one that they harm through their lies and their lies serve a purpose. And they've already said so much about me, it doesn't matter."

"Twilight, Applejack, it's okay."

They turned to look at Fluttershy, she was crying, but, she wasn't sad. "It's okay. I . . . we don't mind. We've talked it over."

"And Fluttercruel convinced you this is for the better?" Twilight asked.

"No, I convinced her, 'Cruel wants us to face what we've done. And so do I. But I convinced her that if this is what Princess Celestia wants . . . maybe we should trust her? I want to face what I did, not some lie somepony else invented. I don't wanna hide from what I did, but if those big dumb liars are just gonna be telling fibs, then I don't want those fibs to hurt any of you.

"If she's willing to do this for us, after what I was willing to do to everyone . . . we can accept it.

"I'm ... I'm so sorry, I'm really not all that sure myself but . . . I'm just tired of it. All these scars Discord left behind. We just want to live again, we just want everypony to just live again.

"And WE know what we've done, we'll always know, and lots of ponies know. The truth is out, but at least this way it doesn't get twisted into a lie that'll stop us from helping ponies for real."

Applejack nodded, "Ah reckon Ah can understand that. Helping the pony folks through the horse apples. If a tree is gonna fall anyway, it's best to make sure it falls where it'll do somepony good." She hated lying as much as ever, lies hurt. But letting the truth be perverted into a lie could hurt a lot worse, especially if that was the intention. Falsehoods based on truths were the blackest of lies.

Twilight sighed and bowed her head lowly to Princess Celestia and whispered out sadly, "Thy will be done."

Celestia spread out her wings, then folded them around Twilight and nuzzled her student. "Don't fret for me Twilight, I was here before, and I'll be here after. These falsehoods have existed before today, and they'll exist after it. They're simply part of the price of being a leader. But YOU know the truth in your heart, and as long as you're willing to SHARE that truth with those who are willing to listen, and you are willing to HELP them listen, then the truth won't die out. People flirt from lie to lie, whatever suits their grief or anger, but truth remains. Like I do. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Twilight whispered.

For less than a moment, both the Flutters and AJ thought they saw a simple purple unicorn foal in Celestia's wings rather than the mare they knew. But the moment passed and there was a young mare who still had much to learn, but also had things she could teach as well.

Celestia and Twilight didn't break that hug until Mayor Mare returned.

+++++++

Trixie sat a bar, drinking again, in what was now the only public drinking spot in Ponyville. Spike, Twilight's eyes and ears, was asleep next to her with a belly full of donuts. Light weight.

He heard him mumble in his sleep, "My birthday is coming up and I've got to deal with this."

The owners of the blown up dance club were in tears, but had also received an incredibly absurd amount of insurance for their business' destruction, and P0n-3's record collection had been taken out of the dance club before it was blown up anyway. The insurance insured they had more than enough money to open a larger club in Manehatten. The source of this illogical refund to the end of their lewd house of sin was not known.

The reveal of Trixie's Element of Magic and Fluttercruel's existence and Element of Kindness, and that more than one of each Element could exist at all, had been a giant triple whammy to the herd and they were still trying to figure out how to deal with it all.

The herd had barely begun to accept Trixie as a friend and not a trouble maker. Now they were expected to accept she was another Bearer of Harmony? It was a daunting quest.

That there was a 'not Fluttershy' inside Fluttershy who was apparently the left overs of what Discord had done to her and had help save Fluttershy and now was apparently 'not such a bad pony' was overwhelming enough. Fluttershy was still struggling on how to formally introduce Fluttercruel to the herd.

Trixie spoke to Spike, that he was unconscious was the point. "It would have been easier if my family had been like the wicked step family told in the pony tales. WIth a mother ruthlessly pressuring me to be a star, a father who was never home, and siblings with no faces, no names, just piglets fighting over the tits.

"Instead I got sisters who supported me, brothers who treated me like an equal, a mother who loved me unconditionally, and a father who made himself tired just making sure that we knew we were all precious to him. I couldn't blame a single one of my faults on them. They even took care of me when I was just a broken gray lump and ... and I still need to thank them."

Trixie took another swing of salt water, but this time in celebration. She didn't know who or why, but someone had provided her with spare costumes, top grade supplies for her magic act, and even a couple new spell scrolls (which she almost burned and had checked for hexes and curses very carefully. To the moon with 'curses don't exist!').

Trixie remembered the last time she had accepted unknown help with this, but at least this time it wasn't from a giant floating magic wand. And, since she was in town anyway, she'd had Celestia check that Discord was still in his stony prison, just to be safe.

She finished the glass and put it down on the counter. A strange echo effect made her look to the left, and then to the right.

On both sides were two unicorns of her coloring, and a brownish earth pony. They all grinned at her. All having finished a (non-intoxicating) glass of something.

"Oh no." Trixie sighed, resigned to what was coming next.

Lexy leapt onto the bar on all fours, "HUG TACKLE!"

Her brothers and sisters pounced her all at once in a giant group hug.

++++

Music played from Pinkie Pie's cobbled together mechanical contraptions that managed to carry a tune along with flying turtles that had been adopted in the near week between Fluttershy's recovery and the Gaia Festival. Ponies had begun to notice that with Pinkie Pie no longer crazy, she was putting together more of her crazy inventions. Nopony bothered to ask why the visiting legendary violinist Octavia gave finer points to the crazy party pony on how to get the beat of her machines to carry over better. They had their own lives to live and today was a party!

The bake goods were truly good and Sugar Cube Corner made a killing that day on the cupcakes. And Rainbow, normally a pony to watch her weight, chose to pig out for once. And there was not a 'baked bad' to be tasted; Pinkie Pie and the Cakes had kept anyone with the word 'Apple' in their name out of the kitchen with a wiffle bat. Any that made it past -that- would come face to face with the business end of Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon (Patent Pending).

As such there was something like a price war between the stands of the apple-based confections and those run by Sugar Cube Corner. The Apples had the cheaper prices and more volume. But the Cakes of course had Pinkie (who was amazingly effective now that she wasn't eating the profits).

The Wonderbolts, had, thanks to Celestia pulling a few strings, manage to have a couple of the members show up for a charity performance. Rainbow Dash was even allowed to do a (controlled) Sonic Rainboom as part of the opening and climax. It was used mostly as a background effect really, to act impact to the professional stunt fliers, but RD nearly went into a coma for having been, even in support role, part of a show of the Wonderbolts. Okay, it was about the most unprofessional show they ever had, but no one in Ponyville cared! And Rainbow Dash sure as hay didn't.

Rarity made massive sales as well on fantastic party dresses that normally she'd consider too garish to sell, but it seemed all of Ponyville was in a 'glitter and sparkle' mood. She also got a special order from Ditzy Doo of all ponies, who needed dresses for herself and her daughters for a special visit to Canterlot. With all the supplies Rarity had used up for the orders for the festival, she was going to have to make a trip there herself very soon.

Rarity had been disappointed AJ simply wanted a copy of her old cowboy hat to replace the one destroyed by Princess Gaia, but delighted when AJ came in asking for a slightly more 'festive' version for the celebration.

"Ya know, Ah've had that hat for a long time. Ya could almost say it was an Apple family heirloom," AJ said completely casually.

Rarity stopped. "Oh my Applejack, I had no idea. Have you, spoken about that with Fluttershy?"

"An' tell'er I'm upset about losin' a gift from mah family? Girl's miserable enough."

"I see."

"That's the thing about family, ya really don't appreciate it till it's gone. So when are ya gonna stop pretendin' yer parents don't exist?"

