Domain of Friendship

Chapters

Episode 1-1
Episode 1-2
Episode 1-3
Episode 1-4
Episode 1-5
Episode 1-6
Episode 1-7
Episode 1-8
Episode 1-9
Episode 1-10
Episode 1-11
Short: "Diplomacy"
Short: "Confusion"
Short: "Fatigue"
Short: "Machination"
Episode 2-1
Episode 2-2
Episode 2-3
Episode 2-4
Episode 2-5
Short: "Sign"
Short: "Cutie"
Short: "Battle"
Episode 3-1
Episode 3-2
Episode 3-3
Episode 3-4
Episode 3-5
Short: "Contrivance"
Episode 4-1
Episode 4-2
Episode 4-3
Episode 5-1
Episode 5-2
Episode 5-3
Episode 5-4
Episode 5-5
Episode 5-6
Epilogue

Episode 1-1

The first thing Scarlet Lombardia noticed as she awoke was the fog filling her brain, as though she had taken a blow to the head.

"Unh..." she groaned, bringing a hand to her head as the world slowly swam into focus. Soft moonlight bathed the land around her, revealing the gently rolling hills on which she now lay. This immediately struck her as strange, but her mind was still too sluggish to devote any resources to recalling why that was... and before long, this matter had already given way for a rather more pressing one.

The second thing she noticed was that the hand she'd raised wasn't a hand at all.

"W-What sorcery is this...?"

A hoof. For whatever reason, she now found herself staring at a hoof, of which a cursory glance at her body revealed her to have four. As the glance gradually became a stare, she soon found four legs accompanying the hooves, a long body covered in red fur, a tail the exact same shade of sky blue as her hair... and, perhaps most curious of all, a strange mark on her hindquarters in the shape of a shooting star. All together, it gave her the impression of having been turned into some sort of horse-like creature.

With a moment's concentration, she conjured up a small cloud of bubbles and watched as they drifted away on the breeze. At least her magic still worked.

The longer she spent attempting to process all this, the less sense it made. A dream, perhaps? The dull ache in her head seemed to suggest otherwise. Her next guess might have been magic, but this was far too elaborate to be a simple illusion... and anyone outside of ten years old knew that transfiguration spells only worked on non-living things. As she climbed awkwardly up on all fours, she quickly deduced she wouldn't be puzzling this out by herself.

The third thing she noticed was that she wasn't alone.

Two figures lay sprawled out on the hill beside her, their strangely equine features somehow both familiar and alien. Was this part of the trick? Of this, at the very least, she knew one way to be certain.

"Tank? I think you may want to get up."

Sure enough, one of the figures stirred, emitting a groan as he turned over on the ground. "Mmf... It's still dark, though. Can't it wait till morning...?"

"I really must insist." Scarlet stepped forward, now standing over the figure that had spoken. "I promise you will find out why in fairly short order."

"Alright, alright... I'm up," the figure insisted, managing at least to prop himself up using his forelegs as he turned toward Scarlet. "Right, so what's got you all WHAT IN THE - "

Alexander Abrams - better known by the nickname 'Tank' - scrambled to a standing position in alarm as he caught sight of the strange creature towering over him. Several seconds passed as he gave her a quizzical stare. "...Waaait a sec. Blue hair and a big red ribbon... Scarlet, is that supposed to be you?"

Scarlet rubbed her neck. "I believe so, at least. I should confess I am not entirely certain..."

Tank chuckled. "What happened to you? You look like a baby horse that lost a fight with a box of crayons."

"Judging by these proportions, I think pony would be a more accurate term," Scarlet suggested, glancing backward once again at her peculiar new body.

Tank quirked an eyebrow. "Right, because that's what needed clarification."

As she turned back toward him, Scarlet gave Tank a knowing smirk. "In any case, I would not be so quick to joke. You may want to have a look at yourself."

"Huh? What do you - oh." It was only at this point that Tank noticed he'd been standing on all fours the entire time, which prompted him to spend the next few moments looking himself over. "Well then. I'm naked, covered in green fur, and someone drew a weird tattoo of a shield on my butt. It's everything I always wanted," he concluded, rolling his eyes.

Having already gone through the same process herself, Scarlet could only giggle.

"Hey, don't laugh," Tank warned. "You'll be poking someone's eye out with that horn before long, mark my words."

"Horn?" Scarlet blinked, raising a hoof to her forehead. Sure enough, it had apparently sprouted a horn that felt surprisingly sharp. "How curious... I wonder what distinction was drawn that gave one of us a horn, but not the other?"

"Uh, hang on a sec." Tank pointed a hoof at the third figure on the hill. "If you're you, and I'm me... then is that who I think it is?"

The two exchanged glances before approaching slowly.

Tank gave the nearly motionless figure a gentle nudge. "Uh... hey, Miri? You might wanna wake up. Something weird is going on."

Mirielle Marcus slowly extended all four limbs in an exaggerated stretch and gave a silent yawn that seemed to last almost an entire minute. Vision still hazy from her interrupted nap, she could barely make out the strange pair of figures standing over her in the dim light; it almost looked like one of them was red and the other green... but that would be silly, wouldn't it?

One moment of rubbing the sleep from her eyes later, Miri found herself staring at a pair of brightly-colored ponies.

"Good morning, Mirielle. Please do not be - "

Before Scarlet could even finish her sentence, Miri's eyes went wide as dinner plates, and she leaped several feet into the air in surprise.

Tank sighed and briefly closed his eyes. "Well, so much for 'try not to freak out.' At least we... wait, what?"

As his eyes reopened, Tank realized Miri wasn't in front of him... because she hadn't yet returned to the ground.

As the other two looked on in a mixture of confusion and awe, the steady beat of Mirielle's wings kept her hovering a little ways above their heads. It took several seconds for this realization to strike Miri herself, at which point she began flailing her forelegs in an attempt to reach for her friends below.

"Careful, careful!" Scarlet advised. "We will catch you if you fall! Try deep breaths; perhaps calming your nerves will slow them down a little."

In, out. In, out. Though Miri could still feel her heart racing, it seemed to be working - her wingbeats began to slow a little and, before long, lower her gently to the ground.

Tank scratched his head. "Well, that sure is different."

Sitting back on her haunches, Mirielle wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and began waving her forelegs in a very particular pattern.

Scarlet winced as she realized what was wrong. "...Oh dear. Mirielle, would you mind trying that once more?"

About halfway through her second attempt, Mirielle too caught onto the problem.

"...She can't sign." Tank, however, was the one to give it voice. "In these weird bodies, we don't have hands. She can't sign to us without them."

Mirielle spent the next several seconds staring at her hooves before looking up at her companions, tears welling in her eyes.

Scarlet stepped forward and pulled Mirielle into a brief hug. "There, there, dear... do not fret. We will improvise until such time as we find a way to return to normal, I promise."

"Totally," Tank agreed. "Besides, look - you've got wings now! That's... kind of like a trade-off, right?"

Mirielle blinked as she turned her head to examine the wings folded neatly on her back. Standing up on all fours once more, she took a step back, hesitating for a moment as though unsure of how to proceed. Before long, however, her wings flared to life... and with no further ado, she took off into the night sky, soaring over the hills as though it was what she'd been born to do.

Tank sat back and gave an exhausted sigh. "Geez, is this for real...?"

"It would seem so," Scarlet admitted. "We ought to get our bearings, at the very least; I recognize none of this terrain. Would you bring me the map and compass?"

Tank scratched his head again. "I would, yeah, but there's a problem. Our stuff is kind of, um, gone."

"Gone?" Scarlet's heart skipped a beat. "All of it? The rations, the flares, the emergency radio?"

Tank crossed his forelegs. "All of it. Including my sword, Miri's medkit... and our clothes, for no adequately explored reason. Whoever or whatever did this to us made absolutely sure we'd be as stranded as possible when we woke up." He paused briefly for another sigh. "Come to think of it, I don't even remember what we were doing..."

Her earlier disorientation out of the way, Scarlet's mind began the task of tracing through her memory for any possible clues. "I seem to recall that we took a request from the notice board to investigate the old temple outside of town."

Tank's face lit up. "Oh yeah! Something about hearing weird noises, I think? I remember we picked it 'cause it sounded like something we could knock out in an afternoon, and my folks invited us to stop by for dinner while we were in town." His enthusiasm soon faded. "But... what happened? I swear I remember the drive over to the temple, but nothing after we got there."

Scarlet stared at the grass as though expecting it to yield the answers she sought. "My recollection is no better than yours..."

Mirielle chose that moment to land gracefully on the hill beside them, an excited smile beaming across her face.

At this, Scarlet perked up. "Mirielle, do you remember anything after we arrived at the temple before?"

Mirielle blinked, her gaze wandering this way and that as she racked her brain for answers. After several seconds, all she could do was shake her head sadly.

Tank took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay... okay, let me make sure I've got all this straight. One, we're completely lost. Two, literally all of our stuff is gone. Three, we're missing a huge chunk of time somewhere between leaving town and waking up here. And four..." He paused briefly to give an impatient huff and stare incredulously at his hoof. "...for however much sense it makes, we have apparently been turned into ponies."

Scarlet nodded matter-of-factly. "An excellent summary."

"Ugh." Tank kicked a nearby rock in frustration and watched it roll over the grass. "That settles it then: this whole thing is patently absurd."

Mirielle looked up from staring at the strange heart-shaped emblem on her flank and nodded.

Scarlet placed a gentle hoof on Tank's shoulder. "Inclined as I am to agree as well - quite wholeheartedly, in fact - sitting here stewing over it will do us little good."

Tank slowly stood up. "Well... you're not wrong, but where do we start? We have no way of knowing where to go."

With a quick hop, Mirielle hovered a few feet in the air and pointed a hoof over the crest of the hill on which they had awoken. Following her cue, Scarlet and Tank trotted to its peak for a better look.

"Oh, there's a town way over there!" Tank's expression brightened once again. "Right, you probably saw it while you were flying around earlier! Maybe some locals can help us figure out what's going on."

"Then that will be our first objective," Scarlet declared.

With that, the trio set off down the hill in the direction of the distant town.

Episode 1-2

"...Well, that sure raises a lot more questions than it answers, doesn't it?"

Scarlet, Tank, and Mirielle found themselves standing in the moonlight's shadow beneath a well-decorated oak tree, past which ponies of every size and color imaginable shuffled on their way toward a large cylindrical building in the center of town. Mirielle smiled as she watched them wander by, waving at any who happened to glance in her direction.

Scarlet rubbed the back of her neck. "Quite so. I think this all but confirms it..."

Tank quirked an eyebrow. "Care to share with the class?"

Scarlet's gaze turned skyward. "Before I do, have you had a look at the moon?"

"Huh? No, I was - oookay, that's... not normal," Tank declared. "Is that actually supposed to be the moon? It looks way too solid, and there's some kind of pattern on the surface that I can't quite make out..."

Scarlet nodded. "An unfamiliar landscape featuring an apparent civilization of sentient ponies, all under the light of a foreign moon... I can only conclude that we are no longer anywhere on Nexus."

Mirielle turned to stare incredulously at Scarlet.

"What." Tank merely blinked, unsure of how else to react. "Okay, but that's ridiculous though. We're nowhere near that level of technology, and even if we were, who would just drop three random people on another world for no apparent reason? And that's even ignoring the whole... pony thing." He lifted a forehoof and stared at it to illustrate the point.

Scarlet shook her head slowly and glanced over at Mirielle, who had resumed waving to the townsfolk. "I can offer no insight into how it happened, but I have little doubt that we are much further from home than I initially suspected."

Tank sighed. "Right... well, I guess that means our next order of business ought to be - "

"GASP"

Startled by the sudden loud voice, the three whirled around to find an unfamiliar pink pony staring at them. Her mane was tall and poofy in untidy yet consistent curls, and she seemed to be positively beaming, as though she had seen nothing more delightful that evening than the three of them awkwardly gathered there beneath the tree.

"Omigosh omigosh omigosh! More new ponies!" She danced in place excitedly at this discovery, but soon came to a halt, her grand smile rapidly degrading into a frown. "Aww, but there isn't enough time before the Summer Sun Celebration for another welcoming party..." As though on a toggle switch, she perked back up almost immediately afterward. "I know! You'll just have to come with us for now, and we'll have the party after!" She punctuated this declaration with another beaming grin, leaning so far forward that she nearly bumped noses with them.

The three companions simply stared for a moment, entirely unsure of how to react to so outlandish a greeting. Thankfully, they were spared the trouble of doing so by the appearance of a second pony, emerging from a doorway in the trunk of the tree. This one was purple, her very neatly kept mane parted in the front by a horn not much unlike Scarlet's, and a small reptilian-looking creature sitting perched on her back.

"Sigh... You seriously do this to everypony, don't you?" The purple pony's horn glowed softly for a moment, resulting in the door shutting behind her. "If they are new in town, I'm sure they're only staying for the Summer Sun Celebration before getting on their way, so there's no need to make such a fuss."

"Er...?" Scarlet looked confused for a moment, prompting Mirielle to nudge her with a hoof. "Ah, yes, of course! We came a long way to join in on the festivities."

The pink one seemed satisfied with this, and began bouncing up and down as though her legs were made of elastic. "Great! My name's Pinkie Pie! And this here is Twilight Sparkle. She's new in town, just like you! I bet we're all gonna be really good friends!"

"And I'm Spike!" The small reptile on Twilight's back stood up, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"And he's Spike!" Pinkie echoed the introduction for good measure. "So what are your names?"

Despite still being somewhat taken aback by the unorthodox introduction, Tank cleared his throat. "Right, uh. My name is Ale-mmph." Before he could finish, Scarlet had planted her hoof directly over his mouth.

"Would you pardon us for just a moment, please?" Scarlet gave a pleasant smile before reeling Tank and Mirielle close enough to whisper, turning away from their new acquaintances for a moment. "I would not advise revealing our identities here. We ought to maintain a low profile to avoid arousing suspicion or disrupting local affairs until we have a better working knowledge of this world."

Even in a whisper, the disdain in Tank's voice was clearly audible. "So you want us to come up with names that'll blend in with 'Pinkie' and 'Sparkle' over there, is that it?" Scarlet nodded, and the three of them turned back around.

"Ah, apologies. Now then, my name is, er..." Scarlet paused for a moment, struggling for whatever inspiration she could find. "Scarlet... Star...beam. Yes. And this is, ah..." She stared at Tank for a moment. "Tank... Buster."

Tank shrugged. "It's as good a name as any, I guess."

Scarlet nodded and turned to Mirielle, happily floating beside her. "And we also have, ah..."

Tank blurted out the first thing to come to mind. "Waterwing!"

Mirielle's smile faded, her wingbeats gradually slowing and lowering her back to the ground. Once landed, she fixed Tank with a blank stare. In response, he offered her a shrug and as disarming a smile as he could manage.

Twilight gave another impatient sigh. "There, we're all nice and introduced. Now can we get moving? We're going to be late."

Pinkie took the lead, bouncing along happily with Tank and Mirielle close behind.

Tank sighed once again and lowered his voice. "Look, I'm sorry if you're upset. It was just the first thing I thought of, since we couldn't really play off your actual name. Plus, water wings are for keeping people safe, and that's kinda your job too, so it seemed fitting enough..."

Mirielle smiled and briefly gave Tank's neck a gentle nuzzle.

Scarlet, meanwhile, noticed Twilight behind her staring rather intently at the moon and slowed a little to let her catch up. "Miss Sparkle, was it? Is something the matter?"

Twilight gave her an oddly meaningful look. "I guess we're going to find out."

Episode 1-3

The three companions found themselves standing amid a fairly dense crowd of ponies in what they assumed to be the town hall. The chatter was fairly light, most instead waiting eagerly for the festivities to begin at any moment.

Well, save perhaps one notable exception.

"Are you excited? I hope you're excited, 'cause I'm excited! But I'm always excited whenever there are this many ponies all in one place, 'cause it usually means a party and parties are super fun!" Pinkie Pie's rapid-fire chattering was easily audible above the low din. Having rather quickly gotten into the spirit of things despite still lacking any context for the event, "Waterwing" nodded happily in response before letting her gaze wander around at all the decorations hung from the railings and ceiling.

Tank looked over his shoulder for a moment before turning to Scarlet, his voice low. "I've already planned our escape route in case this turns out to be some kind of weirdo ritual. The hors d'oeuvres and the punch bowl will almost certainly end up as collateral damage, but that's a price I'm willing to pay."

Scarlet quirked an eyebrow and smirked. "Do be careful with that flippant attitude of yours, 'Tank Buster.' One might accuse you of intending not to take the event seriously."

Tank rolled his eyes. "Whatever, 'Starbeam.' Heavens forbid one of us keeps track of what's actually going on here, and if I have to turn up the snark to do it, I will."

A chorus of songbirds conducted by a yellow pegasus interrupted their banter with a brief fanfare as a spotlight descended on the stage, illuminating a beige pony wearing wide-rimmed glasses. "Welcome, fillies and gentlecolts, to this year's Summer Sun Celebration!" This was met with cheers from the audience. "As many of you already know, our radiant princess has elected to hold this year's celebration of the longest day of the year right here in our fair Ponyville! As such, in my capacity as mayor, I am honored to introduce to you... bringer of the sun and moon, champion of harmony across all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"

The songbird fanfare returned as the curtain parted, a spotlight at the ready to shine upon... an empty balcony.

"Uh." Tank quirked an eyebrow. "...This is bad, right?"

The mayor stood frozen for a moment, visibly confused, before looking over the crowd nervously. "We seem to be experiencing some minor difficulties, everypony. Please wait warmly for just a moment..."

"She's gone!" declared a white unicorn from up on the balcony, prompting the entire assembly to gasp in surprise.

"Oh no..." came Twilight's fearful whisper.

A strange sparkling mist began leaking in through the windows and gathering on the balcony, looking almost like the distilled essence of the night sky. As they watched, the mist rose at once and parted, revealing itself to be the mane and tail of a tall, imposing jet black pony. She wore a helm and breastplate of a cool blue, the latter sporting a crescent-shaped emblem identical to the one on her flank.

Tank took a careful step back, glancing between his comrades beside him and the strange pony on the balcony. "I'm getting the sneaking suspicion this isn't the princess we were expecting..."

"Oh, it has been ever so long since I got to see my beloved subjects..." The intruder's voice was clear and deep, and carried an air of great authority.

"You give Princess Celestia back right now!" demanded a colorful pegasus a little ways behind Scarlet. As she turned to look, the pegasus prepared to take to the air in challenge, but quickly found herself immobile; an orange pony had taken hold of the pegasus's tail with her teeth to prevent her from confronting the intruder.

The dark pony gave a bemused chuckle. "Why, it's almost as though nopony remembers me after a thousand years of imprisonment! If the ponies of this age can't be bothered to do their homework, it's no wonder you all seem so surprised."

Twilight took a step forward, scowling up at the balcony. "I did! And I know who you are, Nightmare Moon! If you think you can cast eternal night over Equestria, you've got another thing coming!" This declaration elicited a collective gasp from the crowd.

The intruder chuckled again. "My, what a rebel you are! But I'm afraid you're sadly out of your depth, my little pony. I hope you all remember this day well, for it was your last - henceforth, the night will last forever!" At this, she gave in to triumphant laughter, her starry mist swirling in a great vortex overhead.

"I think not!"

Nightmare Moon's theatrics ebbed. The crowd parted, the better to see who had spoken... and standing in the center of the room, her two companions still by her side, was Scarlet. She fixed the intruder with an indignant stare.

"Wh - " Tank sighed incredulously. "Maintain a low profile, you said. No disrupting local affairs, you said. Are you serious right now?!"

Scarlet's eyes flashed, still fixed on those of Nightmare Moon. "I will not suffer such an unscrupulous ruffian and her delusions of grandeur endangering innocents in my presence."

"Oh, is that so?" Nightmare Moon's smirk returned. "I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. If you have any complaints, then by all means, bring them directly to me!"

"Gladly!" Scarlet's horn glowed with a bright pink aura as she prepared a spell...

...only to have it dissipate a second later, her concentration broken by the sudden appearance of Waterwing hovering in her line of fire. "W-What?"

Waterwing shook her head at Scarlet, gesturing toward the crowd. As Scarlet's gaze followed along, Waterwing's meaning was soon clarified by all the apprehensive faces - they couldn't challenge the intruder with such a crowd of ponies nearby without putting them in danger. Still glaring daggers up at the balcony, Scarlet took a step back, prompting Nightmare Moon to give the trio a derisive sneer.

"Guards, seize this villain immediately!"

The mayor, however, apparently lacked similar qualms about engaging the enemy so close to the crowd. At her command, a trio of winged soldiers nearby took to the air toward Nightmare Moon, only to be quickly struck down by a fierce whirlwind emanating from the vortex overhead. Before anyone else could join the fight, the intruder dissolved back into her starry mist and burst through the front door.

Scarlet charged after in an attempt to give chase, but by the time she made it out the door, Nightmare Moon had already disappeared into the night. Tank Buster and Waterwing caught up with her a few seconds later.

Tank scanned the sky briefly. "I'm guessing she got away?"

Scarlet sighed and turned to her companions. "I realize just how much this is to ask of you, but - "

"We'll do it."

Scarlet blinked. "Er...?"

"You were about to ask if we'll help them beat this Nightmare Moon character." Tank smirked and glanced at Waterwing, who nodded her agreement. "I mean, I still think this whole thing is incredibly silly... but if these ponies are actually in trouble, it's our duty to help, right?"

Scarlet smiled and gave a quiet sigh of relief. Before she could say anything further, however, something purple galloped past the three of them at full speed.

Tank scratched his head. "Is it just me, or did that look like Twilight?"

Waterwing hovered in front of her and nodded intently, beckoning the two of them with one forehoof and pointing after Twilight with the other. Tank and Scarlet exchanged brief glances before nodding back to Waterwing, and the three took off down the road to catch up with their new friend.

Episode 1-4

“Elements, elements… ugh! How am I supposed to stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight Sparkle ran back and forth through the library, frantically flipping through book after book in search of clues. Absorbed in her task as she was, she failed to notice several pairs of hoofsteps behind her.

“Perhaps this might be of use?” Scarlet Starbeam’s magic held aloft a dark red book with a fancy gold trim along the binding.

Twilight immediately yanked it from Scarlet’s magical grip and stared at the cover for a moment before looking up at the trio of ponies in front of her. “‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.’ Where did you find this?”

Waterwing hovered beside one of the bookcases, pointing at a shelf labeled with a large block letter E.

Twilight blinked. “…Oh.” Turning her attention back to the book, she flipped forward several pages, skimming the text as quickly as she could. “Okay, let’s see… embodiment of harmonious conduct… manifest as small jewels or spheres… oh, here we go! 'It is unknown exactly how many Elements there are, but five have thus far been discovered: Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, and Loyalty. The last known location of these Elements is the Castle of the Two Sisters… located deep inside the Everfree Forest…” Her tone quickly turned from eager to fearful as she reached the end of the passage.

“Oh, macguffin hunting! Well that’s straightforward enough.” Tank Buster turned first to Waterwing and then to Scarlet, both of whom met his smile with their own. “We’re pretty familiar with the concept. So where’s this forest then? The sooner we get these elements, the sooner we can put this whole thing to bed. Uh…” He glanced out the window at the dark sky above. “…No pun intended.”

Twilight winced. “I don’t think you understand… The Everfree Forest is - ”

“Hey! We’re coming too!”

A commanding voice from behind the trio announced the presence of no less than five more ponies. As Scarlet and her companions spun around, they quickly found themselves face-to-face with several vaguely familiar faces from the earlier ceremony. The colorful pegasus stood at the fore of the group, flanked by the orange pony who had held her tail and the unicorn from the balcony. Picking up the rear was none other than Pinkie Pie, followed by a yellow pegasus that took Scarlet a moment to recognize as the conductor of the choir. The trio gave the new group a decent berth as they entered the library.

“You know what’s going on here, don’t you?” The orange pony adjusted her hat as she spoke, fixing Twilight with a serious gaze.

Twilight took a deep breath. “I’ll explain on the way if you’re coming along, but we need to move quickly. I don’t know how long it’ll be before Nightmare Moon finds out what we’re doing.”

“For all we know, she already has.” Scarlet stepped forward. “We ought to proceed under that assumption. But yes, time is at a premium; we would do well to leave immediately.”

“Um, wait…” A small voice came from the yellow pegasus at the back of the group. “Who, um… who are they…?” Her eyes, half-hidden by her bright pink mane, darted back and forth between the three strange ponies she didn’t recognize.

Twilight sighed. “Okay, quick introductions from everypony, and then we really seriously need to get moving.”

The orange pony spoke up first, smiling at the trio and tipping her hat. “Name’s Applejack! Proud owner of Sweet Apple Acres! Nice to meet you.”

The colorful pegasus quickly flew in as large a loop as the confines of the library would allow before coming to a stop in front of Scarlet. “I’m Rainbow Dash! Best flier in all of Equestria, at your service.”

“Why, I remember you three from earlier,” declared the white unicorn. “Very bold of you, standing up to Nightmare Moon like that, if only briefly.” Her deep purple mane seemed to flow like water with each movement of her head. “You can call me Rarity, darlings~”

Pinkie Pie bounced forward. “Hi, I’m Pinkie!”

Scarlet smirked. “Yes, Pinkie. We met earlier, if you recall.”

“I know!” The poofy pink pony beamed, her curly tail swishing happily.

Several pairs of eyes soon came to rest on the quiet yellow pegasus. “Oh, well…” She shifted uncomfortably, almost seeming to shrink beneath all the attention. “I’m… um… F-Fluttershy…” She seemed to be avoiding eye contact at any cost, and her voice was barely audible above the ambient noise from outside.

Scarlet’s horn glowed blue for a moment as rings of shining light surrounded the deep red pony, quickly rising into the air and fading from sight. Satisfied with her display, she turned to address the new ponies. “I am Scarlet Starbeam, expert magician and ally of justice.” She punctuated this sentence with a proud grin.

Looking somewhat bemused by his comrade’s flashy introduction, Tank took a step forward and shrugged. “Name’s Tank Buster. I punch bad guys in the face, I guess.”

Waterwing took her opportunity to fly in circles over everyone’s heads for a moment before landing gently beside Scarlet. With bright eyes and a broad smile, she gave the group before her an enthusiastic wave.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “Uh…?”

Scarlet ruffled Waterwing’s mane affectionately. “This is Waterwing. Her energetic demeanor belies her skill with a first aid kit.”

The five new arrivals stood still, offering a variety of expressions in response to the introductions of the three unfamiliar ponies. Applejack in particular quirked an eyebrow. “Those are, uh…”

“…very lovely names indeed!” Rarity stepped forward with an awkward smile, doing her best to cover for her friend.

Tank rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. “Right, like literally being called 'Rainbow’ is any better. Seriously, what is with these names…?”

Twilight pointed at each pony in turn. “…six, seven, eight. Alright, that’s everypony. Now, we can’t waste any more time, so let’s get moving!”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Rainbow Dash excitedly threw her hoof into the air. “Wait, so where are we going again?”

“The Everfree Forest?!”

A series of incredulous voices cried out as the crew stood at the edge of a dense, ominous-looking wood.

“Whee, let’s go!” Pinkie, however, was as bubbly as could be, and trotted to the front of the group.

Twilight sighed. “I shouldn’t have let the rest of you get roped into this. I’d really rather find the Elements by myself.”

Scarlet sat back for a moment, fiddling with the ribbon in her mane. “Working together in a party will both bolster our chance of success and limit casualties. It is in the best interests of all that we should accompany you.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Yup! Besides, we’re not letting any friend of ours head into any creepy forests alone. We’re sticking to you like caramel on a candy apple!” With that, she and the rest of the group made their way down the path into the forest. With another sigh, Twilight followed along at the rear.

“So what’s supposed to be dangerous about this place, anyway?” Tank found himself looking this way and that, peering out over a nearby cliff. “You know, beside the fact that I can barely see five yards ahead.”

“It ain’t natural,” Applejack explained. “Folks say it don’t work the same as the rest of Equestria. The plants and animals living here take care of themselves, with nopony feeding them or watching over them.”

From beside her, Rarity gave an unnerved shudder. “What a dreadful place…”

Tank, however, scoffed. “Wait, are you kidding? A self-sustaining biome sounds perfectly natural from where I’m standing. If that’s really what everyone is worried about, then this is gonna be a walk in the WAUGH”

Without warning, the ground beneath the nine of them crumbled to dust under their hooves. The three pegasi immediately took to the air in reflex, but quickly realized that the rest of their friends were skidding uncontrollably down the cliffside.

“Fluttershy! Waterwing! MOVE!” Rainbow Dash commanded before diving downward at top speed.

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Fluttershy glanced over at Waterwing, who nodded, and the two of them dove after Rainbow. In a flash, three of the plummeting ponies found three pairs of wings slowing their descent dramatically. Unfortunately, this did not account for everyone.

“Scarlet!” Tank’s voice rang in Scarlet’s ears as she tumbled toward the rapidly approaching canyon floor below. Closing her eyes in her best attempt at concentration, the ground beneath her glowed a magical green just as -

Fwoomf.

A patch of tall, shaggy grass had sprung up just before Scarlet landed, and now hid her from view. As the pegasi and their passengers landed, the six of them stared at it nervously, awaiting whatever sign of Scarlet’s fate was to come. Sure enough, a dizzy red unicorn came stumbling out of the grass, to a collective sigh of relief from the rest.

Scarlet shook the disorientation from her head and brushed some dust from her ribbon. “Well! I suppose any landing one survives is preferable to the alternative.” It was then that she noticed everyone’s attention had drifted to something overhead. “Hm?”

Twilight dangled from the cliffside high above, clinging to Applejack for dear life. As the seven of them watched, Twilight suddenly released her grip and plummeted toward the canyon floor, screaming the whole way.

“What is she even doing?!” Tank dashed forward, ready to make whatever attempt he could think of to catch her, but soon skidded to a stop; in the time it had taken him to react, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had already snagged her from the air, and were now gently lowering her to the ground. Applejack, meanwhile, deftly scaled her way down the cliffside using a series of narrow ledges just large enough for the purpose.

Tank gave the newly rescued Twilight an incredulous look. “Okay, I’ll admit that took some serious guts, but what in the void possessed you to just let go like that?”

Twilight looked over her shoulder at Applejack for a moment before responding. “I guess maybe I’m learning a thing or two about trust.”

Tank scratched his head for a moment and opened his mouth to speak, but settled for simply shrugging instead.

Scarlet stepped forward. “If everyone is still in one piece…”

Twilight nodded. “We haven’t a moment to spare. Let’s go, everypony!”

“…and then we were all like, WHOOSH, and caught you right in the nick of time!” Still riding the rush of excitement, Rainbow Dash did a midair roll over Twilight’s head and landed beside her, beaming with pride.

“Yes, Rainbow, I haven’t forgotten. That was less than ten minutes ago.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “And I’m very grateful, but we really - ”

“…ought to identify the creature up ahead, as it appears to be blocking our path.” Scarlet pointed ahead of them at the creature in question, which gave an irritated growl in response. It resembled a lion in most respects, down to the mane and paws, but also sported a pair of leathery bat-like wings and a long, segmented tail ending in a likely venomous stinger.

Twilight recoiled in alarm. “A manticore!”

“A what?” Tank quirked an eyebrow and glanced over at Waterwing, who simply shrugged and shook her head. “It just looks like somebody glued wings and a tail to a lion. Whatever, let’s just beat it up and move on.” He turned to Scarlet. “Alright, what’s the plan?”

“Um, wait…” came a small voice from behind them, but no one seemed to notice.

Scarlet straightened her ribbon. “I will attack from the front to draw its attention. Tank, stay against the wall there and wait to flank. Waterwing, maintain a height of at least - ”

“YAAAAH!” Scarlet’s plan was interrupted by the cry of one Rainbow Dash as she took off like a bullet, aiming straight for the manticore, but was quickly knocked away by a quick swipe of its tail.

The rest of the group stared blankly for a few seconds, after which Tank sighed. “Or, y'know, we could just charge in blindly instead. That’s kind of like tactics, right?”

“Wait…!” the small voice again insisted. The manticore chose this moment to charge at the group at full speed, but as the rest of the ponies scattered, Rarity stood her ground and turned the attacker away with a sudden powerful kick to the face.

“Ha! Take that, you ruffian!” By this time, however, the manticore had already recovered from the blow, and let loose a furious roar right in Rarity’s face, eliciting from her a terrified “EEP!” and causing her to quickly retreat.

“Wait!” the voice commanded a third time, finally resulting in Waterwing whirling around to find Fluttershy standing there, her normally meek demeanor replaced with a rather uncharacteristic determination. “I have an idea. Cover me.” Waterwing blinked and tilted her head, but this earned her no further elaboration from Fluttershy in response. With a quick shrug, she nodded and took to the air, hovering several feet over Fluttershy’s head.

As the rest of the group looked on in confusion, the two pegasi approached the manticore slowly. The creature raised a clawed paw into the air and prepared to strike, but Fluttershy didn’t even flinch. Instead, she took a step forward and gently nuzzled the manticore’s other paw with her snout. “Shhh… it’s okay…” she whispered, causing the manticore to pause. After a moment, it seemed to find her nonthreatening enough to lower its claws, and instead turned over its other paw to reveal a large thorn embedded in it. “Oh, no, you poor thing!” she concluded, looking it over carefully. “This might hurt just a bit…” Grasping the thorn in her teeth, she yanked it out in one quick motion.

Waterwing winced as the manticore roared with pain, preparing to dive and pull Fluttershy away from the creature, but soon realized that it wasn’t angry; rather, Fluttershy giggled as it happily licked her mane. Satisfied that it seemed no longer inclined to fight, Waterwing wiped a bit of nervous sweat from her forehead and landed slowly a few feet past the manticore, motioning to the rest of the group to follow as she did so.

As the other ponies moved on ahead, Twilight, Scarlet, and Waterwing waited for a moment to let Fluttershy catch up, staring briefly at her disheveled mane.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “How did you know about the thorn?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “I didn’t! I just wanted to see if there was a way for us to avoid a fight. I think it’s better for everypony that way.” She brushed at her mane for a moment, only partially succeeding in straightening it. “I just needed a little backup first. Thank you for your help, Waterwing.” She offered a soft smile, and Waterwing nodded happily.

Scarlet rubbed at her neck. “Avoiding confrontation whenever possible is a policy I often give too little credit…”

Twilight spoke up again as the four of them trotted along behind the others. “Rock slides and manticores though… What else is this crazy forest going to throw at us tonight?”

Scarlet frowned. “I fear we may have your answer all too soon…”

Episode 1-5

Nine ponies continued their trek through the forest, the moonlight casting an eerie glow over the damp foliage all around them.

“Ugh… My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck.” Rarity turned up her nose at the distasteful scenery, her eyes shifting from one soggy tree or moss-covered boulder to the next. As if on cue, the canopy overhead closed up, leaving the path ahead in near-complete darkness. “That wasn’t quite what I meant…”

Twilight frowned. “The castle could be right in front of our faces and we wouldn’t even know it.”

Tank quirked an eyebrow. “How is it that, between the nine of us, nobody thought to bring a flashlight into the spooky dark forest?” He took a deep breath and used it to let out a sigh. “Wait, I think I see moonlight up ahead. Is that a clearing?”

The party made their way toward it with more haste than care, but soon found themselves bunched together as Pinkie, the lead pony, had come to a sudden halt. Trembling, she pointed one hoof ahead of her at something standing in the center of the clearing.

“What is THAT?” she screeched.

A dark, imposing figure several meters tall towered over them from the center of the clearing. Backlit by the moon, its features were cast in shadow, save for a pair of ominous glowing eyes peering down at the group. It had numerous long, spindly arms stretching every which way, each ending in several haphazard needle-like claws. Though it stood perfectly still, its howling breath could be heard throughout the clearing.

“W-W-What do we do…?” Twilight shrank back, her entire body visibly trembling in abject terror. “I-I’m s-so scared I c-can’t move…”

“I’m not!” declared the bold voice of Rainbow Dash. Unfortunately, this came with the realization that her forelegs were wrapped firmly around Applejack. The latter, despite also shivering fearfully, gave Rainbow a sideways glance, causing the colorful pegasus to avert her gaze. “O-Okay, m-maybe a little…”

All nine ponies stood paralyzed with fear, clutching one another desperately for comfort or simply staring unblinkingly at the unknown figure watching them intently. For what seemed like an eternity, no one moved.

Then, slowly, one pony gingerly took a step forward.

“Tank…?” Gently cradling a terrified Fluttershy, Scarlet’s voice came in slow, measured breaths. “…what in the void are you doing…?”

Eyes focused solely on the task of maintaining eye contact with the figure, Tank took another shaky step toward it. “I don’t care what this thing is. We didn’t…” His voice caught in his throat for a moment. “We didn’t come all this way to… to give up now.” He glared at the figure indignantly. “I’m… I’m gonna punch it.”

