Dracula (Not exactly)

Chapters

1
2 Prequel / Side Story - The Flower Maidens Tale
3 Isn't it Lazy When Writers Just Reverse Characters Personalities In An AU Story
4 Through the Balcony Window
5 Mixed First Impressions
6 A Quaint Mining Outpost
7 A Routine Procedure
8 Perplexed & Horrified
9 Nightmare Moon

1

Excerpted from the diary of Macintosh Appleton the Large

It is May the third as I write this, and I am one day late. If asked I will blame it on the train. The train was only an hour late, yet the locals simply refused to let me enter the Forrest after dark. What difference does it make, dark or light. The ponies avoid travelling at night to prevent run-ins with “her,” and it is “her” I intend to see anyway. I am heading into the lions den as it were.

They say there was once a town where her castle now stands; Ponyville, I believe they called it. The castle cast an evil shadow upon all the buildings, causing the chickens to stop laying and the cows milk to sour. Ponies left, then the Everfree Forrest overgrew, taking over the area.

Apparently my host has grown impatient. Originally I was to make my own travel arrangements, yet when I failed to arrive on time, a coach was sent to retrieve me. The coach moves with neither driver nor horse…Well obviously I’m inside, but you know what I mean.

I am on the way to the castle now.

You may wonder why I would go to such a horrifying place. The answer is in real estate, simple real estate. Midnight Sparkle is buying land. She is interested in several properties which my corporation is representing. No other legal representative was willing to come to her castle, and it is only with the promise of a commission and promotion that I myself agreed. The money will help me to give my fiancé the type of home she deserves. She doesn’t ask much for her own sake, though her pets can be fairly demanding.

It is now the evening of May the third, so I know that, contrary to superstition, Midnight Sparkle is active during the day. We actually shared a supper together, or rather she watched me eat. The meal was prepared by a dragon named Spike, a creature barely larger then a cat, who couldn’t possibly be the fire breathing monster of local legends.

At one point Spike asked how the food was. I just said “good” and he seemed satisfied with that. Perhaps I should have told him that it is taboo for ponies to eat meat. So frightened was I that I took no less then five bites out of the quail to avoid offending. It was actually quite good, though I shall have to say a prayer for the poor creature before I sleep.

Midnight Sparkle seemed interested in conversation. I’m afraid I didn’t do much to oblige. In my nervousness, my end of our chat was limited to “yup” and “nope.” I must have seemed the fool.

She did speak a little of her research. Apparently she had recently completed a long term project involving optics and the physics of mirror reflections. It was boring, but boring was good. This was much better then the local legends I hear about her mad experiments.

It is morning of May the fourth. Last night I was plagued with horrifying nightmares. I know that is to be expected considering whose castle I am in, I just can’t stop wondering what if they were not dreams.

First I dreamt that a purple mare, who was not Midnight Sparkle, stood over my bedside with callipers and a bone saw.

I yelled, “What do you want?” as she measured my noggin.

“Your brain!” said she.

Then Midnight Sparkle appeared. Perhaps she appeared in a puff of smoke, or transformed from the form of a bat. All I know is that she was suddenly there. She bit on the other mares ear and pulled her away.

“Starlight Glimmer, I told you no! Not him!”

As she dragged the other mare away, she looked back to me and a bolt of magic fired from her horn. Soon I was asleep again.

The Next thing I remember, three beautiful mares were in my bed. There was giggling, and sniffing, then they began to remove my clothes with their teeth.

Again Sparkle appeared.

“Daisy, Lily, Roseluck, back to your rooms right now.” She stomped her hoof down.

The girls whined, yet obeyed, each sauntering off with there heads low. The one with the green mane flashed me a wink as they left.

Once more the last thing I saw was the ominous glow of Midnight Sparkles horn as I lost consciousness.

I don’t know for certain if any of this was real or not. I just hope that today I can complete my business and leave this wretched place.

Today I nearly lost my mind. We finally get down to business, and what do I learn? Sparkle is buying a house next door to me!

In my shock I made some jerky and awkward movements, and so dropped a locket. It fell open upon the floor. Pictures of an Orange mare next to a yellow pegasus were in view. I reached to pick it up, but the dragon grabbed it first.

“Hey it’s her,” said the dragon. “Look Twilight, it’s both of them side-by-side.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded.

“These are the mares I’ve been looking for.” Midnight Sparkle held the locket close, and skipped up and down with excitement. Seeing her do that was admittedly surreal. “I knew your sister was one of the ones I’m looking for, but I never thought the other would just fall into my lap like this.”

“That other one is my fiancé, they have nothing to do with you.”

“Not true.”

At this point, Midnight Sparkle told me a story. I will try to relay the story as it was told to me.