"Applejack! I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Rarity, half the ponies who visit town think you and Sweetie Belle are orphans who wandered into town one day! Twili' was -shocked- when I told'er yer parents were alive and well!"

"Well, I can't control what other ponies think."

"No but you as heck can control what ya say and do Rarity. -Pinkie Pie- hasn't seen her folks in years and she uses her last name more than you. Are you ashamed of being a Belle that much?"

"No! I'm not. It's just . . . " Rarity tried her best not to look into Applejack's eyes, where were those sunglasses? She need not have bothered, AJ wasn't trying to look into her. "I'm not ashamed of my parents, I just don't want people to know about them, that's all."

AJ spoke in a drool voice, "Rarity darlin'. That sounds like ashamed ta me. Ya talk 'bout yer parents like they're some sort of disease."

"If I want to become respected and admired among high class ponies I don't want it to be common knowledge I have such . . . garish origins."

"You HAVE parents Rarity. Which is, which is more than some of us ponies can say." AJ shuddered. "Yer life and yer name are the first gifts parents give their kids. Ya should cherish it. Sorry Rarity, it was rude fer me ta bring it up. Just remember. If ya parents could turn out a generous and pretty pony like you, then they're somethin' to be proud of."

Rarity found nothing in her vast social dictorium in respond to that.

The others arrived at the predetermined time to drag Rarity out of the shop so she could take some time off during the day to enjoy the festivities.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders put on what they had intended to be a comedy and had (having incorrectly interpreted the text book definition of 'comic violence and pratfalls') single-handedly put together the most shockingly violent action performance Ponyville had ever seen. The special effects were a little too good. Thankfully, this show killer was regulated to a small corner of the festival. Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash had each managed to sit through it once, if only out of personal reasons for the trio. Exactly one pony had stayed through the entire thing and then stayed for each and every repeat performance.

After the show had finished its last performance, Silver Spoon got out of her makeshift seat and asked the girls if they'd like to hang out, ON HER OWN, because they maybe weren't so bad for blank flanks and . . . Silver Spoon had nowhere else to go.

Rather surprised at the lonely bully's humble request the CMC looked at each other but gladly accepted.

Applebloom as 'leader' of course had to try and break the ice as they sipped sodas, "Hey, Silver Spoon, Ah was wonderin', Ah have a cousin in Appleloosa who works with the Sheriff, SilverStar is he a relative of yers?"

"I, I don't know." Silver Spoon said truthfully, "I don't really know my family outside of Ponyville, and I've never asked my parents about any of them."

Surprised by the answer, Scootaloo tried a different approach as she gulped down the soft drink she had gotten from one of the stands. "This hits the spot! You won't believe how hard it was ripping out that Cyclops' eye every time we stuffed it back in. I bet you get these morning, noon and night right?"

"Actually my mom think soda rots my teeth, she doesn't let me drink it. She says if I do then I want to have ugly teeth." Silver Spoon admitted like she was confessing some crime.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders startled at the spoiled filly's answer.

Sweetie remembered what her big sister said and downed her soda as fast as lady like posture would allow and took Silver Spoon by the hooves. "Come on. Let's go."

Silver startled as she was pulled along. "GO? Where?"

"To climb Dr. Whooves' mountain of ice-cream!"

Meanwhile Silver Platter frantically looked for her child. Madam Silver carried her signature parasol to protect her mask of make-up from any drop of sugar water or pastries. Where had her baby gone now? She hoped her baby wasn't trying to stuff herself on sweets. How was Silver Spoon supposed to find and marry a rich husband if she let her appearance go? And what was all this nonsense about anyway? She was happy she and her husband had spent the day in Canterlot when that ghastly fog had been about.

Silver Tongue (he had it legally changed from Silver Axe about a month earlier) worried his presence might make make Silver Spoon more reluctant to come out of wherever she was hiding. It wasn't pleasant realizing the longest time you had spent with your own foal in the last year was when you were insane trying to add her head to your grandfather's trophy wall.

He had melted down his former namesake and shown the spoons he reforged them into to Silver Spoon and she still shuttered at his touch and cowered at the sight of him. He knew he shouldn't give up. But the stallion felt so trapped.

Silver Platter thought of one of the places she hadn't looked for her foal yet (some low-class fillies were putting on some mindless dribble somewhere or other) and began to trot in that direction from the central square when she ran into fellow hard working Earth pony Cheerilee.

The magenta mare immediately blocked Silver Platter's path (having come from the direction Sliver Platter was going) and struck up a wonderful conversation regarding the history of the great masters who didn't need enchanted antlers to produce works of art to express the heart and soul and promptly lost track of time.

Silver Spoon had felt she had nowhere to turn to, but Cheerilee, had promised the silver colored earth pony that if she needed to talk about anything or needed anything, the teacher swore she'd be there to lend an ear or an helping hoof.

Trixie was just happy she wasn't boo'ed or laughed offstage before even starting her show. The lack of being pelted by rotten fruit was a nice change of pace from when she had last performed before her complete mental breakdown.

The Great and Powerful Trixie had begun her death spiral here, maybe it was fitting that the One and Only Trixie began her ascent here. And as much as Trixie hated to admit it, she and her sisters made a good team. Trixie's new costume was a sapphire studded dark blue saddle with a transparent skirt.

The show Trixie managed to put on thanks to their efforts had the ponies forgetting about the disaster with the Ursa Minor that involved a pony named Trixie that suspiciously resembled this Trixie. But that was silly, that Trixie had been a drama queen and a liar. This Trixie, was a drama queen, and a storyteller. Even Trixie had to admit, Celestia was right, a group made its individual components better as well.

A white earth pony with a pink mane and three smilie faced suns for a cutie mark sat in the audience next to Twilight Sparkle. After Twilight's begging and pleading, she had gotten Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash to attend another show of Trixie's. Fluttershy was being so fashionably late she was missing half her own festival, and Pinkie Pie was helping the Cakes beat the tar out of the Apple family's profit margin.

Rarity observed the show with her critical eye. "Girl may have better taste in wardrobe now, no longer humiliating her audience and not trying to pass her stories off as the real. But she still engages in such blatant boasting."

"Well duh, in show business ya gotta sparkle your own horn," said a younger version of Trixie's voice to Rarity's left. "If you don't boast ya don't eat."

Rarity turned her head and gave out her signature exclaim. "Trixie?"

"Naw. I'm Lexy." Grinned the mare-filly with the split persona mask on her flanks. "I'm Trixie's sister."

'At least now she's keeping her showboating on the stage where it belongs,' Twilight thought kindly choosing not to say so out loud.

"It's wonderful she finally accepted my help." Rainbow Dash turned right and crossed her eyes at the sight of a Trixie with a pan flute cutie mark. "Trixie's been cloned! We're doomed!"

"That stopped being funny when we were eight except when we say it," said a mature, and no-nonsense version of Trixie's vocalization.

AJ saw the pony in a seat ahead of them turn and saw an older Trixie, her cutie mark was a witch on a broom stick silhouette against the moon.

"Suddenly a latta things are makin' sense," AJ said thinking of Trixie always wanting to be the center of attention.

"She look so happy doesn't she?" Twilight looked behind her at the youngish sound alike.

"Nyxie?"

"Thank you Twilight, for saving my sister."

'I'd say she saved her in one more ways than one,' Sunny Day thought holding her head with a hoof smirking.

Twilight stuck to Sunny Day like glue through out the entire festivities, just being able to BE with her was enough, and of course making sure things ran smoothly. Hey, being organized and such WAS how she had a good time!