“B-Be careful, Tank Buster!” Twilight bit her lip in apprehension as she watched him march slowly toward the figure, until he finally stood directly in front of it. In spite of the proximity, he still couldn’t tell just what it was he was looking at, but he couldn’t afford to back down now.

“Alright, you. Come and take your medicine.” Winding up one foreleg, Tank struck the figure as hard as he could with his hoof… resulting in a loud ‘clack.’

“…”

After several seconds had passed with no reaction from the figure, Tank let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding. Blinking in bewilderment, he poked several more times; this ‘figure’ seemed strangely hard and hollow. A careful step back placed him just beneath one of the lower arms, and with a short hop, he snagged one of the 'claws’ in his teeth and easily snapped it off, holding it in his mouth for a moment before spitting it to the ground. Turning back to the party behind him, his gaze met eight pairs of eyes staring at him intently, waiting with bated breath for his verdict.

Tank sighed. “This is a tree.”

It seemed to take a moment for this information to register, as at first no one spoke. Then, without warning, the clearing filled with the raucous giggling of a particular pink pony. “That’s… the funniest thing… I’ve heard all week!” Pinkie’s words came in between peals of laughter. “I was like, 'Oh my goodness, what is THAT?’ and you’re all like 'You silly, THAT’S A TREE!’” At this she collapsed to the ground in yet another fit of mirthful giggles.

At first the others simply stared at Pinkie, but her laughter quickly proved contagious, soon resulting in the entire pony party filling the clearing with their gleeful giggling.

“Haha… oh my goodness, I haven’t laughed that hard in forever.” Twilight wiped a tear from her eye. “I think we all needed that… Thanks, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie beamed. “Yupyup! Laughing always helps cheer me up when I’m nervous or scared! Or bored. Or confused. Or worried. Or frustrated. Or…” Her voice seemed to trail off as she pondered more examples.

“And you too, Tank Buster.” Twilight turned to Tank. “I don’t know why exactly that tree had us all spooked, but you beat it.”

Tank shrugged, trying his best to suppress a self-satisfied smirk. “I mean, all I did was punch it. That’s kinda my job right there.”

Applejack scratched her head. “What in tarnation was all that about, anyway?”

“Who cares?” Rainbow Dash was still grinning. “We’re not gonna let some dumb old tree stop us now. Let’s go!” With that, she took off for the far side of the clearing.

As the others moved on ahead, the three companions hung back for a moment.

“You two did notice that, I assume?” Scarlet glanced between her comrades for a moment. Waterwing met her look with a nod, but Tank merely blinked.

“Notice what? I didn’t… oh, wait.” He looked back over his shoulder at the tree. “Oh, now I see it. Yup, that’s a fear enchantment. Looks like you were right. Let’s go catch up with Twilight so we can warn her about - ”

“No.”

Tank stared at Scarlet for a moment before lifting a hoof to his face in irritation. “Okay, are you still on about this whole 'maintaining cover’ thing? I really don’t like the idea of keeping secrets from our allies just because you don’t want to explain to them why we can sense magic and they can’t.”

Scarlet gave a small sigh. “We cannot risk giving them any reason to doubt our loyalty if we want to see this through. I will not send innocent people off to a fight they cannot win.”

Tank gave a sigh that mimicked Scarlet’s. “Well, if you’re that sure they won’t trust us otherwise…”

Scarlet blinked, suddenly looking around. “Just a moment… where is - ?”

“Hey!” came the distant voice of Rainbow Dash, beside whom floated Waterwing. “What’s the holdup?”

Scarlet and Tank exchanged glances and shrugs before bolting across the clearing to catch up with the others.

“There, that ought to do it.” The glow upon Rarity’s horn subsided.

Scarlet shook her head briefly in an attempt to dislodge her newly-retied ribbon, smiling when it remained solidly secured to her mane. “Much better. Thank you, Rarity.”

Rarity beamed. “Always happy to help with such a bold fashion statement, dear~”

The smiles soon subsided, however, as the party came upon a dangerously roaring river.

Pinkie Pie tilted her head and blinked. “How are we gonna get across this?”

Before anyone could respond, the cry of someone wailing in despair could be heard a ways away, and a quick trot upstream revealed the source to be a serpentine creature at least two stories tall, hands over its face as it made a series of dramatic sobbing sounds. Its violet scales glimmered in the moonlight, and its fiery orange hair was as neatly slicked and well kept as its matching moustache.

Tank gave a nonchalant shrug. "You know what, this may as well exist. It's not even the strangest thing I've seen today."

The rest of the ponies gave one another a variety of confused looks before Twilight took a step forward. "Uh... excuse me, sir? Why are you crying?"

“Oh, I’ve had such a dreadful accident…” The serpent gave a loud sniff as he lowered his hands and turned to face the pony party, revealing that one end of his moustache had been hastily torn off. “I was just having a lovely swim along the river bed when a big jagged rock came tumbling along out of nowhere and sliced off my beautiful moustache! I look simply horrid now…”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Oh, gimme a break. Are you serious?”

Rarity scoffed. “Why, of course he is!” She trotted up to the serpent and gave him a gentle pat with her hoof. “These beautiful scales, this gorgeous mane! It’s all as good as ruined with that moustache in such a state…” After pacing back and forth for a few seconds, she turned and approached Scarlet. “Sweetheart, would one of those fancy spells of yours be good for a bit of a trim?”

Scarlet blinked. “Er… yes, I have something prepared that should suffice. Why?”

“Fabulous!” Rarity quickly reached backward, wrapping the end of her tail around her hoof and pulling it taut. “Right there then if you would, dear. Just be careful to leave me a few inches.”

Scarlet looked taken aback. “Wait, you… wish for me to sever your tail?”

“Yes! Please, quickly.” Rarity’s eyes betrayed her reluctance as she said this, but she seemed determined.

“Very well.” Scarlet’s horn glowed and a blade of air formed for a fraction of a second, just long enough to slice cleanly through Rarity’s tail, leaving the majority of its length still wrapped around her hoof.

“Marvelous!” Taking hold of it with her own magic, Rarity levitated the severed tail over to the serpent’s face and tied it neatly to the torn end of his moustache.

The serpent blinked, staring at the end of his own snout for a moment as a grin spread across his face. “Oh, my moustache! This is wonderful!”

Scarlet looked a little deflated. “Rarity, are you certain this is what you wanted? You had such a lovely tail…”

“Oh it’s alright, dear. Short tails are in this season!” Rarity looked back at her severed tail, giving it a somewhat melancholy smile. “Besides, it’ll grow back soon enough…”

“Okay, well that’s great and all,” interjected Tank, “but I don’t see how this helps us get six flightless ponies across a river.”

“Ah, but I must disagree!” declared the serpent, who stretched his body to its full length and laid it out from one river bank to the other, forming a scaly bridge across.

“Thank you ever so much, darling~” Rarity beamed once again as the party carefully climbed their way over the serpent to the other side of the river, pausing for a moment to give him a friendly wave farewell before he and the river disappeared from sight behind them.

Episode 1-6

As the party marched on, the foliage once again parted, only to be replaced with a patch of dense fog. In spite of this, however, the crumbling spires of an old ruined keep were visible in the moonlight some distance away.

Twilight gasped. “There it is! The Castle of the Two Sisters, the last known location of the Elements of Harmony! We finally made it!”

Tank took a deep breath and let it out. “I really hope that book of yours was right about this, Twilight. If those Elements aren’t here, then we are in some seriously deep YIKE” Scrambling backward as his front hoof missed the ground, he quickly realized he’d just discovered the chasm standing in the way of their destination.

Rainbow Dash giggled. “Dude, what’s with you and falling off cliffs today?”

Tank grumbled.

Scarlet peered carefully over the edge beside the supports of a fallen rope bridge nearby. “Well, I imagine at some point in the past we might have crossed this bridge, but it seems of little use to us now.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it!” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Look down there, see? The bridge is still in one piece; it just came untied. Gimme ten seconds and I’ll have this thing back up.” Without further ado, she dipped down into the fog and snatched up the dangling end of the bridge.

“Be careful, Rainbow!” Twilight called after her, but got no response as Rainbow Dash flew back up and disappeared into the mist. Sure enough, one side of the bridge rose up and wobbled as the other end was fastened securely.

Then ten seconds passed, and the bridge was still only half tied. A minute followed along, with no change.

“Rainbow! What’s taking so long?” Twilight called out into the haze once again, but met only the sound of the breeze in reply.

“Oh no, what if she’s in trouble?” Fluttershy’s ears drooped. “What do we do…?”

Waterwing glanced in the direction of the chasm for a moment before giving Fluttershy a reassuring pat and a confident smile, then pointing at herself with her hoof.

“Huh?” Fluttershy blinked. “I, um… I don’t really understand…”

Waterwing blinked in kind, but settled for simply shaking her head. With hardly another moment’s consideration, she spun around, spread her wings wide, and bolted off through the air after Rainbow Dash, a faint “Wait, what?” from Twilight barely reaching her ears as the rest of the party faded into the haze behind her.

Quickly reaching the other side of the chasm, Waterwing slowed to a hover and peered through the fog at two barely visible pony-shaped figures a few yards from the bridge supports, with a pair of voices attached.

“But… Spitfire, I don’t get it. Why do I - ”

“That’s Captain to you, Rainbow Dash.”

Waterwing immediately recognized the first voice as belonging to a strangely uneasy-sounding Rainbow Dash, but she was quickly cut off by the second, which caused Waterwing to duck just below the cliff to avoid detection, peeking out over the edge for an indistinct view of what was going on as the second voice spoke again.

“You don’t get it? This is a test of your conviction. You are one of the best fliers I have ever seen, and you more than deserve a place in my squadron. I can even see you rising as far as my rank or higher before you know it, but only if you prove to me your dedication. Leave those nobody ponies behind you and walk the path of your destiny, Rainbow Dash!”

There was a pause, and one of the figures began pacing back and forth for a moment before coming once again to a halt. “You… really think I could be captain?”

“You have the skill and the presence of a leader. All you need now is that conviction! Show me that your aspirations for greatness are higher than your flimsy attachments to a bunch of worthless ponies. Prove to me you have what it takes to be Captain Rainbow Dash of the Wonderbolts!”

Rainbow Dash resumed pacing. “Oh man, oh man… Captain Rainbow Dash, that’s so cool…! Everything I’ve dreamed of for years, and it’s right here in my hooves…” She soon slowed to a stop once again, turning to face the other figure. “There’s only one choice I could possibly make then. Captain Spitfire?”

Waterwing held her breath, her ears drooping as she shook her head sadly.

“No deal,” came Rainbow’s answer.

Waterwing let out a sigh of relief, wiping beads of sweat from her brow.

“What.” Spitfire took an aggressive step forward, but Rainbow Dash held her ground.

“Those aren’t just ‘a bunch of worthless ponies’ - those are my friends! And in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the middle of something really important! The only way we’re going to stop Nightmare Moon is if we work together. If what the Wonderbolts are looking for is somepony who turns her back on her friends when they need her, then you can count me out!” With that, Rainbow Dash turned her back on Spitfire and made for the half-tied bridge.

“Poor choice.”

As soon as Rainbow’s back was turned, the silhouette of Spitfire seemed to dissolve with a loud RIP into an indistinct mass that immediately lashed out with a long appendage toward Rainbow, who emitted a grunt of pain as she tripped and hit the ground. The sound of hooves scraping the dirt and wings flapping desperately soon followed.

“Rrrgh, ow! Let me go, you - ow! You little…” Whatever attempts Rainbow was making to free herself were quickly proving fruitless.

Waterwing shook off her hesitation, darting out of her hiding spot and racing toward Rainbow Dash. Peering through the fog as she approached revealed the assailant to be an animate mass of thorny vines, one of which was wrapped firmly around one of Rainbow’s hind legs. The remains of a badly ripped jacket lay nearby.

Rainbow Dash gave a small start as she recognized Waterwing flying toward her. “W-Waterwing? Wait, stop!” She flailed her forehooves as she struggled, prompting Waterwing to come to a halt in midair. “If you get too close, it’ll grab you too! Find something to throw at it!” As Waterwing’s response to this was merely to look left and right for a moment before turning back to her, Rainbow continued. “I don’t know, something heavy! A rock! Anything! HELP!!”

Waterwing winced at Rainbow’s yell, quickly rising higher in the air for a better look around. Her eyes darted this way and that in search of anything at all that might help Rainbow Dash, but her heart sank a little further with every oversized rock and dead tree over which her gaze passed. Suddenly, however, what might be her one chance made itself known in the form of one of the aforementioned trees, its barren trunk standing tall in spite of all the rotten wood at both its base and its severed top, only a few feet from the vine creature.

Taking up position in midair a little ways past it, Waterwing stared at a spot near the top of the trunk. She had to be certain it would fall just right - a second shot was out of the question. Backing up just a little more for momentum, Waterwing dove straight at the tree as quickly as her wings would carry her and collided, bits of bark flying everywhere as she crashed clear through the rotten wood. The base of the tree crumbled just enough from the impact to send the whole thing toppling over… right on top of the vine creature, resulting in a loud SPLAT.

Rainbow Dash’s struggles finally came to fruition as the vine around her leg loosed its grip, and she toppled forward a few feet in her haste before coming to a stop in the grass. Waterwing landed gently a few feet away, taking a moment to brush bits of wood from her mane before trotting up to Rainbow to have a look at her leg. Blood trickled from numerous puncture wounds dotting a large bruise that circled the spot where the vine had gripped her.

“It’s not that bad, really! I can - ow.” Rainbow winced, the pain in her leg causing her to falter as she attempted to rise. Glancing around for a moment, Waterwing quickly found and retrieved the torn jacket from beside the defeated vine creature, brought it to Rainbow’s side, and began tearing strips of fabric from it with her teeth. Rainbow’s wincing continued as Waterwing gripped a wadded scrap of jacket in her mouth and used it to gently mop up some of the blood from the wounded leg.

A few moments passed before Rainbow spoke again. “You’re, uh… not gonna tell anypony I said all that sappy stuff, are you?”

Waterwing quirked an eyebrow and smirked at her in response.

Rainbow glanced away. “Oh… right.”

Waterwing’s smile faded, and she pointed her hoof directly at Rainbow’s face.

“Huh?” Rainbow blinked. “Wait, you think I should do it?”

Waterwing nodded, her smile returning as she gave Rainbow a hoof getting up. A second scrap of fabric was tied neatly around the injured leg, at which Rainbow stared for a moment. “Wait. That’s the uniform Spitfire was wearing, but…”

Waterwing tilted her head.

Rainbow continued. "...but if the monster was using some kind of magic to look and sound like a pony, then why did it need to wear a real jacket?"

Waterwing could only stare for a moment as she pondered the question. Before any epiphanies struck her, however, she gave a silent gasp and pointed in the direction of the bridge.

Rainbow looked over her shoulder and gasped in turn. “Oh man, the bridge! I almost forgot! Quick, let’s - ow.” She looked down at her injured leg and gave Waterwing a sheepish grin before gently taking flight as the two made to finish the job they’d started.

“Sorry to keep everypony waiting!”

A collective gasp came from the assembled ponies as a familiar pair of blue pegasi emerged from the fog and landed on the now-completed bridge in front of them.

Tank scratched his head. “Geez, what took you two so long?”

Twilight gasped, pointing at the makeshift bandaging on Rainbow Dash’s leg, into which a bit of fresh blood had already begun to seep. “Rainbow, your leg…!”

Tears began welling in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Oh no, you got hurt… I should’ve been there too, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s okay, I’ll be fine!” Rainbow Dash flashed a reassuring smile, giving Fluttershy a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Man, have we got a story for you guys, though.” She grinned at Waterwing, who smiled in turn and gave a nod of agreement. “C'mon, let’s go! The road to the castle is open; we’ll tell you on the way!”

Episode 1-7

“…and as soon as she finished, we rushed over to fix the bridge and catch up with you guys!”

Satisfied with her story, Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs as she floated along above Twilight, who took the next few seconds to process everything she’d just heard as she marched along.

“Waterwing?” Twilight finally broke her contemplation. “Was all of that really true?”

“Hey!” Rainbow protested.

To her credit, however, Waterwing nodded seriously.

“Hmm…” Twilight spent another moment in thought. “Well. I’m very proud of you both for making it out of all that in one piece… but that means Scarlet Starbeam was right.”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “About what?”

“Nightmare Moon knows we’re after the Elements.” A feeling of dread built up inside Twilight. “The rest could have all just been coincidences, but this one was a blatant trap… which almost certainly means they all were. We need to be really careful from here on out.”

At long last, their destination stood before them. Once a proud palace, the Castle of the Two Sisters now lay in ruins; its crumbling walls and ruined towers were overgrown with vines, and the front gate had long since weathered away.

As the others filed through the doorway, Rainbow Dash hung back for a moment, landing gingerly a few feet back. “Hey, Waterwing?”

Waterwing blinked and turned toward Rainbow, her head tilted.

“Uh…” Rainbow averted her gaze, rubbing one foreleg with the opposite hoof. “I don’t think I said it before, so um… thanks. You… probably saved my life back there.”

Waterwing calmly trotted up to Rainbow Dash and wrapped one foreleg around her, hugging gently. Rainbow gave a bashful smile, but this was short-lived; as soon as she caught sight of Twilight grinning at the both of them, her cheeks turned a soft crimson and she gently nudged Waterwing away.

“Yeah, yeah… I can only handle so much sap at once, okay? Let’s get going.”

Waterwing beamed, the two quickly following Twilight inside the castle.

The interior looked no better for the time it had spent abandoned; moonlight shone through the crumbled ceiling ten meters high at least, illuminating the dust and debris littering the floor. The hall in which they now found themselves stretched toward a dais at the end on which a pair of magnificent thrones stood, one midnight blue and the other golden yellow. A pair of tapestries hung above these, each depicting a regal-looking pony; one blue, whose crescent emblem stood flanked by stars, and the other yellow, whose sphere of daylight almost seemed to shine from the fabric. The walls were lined with tall doorways, through which staircases and halls presumably led to other parts of the castle.

Tank Buster glanced around at the fallen chunks of stone. “Well, this place has seen better days.”

Twilight marched to the fore of the group. “We should take a look around. There must be a clue somewhere that will lead us to the Elements.” She turned to face the group. “Nopony should go anywhere alone. Nightmare Moon has got to be lurking around here somewhere, so we can’t be too careful.”

Rainbow Dash floated up to a nearby staircase. “Hey, Fluttershy, let’s check out this - ow.” Suddenly wincing in pain, she landed gently and looked back at her injured leg, whose wrapping was a bit redder than it had been a few minutes ago.

“Oh no…” Fluttershy’s ears drooped as she flew to Rainbow Dash’s side. “Rainbow… I think you should rest instead.”

“Fluttershy, I’m fine! I just need to… ow.” Rainbow winced again. “Alright, maybe taking a breather isn’t such a bad idea…” Brushing some dust away, Rainbow curled up in the shadow of a particularly large fallen ceiling tile and laid her head down.

Waterwing gently took a seat next to Rainbow and turned to Fluttershy, pointing first at herself and then at Rainbow Dash.

“Are you going to look after her, then?” Fluttershy asked.

Waterwing nodded.

With that, the rest of the party split into groups to have a look around. Pinkie Pie bounced her way up a nearby staircase, followed close behind by Fluttershy, while Rarity and Applejack wandered down a dimly-lit corridor and peered into a side room. This left Twilight, Scarlet, and Tank examining the dais in the main hall.

Tank marched in a slow circle around the blue throne, eyeing it up and down. “So what exactly is this place again?”

Twilight tapped her hoof against the slabs of stone comprising the wall behind the thrones. “In the distant past, long before the forest grew around it, this was the royal palace. It was moved to Canterlot almost a thousand years ago.”

“Royal palace…?” Scarlet echoed the phrase, looking up briefly from her task of stepping on each floor tile in turn to look over the tapestries above the thrones. “Nightmare Moon did mention a crown when she appeared. Was she truly a member of the monarchy?”

Twilight looked over and nodded. “We don’t have time for the whole story now, but she used to be Princess Luna, Princess Celestia’s younger sister. She envied her elder sister’s position for so long that she gave in to her thirst for power and tried to take the throne by force. That’s when Princess Celestia used the raw energy of the five known Elements of Harmony to banish her to the moon.”

Tank climbed onto the blue throne and sat down. “So the current Princess Celestia is a descendant of the one from back then, I’m guessing?”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “Uh… no? They’re the same pony.”

Tank stood up. “Wait, what? How does that work? Nightmare Moon said she’d been imprisoned for a thousand years. That would mean Princess Celestia is well over a millennium old.”

Twilight stared at Tank quizzically. “Alicorn princesses live for thousands of years. Everypony knows that.”

“Oh.” Tank blinked. “Uh… right! Of course.” He gave Twilight a sheepish grin.

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but at that very moment, something caught her eye. “Wait, what’s this?”

The three of them gathered around to have a look at what turned out to be an odd-looking extrusion about an inch square on the back of the yellow throne.

Scarlet looked it over. “Is that a switch?”

“There’s one way to find out.” Twilight gently pressed it inward. Immediately, a portion of the back wall behind them began slowly and noisily sinking into the floor, revealing a staircase leading downward. A faint light came from the room down below.

Tank looked over his shoulder briefly. His gaze met Waterwing’s further back in the hall, and when she nodded, he turned back to Twilight. “Well, I doubt this is gonna be as easy as just the one switch, but let’s check it out regardless.”

With that, the three of them descended the staircase into the depths of the castle.

As soon as the trio reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight gasped. “Look, there they are!”

The hall in which they now found themselves was marginally smaller than the one they had just left. The walls lacked any windows or doors, and upon the dais at the far end sat a short column with a large glowing orb perched on top. Surrounding it were five smaller mounts attached to the central column, on which a series of colorful gemstones sat, one each shining brilliantly in shades of orange, purple, red, pink, and sky blue. The three ponies approached this monument slowly, the better to take in the brilliance of the display before them.

“Are those the Elements of Harmony, then?” Scarlet’s eyes lit up. “How beautiful…”

“Huh.” Tank shrugged. “Well, that was easy. So much for macguffin hunting, I guess.”

Twilight beamed. “This is perfect! Quick, let’s go collect everypony upstairs before Nightmare Moon gets here!”

Having turned back to face Twilight, Scarlet winced. “Er… Tank, you may have spoken a bit too soon…”

“Huh? Why do you - ?” As soon as Twilight caught sight of the staircase behind them, she stopped mid-sentence and her eyes went wide in terror.

Tank sighed. “Because you can’t really outrun someone when they’re already here.”

Nightmare Moon towered before them from the doorway, a nasty grin slowly spreading across her face.

Episode 1-8

Nightmare Moon strode confidently into the dimly-lit hall.

Scarlet glanced quickly over at Tank, keeping her voice low. “Are we prepared for this?”

“Of course we are,” Tank muttered sardonically. “Let’s see: no weapons, no armor, no extraction plan, no radio to call for backup, nontrivial chance of death… Yeah, I’d say we’re peachy!”

Nightmare Moon flashed them a sharp-toothed grin. “Well, well… you managed to worm your way out of all the traps I set for you! I’m almost impressed… and on top of that, you went and found the Elements of Harmony for me! Now that I wield the one weapon powerful enough to defeat me, I will be unstoppable!”

Tank quirked an eyebrow, staring at Nightmare Moon quizzically. "So you just couldn't figure out how to press a switch then?"

Ignoring Tank’s comment, Twilight took a careful step forward. “Not so fast, Nightmare Moon! We’re the ones with the Elements, and we’re going to use them to stop you!”

“Oh, is that so?” Nightmare Moon raised a hoof to her face in mock contemplation. “Pray, tell me how you plan on doing that, hmm?”

“Ha! All we have to do is, uh… wait…” Twilight’s eyes went wide again as her momentary confidence made way for panic.

Scarlet turned quickly to Twilight. “Is something the matter?”

Twilight’s gaze sank to the floor. “I… don’t actually know how to use the Elements of Harmony. The book just talked about the Elements themselves, not how to wield them.”

“Oh.” Tank blinked. “So are we just dead then, or what?”

Scarlet shot him a disapproving glare.

Twilight turned back toward the Elements. “If I had more time, there might still be a way to draw out their power…”

Scarlet gave her a confident smirk. “Then let us buy you as much as we can.”

Twilight blinked. “Huh?”

Scarlet looked over at Nightmare Moon, who seemed content to watch their exchange with a bemused sneer.

Twilight gasped, covering her mouth with a hoof as the realization hit her. “Wait… no, you can’t! I don’t know how long it’ll take. By the time I’m ready, you two might be…” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Scarlet shook her head. “I see no feasible alternative. Are you certain you can do this?”

Twilight hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at the Elements again. “I think…” She took a deep breath, then looked Scarlet square in the eye. “…no, I can do this. I’ve been studying magic since I was a filly; I know there’s a way, and I’ll find it.”

“Then go. We will do what we can.” Scarlet glanced at Tank, who nodded. The two then turned their full attention on Nightmare Moon as Twilight dashed past them toward the Elements.

Nightmare Moon gave a hearty chuckle, her voice booming in the enclosed hall. “You really don’t know how far out of your depth you are, do you? I am queen of the eternal night! You two are insects before me, and I’ll see you crushed like one unless you beg for mercy right here and now!”

Tank rolled his eyes, waving a hoof dismissively. “Whatever, lady. You need a minute to pick that scenery out of your teeth before we start this thing?”

“So be it!”

In an instant, Nightmare Moon lowered her head, her horn taking on a glow as a stream of white needles shot from it, aimed directly at the pair of ponies before her.

“Scatter!” yelled Scarlet as she and Tank darted in opposite directions.

Tank took off like a bullet, momentarily surprised by his own agility. His momentum carried him in a circle behind Nightmare Moon, toward whom he barreled at top speed… but before he could connect, his target spread her wings and took to the air, leaving Tank skidding across the stone floor as he scrambled to come to a stop.

“Pathetic worms!” Nightmare Moon crowed. “Your foolish belligerence will - augh!”

A gust of frigid air full of sparkling blue snowflakes courtesy of Scarlet blew past Nightmare Moon. In seconds, her wings seemed to grow heavy as ice crystals gathered upon them, and though she flapped them furiously, she found herself quickly losing altitude. Focused on her plight, she failed to notice a certain green pony speeding toward her once more as Tank’s shoulder collided with her flank, knocking her to the ground.

“Ha!” Tank sneered gleefully. “Sorry, you were saying?”

Still sprawled out on the floor, Nightmare Moon shot them a furious look. Her horn glowed a sinister purple as rings of dark energy shot from it in a beam that swept quickly across the room, knocking Scarlet and Tank over in the process.

A bead of sweat rolled down Twilight’s cheek, all the concentration she could muster focused on coaxing the Elements of Harmony into action, but thus far they seemed intent on stubbornly ignoring her. “Please…” she whispered, the light enveloping her horn growing ever brighter as her efforts compounded. “Please help us… My friends - no, our whole world is in danger… come on…!”

Once again upright, Nightmare Moon glowered at the pair as they too climbed to their feet. “Contemptible vermin… how dare you,” she spat. The purple surrounded her horn once again, this time quickly forming a ball of darkness that launched itself toward them.

“Hold fast,” Scarlet whispered to Tank, her own horn taking on a pink glow as a shield of light rose between the pair and their foe just in time to catch the shadowy orb, which dissolved into a cloud of mist on impact. Hardly a second later, however, the sound of breaking glass rang out as Nightmare Moon’s hoof came down on the shield, shattering it before them. Reflexively, the two once again scattered, circling around behind the enemy.

“Oh no you don’t!” A lavender glow overtook Nightmare Moon’s horn as a shower of tiny spiky objects poured forth from it, scattering across the floor in front of Scarlet and Tank and leaving droplets of a suspicious purple substance in the process. The two immediately halted in their tracks, quickly whirling back around to face Nightmare Moon, already bearing down on them.

“I got it!”

Twilight, beaming as the five Elements of Harmony before her shone in response to her magic, turned to face Nightmare Moon. “Your time is up! I have the power of the Elements right here in my hooves!”

Nightmare Moon did not so much as flinch. Instead, she continued glaring at Scarlet and Tank, her angry snarl curling once again into a sneer.

“I don’t think so.”

As a brown glow enveloped her horn and a toothy grin spread across her face, the entire castle began to quake violently, throwing everyone off balance and causing chunks of the ceiling to give way and plummet to the floor, crashing noisily. For several seconds, it seemed as though the whole ruin would collapse around them, but the quake soon ended as abruptly as it began.

As the dust settled, Scarlet quickly picked herself up off the floor and looked to her companion, who had not yet gotten to his feet. Ready to dash to his side, she hesitated as she spied the scattered spikes onto which he had fallen.

“Ow…” With a grunt of pain, Tank struggled for a moment to stand, but managed only to make it halfway, propping himself up on his forelegs as tiny purple spikes stuck into his side. “I think… these things are poisoned…”

Before she could ponder her next course of action, however, Scarlet’s train of thought was interrupted by a scream from the other side of the hall.

“NO!”

Where the monument to the Elements had stood only moments before, there was now a pile of rubble from the ceiling… surrounded by the shattered remains of five brilliant gemstones.

Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes as she sat on her haunches, shaking her head in disbelief. “No… no no no no, this can’t be happening…” Once again summoning the magic she had just used to draw forth the power of the Elements, Twilight’s horn gave a furious light… but it drew no response. “I was so close…”

“HAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!” Nightmare Moon’s uproarious laughter echoed in the dark hall. “It would have been nice to command the Elements myself, but that is of no consequence! With their destruction, I am unstoppable!” She grinned her toothy grin once again as she watched Scarlet help Tank climb gingerly to his feet. “I’m feeling particularly charitable today, worms. I’ll offer you one last chance - if you beg for mercy now, I just might spare your lives.”

Twilight marched slowly to Scarlet’s side, her head hung low in defeat. “I guess we have no choice now,” she muttered. “She’s right… with the Elements gone, there’s no way we can beat her.”

“No,” declared Scarlet.

Twilight blinked. “Huh?”

Holding Tank’s foreleg over her shoulders to keep him supported, Scarlet shook her head. “So long as we still draw breath, this fight is not over. There is always another way.”

“But…” Twilight stared incredulously at Scarlet, too confused to rebut. The next thing she knew, however, the sound of several sets of hooves came thundering down the stairs. In seconds, six familiar ponies burst from the doorway and fixed their attention on Nightmare Moon. Waterwing however, spotting the injured Tank, shifted gears and quickly flew to his side, taking Scarlet’s place in holding him upright.

In spite of his heavy breathing, Tank chuckled to himself. “Heh… took you long enough…”

“Hold it right there!” Rainbow Dash seemed to have found her second wind. “If you want to hurt our friends, you’ll have to go through us first!”

Rarity brushed her hair away from her face before giving Nightmare Moon a furious glare. “Get away from them, you brute! You’re a scoundrel of the worst sort!”

Pinkie Pie stomped her hoof angrily. “Yeah! What they said, you meanie!”

A smile slowly returned to Twilight’s face, the gloom in her heart soon replaced with joy at the sight of her friends. As if by magic, she realized she’d known the answer from the beginning; it had traveled with her the whole way through the forest, after all.

“You missed something, Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony can’t truly be destroyed so long as they live on in our hearts, and we have all five accounted for right here.”

Nightmare Moon recoiled, looking strangely apprehensive. “W-What rubbish is this?”

Twilight beamed as she rattled off her explanation. “Applejack reassuring me that my friends would protect me… Fluttershy gently calming the angry manticore… Pinkie Pie laughing in the face of darkness… Rarity selflessly offering her tail to the serpent… and Rainbow Dash putting her friends before her aspirations. Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty.” As she spoke, five golden necklaces appeared on the collars of each of the aforementioned companions, set with shining gemstones in brilliant shades of orange, pink, sky blue, purple, and red in sequence.

“Hey, cool!” Pinkie poked at hers with her hoof.

“What.” Nightmare Moon stared blankly.

“But,” Twilight continued, “there’s still a missing piece. One more element that ties the rest together, just as it binds us all: the element of friendship itself, better known by a different name… because, as we all know…” She allowed herself a particularly satisfied smirk. “Friendship… is Magic.”

A golden tiara materialized atop Twilight’s head, sporting a magenta gemstone in the shape of a six-pointed star.

Tank rolled his eyes. “I know this is like… us about to win and all, but… that speech was so cheesy… we could melt it and hold a fondue party.”

“Oh!” Struck by a sudden thought, Twilight turned toward Scarlet and her companions. “As for you three… we would never have gotten this far without your help either. Tank Buster standing up to danger and fear as the rest of us cowered helplessly… Waterwing flying to Rainbow’s aid when she needed it most… and Scarlet Starbeam stopping me from giving in to despair not once, but twice. I can see the same light of harmony in your hearts as theirs, and I have no doubt you three represent new Elements we’ve never even seen before.” With that, three more golden necklaces appeared adorning the three companions, their empty settings awaiting discovery of the Elements that belonged there.

Waterwing blinked, glancing curiously back and forth between her necklace and the ones worn by her comrades.

“But that’s a mystery for another day,” declared Twilight. “First, we’ve got a score to settle.”

Nightmare Moon stared at the ponies before her incredulously. “But that’s… I don’t… you can’t just…” Try as she might, incoherent sputtering was all she could manage.

The five original Elements began glowing brightly, each shining beams of colored light that converged on the Element of Magic, combining into a single beam of brilliant rainbow aimed directly at Nightmare Moon.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Nightmare Moon flailed helplessly as the magic of the Elements lifted her into the air and enveloped her, and soon the rest of the hall, in a brilliant flash of light.

Episode 1-9

The collected ponies shielded their eyes from the bright light for a few seconds before it finally faded.

Nightmare Moon lay before them, unconscious but visibly uninjured, her armor lying in shards all around her. As they watched, she slowly regained consciousness, blinking in the dim light. As soon as she caught sight of Scarlet Starbeam towering over her, however, she scrambled backward a few feet, stopping only as she bumped into the wall.

Scarlet took a step forward. “Stand down, Nightmare Moon. Your fight is over. You will accompany us back to town, where you will await judgment.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

The sound of hoofsteps came from the stairwell once again as a single pony joined them in the hall. She stood no less than twice as tall as Scarlet herself; her body was a cloud-like white, and her mane and tail, predominantly sky blue with highlights of sea green and lavender, seemed to drift in a nonexistent breeze. She wore a magnificent golden crown and necklace, and the emblem of a bright sunburst emblazoned her flank. What stood out most to Scarlet, however, were her long, sharp horn and magnificent wings, just like another she’d seen that evening.

It didn’t take long for the pieces to connect in her head. “Princess Celestia?”

At once, six of the assembled ponies dropped to their knees, bowing in reverence. After a moment’s hesitation, Scarlet slowly followed suit.

“My faithful student Twilight,” Celestia began, “I’d say congratulations are in order for your victory today. Thanks to you, Equestria has escaped the clutches of Nightmare Moon.”

Twilight’s face shone with pride. As she opened her mouth to respond, however, a loud fit of coughing and a small cloud of purple bubbles cut her off. Waterwing shifted a bit as Tank Buster leaned a little more heavily on her, lazily wiping a drop of purple from the corner of his mouth.

“Oh! You have injured.” Celestia strode purposefully forward, lowering her horn toward Tank. With a brief glow, a ring of tiny lights rose through the floor, encircling Tank for just a moment before fading.

After a few seconds, Tank blinked and lifted his head. “Oh, wow, that’s better. Um, thanks.”

Celestia nodded. “That should slow the poison for a while until the infirmary can administer an antitoxin.” She turned back toward Twilight. “We have much to discuss, but it will need to wait until then. I have just one order of business before we return to town.” With that, she locked eyes with the defeated Nightmare Moon, still cowering in the background.

Nightmare Moon flinched, trembling as the imposing figure of Princess Celestia marched toward her… and gently nuzzled the cowering pony’s neck with her cheek.

“It’s been a long time, dear sister,” Celestia breathed, barely above a whisper. “I missed you so very much…”

Rainbow Dash missed a wingbeat and nearly fell to the floor. “Sister? What?”

Twilight nodded. “She’s not Nightmare Moon anymore. Her name is Princess Luna.”

Still trembling in apprehension, Luna slowly stood up, glancing back and forth between her sister and the crowd of ponies before them.

Celestia smiled gently. “I must take Luna back to Canterlot. I will meet the rest of you at the infirmary in Ponyville.” With a momentary glow of her horn, she cast an intricate-looking circle of light on the floor in front of them. “Hurry along, now.”

One by one, all nine of them stepped into the circle of light and vanished, whisked off back to town.

*******

“Are… are you going to punish her, Princess?”

Assembled with the others in the infirmary waiting room as Rainbow Dash and Tank Buster received proper treatment, Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously.

Celestia chuckled, reclining casually on a nearby couch. “Of course not, Fluttershy. I knew this day would come, and I had every confidence that my faithful student and her new friends would see things right in the end. Thanks to your efforts, she ended up causing very little damage, all things considered.”