Midnights Tale

“I was working on a way to travel to other dimensions, using mirrors. My mentor, Nightmare Moon, showed me such a mirror once and I thought I could find more dimensions and thus new lands too conquer. On my first outing I encountered her, Twilight Sparkle. She was another version of myself. Twilight seemed glad to see me, and eager to share knowledge. That was strange. I learned of a weapon, one all powerful weapon in six parts. Sometimes this weapon sends enemies to the moon, sometimes it turns them good, sometimes it makes them stone. It’s inconsistent yet unbeatable. When I returned, I sought out a lost castle deep in the Everfree Forrest. There I recovered my dimensions copy of this weapon. I actually took it to Twilight Sparkle to analyze, and she assures me it is the same as hers, exactly the same. Actually, that could be a disadvantage. I’d hoped, since my dimension seems darker then hers, perhaps our version wouldn’t operate on friendship, but it does.”

“Did you say friendship?” I asked.

“Yes,” she rubbed her hooves together in a menacing gesture. “To achieve ultimate power, I must become my worlds Princess of Friendship.”

“Seriously?” I asked

“Do you mock me?”

“No Ma’am!”

“Good, we should try to get along since your sister, Applejack, and your fiancé, Fluttershy, will be my dearest friends.” Sparkle put her hoof around my shoulder, it was an almost familial gesture.

When the real estate deal was complete, she invited me to ride with her to her new home. She was travelling in a chariot pulled by strange bat winged ponies I’d never seen before. Midnight Sparkle would send for her belongings later but inside the chariot were the three mares from my second dream, and the one from my first. Starlight Glimmer was still holding a bone saw. I told Miss Sparkle that I would take the train.

Author's Note

Another Idea I had to write just to get out of my head.
Still not sure if I should have bothered posting it though.

2 Prequel / Side Story - The Flower Maidens Tale

Some Time Ago

The milk tasted sour. This much they could not deny. If the accuser was to be believed, then it was sour straight from the cow.

There was some due process. One cow was taken for a day, given only the sweetest grass to eat, then milked with the inquisitor as a witness.

Perhaps they should have asked that the milking barrel be checked prior to milking. Somepony could have contaminated it with vinegar. The milk was still sour.

The inquisitor turned to the cow and asked the animal to repeat its testimony.

Daisy saw the cow give a nervous look at her farmer. Lily saw the farmer give a nervous look towards the wealthy landowner, to which all new she was deep in debt. Spoiled Milk, the land owner, had the same look of bitter disdain upon her muzzle that she always did.

“I saw them in the fields sir inquisitor. I saw Lily Valley, Daisy, and Roseluck. They were dancing in the fields, the night the milk started to sour. And they wore no clothing sir.”

There was a collective gasp at the words ‘they wore no clothing.’

The inquisitor turned towards the flower ponies. “And what say you three.”

“Sir, we cut through the fields because it was a short-cut home.” Daisy explained. “Also, there’s no curfew, but ponies talk when a filly is out so late.”

“What about the dancing?”

“It was more like frolicking sir,” Roseluck offered. “We were just happy that night, and being a little playful.”

“And what sort of games had you been playing that left you in such a mood.” The inquisitor smirked. “What could any good pious mare be doing at such an unholy hour?”

The flower ponies looked at one another. They didn’t speak, yet their expressions spoke volumes to one another. Lily wanted to tell the truth. Daisy agreed they should, and Roseluck was just embarrassed. Lily gave a glance to a certain pony, who seemed nervous that they might speak.

In an unusual show of perceptiveness, the inquisitor caught the glance. When Daisy opened her muzzle to speak, the inquisitor shut them down.

“Further testimony shall not be necessary. No doubt you would only slander these good people with your vile lies.”

Lily was taken aback. Daisy tried to raise her voice, but the inquisitor out-bellowed her.

“Lily Valley, Daisy, Roseluck - you three have been accused of witchcraft. There will be one final test before you are drowned. You shall be locked in an underground vault for no less then thirty days. There will be no food or water, so if you survive, then we will know for certain that the dark ones magic sustains you.”

Roseluck pounded a stone against the wall, trying desperately to chisel her way out.

Lily screamed and sobbed. She couldn’t believe it. They really convicted them.

Daisy would take a step or two, then lick her hoof and feel around. She figured there had to be an opening somewhere, or the three of them would had suffocated by now.

Suddenly a wall opened to reveal a secret passage. The passage was lit with torches, and seemed to go on for a great distance.

They saw the shadow first. It was a shadow shaped like none other they three ponies had ever seen before. It had scales, and clawed appendages. It walked on two legs, and at one point it turned its head and opened its beak, revealing fangs. These fangs looked mighty, like they could tear through meat, pony meat.

Finally having enough light to see one another, the three flower ponies huddled together, trembling with fear.

Then a small purple dragon only slightly larger then a cat stepped through.

“Hi. I’m spike.”

Lily fainted.