Zecora acted as Fluttershy's friendly escort during the festivities, (She was Princess Gaia's Foot-Zebra after all). When Fluttershy insisted she didn't need one, then Zecora offered to simply spend the day with her. Zecora herself realized perhaps she needed to socialize more now that Ponyville no longer thought she was a witch.

Fluttershy felt a bit nervous about the extra-friendly ponies around her still. Zecora noticed and nuzzled her.
"Do do not feel faint. You'll find being a star is different from being a saint."

Of course, among the confetti, music, soda, and good cheer, there was one dark shadow over Fluttershy's head. She was expected to address her 'subjects', who, much to her great surprise, still loved her without an almighty geass surrounding her.

Fluttercruel, however, promised to give her the support she needed at a moment's notice. Fluttershy had never been more terrified in her life, not even during her time as a model. She had spent the morning of the festival actually frozen in place until Cruel manage managed to coax her in engaging in locomotion so they could eat breakfast.

By mid afternoon, Fluttershy's fear had wound down from brain killing panic to maddening fear, and rinsed down to sickening dread. She had barely done more than sipped on a few soda all day, not able to keep anything down.

She almost wished Photo Finish was here. Sure, she was pushy and uncompromising, but at least she could get Fluttershy onto the stage (okay, more like shoved, but still).

Celestia actually asked the Flutters if she wanted to go through with it. Fluttershy immediately said, "No, I don't! But they all care about me, and I need to let them all know I'm alright."

Wearing a modified version of her Gala dress, Flutters ascended the stairs to the speaking platform like they were the gallows. No matter what she said next, the weight was always going to be there.

All too soon, she reached the top and stared out at the crowd. Her friends were in there too giving their support. There were the foals she had put into their private dream lands, she couldn't read their expressions. Except Silver Spoon, who looked at her with an incredibly sense of longing. There was Cheerilee looking at her lovingly and understandingly. And right at the front and center of the crowd of ponies, was the population of Ponyville who her magic had made into her foals for one day without cares or fears or inner demons to hurt them.

She felt nervousness, guilt, happiness, and so many different emotions all at once she didn't know what to do. Did she deserve this? Should her friends have just banished her to the moon? Just how much good did she do? All these questions ran through her head. She was thankful Fluttercruel was there to at least partly talk them away.

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but no sound came out but a slight whimper so low that no pony could hear it and thought she was drawing in breath.

"'Shy, it's okay, I'm right here with you. You don't need to be afraid anymore." Came 'Cruel's voice.

"H-Hello." She called out. They were hanging onto her every word.

"Focus 'Shy! You know you can do this!"

"I would like to say, that it nice to know that all of you care about me so much. And that all of you just want me to be happy like I wanted all of you to be happy. It is nice to know that you all know what I . . . what I did was for everyone, not for myself. I . . . I know that doesn't make it right but . . . I'm happy some good DID come about from it.

"I didn't do everything right, I did bad things I don't know if I'll ever stop regretting. Some ponies won't ever forgive me for those things and maybe they're right to. I'm sorry for those things, but I wanted to help ponies, and it looks like I did. And I'm happy I was able to. And for everyone hearing this, if you'll take me back for what I accomplished, I'll accept that. If you won't take me back for what I did, I'll accept that too. I make no excuses, what I did I did and I was being a foal."

A rock flew from the crowd, it hit Flutters above one eye, blood slowly flowed around her temple and was slow to dry. Flutters barely flinched. In her heart of hearts, Fluttercruel caught her before she could fall. No pony saw who threw the rock and Flutters never made any attempt to find out who. Her voice didn't break pace.

"I only wish I understood things as well when I started as I do now. I've learned lots of lessons, some harder than others, but I wouldn't want to lose those lessons, because knowing and understanding, making mistakes and learning from them is part of becoming, of growing up into a great pony.

I thought I knew this place.
I thought I knew all its wonders
Casting its spell that I was under.
All I could see were squirrels in the trees and cute little bunnies!
Birds flying free and bees with their honey!
Hooneeey~

Then Fluttershy's tone changed.

I thought I knew my place.
I thought I was a thing that saw without seeing.
Not a thinking, feeling being.
I didn't think I was a real pony!
I thought I deserved to be lonely!
loooneeely!

But we were so wrong about everything!

I thought the world was cruel place!
I couldn't wait for you to get out of my face!
I really lost my head!
And I thought I should end up dead!

But the world is far from wrong!
The bad stuff is just so we grow strong!
And you're a real thing, no joke!
To find it out, we almost broke!

Ooooh, now I know my real place!
Everything grows stronger in life's race!
The world is a perfect mix!
I can sure as hay wait for the Styx!

'Fluttercruel! Watch your mouth! Er... I mean if it's not too much trouble...'
'Right, I'll work on it.'

Now we know what the world has up its sleeve!
And we'll stay here now, and never leave!

Yes, I truly love-

Yes, I want to see-

everythiiiiiiiiiing~

And every pony cheered. From Cheerilee and her students to Zecora. To Rarity to Trixie to Twilight and all the unicorns. From Rainbow Dash to Spitfire and all the Pegasi. Pinkie Diane and Applejack and all the Earth Ponies. Pip clapped with his hooves as a black and blue nightingale in the middle of the day beautifully called. Angel clapped from his spot behind the stand with his feet. And all Alicorns present of course stomped their hooves in approval too. The CMC and Silver Spoon actually shed tears at the song. Applebloom swore she saw Ruby out of the corner out of her eye, smiling.

"Three cheers for Princess Gaia! Three Cheers for Princess Fluttershy! Three cheers for the Mother Princess!" Cheerilee called out.

"Hip-hip horay! Hip-hip horay! Hip-hip horay!"

'Glad that's over.' Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief.

Fluttercruel laughed, 'Fluttershy. You know this is only the start.'

Dear Princess Celestia,
As ponies, our fears and doubts can bind us, more than that though, we can bind ourselves.

We can bind ourselves by not accepting something beautiful can end.
We can bind ourselves by not wanting to see something wonderful can also be painful.
We can bind ourselves by not wanting to accept that not all choices have clear-cut right and wrong answers.
We can bind ourselves simply by the fear of losing ourselves from trying to fit in.
We can bind ourselves by not accepting what we can't change, and ignoring what we can change.
We can bind ourselves by thinking that because no one outside knows us or has met us that we don't exist.
We can bind ourselves by not wanting to experience feelings that are a part of us but also scare us.
And we can bind ourselves by worrying that since we aren't perfect at what we are loved for, that we aren't worthy of that love.

But friends are there for just those times.

To help us appreciate the beautiful things while they're there.
To accept the pain and the wonder together.
To make the choice, rather than make the worse choice of not making a choice at all.
To have the courage to become part of something greater than yourself.
To see what we can change, and to accept what we can't.
To make and let us know that just because we aren't seen doesn't mean we aren't there.
To grow -because- of those feelings that are as much a part of us as any other.
To see that just because we're not perfect, doesn't mean we're weak.

And by covering each other's weaknesses, and encouraging each other's virtues. Ponies together are MUCH greater than any sum of our individual strengths. And together we've found our freedom.

Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle
Abigail Jacqueline V
Rainbow Dash
Trixie Mid-Summernight
Fluttershy
Fluttercruel
Pinkamena Diane Pie
Rarity Belle

~Fin

Episode 12: "Black Pearl"

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Reharmonization Series Pony POV Series
FlutterCruel and Fluttershy Chapter "Black Pearl"

"I have you now sister!" Luna said darkly.

"I don't plan to go down without a fight," Celestia replied without fear.

