The next day around noon…

“Are we ready to begin?” Wall Flower asked, looking around the room. Across from her sat Big Mac and a few other ponies in the resistance, including Thunder and Lightning. All of them nodded. Next to Wall Flower sat her Head Butler Silent Step, a white pony with a black mane and eyes, and her husband Vineyard. Both of them nodded as well. Wall Flower took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ok, then. Is there any one topic you wish to start with?” she asked Big Mac.

“Protection,” He said. “We know yer land is mostly ignored, but one thing we need to consider first is how an influx of ponies might change that, and the danger it might present to ponies that come here.”

Wall Flower thought for a few second before responding. “While most other alicorns might be suspicious of a sudden influx of ponies to my land, the simple truth is that many of them simply don’t pay enough attention to my property to notice such an influx in the first place. And even if they did, I could just say that I was trading them with the few alicorns I know or that I am trading my possessions for new ponies. I’ve done so before, so it would be a believable story that they would likely never look into.”
 “Plus, we’re away from any major trade routes,” Vineyard added. “So the chances are that any additions wouldn't be noticed, or that those that see them just wouldn't care.”

“It sounds a bit like you’re trying to reassure yourselves, as well as us,” Big Mac said.

“I suppose we are,” Wall Flower said, looking at the table. “I just want to make sure we do this right, without putting anypony at risk.”

“I think you’ll do fine,” Big Mac said with a slight smile, “Given how you acted last night, I have no doubt that you’ll protect our ponies like they were your own.

“Sounds like this would be the perfect place for us to retreat to if the village gets discovered,” Thunder said.

“Or if the untamable animals overrun it,” Lightning added.

“Agreed," Big Mac said. “That all right with you?”

Wall Flower nodded. “I don’t know how well we could accommodate everypony, but you are welcome to come here should you need sanctuary,” she said. “All that I ask is that you be willing to provide my ponies with the same option if, however low the chance is, I am discovered to be working with you.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Then perhaps we discuss route safety?” Silent Step asked. “Given this arrangement, chances are that ponies will need to move between your village and our property on a regular basis, especially if the primary use of our land is food. As such, I would suggest always having at least a few ponies from your village here that could escort us to the village in the forest, ones that know the dangers of the Everfree and how to avoid them.”

“We can leave a few soldiers here,” Big Mac said. “They know how to get through the forest without much problem, and can help with the fields while they’re here. As for the route itself, there shouldn't be any real danger there so long as we go unnoticed. And we’ll make sure to keep one pony here that knows the way to our back-up cave in case we are both discovered.”

“I can also lend you some armor,” Wall Flower suggested. “Or at least tell you my house colors. That way, if you are spotted somehow, you can just claim to be a part of my house. You’d be close enough that I doubt anyone would question it.”

“Thank you,” Big Mac said. “Now then, how much land can you give us for food production?”

“How much land do you need?” Wall Flower asked. “If you have an estimate, I can go out, prep the fields, and begin planting the crops while you head back to your village.”

Big Mac blinked in surprise.

“You’d do that?”

“Of course,” Wall Flower said, fidgeting slightly as everypony from the rebellion stared at her like they couldn’t believe she was real. “I...usually try and help out on the fields, especially if a pony is sick and can’t do it themselves. I’m…not the best at it, but I could at least get them plowed…and plant the seeds…and set up a watering system. And given how little of the land we actually use, you’re free to use as much of it as you want.”

Despite her attempts to sound less impressive, the other ponies didn’t seem any less surprised. Vineyard just smiled as he his leg around her shoulder and addressed the unspoken question on everypony’s mind.

“Yes, she is just just that awesome.” He said while Wall Flower just blushed. “Unlike most alicorns who just sit by and do nothing, she get up and goes out to help almost every day. In fact, I’d wager to say she does at least a quarter of the field work in her free time. She is quite unique, and all her hard work just makes her even more wonderful to be around.” Wall Flower was as read as a tomato now, but this didn’t stop her from nuzzling Vineyard affectionately.

Big Mac smiled.

“What about communication?” Silent Step asked. “Given how we’re allies now, we need a good way to communicate.”

“I think letters might work,” Wall Flower said. “With how often ponies may be moving between here and their village, there would likely be plenty of opportunities for letters to be delivered. And we can both have a pony on standby should an emergency arise.”

“And we won’t need to worry about them being intercepted since everypony ignores you,” Lightning said, earning a smack from Thunder while Wall Flower and Vineyard just smiled. “What? It’s true! She’s said that multiple times already.”