Twilight busied herself with examining the ornate tiara in her hooves, its Element of Magic sparkling as brilliantly as ever. “Princess, what should we do with the Elements of Harmony?”

Celestia blinked, pondering the question for a moment. “The royal palace is the safest place for them, I think. I’d like to keep them close; we cannot anticipate when we may need them again.”

Rarity pouted, straightening her Element of Generosity around her neck. “It’s so lovely, I hate to part with it, but I suppose it isn’t exactly an ordinary necklace…”

“What about these?” Scarlet pointed to her own necklace and its empty setting. “They seem to be rather… inactive as yet.”

“I had an idea about that, actually.” Celestia turned to Twilight once again. “Twilight, do you happen to have any unfinished business back in Canterlot?”

Twilight straightened up in her seat. “Um… I don’t think so. Why?”

“I have another assignment for you.” Celestia stood up, her expression turning serious. “Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the three new Elements of Harmony you’ve discovered. I believe the friends you have made since your arrival in Ponyville will be an indispensable part of your investigation; as such, you will be staying in the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville for the forseeable future so that its resources are available to you. I will forward any potentially relevant materials from your room in Canterlot as well. Is that understood?”

Twilight stood up out of her chair and bowed. “I humbly accept this assignment, Princess.”

“Excellent.” Celestia’s pleasant smile returned. “Ah, it seems your friends have been discharged.”

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash and Tank Buster filed their way out of a nearby door. The bandaging on Rainbow’s hind leg was neat and clean, and Tank seemed to be a little dizzy but otherwise unharmed.

Fluttershy was the first to approach them. “Um… how are you two feeling?”

Rainbow shook her bandaged leg. “The pain went away a little while ago. I just need to keep these on for a few days to be sure though.”

Tank shook his head vigorously. “Well, until this dizziness wears off in a few minutes, the antitoxin is only a marginal improvement over the poison… but I guess at least it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Well then,” Celestia began, prompting everyone to turn their attention her way, “now that we have everypony here again, I think it’s time we discuss the matter of compensation.”

Applejack adjusted her hat. “Aw shucks, Princess, we’re just glad you’re back and the sun’s up again. We don’t need any fancy rewards, right?”

A murmur of assent came from most of the rest of the group; Tank opened his mouth to object, but decided he’d thought better of it and closed it again before any words came out.

“I suppose I should have expected that, given the company in question.” Celestia gave a satisfied smirk. “I feel I ought to ask, though… have any of you eaten recently? It’s been a long night, after all.”

“Not since before the festival,” Twilight admitted. As if on cue, Pinkie’s stomach growled its agreement.

Celestia nodded. “Then it’s a good thing I thought to order a little something. It should be waiting for you back at the library by the time you get there.”

Waterwing’s eyes lit up and she rubbed her forehooves together in anticipation.

“I have other matters that need my attention now that Luna has returned,” Celestia explained, “so I’m afraid we must part ways from here. Enjoy your meal, my little ponies, and rest well. You’ve certainly earned it.”

Episode 1-10

“Oh, it’s such a relief getting that new assignment from Princess Celestia…” Twilight Sparkle beamed up at the great tree before them that was the Golden Oak Library, illuminated by the midday sun.

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

Twilight’s smile faded a little. “The reason she sent me to Ponyville in the first place was to encourage me to make friends. Now that I have, I was worried she might send me back to Canterlot alone. I didn’t want to just up and leave you behind like that.”

Pinkie Pie grinned, her tail swishing happily. “Aww, you do care about us!”

Twilight’s smile returned. “Of course I do, Pinkie. It just took me a trip through the Everfree Forest to realize it.”

“Don’t forget the harrowing encounter with a supervillain,” Tank Buster added.

Scarlet Starbeam smiled. “No bond quite compares to that forged in the heat of battle, does it?”

The nine ponies filed into the library to find a long table already set up, surrounded by nine chairs and laden with several paper bags and cups.

Rainbow Dash sniffed at the air eagerly. “Oh man, did the Princess order us hayburgers?”

“Oh!” Twilight blinked, as though not sure how to react. “I don’t think I’ve had one before; there weren’t any restaurants in Canterlot that served them.”

“Hayburgers…?” Scarlet echoed, glancing nervously at Tank and Waterwing to find similar looks of apprehension on their faces.

“You ain’t tried them either? C'mon, you’re in for a treat!” Applejack beckoned them over to the table, where Rarity and Pinkie Pie had already begun distributing drinks and sandwiches about.

As everyone else began to tuck into their burgers, Tank gave his a careful nudge. Sure enough, under the bun he found ketchup, pickles, lettuce, a tomato slice… and a hearty sprinkling of hay.

“Welp,” Tank muttered. “That… sure is exactly what it says on the tin.”

“This… may be a problem.” Scarlet glanced from one companion to the other. “Waterwing, what do you…?”

Waterwing paused, her hayburger held carefully in her hooves. Several bites were already missing from it; a smear of ketchup on her cheek betrayed where they’d gone. Scarlet and Tank stared at her incredulously, but she merely shrugged in response and hungrily tore off another bite.

“Hey, so I’ve been curious about something for a while now.” Twilight took a sip of her drink before continuing. “I’ve never seen cutie marks quite like yours before. Would you tell us how you got them?”

Scarlet blinked, staring blankly at Twilight. “Er… ‘cutie marks…’?”

“Why, of course, dear!” Rarity leaned forward eagerly. “Cutie marks as unusual as yours must have the most fascinating stories behind them. Go on, I insist~”

Scarlet spent a few seconds sweating nervously before lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper. “I have no idea what that means…”

Tank scratched his head, whispering back as quietly as he could manage. “Uh… I think they’re talking about these weird tattoo things,” he suggested, glancing from the shooting star mark on Scarlet’s flank to the heart-shaped one sported by Waterwing.

“But we know nothing whatsoever about them,” Scarlet protested.

“Nope, we sure don’t!” Tank gave her a sarcastic grin. “Looks like we get to improvise and hope for the best.”

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow. “Uh, what are you guys whispering about?”

“Ah, nothing relevant!” Scarlet gave Rainbow a pleasant smile. “Tank here was just about to begin the exciting tale of his, er… cutie mark!”

Tank bristled, shooting a dirty look at Scarlet. “What? Why, you - ”

Twilight blinked. “Is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, uh… no, everything’s fine!” Tank waved his forehooves in dismissal. “Right, so uh… cutie mark story! That’s… certainly a thing… that I can definitely tell you.” He glanced down at his own shield mark as though hoping it might yield some means of escaping the conversation. “Let’s see… I, uh, got into a fight! A really nasty one, with, uh… an angry stencil set?”

A quiet breeze blowing in through a nearby window was the only sound to be heard in the library as six very confused ponies stared at Tank.

“WAAAHAHAHA!”

Pinkie Pie gave a great guffaw and toppled out of her chair.

Tank rolled his eyes. “I’m getting the sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the right answer…”

Applejack scratched her head. “Uh… if I didn’t know better, I’d say it sounds like you don’t even know what a cutie mark is.”

“Er… well, you see, what I believe he meant to say was - ” Scarlet began, before she suddenly felt a hoof on her shoulder and stopped.

Waterwing shook her head gently, lowering her hoof just far enough to place it over Scarlet’s heart.

Scarlet stared down at it for a moment, taking a deep breath. Finally, she looked back up at her companion. “…Very well. I suppose we owe them at least that much.”

Waterwing lowered her hoof, smiling as she nodded in agreement.

“Truth be told, Applejack,” Scarlet began, “you guessed correctly - none of us know what these strange marks on our bodies mean.”

“But… how can that be?” Fluttershy glanced worriedly from pony to pony, not sure what to think. “Everypony knows what cutie marks are…”

“I’ll give you a hint then,” Tank offered. “If everyone in the world knows what cutie marks are, what do you figure that means about us?”

The gears in Twilight’s mind snapped into place with an almost audible ‘click.’

“Wait… that explains everything.” Twilight glanced between each of the three companions in turn. “The way you hesitated before introducing yourselves, and the strange gaps in your knowledge… not to mention your speech patterns and your spells are totally unfamiliar. I’ve never seen anything like it before…” She took a moment to sort all this out in her head. “Are… you three from another world?”

Pfff! Rainbow Dash spat out her drink.

Tank smirked. “Wow, you figured that out way faster than I expected.”

“Another world?” Applejack echoed, a skeptical eyebrow quirked. “So what, are you saying you’re supposed to be some kind of aliens or something?”

“In a technical sense, I suppose,” Scarlet explained. “Our recent memories seem to have been muddled, so we can offer little in terms of context…”

Tank shrugged. “All we know is that we were in the middle of a job back home, enjoying our upright posture and our opposable thumbs, when bam - suddenly we’re a bunch of candy-colored equines with inexplicable butt tattoos in the middle of a field with no idea how we got there or where all our stuff went.”

Pinkie Pie scratched her head. “Opposa… what?”

Scarlet giggled. “Opposable thumbs, Pinkie. Our true form is that of the human, a bipedal primate. You would likely find our appearance very bizarre were we not transfigured so.”

Rarity blinked. “This is rather a lot to take in…”

“I’m sure the whole thing sounds completely bananas,” Tank admitted. “I honestly can’t tell if you even believe us.”

“Of course we do.” Twilight smiled, her tail swishing happily.

“Yeah!” Rainbow agreed. “…Wait, we do?”

Twilight straightened up a bit in her seat. “You three are connected to the Elements of Harmony, just like the rest of us… not to mention you risked your lives to help us defeat Nightmare Moon. If that doesn’t make you worthy of our trust, then I don’t know what would. I hope we get to be really good friends! I would love to learn more about you and your world…” At this, her eyes lit up. “Oh, and I almost forgot - we also have the task of discovering just what your Elements are! I hope you’re as excited as I am. This is unprecedented! We have so much research to do!”

Scarlet bit her lip. “Er. Yes, well… you see…”

Twilight’s excited grin faltered. “Huh?”

Tank heaved a noisy sigh. “Twilight… I’m really sorry about this, but we can’t stay here. We have friends and loved ones waiting for us in our world. We have lives to get back to; we can’t just drop everything and stick around to help you, even with an assignment this important.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes began to water. “Wait, you’re leaving already? But you just got here! I didn’t even get to throw you your party yet…!”

Scarlet winced. “It breaks my heart to say it, Pinkie… but yes, we really must be on our way. I promise we will not soon forget our time here… or any of you, for that matter.”

Twilight looked crestfallen. “Well… it’ll be a lot harder identifying your Elements without your help… but it would be pretty selfish of me to ask you to stay just for that, wouldn’t it?”

“Oh, but you could come visit sometime, couldn’t you?” Rarity suggested. “We would all be ever so pleased to see you again.”

“Rarity, we have no idea how we even got here in the first place,” Tank explained. “I highly doubt we could promise to come visit.”

“Um… wait…”

This time, Fluttershy’s small voice drew the attention of every pony in the room. “Um, well… it’s just…” She spent a moment fidgeting in her seat, as though unsure if she should continue. “If you don’t know how you came to Equestria… then how do you know how to leave?”

Dead silence overtook the library for the next several seconds, during which Tank could almost feel the color draining from his face.

“Oh, void.”

Episode 1-11

Waterwing gave a silent gasp, covering her mouth with her forehooves as she quickly glanced toward her companions. To her dismay, however, their reactions were no more confident than hers.

A bead of sweat rolled down Tank’s neck as he slowly climbed out of his seat. “Uh… could you guys give us a minute? I think we need to go check something. Like, right now.”

“We will likely not be gone long.” Scarlet put her foreleg over a hesitant Waterwing to urge her along.

“Wait.” Twilight hopped down from her chair. “We’ll come with you.”

The three exchanged brief glances.

Tank scratched his head. “Uh… if you want, sure.”

At this, the rest of the ponies rose from their seats as well, and the party made for the library door.

A light breeze rolled over the hills just a little ways outside of town. It was here that Scarlet stopped, prompting the rest of the party to come to a halt behind her.

Scarlet turned to her comrades. “This was it, correct?”

After a moment of hesitation, Waterwing nodded slowly.

Applejack’s gaze swept across the plain. The lush grasses swayed in the wind as a small flock of birds fluttered by overhead. “Sure looks like an ordinary field to me…”

Tank sighed. “Yup, that’s pretty much exactly what I was afraid of.”

“Well, we won’t know for sure unless we take a closer look, right?” Twilight stepped to the fore of the party and turned back toward the others. “Come on, everypony; maybe there’s a clue around here somewhere.”

With that, the nine of them marched out onto the field to begin their investigation. Those with wings took to the air, scanning the horizon from the mountains in the north to the Everfree Forest a ways south; the rest found themselves scouring the brush for whatever they might find. No idle chatter passed between them as they went; the apprehension in the air dampened any desire for it.

A few minutes turned into many more, soon surpassing an hour… and eventually saw all nine ponies retreating to the base of a now all-too-familiar hill. Though they stood in a loose circle to facilitate conversation, no one seemed eager to share their findings… and as Twilight finally broke the silence, it quickly became obvious why.

“So… what did everypony find?”

At this, heads turned away and gazes fell to avoid eye contact.

“Uh, well, we found…” Rainbow Dash glanced over her shoulder hesitantly before finishing her sentence with a sigh. “…absolutely nothing.”

“I… I’m sorry, everypony,” Fluttershy added, her voice once again barely above a whisper.

“We must have turned over every blade of grass in this entire field,” Rarity declared. “Were there anything here to find, I’m certain we would have uncovered it by now.”

“Like this rock?” Pinkie grinned as she held up a small rock. “It’s got a hoof mark on it. I think it might be a clue!”

“Oh, uh…” Tank winced slightly. “I… think that’s the rock I kicked before ‘cause I was irritated. I doubt it’s gonna help us any.”

“Oh…” Visibly deflated, Pinkie tossed the rock aside and watched it roll away.

Tank sat back on his haunches, glaring at the grass as though he presumed it responsible. “I don’t get it. No portal, no landing pad… no tire tracks, for however much sense that would even make… and no traces of magic, either. Unless that would have faded by now.”

Scarlet shook her head. “The amount of magic required to transport three people between worlds would be enormous. I highly doubt it would dissipate in a matter of hours, and had we been here longer than that, someone surely would have noticed us.”

“So… if there even are any clues, we have no way of knowing where to look for them.” Tank stared over his shoulder for a moment as though expecting to notice something that the nine of them hadn’t in a thorough search of the area. Eventually, he heaved a frustrated sigh. “Which means… we’re stranded.”

sniff

A quiet thud came as Waterwing fell prone in the grass, the soft sound of her voiceless sobbing coming from behind her forelegs, in which her face was now buried. Tank stared at his own forehooves for a moment as though in disbelief of their very existence before letting them fall uselessly into his lap. Scarlet turned her gaze skyward, squinting in the afternoon sunlight as she watched a cloud slowly drift by.

Twilight found herself at a loss for words. What are you supposed to say to a bunch of ponies you just met, who turn out to be aliens from another world, and also just discovered that they have no way to return home? As she turned to her companions, it seemed clear they had little to offer either; Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck, Rarity bit her lip, Pinkie Pie grinned and wagged her poofy tail…

“…”

Twilight’s brain had only barely finished registering this as strange before Pinkie began happily hopping up and down. “YAAY! Now we have enough time for a party!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight hissed. “What are you doing?”

Pinkie ceased her bouncing and gave Twilight an indignant look. “What do you mean, ‘what am I doing’? I’m gonna throw a party for three ponies who just found out they can’t go home! I’m not just gonna stand here and watch them being sad.”

“I don’t think now is really a good time for - ”

Twilight’s protest was quickly cut off by a soft giggle from Scarlet. “Actually… that sounds delightful, Pinkie.”

“I think a morale boost would do us wonders right now, yeah.” Tank gently ran his hoof through Waterwing’s mane, mollifying her enough to coax her into lifting her head and glancing in his direction. “Although we should probably look into finding a place to stay sooner rather than later…”

“Well shucks, no need to fret about that.” Applejack tipped her hat. “I’m sure we can arrange something, right? I bet Sweet Apple Acres has room for a sturdy earth pony who won’t mind helping out with a few chores.” She punctuated this sentence by giving Tank a knowing smirk.

Tank blinked, blushing lightly. “Oh! That… works out just fine for me. Thanks, Applejack.”

“Yeah! And I bet I know somepony who’d totally be up for an awesome sleepover!” Rainbow Dash gave the still-recovering Waterwing a gentle nudge and lowered her voice somewhat. “What do you say? I do still kinda owe you.”

Waterwing sat up, wiped a final tear from her cheek, and promptly wrapped Rainbow in a grateful hug.

Rainbow Dash nearly toppled backward in surprise. “Hey, hey! What did I say about sap?”

After enjoying an amused giggle, Twilight turned to Scarlet. “There’s a spare bedroll in the library you can borrow for a while. There’s gotta be a way to send you home somewhere, and with your help, I just know we’ll find it.”

Scarlet smiled softly and nodded. “I cannot thank you enough, Twilight.”

“Actually, we can go one better.” Tank took a step forward. “I mean, if we’re going to be stuck here indeterminately anyway…” He shrugged. “…then we might as well help you with those Elements in the meantime, right?”

Twilight beamed. “I can’t wait to see what your Elements are. This is so exciting! We should… oh!”

Waterwing tilted her head.

“I just remembered something.” Twilight glanced between the three companions. “Would you be willing to tell us your real names? Since I’m guessing the ones you gave us before were made up.”

Scarlet gave a short bow. “I am Scarlet Lombardia. Pleased to meet you.”

Tank offered a brief salute. “My name’s Alexander Abrams.” He then turned to Waterwing as she smiled and waved. “And this is Mirielle Marcus!”

Their introduction was met with six blank stares.

Rarity smiled awkwardly. “Those are, erm…”

“…mighty fine names, sure,” Applejack offered, “but I think they might stand out a bit too much.”

Twilight nodded. “It would probably be best to keep your story - and, um, those names - just between us. We don’t know how other ponies might react.”

Rarity brushed a stray hair back into place. “The ponies of Ponyville are good at heart, but they’re… a bit dense, perhaps, and very prone to gossip. We wouldn’t want anypony getting the wrong idea, you see.”

Tank sighed. “I guess that’s understandable, if kinda disappointing. I was hoping we could…”

Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “Could… what?”

Tank’s stomach gave a loud growl in protest of its emptiness. “I… just remembered food is a thing that exists.”

Scarlet smirked. “Perhaps we should return to the library for now? I suppose we ought to give those hayburgers an honest try this time.”

Waterwing nodded, licking her lips for emphasis.

Tank shrugged. “I guess. Man, being a herbivore is gonna take some getting used to.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “Um… as opposed to what?”

Tank blinked. “Uh… I’ll explain later.”

“Okay, everypony!” Pinkie declared. “Meet me at Sugarcube Corner in two hours!” Without further ado, she sped off back toward town, a hot pink blur against the lush green landscape. The rest of the assembled ponies soon followed behind, albeit at a much more leisurely pace.

“There are all kinds of magical transportation options we could try,” Twilight explained. “Gateways, teleportation, warp portals…”

“I’m guessing one of those is what the Princess used to bring us back to town?” Tank mused.

Twilight nodded. “Precisely! Now, I’ve never heard of any of them being used to travel between worlds before, but it seems like the most logical starting place. I’ll have to see if Princess Celestia would be willing to send me a few extra books from my room back in Canterlot…”

“Um… Waterwing?”

At the sound of her voice, Waterwing landed gently beside Fluttershy.

“Do… you like animals?”

With a cheery grin, Waterwing nodded.

Fluttershy smiled softly. “Oh, thank goodness! I, um… take care of all kinds of animals back at my cottage. I can’t promise they’ll be anything like the ones from your world, but, um… if you wanted to come see them sometime…”

At this, Waterwing took to the air once again, flying in happy circles over Fluttershy’s head for a moment before returning to her side on the ground.

Rarity gently placed a hoof over Scarlet’s shoulder. “Do try to make yourselves comfortable while you’re here, darling. I’m sure Twilight will have you on your way home before you know it.”

Scarlet giggled softly. “With all this hospitality, it almost seems a greater concern that we might be hesitant to leave.” Her smile soon faded. “Though I do lament our inability to contact our loved ones; doubtless they would worry far less if they at least knew we were alive and unhurt.”

“That’ll just make your reunion all the sweeter,” Applejack suggested.

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash agreed, rolling over lazily in the air above them. “I mean, since we don’t usually have supervillains to fight off, Ponyville can get kind of boring sometimes… but it’s totally a cool place to stay. It’ll be loads of super awesome fun, I promise!”

Scarlet’s smile returned. “I look forward to it.”

Author's Note

End of Episode 1. Stay tuned for more!

Short: "Diplomacy"

Scarlet Starbeam’s eyes glazed over as she stared at the book propped open before her; she was hardly accustomed to spending such long stretches of time reading, and the unfamiliar script of these pony books wasn’t helping matters much. Granted, she did find herself thankful she could even read it in the first place… but after having spent the better part of the day cooped up in the library, this wasn’t much consolation.

After a moment’s stretch, she glanced at the clock to find that several hours had gone by without her noticing. “Whew… Twilight, might we have a rest soon? This is proving far more tiring than I anticipated…”

“Sure! Spike should be almost finished making dinner anyway.” With a flourish, Twilight Sparkle snatched up a nearby bookmark and laid it in the book she’d been reading as she closed it. “Actually… now that we have a moment, there’s something I wanted to ask you about.”

Scarlet blinked. “Oh? What might that be?”

“Well…” An eager grin slowly spread across Twilight’s face as she spun around to face Scarlet. “I was hoping you could tell me a few things about humans! I’d love to hear anything and everything you know. No detail is irrelevant!”

After a moment’s pause, Scarlet giggled softly. “Well, I doubt I could do the whole of human history and culture justice off the top of my head…” She paused a moment more to gather her thoughts. “…but perhaps I could offer serviceable answers if you had any particular questions in mind.”

Twilight’s gaze trailed along the ceiling as she pondered what to ask about first, her mind drifting from science to architecture, government to trade, art to music… when an earlier conversation suddenly resurfaced in her memory. “Oh, I remember now! There was something I wanted to ask first.”

Scarlet nodded. “By all means.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Okay, so… the other day, I remember Tank Buster saying something about needing to ‘get used to’ being a herbivore. What did he mean by that, exactly?”

“Humans are omnivores,” Scarlet explained. “Our diet consists of a balance of plant and meat products. The idea of subsisting exclusively on fruits and vegetables - also including hay, it would seem - is a rather… uncomfortably foreign one.”

“You, um… you eat meat, huh?” Twilight rubbed her neck and glanced away briefly. “Uh… so where does your meat come from, then?”

Scarlet rested her chin on her hoof. “Well, fishing must certainly be the most predominant segment of the industry, but farming of poultry and cattle is also fairly widespread…”

Twilight’s heart tripped on a beat. “Wait. Cattle? Does… does that mean you eat cows?”

“Why, of course!” Scarlet offered a pleasant smile. “I was always fond of a good rib eye steak myself.”

“I, that’s…” Twilight raised a hoof to her forehead. “Oh dear…”

Scarlet quirked an eyebrow. “Er, Twilight? Are you feeling alright? You suddenly look rather unwell…”

“I… think I need to go lie down.” Twilight stood up slowly. “Um… thanks for offering me some insight into what humans are like, Scarlet. I’ll think of… something else to ask about later.” With that, she made for the stairs to the upper floor.

“Dinner’s ready!”

Emerging from the kitchen carrying two large plates piled high with spaghetti, Spike watched as Twilight disappeared up the steps toward the bedroom and gave Scarlet a quizzical look.

Scarlet stared blankly after Twilight for a few seconds before finally meeting Spike’s gaze. “Was it something I said…?”

Short: "Confusion"

Pinkie Pie grinned as she watched the latest batch of cupcakes through the oven window.

“Uh… shouldn’t we be working on the frosting?” Tank Buster chuckled quietly at Pinkie’s excitement. “I promise they’re not gonna run off while you’re not looking.”

Pinkie giggled as she trotted back over to the counter. “Thanks again for helping out. Baking is super duper fun, but it’s even more fun with a friend!”

Tank shrugged. “I wasn’t expecting Applejack to give me the day off, so I didn’t have any plans or anything.”

Pinkie hefted a large mixing bowl out of a nearby cupboard and quirked an eyebrow at Tank. “Yeah, but I figured you’d wanna spend it with Scarlet and Waterwing.”

“I mean… I did, but it didn’t exactly pan out.” Tank sat back for a moment, letting his gaze drift around Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen. “Scarlet is testing spells with Twilight, and Miri’s getting flying lessons from Rainbow Dash. Since I can’t really participate in either of those, well…”

Pinkie blinked as Tank’s voice trailed off. “Well okie dokie then! Let’s tackle that frosting!” Without further ado, she unceremoniously dumped the contents of a small paper bag into the mixing bowl. “Here, you can read off the ingredients from the recipe there! I already got the powdered sugar.”

Joining Pinkie at the counter, Tank glanced over the cookbook lying open in front of him and cleared his throat. “Right, let’s see… Two tablespoons of milk.”

In a flash, Pinkie filled a nearby measuring spoon with milk and splashed it into the bowl. “Okay, got it!”

“A teaspoon and a half of vanilla extract,” Tank continued.

“One and a half…” Pinkie spent the next several seconds very gently pouring the vanilla into the measuring spoon before carefully dribbling it into the bowl with the rest. “Okay, next!”

“Now we need…” Tank paused, staring quizzically at the recipe. “Wait, what does this mean? It just says the next ingredient is… a cup of rainbows.”

Pinkie giggled once again. “Oh, silly me! How could I forget about the rainbows for the rainbow frosting? There’s a jar on the second shelf in the cabinet to your left.”

Following the given instructions, Tank soon produced a jar containing a viscous syrup that shined a vibrant gradient of colors from every conceivable angle, at which he stared incredulously for several long seconds. “You can’t possibly be telling me that these are literal rainbows. This is not how rainbows work.”

“Of course they are!” Pinkie’s tail swished happily. “Now, these are boiled down a bit, so you kinda wanna mix them with something instead of using them straight, but here!” With that, she deftly unscrewed the lid and dipped a spoon inside, which she then offered to Tank. “Try it! They’re pretty spicy!”

Tank spent several more seconds staring at the rainbow-covered spoon before giving it a tentative lick. “Oh! Uh… wow, that is pretty spicy.”

“Right?” Satisfied, Pinkie scooped up some of the jar’s contents with a small measuring cup and dumped it in with the rest of the ingredients. “Rainbow get! Okay, now what?”

To her confusion, instead of responding, Tank doubled over in a fit of giggles.

“Hehehehee!” Pinkie giggled along for a moment, but quickly stopped. “Wait, what are we laughing at?”

“Spicy rainbows!” Tank threw his forehooves in the air. “Every time I think a magical land of talking ponies can’t possibly get any sillier, it manages to throw me a curveball. This place is an absolute delight!” After a deep breath and a few more giggles, he managed to calm his laughter. “Anyway… that was the last ingredient. Now it just needs to be beaten with a whisk.”

“Okie doke!” Pinkie grinned at her baking companion. “You wanna give it a try? There’s one on the counter behind you.”

Tank blinked, glancing over his shoulder at the implement in question. “Oh, uh, sure. Just one quick thing first…” At this, he held up his forehooves and gave Pinkie a sheepish grin. “Any chance you could… remind me how to grasp objects with these again?”

Short: "Fatigue"

"On your left!"

A colorful blur shot past Waterwing and through the ring of clouds in front of her. Sweat beading on her forehead, she put on a burst of speed and banked to one side, taking her through the ring and lining her up with the next one. For a moment, it seemed as though she might actually begin closing the gap between her and her opponent, but just as she passed through the next ring...

"On your left!"

Waterwing beat her wings forward, slowing to a stop and flailing her legs in frustration as the same blur blew past her almost effortlessly.

The blur, none other than Rainbow Dash, spotted her racing partner giving up and quickly made her way over. "Hey, come on! I think you got a little closer that time!"

At this, Waterwing only scowled and wiped the sweat from her face.

Rainbow offered an apologetic grin. "Or... maybe we could take a break instead?" She pointed a hoof at something over Waterwing's shoulder. "That looks like a good spot to chill for a bit."

Waterwing's eyes darted around as she attempted to decipher what Rainbow meant; there was nothing in the direction she'd pointed aside from the same partly cloudy sky all around them. Rainbow Dash gave her a knowing smirk and flew over to a nearby cloud, landing atop it gently and taking a seat before beckoning her friend over. Waterwing gave a silent sigh as she plopped down on the cloud herself.

Rainbow smiled eagerly at Waterwing's fatigued expression. "Hey now, don't sell yourself short! I'm the best flier in Ponyville, that's all. You're actually really good for somepony who's only been flying for a few days!"

Waterwing shook her head dismissively, staring down at the cloud on which they sat. As Rainbow Dash watched, tears slowly began welling up in her eyes.

"Oh no, not again..." Rainbow quickly scanned the skies around them for something to use as a distraction. "He-hey, look over there! Doesn't that cloud look like Pinkie Pie's hair?"

Blinking the tears out of her eyes, Waterwing's gaze locked onto the cloud in question.

"And there!" Rainbow continued. "It's drifting toward that one that looks like a cupcake. I bet you she's gonna eat it!"

Waterwing quickly found herself stifling a silent giggle with her hoof, taking a moment to wipe her eyes before looking back over at Rainbow.

Rainbow took a few tentative steps closer and sat next to Waterwing, gesturing out at the skies around them. "I never get bored of hanging out up here. You can practically see all of Equestria! Look over there; you see that shape on the side of the mountain?"

Waterwing's eyes scanned the mountains in question, and she nodded as she spotted a very large structure covered in tall spires jutting out of the mountainside.

"That's Canterlot, the capital," Rainbow explained. "It's a few hours by train, but we could totally fly there in like twenty minutes if we wanted. The ponies there are mostly stuck-up unicorns though, so I only go when I have to."

Waterwing nodded once again, her jaw stretching slowly as she let out a yawn.

Rainbow smirked. "I guess that race kinda took it out of you, didn't it? If you're tired, we can totally take a nap up here."

Waterwing blinked, the idea taking a moment to register in her head. As it did so, she briefly glanced over her shoulder in apparent confusion, scratching her head and pointing down at their cloudy perch for clarification.

"Yeah!" Rainbow stretched and let herself fall backward with a gentle poof.

After a moment of hesitation, Waterwing curled up on the cloud and gently laid her head down.

"The warm sun, the cool breeze, the soft cloud..." Rainbow casually folded her forelegs behind her head. "After this, I bet you'll never wanna nap anywhere else. What do you think?"

A quick glance was all it took to reveal that Waterwing was already asleep.

With a quiet sigh, Rainbow Dash sat up and gave Waterwing a gentle pat on the head. "I guess flying isn't the only thing wearing you out here, huh...?"

Short: "Machination"

His fury knew no bounds.

He traced over the steps in his aching head once again in an attempt to decipher the problem. The rift continued to pulsate before him, the energies that bled feebly from it offering him access once again to a hint of the dark powers he hadn’t enjoyed in… well, he wasn’t sure how long now; after the first few centuries of imprisonment, time itself tends to seem ever more like an illusion. More to the point, his captors betrayed no hint of awareness of either its existence or of the strength it had returned to him; thus, he concluded, the problem must lay elsewhere.

He peered into the rift’s incomprehensible depths. Though he couldn’t see the strange creatures that lurked beyond it, he could quite easily sense the otherworldly magic they radiated. Convinced though he was that these entities held the key to his liberation, studying them was proving troublesome at best; there seemed to be no pattern to the number that appeared, or to the frequency with which they did so. A great deal of trial and error combined with mountains of patience had yielded to him a spell that, in theory, should not only pull some of these creatures through the rift into Equestria, but also leave them briefly susceptible to… let’s call it suggestion.

He had seized the first opportunity he’d been granted when he sensed three of the creatures lingering for an unusually long time behind the rift. Were they studying him as well? He decided it didn’t matter. Rather, what did was his certainty that this had gone off without a hitch; he remembered the resistance he felt as his quarry seemed to fight against his carefully crafted spell, like a particularly feisty bass on the end of a fishing line. However, just as he’d felt them pass through the rift… the exertion finished taking its toll. He’d staggered, watching three brilliant lights in red, green, and blue erupting from the rift and flying out of sight as he finally succumbed to exhaustion.

His rage finished subsiding as the answer came to him. He’d been too hasty, too greedy; these creatures were more resilient than he’d bargained for, and impressive though it was that he’d managed this much under the circumstances, the effort of capturing three at once had proven beyond his still meager capabilities. Where the creatures had ended up, he neither knew nor cared; they were now of no use to him, and thus irrelevant.

He would prepare the spell again, of course… and this time, he would once more tap into that enduring patience. This time, he would wait for the perfect prey - a solitary target, the most radiant he could find.

This time, the spell would work. This time, he would lay claim to what should have been his all those centuries ago.

Until then… he would wait.

Intermission 1 - End

Episode 2-1

“Howdy, Tank Buster!”

The warm afternoon sun shone down on the main pathway into the Everfree Forest.

Tank set down the heavy mallet in his hooves and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he turned toward the source of the greeting. Upon discovering it to be a certain little red-haired filly, he smiled. “Hey, Apple Bloom. Heading off to see Zecora again?”

Apple Bloom nodded, grinning. “Uh-huh! Today she’s gonna teach me how to make a water-walking potion!”

Tank blinked. “Oh, wow. That sounds really cool, actually.”

“Yup!” Apple Bloom hopped up and down excitedly. “I don’t wanna be late though, so I’ll see you later!”

“Have fun!” Tank waved after her as she galloped on down the path.

Life in Ponyville had proven itself fairly idyllic so far. Granted, it certainly hadn’t been uneventful; an upstart performer, a drowsy dragon, and a rhyming zebra - just to name a few - had certainly seen to that. Still, Tank found it fairly difficult to stay worried for very long about being indefinitely stuck in Equestria; it was just too comfortable for that. Well, for the most part.

“Hey, Tank!”

The sun had just begun to skirt the horizon by the time the next interruption came along, this time in the form of a diminutive purple dragon.

Much as he had earlier, Tank lowered his mallet and glanced over his shoulder. “Oh! Hey, Spike. What’s up?”

“Twilight asked me to, um…” Spike stopped mid-sentence, scratching his head. “Wait, what are you doing again?”

Lifting it briefly over his head, Tank brought the mallet down onto a wooden post perched loosely in the dirt at the edge of the path, planting it firmly in place. “Applejack recommended I ask Mayor Mare if she had any jobs I could take. You remember that ruin we told you about? The old royal palace way back in the forest, where we found the Elements of Harmony?”

Spike pouted and crossed his arms. “Yeah. I can’t believe I slept through the whole thing…”

Tank chuckled. “Anyway, now that it’s been rediscovered, the Mayor wants to be able to explore the place; there are tons of old books and relics and whatnot in there that could be recovered and restored.” Setting the mallet down once again, he pulled another wooden post from a nearby cart and stood it up a few feet past the one he’d just pounded into place. “As I’m sure you’re already aware, though, the forest is a big dark maze full of monsters. It’s way too dangerous for most people to just waltz on in whenever they please, so she’s hired me to line the path with fencing and these magic lamps to make things a bit safer.”

Spike scratched his head. “But why have just one pony for such a big project? It’ll take you forever to build fences from here all the way to the castle.”

“For the same reason they need to be built in the first place,” Tank explained, lifting the mallet once again to strike the new fence post solidly into the ground. “The forest is dangerous; normally, she’d have to hire both workers to do the building and guards to keep them safe, but since I already have combat experience, I don’t need protecting.”

“E-Even from t-t-timberwolves?!”

Spike stumbled backward, pointing a trembling claw at something a ways past Tank. Immediately dropping his mallet, Tank whirled around to find two large canine creatures marching slowly up the path toward him. Their bodies were composed entirely of rotting logs and discarded twigs and branches; in spite of this, their eyes glowed a menacing green and they bared long rows of razor-sharp fangs.

“Oh, is that what those are called?” Tank rolled his eyes. “Ugh, I hate these things. They smell bad, and they won’t leave me alone.”

“W-We should probably run!” Spike scrambled to his feet and began backing away slowly.

Tank waved a forehoof in Spike’s direction, not taking his eyes off the timberwolves. “Chill out, dude. I got this.” With that, he began trotting toward them casually. “Afternoon, gentlemen! Enjoying the warm weather?”

As though annoyed by the flippant greeting, the timberwolves immediately broke into a run, charging straight at Tank.

“Tch, rude.” Tank held his ground as the timberwolves barreled toward him.

With a snarl, the first wolf took a mighty leap aimed at the spot where Tank was standing. As soon as it left the ground, however, Tank leapt forward in turn, a quick tumble landing him right underneath it.

WHAM

A well-placed kick to the belly sent the timberwolf flying apart, broken twigs and logs scattering across the path.