"My knights surround you, you can't escape."

"Guess again. Castle."

Luna started as Celestia used the obscure but perfectly legal move to relocate her Alicorn out of check.

"Did we agree to use that rule?"

"We didn't agree not to use that rule," Celestia replied smirking.

Luna grumbled at her failed two pronged assault and observed the damage. The chess board was custom made for the princess. Luna of course always played black and Celestia always played white. The Alicorns of course would be made to resemble the royal pony sisters.

Luna couldn't help but notice the chess pieces Celestia's side of the board bore a strong resemblance to a certain close circle of friends. Luna's customized pieces resemble a group of ponies who had died trying to help her bring about her black magic tainted vision of the eternal night.

Celestia considered showing the chess set to Twilight on April Foals Day.

Luna sighed, her brain hurting as she put the game on hold and said, "Sister, I would speak with you."

"No need to be so formal Lulu. What do you want to talk about?"

"Have you SEEN these articles and stories?" Luna declared floating up a stack of papers by her hooves onto the table and began to read samples.

"'Princess Luna was possessed by the demon Nightmare Moon.' 'Nightmare Moon was really an evil mind control slug inside Princess Luna.' 'Princess Luna assumed the form of Nightmare Moon in revenge for the demonization history gave her after her banishment.' 'Princess Luna pretended to be evil so Princess Celestia could have the day off for the Summer Sun Festival' ... "

"We're royalty Luna, gossip comes with the territory. And when you were presented in Ponyville for the first time after you were cured, you were small, demure, and cute, of course everyone was going to assume the whole Nightmare Moon thing had to be a misunderstanding or ruse."

"I guess it's better than having everyone assume I was going to fall back into insanity. But sister, how can I earn anypony's forgiveness if they won't even realize I did anything wrong?!"

"Remember sister, you weren't exactly in your right mind. Remember the black magic? That could have happened to any pony."

"I STILL believe you use that as an excuse for me 'Tia so I wouldn't spend every night punishing myself. And I'm much more inclined to believe some of Discord's lies had something to do with it. Listen to THIS ONE! 'Princess Celestia, in a bid to maintain absolute control over Equestria, banished her sister to the moon when Princess Luna began to crusade for the rights of the common pony, rewrote the history books on the lie of there ever having been an eternal night, and used mind control to make Luna play the part of Nightmare Moon so the people would fear her and never trust her." Luna looked closer at this one. "Wait a minute. Written by SUNNY DAY-!? CELLY! That's one of your alias'!"

Celestia chuckled. "So it is."

"Celly?! Why!"

"No one wants to believe you were ever Nightmare Moon. They either don't want to believe that the sweet innocent Princess Luna they see could have ever been evil, or need me to be a tyrant for their conspiracy theories to work and you make a good tragic hero for their drama."

"Answer the question already!"

"If no pony wants to believe that you could have ever been Nightmare Moon, you might as well be a hero instead. The tabloids have wanted me to be a tyrant for centuries. Which is actually the KINDEST thing they've written about me." Celestia shuddered at the 'Molestia' articles that had run rampant when she had taken Twilight as her apprentice. "Besides, that's only one of several contradictory articles circulating. You should be happy the tabloids want you to be a hero instead of a co-dictator. Just wait a few hundred years and they'll be saying you defeated Nightmare Moon yourself ... with no mention of the friends who were there to help you." Celestia said the last part with the slightest hint of bitterness.

"But I WANT people to accept I'm Nightmare Moon! I want to be FORGIVEN for what I did, not have it swept under the rug!"

"People don't want to realize your real mistakes Lulu, they want to invent their own. It comes with the job. And this way, I can hand some more of the nobles' power to the common worker pony and they'll think I'm doing it just to please the accusations rather than WANTING power decentralized. Besides little sister ..." Celestia leaned in close. "Didn't you play a part in that story that I was the one who sent Twilight the letters to bring her out of Discord's taint?"

"Twilight loves YOU Celly. Not me. You're the only one who could have saved her. She wouldn't have ... accepted it ... any other ... way. Okay. I get it." Luna then noticed a small set of notes next to Celestia. "And what precisely is that?"

"OH! That's the one 'Sunny Day' is working on for Nightmare Night."

"Oh."

"Brings back memories from a thousand years ago, doesn't it?"

"I find it interesting the night that would become Nightmare Night was the night I faked my own kidnapping by Nightmare Moon."

"But looking back on it you played your part well sister. I'm glad you've finally taken up my advice to try the theater. The people love you and are connecting with you even more."

"Like what happened in Ponyville on Nightmare Night?"

"Luna, that was the one place where the myth became reality. No pony else really SAW Nightmare Moon. It was only there that you were -real- opposed to fantasy like the glue-maker."

"And after treating me as welcomed as you after I was saved from myself, once Nightmare Night rolls around they go back to treating me like nothing changed at all."

"Well remember they've had to deal with the stress of Discord's 'fun' and 'games', and with Discord gone they needed SOMETHING to focus their fears and dreads on ..."

"Should I excuse their actions on the stress Discord put them through then? How many excuses should I give them?"

"You showing up with Night Guard Pegasi riding Tirac's old chariot didn't help matters. Sister what were you THINKING taking that as a trophy anyway?"

"I am the only true embodiment of night. I will tolerate no pretenders to my throne, and I liked the color. And every pony that swears themselves to my half of the army KNOWS the conditions for joining. You infuse your troops with a micro-fraction of your essence, I infuse mine the same way. It's written in BIG BOLD LETTERS in size forty font across two pages with before and after pictures that they'll turn black, become nocturnal, grow to dislike sunlight and exchange feather wings for batwings when they become Night Guards. Bats are my creation, of course I'd use those opposed to birds."

"What I'm saying is that showing up on a holiday made in fear of your alter-ego wasn't such a good idea."

"I wanted to CHANGE IT! I was hoping that if I made it a night of 'fun' (I really need to read a dictionary on what words have been invented in the last thousand years, that 'fun' one is only three hundred years old), ponies would begin to love the night instead of fear it. And Celestia, what were you THINKING of that horrid Holiday to begin with?"

"I was hoping that with your alter-ego in the pop culture mind that you would be tamed, that ponies would start to feel accustomed to you. They'd forget to fear you."

"And me eating foals? Who invented that dribble?"

"I swear on Mother and Father, Their Absolute Selves Luna, that I had nothing to do with that. It's the classic story Luna. You were what they feared, so they assigned EVERY fearful thought they could to you. If the thing that could eat their foals was something that would be pacified with an offering of candy, that gave them peace of mind. We don't control what our subjects THINK Luna."

"I was hoping at least the bearers and the dragonling would know I was no longer insane."

"There were MANY factors working against you sister. Like I said, when you first came to Ponyville as yourself you were small, cute, and during the DAY. Now that your power has returned and your Alicorn shape has reasserted itself, ponies have a hard time connecting you with the 'you' they met that day. I told you to go as a cat-pony."

"There is no way you're getting me into that fluffy costume Celly, sorry."

"Was worth a try. But I'm very serious Luna, you simply had the deck stacked against you. You didn't use your 'divine voice' and 'divine we' and 'divine old butchered High Equestrian' when you were greeted that day opposed to that -night!-"

"I was still reeling from being reduced to a little filly again after a thousand years as a full grown mare, and from you forgiving me with barely a 'you did a bad thing Luna.'"

'I felt events prior spoke for themselves on that matter.' Celestia thought as Luna continued.

"I thought they'd BE IMPRESSED AND LIKE ME IF I ACTED LIKE A PRINCESS! They'd know I was like you and wasn't to be scared of!"