“It doesn’t mean you need to be so BLUNT about it,” Thunder said, glaring at Lightning.

Big Mac shook his head as the two of them began to bicker.

“Is there anything else?” he asked.

“I…also have something else to ask of you,” Wall Flower said, her tone worried and her posture slumping. “Would you…allow ponies of mine that are willing…to fight with you?”

Everypony in the room gasped so loudly it sounded like a storm was brewing.

“Huh?” both Thunder and Lightning asked in shock.

“I…” Wall Flower took a deep breath while Vineyard patter her reassuringly on her foreleg. “I know that some of my ponies will want to join you. Some have come from other alicorns, and many have heard of the horrors that they cause across Equestria. So I know for a fact that some of them will be willing to aid you in combat if it means they can help others that have been oppressed. I…don’t like the idea of any of them going off to fight, but…it’s their decision, not mine. All I ask is that you give them a chance to help.”

“Are you sure?” Big Mac asked, looking at the alicorn in concern. “I don’t rightly know what’ll happen, but some of them might not come back.”

“I’m sure,” Wall Flower said, nodding. “It’s true that I view them all as my children, but it’s also true that they are grown stallions and mares and in the end, it’s their choice. If they help bring an end to alicorns like Thorn, even if it puts themselves in danger, I can only be proud of them for willing to take such a rick for the freedom of others.”

Two hours later…

Almost all of the ponies under Wall Flower’s rule were gathered in front of her house while some of the rebels who had either been awoken by the noise or were still awake for some reason trickled in to listen to what their new…ally had to say.

“My ponies,” Wall Flower began, her voice calm yet tinged with a faint undertone of sadness. “As you know, I have agreed to assist the rebellion from this point forward. The rule of my fellow alicorns is one that I have disagreed with for many years, and yet I have remained in the background, feeling as though I was powerless to do anything besides protect those already under my care.

“But…I cannot sit by any longer. The actions of my fellow alicorns is horrendous in almost every case. They do what they please, without any fear of retribution. While I may lack the skills and strength to deliver their punishments, I believe that the ponies who came for me last night do. I was judged to be innocent of the crimes committed by my brethren, but I am still guilty of doing little to stop it. That ends today…”

She was silent for a time, enough so that some of her ponies actually stomped in approval.

“But I know that I am not the only pony that feels this way,” she continued, smiling a little at the show of support. “Many of you know of the crimes and atrocities committed across this land, and as such…it would be selfish of me to prevent you from working to correct them.” The ponies looked around, frowning. “As such, should any of you wish to fight alongside the rebellion, to try and end the reign of the alicorns…then you will have my blessings to do so.”

Practically everypony in the crowd, even the rebels who were watching, let their jaws drop in shock.

“There will of course be an age limit, as only those over the age of eighteen will be allowed to go, but that is all. Any pony over that age limit is free to join them as they see fit. Furthermore, if anypony is worried that our assistance to the rebellion will being danger to this property, I will be willing to transfer you to either Lady Celestia and Lady Luna or to Lady Golden Heart so long as you promise to keep my relation with the rebellion a secret. All of them are kind and caring, and they will be out of the crossfire should things go wrong.”

“I will not force anyone to go, and it would ease my heart if no pony volunteered to fight or requested to leave, but I will not block these options from you. It is YOUR choice, not mine, and regardless of what choice you make…I will support you and wish you the best of luck, just as I always have.”

Wall Flower bowed to her ponies, signaling to them that she was done. The crowd was silent for what seemed like hours, before at last a stallion with a brown coat and a red mane stepped forward from the crowd.

“I will fight with them,” he said, bowing to Wall Flower. “Thank you…for allowing me the chance to make things right.”

Suffice to say, the rebels would be leaving that night with quite a few new ponies who were ready to do their part.

The next morning…

Twilight covered her ears to block out the noise. Crossing the barren wasteland back to the forest had gone without incident, with the rebellion’s new recruits marching with everypony else without complaint. They were a little nervous about the Everfree Forest, something made obvious by the way they would jump at almost every sound, but they didn’t let that stop them. However, the real challenge, one that Twilight had seen coming, wasn't the forest, the wasteland, or even working things out with Wall Flower. No, the real challenge…

The real challenge was explaining what happened to the REST of the resistance ponies what had transpired. And they certainly weren't making it easy considering that there was so much yelling, outrage, and questions all intermingled that it was hard for Twilight to even hear what anypony was saying. At least the new recruits weren't antagonizing the older members, though it did look like they were losing their patience as they reached the five minute mark with no progress being made.