The second wolf, already bearing down on him, snapped its jaws shut just barely short of Tank’s face as he reared up on his hind legs to avoid it. The familiar bipedal stance gave him an idea, and as he toppled forward, he threw a hoof forward in a fair approximation of a punch, connecting solidly with the wolf’s mossy snout.

CRASH

The splintery remains of the timberwolf crumbled to the ground in front of him.

Tank gave an amused chuckle as he turned back around. “See? No big deal. All it takes is one good hit and they fall apart.”

Spike, having finally climbed to his feet, dusted himself off and pointed a claw at one of the fallen wolves. “Uh… you do know they regenerate, right?”

Tank sighed in irritation. “Yeah, that too. At the very least, I figured out a way to slow them down a bit.” With that, he hefted the largest log he could find from the remains of the second timberwolf, lifted it over his head… and with a grunt of effort, hurled it deep into the forest.

As if on cue, the remaining timberwolf debris clattered to life, tumbling end over end as it disappeared into the underbrush.

“Alrighty! Now that that’s settled…” Tank brushed the stray splinters out of his mane and began marching his way back toward Spike. “I think you said Twilight waAAUGH”

A cloud of dust accompanied Tank’s sudden disappearance as the ground beneath him gave way, his inquiry soon replaced with a fit of coughing.

Spike jogged forward, peering over the edge of the pit, at the bottom of which lay a sprawled-out Tank. “You okay?”

Tank sat up, rubbing his head. “Ow. Yeah, I’m fine.”

Spike reached out, grasping Tank’s hoof and hoisting him up as he climbed out. “What even was that, anyway?”

“Sinkholes. At least, that’s as near as I can figure.” Tank once again found himself brushing debris out of his mane. “This isn’t the first one I’ve found, and I doubt it’ll be the last. I think they were caused by that crazy storm we had a few days ago…” The thought made him shiver.

“That must have been while I was away in Canterlot.” Spike scratched his head. “I think Twilight said she had an unplanned sleepover with Rarity and Applejack that night.”

Tank quirked an eyebrow. “Wait, a… sleepover? How old are these girls, anyway?” After a moment’s pause, he shook his head. “Eh, whatever. I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

Spike nodded. “Anyway, Twilight wanted to see you. Somepony sent her a strange book in the mail, and she thinks it might be a clue about your Elements! She wanted you to have a look at it with her.”

Tank blinked. “Oh! Uh, sure. I just need to toss a sheet of plywood over this hole and pack up for the day. Tell her I’ll be along in a bit?”

“Okay!” Spike waved goodbye as he took off back toward town.

Author's Note

Domain of Friendship also has a Tumblr! Feel free to have a look if you'd like to read ahead, or even ask the crew a question!

Episode 2-2

A knock came at the door to the Golden Oak Library.

Absorbed as she was in the strange book before her, Twilight Sparkle didn’t notice at first; it was only after a gentle prod from Spike that she called out. “Come on in!”

The door opened with a gentle creak and Tank Buster stepped inside, rolling one of his forelegs at the shoulder as he went. “You know, I’m starting to think I could get used to this whole ‘earth pony’ thing. I can pound fence posts into place in one hit, and I can do it all day without getting tired. I’m a little worried I’ll be sore in the morning though…”

Twilight shook her head, smiling pleasantly. “I’m sure you’ll be fine; earth ponies have always been good at this sort of thing. Does that mean your first day working for the Mayor went well?”

Tank nodded as he approached the table at which Twilight sat. “Actually, yeah. I’m still at the outskirts of the forest, so I haven’t seen anything tougher than timberwolves just yet, and… they’re not much to write home about.” His train of thought derailed as he glanced at the open book in front of her, and he raised an eyebrow. “So uh, what book is that?”

Twilight closed the cover and slid it toward Tank. “I’m still trying to figure that out, actually. It arrived at the library by mail this morning, with no return address. I have no idea who sent it.”

“That’s… weird.” Tank took a seat beside Twilight as he picked up the book and peered at the cover. “'Filgaia Fables…’?”

Twilight sighed quietly, deflating a little. “A part of me was hoping that sounded familiar to you.”

“Not in the slightest.” Tank shook his head as he opened it and began flipping pages. “Let’s see. 'Zephyr, the West Wind…’ 'Sword of Justine…’ 'Goddess Raftina…’?”

Twilight gestured at the book with a hoof as she spoke. “From what I can tell, it’s a collection of fairy tale-like stories, but I can’t make heads or tails of them. They keep talking about 'guardians’ and 'metal demons’ and other things I’ve never heard of before, without really offering any context.”

Tank continued staring at the book as though willing it by sheer determination to reveal its secrets. “O…kay, I think we’ve moved on from 'weird’ into the realm of 'completely bizarre.’” He paused for a moment to scratch his head. “I mean, I’m assuming you wanted me to look it over because you think it might be tied to the Elements somehow, but I can’t say I’m convinced. It’s a strange book to be sure, but what makes you think it’s at all relevant?”

With a glow of her horn, Twilight lifted the book from Tank’s grip, flipped to a page near the beginning, and set it back down in his hooves. “Take a look at that opening passage there.”

Tank scanned the page for a moment before clearing his throat.

“These aspects of the heart, long lost to time
We pay our tribute thus in song and rhyme
Forgotten now, they shall await their due
Till breath of life is granted them anew…”

Spike peered at the book over Tank’s shoulder. “Well? What do you think?”

Tank stared at the page blankly. “I think whoever wrote this was being pretentious. Did it really need to be in iambic pentameter?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and gave a small sigh. “Tank, it’s a riddle! Look at the first line there. Aspects of the heart that were lost to time? That sounds suspiciously like forgotten Elements of Harmony if you ask me.”

“Hmm…” Tank gave the page another cursory reading before shaking his head once again and lowering the book. “I dunno if I’m gonna be much help here then. Nobody beats me when it comes to block puzzles, but I was never any good at riddles. Those were always Riley’s gig…”

“Wait a sec. Can I see that?” Spike pointed a claw at the book.

After a moment’s curious hesitation, Tank set it down on the table beside him. “Uh… sure, knock yourself out.”

Spike stared at the page for a moment, stroking his chin in thought. “Aha! That’s it!”

Having spent the past moment or so holding her hoof up to her mouth in anticipation, Twilight had to lower it before speaking. “What is it, Spike?”

“I thought something in here sounded familiar,” he explained, “and I think I found it. Here, in the last line - didn’t we read something in an old history book about a 'breath of life’ just a few days ago?”

Twilight gasped. With no further ado, she leapt out of her seat, dashing across the room to a stack of books arranged neatly next to a comfortable-looking pile of pillows and lifting them into the air with her magic, the better to scan their titles as quickly as possible. “Here it is!” she soon declared, returning to the table with a leather-bound book that showed signs of advanced age.

“Wow, that’s a history book?” Tank quirked an eyebrow. “It looks old enough to have been part of history itself.”

Twilight quickly flipped her way through the book, skimming page after page in search of a familiar passage. “Here it is! Spike, you’re a genius!” She punctuated this sentence by giving him an affectionate noogie.

“Haha! Okay okay, stop!” Spike brushed Twilight’s hoof away from his head, grinning in spite of himself.

“Right, now let’s see…” Twilight paced back and forth for a moment, the book hovering magically before her as she re-read the passage. “According to this book, many ancient cultures believed that naming an object gave it a life of its own. This gift was referred to as… the 'breath of life!’ Tank, do you know what this means?”

For a moment, Tank looked as confused as ever… until the gears in his mind finally began to click into place. “Wait, then…” He sat back on his haunches and began tracing something in the air before him with his hoof. “Carry the two…” Suddenly, it came to him. “So to rediscover these Elements, all we have to do is figure out what their names are?”

Twilight nodded fervently, grinning as she snapped the history book closed and set it aside. “That’s my best hypothesis so far, at least.”

Tank scratched his head. “Well, I’ll admit this idea is a bit more compelling than it was a minute ago, and it’s the only real lead we have so far, but…” He shrugged. “It almost sounds too easy when you put it that way.”

“I have a feeling it’ll be a bit tougher than you think,” Twilight suggested. “I’ve been compiling notes on friendship since I arrived in Ponyville; let’s have a look at them together and - ”

CRASH

The front door slammed open as a colorful pegasus burst through it, skidding to a stop in the center of the room.

“Wh - ?” Tank whirled around at the sudden noise. “Geez, Rainbow Dash. Where’s the fire?”

“Guys, guys!” Rainbow Dash hopped into the air, hovering as she pointed at the sky through a nearby window. “There’s a huge storm coming this way!”

Twilight stared at Rainbow quizzically. “Another one? Didn’t we just have a big storm a few days ago?”

Rainbow waved her forehooves frantically. “There was an accident at the weather factory in Cloudsdale! A storm cloud got loose, and it’s headed straight for Ponyville! It’s too big for the weather patrol to stop in time, so we’re trying to warn everypony to stay indoors.”

Tank froze in place, his eyes wide as dinner plates.

Twilight peered out the window. “How long do we have until it arrives?”

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash glanced at the clock. “…About four seconds.”

Episode 2-3

A rumble of thunder shook the Golden Oak Library.

“GAAAAH”

Tank Buster made a mad dash for the pillow pile, burying himself beneath it at blinding speed. Within seconds, all that was visible of him were a green snout and a pair of terrified eyes.

“What the hay?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes darted back and forth between Tank’s hiding place and the spot where he’d been standing just a moment prior.

“Oh no…” Frowning, Twilight slowly approached the pillow pile and sat beside it. “I heard about this from Big Macintosh after that last storm we had. Poor Tank has - ”

“Wait a sec,” Rainbow interjected. “You heard something from Big Mac that wasn’t ‘eeyup’ or 'nnnope’?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Big Macintosh does, in fact, talk. Just… not very often.” She glanced away briefly at this admission. “Now may I finish?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Eh, sure.”

Twilight’s expression softened once more as her gaze fell upon the petrified pony in the pillow pile. “Tank Buster has astraphobia.”

“Gesundheit,” Rainbow Dash offered.

Twilight sighed audibly and raised a hoof to her forehead. “Astraphobia is an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning. In other words, he’s terrified of thunderstorms.”

Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment as she landed slowly and joined Twilight by the pillow pile. After a moment of biting her lip nervously, she spoke. “Aw man, I didn’t know. I’m really sorry I couldn’t warn you guys sooner…”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t blame yourself, Rainbow. If you weren’t fast enough to warn everypony in time, then nopony would’ve been.”

Spike peered over Twilight’s shoulder. “So what do we do now?”

Twilight gave one of the pillows a gentle pat with her hoof as Tank trembled beneath it. “The best thing to do is to stay here with him until the weather clears up. We shouldn’t be going outside anyway now that the storm’s here.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Rainbow agreed. “For anypony to go out now, they’d have to be - ”

SLAM

“APPLE BLOOM!”

Rainbow Dash’s statement was interrupted by the sound of the library door bursting open as a thoroughly sodden Applejack charged through it, looking frantically about the room. “Have any of y'all seen Apple Bloom?”

Briefly taken aback by the orange pony’s abrupt arrival, Twilight glanced between Rainbow Dash and Tank Buster for a moment before responding. “Er… no, we haven’t. Is everything alright?”

Applejack shook her head, flinging a cascade of droplets from her hat in all directions as she did so. “She was supposed to be back from Zecora’s by now. I can’t bear the thought that she’s stuck somewhere out there in the storm…”

Twilight trotted forward and put a gentle hoof over Applejack’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’s fine, Applejack. If she was on her way back to the farm when the storm arrived, it’s very likely she just stopped somewhere to take shelter from the rain. If we ask around town, I’m sure we’ll find her before long.”

Applejack looked up at Twilight and nodded, adjusting her hat. “Yeah… you’re right. Thanks, Twi.”

Twilight offered a reassuring smile before turning to look over her shoulder. “Come on, Rainbow. We’ll need your help too.”

Rainbow scratched her head and gestured at the pillow pile. “Um… okay, but what about Tank? You just said somepony’s gotta stay with him.”

Twilight blinked, hesitating as she pondered the problem. After a moment, she returned to the pillow pile and crouched low to the floor until she was at eye level with the pony buried within. “Hey… Tank?”

Tank turned his head a fraction of an inch to meet her gaze.

Twilight smiled softly at him, just as she had with Applejack. “Will you be alright if we leave you with Spike while we go looking for Apple Bloom? I promise we’ll be back before you know it.”

After a moment’s pause, Tank’s response came in the form of an almost imperceptibly small nod.

Twilight’s smile broadened as she stood back up. “Stay strong. I know you can do it.” With that, she turned back toward the others. “Okay then. Spike, I need you to come over here and sit with Tank. Applejack and Rainbow Dash, let’s get moving. We need to stay in sight of each other at all times for safety’s sake; the storm’s not getting any lighter by the looks of things. Ready, girls?”

Applejack’s expression hardened. “You bet your bottom bit I am.”

Rainbow Dash threw her forehoof into the air. “Let’s do this!”

“Let’s go!” With a glow of her horn, Twilight threw the door open and the three ponies charged out into the darkening storm. Spike watched as that same magic closed the door behind them before jogging his way over to the pillow pile and unceremoniously plopping down onto one.

Never really sure what to do with himself without Twilight around, the little dragon spent a moment staring at the claws on one hand before a sudden thought struck him. “Wait a second…” The pillow beneath him slid easily on the smooth wooden floor as he spun around to face Tank. “Does anypony else know about the sinkholes on the forest path?”

It seemed to take a moment for this question to sink in, but when it did, the force of Tank sitting bolt upright sent some pillows flying several feet away. “No… no, I don’t think they do!” The realization seemed to be momentarily distracting him from the storm as he rose from his hiding place and began pacing slowly. “I didn’t find the first one until just after Apple Bloom passed by, and I didn’t get the chance to mention it to anyone just now because we were distracted by that weird book.”

Spike raised his hands to his face in alarm. “So does that mean Apple Bloom didn’t make it back because she fell in one and got stuck and now she’s trapped in a hole in the middle of a storm?”

“If it is, then the others will never find her in time,” Tank declared. “That settles it, then. It’s up to - ”

A loud thunderclap headed this statement off at the pass, resulting in Tank immediately diving underneath the nearby table and covering his head with his forelegs. "Nope nope nope it’s up to somebody else 'cause I’m not going anywhere no thank you"

Spike tugged insistently at Tank’s tail, slowly dragging him out from under the table. “Tank, come on! Apple Bloom needs our help!”

“Our… W-Wait, that’s it!” In spite of the trembling, Tank beamed as the idea came to him. “Y-You can go f-find the girls and t-tell them where she is!”

Spike put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, sure! I’m totally going to catch up to three full-grown ponies who are running full tilt through a thunderstorm when all I’ve got are these stubby little baby dragon legs.” He stuck one out and pointed at it for emphasis.

Tank hesitated for a moment before offering an encouraging grin. “Uhh… I believe in you?”

This elicited little more than an impatient glare from Spike.

Tank’s smile faded as he gave a quiet sigh of defeat. “I… really have to do this, don’t I?”

Spike nodded. “I know you’re scared, but Apple Bloom might be in serious danger. We have to try.” With that, he climbed onto the prone pony’s back and gave him a gentle pat. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine as long as I’m here!”

Slowly, steadily, Tank rose on four shaky legs and made his way to the front door, opening it with one trembling hoof. The town was nearly pitch black as the rain came down in sheets; where the street lights weren’t lit, he could barely see more than a few yards through it. As far as Tank was concerned, he may as well have been staring at a brick wall for how willing he was to walk through that doorway.

“Stay strong. I know you can do it.”

While this ostensibly hadn’t been what she’d meant, Twilight’s words echoed in Tank’s mind nonetheless. His gaze lingered on the falling rain as his mind processed the task ahead of him, prompting the trembling to pick up once again. “…Okay. I can do this, I can do this. Apple Bloom needs our help. I can do this…” He closed his eyes, the better to focus on slowing his breathing and retaining what control he could manage over his nerves. “Okay. I’m… I’m gonna count to five, and then we’re gonna go. We’re gonna… we’re gonna do this thing. Okay.” Another deep breath punctuated this sentence. “One… two - ”

RUMBLE

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

Tank’s eyes shot open as the loudest thunderclap yet rolled its way through town as though swallowing it whole. With a scream that might have curdled milk, he took off like a bullet out the door and into the storm, aiming as best he could in the gathering dark for the Everfree Forest.

Episode 2-4

“I’m very sorry, dearie, but I haven’t seen anypony else outside since the storm hit,” the blue earth pony explained, shaking her head.

A quite thoroughly soaked Twilight Sparkle sighed. “Alright. Thanks anyway, Mrs. Cake.” With that, she turned back toward the road.

“You be careful out there, now!” Mrs. Cake called after Twilight as she closed the sweet shop door.

Twilight galloped toward a nearby overhanging roof, beneath which Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already waiting.

Applejack fiddled nervously with her hat. “Any luck?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nothing. I really thought she would be somewhere on the main road, but nopony’s seen her.”

Rainbow Dash cringed. “So if she’s not at the farm, and she’s not in town, then…”

“…she must still be somewhere in the Everfree!” Applejack concluded, her eyes nearly the size of dinner plates. “C'mon, we gotta hurry!”

“Applejack, wait!” Twilight leaped in front of Applejack to stop her from charging off into the storm.

Applejack glared. “We ain’t got time for this, Twilight! My baby sister’s still out there! What the hay are you stopping me for?”

Twilight’s expression softened, but she stood her ground. “I heard a report earlier that there have been timberwolf sightings near the forest in the past few days. They’re dangerous enough under the light of day; in a storm like this, we would never see them coming.”

“T-Timberwolves?!” Applejack practically screeched. “Land sakes, I’d never have let her off on her own like that if I’d known…!”

Twilight nodded. “That’s why I want to get a second opinion first.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “A second opinion? From who?”

Applejack visibly relaxed as the answer came to her. “From somepony who was out there all day building a fence.”

Twilight nodded. “If he saw anything out of the ordinary, that might be all the clue we need.” She took a step forward and put a gentle hoof over Applejack’s shoulders. “We’ll find her, I promise. Let’s go talk to Tank and see if - ”

“…aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAA”

A milk-curdling scream accompanied a blur of green and purple shooting past the three ponies at blinding speed.

“AAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaa…”

For several seconds, the three simply stared.

Finally, Twilight blinked. “Was that… Tank? And Spike? They went by so fast, it’s hard to tell…”

Rainbow scratched her head. “It… looks like they’re headed toward the forest.”

“Well that sure answers our question, don’t it? Let’s go!” Without another moment of hesitation, Applejack took off in pursuit, hooves kicking up mud as she galloped away. Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged very brief glances before following behind her.

It felt like every fiber of his being was screaming at him to turn back.

Even in the dim light, Tank could see the road split up ahead. Taking the alternate path would lead him to Fluttershy’s cottage; surely she wouldn’t begrudge him the shelter? If he showed up at her door, sopping wet and trembling, he’d be warm and dry before he knew it. Sitting by the fire, wrapped in a towel, and nursing a hot cup of tea… That had to be the best plan he’d heard all day.

“Come on, Tank, we’re almost there! You’re doing great!” Spike gave Tank a reassuring pat.

A small sigh escaped Tank as he remembered that retreat wasn’t an option. Gritting his teeth, he charged straight ahead, the path to Fluttershy foregone in an instant.

From his perch on Tank’s back, Spike stood up, peering through the pouring rain as they reached the mouth of the forest path. “We made it! But where could she be? I don’t see any sign of her…”

Tank skidded to a stop in the mud, shaking like the leaves on the nearby trees under the torrent of rain hitting them. A sharp intake of breath, and…

“APPLE BLOOM!”

A moment passed, but no sound could be heard over the rain. Tank took off running once again, frantically looking this way and that for any sign of the little filly. “Please be okay, please be okay, please be - ”

RUMBLE

“AAAAUGH”

In an instant, Tank went from charging full tilt down the path to falling snout-first into the mud, his passenger tumbling from his back and landing nearby. As Spike watched, Tank curled up on the ground and desperately tried to cover his head with his forelegs. “No no no no no, please make it stop…!”

“…eeeeelp!”

Tank gasped. His ears perked up as he lifted his head, the better to pick out the source of the sound. “I heard something! Where was that?”

“Over here!” Spike waved Tank over to a sinkhole even larger than the one they’d found earlier that day, ten feet wide and at least as many deep. Tank approached it with shaky steps and peered over the edge.

“Apple Bloom…!”

An exhausted-looking Apple Bloom peered up at Tank from halfway down the now-flooded hole, too deep to stand in but too shallow to climb out. Muddy hoof marks and scrapes around the edges told a tale of numerous failed escape attempts that had left her with little recourse beyond sitting there treading water. As Tank watched, her head dipped under the surface for a couple of seconds before she breached again, gasping desperately for air.

“Help!” Apple Bloom flailed desperately, panting hard between words. “Tank! Help… hurry…!”

“Hang on!” Tank immediately laid flat on his belly, reaching down over the edge as far as his forelegs would stretch. “You’re gonna be fine! Here, grab on!”

“O-Okay!” Apple Bloom swam forward until she was almost directly beneath Tank and reached as high as she could, but it wasn’t enough; scant inches still separated their hooves. “Rrgh… can’t… reach…”

Tank gritted his teeth once again. “Okay… okay, here we go. Everybody chill out, I got this.” A careful nudge of his hind leg put him a little closer, then another, until…

“Gotcha!”

Tank’s hooves finally came together around Apple Bloom’s forelegs, causing her to emit a sigh of relief audible even over the roar of the storm. A second later, Tank inched forward yet again.

Apple Bloom blinked. “Uh… Tank…?”

Tank gave her a nervous grin. “Everything is fine! Totally not slipping. Just stay calm. Breathe! Breathing is good.” Try as he might, he’d already slipped too far to see anything over his shoulder but the ominous trees of the Everfree looming over the pathway. “Spike! I could use a little help over here!”

Several seconds passed, but saw no response.

“Spike? SPIKE!” Tank’s eyes darted between the dark clouds above and the muddy water below. “Okay, so Spike ran off somewhere. That’s fine! No need to worry. Let’s just… let’s just stay calm and - ”

RUMBLE

“AAAAAAAA”

Tank flailed in absolute panic, very nearly dropping Apple Bloom in the process. In regaining his grip on her, however, he’d lost what traction his hind hooves had in the mud, and he began sliding much more rapidly over the edge, inches from being trapped in the hole himself.

“Gotcha!”

Something grabbed onto Tank’s hind legs just as he lost the last of his grip on the edge and pulled both him and Apple Bloom out of the hole, causing the two to land in the mud with a splat.

“Didn’t think I’d leave you hanging, did you?” Rainbow Dash gave the both of them a confident smirk.

The sound of muddy hoofbeats rang out a second later as Twilight and Applejack caught up, accompanied by none other than Spike.

In spite of himself, Tank spent a moment scratching his head. “Oh, so that’s where he went.”

“You made it!” Twilight grinned up at Rainbow. “Good catch, Rainbow Dash.”

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack didn’t stop running until she’d scooped up Apple Bloom in her hooves. “Moon and stars, June bug, I thought I’d lost you. I’m so glad you’re alright…”

Apple Bloom trembled, but smiled all the same. “I’m fine, Applejack! Really, I am. Tank came and found me…”

“Hey, can I interject for just a sec?”

Five heads turned toward Tank, who stood once again on shaky legs. “Is there any chance this conversation could happen back at the library? ‘Cause I need a roof over my head right the void now.”

“Oh!” Twilight winced. “Oh goodness, I almost forgot…! Come on, everypony - let’s get back to the library, quick!”

Episode 2-5

The rain had already begun to diminish as the door to the Golden Oak library creaked open, four sodden ponies and their two passengers filing their way inside.

Spike hopped down from Twilight Sparkle’s back as she shook some of the water from her mane. “Wait here, everypony. There are some towels in the linen closet upstairs,” she offered, making her way to the staircase.

As Applejack sat down, Apple Bloom gently slid from her back and came to rest on the floor beside her, sleeping peacefully.

Rainbow Dash held her wings outstretched, the better to let them dry, and briefly looked over Apple Bloom. “Is she gonna be okay?”

Applejack gave her sister a soft smile and a gentle pat with her hoof. “She’ll be fine now. Just needs some rest is all - poor thing’s exhausted from her ordeal.”

Spike pointed a claw over Rainbow’s shoulder. “Okay… now what about him?”

Tank Buster sat hunched over a few feet away, alternating between panting heavily and giggling to himself.

“That’s a totally different bushel of apples,” Applejack admitted. “You alright over there, sugarcube?”

“I’m… I’m fine, I promise!” Tank slowly turned on the spot, raising a hoof to his forehead as he fought back another wave of giggles. “Just coming down from the… from the adrenaline rush is all.” He punctuated this declaration with an attempt at a series of deep breaths. “Hoo boy…”

“Tank…” Applejack’s soft smile returned. “There’s something I probably ought to say to you after everything that just happened.”

Tank deflated a little, his gaze sinking to the floor. “I know. Look… I’m really sorry.”

Applejack recoiled like he’d just sprouted claws and fangs. “What in the…? What’ve you got to apologize for?”

“This whole thing could’ve been avoided if I’d been paying more attention,” Tank explained, gesturing with his forehooves as he spoke. “I knew about the sinkholes, and I’d been fighting off timberwolves for half the afternoon. I should’ve stuck around and waited for her, but I let myself get sidetracked at the last minute.”

“What’s with everypony and blaming themselves today?” Twilight asked as she emerged from the stairway, already draped in a towel. Several more were held aloft in her magic, which she distributed to the other wet ponies and dragon in the room. “If that’s true, then it’s also my fault for distracting you when I asked you to stop by.”

“And mine for letting her go all by herself,” Applejack added, gently tucking a towel around the sleeping Apple Bloom before rubbing her mane furiously with hers. “Instead of sitting around blaming ourselves, let’s just be thankful she’s safe now and agree to learn from our mistakes for next time. Besides, you ran straight into a thunderstorm to save her! I couldn’t possibly thank you enough.”

Tank rubbed the back of his neck, looking less than convinced. “I mean… if you say so.”

Rainbow Dash wrapped her towel around her tail and gave it a hearty wring. “So where’d you get your aster… abra… astro…” She shook her head. “So what’s up with you and storms, anyway?”

Twilight frowned. “Rainbow, I don’t think we should be bringing that up…”

“No, it’s alright. I figured someone would get curious enough to ask.” Tank held his towel tightly around himself. “I hope you’re up for a long story though, because it’s just about the longest one I’ve got.”

Twilight’s smile returned. “If it’s a story you’re willing to tell, we would be happy to hear it.”

Tank nodded and took a slow breath. “You can’t see it now, but… when I’m human, I’ve got this big, jagged scar running down my face right here,” he explained, pointing a hoof at his cheek. “It’s pretty different from the battle scars people in my line of work tend to get, so I end up having to dodge a lot of questions about it… especially because I got it from doing something really dumb.”

“A scar…?” Twilight whispered, glancing at the bookshelves behind her.

Applejack tilted her head. “Something on your mind?”

Twilight hesitated for a moment before shaking her head in response. “I was just wondering about something, but it’s not important right now.” She turned back to Tank. “So… how did you get this scar, then?”

Tank idly rubbed the cheek it once occupied. “Well, that’s the long part. See, I have a… a friend back home. His name is Riley, and he’s been… very sick for a long time now. When I was little, I heard an old legend about something that I thought might help, and that’s when I started training. I thought if I could just get my hands on it, he’d finally be okay.”

Spike scratched his head. “What was it?”

Tank hesitated, his gaze sinking to the floor once again. “A… sword. The legend said it was a magical golden sword that could grant a wish to anyone strong enough to wield it. You know, because that’s not patently ridiculous or anything.” He rolled his eyes as he said this. “But I was willing to believe it if it meant there was a chance Riley could get better. One night a few years ago, I snuck out of bed and ran off to the old temple outside of town where it was supposed to be hidden… and, well. The short version is, I found it. Or something that fit the description at least.”

“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash grinned.

“I mean, I guess so.” Tank shrugged. “The problem came when I went to leave the temple, only to find a thunderstorm had rolled in while I wasn’t looking. We don’t have weather control back home the way you do here, and I couldn’t just wait it out or I’d get caught; I had no choice but to book it through the storm… across a wide open field… carrying a heavy sword made of gold, and hope for the best.” He shook his head. “As I’m sure you can imagine, that’s not exactly what I got.”

Twilight gasped, covering her mouth with her forehooves. “Oh no… you don’t mean…?”

Rainbow Dash’s grin faded. “What? What does he mean?”

Twilight lowered one hoof, leaving the other planted firmly on her muzzle. “Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity. Running across an open field with no shelter in the middle of a thunderstorm, carrying a golden sword…” She paused for a breath before continuing. “It would’ve made him a living lightning rod.”

Tank nodded slowly. “All I remember is a blinding flash, followed by the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my entire life.” He shuddered as the memories resurfaced. “It hurt so much I could barely breathe, let alone move. I have no idea how long I was stuck out there before my family realized I was missing and went looking for me. I must have passed out at some point, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed.”

The four exchanged nervous glances before turning back to Tank.

“They said I had about a ten percent chance of surviving that bolt,” Tank explained. “I’m lucky to be alive.”

Rainbow bit her lip. “So… what about the sword? Did it work?”

“Take a wild guess.” Tank glared at the damp towel in his hooves for a moment before wadding it up and pitching it at a nearby wall. “There’s no such thing as wish-granting swords. It was never anything more than a useless fairy tale, and I should’ve known that from the beginning.” He heaved a frustrated sigh. “I almost got myself killed, and it was all for nothing.”

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike sat quietly, at a loss for words as Tank finished his story.

“It wasn’t for nothing.” Twilight, however, slowly stood up.

Tank stared incredulously at Twilight as though she’d just spoken a foreign language. “If you’re gonna say I got a sword out of the deal…”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Twilight turned to her diminutive assistant. “Spike, where are the necklaces the Princess gave us?”

“Uh… over there!” Spike pointed a claw at a jewelry box sitting on a bookshelf by the stairs.

Twilight quickly retrieved the box, opening it to reveal three empty necklaces, and removed one with a shield-shaped gem setting.

Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Are those what I think they are?”

Twilight nodded. “If I’m right, they each represent one of the three lost Elements.” With that, she rushed over to Tank and placed the necklace over his collarbone.

“Lost Elements…?” Rainbow echoed.

Spike flailed his arms. “We’ll explain later! I think she’s onto something.”

Tank spent a moment staring down at his necklace before looking back up at Twilight.

Twilight beamed with pride at Tank. “As friends, we all do our best to look after one another in times of need… but today, you went above and beyond that. I’ve seen you put yourself in harm’s way for others before - not least of all against Nightmare Moon - but it takes a special kind of strength to stand up to your greatest fear for the sake of somepony else.” At this, she cleared her throat.

“Tank Buster, you represent the Element of Courage!”

The empty setting in Tank’s necklace immediately took on a blinding glow, prompting everyone to shield their eyes for a moment. As it faded, they all soon found themselves gazing at a brilliant green gemstone in its place, sparkling softly in the evening light.

“Mes étoiles…” Tank whispered, staring at his brand new Element of Harmony. A smile slowly rose on his face as he turned back toward Twilight once again. “Twilight, look! It worked!”

Twilight began hopping up and down excitedly in an almost Pinkie Pie-esque manner. “Yes! It worked, it worked! Woohoo!”

“Well, I’ll be.” Applejack adjusted her hat with a proud smirk. “Congratulations, Tank. You earned it.”

“I’ll say!” Rainbow agreed. “The way you were cowering under all those pillows before, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

Tank’s eyes narrowed. “Ugh, don’t remind me.” In spite of this, his expression quickly softened. “But I guess that was kinda the point though, wasn’t it?”

Twilight nodded. “We’ve seen you face more dangerous things than a thunderstorm before. Like when you helped us round up that ursa minor, or face down the dragon up on the mountain… but you weren’t as afraid of those, were you?”

“Not really, no.” Tank shrugged. “I’m used to fighting things that are bigger and stronger than me; it’s kind of an occupational hazard… but I’ll be old and gray before I forget that night coming back from the temple.” He gave another nervous shudder as though to emphasize the point.

Twilight put a reassuring foreleg over Tank’s shoulder. “It’s easy to do dangerous things if you’re not afraid. True courage is about standing up to your fears, no matter how hard it may be, if it means doing what’s right.”

“Courage, huh…” Tank’s gaze returned to the Element on his necklace, his smile resurfacing. “I dunno what sort of mysterious extradimensional force decided I earned this, but it’s flattering either way. Shame I’ll have to hand it over though; didn’t you say the Princess wanted to hang onto these?”

Twilight retracted her foreleg. “I did, and she does, but she’ll probably want to come to Ponyville herself to collect it… which means somepony’s going to have to look after it until then.” At this, she gave Tank a wink and a cheeky smirk. “I can’t think of anypony better to keep it safe. Besides, you’ll want to show it off to Scarlet and Waterwing, won’t you?”

Tank’s soft smile broadened into an eager grin.

Applejack gently nudged the still-sleeping Apple Bloom onto her back. “Well, this has been plenty exciting, but I think we’d better get along now that the rain’s stopped. Poor Big Mac and Granny Smith must be worried sick by now.” She paused for a moment and approached Tank. “I know I said it before, but I just can’t thank you enough for saving my little sister.”

Tank’s cheeks flushed a little. “It’s no problem, Applejack. I’m just glad Apple Bloom is alright… I’ll have a word with the mayor tomorrow to see what we can do about those sinkholes so this doesn’t happen again.”

Applejack beamed a moment longer before slowly marching her way out the door.

“Spike, get my quill,” Twilight instructed. “We’ve got a report to write for the Princess about everything that happened today.”

“Oh man, would you look at the time!” Rainbow Dash yawned loudly. “I’ve got a nap I gotta catch up on. I’ll see you guys later!” She was already out the door before anyone could react.

Twilight, Tank, and Spike exchanged glances before sharing a collective giggle.

“Alright, let’s get started.” Twilight cleared her throat once again as Spike held quill and scroll at the ready. “Dear Princess Celestia…”

Author's Note

I wish it had occurred to me how cliche the plot of "hey look, new elements!" is when I started writing this fic; I'd have worked harder to come up with something at least a bit more original. That said, I do hope at least that it feels earned, and not just like I'm being insufferably masturbatory with my characters.

In any case, this is the end of Episode 2. If you do happen to be enjoying the story so far, feel free to join me over on the Domain of Friendship Tumblr. You can read a bit ahead if you'd like, or even ask the crew questions!

Short: "Sign"

A familiar jingle came from the bell above the door to Carousel Boutique as a pair of ponies wandered their way inside.

“…should be questioning the concept of a carousel under the circumstances, you know? It just seems weird to me, but I can’t quite put my finger on why, exactly…” Tank seemed deep in thought for a moment as he entered, but snapped to attention upon spotting Rarity waiting for them. “Uh, hey Rarity. You said you wanted to see us?”

Waterwing joined in the greeting, offering a cheery smile and wave.

“Ah, there you are! You’re just in time; I have a little something I thought might interest you.” Rarity gently set down her needle and thread and trotted over to a nearby table littered with miscellaneous supplies.

Tank quirked an eyebrow. “Wait. You don’t mean you already finished our outfits for the Gala, do you? I knew you were good, but geez.”

Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof and giggled softly. “Not quite…” She pored over the items on the table for a few seconds, finally locating a book and lifting it with her magic. “Actually, this mostly concerns you, Waterwing.”

Waterwing blinked, pointing a hoof at herself as she glanced between Tank and Rarity.

“Yes, you, dear!” Rarity floated the book in front of her to have another look at it. “See, I remembered an old marefriend of mine whose brother was hard of hearing… and as luck would have it, he too was a pegasus! I went and reconnected with her the other day so I could ask her about it, and when I happened to mention your, ah… communication troubles, this is what she gave me.” With that, she offered it to the two ponies before her, causing them to stare at it for several seconds.

Tank quirked an eyebrow. “What have we got here…? ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Wingsign’?”

Waterwing’s eyes went wide as she snatched the book out of the air and immediately began flipping through it.

Rarity smiled pleasantly at Waterwing hovering overhead, her snout already buried in the book, and turned to Tank. “I presume you had some other means of communicating with her before you arrived?”

Tank shrugged. “Well, yeah. We all knew sign language so we could talk to her properly, but since it requires hands that we don’t happen to have at the moment, I’m sure you can imagine we’ve had to improvise pretty heavily for the past few weeks.” He paused a moment to ponder the concept. “So you’re saying she could do it with her wings?”

Rarity nodded. “Why, certainly! Now, I was thinking - we could use this book to practice it with her for a little while, just the three of us, until we think we’ve learned enough to start teaching it to the others. All the better if you used similar methods before, since it’ll be less about the concept and more just learning the new syntax.”

“I’m liking this plan better and better every minute.” Tank brought a hoof to his chin and gave it a thoughtful rub before glancing upward at his companion. “But I guess it’s not really up to me though. What do you think?”