"Luna that was the proper way to speak to ponies a thousand years ago! I got rid of those cursed creeds the same time the nobility stopped wearing those painful high collars!"

"I thought everyone was just being casual at the new castle." Luna said sadly.

"And it was a mistake on my part to not make things more clear to you, no, a failure on my part. But Luna ... one last thing, I could understand your reaction, I really can. But your royal temper was threatening to explode that night and it did. I don't blame you, and I doubt few ponies would not have acted the same way: but Luna, you just terrified them more."

"I know that now ... By the way sister, I have to ask, I saw one of the costumes at the festival. How did the ponies get their hooves on a DEVIL costume-?! We haven't been connected to the other world in ages."

"I think it was some cultural leftovers from when the last visitors from the other world came. We did base many of our inventions on theirs." Celestia shrugged off handedly. "So anything of interest happen AFTER you finally managed to endear yourself to Ponyville?"

"Well I gave the Element of Loyalty an object lesson in how practical jokes aren't so funny when you're the one being practically joked."

Celestia wasn't sure that was the right grammar.

"She was actually wearing a costume based on the 'Shadow Bolt' forms I took during their quest for the Elements. Maybe I should form the team for real, just for laughs. Might give the Wonderbolts some motivation if they weren't suddenly the only top fliers in Equestria."

"One of Twilight's friends is an excellent costume designer if you fancy it enough."

"Oh no, not her." Luna shook her head. "That fixated perfectionist was still working on her costume halfway through the evening! And when Twilight brought me over to her to try and give me an appearance that would be less threatening to the common pony ... And ... ugh ... I have never seen or ever wish to see again so many ruffles in my life! I'll admit most of her dresses were brilliant but I did not appreciate being a dress up doll pony. I had to rip off the garish thing before my eyes melted! Then the pink pony screamed in terror of me again and ran away thinking I had eaten her friend."

"At least it's all behind you now Luna, and the people can now accept and love you both from a distance and close by."

"I hope it lasts until I make my next formal and officially appearance as a PRINCESS: after I'm not 'new' anymore. We both know all it takes is one tiny little detail, one tiny little thing, to make something slip out of the reigns and run wild. I read about your ruinous 'make every pony a princess' scheme from a couple hundred years back."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "What you read was a simplification and an exaggeration. What I original meant and said was 'Every Pony A Princess In Name' to encourage equality. But it turned out Equestria wasn't ready for it. And a lot of young ponies thought I meant everyone being treated like royalty. And the nobles were scared I was stripping them of their privileges."

"Why do you even keep nobles around?"

"It's not like they're expensive pets I tend to Lulu. We can't run this entire country by ourselves sister and we don't have long distance communication yet that doesn't rely on messengers or dragon. And their parents or their parents parents, Et cetera were very successful so they feel that makes them successful by default."

"I know our parents determine a lot about us sister, but they don't determine our worth."

"Sadly most ponies seem to ignore that lesson."

+++

I flew laughing as I entered Ponyville. Oh this felt so good! So very good!

"Fluttercruel! Slow down! You're making me nervous!" I heard my own voice say in Scaredy-Cat tone!

"NO WAY Flutterface! You might be too chicken to actually USE my wings but I'm not!" I did a couple loop-de-loops under and over some branches just because I could. "Whoo-hoo!"

I swallow back the cowardly cry Fluttershy tried to shout out from my mouth.

I had no idea how it happened or why it happened: but I was now the Alicorn and Fluttershy was the Steed. Like it should have been in the first place! What right did she have to come back after I came into existence? I was here! I was me! I was hearing, seeing, and smelling all of this! The taste of the air as I flew was mine, the sound of wind as it ran over my primaries was mine! And where I was going to go next and what I was going to do? That was all mine too!

"Fluttercruel you really should just turn around and go back. I hadn't finished feeding some of the animals yet and-"

"Whatever! Angel can take care of it! He's actually smarter and more decisive than you, you know that?"

"Yes." I hear my own voice say plainly and honestly with no hint of bitterness or shame.

I forgot for a precious moment this was the pegasus that had no problem admitting she was 'weak and helpless' and didn't mind her flaws being pointed out in the absolute least! No wonder the old man's scheme of appealing to or smashing her ego didn't work! Stupid filly didn't have one! There were martial arts masters who trained for years to reach that elusive zen like state of freeing yourself from your own Ego, and this pinkette did it all naturally!

"Good! Then you shouldn't mind this new arrangement at all! Now YOU can be the odd voice in MY head! Your prison cell? My body! You can be the steed that carries me around instead."

"Okay." I nearly crash. I made a quick landing as I was knock dizzy from the response.

"What?" I asked not believing what I was hearing.

My own voice spoke in a calm, gentle, friendly tone. "Okay. If it makes you happy. But we do need to take another look for that filly today. I know the weather team is looking for her too, but we should really-"

"Shut your mouth and get out of my head!"

"Technically it was my head first dear. But I know there's enough room for both of us."

I growled in a most unpony-like manner. I took a very deep breath and let out slowly. How could she stay so calm at times like this and turn into a crying wreck in the face of Gilda? She's just as alone now as she was then!

I had no intention of showing weakness by telling her, but I could admire how she managed to turn the old man purple just by smiling and a few words.

Still feeling too jarred to fly, I folded my wings and trotted into Ponyville proper. I felt a little dirty walking like Fluttershy. I mean, I wasn't scared of flying like she apparently was. What was the point of having wings if you never use them? I deserved them more than somepony who wasn't even going to TRY! Didn't she know you have to try to get anything or anywhere in life? Not just be a flower whose a slave to the whims of the wind.

I trotted through town my head held high and proud. No one gave 'me' much of a glance. After all, there was Fluttershy going through town again. Maybe she was wearing a skirt which she'd never do before. But even if they saw she didn't have her cutie mark they'd roll their eyes and assume they were seeing things.

All they would see was Fluttershy.

All they would see was Fluttershy.

I shook her head violently! I spotted Ditzy Doo better known as the dunce Derpy Hooves behind a small stand. On it was a plate of muffins and a small sign reading 'Free Sample, One Per Customers.'

I grinned like a fox.

I trotted up to the stand, and without saying a word I kicked the silver platter the muffins were on, and two went flying into the air. I did a Pinkie Pie and opened my mouth wide, eating both in two gulps.

I held back Fluttershy's shocking gasp. I clamped my jaw down hard to keep her from speaking through her muffled voice tried pushing its way through.

I turned to trot away when Derpy shout up. "Hay! Blue are supposed to cake only one!"

I chuckled at her jumbled use of the Equestrian language, her aphasia could be fun to listen to sometimes. "It's okay! I'm eating for two!" I said.

Derpy stared at me several second. Then began to say, "Oh my Celestia! Fluttershy, you're pregnan-" Then a silver platter smacked into her face making the dunce pony fall down go boom on her wings. I laughed.

"What was Ditzy talking about again?" She said her eyes spinning looking in the same direction for once.

"OH MOM! I'm sorry!" The little unicorn Dinky Doo quickly helped her mother to her hooves. At first I wondered if school was suspended again or if she was ditching to help her mother when I remembered that Dinky was home schooled. Supposedly the teasing about her turning out as bad as her mother had gotten so bad that Ditzy had pulled her out. Or as another piece of the gossip vine went that she was teased about her being a unicorn because her mother was a result of mixed breeding and that explained her mom's aphasia. Yet another rumor said she simply learned differently than other fillies. Well, whatever, if she didn't have the courage to stand up to retarded bullies who were using medically disproved and outdated dribble then she deserved whatever she had to deal with.