“Don’t look at me,” Applejack yelled over the noise at Big Mac and Twilight. “This was MAGI’s idea. Not mine. SHE can explain things.”

Well, if you insist, came a smooth voice, and Twilight had only enough time to let out an “Eep!” before her eyes glowed purple. She shook her mane out of her eyes and stood up as straight as she could.

SILENCE!

Magi amplified her voice loud enough to cut through the noise, putting a stop to the chaos as ponies backed away in surprise and fear. After all, it wasn't every day that the embodiment of magic decided to lecture you.

This nonsense ends here. I never said I would DEPOWER all alicorns. I said I would JUDGE them. A court where you are automatically guilty is one run by the very ponies you seek to overthrow. I understand that many of you have horrible stories about alicorns, but you still need to realize that NOT EVERY ALICORN IS A RAVING PSYCHO LIKE THORN!

Look at Twilight. She’s an alicorn, and without her, almost half the ponies here would still be stuck with Thorn, living under her oppressive rule.

A few ponies shifted uncomfortably.

And let’s not forget the obvious fact here. Twilight is still just ONE pony. She can’t do EVERYTHING! Any allies we can make, even if they ARE alicorns, are ones we cannot afford to turn away. Especially considering the problem food will become as the rebellion grows. We can’t steal from Thorn’s land forever, and we can’t cultivate it because without Thorn’s cleansing powers, the land will be barren in a matter of months. Something EVERYPONY here should already know.

We now have a piece of land that can let us grow the food we need, all without any cost to the village. We have an ally willing to provide a sanctuary outside the forest should things ever take a turn for the worst. And most of all, we have more ponies willing to fight for freedom of everypony. All of this on top of the fact that Wall Flower can still go and gather information from the rest of the alicorns without arousing suspicion.

So before you get mad, just THINK for a second. Even if you don’t like the idea, denying the benefits it brings us is as simple as denying reality itself.

The resistance ponies all looked at each other. Even if they didn’t like it, all of what Magi had just said was accurate, and no pony could really think of any arguments against it. Magi nodded in satisfaction before smirking at Applejack.

Happy?

Applejack’s left eye just twitched before she snorted and stomped away. Magi shrugged and turned control back over to Twilight.

“So…what now?” Twilight asked as she tried to clear her head.

“Let’s take a day to rest,” Big Mac said. “We can start planning our attack on Obsidian’s land once we’re all rested and the new recruits are settled in. Also, Applejack mentioned sending out scouts to look for places to camp along the way to the property, so that will probably take a few days.”

“At least it gives us time to prepare,” Flash said as he approached, having caught the end of the conversation. “Given what Pinkie told us about the property, I’d wager we might need about a hundred ponies to make this work. Organizing that and preparing all the necessary supplies will take a few days at least.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“In that case, I’ll create some checklist to make sure we don’t forget anything,” Twilight said, smiling slightly.

“Your one true love, organization and checklist,” Flash said, winking as Twilight glared at him while Big Mac just chuckled.

Shortly after Magi’s speech…

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Rainbow cackled, falling backwards in the air as she looked at Shield Bearer. The stallion rolled his left eye, and just the left eye, since his right was currently swollen and under an ice pack.

“It’s not THAT funny, Rainbow…” he grumbled.

“I...hehehe…I know, but SERIOUSLY?! RARITY, of all ponies, gave you a BLACK EYE?! You’re supposed to be the master of shield magic! How the heck did she manage that!?”

“He’s just too much of a gentleman,” Bronze Sword said with a wink, planting a small kiss on her grumbling husband’s cheek. “Rarity took a hit, pretended to be hurt, he lowers his defense to check on her, and BAM! Perfect shot.”

“At least I apologized,” Rarity huffed. “I didn't mean to hit him so hard. But it is nice to know there are still gentlecolts out there. Unlike Wandering Eye,” she added with a huff. “That Butler would constantly stalk me, especially once I was locked up.”

“How did you even manage to do that!? I thought you made clothes?” Rainbow asked, her laughter still slipping out now and again.

“My father didn't want his daughter to be a pushover. So he taught me how to defend myself. Granted, I still can’t seem to find a WEAPON I feel comfortable using, but I suppose my hooves will do for now, despite how BARBARIC hoof-to-hoof combat is.”

“Says the mare who gave me a black eye,” Shield Bearer muttered.