“Boy-Oh-Boy, Midnight is gonna be glad to meet the three of you.”

The dragon was peppy and energetic. It was not easy to keep up with him while carrying Lily.

Were they really headed for the castle of Midnight Sparkle?

Midnight Sparkle was sort of an ambassador for the part of Equestria ruled by Nightmare Moon, and so she had a diplomatic immunity. Of course she wasn’t known to do anything remotely diplomatic.

“We haven’t had any witches in the castle since granny apple passed away.”

“We’re not witches,” Came a half asleep voice.

The dragons ears twitched.

Daisy quickly covered Lily’s muzzle with her hoof. “Don’t mind her. She’s just,… uh,… being modest.”

The dragon thought for a moment as they moved up steps on a steeper part of the secret passageway. “Oh I get it. I do have some idea what its like outside the castle. You would have to practice in secret, and you’ve probably had a really hard time finding grimoires to study from.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Here let me show you something.”

Spike pulled out a golden key. He led them towards two doors, then jumped several times trying to reach the lock.

All of a sudden, Spike was lifted into the air. To everyones surprise, Lily helped the dragon by letting him get up upon her back. He opened the door.

There was a wall of wood on the other side of the door, and Spike pulled a latch to trigger a mechanism which caused the wall to slide aside.

The three were bombarded with a pleasant musty smell. Roseluck closed her eyes for a second. As she slowly opened them she saw stacks upon stacks of books. The secret passage was hidden behind a bookshelf in a massive library.

“Some of these we buy in underground markets. Others we rescue from book burnings. this is why Midnight lives in Equestria. She’s trying to save all this knowledge from being lost”

Roseluck turned around, and read a few titles off the shelf.

“Are these all books on the occult?”

“No! There are books on pretty much everything.”

“This is Midnight Sparkles library. Are we really allowed to be here?”

“Sure you are! Midnights out a town for a month or two. We keep it secret whenever she leaves so that the town-ponies don’t siege the castle. Anyway, she gave me express orders what to do if the inquisitor actually catches any witches. She would never let any ‘witch’ come to harm, especially not so close to her own castle.”

The word witches loomed in their minds. This dragon was protecting them because they were supposed to be ‘witches.’

“Hey, I bet you girls have never seen a library as awesome as this one before. Why don’t I give you some time to check it out while I make dinner?”

Lily was about to say something, when Daisy stuck her hoof in the pink mares mouth again. “That would be great.”

“Oh, we should cook for you,” Roseluck offered.

“Thanks, but I need to stay in practice. Cooking is one of my jobs around here and we haven’t had any company for a while. It’s been just me and Glimmer.”

The dragon turned to leave, then stopped seeming to think of something.

“By the way, be careful around Glimmer. She’s nice, but lock your doors at night, or she might try to borrow some of your organs.”

Lily fainted.

“Does she do that a lot?”

“Uh… she has low blood pressure.” Daisy lied.

“Okay girls what now.”

They three mares were facing quite the conundrum. If they returned to Ponyville then the town ponies would no doubt assume the dark one aided their escape; which was at least tangentially true. However, they couldn’t stay.

In truth, they could probably fool the dragon, who seemed almost desperate for companionship and attention. The problem was Midnight Sparkle. Whenever she returned, she would no doubt see that they were not witches.

“Maybe we can steal a stage coach, and run to Canterlot.”

“Steal from Midnight Sparkle! Are you insane!”

Roseluck quickly dropped the idea.

“Well, do you want to live here?”

“I don’t know. The dragon seems sweet.” Daisy offered. “Local legends reported him as a fire breathing behemoth, if they were this far off about him, then who knows what Sparkle would actually be like.

“He’s nice to us because he thinks we’re witches, which is totally backwards from the rest of our world.”

Through all this exchange, Lily said nothing. Her nose was stuck in a book, and she seemed genuinely engrossed in the material.

“Are you actually reading that?” Daisy spoke in a raised voice.

Lily smiled and showed her the cover: ‘1001 magical uses for the common Lily.’

“Look at page fifteen.”

“I don’t want to look.”

“Don’t be a baby Daisy, just look.”

“It’s a potion to relieve hoof-aches.”

“My mother had hoof ache, and Lilies are the cure. I have a Lily cutie mark and I didn’t even know this. I could have helped her.”

“But then you’d be a witch.”

Lily ignored that last remark. “Come look at this,” she said. “There are whole shelves of books about flowers. How to make potions, perfumes, and incenses with magical properties. We’re flower ponies Daisy. Why didn’t we even know how much potential flowers have; how much potential we have?”

“It’s witchcraft Lily.”

“Then lets be witches.”

Both Roseluck and Daisy gasped at that statement, but Lily wouldn’t relent. She poked her nose in to one book then another. Reciting things that they could do.

“Make fruit grow out of season.”

“Slow our aging.”

“Fly.”