Everyone looked as Fluttershy walked away from the stand.

Everyone looked as Fluttershy walked away from the stand.

I looked at myself in a storefront window. It was me smirking back. It was my face and my form and my body language. My fur wasn't the right shade however.

I looked up at the store sign and smiled at my good luck. I trotted inside the indoor fashion mall listening to the bland trendy music.

"Fluttercruel wait-! This place, it's owned by, by Photo Finish!" I heard my voice say meekly as my legs started to drag.

"All the better. If I run out of bits we can say to charge it to her. She never did send you your last paycheck."

"But-but-but-but-" I heard myself pathetically stutter.

I wasn't worried. The gossip tree Rarity was always eager to share at her weekly spa met with Fluttershy had said Photo Finish had taken a pegasus flight somewhere in the south islands to recover as per her psychologist's orders and to avoid the high pace and stress of the media circus for a while.

Some of Photo Finish's entourage was apparently running her business' for her while she was on vacation. They recognized me, but were rather polite to a pony who had walked out on their beloved employer.

I trotted out an hour and a half later with my mane and fur dyed a shade or two darker than they had been. It wasn't a perfect match for my fur colors for when I was born, but it would do.

The dress ponies had practically died of shock when I told them the extras I'd like for my skirt which I absolutely refused to take off least I expose my blank butt.

As a rule, ponies in Ponyville normally didn't wear anything, so to dress daringly was to draw -attention- to those spots rather than barely hiding them.

I had wanted black, but the dress ponies insisted that purple went a lot better with my yellow coat.

I trotted out. Feeling so good. I felt even better when I looked in the store front window again. I smiled.

I felt rather warm, Fluttershy had been blushing the entire time as she had flash backs to her time as a model. And by that virtue I had been blushing too. It was humiliating, but at least the dress ponies hadn't said anything. I least I had been able to keep her quiet the whole time.

I trotted with a sway in my flanks. I enjoyed the look in stallion's eyes even as Fluttershy wanted to run away.

I spotted the town dance club, (and night club) near the spa and Photo Finish's fashion mall. As luck would have it there wasn't much of a line. Too bad, I was looking foreword to charming the bouncer into letting me in ahead. Then again, maybe not, as much as that would be fun to feel Fluttershy squirm she'd have likely fainted from the amount of blushing she'd have done and I'd have therefore fainted too and I'd rather not get the attention of her friends yet.

Inside the club there were multiple shadowy spots. But there were a ton of spot lights and multi-color lights. A lot was painted purple and 'black light' lamps everywhere creating an otherworldly effect. There were also curtains and skylights that added to the bizarre mix of light and darkness.

I glanced at the DJ. It wasn't Vinyl Scratch "DJ P0n-3." Guess she was back in Manehatten visiting family as part of her prescribed recovery. -Everyone- knew what had happened to her. She had been blaring classical and country music simultaneously out of her club's speaker system, and smashing all her favorite records with her sunglasses off ranting how much she hated the latest Equestria Girls remix she had helped compose with the Brony Brothers. Pinkie Pie owned three copies (one for herself, one for parties and one for her collection).

I glanced at a monitor with a waiting list. I paid a couple of bits and took a number.

I found my hooves dragging again.

"Idon'tlikeithereweshouldleaveIdon'tlikeithereweshouldleaveIdon'tlikeithereweshouldleave-" I began mumbling under my breath before I clamped my hooves on my mouth.

My hooves fighting me I trotted over the bar.

"What can I do for you pretty thing? Don't remember seeing the likes of you in here before." Said the male bartender who had of all things a ying-yang cutie mark.

"Water-SALT WATER." I corrected Fluttershy quickly.

The bartender raised an eyebrow but complied. He made the mix and slid it my way. Instead of taking a straw I took it in both my hoofs and downed it in one gulp before Fluttershy could close our mouth.

I felt a bit tipsy. From one glass? Guess Fluttershy never drank.

"You shouldn't drink." I hear myself say in a concerned voice, worried eyes looked back at me from the reflection in the glass. "You only damage yourself and those around you and it's a slippery slope that's very easy to loose your hoof hold on."

"You're not my mother." I said to myself.

"Actually, if Discord was your father, and your were made based on me, I think by default that would make me your mother. And as your mother I think this behavior is awful."

"Whatever." I slapped a stallion on the butt as he passed. He glared at me. Whatever.

"'Cruel that's enough!" I snapped. A couple ponies looked at me.

"You'd really like to be a mother wouldn't you?" I said lowly. "I bet if you could reduce Rainbow Dash's mind to that of a newborn filly, you'd do it just to fill that hole."

I ordered and took another drink.

"How can you say such a horrid thing? I'd never do that!" I enjoyed hearing the dismay in her voice.

"Oh come on," I said enjoying being back in control of the discussion. Yes, everyone was looking at me. Let them look. "Playing patty cake? Playing mommy? Give RD a chance to wash the slate clean? You'd love it."

"Not if I couldn't give her those years to live again. If I made her just a filly in mind, then I'd just be stealing her life from her. It would only be a real clean slate if you could give them those childhood years back too. Otherwise I'd be just selfish! And Rainbow Dash's life is nowhere near that bad that she'd need a clean slate!"

Another glass.

"Heh. Good thing you were born a filly Flutter-girl. If you had been born a colt everyone would call you a spineless wimp rather than being cute and graceful. Yellow moe-blob."

"I wouldn't be that awful! ... Though I guess Rainbow Dash might be happier as a boy without everypony expecting her to be girlie when she doesn't want to be ..."

Another glass.

"Y-Yeah. I-I bet you just wanna cut off these pretty little wings of mines and spend your time pretending your an Earth pony. Yeah . . . I bet that's what you really want. S-Such an awful flyer, better to just hack off your useless wings and just be an Earth pony with hollow bones and no magical connection with the ground. You coward."

"No!" I heard her gasp out in horror as our wings winced.

The screen flashed my number. Another glass. I tossed the bits from my hiding place in my wing folds onto the counter.

I trotted up to the stage, feeling a lot better. I nearly trip and fall face first on stage, the salt in my system making my head swim a little. I walked over to a pole in the center of the stage.

"Can we least sing Equestria Girls?" I heard myself whisper. The salt water had loosened up Fluttershy some enough that at least she didn't run away from the stage screaming.

"No." Was the first, last and only answer to that.

I glanced at the DJ and shot him a hoof, "HIT IT!"

And the music began to play.

I sang.

" You don't like the way I act
Girl you better face the fact "

I did a spin hoof motion at the audience as I stood on my hind legs and leaned foreword.

" You've waited a long while
But I wasn't about to change my style "

I grabbed the pole and spun around a couple and times and hung on and smiled coyly at the audience.

" I am me, how I was meant to be
Take it or leave it "

I let go of the pole and do a few sweeping motions with my arms pushing my body foreword. I blew a kiss at the audience.

" You think I should change my pace
Why don't you get off my case
You say I'm the hurting kind
Girl you oughta keep in mind "

I strike a few poses keeping pace with the music. I spread out my wings. PROUD OF THEM.

" This is me, how I was meant to be
What you get is what you see
Whether or not you believe it
Now take it or leave it "

The song ended. The audience roared in approval. I was covered in sweat. Fluttershy's body wasn't used to this kind of exercise and I feel sore in places.

I trot off stage slowly, slowly cooling down as another mare comes up to take her turn.

"You're horrible!"