“Wait, what do you mean you couldn’t find a weapon?” Rainbow asked, frowning. “We’ve got like, fifty different kinds of weapons.”

“Twelve, actually,” Rarity said, giggling. “And I just don’t think that any of them match my abilities. Most are too heavy for me to use for long periods, and the light ones just don’t seem to have the range necessary. Well, I do believe a dagger I found will have some use, but I would like something more than that. I think making a bow might work, but we don’t currently have any and I haven’t the faintest idea of how to make one. I suppose I might see if Twilight or Second Sight have some books on combat magic, but for now, I’ll just assist Fluttershy with her combat medicine.”

“If I can ask, Rarity, where is your dad? This is the first time I’ve heard you mention him, or anything about your parents for that matter. Is he part of Thorn’s ponies?” Bronze Sword asked cautiously. Rarity looked away from him and was silent for a few seconds before she began.

“Unfortunately, no," she said, sounding both sad yet relieved. “He and my mother were traded to Lady Silent Grove about two years ago. Thorn refused to let Sweetie Belle leave with them, though I haven't a clue why, so I took the role of caring for her when I wasn’t working. I’m just thankful Feather Duster found her after my…imprisonment. Keeping her safe was all that mattered to me seeing as she is all the family I have left for the moment.”

“At least your parents went to a decent alicorn,” Bronze Sword said. “Some of our ponies were with Lady Silent Grove before being traded. They say she’s tough, but not really like Thorn or Lady Obsidian. One compared her to a parent pushing their foals to be their best: firm, but caring.”

“I heard something similar from the ponies Thorn received from the trade,” Rarity said, nodding and scratching her chin. “I believe their names were Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee, but it’s hard to remember as they were traded again shortly after. They helped put my worries about my parents to rest.

“Actually, it’s part of the reason I haven't asked Applejack to head for Lady Silent Grove yet. Well, that and the fact that she is located in the middle of a lot of alicorn properties that we would need to fight through to get there. And the fact that I don’t even know if they’re still there…” She swallowed hard.

“Hey, no problem, Rarity,” Rainbow said with a smile. “Once we take down Obsidian, I’ll scout out Lady Silent Grove’s property to see if they’re still there. I bet I can get it done in a day once you make me a stealth cloak.”

“Thank you, Rainbow,” Rarity said, smiling back. “That means a lot to me. Just remember to actually be STEALTHY when you scout the property out, hmm?”

“Hey, I can be stealthy!”

“You make SONIC RAINBOOMS. They’re the EXACT OPPOSITE of stealthy,” Shield Bearer said.

Rainbow was the only one who didn’t laugh, and her pouting and grumbling did not help the others recover at all.

The next day…

Twilight let out a sigh as she let the shield above her, Flash, Pinkie, and Spike drop. The weather had taken a turn for the worst late last night and had begun dumping a seemingly endless amount of rain on the village. It wasn't the first time Twilight had experienced the wild weather of the Everfree, but it was certainly raining harder now than it had in the past.

“Hi, everypony,” Feather Duster called out, waving to them as they closed the door to her and Second Sight’s house. Nearby, Silver Wind and Sturdy Oak were reading together with Second Sight. Upon seeing the group enter, however, the foals leapt up and, in a bit of racing that would impress Rainbow Dash, ran and tackled Twilight in a hug that knocked her to the floor. Second Sight chuckled.

“Seems my dearies still love when the Pancake Princess comes for a visit,” she said, making everypony else laugh. Twilight rolled her eyes, but returned the hug to the excited foals. After taking Thorn down, the two young ponies had, for obvious reasons, come to love Twilight. They always greeted her with hugs (and Twilight had only avoided falling twice), and had asked to hear the story of how she defeated Thorn at least ten times already.

Twilight, though, was just glad to see them smile so much after all they had been through. She knew that the fact that their mother would never again be able to hunt them was probably the greatest gift they could have asked for, and they made sure to let her know at every opportunity. They deserved it after all they had been through.

“Now, what can we help you with today, dearies?” Second Sight asked, smiling as Twilight stood up with the two foals sitting comfortable on her back. “Wait, let me guess. You’re here for maps on southern Equestria to see if you can find a place to stay while going to Pinkie’s home. Or maybe a book on camping in the damaged portion of Equestria. Or maybe a book of legends to read to my little ones?” She winked at the foals through the cloth.

“Actually, it’s a bit of the first and something unrelated to books,” Twilight said, catching Second Sight’s and Feather Duster’s attention.