Still hovering above, Waterwing slowly closed the book in her hooves and gave it an excited hug, beaming down at Rarity as she nodded her agreement.

“Splendid!” With that, Rarity cleared some space at the edge of the table, allowing Waterwing to set the book there and offer all three of them room to see it. “Right then. I was thinking we could start with your name; I just know I saw 'water’ in here somewhere…”

Short: "Cutie"

“Now don’t be shy, you two. Dig in and tell me what you think!”

The smell of baking filled the air in the Apple family kitchen as Applejack nudged two plates across the table toward the two curious ponies before her.

Scarlet reached out with her magic, lifting the small pastry from her plate and taking a careful bite. Its flaky crust crumbled perfectly in her mouth as she chewed, nicely contrasting the crisp texture of the warm apple and the gooeyness of the cinnamon filling.

“You have quite outdone yourself, I think.” Scarlet beamed at Applejack before taking a second bite. “I could scarcely imagine a finer treat.”

“Well shucks, I’m just glad you like it.” Applejack grinned and turned to Waterwing. “How about you there? Think I got it right?”

Waterwing, having already devoured her entire pastry, busily licked at the crumbs and globs of cinnamon filling at the corners of her mouth.

Applejack chuckled. “I suppose that’s a ‘yes.’”

Finally resigning herself to cleaning up with a napkin, Waterwing nodded eagerly.

Scarlet tilted her head. “Not that I mean to complain by any stretch, but was there a reason why you needed our assistance in particular to test your new pastry?”

Applejack shrugged. “Not especially. Just that I’ve been working on this recipe for a week now, and I think Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh were getting a little tired of pastries.”

Scarlet looked affronted. “Perish the thought…”

“Huh?” Applejack suddenly found herself watching Waterwing stare at her own flank, poking at her cutie mark with her hoof. “Something wrong there, sugarcube?”

Lightly startled, Waterwing straightened up in her seat and looked over at Scarlet imploringly.

A thought struck Scarlet as she met her companion’s gaze. “Ah, yes… I nearly forgot. Applejack, would you mind if we asked you about something?”

Applejack smirked. “Has it got to do with your cutie marks?”

Scarlet stifled an amused grin. “However did you guess?”

“Just lucky, I suppose.” Applejack straightened her hat. “Though I’ll admit I’m probably not the best to ask about that sort of thing. Maybe give Twilight a poke? Might be more her speed.”

“Well, you see…” Scarlet glanced at Waterwing, who wore an uncomfortable grimace on her face. “We have in fact already spoken to her about it, but…”

Applejack scratched her head. “Didn’t go so well, I take it?”

Scarlet took a deep breath. “Her lecture on the nature of cutie marks was so excessively lengthy and detailed that by the time she had finished I honestly felt as though I understood less than I did before she started.”

Applejack gave a hearty chuckle. “I haven’t known her that long, but that sure sounds like Twilight, alright.”

Scarlet raised a hoof to her chin in thought. “Would you tell us how it was that you earned your mark? Perhaps we could extrapolate something from that.”

“I’d be happy to.” Applejack glanced down at her flank as she spoke. “I got my mark when I finally realized the place I was meant to be is here at Sweet Apple Acres with my family. I like to think of it as my way of keeping them close - there’s three apples, see? One for Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith.”

Waterwing gave a silent gasp and turned toward Scarlet, who wore a similar look of comprehension.

“I thought as much.” Scarlet paused a moment. “So it was the circumstances of its acquisition that contextualized its intended meaning, then.”

“Exactly!” Applejack’s subsequent grin was short-lived as a thought struck her. “Oh, wait… but that won’t help any, will it? Y'all said you don’t know where yours came from.”

Scarlet shook her head slowly. “They were already there when we first awoke, as mystifying as they are now.”

Applejack bit her lip. “Aw, shoot. I’m real sorry.”

“No need to worry.” Scarlet offered a reassuring smile. “I suppose our answer will simply have to wait for another time.”

Applejack’s own smile returned. “Hey, I got an idea. You two care to help me make a batch of those pastries? I reckon we can spare a few if you’re still hungry.”

Waterwing’s eyes widened as she licked her lips.

Applejack gave yet another chuckle. “Sounds like another 'yes’ to me. Let’s get started!”

Short: "Battle"

On the grassy outskirts of Ponyville, a battle raged.

Scarlet Starbeam paused for a moment to regain her breath. She caught the green blur that was Tank Buster barreling toward her in the corner of her eye and bolted out of the way with inches to spare... but hardly a second later, he had already reversed direction entirely; before she could recover her footing, his head collided with her shoulder and sent her sprawling.

A quick roll put her back on all four hooves, her horn already lit up in a fiery orange. Her mouth widened into an angry snarl as a stream of fire poured forth from it.

Tank could feel waves of heat as the flames rolled through the spot where he'd been standing just a second ago; to his relief, they had succeeded only in singeing his tail. He took the opportunity to put some distance between them before turning to face Scarlet once again, crouching low for just a moment before taking off like a bullet directly toward her.

A deep brown glow signaled Scarlet's next spell as stone spires began briefly jutting out of the ground in front of Tank as he charged. Rather than slow his advance, however, he began leaping between them, their rocky sides allowing him to gain height in spite of their steepness. He caught up in seconds, now threatening to slam down on her with his forehooves from above.

Another quick bolt put her just barely out of the way as he came down. Anticipating his quick turnaround as before, her horn lit up in a sinister purple as she lashed out with her magic, not a moment too soon; a set of dark, shadowy claws struck Tank's flank and threw him off balance, eliciting a grunt of pain.

Slowed but undeterred, Tank crouched once again, getting ready to -

"Waiiit!"

Both combatants froze in their tracks.

"I mean..." Fluttershy stood before them, one hoof absent-mindedly fiddling with the end of her mane as she pondered her next choice of words. "Um. Friends shouldn't be fighting like that, so... whatever's wrong, you can tell me and... maybe I can help you work things out...?" She punctuated this sentence with a very small hopeful smile.

Scarlet and Tank spent several seconds staring at Fluttershy before turning back toward one another... and bursting into laughter.

Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "W-What...?"

Scarlet took a deep breath to calm herself. "A thousand pardons if we frightened you, Fluttershy, but I promise nothing is wrong."

"It's just a training exercise," Tank explained, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We're sparring!"

"Sparring...?" Fluttershy echoed with a gentle tilt to her head.

Scarlet nodded. "A practice in which we normally engage much more frequently... but as I presume you can imagine, our routine was rather heavily disrupted when we arrived here. We have a fair bit of catching up to do, as it were."

Tank took a deep breath of his own. "Not to mention the fight with Nightmare Moon. We only got out of that alive 'cause you guys showed up when you did. I don't want to rely on that kind of luck if something serious happens again, but I'm still not quite used to fighting in this body yet..."

"But... but you're bleeding...!" Fluttershy protested, pointing a hoof at a set of long scratches on Tank's flank.

"Oh... yeah, that's normal. Got me pretty good with that claw move," Tank admitted, glancing with a smirk at Scarlet to find her beaming a satisfied smile. "Normally we have Waterwing around to patch us up, but I think she's been busy studying all day."

Fluttershy blinked. "So... you're not mad at each other?"

Scarlet raised her hoof to her chest. "On my honor as a warrior, we are not."

Fluttershy paused for a moment to process this. "Then... come with me to my cottage. Um, if that's okay with you."

Tank quirked an eyebrow. "Uh...?"

Fluttershy resumed fiddling with her mane. "Well, um... I want to apologize for interrupting your sparring, so I thought maybe I could make you some tea... and I might not be as good as Waterwing, but I do have a first-aid kit..."

Scarlet stepped forward and put a gentle hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Your concern for us is always appreciated, and you need never apologize for it. That said, I think tea would be lovely."

Tank wagged his lightly singed tail as he nodded his agreement. "That sounds great, actually. Thanks, Fluttershy."

Visibly relieved, Fluttershy's tender smile brightened. "Oh, good. Come with me then, it's just over the hill..."

Episode 3-1

Twilight Sparkle stared at the clock in the hospital waiting room with a sigh as she marched back and forth impatiently.

“C'mon, Twilight,” groaned her scaly purple assistant from a nearby chair. “I’m sure she’ll be done any minute now, so will you relax already? You’re pacing so much, you’re gonna wear out the carpet.”

“But she was supposed to be done half an hour ago!” Twilight gave Spike a worried glance before turning back toward the clock. “This assignment is really important, and we need all the time we can get to prepare…”

“It wasn’t actually an assignment though,” Spike pointed out. “More of a request, if you ask me…”

Twilight shook her head. “Princess Celestia doesn’t make requests, especially not of her students. Her words were gentle, as they always are, but I know this task is much more important than that.”

Arguing the point further wasn’t going to be much use, so Spike simply shrugged.

“I just wish I knew what’s wrong,” Twilight continued. “Maybe she forgot and left early? Or maybe they suddenly extended her shift for the day… or maybe - ”

“Or maybe she’s standing right behind you,” Spike interjected.

Waterwing smiled cheerily. It stung just a bit when the realization had struck her that a large portion of her medical expertise was now irrelevant, given that it applied to human patients and not ponies (despite how strangely human-like they seemed to be in many respects). Still, to her credit, she’d at least managed to impress the staff at the Ponyville hospital enough to land a job there, even if it was merely as an otherwise lowly patient escort; she wasn’t entirely sure if she was willing to aim any higher for the time being if it meant having to retake classes she’d technically already passed.

“Waterwing, there you are!” Twilight gave a quiet sigh of relief. “I was starting to worry a little. What kept you?”

Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, Waterwing began flapping her wings in a very particular pattern.

Twilight smiled as she recognized the signs Waterwing was using. Collectively, they had made good progress learning how to communicate with her properly, though there was still a lot to learn. Twilight somewhat lamented her inability to practice the wing forms herself, knowing she’d be able to learn them much faster that way… but since the alternative was a weekly group study session with all her friends, this didn’t trouble her much.

“Wait, busy?” The thought suddenly struck Twilight as odd, noting as she looked around that the waiting room was all but deserted. The matter didn’t seem worth questioning, though; there was much to do. “Well, anyway. The train with our guest on it should be arriving in just a few minutes, so if you want to freshen up a bit before she gets here, you’ll have to be quick about it.” With that, she motioned for Spike to hop on her back and made for the front door.

Waterwing followed along, stopping briefly to flash a confident smile and sign again. She paused briefly to scratch her head.

Twilight shook her head as they stepped out into the late afternoon sun. “Princess Celestia never did tell me who we’re supposed to be meeting… just that she was ‘somepony who would appreciate a nice evening in a quiet town,’ if I remember her wording correctly. We should head for the train station if we want to - huh?”

As they reached the main road, Waterwing came to a halt and began staring intently at a small nearby lake.

Spike scratched his head. “Um… Is something wrong?”

Waterwing gave the pair a glance and briefly held up a hoof. Before either of them could inquire further, she took off into the air and dove straight into the lake. Spike gripped Twilight firmly to keep his balance as she dashed forward, skidding to a stop and staring incredulously at the spot where her friend had disappeared. Mere seconds later, Waterwing marched calmly out of the water, shook herself dry, and turned to grin once again at Twilight.

After spending a moment processing what he’d just witnessed, Spike giggled to himself.

“Well, I… suppose that’ll have to do, then.” Twilight wiped a stray drop of water from her nose. “The train should be in by the time we get there, so let’s go.”

After a nod from Waterwing and an uneventful few minutes’ walk, the trio ascended the steps onto the station platform just as a dazzling train decked out in gold and purple came to a stop, emitting a deafening burst of steam as it did so.

Spike hopped down from Twilight’s back and tilted his head at the lustrous locomotive. “Wait, isn’t that Stellar Limited? I thought only the highest-ranking royal officials were allowed onboard.”

Twilight turned back toward Spike and nodded. “I’m not surprised; the Princess wouldn’t have asked this of us herself unless it was somepony really important, like one of her personal advisors.”

Waterwing’s eyes went wide as she stared incredulously at something behind Twilight.

“Moon pony…?” Twilight echoed, not entirely sure she’d read that correctly.

Waterwing nodded fervently.

Twilight scratched her head. “Waterwing, I don’t… wait.” Lowering her hoof, she spun around.

A tall mare in midnight blue stepped out of the passenger car. Her mane and tail glittered like the night sky and drifted gently, independent of the breeze, and her chestplate and flank each bore the emblem of the crescent moon.

Twilight’s jaw nearly hit the floor. “P-Princess Luna…?!”

Episode 3-2

The princess of the night stepped out onto the station platform and glanced around nonchalantly.

“Nope.” Spike shook his head and took a step back. “Sorry, Twilight, but I think I’m gonna head back to the library and get some chores done. This is officially above my pay grade.” With that, he turned on his heel and began jogging back toward town.

“Spike, get back here!” Twilight hissed, but this elicited little more than a quick wave from the little dragon. Sighing, she turned back toward the train to find that Princess Luna had spotted them and begun her approach; evidently, Princess Celestia had elected to inform precisely one of the parties involved who she’d be meeting.

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”

Princess Luna’s voice boomed, echoing across the platform and causing all the unprepared ponies standing nearby to jump in surprise.

Waterwing quirked an eyebrow, glancing back and forth between Twilight and the newcomer. Wasn’t this the same pony who threatened to cover the land in eternal night and attacked her friends? She even poisoned Tank! Much as it suddenly felt like a less than terrific plan, though, Waterwing realized she’d already agreed to help; she couldn’t just bail and let Twilight down like that, tempting though the idea was.

“Welcome to Ponyville, Princess Luna! I’m very sorry about the lukewarm reception.” Twilight took a quick bow. “Princess Celestia never actually told us who we were meeting, so I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been for your visit.”

“IT IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE,” came Luna’s booming voice once more. Several passersby dashed for cover. “BUT WE WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT A COMPANION. WE WOULD HAVE YOUR NAME, FRIEND OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”

Waterwing winced, rubbing her head gently in an attempt to diminish the ringing in her ears.

“This is Waterwing,” Twilight explained. “She agreed to help me show you around town.”

Waterwing gave Luna as neutral a face as she could manage.

In the silence following Waterwing’s greeting, Twilight grinned nervously. “…That was ‘hello.’”

“CHARMED.” Luna looked unimpressed.

The awkward silence continued a moment longer before Twilight spoke up once again. “Well then! Why don’t we get going? I made us a reservation for dinner at the Prancing Pony.”

As the trio made their way through town, Waterwing gave Twilight as meaningful a look as she could manage.

Twilight blinked. “What’s wrong?”

Waterwing glanced backward briefly at Princess Luna.

“That’s… a complicated question.” Several paces separated them from Luna, but Twilight kept her voice low all the same. “Her transformation into Nightmare Moon was a willing one, but the precise effects of such dark magic on a pony’s psyche aren’t well documented. I know Princess Celestia trusts that she’s not dangerous anymore, though, or she wouldn’t have asked us to look after her for the evening. Besides… I kind of feel bad for her.”

Waterwing quirked a particularly incredulous eyebrow at Twilight.

“Princess Celestia only meant to use the Elements of Harmony to dispel Nightmare Moon’s dark magic, but as I found out firsthoof, they’re very difficult for one pony to control properly on her own, even if that pony is an alicorn… and she ended up banishing her own sister to the moon.” Twilight sighed. “For a thousand years, the only thing Princess Luna had to keep her company was the corruption poisoning her heart. I won’t excuse what she did, but I’m not surprised she lashed out like that as soon as she returned.”

A thousand years… Waterwing felt a pang of guilt in her heart as she realized she’d forgotten that particular detail of the story; she could barely imagine living for so long in the first place, never mind spending such a stretch completely alone.

“Waterwing…”

The very idea made her shiver fearfully. She wasn’t exactly huge on psychology, but she at least knew that if ponies were anything like humans (and from what she’d seen thus far, it was nearly undeniable), such prolongued solitude would inflict heavy, and likely irreparable, psychological damage to Luna.

“Waterwing?”

On second thought… while she did seem rather gruff overall for Waterwing’s taste, she had to admit that under the circumstances, Luna appeared to be doing quite well. Perhaps this was the influence of the blast she took from the Elements? It wasn’t very clear what exactly that beam had done to her, so it might be possible…

“Waterwing, look out for - ”

SMACK

Waterwing staggered backward, rubbing her now slightly smushed muzzle. A wooden sign hanging above her, swaying lightly in the breeze, bore the emblem of a dancing pony. Evidently, she’d gotten so distracted by her thoughts that she failed to notice having arrived at her destination, and promptly walked face-first into the front door.

Twilight blinked. “Are you okay?”

With a sheepish grin, Waterwing nodded.

Raising her hoof, Twilight gave the door a firm knock and took a step back.

After a brief pause, the upper half of the door swung open, revealing the head and shoulders of a smartly-dressed stallion with a dainty moustache. “Welcome to ze Prancing Pony. Do you have, how you say, ze reservation?”

Twilight beamed. “Yes! It should be under 'Sparkle,’ I think?”

The stallion reached for a nearby notebook and began glancing back and forth between it and the party assembled before him. “Ah, zen let me - hmm?” He paused, as though unsure of what he’d just seen, and gave them a closer look. Pleasantly smiling lavender unicorn, fair enough. Plain-looking blue pegasus, nothing wrong there. Suspiciously familiar jet black alicorn twice his height giving him a stern look that sent a chill down his spine…

Welp.

The stallion immediately began sweating profusely. “Very sorry, closing early, come back tomorrow for full refund!”

“Wait, wh - ” Before Twilight could protest, the door slammed closed in front of her. She tried knocking again, but this yielded no response. “But I haven’t paid anything yet…”

“…I told her this would happen.”

Given its lack of excessive volume, it took Waterwing several seconds to realize that this line had come from Luna. All of a sudden, the princess seemed like a totally different pony, now sitting back and staring dejectedly at the dirt.

“The wounds have not yet healed,” Luna explained. “These ponies are no less fearful of me now than they were the morning of the Celebration. I warned my sister this would be the case, but she was adamant and insisted I pay a visit regardless. I wish I could say the vindication was satisfying.”

Waterwing’s ears drooped as she glanced at Twilight.

Twilight bit her lip; this was going downhill much more quickly than she had anticipated. “I-It’s alright, Princess! We’ll just find another restaurant. Do… you like hayburgers?”

Luna held up a hoof. “You need not trouble yourself, Twilight Sparkle. I was not very hungry either way.”

“But…!” Twilight began to protest, but soon found herself unable to reply as she realized she hadn’t planned for this particular contingency, and instead turned to her companion. “If the ponies of Ponyville are too afraid to serve Princess Luna, then all my plans are completely blown out of the water… What do we do? We can’t send her back to Canterlot like this.”

Waterwing’s face lit up as the answer came to her. With a quick hop, she hovered in front of Luna… and, smiling softly, spread her forelegs wide.

To her dismay, Luna’s only reaction was to stare at her in confusion.

Twilight pulled Waterwing back to the ground with a gentle tug of her magic. “Um… I know your heart’s in the right place and all, but I don’t really think it’s appropriate to offer the princess a hug.”

Waterwing’s eyes began to water.

Twilight raised a hoof to her forehead and sighed. “There must be something else we can do…”

Waterwing nodded.

“You have another idea?” Twilight tilted her head.

Motioning with her hoof and grinning confidently, Waterwing’s wings kicked up dust as she took off down the road.

Twilight gave Luna an apologetic look. “Sorry about the wait, Princess, but it looks like we’ll be… uh, doing something… somewhere else!”

Luna hesitated for a moment, unsure about whether or not it was worth the bother. “…Very well. Lead the way then.”

Episode 3-3

Rarity’s ears perked up as they detected the familiar jingle of her door bell.

“Hello, and welcome - oh my goodness!”

She had hardly gotten halfway through her greeting when a frantic-looking Waterwing skidded to a stop in front of her, signing as rapidly as Rarity had ever seen.

Rarity winced. “Waterwing, sweetheart, please slow down a little! Whatever is the matter?”

Waterwing took a deep breath before continuing.

Rarity mulled over this information for a moment. “Well, I don’t see why not! But who is this ‘moon pony’ of yours, exactly?”

Another jingle rang out, and two more ponies entered.

“Ah, Twilight! Lovely to see you, dear.” Rarity gave her friend a chipper smile, which she then turned to the pony who had entered with her. “And to you as well, miss - ?!” Her greeting cut off instantly as she recognized the tall, dark alicorn, instead shifting rapidly into an alarmed screech.

“NIGHTMARE MOON?!”

Without missing a beat, Rarity took off for a corner of the room, from which she began dragging a small but ornate couch. Upon reaching her point of origin, she promptly raised a hoof to her forehead, gave a soft “ohhh~”, and collapsed upon it.

Luna drew a slow breath and used it to sigh noisily.

“Er… Just a moment, please, Princess…” Twilight grinned apologetically and rushed over to her prone friend. “Rarity, stop that! We defeated Nightmare Moon, remember? That’s Princess Luna!”

“…Oh. Yes, well.” Now wearing her own nervous grin, Rarity cleared her throat and hastily shoved the couch aside. “So from what I’ve gathered, Princess Luna is here for a leisurely visit, but the townsfolk are too fearful and intimidated to abide, so you need help showing her a nice time in their stead. Have I got that right?”

Waterwing wiped away a bead of nervous sweat and nodded.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place!” Theatrics now replaced with her usual confidence, Rarity trotted a ways back into the shop and gestured at a large round platform flanked by several mirrors. “Princess, welcome to Carousel Boutique! If you would please step up here, we can get started right away.”

Luna took an apprehensive step forward. “Get started on… what, exactly?”

Beaming, Rarity leaned forward as she replied. “Why, finding you the perfect dress, of course!”

“The… perfect dress?” Luna’s ears perked up as she echoed the phrase. Despite this, she spent a moment in hesitation, glancing about the boutique.

“Rarity is Ponyville’s premier tailor and fashion designer,” Twilight explained. “We thought maybe a chance to wear something a little different might be just what you need. Right, Waterwing?”

Waterwing grinned as she mimicked Rarity’s gesturing.

Slowly, Luna stepped up onto the platform. Without missing a beat, Rarity dashed toward a nearby clothing rack and magically plucked several dresses hanging from it, returning quickly to the platform and holding them up before the Princess to get a general idea of how they might look on her.

The first was predominantly green and blue, with a flowery trim. “Hmm… no no no, that won’t do at all,” Rarity quickly decided as she tossed it aside.

The second was an eye-catching orange with yellow highlights that made it look almost like a flickering flame in the light. “Oh heavens, it clashes terribly with your mane…”

A thought struck Waterwing, and she began perusing the dress rack herself for a moment before carefully pulling an item that caught her eye. It was an enormous lacy thing, complete with a hood and a giant bow on the front to tie the whole ensemble together, looking almost like it had been fashioned out of a preposterously large doily. With an impish grin, she fluttered her way over to the princess and held it up for royal appraisal.

“Euh…” Luna recoiled from the dress as though she were being offered spoiled food.

It was all Rarity could do not to burst out laughing, muffling her muzzle with a foreleg as she snatched the dress from her friend’s hooves and flung it out of sight. In mock indignation, Waterwing stuck her tongue out at Rarity, but this soon gave way to a fit of silent giggles.

“Very well then. If none of these will do, I shall simply have to start from scratch!” In an instant, Rarity had summoned her sketchpad and begun furiously scribbling upon it. “Let’s see… we’ll start with a midnight blue to match your mane… something translucent should be good, so it still shows off your cutie mark… oh, brilliant! I can use white sapphires for that…” All eyes in the room were locked onto her as she paced back and forth, muttering incomplete thoughts to herself as she sketched.

Finally, after a minute or so, she trotted up to Luna and presented her concept. “There you are, then. This ought to turn those fearful screams into gasps of awe!”

If Luna was interpreting the sketch correctly, it seemed as though Rarity’s intention was to distill the evening sky itself into the form of a light, flowy dress, complete with gemstones that glittered like twinkling stars. The princess herself nearly gasped as she imagined it - a crowd of ponies all gathered around her, unable to take their eyes off her figure in her gorgeous new dress. Some would praise her gentle beauty, others would be inspired to thank her for her hard work looking after them all at night… and the rest would simply gaze upon her and smile, offering her the adoration she’d been searching for all those years ago…

“…”

Luna shook her head vigorously to dispel the fantasy brewing within, clearing her throat loudly before speaking. “This design is… adequate. I will be sure to send proper compensation from the royal treasury.”

Rarity giggled. “Oh don’t be silly, Princess! The honor of seeing you wear one of my creations is all the payment I need.”

“I… see.” Though she still had yet to offer anything resembling a smile, Luna’s expression seemed to brighten at Rarity’s response. “In that case, if I may… when might it be ready?”

Rarity rubbed her chin with a forehoof. “Well, I used up the last of my colorless gems on an order I finished yesterday, so I’ll have to go hunting for more over the weekend… If I move my other projects around, I could have it done sometime early next week!”

Luna’s ears folded back as her gaze fell to the floor. “Oh…”

Rarity bit her lip. “I’m very sorry if I got your hopes up, Princess, but I’m afraid even I couldn’t finish a dress like this in an evening, even if I did have all the materials on hoof.” She smiled meekly. “Your eagerness is very flattering though! I’ll have it delivered to the castle straight away as soon as it’s done.”

“…Thank you.” Not sure what else to say, Luna simply glanced about the room for a moment, seemingly restless. “Er, where might I…?”

“Down the hall there, first door,” Rarity explained.

Luna nodded as she retreated into the back of the boutique, prompting Rarity to wave Twilight and Waterwing over. “Has she been like this the whole time?”

“It started when our reservation for dinner cancelled on us.” Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. “If I had to guess, there must be more to what’s bothering her than just what ponies think of her, but I can’t quite put my hoof on what it might be.”

Waterwing glanced between the two unicorns before her, looking crestfallen.

Twilight gently brushed Waterwing’s mane with her hoof. “It’s alright. It was a good idea, really! We just have to try again, that’s all.”

Rarity suddenly perked up. “Oh, I have a marvelous idea! She might be a bit bothered by our unannounced arrival, but if anypony can reduce the tension of this visit a little, it’s her.”

Waterwing’s tail flicked back and forth as she tilted her head.

Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but was preempted by the distant sound of a door opening. “I’ll explain on the way. Look alive!”

Luna returned to find the three of them waiting patiently for her.

Rarity smiled. “Are you ready for the next item on this evening’s itinerary, princess?”

Luna blinked. “As much as I could expect to be, I suppose.”

“Very well then!”

With a nod and a flourish from Rarity, the four of them made for the front door of the boutique.

Episode 3-4

As the sun began to sink slowly beyond the horizon, four ponies followed the path leading to a small cottage on the outskirts of the forest.

"Oh, I hope she isn't too bothered," Twilight whispered, glancing at Rarity. "If she reacts the same way you did, this might just backfire; I'm not sure how much longer Princess Luna's patience will hold out."

Rarity's ears folded back for a moment as she cringed in response. "Perhaps one of us should run ahead and warn her? I'm sure the poor dear would appreciate a bit of advance notice anyway."

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "Won't it seem suspicious if we do that though...?"

Waterwing glanced back at Luna trailing a few paces behind them. Though she faced toward the setting sun, it didn't seem like she was staring intentionally at anything in particular, instead thoroughly lost in her own thoughts.

After watching Luna apprehensively for a moment, Twilight turned to her companions and nodded. "Alright. You two go ahead, then; I'll keep an eye on her."

Before long, Rarity and Waterwing found themselves on the front porch of Fluttershy's cottage, checking periodically over their shoulders to see how long they had until Twilight and Luna caught up.

"Oh, I do hope this works..." Rarity quickly rapped her hoof against the door.

Several seconds passed in silence, during which the two shared worried glances... but soon enough, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a yellow pegasus smiling at them.

"Rarity! Waterwing!" Fluttershy backed up a few steps, pulling the door open wide to allow her guests entry. "Um... please, come on in!"

Waterwing fluttered her way inside, landing beside Fluttershy just long enough to gently nuzzle her cheek.

"Ever so sorry to pop in unannounced, dear," Rarity explained, "but we were hoping to ask you for... a favor of sorts."

Fluttershy's smile broadened. "Oh, of course! I'd be happy to help. What is it?"

Rarity took a deep breath and spoke rather quickly. "Twilight accepted a visitor to town on behalf of Princess Celestia but the poor dear has been having a rough go of things and we thought perhaps your particular brand of hospitality might be just what she needs!"

"Oh gosh..." A look of concern crossed Fluttershy's face as she raised a hoof to her mouth in contemplation. "I mean, I'm still definitely here to help, especially if it's also for Princess Celestia, but..." She glanced out the window, but saw no sight of the mystery guest just yet and turned back to her friends. "Um... who is it, exactly?"

Waterwing hesitated for a moment before responding.

Fluttershy's eyes stretched so wide in instantaneous comprehension that Waterwing was impressed they didn't immediately free themselves from the confines of her head.

"N-N-Nightmare M-Moon??" Fluttershy shuffled backward in alarm, stopping only once she'd bumped into the couch a few paces behind her and emitted a startled squeak. Without missing a beat, she spun around, covered her head with her forelegs, and ducked beneath the couch for shelter.

Sighing silently, Waterwing took a seat next to the trembling Fluttershy and began brushing her side with a gentle hoof.

"Fluttershy, dear, there's nothing to worry about!" Rarity took a seat opposite Waterwing. "We defeated that nasty brute, don't you remember? Princess Luna is back to her old self again, and she has you to thank for it!"

"That... that's true," came a voice from beneath the couch. A moment later, Fluttershy made her way out from under it and sat up, glancing between Rarity and Waterwing before sighing. "Okay... I'll do it."

Waterwing barely finished signing before wrapping her forelegs around Fluttershy's neck.

Smiling once again, Fluttershy carefully nudged at the enthusiastic Waterwing to encourage her to let go. "Why don't I put the kettle on for some tea then?"

"That sounds marvelous," Rarity agreed.

A knock came from the front door just as Fluttershy returned from the kitchen. Visibly nervous, she glanced at her friends once again, both nodding to her in response. Steeling herself, she approached the door and slowly drew it open. "H-Hello...?"

Two faces greeted her. The first was Twilight, wearing the most artificial smile Fluttershy had ever seen; the other, only vaguely familiar yet still ostensibly Princess Luna, her expression entirely inscrutable. Fluttershy's eyes flitted between the two of them and the floor, what little confidence she'd managed to summon quickly ebbing.

Waterwing flew to Fluttershy's side and waved at the pair standing on the doorstep.

"O-Oh..." Composing herself as best she could, Fluttershy pulled the door open the rest of the way to let them inside. "Please, um... come in, Princess!"

Luna soon found herself curiously examining the cottage's modest interior, her eyes shifting from the numerous bird houses hanging from the ceiling to a comfortable-looking couch flanked by end tables.

"Um, h-have a seat, if... if you want," Fluttershy stammered, gesturing toward the couch Luna had been eyeing. "The tea should, um, be ready soon."

Luna gingerly sat down as offered and glanced back up at the ceiling. "Do... you collect bird houses, then?"

Taken aback by the unanticipated question, Fluttershy's gaze fell to the floor.

Twilight gently put a foreleg over Fluttershy's shoulders. "Fluttershy is our resident animal expert. She helps care for a number of needy animals that aren't sick or injured enough to require a vet."

Fluttershy's expression brightened somewhat. "Things have been... a little quiet lately though. It's just me and Angel in the house today."

Luna blinked. "Angel?"

"Angel Bunny. He's, um... my bunny," Fluttershy clarified. "Do... you like animals, Princess?"

Luna looked pensive for a moment. "...I cannot say. Truth be told, I never had much occasion to spend time with them."

"Why don't you go find him then, Fluttershy?" Twilight suggested. "I think the Princess will like him."

"I could do that..." Fluttershy had hardly made it two steps toward her objective before stopping in her tracks and glancing back toward the kitchen. "Oh, but the tea is - "

" - already taken care of, darling!"

Rarity waved her hoof toward the kitchen as Waterwing emerged from it, carrying a large tray laden with a tea server, several dainty-looking ceramic cups, and a sugar bowl. Fluttering her way over to the couch, she held it out toward Luna, whose magic quickly filled one of the cups with tea and a small spoonful of sugar and stirred for a moment before lifting it to her lips for a sip.

"Hm...?" It was then Luna noticed that Waterwing appeared to be watching her carefully, and spent a moment staring back in reply. Was she waiting for something? "Er, thank you...?"

Whatever it was, her slightly deflated expression suggested that apparently wasn't it.

Luna glanced away for a moment, hoping for a diversion. Why was this pony paying so much attention to her all of a sudden? She was used to being waited on, but this felt... different. "Is something wrong?"

Waterwing shook her head, busying herself with gently placing the tea tray on the nearby end table. Before the princess could ponder the matter any further, however, Waterwing's smile returned as she waved over a pleased-looking Fluttershy, a white rabbit perched on her back. Waterwing immediately scooped up Angel in her forelegs and gave him a friendly nuzzle, prompting the bunny to squirm uselessly in an attempt to free himself from her overly enthusiastic grip.

"Say hello to the Princess, Angel," Fluttershy suggested.

This apparently got the little bunny's attention, as he ceased squirming to look up at Luna. Had he understood what Fluttershy's words meant? She wasn't sure whether or not asking for clarification would be impolite. Before she could decide, however, she realized Waterwing was now holding Angel out toward her.

Fluttershy's gaze shifted rapidly between the bunny and the floor. "Um, would you... like to hold him, Princess...?"

Would she? It was a simple question, but Luna found herself without an immediate answer. In obvious encouragement, Waterwing inched forward, the proffered bunny now nearly in Luna's lap already. Slowly, she magically set down her tea cup before reaching forward with her forelegs and taking hold of Angel, who began sniffing at her curiously.

It was only as she looked up to see Waterwing with that expectant look on her face once again that it finally dawned on Luna: the quiet at the edge of town, the warm tea, the soft bunny now cradled in her lap, and the gaggle of ponies who had been caring for her all evening...

She liked it. In spite of the awkwardness - both hers and theirs - she was comfortable. In fact, she hadn't been this comfortable in so long that she'd all but forgotten what it even felt like. It was delightful.

And she couldn't take it anymore.

"...I must go. Now," Luna whispered, magically lifting Angel and dropping him unceremoniously onto Fluttershy's head as she leapt from the couch and marched toward the door.

The color immediately began draining from Twilight's face as she scrambled to keep up. "P-Princess? What's wrong? I'm so sorry if we offended you!"

"Offended...?" Luna stopped, the door knob already glowing in her magical grasp. "No, Twilight Sparkle. I am not offended."

Twilight gasped as she watched a tear roll down Luna's cheek.

"You four have spent this entire evening doing your best to make me feel welcome... and I am not so foolish as to believe that it has been purely at the behest of my sister," Luna explained. "So, then. Why? Why do you do this for me?"

"W... Why?" Twilight echoed, ears folded back. She turned to her friends, her heart sinking as she saw them looking just as shocked and confused as she felt. "Why wouldn't w - "

"Because I tried to kill you, Twilight Sparkle!" Luna bellowed, whirling around to face Twilight. "You and all your friends! You should hate me even more than the townsfolk do - I tried to take their beloved sovereign away, and now they slam doors in my face! Yet you act as though I have done nothing wrong, offering me dinner, and dresses, and... bunny rabbits." She fell backward onto her haunches, looking exhausted. "I deserve none of this."

Silence followed this proclamation. No one knew what to say, if there was even anything to be said. Unfortunately, it was soon broken by Luna.

"I should have stayed up there."

Without waiting for a response, the distraught princess climbed up on all fours, willed the door open with her magic, flared her wings, and took off.

"Wait! Princess Luna...!" Twilight galloped to the doorway, but by the time she reached it, Luna was already out of earshot, fading into the darkening sky.

The room fell silent once again. Twilight staggered backward, showly shaking her head in disbelief; only when she felt Waterwing's hoof brush her side did she snap back to attention.

"I... I'm sorry, everypony," Twilight muttered. "This is all my fault..."

"Twilight, it is not and you know it," Rarity insisted. "She just has to work a few things out on her own, that's all. It's not something we can fix."

Fluttershy tilted her head at Waterwing's claim. "What do you mean?"

Waterwing turned to Twilight.

Twilight wiped at her watery eye with her foreleg and glanced at a nearby clock. "The train to pick her up will be here in less than an hour."

Waterwing pointed at the doorway.

Twilight blinked. "You... want to write something?"

Waterwing nodded.

Twilight scratched her head. "I'm... not sure I understand."

With that, Waterwing hopped into the air and flew out the door, trailing three perplexed ponies in her wake.

Episode 3-5

It was lucky, Luna decided, that her return train would be in so late.

The princess of the night sat alone on the deserted station platform, staring up at the moon as it bathed the land in its gentle light. It had already been some time since her return, yet seeing it from afar once again felt strangely unnatural. Was that simply due to how long she had been gone, or…?