That night they dinned on beef wellington. Lily fainted at the sight of it, which Spike was now used to and didn’t take personally. Roseluck tried to say that ponies don’t eat meat, but Daisy stuck a hoof in her mouth to stop her.

Starlight Glimmer also sat at the table. Daisy tried to work up the nerve to ask why she had a bone saw next to her utensils.

After sculpting a dragon with her mashed potatoes, Roseluck noticed Spike watching her expectantly. She grabbed a bite of the beef wellington with her fork, and slowly, almost fearfully brought it up to her mouth. After pausing a little too long, she broke the tension by tossing the food into her mouth. She took one bite then two, then her eyes shot open in surprise. “It’s so good,” she said.

That night spike showed them to a room that was bigger then their former cottage. It wasn’t particularly well kept, like most of the castle, it needed a good dusting. The bed, however, was huge and soft and perfect.

Lily carried with her her a stack of books, and even Daisy and Roseluck had each borrowed one or two for appearances at least. It was still debatable if they were going to read them or not.

Thirty-One Days Later

A massive crowd stood behind the grand inquisitor. With some caution he unlatched the lock on the underground vault. Before opening the door, he turned to the ponies and gave a little speech. He talked of how their work was good, of how even if they were not witches, those mares were clearly sinful. And now the truth was to be unveiled.

The vault door was stone and it took three stallions pulling a winch to move it. As he opened the door merely a crack, the nozzle of a perfume bottle pointed out and sprayed the inquisitor right in the face.

The inquisitor reached for his throat, coughing and wheezing. His wheezing changing into an oink and a squeal as his once noble pony snout morphed into something else. Soon he had the face of a hog, and it did not stop there.

The three stallions stopped pulling at the winch, yet the door to the vault continued to open as if all on its own.

When it was full open the three flower mares stood proudly for all the populace to see. They clearly had not starved to death; in fact Roseluck’s flank may have grown slightly larger.

All stood motionless wondering what the three were going to do next. Lily lifted up a perfume bottle. Daisy had ruins and occult markings drawn in red ochre upon her own body, and cliche as it was, Roseluck hovered upon a broomstick.

All was silent, anticipation was high, then at last one made a sound. There was a giggle, which grew into a laugh.

Sometimes events unfold in different ways from mirror universe to mirror universe, yet they do parallel one another none-the-less. Hence forth, this night was known to all of Equestria as Nightmare Night.

3 Isn't it Lazy When Writers Just Reverse Characters Personalities In An AU Story

It was a small venue. The club was located in a back alley, advertised only by word of mouth. Despite this, most of the patrons were careful to keep their mouths shut, lest the constabulary crack down on the establishment.

Spike sat in a corner table. The bouncer had asked about the dragons age, not that he would know from dragons. Fortunately he had no less than four chaperones; these included Lily Valley, Daisy, Roseluck, and making a rare social appearance was Starlight Glimmer.

“Do you really think it’s her?” Spike asked.

“You tell us. You’re the only one of us that would recognize her.”

The program scribbled on a chalkboard indicated that she was on next. The name listed was Pinkamena Diane Pie.

“So why isn’t Midnight here with us?” Roseluck asked.

“She found Rarity.”

Lily and Daisy seemed to be the only ones of their group enjoying the current act, a vaudevillian pantomime who went by Panini De Fromaggio. Seeing her friends laugh at such immature and pedestrian humour made Starlight sigh.

“How much longer?” Starlight begged.

“You here to see Pinkamena?” The waitress asked while setting their orders upon the table.

“That we are.”

“You’re gonna be disappointed. Her act just hasn’t been the same since they took her sister away.”

“Pardon me?”

She was hoping they would ask. This particular waitress loved to gossip. Perhaps she’d even get more to say to her other customers about the unusual set of ponies and the dragon sitting at this particular table.

“Pinkie used to be the funniest girl in town, then she told a joke that offended the wrong person.”

“The wrong person?” Spike’s curiosity was piqued. “Who is the wrong person?”

“It’s the local Burgermeister. You folks must be from out of town. Everypony here knows what happened. The Burgermeister tried to punish Pinkie but her sister jumped in to defend her. Poor Maudie was accused of inciting sedition. They sent Maudie to spend the rest of her days in the coal mines, and Pinkie’s been different ever since.”

The waitress turned to move on to her next table, then decided she had one more thing to say. “Weird thing though, we do get letters from Maudie, and she seems to really love it in the coal mines.”

Roseluck poked at her dessert. The others seemed to like strawberry just fine, though if they had stayed in the castle then she could be eating Spikes steak and kidney pie right now.

About this time, Panini De Fromaggio completed his act and cleared the stage. Mademoiselle Cake stepped up to announce the next act.

“Now wasn’t that fun ponies. Let’s hear it for Sir Frommagio.”