“Something unrelated to books? Who are you and what have you done with Twilight?” Second joked, making Twilight deadpan and the foals giggle. “But all right, what do you need?”

“We need to look at a map,” Flash said, reaching into his suit and drawing out the magic map they had received at Wall Flower’s home. Second Sight’s eyes twitched, and Twilight thought she could see her eyebrows rise above the cloth. Without another word, she snatched the map out of Flash’s hooves and moved to the kitchen table. Everypony else followed, Feather Duster looking unsure at Second, like she had seen this sort of behavior before.

“Where did you get this?” Second Sight breathed, staring at the map intensely, even going so far as to remove her blindfold to get a better look.

“It was addressed to Flash at Wall Flower’s home,” Twilight said, looking at the paper again. “She just said it came inside another package, but she couldn’t open the case holding it. Only Flash could do that.”

“Astounding…and beautiful…” the old mare muttered.

Twilight blinked in confusion, as did most of the others.

“Beautiful?”

“Everything is…duller than this,” Second Sight said, shaking her head. “Magic looks like rainbows to my eyes, but it’s always…dull. The taint that covers most of our world is the cause, or at least I think it is. It affects the magic of all living things. Even alicorns look duller than one might think they should be. When you first came to us, Twilight, you were brighter than any magic I had ever seen, even in other alicorns. But…as time passed, you became duller. Your magic lost its glow.”

“How did she become dull? Also, what’s dull?” Sturdy Oak asked. Second Sight just reached over and ruffled his mane.

“Dull means it’s not a bright or colorful, like what happens when an apple gets really old. It’s still red, but it’s not as bright or shiny. As for how, it was likely the magic in the forest. Since there’s more of the tainted magic here, it quickly made her duller, almost like she was becoming covered in the shadow of one of the trees.”

“That’s…kinda terrifying, actually,” Twilight said nervously. Second Sight nodded, but then smiled.

“But when you used the element on our garden, and when you purified Thorn, and even now, you’re bright once again. That element, it…cleans your magic, heals it. The broken magic of this land affects everything, hurting it in subtle ways, even on the purified land of the alicorns. That’s why the colors are dull, though I only really realized it when comparing it to you. You stand out so much more…

“Your element brings back the rainbow of color. But this map, it…it’s just like the magic from your element, but…there’s something MORE to it, some extra parts that I’ve never seen. And…” Taking the map again, she placed it on the floor, nodding, “it looks like the broken magic can’t touch this map. I don’t know why, but whatever this is…it’s amazing.”

“But you don’t know what it is?” Twilight asked. Second Sight shook her head.

“No, dearie. This map…it’s far beyond my knowledge. All’s I can say is that it’s related to that little gem on your neck,” Second Sight said, poking the Element of Magic. “But if this is what told you were the Element of Laughter is, then I can grantee that it won’t lead you astray…”

The next day…

It was still raining, but it had lightened up a bit compared to the day before. Preparation continued, and it was now that Applejack had called the group together again, this time including Shield Bearer, Bronze Sword, Big Mac, Angel the rabbit, Rarity, and Second Sight. The magic map was on the table in front of them. Unfortunately, she had chosen the hardest topic to begin their discussion.

“Nononononononononono,” Pinkie squealed from under the table, her mane deflating like an untied balloon. Applejack sighed. She hated this idea too, but it was the only one that made sense to her.

“Pinkie…”

“NononononoooooooooNO” Pinkie cried while Fluttershy tried, unsuccessfully, to calm her down by stroking one of her legs that was slightly out from below the tablecloth and whispering reassurances to the pink mare.

“Pinkie, you know Lady Obsidian’s land the best. Her rules, the location of things you can use to cause a distraction, hiding spots, everythin’,” Applejack said, looking at the pink tail near her leg. “Yer the pony with the best shot of takin’ Lady Obsidian down.”

“Butbutbutbutbutbut—”

Pinkie poked her head out just long enough for Fluttershy to grab it and hold it gently to keep her from ducking back under the table. Or at least, that’s what WOULD have happened if Pinkie didn’t just grab Fluttershy and drag her down with her, prompting the startled mare to let out a high-pitched ‘EEP’ as she vanished from view. Twilight facehooved, Spike faceclawed, and Angel Bunny facepawed.

“As much as I don’t like the idea of sending Pinkie to the once place she hates more than anywhere else, Applejack has a point,” Flash admitted begrudgingly. “You always send in the pony with the bast chance of success on a mission, and if anyone can make a big enough distraction, it’s Pinkie.”