She shook her head as Twilight and the others surfaced in her mind. Those ponies deserved a much better evening than the one they got, having to babysit a moody princess. What was the point of all this, anyway? She should have told Celestia to stuff it.

She should have stayed up there in the first place.

Her sister was doing fine without her. All of Equestria was doing fine without her. No one really needed her around for anything, did they? Maybe she could just -

No, she couldn’t simply flee anywhere; they would certainly come looking for her, which would only make things worse… so, then…

“Uh… Princess?”

Luna gasped as a small voice startled her, head darting about as she sought its source.

“Sorry if we spooked you.” Spike idly fiddled with the scroll in his claws for a moment before glancing over at Waterwing beside him, who gave him a simple nod. “Here, this is for you.”

Luna stared at the scroll. Hesitantly, she grasped it with her magic and floated it over for a closer look. Before she could bring herself to open it, however, she caught a familiar sight out of the corner of her eye: Waterwing was watching her intently, just as she had earlier. Luna frowned, lowering the scroll as she pondered the peculiar pony. Had Waterwing written this? What was it? Luna suddenly found herself apprehensive of its contents, but couldn’t quite summon the nerve to ask about it.

To her mild surprise, Luna soon realized the little pegasus was frowning, her ears folded back. With a quiet sigh, she looked down at the scroll, lifting it once again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Waterwing’s expression brighten.

“…”

Luna set the scroll down and turned toward Waterwing. Sure enough, her frown and folded ears returned. Looking back down at the scroll caused them to spring back up in turn.

Under different circumstances, Luna might have laughed. Was she a pony, or a dog?

The princess sighed once more; her attempts at stalling were only fueling her apprehension. It was time to bite the bit and just see what all this was about. She unfurled the scroll and began reading.

Dear Princess Luna,

Hi! :3 I know you know this already, but my name’s Waterwing! Sorry about the weird greeting before; I can’t really introduce myself the way other ponies do but you probably figured that out by now

I guess I sorta owe you a couple of apologies, I think. I wasn’t super friendly at first because, well… when I saw you, the first thing I thought of was what happened during the Summer Sun Celebration, and I made my judgment before I knew more about what was really going on.

I know you think you deserve to be treated badly after what you did, and I’m sorry you feel that way… but you’ve been punished enough by now. You spent a thousand years on the moon all by yourself - I can’t even imagine being alive that long in the first place! You must have been angry, and lonely, and confused…

…but continuing to beat yourself up for what you did isn’t the right thing to do. That won’t help anyone with anything, least of all you; all it’ll do is make you feel worse. Now is the time for making amends and working hard to become a better person pony than you were before, a pony worthy of forgiveness.

Actually… I know this will seem weird after just saying that, but you can’t always count on others to forgive you when you hurt them. Sometimes they’ll forgive you right away, but sometimes it’ll take them a long time to stop being upset. Some just won’t ever forgive you no matter what you do, and you just have to accept it! None of that means you shouldn’t work hard to be worth forgiving.

Just don’t forget that you also need to learn how to forgive yourself… because you’ll never be able to work past your mistakes if you let them define you.

Long, long ago, there was a beautiful princess of the night who cast her gentle moonlight over all of Equestria, keeping the ponies of the land safe as they slept. That princess is asleep somewhere deep inside your heart, and only you have the power to wake her up. You were once a beacon shining in the darkness, and you can be that again if you try!

I know it’ll be hard, but you’re stronger than you know… and if you ever need help, you can count on us.

Your friend, Waterwing

As Luna lowered the scroll, a tear splashed onto the parchment; evidently she had begun crying again without noticing.

Waterwing stared at the princess, worry etched into every line of her face. Had she gone too far? Had she made it worse? Had she -

“Waterwing.”

It seemed she would get her answer in fairly short order as Luna finally spoke. “I… have one question.”

Waterwing tilted her head, making Luna even less certain that this pony was not inexplicably part canine.

Luna spent a moment wiping her tears before responding. “May I… have that hug now…?”

All of Waterwing’s tension melted away in a second as she nodded happily, and then gave a silent gasp: Luna was smiling. Through all the awkwardness, and the tears, and the self-doubt… at long last, Luna was smiling. It was a nervous, uncertain thing… but it was there, and it had been well worth the wait.

Waterwing fluttered over and embraced Luna, her smile broadening as she felt a pair of forelegs holding her close. For but a moment, all she cared about was the warmth - and the relief - she felt in finally getting to hug the heartache away.

“Princess…!”

So quietly did the other ponies approach that Waterwing’s heart skipped a beat as Twilight’s voice came from just behind her, prompting her to slowly let go of Luna and take a step back.

“Thank you, my little ponies.” Luna paused once again to wipe away tears. “At first I did not believe this visit would be of any benefit… and I am pleased to say I was wrong; my heart is ever so much lighter for having met you all. While I am not quite ready to let go of my guilt, I have made the decision to turn it toward something far more constructive than moping.”

Rarity beamed. “We are very happy to hear that, Princess.”

Luna shook her head slowly. “Please… if I may regard you all as friends, then call me Luna. It seems improper to ask my title of you after you have shown me such displays of kindness.”

“It’s… what we do.” Fluttershy fidgeted bashfully.

“And you in particular,” Luna added, turning to Waterwing once again. “Though I may hesitate to admit it… your words were everything I needed to hear.” She turned away, staring after the railroad tracks. “I only wish I had time this evening to offer more than my gratitude in return…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Twilight interjected. “You’ve given us more than you realize.”

Luna quirked an eyebrow. “Er, have I?”

“You most certainly have.” Twilight turned to her assistant. “Spike?”

“Got it right here.” Spike held up a necklace with an empty heart-shaped setting.

Rarity’s eyes lit up the moment they caught sight of it. “Oh, how lovely! It looks like it’s missing a little something, though…”

Waterwing blinked as Spike placed the necklace over her collar. After staring at it for a moment, she began fidgeting with it impatiently, prompting Spike to hold it steady with his claw. Waterwing grinned sheepishly as she lowered her hoof.

Twilight smiled softly at Waterwing. “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what you were about at first… but now, it seems so obvious. You take the time to understand other ponies and their troubles… you’re patient with them when they make mistakes or struggle with their flaws… and you forgive even those who have hurt you if it means helping them become better ponies in the end.” At this, she took a deep breath.

“Waterwing… you represent the Element of Love.”

Rays of light burst from the empty setting in Waterwing’s necklace as a yellow gemstone materialized within it.

Rarity smiled. “There, that’s just what it needed.”

Waterwing waited for the blinding glow to fade before looking down at her collar, where an Element of Harmony now sat glittering in the moonlight. For several seconds, all she could do was stare… until, slowly, her eyes began to water. As tears began leaking down her cheeks, she dashed forward and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight as tightly as they would go.

“Oof!” Twilight staggered backward from the high impact hug. With an amused giggle, she gave Waterwing a gentle pat on the back. “You’re welcome.”

“Um, wait…” Fluttershy glanced nervously between Waterwing and Luna, her cheeks turning visibly rosy. “Y-You… you don’t mean they… she and…?”

“No, no, of course not!” Twilight’s smile faded. “At least, I don’t think so…”

Waterwing finally let go of Twilight and took a step back, wiping the tears from her face.

Twilight spent a moment processing this statement before turning back to Fluttershy. “When we talk about love, it’s easy to assume we mean romance, but there’s so much more to it than that. Love comes in many forms, and everypony expresses it differently.”

A distant train whistle interrupted her thoughts.

“It seems our time is at its end.” Luna stood up, grasping Waterwing’s letter with her magic as she did so. “May I… keep this?”

Waterwing nodded.

Luna’s smile returned, a little more confident this time. “Thank you. Thank you again, all of you. I cannot tell you what this evening has done for me.”

“We’re just glad you’re feeling a little better now.” Twilight’s smile mirrored Luna’s.

Luna quirked an eyebrow, her lips curling into the faintest smirk. “And that you have not disappointed my sister, I would wager?”

Twilight winced. “W-Well, maybe a little…”

The next few moments passed wordlessly as the train pulled into the station, the door opening to permit its passenger. Luna started toward it, but stopped at the threshold to glance over her shoulder. Twilight waved a friendly farewell, Rarity gazed in awe at the train’s exquisite decoration, Fluttershy hid nervously behind her mane… and Waterwing simply smiled.

The princess of the night waved her own goodbyes before stepping onboard, looking forward to tomorrow for the first time in a thousand years.

Short: "Contrivance"

"That was an unmitigated disaster."

"Well, I still had fun!"

"Of course you did."

"My dress is ruined...!"

"Yeah, but did you see the ball room?"

"I'm just glad we're not in trouble..."

Twilight stifled a giggle as she overheard her friends chattering behind her. There wasn't enough room at any of the booths in the Canterlot donut shop for all ten of them, so she and Princess Celestia decided to take one adjacent to the rest of the group, which suited her just fine; she'd been waiting all evening to have an uninterrupted one-on-one conversation with her mentor, and now she finally had her chance.

"Should I take this to mean the evening wasn't a total loss, then?" Celestia's smirk was almost uncharacteristically impish.

"Oh! W-Well, I mean, um..." Caught off guard, Twilight could only stammer in reply.

Celestia chuckled. "You needn't worry about the palace, Twilight Sparkle. The damage will all be repaired and cleaned up before long."

Twilight bit her lip as she glanced over her shoulder at the eight ponies in the booths behind her; if any of them were listening, they betrayed no hint of their awareness. "Are... you sure it's really okay, Princess?"

Celestia nodded slowly. "I've seen so many Grand Galloping Galas in my day that they have all begun to blend together in my head. While I might have hoped for perhaps a bit less mayhem, I was betting that inviting the nine of you this year would... liven things up a bit, and I am far from disappointed."

"Well, in that case..." Twilight slumped a little in her seat as the tension finally began to leave her body.

"There we go. There's no need to be nervous." Celestia tilted her head subtly, the better to encourage her pupil to make eye contact. "I'm proud of what you've accomplished so far, and I hope you are as well; I wasn't expecting you to progress this quickly."

"Neither was I," Twilight admitted. "I'd probably still be at square one if not for that book you sent me."

Celestia's smile broadened. It was just like Twilight to find the answer in a book. "I'm glad I could help. Which book was it, may I ask? I might like to have our scholars examine it more closely once you're done with it."

Twilight fiddled with the collar of her dress. "It was that weird one. 'Filgaia Fables,' I think? I meant to ask why you sent it separately by courier instead of in the royal mail with the rest."

Celestia blinked. "I... didn't send you any books by courier."

"W-What? I thought for sure..." Twilight's eyes widened as she reflexively glanced about the room. "But if you didn't send it, then who did? There was no return address on the package; even the courier herself didn't know where it had come from."

"How strange..."

Celestia's brow furrowed. Normally, her instinct would have been to exercise caution... but if the delivery of this mysterious book carried some ill intent, surely it would've made itself known by now? Even setting that aside, it sounded almost too convenient to be true, but...

"I'd still like to have a look at it later on, but in the meantime... if it has brought you success so far, then I don't think there's anything to worry about." That would do then, wouldn't it?

Sure enough, Twilight relaxed once again, causing Celestia's smile to return.

"Joe? Another round of donuts, if you please. Make mine glazed."

Author's Note

So since I neglected to add a message to the previous chapter, I guess I'll add one here!

Episode 3 is FINALLY done. I didn't have a clear path for it from beginning to end like I do for basically all the others, so it took longer than I'd hoped and I don't really feel like I'm as satisfied with it as I could be, but there it is. The next one should go much more smoothly.

As always, you're invited to visit the Tumblr page as well if you'd like to drop me a line, check out some art, or get slightly more frequent progress updates.

Episode 4-1

"Okay big sister, hold still."

Smiling, Scarlet sat at the edge of the bed and held her hand as steady as she could. "I will do my best, Auburn."

The younger boy gently held the tiny brush in his fingers, expertly applying a coat of dark red polish to the smallest of Scarlet's nails.

"Your careful touch never ceases to impress," said Scarlet. "Have you ever considered working in a salon when you grow up? I think you would make a fine manicurist."

"Oh." Though he never took his eyes off his work, a pink blush rose to the tips of Auburn's ears. "I, ah... had not given the matter much thought..."

Scarlet giggled softly. "No need to trouble yourself, then. It was a simple musing, nothing more; you certainly have plenty of time to decide." She watched her little brother at work for a moment longer before speaking again. "By the way, will Violet be ready to leave soon?"

"I cannot say," said Auburn, dipping the brush once again in the tiny bottle of nail polish.

"Oh?" Scarlet blinked. "I assumed you would know."

At this, Auburn rolled his eyes and fixed Scarlet with a mildly annoyed stare. "That is because you continue to believe our minds as twins to be somehow linked, despite my repeated insistence to the contrary."

Scarlet hesitated for a moment as though pondering a response, but settled for laughing instead.

A few moments later, Auburn returned the brush to the bottle of polish. "There you are, one coat is done."

Scarlet held up her hand, fingers splayed to have a better look at her deep crimson nails. "Fine work as always. Thank you again."

To her surprise, however, Auburn's gaze had sunk to the floor.

Scarlet lowered her hand, careful not to smudge the still-drying polish, and gave her brother a soft smile. "Chin up, dear brother, and tell big sister what troubles you."

"Well... I just thought..." Auburn seemed hesitant. "Siblings are supposed to look after one another, are they not?"

"Without question," came Scarlet's immediate reply.

"Then why did you abandon us?"

It was as though a needle had struck her squarely in the heart.

"Wha... What a thing to say, Auburn!" Scarlet gasped, covering her mouth with her unpolished hand. "What could I have ever done to disappoint you so?"

"You left us," Auburn insisted. "You left Violet and me behind and found someone else to play with. Your new pony friends..."

Scarlet bit her lip. "No, you misunderstand! Twilight and I have been trying our utmost to find a way back! We..." She suddenly trailed off as a thought struck her. "Wait. How do you know about that?"

"But you chose to stay." Auburn ignored his sister's confusion. "You gave up."

Another needle. Scarlet shook her head in disbelief, glancing over her shoulder nervously as though expecting someone else to be there... but the bedroom was empty, save for the two of them. "Auburn, why are you saying these things...?"

Auburn fixed Scarlet with an icy stare. "He gave you a chance. You could have come home... but you turned your back on us. You chose the ponies instead... You abandoned us."

Scarlet hadn't noticed the tears until they were already rolling down her cheeks. "Please... please, let me explain! I - " Her response was cut short as she attempted to reach out toward Auburn and caught sight of her forelegs. What had only seconds ago been five neatly polished nails was now a hoof haphazardly splattered with paint... and as Scarlet stared at it, she could feel yet more tears welling up. "I, I ne... never meant for - for any of this to happen. I thought I was... was doing the... right thing..."

Scarlet reached for Auburn with her other hoof, only to realize with a gasp that she was looking at his legs; he was now standing several meters tall, towering over her menacingly.

"Auburn, p... please tell me you understand..."

Darkness enveloped the room until all that remained were the two of them and the bed on which Scarlet sat. Without another word, Auburn turned on his heel and marched off into the shadows, quickly disappearing from sight.

"No...! Brother, wait! Please...!" Scarlet leapt from the bed and tried to give chase, but her hooves missed where the floor was supposed to be, finding only empty air... and causing her to plummet into the emptiness below.

"AAAAAAAAAAA"

"GASP"

Scarlet's eyes snapped open as she awoke with a jolt, panting and sweating. Moonlight shone through the window, softly illuminating the room as she shoved the covers aside and slowly propped herself up on her forelegs.

She glanced about the room. Books littered the floor nearby, remnants of the past few nights spent staying up later than she was accustomed to in the hope that this time, this time she would find the clue they needed to get home.

It was a habit she had inadvertently picked up from Twilight. She had never been so avid a reader before, back when she had a choice in the matter; the life of a warrior normally expected earlier dawns than she could manage alongside such late night study sessions.

It seemed surreal, even under the circumstances, that this house not only belonged to Scarlet and her companions, but had been built expressly for them. It was so much more than they could ever have asked for, yet Twilight and the others had done it anyway. It was a gift for which she felt obligated to compensate them in some way, even as she knew they would reject the notion.

"Don't worry about it," they had said, and would likely say again if she voiced her feelings.

Were it so easy.

Yet even if she did find it in herself to accept their charity unconditionally, a dark cloud hung over the gift regardless, much as the admission left a foul taste in her mouth. Scarlet and her comrades had been in Equestria for far too long already, and the necessity of a more permanent residence meant it was likely they would be there for much longer still. The thought tainted her gratitude with an undercurrent of resentment.

It felt like defeat.

Groaning, she laid back down with a soft wumph and closed her eyes, but to no avail - her mind buzzed with worries she thought she had learned how to shelve. Though it would be hours yet before Celestia raised the sun, Scarlet climbed out of bed and stretched.

Reaching out with her magic, she lifted a long strip of red fabric from an otherwise empty clothing rack and quickly wove it into her mane, tying it into her signature bow. In hindsight, she might have done better to find a hairbrush first, but she wasn't of a mind to care at the moment.

Slowly, she made her way down the spiral staircase, across the hallway rug (so as not to wake her pegasus companion with the clip-clop of her hooves on the hardwood), and down another flight to the ground floor. Resigned to an unwittingly early start, her efforts in the kitchen soon filled the room with the distinct aroma of a fresh pot of coffee.

It was going to be a long day.

"Good morning, Scarlet!"

Twilight smiled as her friend entered the library.

"Good..." Scarlet's reply was interrupted by a rather drawn-out yawn. "...Good morning, Twilight."

Her smile quickly inverting into a frown, Twilight closed the book in front of her and stood up. "Is everything alright?"

"Hm?" Scarlet took a seat opposite Twilight, used her magic to grab a nearby book, and plopped it open on the table in front of her. "Do you have reason to believe otherwise?"

"Yes, I do." Twilight leaned forward, folding her forelegs on the table. "This is the third day in a row you've shown up looking exhausted. You haven't brushed your mane, and your ribbon is crooked."

Scarlet's eyes widened. "Ah, er... is it?"

Twilight magically grasped the fabric of Scarlet's ribbon. A moment of fiddling later, it stood up proudly once more.

Scarlet patted it with a hoof. "Thank you."

"But back to the point..." Twilight sat back down. "This isn't like you. Are you not sleeping well? Is..." She raised a hoof to her muzzle in thought. "Is there something wrong with the house? We double- and triple-checked to make sure it passed inspection, so..."

"No, nothing of the sort!" Scarlet shook her head, perhaps a bit more vigorously than she had intended; a wave of mild dizziness struck her as she stopped.

"Then what is it? Did something - " Twilight gasped. "Discord!"

Scarlet blinked. "Er?"

A lavender glow enveloped Twilight's horn, but for a moment, Scarlet couldn't tell what she was doing... until she realized that an identical glow now surrounded her as well.

After a moment, the spell ended.

Twilight sighed. "No, there's no trace of chaos magic on you." She fixed Scarlet with a gentle stare. "But then, you never actually told me what happened to you in the maze..."

That was by design, of course. The memory was still too heavy in her heart; she hadn't even told Tank or Waterwing. Scarlet stayed silent and turned away in the vain hope that Twilight would drop the matter.

"Scarlet," Twilight began, "if whatever happened to you back there is keeping you up at night, then please, talk to me! I'm your friend, and I'm always here to help."

There it was.

"I appreciate the offer," said Scarlet, "but I could ask no more of you than I already do. Please, think nothing of it."

"Don't think of it that way," insisted Twilight. "I want to help. I can't stand seeing you like this."

Scarlet swallowed hard. Her voice shook a little, her words slower and more deliberate. "I promise I will be fine. I would rather not discuss the matter."

Twilight bit her lip. "But if it's affecting you this much, we have to do something! Maybe I can - "

"Twilight, please...!"

In an instant, she knew she had pushed too hard. Tears poured down Scarlet's muzzle as she stared at Twilight, her eyes full of... well, tears, but from what? It was like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle, but somepony had glued some of the pieces together the wrong way.

"I..." Scarlet did a poor job of wiping the tears from her face with her foreleg. "I should - I need to go."

Before Twilight could object, Scarlet whirled around and bolted for the door, slamming it shut behind her as she went.

"..."

A diminutive pair of feet marched down the stairs, carrying a small purple dragon with them.

"Twilight? What's going on?" Spike didn't stop until he was by Twilight's side. "Is everything okay?"

Twilight trembled. "No, Spike." She took a deep breath. "Something is very, very not okay."

Author's Note

And we're back!

I was going to include a short to explain the house, but changed my mind and just referenced it here in the chapter proper in the interest of getting back into the swing of things faster. Here's a floorplan!

Episode 4-2

Twilight stood on the bridge at the entrance to the park, staring down at the gently flowing brook beneath her.

After a few hours had passed with no sign of Scarlet's return, her restlessness had driven her to look for the mare, but a scan of most of the town turned up nothing. Close to giving up, Twilight settled for a brief search of the park before returning to the library.

In hindsight, a bright red pony really should've been easier to find in all the greenery surrounding Ponyville.

Scarlet sat with her back against a tree, staring at nothing in particular. Absorbed as she was in her thoughts, she barely noticed the sound of someone sitting down beside her.

A moment of silence passed between them before anyone spoke.

"I'm sorry," said Twilight.

You have done nothing to apologize for, is what Scarlet wanted to say... but she couldn't quite summon the power of speech just yet. To sit in silence and avoid her friend's gaze was all she could manage.

"I shouldn't have pushed you," Twilight continued. "If you're not willing to talk about it, then that's fine. I just... wanted to make sure you know I'm here for you if there's anything I can do. We all are."

The grass rustled as she stood up to leave.

"...Wait."

Twilight hesitated.

"I..." Scarlet swallowed. "You deserve to hear of what happened. I apologize for withholding it from you."

Twilight slowly sat back down.

"But," she continued, "you must be prepared to hear of a pain you cannot soothe, a problem beyond even the power of friendship to solve. Are you?"

A problem friendship couldn't solve?

This wasn't quite Scarlet's style of drama, but what else could it be? Friendship hadn't failed them yet - not since they had all met that fateful morning and teamed up to defeat Nightmare Moon. Was Twilight being overconfident?

Clearly Scarlet was just too upset to understand. Whatever was going on, Twilight knew - she knew that they could make it better somehow by working together. She would play along for now, of course; tell a little fib to get her friend talking, then find a way to remind her of the true power of friendship.

"I'm prepared," said Twilight, holding back a confident smirk.

"...Very well, then." Scarlet cleared her throat, and began her story.

*******

Minutes of aimless wandering through the hedge maze had brought Scarlet no closer to a reunion with her allies.

It felt fruitless. If they were truly dealing with the very embodiment of chaos itself, how could they possibly trust that he would keep his word even if they succeeded? And that assumed Twilight's deduction was accurate to begin with; she couldn't quite put her finger - well, hoof on it, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something didn't quite add up...

A shooting star rocketed past in the corridor ahead of her, interrupting her thoughts. Curious, she gave chase, rounding corner after corner in pursuit until she found herself in a clearing. It was entirely empty, save for -

"YOU!"

Discord strolled into the center of the clearing. "Yes, me," he said, suddenly clad in a well-tailored suit and top hat, the latter of which he tipped in her direction as he bowed. "Isn't it wonderful? You should be honored that I'm taking time out of my busy schedule to speak to you today."

Scarlet growled under her breath. "Return my magic and I will show you precisely how 'honored' I am," she snarled.

"Oh, come now. There's no need for that," said Discord, his voice silky and sweet as he slithered up to Scarlet, coiling around her like a python. "Certainly not when I'm here to... extend an olive branch, as it were." He punctuated this by giving her a gentle pat on the head, right where her missing horn should have been.

Scarlet lashed out, her teeth just barely missing Discord's paw as he retreated out of range.

Discord put his hands on his hips with an air of indignation. "Well, I never!"

"The only peace offering I will accept from such a sniveling coward is the unconditional return of the Elements and your head on a platter!" yelled Scarlet.

"Such hostility!" Discord gasped. "I suppose it falls upon me to be the better draconequus, then." With a flourish, he snapped his fingers, summoning a pair of comfortable armchairs facing one another, in which he and Scarlet now sat.

Ignoring the darting gaze of the confused pony in front of him, Discord leaned forward. "Let me level with you for a minute, my little pony: I am not here to trick you into forsaking your Element as I did for your friends. In fact, I couldn't even if I wanted to."

Once she had determined that there wasn't some sort of well-disguised trap hidden within the velvety confines of her chair, Scarlet narrowed her eyes at Discord. "Precisely why would that be? And assuming I possess some bizarre inclination to take your words at face value, why would you volunteer this?"

"Because I need you to trust me, or this will never work." Discord drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "And I can't corrupt your connection to your Element because dear Twilight hasn't figured out what it is yet!" He rolled his eyes. "I can't imagine why not. It's so obvious! I noticed it immediately," he added with a derisive sneer.

"You make a large number of unsubstantiated claims," said Scarlet.

Discord smiled coolly. "Oh, I know a lot more than you realize, Miss Lombardia."

Scarlet recoiled in her seat, her blood going cold. "How - How could you possibly - "

"How I know isn't important."

From behind his chair, Discord produced a blackboard covered in a long sequence of complicated-looking algorithms and diagrams, all of which led to a conclusion at the bottom that read 'No One Cares.' Before Scarlet could get much more than a glimpse, he shoved the blackboard aside, causing it to roll away at high speed and disappear down the corridor.

Discord cleared his throat. "What matters is that I know what you want, and I'm prepared to give it to you, no strings attached. You need not promise me a thing in return."

Scarlet stared at him impatiently. "I do hope you will forgive my skepticism."

"I will, as a matter of fact! You're welcome," Discord snapped. "Now then..."

With another snap of his fingers, the chairs disappeared. He then traced a claw through the air in a large circle, leaving a trail of green flame as he went. When the circle of flame completed, a scene appeared within it: an old fortress sitting on a flat, dusty plain bathed in moonlight.

"A lonely old pile of bricks in the middle of that 'Frontier' of yours... Fort Ceres, was it?" Discord gestured at it. "Not exactly my scene - way too stuffy and orderly. But, for you, it's - "

"...home...!"

Scarlet stepped forward, gazing longingly at the scene before her. Could it really...? No, it had to be; she could feel the familiar magic of home drifting through the portal.

For months now, her life had been dominated by late nights spent poring over books and testing complicated spells until she could barely see straight... and now, apropos of none of it, the answer sat calmly in front of her.

Discord cleared his throat again, snapping Scarlet out of her reverie.

"You..." Scarlet's voice was barely above a whisper. "You mean to... send us home...?"

"Very good!" Discord grinned. "And before you ask: yes, that does mean both of your little companions as well, and yes, I will remove any and all chaos magic I may have placed upon any of you in the process. In exchange, I need no more than the satisfaction of knowing that your troubles are over."

Scarlet took a deep breath to steady her nerves as she approached the portal curiously. She closed her eyes... and for but a moment, she was already there, the dusty breeze of the badlands blowing through her hair.

The ache in her heart told her there was only one answer.

Scarlet slowly backed up, her eyes fixed on the walls of her home. Discord stood beside the portal, an uncharacteristically pleasant smile on his face as he watched her take off at a run aimed directly for it.

"OOF!"

At the last second, Scarlet veered to one side, crashing into Discord with all the force she could muster. He toppled over with a comically noisy crash.

"No deal, Discord."

There was only one answer... but it wasn't the one she wanted.

"How dare you," she spat, tears welling in her eyes. "How dare you force such a choice upon me?"

At first, he said nothing. Strange, for one so clearly enamored with the sound of his own voice... Had she somehow caught him off guard? Even if he hadn't expected her to accept the offer, she would not have hit him unless he had allowed her to.

It didn't add up... but how much did she really care?

Discord slowly climbed back to his mismatched feet. "Have it your way, then." His expression was uncharacteristically soft, almost like he was... disappointed? Was he even capable of the emotion? She still didn't care.

With a snap of his fingers, the portal was consumed by the green flames surrounding it, leaving no trace behind.

"But know this, Scarlet Lombardia," he warned, "you are far more trapped here than you realize, and I look forward to seeing your face when you find that out for yourself."

Another snap, and the Spirit of Chaos vanished into thin air.

*******

"I presume now you understand," said Scarlet.

A part of Twilight wished she didn't. Eyes watering, she racked her brain for an explanation. "But... but obviously he was lying," she insisted, even as she knew it to be wrong. "It was a trick. It had to be."

Scarlet shook her head. "He had no reason to lie... and even if he did, I could feel familiar magic emanating from it. For all the power Discord wields... that, he could not have falsified. His - " She swallowed. "His offer was... genuine, and had I accepted it, we would be home now."

There was nothing Twilight could say to that.

"While I had hoped you would be a bit better prepared, as you claimed..." Scarlet began, "...you now know of what transpired in the maze. As my tale is over, with your pardon, I plan to retire early; I find I am.... suddenly very tired."

Still at a loss for words, Twilight could only watch as Scarlet stood up and slowly marched away. It wasn't long, however, before a sound not entirely unlike bouncing springs heralded the approach of another pony.

"Heya, Twilight!"

Twilight took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with a foreleg before turning to address the newcomer. "Pinkie Pie... how much of that conversation did you hear?"

"Hmm~" Pinkie rubbed her cheek. "Well, you walked up and sat down, and she didnt say anything, and so you were like, 'I'm sorry,' and she didn't say anything, so you were all like - "

"Okay, so you heard everything then," interrupted Twilight.

"But there's something I don't get," said Pinkie.

Twilight sighed quietly. She hadn't expected Pinkie of all ponies to understand, and wasn't looking forward to explaining. "What's that?"

Pinkie looked at Twilight with a bizarrely serious face. "If Jimmy cracked corn and no one cares, why did somepony write a song about it?"

It took several seconds for the gears in Twilight's head to re-engage. "Wait, what?"

"One more thing!" Pinkie continued. "Why couldn't a big meanie meaniepants like Discord have been lying? Lying is totally a thing meanies do!"

Okay, that was the question she had been expecting. "Do you understand why Scarlet didn't take his offer," asked Twilight, "even when she knew he was telling the truth?"

"Pff, that's an easy one, Twilight!" Pinkie noisily sucked in a breath and spoke very quickly. "Even though she's been trying to find a way back to her home world for ages now she didn't want to bail on us when somepony dangerous was on the loose because she wasn't totally a hundred percent sure we would be able to beat him without help from her and her buddies and wasn't willing to take the chance that she would be condemning Equestria to eternal chaos and torment just to get what she wanted!"

Once again, it was several seconds before Twilight could react. "That's... that's right, but...?"

Pinkie playfully ruffled Twilight's mane. "Told you it was easy!"

"Anyway, the point is..." Twilight spent a moment brushing her mane back into place with her hoof. "We know that the purpose of his offer was to get her to willingly step out of the way so the three of them wouldn't be able to interfere with his plans. Scarlet is convinced he was telling the truth, but..."

She trailed off, the question of 'why' drifting silently from her lips. The obvious answer was that he knew she would be able to tell the difference, but was it really that simple? He obviously knew more than he was letting on...

"...but he's back to stone now anyway, so the point is probably moot," she muttered, heaving a frustrated sigh. "And after what Spike told me, I thought I was so close to figuring out her Element..."

"Spike told you something?" Pinkie tilted her head. "What did he told you?"

"He told me what happened after my Element got corrupted by Discord's influence," said Twilight. "Since my own memory of what happened is hazy at best, like yours was."

In an instant, Pinkie sat on her launches in front of Twilight, munching on popcorn from a small paper bag.

Twilight stared. "Um...?"

Pinkie's ears drooped. "Aw... I thought it was story time."

Twilight sighed. "I mean, I guess I can tell you if you want."

Pinkie's ears perked back up.

"The last thing I remember," Twilight began, "was when we all went our separate ways after the Elements wouldn't activate the first time..."

*******

"Twilight..."

Twilight gave no indication she'd heard Scarlet speak, instead continuing to stuff various belongings in a saddle bag.

"Twilight?" Spike twiddle his claws as he watched. "Um, what are you doing?"

"Packing. What does it look like?" Twilight sounded as lifeless as she looked, as though the essence of what made her Twilight in the first place had been drained out of her. "You'd better get started too, Spike. We're leaving as soon as possible."

"No, you are not," said Scarlet. "You two are not going anywhere."

Again, Twilight did not respond.

Scarlet lifted the half-full saddle bag beside Twilight and dumped its contents on the floor.

Twilight glared at her. "What are you doing?"

"Getting your attention." Scarlet marched up to Twilight. "You will cease this immediately. We are not letting Discord win."

"You don't get it." Twilight sighed. "He already has. I can't keep studying friendship if my friends don't want anything to do with me anymore, so there's no point in staying here. We're moving back to Canterlot."

With that, she magically shoved Scarlet aside and began regathering her things.

"This is bad," Spike whined, his eyes widening. "I've never seen her like this before. What do we do?"

Scarlet's lips curled into a subtle smirk. "We show her that not all is lost."

Spike tilted his head. "Huh?"

Scarlet met Spike's confused gaze. "Where are Twilight's notes?"

"They're on a shelf downstairs, but... I don't think she's all that interested in studying right now," said Spike.

"A shame, that, as I will not be giving her a choice in the matter. Would you fetch them for me?"

Spike cringed. "Um, all of them, or...?"

"As many as you can carry." Scarlet smiled warmly.

Spike nodded and scurried off down the stairs, returning in moments with his arms full of scrolls.

Scarlet plucked one from the pile and cleared her throat. "Always have faith in your friends, for your bonds are a source of unyielding strength," she recited.

Twilight hesitated briefly as she listened, but soon returned to packing.

"Each and every one of us has a talent to be proud of, and by coming together and combining our efforts, we accomplish far more than we ever could alone," Scarlet continued.

"Stop," said Twilight. She was not looking up from her work, but she had stopped packing. "Please... stop..."

"True courage is about standing up to your fears, no matter how hard it may be, if it means doing the right thing."

"STOP!" Twilight whirled around and screamed at Scarlet, her tears splashing to the floor. Falling back on her haunches, she gasped for air in between sobs. "D-Dont you... think this is... h, hard enough on me already...?"

Scarlet stepped forward slowly and sat down in turn, running a gentle hoof through Twilight's mane. "I am simply reminding you of what you are leaving behind. You have come a long way, Twilight, and you have learned so much... but if you give up now, it will all have been for naught."

Twilight nuzzled Scarlet's foreleg as she fought to steady her breathing.

"There will always be those who would take from us what we hold dear," Scarlet explained. "So long as we have the strength to stand and fight... no matter the odds, it is our duty to do so. We can still turn this around!"

Twilight stood up slowly, wiping her face with her foreleg, and took a deep breath.

"You're... you're right....!"

At once, the spell was lifted, and Twilight's mind was her own again.

"I..." Twilight lifted a hoof to her head. Her vision was blurry - were these tears? She wiped at her eyes before continuing. "What happened? What did I miss?"

Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, you had me ever so worried..."

"Yeah! Twilight's back!" Spike ran up and gave her a hug.

Twilight idly patted Spike's head as she stared at Scarlet. "Wait, did you just break Discord's spell? How did you do it?"

Scarlet beamed. "I simply reminded you of what was at stake: your friends, and everything you have learned from them. The rest was your doing."

"Reminded..." Twilight echoed, her eyes lighting up. "That's it! I know how we can get the others back to normal!"

"You have a plan, then?"

Twilight nodded. "If the trick is to remind them of what we mean to each other, I have a memory spell that should expedite the process. All we have to do is catch them, and the spell should do the rest!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Spike threw his fist in the air. "Let's do it!"

"We have no time to waste," agreed Scarlet.

Twilight nodded, scooping up Spike and plopping him on her back. "Then let's roll - we've got friendships to save!"

*******

Pinkie gasped loudly. "Ohhhhhhh! I get it now!"

"W-What?" Twilight shook her head. "You get what?"

Pinkie leaned forward and grinned, tossing her empty popcorn bag away and speaking in a singsong voice. "I know what Scarlet's Element is~"

Now it was Twilight's turn to gasp as she reached out and gripped Pinkie's shoulders. "You do? What is it? How long have you known?"

"Like..." Pinkie produced a pocketwatch from somewhere and glanced at it. "...about eight seconds?"

Twilight blinked.

Pinkie checked over her shoulders to ensure nopony else was listening before carefully whispering into Twilight's ear.

Twilight's eyebrows shot into the stratosphere. "OH! That explains everything! Not just Nightmare Moon and Discord, but..." She frowned. "...but it also means she hasn't really been living up to her Element lately, doesn't it?"

She raised a hoof to her muzzle in thought. Now that she had all the pieces of the puzzle, it was simply a matter of fitting them together.

"Scarlet was wrong, Pinkie," said Twilight. "We can help her; just not the way she thought. I think I have a plan, and I'm going to need your help."

Pinkie snapped into a rigid attention pose, saluting with her hoof. "Pinkie Pie ready and waiting!"

Twilight smirked. "I'm going to need newspapers. Lots of them - as many as you can find. Go door-to-door if you have to."