The room erupted with applause. Daisy and Lily joined in.

“Our next act is a very talented performer.”

There were a few groans and boos from the audience.

“Why do you keep her around?” One heckler yelled.

“Now, now my little ponies I know her old material was more popular, still it is good that she’s branching out and experimenting with new things; I guess. Maybe it’s just a phase.

At first Spike did not recognize her. Her hair was flat and straight. Her eyes were like upside-down semicircles with dark shadow, or possibly large bags beneath them. She wore a black dress, had a purple lily in her hair, and thigh hight stockings of purple and black stripes.

She tapped the microphone three times, coughed, drank some water, then spoke. “Tonight I’d like to do some poetry readings from my favourite author, Edgar Allen Pony.”

The flower witch trio all looked to Spike, as if to say: ‘please tell us that’s not her.’ Spike turned nervous and adjusted his collar feeling sweat coming on.

Starlight Glimmer was captivated, now this was entertainment.

“This is terrible. We can’t take her to Midnight like this. What’s she going to say when she sees the element of laughter is all gloomy and scary?”

“Now there’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

“That one poem about the raven was pretty funny.”

“No it wasn’t starlight!” Spike took out a paper bag and started breathing into it. When he seemed about to pass out, he released it and started taking command.

“Okay, I think I know what to do. They say she got this way when her sister was sent to the mines.”

He pointed to Lily. The flower witch ponies always seemed to be a package deal, so at some point he randomly chose her as their leader or main representative, Though sometimes he felt he should have chosen Daisy instead. “You three go square things off with this Burger King pony…”

“Burgermeister - That would be the chairman of the executive council of a township.” Starlight interrupted.

“Yeah, that guy; go set him straight.”

Lily looked up from filing her hooves, as though this barely warranted her attention. “Sure we’ll do that.”

“Starlight and I will take the chariot of Bat Ponies, and go get Maudie Pie.”

“If I must,” Starlights response was sardonic at best

“When it’s all in order, we’ll go talk to Pinkie.”

And so the plan was set.

Author's Note

I have a question. Who do you think the Burgermeister should be?

This might be giving too much away, but if I keep making Dracula parallels in the story then the Burgermeister is Renfield.

Despite all this setup, the next chapter will get back to Midnight Sparkle's story a little bit.

4 Through the Balcony Window

A Letter to Macintosh Appleton the Large
Thursday, May 15th,

Cousin Macintosh Appleton,

I have had an interesting encounter as of late, and I may have you to thank or blame.

Yesterday I was at the opera with my arranged bride and her parents. We were having a perfectly lovely evening until the second intermission. The lady usher, a pony named Lyra who had seemed sweet and friendly before hand, entered our box with an almost zombified expression. She told us that Midnight Sparkle wished to introduce herself to Miss Rarity.

We were all quite perplexed of course. What could she possibly want with my fiancee, a simple debutante?

When she stepped upon the balcony, she made her introductions, and they were polite enough, yet she only seemed interested in speaking to Miss Rarity. The poor dear girl must have been traumatized, though she didn’t show it. Sparkle tried to talk to her more then once, and was clearly annoyed when myself and my in-laws insisted on speaking on her behalf. Actually Rarity did not seem to appreciate us speaking for her either, though if she was not afraid then the young girl does not understand the situation, and so she needs our protection all the more.

We did manage to find out something quite alarming from Sparkle herself. Apparently, she’s searching for ponies to use in an arcane ritual of some sort, and you — you dear cousin led her to Miss Rarity.

If this is true, then we shall have some serious words when next we meet. For now I must concern myself with my fiancee’s protection.

Cordially Yours,
Braeburn Appleton

A Letter to Macintosh Appleton the Large
Monday, May 19th

Cousin Macintosh Appleton,

Why did you ever allow that creature to enter our lives?

Lately my darling Rarity has not been herself. She has grown deathly pale, her smokey coat has become egg white. She also seems low on energy, and has taken to wearing a scarf around her neck. We asked her to remove the scarf at the dinner table and she refused.

I probably would have dismissed this as a mere fever or cold if not for the servants. One of the chamber maids passed by her room at a late hour and swears she heard two voices coming from inside. In addition, a stable boy saw something flying near Rarities balcony. Meanwhile, Midnight Sparkle has apparently bought the Karfax estate not far from our home. You should know this, being her real-estate agent.

The family physician had nothing useful to offer, save for a referral to another doctor. This doctor specializes in matters of the metaphysical. He is a professor in the nearby university. His name is Dr. Abraham Van Neighsayer.

Cordially Yours,
Braeburn Appleton

A Letter To Macintosh Appleton the Large
Tuesday, May 20th,

Cousin Macintosh

I know that it takes approximately three weeks for letters to travel between your home town and mine. I hope some explanation is forthcoming as to why you led that creature into our lives.