“I could make a distraction,” Rainbow said.

“We need a distraction that won’t attract the guard from all corners of Equestria,” Rarity said dryly. “Your Sonic Rainboom is spectacular and distracting, but it’s a little TOO distracting. The Queen could know right where we are, especially now that she knows you can make them.”

“But…ah, yeah,” Rainbow said, deflating a bit and huffing. “Once we take the Queen down, I’m gonna Rainboom that stupid capital right off the side of the mountain. Show the alicorns they don't rule us anymore.”

“Hopefully AFTER we evacuate,” Shield Bearer muttered, earning a jab from Bronze Sword.

“Soooo…any idea of how to get Pinkie out?” Spike asked, looking at the tablecloth with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m on it, dearie,” Second Sight said, reaching into her mane and pulling out a perfect cupcake…somehow. Dangling it over the edge of the table, it wasn’t long before a nose appeared from underneath the tablecloth, sniffing for the surgery goodness. A few seconds later, Pinkie’s head shot out and inhaled the cupcake, giving Second Sight the perfect chance to chomp down on Pinkie’s ear.

“Earearearear,” Pinkie squeaked through a mouthful of frosting as Second Sight pulled her out from under the table, dragging a very nervous Fluttershy along too. Another ear tug made Pinkie drop the confused pegasus. Angel gave a head shake and jumped down from the table to make sure his caretaker was ok.

“Ptuey.” Second Sight spat out Pinkie’s ear and pushed her back into a chair. “Now, listen here, Pinkie,” she said, booping her on the nose and making the party mare go cross-eyed, “I know you don’t want to go back there. Heck, I never wanted to go back to Thorn’s property either. But you can’t just keep devouring the entire village’s supply of sugar to forget about that place. I went back to Thorn’s property because I knew that I needed to help take that crazy motherbucker down for good. And I’m an old granny!”

Spike grinned.

Pinkie turned away, and Second Sight’s expression softened. She put a hoof on the pink mare’s foreleg.

“I know it’s hard, dearie, but if you don’t face your fear, it’ll control you for the rest of yer life. Trust me, I knew that feeling well enough when I lost my eyes. But right now, you are the best hope we got for saving your family and all those ponies from Lady Obsidian. Once you do that, you just need to find the element, then you can come home and never go back to that wrecked place ever again. Ok?”

She turned Pinkie’s face back towards her with her free hoof, so that Pinkie stared right into her cloth-covered eyes. Pinkie gulped, shuddered slightly, and took a deep breath.

“Ok, I’ll do it. For my family,” Pinkie said, her mane reinflating slightly. Applejack nodded in approval.

“Thanks, Pinkie. We’ll save yer family, I promise.”

Pinkie nodded, her eyes downcast.

“Now for the next part of the agenda: how long should we let Pinkie work before we go in, distraction or no distraction?”

“Why would we go in without the distraction?” Twilight asked. “I thought distracting them was the whole point?”

“Because we can only bring enough food fer ten days,” Applejack said, scowling at the map on the table. “Our carts can only hold that much food as well as everythin’ else we need. So unless we want to send ponies on five-day trips to constantly keep us supplied, we need ta take over that property in seven days or less, assuming the trip only takes two nights and assumin’ that we can free a pony on the first day after we arrive. Once we take over, we take whatever food they have there and hope it is enough for us to get back here without anypony going hungry.”

Rainbow cast a quick glance at Fluttershy, who was still distracted by Angel patting her on the back.

“Let’s just hope it doesn't come to that,” Flash said. “We only managed to avoid casualties with Thorn because we managed to sneak in. I don’t think we’d be so lucky on a frontal assault, even with more ponies. As for time, if everything works out perfectly, I say we give her six days. That way, we have extra food in case the property doesn’t have enough to sustain us all for another two days. We give her less if it doesn't work perfectly.”

“That work with everypony else?” Applejack asked. After getting a series of nods, she turned back to the map. “All right then, the next manner is how we disguise Pinkie so Lady Obsidian can’t recognize her.”

“I believe I can assist there, darling,” Rarity said. “I may be a dress maker, but I believe I can make Pinkie match whoever we save. Granted, I will need to use up part of my stock of coat dye that I managed to grab from Thorn’s property, but a necessary sacrifice, I believe.”