Music to my ears. Though I wish the music would cut down a little. I order another drink, this time booze and salt mixed together, the bar tender's eyes widen but he complies, I down it one gulp. What's the big deal about drinking anyway?

I declared in triumph. "And now we're back where we began. Where we belonged in the first place! Is this where you struggle to regain control so you can have Twilight murder me?"

"Twilight isn't a murderer!" She shouted. People began to wonder if I was on the after effects of a bad batch of Witch Weed.

"She murdered my four sisters didn't she?"

"What?" She asked in confusion mixed with sickness.

"Rainbow Traitor. Greedity. Liarjack. Angry Pie. Then I guess Celestia killed Twilight Tragedy first."

"I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO HAD SOMETHING LIKE YOU! The others were just twisted! You said I wasn't altered like the others remember-?!"

"I only know what you know! I've had time to THINK about it since then! How can you be so sure? How can ANYPONY be so sure? How do you know that the others didn't die and I stuck around simply because even suppressed and subconscious you couldn't bear to see someone die-?! You remember what you did as me, same way the others did even thought you weren't 'in control.' Besides, you said they weren't acting anything like themselves right? ... Then WHO precisely were they acting like?"

"Like no one! They weren't acting like anyone! They were sick! Twilight just cured them!"

"So I'm no one then? I'm a sickness then?" I ordered another drink that was promptly delivered. Dang glass tried to dodge my grab!

"I never said that." Said my reflection in the mixture's surface.

I shouted at it. "YES YOU DID! When we first met remember-?! But when I gloated how you used me to out pace RD when she was hugging that cloud she was pretending was Cloudsdale, I felt that mute-angry-you then I moaned about how it never speaks. You decided I was lonely ... maybe I am ... but, isn't it nice to think? That maybe, you weren't always one of a kind?" My voice quivered, my hooves shaking so hard they nearly knocked over the glass of salt water.

I looked at my face in the shinny polished bar surface.

Fluttershy with her mane and coat dyed darker. Wearing a risque outfit. Looking tired, angry, and ... scared? But ... but . ... but... WHERE WAS ME?!

And reality hit. Same place I had always been. Nowhere, that's where.

I tossed bits practically in the bartender's face and walked out silently my head low. Back in the bright daylight. My eyes hurt.

Everyone began wondering if I was rehearsing lines for a play as I spoke. Like it mattered. Like I mattered.

"As long as you exist, I'm nothing but a lie. No, it's worse then that! I'm nothing but a PARODY of you! Even if you were to vanish right now I'd still be nothing but 'Fluttershy with bad attitude!'" Then the anger in my voice just vanished, dissolved. All that remained was an disinterested tiredness. "I'm done with this." I toss off the saddle skirt into a nearby garbage can and dropped to all fours and began to trot away in a weaving pattern bumping into more than one pony.

No one believed they saw Fluttershy without her cutie mark.

"Whatever. I've had my day. What does anything else matter now? I don't exist. You do. You win. Go have a giant group hug with your friends later. Mother Chaos." I curse.

Fluttershy spoke up her voice unsure. I had never heard her voice so laced with worry, I felt sick. "Don't you mean Mother Celestia?"

"Celestia is YOUR kind's mother. Ponies. I'm no pony. She's no mother of mine. I don't -have- a mother!"

I hear fillies laughing and Fluttershy turned her head.

I saw Sweetie holding a doll, she looked almost scared of the tiny thing. Next to her, Applebloom was showing off an identical doll but with different wear and tear, and clearly played with a different personality.

"Take a good hard look FlutterCruel, those two girls have the same doll. But those two dolls are completely different where it counts."

I sighed. "You get points for trying Fluttershy. But you can't make something of nothing. Sorry. I was born from nothing, it's about time I returned to nothing." My eyes narrowed. I was hungry. I never got that hamburger. Whatever. "This morning, remember? I got control when I was sick of hearing you say what is and what isn't natural. It occurs to me you've never SEEN the other side of your Element. All the others have at this point. But the old man didn't even try that angle with you! He didn't have a clue how to handle you."

"I'm sorry FlutterCruel. I've tried my best to help you. I'm sorry I couldn't understand you better. I guess I am no good with fillies." I felt tears forming. I had no clue whose they were! Who was I kidding, living things had tears! Not things like me. Oh right, to be a thing you have to least exist!

"You never faced your Element's flip-side Fluttershy ... You know what ... you've spent all this time teaching me lessons. I think it's about time I taught you one in return. Consider it a payment for all your time wasted on me. Maybe you'll learn something from it."

I spread my wings and flew. My wings didn't want to stay level for some reason and the sun seemed brighter than it should have been, but I managed.

"Where are we going?"

"To where Whitetail Woods borders on Everfree. I need to show you a few things. Maybe then you can finally understand."

"Everfree Forest-?!" I heard my voice say with fear.

"Don't worry. We're not going near any of the monster lairs. And I promise we'll leave if we spot one." I said with more peace than I remember using in my entire life.

"Why are you taking us there?"

"Because you said I needed to learn? There are a couple things you need to learn too." I say. It's strange to hear my voice so calm with no sarcasm or bite. But I feel calm, or maybe it's just numbness.

"L-l-learn what?"

"You'll see when we get there."

The rest of the flight was completely silent.

Everfree is how it always was. Even during the daylight it was a fortress unto itself of wild trees and nature that did not bend to the will of ponies. How did that zebra witch doctor survive day to day in this death trap? Even with my inner ear apparently doing cartwheels stands I somehow manage to land without crashing. Maybe that's why they say don't drink and fly.

I entered Everfree, a couple of the trees try getting in my way. I'm Not afraid. Not in the least. I was a monster after all. This is where I belonged. But other much more normal living things lived here too. And I sensed them, I felt them, and these senses led me to what I needed to show her before I let myself fall back into that black ocean that I was really just a part of anyway.

We observed a small herd of deer in Everfree. Yes, deer. After all, Everfree was home to more than just parasprites and endless hordes of predators. Nature didn't work that way. You couldn't have an overwhelming number of predators without their numbers imploding from lack of prey. And I felt it, it was going to happen, -right now!-

A pack of wolves ambushed the deer. The herd fled, leaving the weak to die on account of being the slowest. The wolves tore into them. Of course the weaklings tried to flee too or fight back, this was their survival too. And the deer managed to kick one inexperienced wolf in the side, I may or may not have heard the sound of bones breaking. Eventually the stragglers go down in a mass of blood stained claws and fangs. The wolves didn't notice or didn't bother with us. Just to be on the safe side I stayed off the ground and downwind.

"Take a good look Fluttershy."

She's crying, and thus I'm crying too. "This is wrong."

"It's wrong for the wolves to want to survive?"

"It's wrong they should have to do this to survive."

"Would you say this is cruel?"

"Yes."

A male wolf carries one of his kills with him. We follow it at a distance. We lose track of time. But eventually the male wolf returns to its den, and brings its kill to a litter of wolf pups around their mother. The father tears apart the kill for the larger ones to take small bites. The mother gorges herself, then vomits it back up, which the smaller pups quickly eat up.

"Would you call them big bad wolves for killing innocent deer? Or would you call them loving parents?" I ask simply.

"I ... I ... I never said wolves were evil."

"I didn't ask if you thought they were evil. I asked if you thought it was wrong for them to follow what was their nature. This is kind isn't it? The way the mother and father sacrifice for the next generation?"

I glanced up, feeling the sense again guiding me. And Flutter's lips quiver ... seeing a mother bird rip off parts of its own flesh to feed its fledglings.

I know this is all too coincidental. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Everfree itself was guiding me in this lesson. Everfree itself wanted its point of view known.