Today I went to meet with Dr Van Neighsayer. When I arrived at the University, he had just started one of his class lectures. So I sat with Neighsayer’s secretary, Miss Dot, for almost two hours.

It turns out that Miss Dot knows Rarity from secretarial school. You may recall that Rarity attended the year long program. The willful girl wanted more education, but her parents didn’t even see the need for the indulgences she did receive. Dot is a dainty blue-grey mare with black hair tied in a pony-tale. She wears square reading glasses.

Why am I bothering to tell you this?

Anyhow, I never did get to see Dr Neighsayer, he was called off on other business; although Dot seemed quite concerned, and promised she would bring Rarity’s case to his attention.

Cordially Yours,
Braeburn Appleton

Excerpt from the journal of Dr Abraham Van Neighsayer
Tuesday, May 20th,

My foolish secretary did something useful for once. I had heard reports that the dark one is here in Appleloosa, and now I know that she has her sights set on one Rarity Belle.

I was actually ready to praise Dot’s work when I noticed that her roots are showing again. Such an ostentatious look and undignified appearance is unbecoming of my personal secretary. I tell the idiot to dye it regularly.

A Letter To Macintosh Appleton the Large
Wednesday, May 21st,

Cousin Macintosh

She was in our home today. Midnight Sparkle was in our home. With her was another odd mare named Starlight Glimmer. Glimmer speaks in monotone and carries a bone saw.

Midnight Sparkle learned that Dr Van Neighsayer had come to do a house call for our dear ailing Rarity. She dared to fake concern and offered the services of what she called her private physician.

Glimmer made some rather astounding claims. According to her, she was teleported to Appleloosa by some arcane ritual. She complained that some creature named Spike was left alone in a coal mine.

While Sparkle argued with Rarity’s mother about whether Glimmer would be allowed to see the patient, Glimmer took a distinct interest in Dot the secretary.

Dot is a Pegasus, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned that. Without even asking, Glimmer unfurled her wing and started feeling along the bones.

“There is a deformity on your right Metacarpus,” she said.

Dot was nervous, though she tried not to let it show. Acting cordial, she explained that she injured the wing in a sporting accident.

Glimmer correctly predicted from the look of the scars that it was three years ago.

“Can you fly at all?” Glimmer asked.

The answer was no.

What Glimmer said next was the height of rudeness. She hissed the word “Pathetic.”

Hearing this, even Midnight seemed appalled and quickly scolded her. However, Glimmer held her ground and claimed that she was referring to the workmanship.

“Workmanship?” I asked a little perplexed.

She claimed that if the wing was set properly then Miss Dot would have been flying again in six weeks.

Midnight asked if the wing could still be fixed now. At that point Glimmer went on a tirade. She claimed that she attached pigeon wings to a rat at four years old, and it flew. To her it was insulting for any to think she couldn’t fix one malformed bone. She reached for her bone saw declaring she would fix it then and there.

Of course at that point we put aside our fear and forcefully demanded these lunatics leave our home.

What have you gotten us into Cousin

Cordially Yours,
Braeburn Appletone

Excerpt from the journal of Dr Abraham Van Neighsayer
Friday, May 23rd,

I just had a deeply concerning conversation with my secretary. Her mind had been even less on task then usual, and I had to scold her repeatedly. I thought she was frightened by her encounter with that horrible creature, yet the true reason for her distracted behaviour is even worse.

Today she asked me if I thought that Glimmer mare could actually fix her wing.

I told her it was likely so. She actually smiled.

At this point I reminded her just what those creatures are, and what they mean to Equestria.

I told her that she should throw away her pictures and trophies from before the accident that disabled her wing. They were clearly too much of a temptation for her. I don’t know if she listened to me. Do I really ask so much of her? I suppose loyalty is hard to come by these days.

A Letter To Dr Van Neighsayer
Saturday, May 24th,

Sir, we may have another problem. As you recommended, we have all been taking turns keeping watch over Rarity at night; despite her protests.

Last night your secretary Dot came, and offered to keep watch. Surprisingly Rarity did not resist. I had hoped we were finally getting through to her.

None-the-less, my mind was troubled, so around two in the a.m. I looked into Rarity’s room. To my shock they were both gone. The balcony window was ajar and the metal bars we recently installed had been bent.

The next morning they had returned. They acted as though nothing had happened. How much of an idiot do those mares take me for? Your secretary even had bandages upon her wing that were not there before.

Sir, we need your help.

Concernedly Yours,
Braeburn Appleton

A Letter To Dr Van Neighsayer
Monday, May 26th,

Doctor Van Neighsayer, we have reviewed the case and we concur with your findings.

Rarity Belle is somehow integral to whatever Midnight Sparkle is plotting.

You have our organizations permission to end her life. There will be no legal consequences for carrying out this task. Please perform the necessary duties post haste.