“Why did you grab coat dye?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“Because I was grabbing everything I could see, and that just so happened to be something Sweetie Belle had been hoarding in her room when I came to grab her. She still hasn't told me WHY she had it, but I suspect she may have been planning to dye some Butlers’ coats different colors as a prank. I was originally going to see if I could use it to change the color of the cloth I grabbed, but I digress.”

“Just so long as it makes her indistinguishable from the pony we rescue, that’s fine by me,” Applejack said. “Next up, we still need to find a pony being brought to Lady Obsidian’s property. Good news is our scouts found the cave Pinkie mentioned, as well as another cave closer to the forest we can use that first night. Now we just need a pony to rescue. It’d be best if we can time it so that we can save them at the same time that we arrive at Obsidian’s cave, but Ah ain’t against sending a group out ahead of our main one.

“Rainbow, our scouts didn’t spot any ponies in cages being moved near Lady Obsidian’s land, but I want you search a wider perimeter and see if you can find a pony being moved.”

“On it,” Rainbow said. “Rarity, I need one of your stealth garments.”

“Of course, darling. Just be GENTLE with it. The enchantment is rather complex and I’d rather not have to resew it if I can avoid it.”

“Relax, it’ll be fine…”

Two days later…

“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity growled, holding up the tattered remains of her stealth cloak. Rainbow grinned nervously.

“Eheheh, I was kinda, probably, MAYBE attacked on the way back and had to dive through the tree branches to lose the pursuers. But I found a pony to rescue!” she added hopefully.

“And why were you being attacked when you were supposed to be wearing a STEALTH CLOAK!?”

“Because, well, it doesn’t block sounds, and I may have kinda…taunted some of the Queen’s guards, only for their spears to hit the cloak and break the enchantment. But on the plus side, I was in a tree at the time, so they didn’t see that the cloak makes me practically invisible…or at least I hope they didn’t—HEY!”

Rarity plucked her out of the air with her magic.

“Since you seem to have no regard for fashion, I just need to make the garment stronger next time,” Rarity said, a sinister grin on her face, “but to do that, I need a model, one willing to stand in place for hours on end while I slowly measure, cut, sew, and create my next cloak. And I think you’ll do nicely.”

The villagers could only watch as a struggling and pleading Rainbow Dash was carried away, deep into the inescapable clutches of FASHION!

The next day…

Rainbow yawned as the caravan of ponies moved along the barren ground that used to be Equestria. Rarity had apparently spent most of the night using Rainbow as a mannequin/pincushion for her new cloak. This, of course, meant the mare hadn’t have any time to rest up before they left for Obsidian’s property, which also meant Applejack had to use less experienced scouts to keep an eye on things up ahead.

At least Applejack had managed to get the intel Rainbow had gathered before the pegasus had been dragged away to pay for her crimes against fashion. Applejack shivered slightly at the thought, and hoped SHE was never in that mare’s sight. She’d had enough torture for one lifetime, thank you very much.

It also happened to turn out that Rainbow had been very lucky in her search, but what else was new? She had managed to spot a single cart with a cage crossing the wasteland in the direction of Lady Obsidian’s property. From what Rainbow had said, there was one pony pulling it and two guards watching him and the pony in the cage, though she hadn’t managed to tell much about who was in the cage other than the fact that her coat was light blue.

What’s more, they were taking a path that would, if they continued to head directly for Lady Obsidian’s property, take them right near the cave where they would be staying that first day. That just made things easy. Almost too easy, but Applejack wouldn’t complain. But it DIDN’T mean she would let her guard down either. The last thing she needed was for this chance to slip away. If it did, they’d just be wastin’ more time while waiting for their next opportunity. Heck, they’d probably have to RETREAT, just so they could restock and try again. And the longer they spent on Lady Obsidian, the longer it would take them to—

“We’re here,” a pony at the front yelled, snapping Applejack out of her thoughts. Looking ahead, she saw the mouth of the cave looming ahead. Perfect. Looking up, she judged they had at least two more hours of moonlight before the sun came up, plenty of time to get set up and prepare an ambush for the unsuspecting ponies. Hopefully, those guards wouldn’t make things difficult. But hey, if they did, at least Applejack could vent some of her frustration on something that she wouldn’t feel guilty about later.

A few hours later…

“See anything?” Thunder asked.

“Enope,” Lightning replied as he looked through his binoculars. “Still no sign of them.”

“Should I head up and take a look?”

“Nah, give it a while. They’ll show up eventually.”

“But we need to leave by tonight.”

“And it’s still early morning. It’s probably not even ten.”