I landed a safe distance away from the wolves and dug in the dirt with my hooves between two trees and a number of saplings. "Take a look Fluttershy. Tell me what you see."

"I see tree roots."

"From more than one tree?"

"Yes."

"Do you think these trees are trying to be friends?"

" ... No."

"Then, if time was to be sped up, and we could see these roots grow. What do you think we'd see?"

"We'd ... we'd see ... we'd see the roots struggling with each other, fighting with each other, each tree determined to outgrow and crowd the others out."

"Plants are living beings too. They live and die, and you eat them to survive. Why're they less than the animal you care about? Because they don't have a face? Cause they don't sing?"

"P-plants don't feel pain. They don't feel afraid or happy. They just are."

"Then why do you try to save a tree if it's being eaten alive by a swarm of black beetles? Or is it the black beetles who aren't alive? Why do you feel sad if you fall to save it? Why do you say to it you're sorry? And if a pony had no heart, that pony wouldn't be alive then? Or if they had no childhood? Or they had never experienced the world they were therefore not really a pony or even a living thing? I guess we agree there at least. I should know from personal experience."

"Please Flutter' ..." Fluttershy sniffed. "Say whatever you want, but don't say that about yourself! You were unique and precious the moment you existed!"

"I don't exist."

I rebury the roots and let my senses carry me where they will.

Right near the edge of Everfree almost, there is a burrow of rabbits. "I think, this is the burrow that Angel came from." Fluttershy says unsure. I don't know why, but I don't feel any satisfaction now at hearing her unsure and small, if anything I feel small.

I say nothing, I feel what's about to happen next. I steel myself to make sure Fluttershy can't look away.

Two male rabbits with a doe nearby hop up to each other. Then they leap at each other, teeth and little short claws bared. They snarl, they bite, they claw at each other, I resist Fluttershy's efforts to close her eyes or turn her head. "Take a good hard long look Fluttershy. This is what rabbits naturally do to claim a mate. There is no debate, no long term romantic rivalries. The males simply kill each other and the doe goes with the last one living and she doesn't mind in the least."

Fluttershy began to feel dizzy so I did too, but I kept my eyes focused. "These aren't random alien creatures Fluttershy, this is nature!"

"I know! I KNOW! BUT-BUT-I've never-I've-" We hiccuped. "I've never seen it before. I never thought it was ... THIS VICIOUS!"

"You mean cruel?" I was decidedly feeling ill now and so was she. Our eyes were red from crying. I wanted to end this now. Slip back into the black ocean, become one with it and leave her here, lesson learned. But I felt the senses pulling at me again. I felt the urge, no, the -need- to show her one last thing, one last truth. And my senses guided me to our last part of the lesson.

"Only one last thing Fluttershy." I promise.

It's a spider and her web. "If a spider doesn't catch the butterflies, the spider dies slowly from starvation: and ... aren't a spider's webs as beautiful as a butterflies' wings? Wait ..." I realize the real lesson my senses drew me here for Fluttershy to see. "You're about to see the final truth of nature Fluttershy. Nothing after this I promise."

The big fat spider huddled near an egg sack that was large, thick and heavy. And before our eyes, the first of the baby spiders forced their way out followed by dozens of its siblings. The mother spider didn't run, didn't flee, didn't leave. If anything she calmly scurried on her web closer to them. And before Fluttershy's eyes, patiently allowed her own babies to eat her alive. The hatchlings using their new-found strength to spin parachutes and flew away from the now empty web. Fluttershy said absolutely nothing. Thought absolutely nothing. Almost like she was a piece of the void instead of me.

Then I let her have it with both hooves.

"Compassion? Empathy towards species outside your own? Ethics? Morals? Laws? Those are things CIVILIZATION invented! You ponies brought them into being when you decided 'I will care about more than whether I live and reproduce.' You decided some things were greater then your own life! You decided some things were greater than passing off GENETIC legacies. You learned what love was when Celestia taught you how to care about something other than your DNA. The natural world? When did you last see parasprites and cockatrices have political debates? Nature's balance doesn't TOLERATE kindness Flutter-girl. The sick and hurt you care for? You go AGAINST nature's will when you step in and tend to them and heal them. They're SUPPOSED to die to make way for the superior survivors. But because you have an empathy sphere larger than the sun, you step in, you CHEAT Fluttershy, you break Darwin The Dragon's law and allow the 'weak' to thrive not making room for the 'strong.' Kindness goes AGAINST nature Fluttershy! You're as unnatural as me."

I feel it behind us, no, behind ME, it's not a part of reality, no more than I'm alive. I'm less than a ghost, a ghost at least used to be alive, and ghosts at least have somewhere to go, someone waiting for them. I have nothing, I was born from nothing, I am nothing.

I feel the blackness wrap around my hooves and wings slowly, I don't resist. I notice out of the corner of my eye Fluttershy's cutie mark reappear even if the dye job I forced on her body is still there. Maybe I should have apologized for that.

Oh whatever, I'd accomplished what I set out to do. 'Shy's seen the real world. Nothing else mattered now. I have no reason left to be here.

"Fluttershy, good-bye," I whisper, "Consider our debts paid. Just remember me."

Wait. Something's wrong.

"This world, it's not fair." Fluttershy says in a strange monotone. I feel scared hearing it from her.

I feel the black threads begin to twist around her as well.

No! Not her! I'm the one you want! Me! Not her! Please! Leave her alone!

"All this death, all this unhappiness, all this cruelty. It's not fair. This world isn't fair."

Fluttershy's colors turn faded, then gray, then a black silhouette!

No this isn't what I wanted! Please stop this! Please!

Her eyes round and large, one last tear dropped form Fluttershy's eyes. Her voice is like a mother's whisper. "I'll make it fair."

The moment the tear hit the ground, the darkness exploded in a twisting maelstrom of black threads, shadowy mist, and gray butterflies. Gossamer wings materialize on her back, overshadowing her pegasus wings. Her mane and tail become larger. Her legs become longer and thinner. Her muzzle elongates. She keeps growing. She continues to change, Pinkie and the unicorns are going to feel this one.

FLUTTERSHY!!! I screamed but I have no voice. I try to sing to her.

Hush now. Quiet now.
Time to Lay Your Sleepy Head
... ...

No. Why can't I remember the words?! Please let me sing to her! Let me tell her I didn't mean it to be this way! Let me tell her I'm sorry!!!

I try to reach her, talk to her, say something, anything to her, but the black pulls me away from her, back into it.

I get the joke. I had surpassed my father. I had become greater than him. I had done what he couldn't, and I didn't even need to use mind control to do so. Would he be proud of me? Envy me? Loathe me for daring to rise higher than him and destroy me? Then why do I feel so low? About . . . the only pony who knows me, the only pony who cares about . . .

Hey, do you know how it's possible to from being nothing to feeling like -less- than nothing? I feel like my core of self has become a black hole, pulling me inside it, pulling me back into the murky empty nothingness I was born from.

I return to nothing.

Oh Mother Celestia, what have I done?

Credits And Notes:

Theme for the fashion mall and dance club "fly In The Freedom Instrumental, Sonic Adventure Two"

"Take It Or Leave It" copyright Hasbro.

A song suggested by http://atomic-chinchilla.deviantart.com/ Atomic-Chincilla for Fluttershy's transformation. "Black Rose Green Sun"

Theme for this episode's final scene "The Demon King Odio" from Live-A-Live for the SNES

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR THIS PART! I PROMISE IT'S NOT THE END!! Don't leave! :-(