Though you have our full support, we prefer the matter be handled with anonymity if possible.

Dear Mother and Father

I know you have been worried about me for the past while, and I hope I can put some of your fears to rest. Unfortunately I doubt this letter will fully succeed in doing so.
The truth is I have been associating with Midnight Sparkle. After that night at the opera, Midnight feared she may have come on too strongly. To amend this and win my favour, that very night she came to my balcony with gifts. Funny story actually, you know how you’ve been worried about how pale my coat is, well because of all the coal that is burned in our awful city every ponies coat is a little greyer then it ought to be. One of Midnights gifts was a shampoo that washed all the coal out. It turns out this beautiful pure white is my natural colour.

Midnight told me stories of another Rarity from another world. This Rarity was creative and generous. She owned multiple businesses and designed beautiful dresses. At first this made me feel small, but Midnight said she told me this because she wants me to know I have more potential then others have led me to believe.

The real reason I’ve been so tired is because I’ve been staying up late at night to practice dress making. Midnight has even been tutoring me. Our tastes are very different though.

As for the scarf, hiding my neck, well… she bit me.

It’s a small cultural misunderstanding that we’ve mostly worked past. She was just marking me so that any of the lunar realm would know that I must be protected from harm by orders of a Countess. It’s a weird custom I know.

Anyhow, by the time you get this letter I will be gone. I am running off with Midnight. I know you think I couldn’t survive as anything other then a kept mare, and I intend to prove you wrong. I am not getting my own shop like the other Rarity, though Midnight would probably just buy me one if I asked. Instead I will earn my own way as an apprentice dress designer. The only charity I will accept is a small loan from Midnight in order to live in another town, closer to her.

I want you to know I am not doing this to defy you, I am doing it to be happy. I love you all, I even love Braeburn, though not as a wife.

Farewell,
Your Daughter Rarity

P.S. My friend Dot is coming with me. Midnights private physician has fixed her wing, and my special shampoo has washed out that ridiculous black dye from her hair and grey from her coat. She will be returning to her original name, and is simply done with Dr Neighsayers unreasonable demands.

Excerpt from Appleloosa Daily, Appleloosa’s Premiere Newspaper
Friday, May 23rd,

Testimonies of the incident vary greatly.

On the evening of Thursday May 22nd, Rarity was taken from her home in the Belle estate.

According to Dr Neighsayer, the mare was sick and delusional. He claimed that the family could no longer provide proper care for her, so she was being taken to a mental health facility. The family was so opposed to this, that one Braeburn Appleton, her fiancee, actually gave chase to the doctors wagon.

By Dr Neighsayer’s account, Rarity tried to escape on the narrow canyon roads and plunged to her death.

Braeburn claims he saw Dr Neighsayer push the mare to her death.

Both are wrong however, because local fisherman have photographic evidence showing that Rarity was saved. Her saviour appeared to be a Pegasus with a polychromatic rainbow coloured mane.

The photos have allowed this mysterious Pegasus to be identified as Rainbow Dash.

Dash was an aspiring athlete who many believed would be the first mare in the Wonderbolts, until she suffered a career ending injury. State registry records have revealed that Dash legally changed her name to Dot, and had been living a more low key existence ever since the injury.

Doctors say that if this is Rainbow Dash, her flying once again is nothing short of a medical miracle.

We have no information on their whereabouts at this time. However the family of Miss Belle has asked that both mares be given their privacy and be allowed to stay together.

5 Mixed First Impressions

This part occurs between Chapters 1 and 3, while after chapter 2.

“This is it,” said Machintosh Appleton, “1313 Mockingbird Lane.”

Midnight Sparkle twirled her black sun blocking parasol, as she took a moment to admire the pre-enlightenment style architecture. On the right, there was an Octagonal third story tower, with a wind worn widows walk. It was the highest point in the neighbourhood. Her companions have already seen pictures of the house, and Starlight Glimmer has plans to attach a lightning rod to that tower, for the experiments that required the highest power demand.

The right side seemed spacious, a former banquet hall which Midnight planned to turn into a library.

The flower witch trio would be most concerned about the backyard, as gardening was their passion. From the wild and overrun weeds that covered the area, she knew the land was fertile.

Spike just wanted a good kitchen.

Macintosh Appleton walked up the front steps, purposely stepping upon the creakiest parts of the floorboards.

He placed a key in the lock and turned. It took a great deal of force to move the rusted tumblers. Macintosh opened the door slowly so that Midnight could hear it creek as well, then held it open so she could enter.

“You’ll find much of the wood is rotten. It’s also a fire hazard. There is running water, just run the faucets until the brown colour goes away. I suspect you might find some lead in the pipes; scientists and doctors are saying that lead is bad nowadays. It’s also in all the paint, of course. The house is a little draughty in the winter. It makes up for that by being swelteringly hot in the summer.” He turned to see if Midnight was paying attention, and more importantly, it this was discouraging her from buying the house. “And you’re already performing forbidden arcane rituals.”