"Okie-dokie, Loki!" Without further ado, Pinkie hopped away, setting immediately to her task.

Twilight took off in the opposite direction. What Scarlet needed was a reminder of what was really at stake, just as Scarlet had given her; an opportunity that would bring out the best in her.

"Hang in there, Scarlet... I'll show you how strong you really are, just like you did for me!"

Episode 4-3

The long rays of the evening sun streamed in through Scarlet's window.

Curled up on her bed, she idly turned the pages of a book propped up against her pillow. She wasn't actually reading any of it; it was just something to do while she sat there, consumed by her thoughts.

Under different circumstances, she likely would have been more than happy to be here. Equestria was a fine place to live, all things considered - plenty to do, lots to see, and a great many wonderful people to meet.

But it wasn't home.

Home was something out of her reach now. She hadn't been willing to admit it to herself, but the work she had been doing with Twilight didn't feel like progress. They were learning a lot about teleportation, space folding, and even multiverse theory... but it just wasn't going where it needed to. Anytime it looked like they were close to a breakthrough, it would turn out to require something a million miles out of reach.

Plain teleportation was too obvious, of course. The amount of magic required increased exponentially with the distance traveled, and the distance separating realities themselves was theoretically infinite.

Why there was a book on wormholes in a small town library was anyone's guess, but that was no help either. The idea of creating one with a particular endpoint was laughable at best - not to mention it would take the combined power of twenty Princess Celestias just to stabilize it enough to travel through without being ripped apart by extradimensional forces.

What hurt the most was the complete lack of any clues explaining how they had been brought to this world to begin with; if it had been a spell of some sort, it would be a straightforward (if laborious) matter to reverse-engineer and redirect it.

Maybe...

Maybe there was a way to reason with Discord?

As distasteful as the idea sounded, even in her head, she couldn't bring herself to let go of it. The more she considered it, however, the less viable it seemed. They had returned him to his stone prison, and thus already done their worst; no threat would give them any leverage, now. She couldn't ask the princess to offer him his freedom as a bargaining chip either, as that would leave them in the very situation she had fought to prevent.

Scarlet heaved a noisy sigh and rolled onto her back. Was there a point to any of this? Learning more seemed almost counterproductive - instead of leading her closer and closer to an answer, all it served to do was show her a wide array of closed-off avenues, all the possibilities that weren't going to work.

"...let! Scarlet!"

A voice called to her from below the stairs. She ignored it, even as she knew that wouldn't make it go anyway. She just couldn't be bothered to care.

"Scar... let..." Spike panted as he climbed the last of the spiral stairs. "Come... quick..."

Scarlet sighed quietly, her gaze pointed at the ceiling but not really looking at it. "Unless this is urgent, I would like to be left alone."

"Just... gimme a sec..." Spike paused for a moment, leaning on the railing as he caught his breath.

That seemed a little strange. Why was he so winded? She sat up halfway to look at him. "Wait... Spike, is something the - "

"There's a monster!" Spike failed his arms. "A giant monster's in town, and it's got Twilight!"

Scarlet leapt instantly to her hooves and whirled around, the sudden movement knocking over her book. "Where? Where is it?"

"In - in front of the library!"

Scarlet leapt from the bed and snatched up Spike in her magic, placing him on her back. "Hold fast," she whispered.

Spike blinked. "Huh?"

A glow enveloped Scarlet's horn. Hardly a second later, in a flash of light, she and her passenger vanished from the bedroom and reappeared instantly in front of the library.

Slightly dizzy, Scarlet shook her head. "Ugh... does that have to be so disorienting...?"

"I, uh... I know what you mean..."

Spike toppled off Scarlet's back and landed in the dirt, his eyes unfocused and swirling.

"Oh dear," said Scarlet. "My apologies..."

In glancing down at him, however, she noticed the large shadow in which she now stood, and raised her gaze toward the figure casting it.

Backlit as it was by the setting sun, Scarlet couldn't make out most of its features, but she could tell several things about it immediately. One, it was distressingly large, nearly half the total volume of the library beside it. Two, the size of its limbs, head, and maw was no less distressing, giving it the appearance of a sort of mutated dragon. Three, the aforementioned maw held an occupant, a purple unicorn currently struggling for her life.

Scarlet gasped, staggering back in alarm. "Twilight!"

"Nngh...!" Try as she might, Twilight's panicked flailing did nothing to dislodge her from the monster's jaws. "Scarlet! It's - it's too strong, I can't - ugh..." She slipped an inch further. "It's too late! You need to... ugh... get out of here! Hurry!"

"No!" Scarlet yelled, shaking her head. "Hang on! I can still save you!"

"I can't, I... I'm slipping...!"

With a gasp, Twilight slid down the monster's gullet and out of sight, her terrified screaming soon swallowed up with the rest of her.

"TWILIGHT, NO!!"

Scarlet's blood went cold.

This couldn't be happening.

The monster wasn't even moving. Was it satisfied now? Had it eaten other ponies along the way, or was Twilight somehow its only target?

It didn't change much at that moment.

"You have made your last mistake, beast!" Ignoring the tears running down her face, Scarlet began to concentrate. She reared up on her hind legs, her horn lighting up in an ominous midnight blue.

"GIVE HER BACK!"

Her hooves struck the dirt. The ground shook.

High above Ponyville, several objects that hadn't been there a moment prior began plummeting. The meteors glowed, picking up speed as they fell toward their target. Just as they reached terminal velocity, they struck the monster one after another, tearing through its body like tissue paper and kicking up a cloud of dust and debris that obscured the remains.

Scarlet collapsed as the glow left her horn. In its place was a scorch mark that ran almost to the base. Reaching up with a trembling hoof, she rubbed her horn gingerly, wincing at the painful mana burn; that would be her last spell for at least a couple of days.

Climbing back up on all fours, she stared at the scene before her. A pile of shattered rocks and a cloud of dust was all she could see; there was no sign of the monster... or of her friend.

She took a step forward. "Twilight...?"

There was no reply.

She stepped forward again, her eyes scanning the rocky debris for any signs of life. "Twilight, are you alright? Please, say something... anything...!"

The tears continued to flow. She wasn't sure if they had ever stopped.

Slowly, the breeze blew the dust away to reveal a glowing hemisphere of magenta encapsulating a completely unscathed Twilight Sparkle.

"Whoo! That was a doozy," said Twilight, shaking her head as her shield dissipated. "You have got to teach me that one sometime. A spell like that could oof"

Twilight staggered a bit as a red missile shot toward her in the form of a thoroughly relieved Scarlet, who immediately wrapped her in a fierce hug.

"It's okay, Scarlet," breathed Twilight, gently stroking Scarlet's mane. "I'm fine. Everything is fine. You did it."

Scarlet slowly released her grip. "But... what was it I did, exactly? What was all that?"

Twilight smiled, pointing a hoof behind the library.

"Um, Twilight? I could use a little help..."

Pinkie Pie stood flanked by stacks of newspapers and an array of half-empty paint cans. Several pages of newspaper were stuck to her mane and body via globs of still-drying paste. She shook each leg one after the next in an attempt to dislodge some of them, but her efforts had no visible effect.

"The 'monster' was made of papier-mache," said Twilight. "I was never in any danger."

"Wh, but - yes, you were!" Scarlet scowled, glancing up at her scorched horn. "That was the most powerful spell I know. It could have killed you."

"And that was the most powerful shield I know." Twilight plucked a dusty, half-torn scroll from the debris and showed it to Scarlet. "I wrote it myself. I've got a good feel for how your spells work after all the testing we've done together, so I tuned it to protect against you specifically."

Scarlet stared at the scroll for a moment, her eyes narrowing as her gaze met Twilight's once more. "So then," she growled, "was this a prank?"

Twilight flinched. "No, no, of course not! I would never!"

"Then you have not answered my question," said Scarlet.

Twilight smiled, putting a hoof on Scarlet's chest. "It was a reminder of your real strength."

Scarlet blinked. "I... do not follow."

"Ooh! Is it time?"

Spike, who had been watching the scene unfold from a safe distance, ran up to the pair. A golden necklace with an empty gem setting glittered in his claws.

"I think it is, Spike," said Twilight. "Pinkie?"

"Just - oof - a minute! I need to - waugh!"

Her hind legs cemented together by a particularly persistent patch of paste, Pinkie's attempt to join the group was cut short when she lost her balance and flopped on her belly in the dirt.

With a giggle, Twilight fired a bolt of magic from her horn. All the paste and newspaper stuck to Pinkie dissolved. With a grin, she trotted up to the group.

"Now?" asked Spike.

Twilight nodded.

Grinning, Spike placed the necklace around Scarlet's collar. Scarlet gasped but said nothing, simply glancing between the three of them.

"Ever since we defeated Discord, I've felt like you were missing something, some aspect of you that was always there before... and it wasn't until I had the whole picture that I understood. There's a fire burning inside you, Scarlet - one that the coldest winds and the darkest nights can't extinguish... and by inspiring those around you to stand up for what they believe in no matter the odds, you light that same fire in our hearts as well." Twilight cleared her throat.

"Scarlet Starbeam, you represent the Element of Hope!"

Rays of light erupted from the empty setting in Scarlet's necklace. As they faded, a brilliant white jewel in the shape of a shooting star took their place.

For several seconds, all Scarlet could do was stand there, staring down at her collar. "I... but... er, that is... I, ah..."

Pinkie giggled. "Aww, she's speechless! That's so cute!"

Scarlet took a deep breath, wiping yet more tears from her face with her foreleg. "Goodness, but I have been doing so much crying of late..." She chuckled at that, in spite of herself.

"That's okay! Crying is good for you," said Pinkie. "It means you have too many feels built up inside, and you gotta get them out as quick as you can!"

"I suppose so." Scarlet's smile faded. "But... I do not understand. How can I have earned a symbol of hope, when my demeanor of several days now has been anything but hopeful?"

"Because you stood up and did the right thing when it really counted - you didn't hesitate to come to my rescue, even when you thought it was already too late," Twilight explained. "Bearing an Element isn't about being a flawless paragon of harmony all day, every day. We're only ponies, after all."

"A very important lesson, Twilight."

Three ponies and a dragon gasped as a tall figure approached them.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight immediately knelt before the princess, her companions following suit a second later.

Celestia smiled down at them. "Once again, I believe congratulations are in order - both to our newest Element bearer, and to my most faithful student - for a job well done all around."

Twilight's cheeks turned rosy. "I mean, I couldn't have done it without Pinkie Pie. And the rest of my friends, of course..."

Celestia nodded.

"I expect you will be wanting this, then?" asked Scarlet, her hoof resting on her necklace.

Celestia smirked. "I think that can wait until after your friends have had a chance to appreciate it, don't you?"

Scarlet lowered her hoof, beaming. "Thank you, Princess."

"Isn't this great, Twilight?" Pinkie nudged Twilight with her knee. "You finally finished your homework! You're free!"

Twilight frowned, her gaze drifting. "Yeah, great..."

Spike tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing..." Twilight began slowly backing up, a nervous grin spreading across her face. "Hey, so I just remembered I really need to go, uh, sort my notes! It's, um, it's going to take me a good long while now, so don't wait up for me!"

"Twilight."

The voice of Princess Celestia brought Twilight to a halt.

"I am not here to bring you back to Canterlot, my student."

Twilight swallowed. "You're - you're not?"

"Of course not." With a gentle sweep of her wing, Celestia guided Twilight back to the group. "You've made such wonderful friends and learned so much in your time here. I wouldn't dream of taking that away from you."

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. "I was a little worried for a moment..."

Celestia turned to Scarlet. "And as for you..."

Scarlet tilted her head. "Yes, Princess?"

Celestia lowered her head until their horns touched, causing Scarlet to wince.

"Shhh," whispered Celestia. "Stay still. This won't hurt for long."

Celestia's horn took on its usual golden glow, which slowly spread to Scarlet's blackened horn. Gradually, the burn began to heal, returning to its usual bright red color. When she was finished, Celestia raised her head once more and smiled.

Scarlet rubbed her healed horn, her jaw slack. Lowering her hoof, she ran some magic through it, smiling as lit up in a bright sky blue glow with no pain or resistance in spite of her former injury.

"My word... Thank you very much, your highness."

"You are more than welcome, Scarlet." With that, Celestia turned to Pinkie. "Now then. I would say this calls for a celebration, wouldn't you?"

"You bet your patootie I would, Princess!" Pinkie grinned, revved up her hind legs until they were little more than circular blurs of motion, and took off in search of party supplies.

"I will remain here and help arrange things in the library," explained Celestia. "You three should gather the others and deliver the good news."

Twilight beamed. "Thank you, Princess!"

Scarlet nodded. "Of course, your highness."

Spike climbed up onto Twilight's back and saluted.

Celestia watched them gallop away. "Your hardest trials are yet to come, Twilight Sparkle... but I have no doubt that when the time comes, you will be more than prepared for them."

Author's Note

It feels strange to be finished with this episode so quickly; it only took four weeks to complete. Episode 3, by contrast, took four months. I hope this is a sign that my writing skills are improving; it certainly feels that way, as I'm producing longer chapters in far less time than I used to. I think having more than one fic to work on at a time helps?

For those of you who actually got the reference in their Elements, have a cookie! For the rest of you (or possibly literally all of you), the concepts of Hope, Courage, and Love are a callback to Wild ARMs, one of my favorite games of all time.

Thank you once again for reading! Your likes and comments are my lifeblood, I swear. If you want to chat with the characters, head on over to the blog and send an ask!

Episode 5-1

Author's Note

I forgot to add the usual end-of-episode message when I posted 4-3, so go check that out if you haven't seen it yet!

Episode 5-1

"Guys!"

The front door burst open as a diminutive dragon rushed inside.

Skidding to a stop, Spike looked around the living room. Only one of the ponies he was looking for was present, sitting on a couch nearby. If she had noticed Spike's entrance, she gave no notice of it; one wing outstretched, she appeared to be picking insistently at her feathers with her teeth. Scowling, she spent several seconds on one feather in particular before finally giving up, flapping her wings a few times in frustration before lying back against the couch and crossing her forelegs.

"Um... you okay there, Waterwing?"

Waterwing finally looked up, her expression brightening as she caught sight of Spike. In an instant, she leapt off the couch and scurried over, scooping him up in a hug before he could react.

"Oof! It's... nice to see you too," said Spike in spite of the forelegs squeezing him just a little too hard, "but can you put me down now?"

With a sheepish grin, Waterwing released her grip on him, her wings flapping as she signed a proper response.

Eyes narrowed, Spike glanced over his shoulder to make a quick head count of his own wings - all zero of them. "Yeah, I totally know what you mean," he deadpanned.

When Spike turned back to face her, Waterwing smiled again.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Spike snapped his claws. "We got an important message from the princess this morning, and Twilight wants to gather everypony in the library." He glanced around. "Um, so... where are Scarlet and Tank?"

Waterwing pointed a hoof at the bathroom behind her. The door was slightly ajar, the faint sound of splashing water coming from beyond it. Curious, Spike quirked an eyebrow at Waterwing before nudging the door open and walking in for a better look.

The two ponies in question were in the bathtub, steam rising from the warm water. Scarlet sat with her eyes closed and a contented smile on her muzzle; behind her, Tank gently massaged shampoo into her cerulean mane with his forehooves. As Spike stepped into view, their eyes met.

"Oh! Hey Spike," said Tank. "What's up?"

Spike stared for several seconds. Suddenly feeling as though he had intruded on something private, he turned to one side, scratching his head. "Uh, well, um... Oh! Twilight wanted everypony to meet in the library. We got an important message from Princess Celestia this morning."

Scarlet opened her eyes, still smiling. "Is this something that can wait a few minutes, or is it urgent?"

"Um, probably?" Spike coughed once. "I mean, it can probably wait. Twilight's still on her way to go get Applejack and Fluttershy."

Scarlet tilted her head back and closed her eyes once more. "Of course. We will hurry over as soon as we are finished here."

"Right." Spike twiddled his claws. "I'm... gonna go, then."

Without another word, he retreated from the bathroom, pulling the door most of the way closed as he went.

"Is... that normal?" he asked Waterwing, pointing at the bathroom door.

Waterwing tilted her head.

"Those two, uh, bathing together."

Waterwing nodded vigorously. She hesitated for a moment.

To be fair, Spike realized, he had shared a bath with Twilight plenty of times in the past, but that had been mostly when he was much younger, before he had learned how to do it for himself.

In the end, he shrugged. "I guess not. Well, meet us at the library when you're all ready, okay?"

Eight ponies stood in a semicircle around Twilight and Spike in the main room of the library.

"Go ahead, Spike," said Twilight.

Spike cleared his throat, holding up a small scroll. "To Twilight Sparkle and associates: You are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor, to be held in Sardonyx Chapel in Canterlot on - "

"Your brother is getting married?!"

All eyes in the room suddenly locked onto the speaker, who turned out to be Rarity.

Rainbow Dash's gaze flicked back and forth between Twilight and Rarity. "Wait a sec. Twilight has a brother?"

Tank quirked an eyebrow at Rarity. "And you knew this somehow, where the rest of us didn't?"

Rarity tossed her head back. "Darling, if you're not up to speed on the latest gossip, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Tank rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever."

Twilight cleared her throat. "To answer your question, Rarity... though I wish I had been informed at some point before the official invitations were sent out, yes."

"Your own brother didn't tell you he was getting married?" Fluttershy's ears drooped. "That's awful..."

"Well..." Twilight sighed. "To be fair, he hasn't told me much of anything in several years now, nor the other way around. I suppose I should tell you all the story..."

Clearing her throat again, Twilight began pacing back and forth. "I'm sure it comes as no surprise when I say that I wasn't the most sociable filly; I just didn't see a point to getting to know other ponies when I was perfectly satisfied with just my books for company... but there was still one pony whose companionship I wouldn't have traded for anything: my big brother, Shining Armor." She stopped pacing and sat down. "We played games, we flew kites... We were inseparable, and we always got along. I don't think we fought over anything even once."

"You and your brother never fought? Ever? Seriously?" Tank glanced around. "I mean, that sounds fake to me, but okay."

Twilight carried on, paying no heed to the interruption. "But all that changed one day, when he told us he wanted to join the Royal Guard. Our parents supported his decision, of course, and so did I... but things were never the same after that. We went from best friends forever to near strangers practically overnight - he had so much studying and training to do to qualify for enlistment that he just didn't have any time to spend on me anymore."

Waterwing resisted the urge to gallop forward and hug Twilight, settling instead for sitting back and wrapping her forelegs around herself sympathetically.

"For a while after he left, we used to get letters from him every now and then, but they stopped coming even before I left for Ponyville," Twilight continued. "I haven't heard from him in years... and I'm terrified that there won't be anything left of the Shining Armor I remember from my foalhood when I see him again."

At this, Waterwing gave up her resistance, rushing forward and nearly bowling Twilight over in the process of giving her a fierce hug.

"Aww, don't you fret, sugarcube." Applejack adjusted her hat. "No matter how long you been apart, he'll always be your brother. Not even time and distance are gonna change that."

Twilight leaned into Waterwing's hug. "I wish I could be as confident as you about it, Applejack."

"When is the wedding, precisely?" asked Scarlet.

"Three days from now," said Spike, peering over a second scroll. "And there's some extra instructions from Princess Celestia here. She wants you guys to help out with the wedding."

"Ooh!" squealed Pinkie, bouncing in place on elastic legs. "Does that mean I get to plan the reception? I haven't done a wedding reception in ages! This is gonna be so much fun!"

Rarity's face lit up. "Oh, designing dresses for a royal wedding is the opportunity of a lifetime...!"

Tank scratched his head. "You figure they need any help with security? You get all kinds of weirdos at events like this..."

Ignoring the hubbub around her, Fluttershy approached Twilight. "Don't worry, Twilight. Everything will be okay in the end, I just know it."

Waterwing nodded her agreement.

Twilight sighed softly. "Thanks. I really hope I'm worrying over nothing, but... I can't shake the feeling that something is going to go badly, so I'll just have to do my best to be prepared for it."

Turning toward the group once again, she raised her voice. "And speaking of preparation, we've got work to do if we're going to pitch in for this wedding. Everypony, be ready to leave on the first train to Canterlot tomorrow morning!"

Twilight stared out the window at the landscape far below.

The train was a ways up the mountain now; they would be reaching Canterlot in just a few minutes. Unfortunately, the dread building up inside her was dampening any excitement she may have had about the whole affair.

Pushing thoughts of her brother from her mind, she focused instead on the other pony in the equation. Who was this 'Mi Amore Cadenza,' anyway? She'd never heard of such a pony, which struck her as odd considering she was supposedly a princess. At least that, she found, didn't seem too intimidating; Twilight knew how to handle herself around royalty... though she at least wished her brother's bride could have been someone she knew.

"I still don't see what's so weird about it."

Snippets of the nearby conversation drifted through Twilight's ears.

"Well, it's a tad... how should I put this?" Rarity raised a hoof to her chin in thought. "Intimate? For a pair of simple friends. Unless... there's something else going on that you three aren't telling us?" She leaned forward with a conspiratorial smirk on her face.

Tank's eyes narrowed. "Whatever you're thinking, I can promise you that's not it."

Scarlet ran a hoof through her mane. "While I hesitate to describe our relations as 'simple,' I still fail to note the distinction. I suppose it must be one of the many aspects of our respective cultures that do not overlap."

Pinkie grinned. "I think it's cute! I want a bath buddy now. Well, besides Gummy, I mean. He's not the greatest at getting those hard-to-reach places on my back," she admitted.

Distracted as she was, Twilight hadn't noticed the pony suddenly sitting next to her until she jumped slightly at the feel of a wing gently draped over her shoulders, and turned to look.

Though she had all but mastered the use of her wings for signing, there were still times when Waterwing would 'speak' with just her body and expressions. So it was that she tilted her head at Twilight, her eyes wide with concern.

"I'll be fine, I promise," said Twilight, turning back to face out the window again. "I just need to... get this thing over with, I guess. I can't know how things will go until they happen, but it's hard not to worry about it anyway."

She felt a face against her neck as Waterwing scooted closer, the better to offer what wordless reassurance she could. True to the conversation going on behind her, Twilight had been rather baffled at first by how strangely affectionate these three former humans could be at times. She had since grown to appreciate it, however; sometimes there was just no substitute for the gentle touch of another pony when she was worried or scared.

Without warning, an ethereal pink screen passed from the front of the train to the back, leaving a strange tingling sensation in the passengers as it went.

Rainbow Dash shuddered. "What the hay was that?"

"A filter...?" Twilight stood up.

Applejack blinked. "Say what?"

"That was a filter," Twilight explained. "It's a sophisticated type of shield spell that blocks only what it's designed to block, and lets everything else through. It's..." She hesitated. "It's one of Shining Armor's specialties."

Fluttershy wrapped her wings around her body. "Why is there a shield around Canterlot...?"

Tank peered out the window. "I want to say it's probably just a precaution what with the wedding and all, but even then, this seems a bit excessive. That thing is enormous."

The train car lurched as the brakes engaged.

Rarity brushed idly at her mane. "Well, seeing as we're pulling into the station now, I hope we'll be finding out sooner rather than later. Undue stress causes split ends, you know."

The train slowly ground to a halt. Before any of them could make for the door, it opened of its own accord, and a pair of armor-clad guards walked in.

"Esteemed guests," declared one of them, "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza has come to receive you."

Really?

Twilight spent several seconds baffled by this, pulled from her reverie only by a gentle shove courtesy of Spike encouraging her toward the door.

Once out on the station proper, her jaw nearly hit the floor.

A pink alicorn stood before the party. Only barely taller than the ponies themselves, her sparkling regalia matched the purple and gold highlights in her otherwise pink mane. A crystalline heart adorned her flank, and her smile was broad and inviting.

"Welcome, everypony!" said the alicorn, inclining her head in a small polite bow. "I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you may call me - "

"Cadance?!" Twilight blurted out.

Cadance's eyes lit up. "Twilight!"

The two rushed forward, embracing the instant they met.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake~ Clap your hooves and do a little shake~"

Their rhyme was accompanied by a series of hoof claps and the two of them wiggling their hindquarters at one another, and followed by a fit of giggles from both parties.

Tank wrinkled his nose. "That's embarrassing."

This earned him a scowl and a punch in the shoulder from Scarlet.

"I had no idea my brother was marrying my old foalsitter!" Twilight beamed, her earlier apprehension evaporated. "This is amazing! I haven't seen you in so long... oh, we have so much to talk about!"

"We definitely need to catch up," said Cadance. "But we should get you all settled in at the castle first, and I've got lots of work to do organizing the wedding."

"Well you can count on us then," said Applejack, "on account of we're here to help!"

"Oh, that's excellent news!" Cadance smiled at Applejack before turning back to Twilight. "So these are your friends then?"

Twilight nodded, pointing a hoof at each of them in turn. "This is Applejack..."
"Howdy."
"Rainbow Dash..."
"How's it hanging?"
"Pinkie Pie..."
"Hiya!"
"Rarity..."
"Charmed~"
"Fluttershy..."
"Um, hello..."
"Scarlet Starbeam..."
"Well met."
"Tank Buster..."
"Yo, what's up?"
"Waterwing..."

"Oh, uh, she days it's - " Twilight began.

came Cadance's silent reply.

Waterwing grinned.

"And last but not least: my number one assistant, Spike!" She gave the dragon in question a quick pat on the head.

Spike grinned, waving her hoof away. "Twilight, you're embarrassing!"

"It's so nice to meet you all," said Cadance. "The guards will take care of your bags, so if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms!"

Twilight happily fell in step beside Cadance as the party marched on toward the castle. What was she even worrying about before? Everything was totally going to be fine!

Episode 5-2

"Well, I'll be. Sure is fancy, ain't it?"

Applejack's eyes traced over the spacious castle suite she had been assigned, alongside her two temporary roommates.

"Nah, this is way past fancy," said Rainbow. "We're getting into fancy-shmancy territory here, easy."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Either way, it was very gracious of Princess Celestia to set aside these rooms for us, even if we do have to share them. Let's be sure to say 'thank you,' right girls?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Busying herself with testing the bounciness of her bed, Rainbow was clearly only half-listening.

Applejack scratched her head. "Well, I reckon if our stuff's already here, there ain't much for it but to offer our help with the wedding."

The three emerged back into the hallway. Cadance stood waving at the retreating figures of Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy as they marched off to contribute their portions to the upcoming ceremony. Scarlet, Tank, and Waterwing stood idle nearby.

"Ah, there you are." Cadance smiled. "Thank you again so much for your help, girls. I just know things are going to turn out great."

"Happy to help, Princess." Applejack tipped her hat briefly. "Just point me to the kitchens, and you'll have more delicious baked goods ready for the reception than you can shake a stick at!"

Now beaming, Cadance waved over a guard to escort Applejack on her way.

"Now... correct me if I'm wrong, but are you the same Rainbow Dash who won the Young Flyers Competition a while back?"

Rainbow puffed out her chest, smirking. "You bet I am, and have I got a deal for you! How would you like a bona fide Sonic Rainboom in the sky for your wedding?"

"I'd be honored," said Cadance. "That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah!" Rainbow pumped her forehoof and hopped into the air. "Then I've gotta get in loads of practice before that, so I'll see you guys later!" With that, she took off down the hall toward the balcony at the far end.

Scarlet stepped forward. "And how might we be of assistance?"

Cadance tilted her head. "Well, what are your talents?"

"Scarlet and Tank are warriors," said Twilight, trotting over to stand beside them, "and Waterwing is studying medicine. At least one of them is always the first on the scene whenever somepony in Ponyville is in danger."

"Oh, wow," said Cadance. "But you're not Royal Guards or law enforcement? Are... are you mercenaries then?"

Tank rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, we all got day jobs when we moved into town, but... sort of, I guess."

Cadance glanced up and down the hall for a moment before lowering her head and her voice a bit. "In that case, I think I'd like to speak to you all privately. You too, Twilight," she added.

With a tilt of her head, Waterwing pointed a hoof at the suite behind them.

Cadance nodded, and the five ponies filed inside. Once she was satisfied the door was fully closed, she turned to address them, her tone much more serious.

"Can you be discreet? There's something you can do for me, but what I tell you cannot leave this room."

The four of them exchanged glances.

"We are prepared to keep any necessary secrets, Princess," said Scarlet.

Cadance nodded. "I'm sure you've been wondering about the shield over the city, the one you passed through on the train. The official statement is that it's increased security for the wedding, and that's not a lie... but it's not the whole truth, either." She fixed them with a firm look. "We caught a changeling attempting to infiltrate the castle several days ago."

Twilight gasped. "A changeling...!"

The other three looked completely lost.

"Uh." Tank blinked. "Wait, a what now?"

Cadance stared incredulously for a moment. "You've never heard of a changeling before?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Twilight's neck. "They're from, um, sorta far away."

Cadance blinked, pondering the information. "Well, I suppose you'd have to be, if you used to make a living as mercenaries..."

"Anyway." Twilight cleared her throat. "Changelings are a race of sapient predator-parasites that feed on the emotions of other sapient creatures, particularly love. They use powerful illusion magic to disguise themselves as ponies, often replacing existing ponies within a family or community, and feed on the love shared with them."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed. "And these creatures mean to invade Canterlot."

"The changeling we caught appears to have been a scout, so that's all too likely," said Cadance.

"Wait a sec." Tank scratched his head. "So they eat love? How does that work? Is that a term referring to something else, or is love some kind of tangible substance all of a sudden?"

Cadance quirked an eyebrow.

"...very far away," Twilight continued lamely.

"Twilight, can I talk to you for a minute?"

A moment later, the length of the castle suite separated Twilight and Cadance from the others.

Twilight frowned as she whispered. "Is something wrong, Cadance?"

"I don't mean to question your choice of company, Twilight," said Cadance, "but... where exactly did you say these three are from?"

"I, um... don't precisely know," admitted Twilight. "But - but they're not changelings, I know that for sure! The filter didn't affect them."

Cadance shook her head. "No, I know that too. I just - something about them seems strange, that's all. This situation is delicate, and I need to be absolutely sure we can trust them with it."

"We can. I promise." Twilight looked Cadance square in the eye. "I've trusted them with my life more than once already, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Cadance took a deep breath. As she did, her expression softened, and she smiled. "That's all I needed, then. Sorry about all this, Twily."

Twilight shook her head and nuzzled Cadance's neck. "No, it's okay. I know you're just worried. We'll all do everything we can to help."

...

As soon as Twilight and Cadance's backs were turned, Scarlet gave Tank another shoulder punch.

"Will you cut that out?!" he hissed.

signed Waterwing.

Tank raised a hoof to his forehead. "I know, I know, I just..." He sighed. "...ugh, never mind. For as little sense as it makes, I guess it doesn't really matter how this 'eating love' thing works. These things are obviously a threat, and she's probably going to ask us to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

Scarlet nodded. "Most likely. Though it occurs to me to wonder if you are in particular danger due to the nature of your Element," she said to Waterwing.

"See, that would've been good information to have," said Tank, barely hiding the irritation in his voice, though it soon faded. "Maybe you should stick with Twilight or something? That way you two can keep an eye on each other."

Waterwing nodded her agreement just as the other two returned.

"Right, so." Cadance cleared her throat. "I'd like to ask you to be on the lookout for anypony acting suspiciously. That includes not only guests, but guards and castle staff as well. If you see anything that seems out of place, tell me about it immediately, and don't let on to anypony else what you're doing. Can you handle that?"

Scarlet nodded. "Affirmative, Princess."

After a moment's hesitation, Waterwing trotted forward and stood beside Twilight, earning a curious look from Cadance.

she declared, giving her friend a quick nuzzle.

Twilight sighed quietly. "Thanks, Waterwing."

"Looks like we all know what we're doing then," said Tank, glancing over at Scarlet. "We should get moving."

With a nod from Cadance, the two quietly left the room.

"Now then. Shining Armor is probably on one of his patrols right now," said Cadance, "but I bet I can get him to take an early break to greet the little sister he hasn't seen in years. What do you think?"

Twilight nodded. "Let's go!"

The magical glow of Cadance's horn opened a door that led onto the outer wall of Canterlot Castle.

A tall white stallion stood looking over the courtyard below, a stern expression on his face. His navy blue mane was covered up by an ornate helm in purple and gold, and his cutie mark featured a blue shield with a lavender six-pointed star all but identical to the one on Twilight's flank.

"Oh, Shiny~" came Cadance's singsong voice. "I've got somepony here I think you'll want to see!"

Shining Armor turned to give her a look of mild annoyance. "Whatever this is, it really ought to wait until after my patrol is over."

"I think you'll disagree once you see who's here," said Cadance with an undaunted smirk.

Waterwing gave Twilight a gentle nudge, coaxing her into stepping out from behind Cadance and giving her brother a nervous but hopeful smile.

"Hi, Shining."

"Twi - !" Shining Armor jumped slightly at the sight of her, his helm askew. As he nudged it back into place, he stared for several seconds, recognition washing over him... but he quickly turned back to Cadance with a glare. "Civilians aren't allowed up on the walls. It's a security hazard."

Twilight flinched.

Cadance's smile faded. "I don't remember that rule."

"It doesn't matter. I don't have time for this right now," said Shining. "We can catch up later - I have work to do."

Waterwing stepped forward, fixing Shining Armor with a fierce frown.

Shining's lip curled as he stared at the strange pegasus, clearly oblivious to the meaning behind the flapping of her wings.

Twilight sighed and patted Waterwing's back. "...Thanks for trying. We'll just have to come back later." Without another glance at her brother, Twilight turned back the way they came, her gaze glued to the floor the entire time. Waterwing gave Shining one last pout before scurrying off to walk beside Twilight.

Cadance gave her fiancé a stern look. "What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me?" Shining echoed, pointing a hoof at himself. "I'm trying to do my job - which, if you've forgotten, is pretty important! I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is for changelings to be lurking around Canterlot."

"No, you don't," said Cadance with a sigh. "But I think this is getting to you more than you realize. I thought you'd be excited to see your sister again after so long, but you just brushed her away like she was nothing. Didn't you two get along well?"

"Yeah," said Shining, "when we were foals. And before I enlisted. Things have changed since then, and we've gone our separate ways. That's all there is to it."

Cadance frowned. Was there something to their history together that he wasn't telling her? She was tempted to ask Twilight, but the fear of opening old wounds made her think twice. For her part, though, Twilight at least had seemed happy to reconnect as though nothing was wrong.

Was a clever application of her love magic the answer? That all depended on how the two truly felt about one another. As long as their hearts were still connected in some way, no matter how faintly, it was a possibility... but she needed to be delicate, or else she ran the risk of making things worse.

She shook her head. Whatever was going on, she wouldn't likely be puzzling it out standing here on the wall. Without another word, she turned and marched away.

Episode 5-3

"Twilight, darling, you've hardly touched your food...!"

It was evening the second day, and nine ponies were gathered in an auxiliary room of the castle set up as a private dining hall. A buffet table stood parallel to the one at which the ponies sat and ate, chattering happily as they awaited the festivities of the following morning.

At least, most of them did.

Twilight stared dejectedly at her plate, which only held a meager helping of food in the first place, and listened idly to the conversations going on around her.

"Wow, Tank." Fluttershy stared at his plate, piled high with shrimp and scallops. "I had no idea you liked seafood so much."

"I mean, I didn't before, to be honest." Tank shrugged, adjusting the fork strapped to his hoof via an elastic band before poking a peeled shrimp with it and chowing down. "But hey, if this is the closest I'm gonna get to eating meat again, I'll take it. Doesn't hurt that the castle cooks are fantastic, either."

"I'll say!" said Pinkie, noisily shoving the contents of her heavily loaded plate into her mouth. "This shtuff's delicioush~"

Scarlet's brow furrowed as she watched the carnage unfolding before her. "Pinkie, I watched you scoop a hoofful from every tray onto your plate without actually looking at any of it. Do you even know what most of that is?"

Pinkie swallowed an impressively large bite. "Does it matter?"

Scarlet opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out at first. "For some odd reason, I find that logic difficult to refute..."

Rarity, however, was focused on the sullen mare beside her, giving her a comforting rub. "Twilight...?"

"I'm fine," said Twilight as she nudged Rarity's hoof away.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling by saying that," Rarity replied. "You've been clearly miserable for a day and a half now. This business with your brother - "

" - isn't something anypony can fix," interrupted Twilight. "He's made it clear he doesn't care about me anymore, and nopony can force him to."

"Nopony but you, perhaps," said Rarity. "So he's been brushing you off all this time. Just as we've been telling Fluttershy, you need to be more assertive! You need to stand your ground and force him to notice you!"

Twilight sighed again. "I don't see what good it'll do."

Rarity smiled. "Do you know what I think?"

Twilight tilted her head, genuinely curious.

"I don't think he's stopped caring about you at all, darling. I think he's being evasive," said Rarity. "I think he's hiding something from you because he's afraid, and I'd be willing to bet it's something that will be healthier for the both of you once it's out in the open."

Finally, Twilight looked at least somewhat hopeful. "How sure of that are you?"