“Remind me, why are we doing this again? Couldn’t we just have Rainbow do it?”

“You want her to sit still for hours while waiting for something small and easy to miss to show up? She’d probably just end up napping and missing it. Plus, I think she’s still passed out in the cart she was sitting on.”

“How that mare manages to sleep anywhere is beyond me. I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow learned to sleep while standing. Though I will say I’m a bit jealous.”

“Yeah, must make trips like this a br—” Lightning stopped and adjusted the binoculars. “Hey, I see them!”

“Really!?”

“No, I’m hallucinating…YES, I SEE THEM! Give the signal!” Thunder nodded and let out a sharp whistle, alerting the ponies below it was time for the plan to be set in motion.

Caramel had no idea what was happening. One moment, he had been pulling a cart along the road, trying to ignore the annoying game of ‘I spy’ the two guards were attempting to play in the barren desert and the annoying rattling sound the mare in the cage kept making, and then they were suddenly surrounded by no less than thirty ponies dressed as… trees? Well, their armor was made of bark, but that still seemed too odd to be true.

Also, why was there a Butler with a baby dragon on his back, and an angry purple mare in a purple cloak running at them that looked like she was about to pummel said Butler? On the plus side, the two guards had stopped playing ‘I spy’ and the mare had stopped making rattling noises. But why weren't the guards—

Aaaaaannnnnnd the guards had dropped their weapons. Great work guys, real effort in trying to protect everyone. Seriously, give them a medal, and then take it and hit them over the head with it.

Ugh…How did he get dragged into these messes? Ok, now an orange mare was waking forward, and she was staring at him rather intensely. It made Caramel very nervous. Was she the leader? The general? The enforcer that got pleasure from punishing those that smart-talked her?

“How’d you like to join the rebellion?” she asked, catching Caramel off guard so completely his last train of thought jumped the rails and demolished the nearest alicorn’s mansion like it was made of paper.

“I…Huh?”

“We need this mare, and this cart,” the orange mare said. “So we can either keep you with us as temporary prisoners until we finish our mission, or, you can prove we can trust you and you can join our cause to depower the alicorns.”

“The bad ones, at least,” the dragon yelled out, apparently ignoring the panting purple mare that was attempting to try and yell at him. The orange mare rolled her eyes. Caramel just blinked. You could depower alicorns? Was that even possible ?! And they wanted him to join them if he could prove he could be trusted?

Better than pulling carts through the wasteland for the rest of his life…

“I almost got it,” Flash said, jiggling the lock pick a little to the left. The guards and the pony pulling the cart had all agreed to try and prove their loyalty to the resistance. Turns out, none of them wanted to be here, and their alicorn could probably care less about them. Well, more troops for them, then. Now if only Twilight could stop yelling at Spike for a minute so he could focus.

Looking up from his work for a minute, he looked up at the mare in the cage. She was a light blue color with a platinum two-tone mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a magic wand with a star that had a trail of light blue star dust circling around its left side. The mare was also wearing a muzzle, hoof-cuffs, and a magic suppressant ring, but her frowning purple eyes made her look like she was grateful, yet annoyed, by the rescue. Flash shrugged it off and returned to work.

With a final click, the cage door unlocked, allowing for Flash move onto the next set of locks. However, before he could begin, she waved him off (as much as she could) and pointed to the horn ring. Flash raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and used his wing to remove the restraint. Then, to his surprise, the mare’s horn lit up a pleasant purple color and she directed magic down to the locks on the hoof cuffs and muzzle. Within ten seconds, a series of clicks sounded and the mare was free. Impressive control.

“While the Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for your assistance, she wishes to tell you that she was perfectly capable of escaping on her own,” she said, stretching out her legs and cracking her neck.

Flash blinked.

“Wut?”

Author's Note

INTRODUCING, THE LOUD AND EGOTISTICAL TRIXIE!
That's Great and Powerful Trixie to you!
Right sorry, my bad. The Grumpy and Annoyed Trixie!
Grrrr...

So, yes, Trixie had joined the party! I'll be honest, I never actually thought I'd include her. However, after going over the entirety of my story in my head a few times, I realized there she could actually fit rather well into the overall story. She won't be in every chapter, but she will pop up now and again to help our mane cast out, a bit like Second Sight, but with more third person speech and ranting

Also, I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! Seriously, I did not mean for this to take so long, but I think it was all worth it in the end. Let me know what you think, and get ready, because...

Next time... Welcome to the land without smiles