Rarity glanced away briefly. "Well, perhaps not as much so as I'd like to be, but I don't see what you stand to lose in trying... and if it might get you your dear brother back, isn't it worth the risk?"

Twilight took a deep breath and glanced down at her food. In a flash, she began scarfing down the contents of her plate as quickly as she could, wiping her mouth with a napkin once it was empty. "You know what, Rarity? You're right - it is worth it. Don't wait up for me if I'm not back by bedtime; I'll see you girls tomorrow." Without another word, she leaped out of her chair and bolted from the room, several heads turning to watch her go.

Biting her lip, Rarity turned to the rest of the group, her eyes eventually settling on one of them in particular. "Waterwing, dear, would you...?"

Waterwing drained the last of the water in her glass, then set it down and nodded.

Rarity nodded as well, watching as Waterwing fluttered along after Twilight.

Tank quirked an eyebrow and quietly slipped out of his chair.

Shining Armor paced back and forth in the ornate foyer of his home, staring at a wall-mounted clock nearby, a spell charging in his horn. "Come on, let's get it right this time..."

"Shiny!"

The front door suddenly burst open, a purple unicorn dashing through with a blue pegasus hovering over her like a feathery balloon.

"Wh - !" Shining whirled around, staring for just half a second too long before looking back at the clock. "Blast!" He quickly loosed the spell, a bolt of pink light flying straight up to disappear through the ceiling. It flew higher and higher, aimed directly at the very top of the city's spherical shield... which shimmered and brightened a fraction of a second before it struck.

Shining growled. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I want to talk to you, Shiny," said Twilight. Her eyes watering, she sat down on the entrance rug as Waterwing landed softly beside her. "It's been so long! I missed you. I want to know how you've been doing all this time, and I want to hear all about you and Cadance! And..." She paused to wipe a tear from her eye. "...and I want to know why you're avoiding me like this."

Shining huffed. "There's nothing to talk about. I've been doing my duty to my country, which is exactly why I don't need distractions."

"Distractions?" Twilight echoed. "Is that all I am to you anymore? What happened to the Shiny who played with me all the time when we were foals, who said he'd always look out for me? 'Like a good big brother should,' you said! You said that!" She shivered as she felt a reassuring hoof on her back. "And now all I am to you... is a distraction?"

"My duty to my princess and my country comes first," said Shining coldly. "That's what being captain of the guard means. All else is secondary to that, no matter how anypony feels about it. Not even family."

"But there's no need for this," said Twilight. "You don't have to close yourself off like this to do your job. You never did."

Shining shook his head. "You underestimate the burden on my shoulders, and you continue to waste my time. If this is all you came here for, I suggest you leave now before I'm forced to remove you myself." With that, he turned his back on her.

Twilight buried her face in Waterwing's shoulder and sobbed, even as a gentle pair of wings draped around her. "...not my brother..."

Shining flinched. "What?"

"You're not my brother!" shouted Twilight. In a voice so quiet only Waterwing could hear, she added, "...not anymore."

The air in the room turned deathly still.

Eyes clenched shut in an effort to hold back her tears, Twilight trembled. She trembled so much, she wondered if she would have fallen over if not for the pony at her side. Her heart ached, and her mind raced...

Waterwing glanced up at Shining Armor, who stared at them over his shoulder. A chill crawled down her spine at the sneer on his face.

"So... you saw through my disguise after all."

With a glow of his horn, the front door slammed shut, locking with a metallic click. The noise startled the two mares, who jumped as their attention snapped to it.

Twilight blinked, her disappointment replaced with confusion. "W... What?"

"I should have known I wouldn't be able to fool his dear, sweet baby sister." Shining's voice was thick with scorn as he approached Twilight and Waterwing, huddled together on the rug. "Do you have any idea how much incessant prattle about you I had to listen to? Every breath he didn't spend on his precious Cadance or the usual 'oh, you will never get away with this' nonsense..." He waved his forehooves mockingly as he said this. "...was wasted worrying about his little 'Twily.' If I didn't need him conscious to keep up that blasted barrier, I'd have shut him up long ago."

Waterwing slowly shook her head. This must have been what Cadance had been warning them about, right? They had to escape and warn her, now!

She let go of Twilight and rushed over to the door. Despite her fierce rattling of the handle, it held fast. She reached up to undo the lock, only to find that in place of a deadbolt, the door featured a brass mechanism with no knob or handle on it; clearly, it was intended to be manipulated by magic she didn't have.

"Who... Who are you?" Twilight's heart hammered in her chest as she stared down the strange figure she now knew wasn't Shining Armor. "What have you done with my brother?"

The door rattled of its own accord behind Waterwing.

The imposter's sneer returned. "Oh, you'll be seeing him soon enough. Can't afford to risk my secret leaking to the princesses, you see; if they discover my plans before I'm ready, it'll ruin everything."

Before either of them could react, the imposter's horn lit up, this time in an eerie lime green. Rings of green flame erupted along the floor around both mares, portals that swallowed them both without hesitation.

As soon as he was alone in the room, the green glow of the imposter's horn subsided as the portals vanished. With a click, the door unlocked once more.

From his hiding place beneath the front steps in the shadow made by the setting sun, Tank gasped as the door slammed shut.

He held his breath for a moment, ears perked in the hopes of picking up the rest of the conversation... but no sound pierced the now closed door, and none of the windows were open. After about thirty seconds, all he got for the effort was a rattling noise as someone inside attempted to open the door. Scrambling up the steps, he yanked and shoved the door several times himself, to no avail.

Backing up a bit, he began pacing in front of the building, looking for an alternative... and quickly finding one in the form of a raised window on the side of the house, overlooking a narrow alleyway.

As he pondered how to reach it, his heart tripped on a beat as he felt an unfamiliar magic surging inside the building. Gritting his teeth, Tank leaped from wall to wall, scaling the rough brick until he could just barely hook his forehooves onto the windowsill and scramble for purchase.

By the time his grip was solid enough to look through the window into the foyer below, the magic had dissipated. Twilight and Waterwing were nowhere to be found; Shining Armor stood alone, facing away from the front door, which emitted a soft click that only barely registered in Tank's ears.

Tank carefully let go of the windowsill and dropped, all four legs bending to cushion his fall as he landed back in the alley. Wiping the sweat from his forehead in an attempt to look casual, he trotted up to the now unlocked door and gave it a swift knock.

In seconds, he was face to face with a scowling Shining Armor.

"Hey, have you seen Twilight?" Tank scratched his head. "She said she was coming to talk to you."

Shining Armor huffed. "She already left. You just missed her."

"Ah, geez. That's fine, I'll go find her myself." Tank paused a moment. "Was anypony else with her?"

"No. Why?"

"Uh, no reason."

"Is that all? I'm busy."

Tank waved a hoof. "Yeah, yeah, sure. You get ready for your big day tomorrow and all. See you."

Before he could even turn around, the door had already slammed in his face.

The moment his hooves hit the cobblestone street, Tank took off at a gallop back toward the castle.

"What."

In a secluded side room of the castle, Cadance gave Tank a flat stare.

"Look... I'm sorry for the shock and all, Princess," said Tank, "but you asked me to report anything suspicious, and I'd say that more than qualifies."

"I hope you realize the gravity of what you're suggesting," warned Cadance as she began pacing back and forth. "If your accusation is false, it could land you in prison for a good long time."

Tank grimaced.

Cadance raised a hoof to her chest, took a deep breath, and let it out as she waved the hoof forward. "But I can't ignore the possibility that you're right. It just... doesn't make any sense."

"Hmm..." Tank rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But weren't you saying something earlier about his abrupt change in demeanor? If he's a shapeshifter or whatever, that would stand to reason."

Cadance shook her head. "But he's been renewing the shield over the city all this time. I've watched him do it. How would a changeling be maintaining it like that?" She sighed. "And that also leaves the question of how they got to him in the first place."

Tank's ears folded back. Cadance was right; even after what he'd seen and felt, there were too many pieces of the puzzle that still didn't fit.

"We can't know for sure yet," he admitted, "but the first thing we need to do is find Twilight and Waterwing. We don't know what kind of danger they're in."

"I was just going to say that," said Cadance. "But if it's really him, then we can't risk pulling too many guards from their patrols to search the city or he might catch on."

Tank nodded. "Then we'll just have to do what we can and hope it's enough. We'll get to the bottom of this thing, Princess."

Cadance gazed out the window. "I certainly hope so... for all our sakes."

The first thing Twilight noticed as she awoke was the dizziness.

She felt as though she had just gotten off a particularly intense carnival ride, and raised a hoof to her head as she tried to get her eyes to focus... only to quickly realize there was apparently nothing on which to focus them. A jolt of panic shot through her system at the thought that she might have been blinded, only to quickly subside as she told herself she was probably just someplace dark.

After a moment of slow breathing to let the dizziness pass, Twilight's horn glowed for a moment before emitting a bluish-white flame, which took up residence in a lazy orbit around her head. Instantly, the area around her illuminated. "I'll have to thank Scarlet for that one later. Way better than a plain light spell..."

Surrounding her were the dusty granite walls of what appeared to be an old mine. Tiny colorful fragments littered the floor beneath her hooves, and she lifted some in her magic for a closer look.

"Crystal shards..." she whispered. "This is... an old crystal mine? Am I somewhere inside the mountain?"

She wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to be quiet; there wasn't a soul in sight. Then again, perhaps that was the problem.

From a ways off, she heard the sound of frantic hoofsteps on stone. Whirling around to face it, she planted her hooves and glared into the darkness, ready to give her would-be assailant what for... but her expression softened as a familiar blue pegasus skidded to a stop in front of her.

signed Waterwing. Newly blessed with the ability to see her surroundings, she glanced around.

Twilight bit her lip. "I... think we might be inside the mountain."

Waterwing blinked.

"This is an old crystal mine," explained Twilight. "There used to be deposits of magic crystals in here, but the mines have been depleted for so long that most ponies don't even know they're here anymore."

Waterwing gasped silently.

"...then we don't have much hope of rescue," Twilight finished bitterly. "That imposter must have wanted to be absolutely certain we wouldn't be able to stop the wedding."

"I could teleport myself back, in theory..." Twilight shook her head. "But it's a risky prospect when you don't know the distance involved, and we have no way of knowing how deep we are. Plus, if I did, I would be leaving you by yourself in the dark."

Waterwing unfurled her wings as though to suggest it anyway, but shivered again and quickly changed her mind.

The corridor split in three directions, including the one from which Waterwing had emerged. Twilight spent several moments glancing between them, entirely at a loss... until her ears suddenly picked up a noise she hadn't noticed before, as strange as it was faint.

"I hear... ticking," she said finally.

A hoof frantically tapped her shoulder.

Waterwing bit her lip.

"I don't think it's a time bomb, Waterwing."

Twilight sighed. "The imposter has been working hard to stay under everypony's radar this whole time. If he wanted to kill us, he would use something a lot more subtle."

Waterwing blinked.

"C'mon," said Twilight, stepping forward and motioning for Waterwing to follow. "If nothing else, it might at least be a clue. Let's go."

Author's Note

The pacing of this chapter feels a little odd to me... Comments welcome.

Episode 5-4

Waterwing followed along behind Twilight, watching as the bluish-white flame she had cast drifted in lazy circles around her head.

"It's coming from around this corner." Twilight's voice was just barely audible, even with the ticking being the only other sound piercing the dead silence of the mine. "We'll face it together. Ready?"

Waterwing nodded, her face shining with determination.

Twilight nodded in turn, and the two rounded the corner, ready to square off against...

"What?"

A lone figure lay in the dust ahead of them. His blue mane and tail were frayed and disheveled, and his white coat was covered in tiny flecks of dried blood. Beside him sat an ornate wooden clock Twilight immediately knew to be the source of the ticking, as well as a candle flickering limply in the darkness.

Waterwing poked at Twilight with her hoof.

"Not necessarily." Twilight shook her head. "Stay here and let me handle this."

At the sound of her voice, the figure stirred and raised his head, peering at them with eyes that took a moment to focus. "Tw... Twily...?"

Twilight stepped forward carefully until she towered over the prone figure. "What was Shining Armor's favorite comic book?"

The figure slowly lifted his head and took a deep breath. "...Smash Fortune. I had... thirty-four issues collected before I enlisted."

Twilight staggered back a step. "Shiny...?"

"Hey, how's my favorite little sister?" The real Shining Armor gave her a tired smile. "Sorry I couldn't meet you at the station. I've been a little... preoccupied for the past few days."

Twilight fell to her knees and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Her eyes welled with tears once more... but where before those tears had been full of confusion and fear, these shone in the dim light with relief and love.

"I'm your only little sister, dummy."

Shining shook his head, his smile fading. "How'd you manage to get wrapped up in this, anyway?"

Twilight pulled back. "Your doppelganger has a really bad attitude. We went and confronted him about it, and... kind of accidentally made him spill the beans, I think?"

"We?"

Twilight motioned Waterwing over. "It's okay, he's real."

Immediately, Waterwing rushed over and sat beside Shining, carefully examining his injuries.

"This is Waterwing, one of my good friends," explained Twilight. "Don't worry, she has some medical expertise."

Shining nodded. "It's nice to - " He paused to suck in air through his teeth, wincing as Waterwing prodded him gently. "Ow. Nice to meet you."

Waterwing nodded at him briefly before resuming her work. After another moment, she turned to Twilight. She hung her head sadly.

"It's not your fault," said Twilight. "And thank you for that."

Shining glanced between them. "What was all that? Is she a medic or something?"

"Something like that, yeah." Twilight gave Shining a curious glance-over herself for a moment. "She says you're not seriously injured, but we need to get you out of here as soon as possible."

"You can put that in a memo and title it 'Stuff I Already Know,'" said Shining as he struggled to climb to his hooves. Waterwing quickly trotted to his side to help, nudging his foreleg over her shoulders and wincing slightly at the sudden addition of weight. "There's an emergency surface access tunnel not far from here. I can lead us to it."

"Wait." Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "You know the way out? Why are you still down here then?"

"Because my imposter caved it in," he explained. "I've been spending all my magic maintaining the barrier over the city, so I don't have enough left to clear it out - but I'm willing to bet you do."

Waterwing gave Twilight a confident smile.

Twilight nodded. "Then his second mistake was trying to imprison us down here with you."

"What was the first?" asked Shining.

Twilight's face darkened into a deep scowl. "Hurting my family."

The big day arrived.

The chapel had not seen such commotion in a long time. Decorations hung from the walls and windows, birds twittered and chirped as they flew from perch to perch, and excited ponies dressed in their absolute finest filled the room to the brim... with the exception of three mysteriously empty seats in the front row.

Scarlet glanced over her shoulder at the door far behind.

"No need to worry, darling. They'll be here," said Rarity, putting a hoof on Scarlet's shoulder. "Twilight is the most punctual pony we know. I'm sure she merely spent too long catching up with her brother last night and needed to sleep in a bit. The others are just helping her get ready."

"Yes, of course."

Scarlet turned back to the altar in front of them. On it stood a thoroughly impatient Shining Armor in a formal dress uniform; behind him was Celestia, sporting her usual regalia and a pleasant smile.

The doors opened. Rarity winced.

A beaming Cadance stood in the doorway. Her alabaster gown shimmered in the light, its long train trailing behind her like a river of silk as she approached the altar. The doors closed once more behind her.

"Fillies and gentlecolts," Celestia began, "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor, in royal matrimony."

Rarity sniffled, immediately tearing up. "Oh, poor Twilight having to miss this..."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Scarlet quirked an eyebrow.

"Do you, Princess Cadenza, take Shining Armor to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Cadance's heart swelled. "I do."

"Do you, Captain Armor, take Mi Amore Cadenza to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Shining's lip curled into the faintest sneer. "I do."

"If anypony should object to this union," continued Celestia, "speak now, or - "

A loud bang echoed through the chapel as the doors burst open.

"OBJECTION!"

Tank Buster stood in the doorway, one defiant hoof pointed squarely at the altar.

This didn't last long, however, as he suddenly giggled to himself and covered his mouth with his outstretched hoof. "Haha, that is fun! And it looks like I even got the timing right. Go me!"

The chapel immediately filled with confused murmuring. Amid the commotion, Scarlet's horn lit up.

Shining Armor stomped his forehooves, eyes full of rage. "What's the meaning of this? How dare you?!"

"Stand down, Captain," said Celestia.

He immediately stood at attention.

Celestia stepped forward to stand at the edge of the altar. "Tank Buster, I hope you have a good explanation for your interruption."

"Boy, do I ever." Tank took a few steps forward, watching Shining with a smirk. "I found you, faker!"

"Faker?" echoed Shining, his sneer returning. "I think you're the fake pony around here."

Tank flinched. "Tch..."

Cadance's gaze flicked back and forth between the two stallions. "Tank, are you saying...?"

"I brought someone here to see you, Princess," said Tank, turning around expectantly.

Marching slowly into the chapel, supported on either side by Twilight and Waterwing, was none other than Shining Armor.

"You're... comparing yourself to me?" he panted. "You're... not even good enough to be my fake...!"

A collective gasp ran through the crowd.

"I'll make you eat those words!" The Shining Armor on the altar planted his hooves, his horn lighting up in an unnatural sickly green.

Tank idly examined his hoof. "You won't get the chance."

Scarlet's horn flared. An icy blue orb struck the imposter, erupting in a cloud of mist that obscured the figure for several seconds.

Celestia and Cadance backed away warily.

The mist parted to reveal a tall equinoid figure. Everything about it looked wrong, from the hard black chitin in place of fur to the gossamer wings, sharp fangs, and crooked horn. The fury of the imposter's disguise was gone, replaced with an eerily confident calm.

The crowd stood perfectly still, staring.

"My, that certainly is an interesting spell you have there, isn't it?"

The figure spoke in an oddly distorted voice as she turned to glance at Scarlet.

"Queen Chrysalis," Celestia spat as she stomped her hoof. "What is the meaning of this?"

Chrysalis chuckled. "Surely you saw this coming, Celestia? You didn't honestly believe we would be content to lurk in the shadows, wallowing in starvation for eternity, did you?"

Cadance covered her mouth with a hoof, her face turning a faint shade of green.

"It was only natural that I hatch a plan to invade Canterlot." Chrysalis began pacing. "For the predator to live in fear of the prey goes against the laws of nature. I'm simply here to fix a broken system and give both my subjects and yours what they each deserve."

"How can you say that?!" demanded Twilight. "You kidnapped my brother and left him starving in a cave!"

"No less than what we endure every day of our existence!" Chrysalis glared daggers at Twilight, causing her to shrink back. "We will take our rightful place as rulers of this land, or gladly see to our own destruction!"

"If destruction's what you want," snapped Rainbow Dash as she took to the air, "then we'd be all too happy to give it to you!"

"No, my little pony."

Celestia stepped forward calmly, her gaze locked with that of the changeling queen before her. "This foe is beyond any of you. I need you all to evacuate this room and go retrieve the Elements of Harmony. I will keep her busy by giving her the fight she so desires."

Visibly wilting, five mares gave each other nervous looks... but soon nodded and began ushering the increasingly frightened crowd of ponies out the door. Scarlet and Tank stood firm.

Chrysalis tilted her head back and laughed as she watched the crowd rush for the door. "Oh, I highly doubt that'll go as smoothly as you think. I have an army!"

"We have a shield!" declared Twilight over the din of retreating ponies behind her, flashing a smirk at Shining Armor. "Right, big brother?"

Shining winced. "Not - not for much longer..."

"I gave brother dearest a clock when I imprisoned him," said Chrysalis. "That way, I could fake his little spell on time with the real deal and pretend to be maintaining your precious barrier for you; a barrier that should be - "

The distant sound of glass shattering rang through the city as fragments of pink magic gradually fell from the sky and disappeared.

" - a little early, but we'll roll with it."

Twilight blanched. "Shining! Shining, the shield!"

Shining Armor's horn lit up feebly for barely a second before fading. "I, I can't..."

A swarm of black shapes flew in past the crumbling barrier, descending like a plague over the city.

"And now all I need is one last thing, and I'll be unstoppable!"

Grinning her fanged grin, Chrysalis turned to Shining Armor. Her horn glowed, emitting a bolt of green magic; Tank ducked as it passed through the space his head had been occupying a split second earlier, flying straight toward Shining.

"NO!"

Finally freed from her fearful paralysis, Cadance threw off her dress and leaped into the air, wings spread wide, even as she knew she would never reach him in time...

A blue figure leaped in front of Shining Armor.

Waterwing writhed as the bolt struck her, enveloping her in a green glow that quickly turned pink. Peeling itself off, the glow flew back toward Chrysalis, who caught it in her mouth and swallowed. Waterwing fell to the floor in a heap, twitching with every sharp, shallow breath.

"No..." whispered Scarlet.

"You idiot!" yelled Tank. "What did you do that for?!"

"Oooh..." Chrysalis shivered. "That was even better than I expected! And as an added bonus, the Captain of the Guard will be awake to watch his ultimate failure. Now..." She turned back to Celestia. "About that fight you mentioned...?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Celestia's neck. "Everypony, you must flee from here!"

Two sets of hooves skidded across the altar as Scarlet and Tank rushed forward to stand between Celestia and Chrysalis.

"Sure, we'll retreat," said Tank. "Just as soon as we squash this overgrown cockroach, 'cause she just made this personal."

"More the better!" Chrysalis sneered. "I'll hang your corpses from the flag poles!"

"Are you sure...?"

Twilight stared pleadingly at Cadance.

"Yes!" Cadance gently cradled the unconscious Waterwing in her forelegs as Shining leaned on her for support. "I'll keep these two safe as best I can. You need to help your friends reach the Elements - they can stop her, no matter how powerful she gets!"

Twilight bit her lip, glancing between her long lost foalsitter and the fight brewing on the altar... and with a deep breath, she bolted out the door.

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Episode 5-5

Queen Chrysalis sneered as three sets of eyes glared at her.

"We need to protect Princess Celestia above all else," whispered Scarlet. "If she falls, all is lost. Stay on the offensive and let me keep her covered."

Tank took a breath. "Don't need to tell me twice. That's gonna be dangerous though; she's absolutely brimming with excess magic..."

"I told you to flee!"

Celestia's voice interrupted them.

"With all due respect, Princess..." Scarlet adjusted her stance, not taking her eyes off their foe. "We will accept discipline for our disobedience if and only if you survive this fight to deliver it."

Celestia sighed, genuinely unsure whether or not their conviction eased her worry. Raising her head, she lit her horn; the sunlight streaming in the windows turned harsh, causing Chrysalis - but no one else - to flinch at the sudden bright light.

Chrysalis snarled, her horn flashing. A barrier began to envelop her, dimming the light passing through it.

"Not so fast!"

In her moment of distraction, Tank had slipped past her defenses. Spinning on the spot, he bucked hard at one of her hind legs, throwing her badly off balance and causing her dark barrier to dissipate.

"Insolent whelp!" Chrysalis buzzed her wings, the air around her rippling as an awful high-pitched noise filled it. Tank staggered backward, holding a hoof over one ear in an attempt to block it out.

A black foreleg lashed out, smacking him in the shoulder and sending him sprawling.

With a sneer, she spun back around to face her real target - just in time to duck beneath a searing beam of light courtesy of Celestia. The air around it rippled from the heat, spawning beads of sweat on Chrysalis' head and neck.

Snarling, her horn flared as she lashed out with telekinetic force, attempting to simply grab her victim and crush her directly - but a shimmering barrier appeared between them, causing the spell to grasp empty air.

Chrysalis snarled at the red unicorn shielding her foe. Why was this so difficult? She should have more than enough power to take on an old hag and a couple of lapdogs! She could feel the huge power boost she'd gotten from draining that blue pony's love! It was all right here...

...but separate. Like oil and water, it had simply refused to integrate with the rest of her magic reserves. Odd, but not an obstacle; she would simply have to tap into it directly.

Chrysalis' horn suddenly lit up in pink.

"Much better!" she crowed as a beam erupted from her horn, aimed at the upstart unicorn. Scarlet cast another barrier to intercept, but it immediately began fragmenting, forcing her to leap out of the way as it shattered.

Another of Celestia's searing heat beams flew at Chrysalis, but this time she stood her ground, raising a barrier of darkness in the blink of an eye. The beam struck her, its intensity reduced from scorching to a gentle warmth.

Sneering, she buzzed her wings and -

"Nope!"

Tank vaulted over Chrysalis' back, his forehooves coming down on one of her gossamer wings and bending it at an awkward angle. In mild alarm, she tried buzzing and flapping it as hard as she could - but it didn't seem to want to lift her now.

It wasn't exactly painful... but that didn't stop the snarl of rage bubbling in her throat.

"I have had enough of you!" Wrapping her magic around his body, she prepared to send him crashing through one of the nearby windows, heaving with all her might - and made a strained gurgling noise as he plopped back to the floor almost immediately.

"Hup!" Tank giggled. "Hey, I think you got a good six inches on that throw. Wanna try again?"

"Hrrrrgh!" The second attempt yielded similar results. "What are you made of?!"

He stomped a hoof. "I train with the greatest sorceress I've ever known. All your power is stolen - you'll never be half the magician she is!"

Scarlet smiled bashfully.

"Oh, and by the way - you might wanna watch out there." Tank casually pointed a hoof over her shoulder.

Chrysalis spun around just in time for a charging Celestia to slam an orb of magic down on her dark barrier, causing a large chunk of it to fizzle into nothing. Before she could mend it, a bluish-white beam shot from Scarlet's horn and struck her in the shoulder, sending her reeling and shivering from the freezing cold.

This fight was going south much faster than Chrysalis had anticipated. She was outnumbered and her flight was hampered; she needed an edge, and she needed it five minutes ago. She didn't want to pull any drones from the main force if she could help it, but their efforts would be in vain anyway were she to fall here...

The answer came to her quickly enough. This chapel was rather an eyesore, anyway.

Hopping backward, she swept a beam of raw pink magic across the ceiling at just the right angle. The floor shook slightly as a chunk of the ceiling gave way, plummeting straight toward Celestia. Without stopping to watch, she spun around and swatted at the air behind her with her hoof - catching the leaping Tank and sending him sprawling again.

Tank rubbed his muzzle. "Ow."

It took the combined magic of Scarlet and Celestia to slow the falling stone and toss it aside... But Chrysalis wasn't done with that trick yet. She shot a malicious sneer at Cadance in the background and carved another portion of the ceiling away - directly above her.

Without letting go of the exhausted Shining Armor or the unconscious Waterwing, Cadance's horn flared; a shield formed around them just long enough for the debris to slide off and land harmlessly on the floor.

Chrysalis huffed. In hindsight, perhaps the power boost she'd gotten from the blue one hadn't been worth failing to disable the Princess.

"Fools!" she snapped. "Resistance is useless! Once I crush you, my dynasty will last forever!"

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings," recited Scarlet. "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Rage filled Chrysalis' vision.

Celestia quirked an eyebrow.

Another green-hoofed kick to her flank, and Chrysalis went tumbling across the altar - but landed on all fours, glaring at her three opponents now that they were all in her field of view together.

You know what? She really didn't need the castle itself, all things considered.

With a roar that could have curdled milk, beams of pink shot in all directions as she poured the stolen power recklessly from her horn, causing the remains of the ceiling - and parts of the walls - to collapse around them. Several windows shattered; Chrysalis grasped the shards and flung them toward her real target and the foolish pony at her side.

Thrown off by the destruction all around them, the spells Celestia and Scarlet had been charging fizzled out - and they each gave a yelp as several fragments of glass struck them in the side, blood trickling from the wounds.

A fine hit - but one Chrysalis didn't have time to celebrate as a hoof struck her jaw from below. Fuming, Tank spun in place, using his hind legs to knock her forehooves out from under her. As she collapsed, he slammed her head to the floor, a hoof held firmly on her neck.

...In hindsight, it was genuinely impressive that her neck was this flexible - but at the time, all Tank could think about was how much it hurt to have a pair of changeling queen fangs suddenly pierce his foreleg.

"Princess!"

Six ponies stood at the entrance to the destroyed chapel, each wearing a sparkling magical gemstone. The hall behind them was littered with unconscious changeling drones.

Twilight's heart sank as her eyes fell on Celestia's injuries - but there wasn't time to worry about it. Her brow furrowed with further worry at the realization that Tank was stuck directly in their line of fire.

Fluttershy paled. "Wh... what do we do...?"

Nursing an injured shoulder, Rarity shook her head. "If we attack now, we'll hit him!"

"Do it...!"

Six pairs of eyes snapped forward. Tank gritted his teeth against the pain, holding the struggling Chrysalis against the floor; it wouldn't be long before she broke free. "Take the shot!"

After a moment's hesitation... Twilight and her friends closed their eyes.

Beams of rainbow light joined their necklaces in a circle, converging on Twilight's tiara at the forefront. As they rose gently into the air, the magic coalesced into a blinding light - and shot directly toward Chrysalis.

A muffled scream rang out as the rainbow beam found its target. Chrysalis flailed as she tumbled end over end, soaring over the crumbling wall and rocketing toward the horizon.

Twilight's eyes opened just in time to watch a green figure, also sent airborne by the blast, disappear over the edge.

"TANK!"

She made to dash forward, but stumbled. Her head was spinning; after using the Elements only seconds ago, she was in no shape to catch him. Glancing at her friends only confirmed them to be in similar shape.

Her heart stopped.

Pink wings flared...

"Welp."

Tank stared downward at the streets of Canterlot rushing up to meet him.

"Remember, it's not the fall that kills you," he reminded himself, "it's the sudden stop at the end."

Giggling, he closed his eyes. It was probably better that way.

The landing came sooner than he was expecting. It also came a lot softer and fuzzier, too.

"Wait, what?"

His eyes popped open, full of confusion. No longer falling, he was still much higher up than the road below - and also clearly not dead. A pair of great pink wings flapped on either side of him.

Head turned just far enough to look at the green pony perched on her back, Princess Cadance winked. "Gotcha."

Tank blinked, feeling his face with his hoof as though to make sure it was really there. "I... I'm alive."

With a smirk, Cadance began gently ascending. "You don't sound too excited."

Tank looked skyward. Black shapes scattered in all directions; apparently aware of their queen's defeat, the invading army of changelings retreated as quickly as their wings could carry them.

"No, no, just..." He shook his head. "...not what I was expecting, that's all."

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Episode 5-6

Moonlight shone through the windows of the throne room.

Three ponies entered, the guards closing the doors behind them. Each one looked worse for wear in one way or another; bandages speckled with blood were wrapped around Scarlet's barrel, one of Tank's forelegs sat in a sling, and Waterwing looked ready to sleep for days.

"I apologize for summoning you here before you've finished recovering. Needless to say, we have something very important to discuss."

Celestia sat tall on her throne, no evidence of her earlier injuries evident on her body. Luna occupied the throne to her left, with Cadance between them. All three princesses wore calm but serious expressions.

"We have endured far worse in the past, Princess," said Scarlet as she and her companions approached, bowing respectfully before continuing. "This is no trouble, I assure you."

As soon as they stopped moving, Waterwing slumped against Tank, covering her muzzle with a wing as she yawned wide.

Celestia nodded. "In that case... I believe my sister has something you should know."

Luna nodded as well, and stood up.

"As Princess of the Night," she began, "it is my job to safeguard the ponies of Equestria against its dangers - including, but not limited to, their own dreams. In short... I am a dreamwalker, capable of directly watching over the dreams of every pony in Equestria, including the three of you."

Scarlet and Tank's eyes met.

Luna continued. "In doing so, I have seen from you some very curious things indeed. Creatures, places, and phenomena beyond the thousands of years of knowledge I possess... which leads me in the direction of nonsensical, yet logical conclusions."

Tank gulped audibly. "So what you're saying is, you found something in our dreams that was suspicious enough for you to call us here and address it without an audience? Like... shouldn't we be getting a lawyer or something for this?"

He glanced at Waterwing, who looked much more awake now and offered him a worried grimace.

"Twilight never actually answered my question," said Cadance as she too stood up. "Where exactly are you three from?"

"Someplace, er... very far away," Scarlet offered, even as she knew it wouldn't satisfy them.

"But where, precisely?" Celestia tilted her head. "We're aware of many lands beyond Equestria's borders. Are you from Ironridge? Rohbredden? Othar?"

"Uh... that one!" Tank pointed his good forehoof at her. "The... the middle one. Robber thingy."

"Oh?" Celestia's expression was inscrutable. "Tell me then - what goddess do you worship?"

"Goddess?" A bead of sweat rolled down Tank's neck. "Right, everyone knows that! That's, uh..."

Waterwing tapped his shoulder.

Celestia stared at them flatly. "You are not from Rohbredden," she declared.

The three companions hung their heads in defeat. For several seconds, no one spoke.

"...Nexus."

Finally, Scarlet broke the silence.

"The world from which we hail is called Nexus," she said. "And we are not ponies - or were not, until we found ourselves here in Equestria."

Waterwing flapped. She let her wings fall limply to her sides.

Celestia merely blinked. "Did anypony else know of this?"

Tank opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and said nothing.

"Twilight knew," said Cadance. "I'm sure their other friends did, too."

"So what're you gonna do, then?" Tank found his voice, defiant as he met Celestia's stare. "Lock us up? 'Cause that'd be a pretty lousy way to pay us back for defending you, if you ask me."

"I did instruct you to retreat," said Celestia.

Tank made to stand up and argue, but a red hoof on his shoulder held him back.

"...We will cooperate." It was Scarlet's turn to look Celestia in the eye. "In the hope that it might demonstrate the sincerity of our intentions."

With a shiver, she hung her head. Tank and Waterwing followed suit.

Silence reigned once more in the throne room.

"Oh come now, 'Tia," Luna huffed. "This has gone on long enough, I think."

Celestia's stare finally broke as she began giggling. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Tank blinked. "Wait, what?"

Celestia smiled as she descended the steps and sat calmly before them. "You're right, my little pony. It would be poor repayment indeed to punish you for standing in my defense; I shudder to imagine how the day's events might have gone without your intervention."

Waterwing's face lit up as she wiped the sweat from it with her wing.

Celestia turned and smiled at Cadance, who was already levitating over a tray covered in teacups. "I'm sure you're still exhausted... but is there any chance I could convince you to stay up just a little longer? I think we have a great deal yet to talk about."

The three nodded at one another in turn.

"Yeah," said Tank. "Yeah, I think we can do that."

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Epilogue

A pair of blue wings fluttered as Waterwing stretched.

Warm light from Celestia's sun streamed in through the window, warming her bed just enough to nudge her out of it. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a fetlock, she slowly approached the balcony door and pushed it open, the sounds of mid-morning Ponyville greeting her.

With a deep breath, she crouched and sprang into the air.

These morning flights were the perfect way to start the day. Nothing made her feel alive quite like the wind whipping past, lifting her wings and pulling at her mane as she flew. The friendly faces smiling and waving from below were just icing on the cake.

Even now, flying made her heart race as it had the day she first flapped her wings; it hadn't lost any of its magic over time. Inwardly, she wondered if it ever would. She certainly hoped not.

Satisfied after only a few minutes, she landed in front of the house and trotted inside to find Scarlet at the kitchen table. Her horn was glowing, its aura wrapped around the newspaper hovering in front of her. Her gaze locked with Waterwing's; with a soft smile, she cocked her head slightly in the direction of the counter. Eggs, oats, muffins, and juice waited upon it, all but begging to be eaten.

"Hey, you're up!"

Tank trotted in behind Waterwing. "Better hurry through breakfast - duty calls. Twilight says we need to catch the next train for a place called the 'Crystal Empire.' That mean anything to either of you?"

Scarlet shook her head. "No, not in the least. Waterwing?"

Waterwing shrugged, busying herself with loading food onto a plate.

"We need to be at the station in twenty minutes, but I didn't see any of the other girls packing, so it probably won't be a long trip." Tank followed Waterwing to the counter and plucked the last muffin; half of it disappeared in one bite. "Still, after that crazy wedding, I figure we'd better be prepared for anything."

"It seems safe to say that we ought to be regardless, given all that has transpired in our time here thus far," said Scarlet, folding her newspaper and setting it down before hopping out of her chair.

flapped Waterwing.

The pair nodded and rushed out the door.

Waterwing had to admit - of all the infinite possible worlds on which to be marooned this way, they'd ended up with one of the best. A part of her felt guilty for thinking that; she would likely always feel bad about not being able to tell her mom back home that she was thriving as a colorful pony in a world full of the same... but when your only regret is something that wasn't your fault anyway, you have a lot to be thankful for. She still had Scarlet and Tank, and now she had Twilight and the others as well - all the best friends anyone, or anypony, could ask for.

The moment she had finished wolfing down her food, she set her plate in the sink... and with a flurry of feathers, rushed out the door on another adventure.

Whatever awaited her out there in the Crystal Empire and beyond, Waterwing knew it was no match for the power of hope, courage, and love.

Author's Note

I have far more to say about this story than will fit comfortably in an author's note, so click here!

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