He turned and saw a green glow emanating from midnights horn. She was just sending a letter off to her companions, who all had various chores to do while Midnight handled the houses transfer of ownership.

It was normally custom and good manners to give the new owner a tour of the house, If she hadn’t had one prior to buying. Fortunately, Macintosh correctly guessed that Midnight either didn’t know the customs or didn’t care. She seemed eager to get out of the sunlight and satisfied to just take the key and part at the front door.

Macintosh did not want to be alone with her inside that house.

“By the way,” said Midnight, “to help foster friendship with my new neighbours, I will be hosting a barbecue tomorrow night. I do hope your fiancé and your sister will be in attendance.”

Macintosh stuttered, trying to respond. The words choked in this throat.

He was careful never to turn his back to this creature as she gently closed the front door. Macintosh puttered to and from the doors knocker. It would be foolish to leave her believing Fluttershy and Applejewel would actually attend her soiree. Standing her up would be a horrible insult and make her far more furious then if he simply told her now that they would not attend, wouldn’t it? Just as he was about to reach for the knocker, the creaky door swung open a crack.

“Oh, uh, you can come too if you want” Midnight told this to Macintosh as an afterthought.

Working up what little courage he had, Macintosh spoke. “They will not be in attendance.”

There was a sombre moment. At last Midnight decided to ask, “Why is that?”

At this point Macintosh needed a reason, preferably one that would not offend. He could tell her that ponies don’t eat meat. Actually somepony really ought to tell her that.

“AppleJewel is a schoolmarm. School starts early here, so she does not stay up very late.”

Midnight squinted slightly.

“There’s still your fiancé, Fluttershy.”

“She may be preparing for a trip, to visit her parents.”

This didn’t have to be a lie. He could actually send her on such a trip. Surely she would understand.

“I see. I can move the barbecue over to Friday night. At least then I might catch Applejewel.”

“Oh you don’t need to do that.”

“I do! What’s the point if I can’t meet them!” Midnight raised her voice, causing Macintosh to recoil two steps backward.

“Friday it is then.” He took another two steps back.

“Perhaps I can visit and introduce myself sooner.”

Macintosh adjusted his collar. “Eyup! Just uh… just be sure to let us know you’re coming. Maybe send that Dragon pal of yours as a messenger.”

She eyed him suspiciously, before finally nodding her head. A truly close friend might have said drop by anytime, although there are many reasons a family might want more privacy then to allow that. Macintosh was the master of his household and even in her homeland it would be impolite to deny his request.

“Farewell then!” Midnight seemed eager to get away from the sun.

Fluttershy trotted into the smoking room and pulled a newspaper out from Macintosh’s grip. Grabbing an ashtray from the counter, she held it out to Macintosh indicating that he was to extinguish his pipe. Fluttershy could not abide the smell of smoke, they would likely have to take this to another room. Even now she was holding her nose with her other hoof. Of course he did not put out his expensive pipe in a dirty ashtray, his darling considered all forms of smoking interchangeable, and refuses to understand the intricacies of the habit.

“What’s this about me going to my parents house?”

Macintosh had asked his mother Pear Butter to tell her, and Fluttershy found it especially cowardly that he did not tell her himself.

“Sweetie pie, it’s just for a little while, just until a figure out how to…”

“Avoid the neighbours.”

“Don’t you think it would be nice to see your parents. It’s been over a year.”

“It’s a two week trip. Besides my brother Zepher is spending the summer at their estate.”

Macintosh heard plenty over the years about why she was not on speaking terms with her brother.

“Listen darling, Sparkle has diplomatic immunity. It’s an unusual situation. The law won’t help us.”

“Help us with what? What are we to her?”

Knock-Knock!

Their talk was interrupted. Somepony was at the door.

Fluttershy approached to open it, Macintosh held her back.

Knock-Knock!

The young mare of the house brushed her fiancé aside, though she did look through the peep hole before opening the door. On the other side was a purple pink mare, with a lime green mane. It wasn’t even her, so Fluttershy just opened the door.

“Hello, how may I help you?” Her manner changed drastically. Fluttershy was normally a kind soul and it took quite a bit to bring out the other side to her. Though, she could stand up her Macintosh or any man perfectly well. It was rare for anything to frighten her.

“Hi, said the pony. I seem to have made a mistake. Isn’t this 1313 Mockingbird Lane?”

“Fluttershy raised her brows in surprise. 1313 was Midnights house.”

“No, this is 1318, Odd numbers are on the other side of the street, and as we do live in estates even that is a bit of a walk from here.”

“I see.”

“Could you please point the way,” asked Daisy?

“You shouldn’t be alone in the dark. How about I grab a lantern and lead you there myself.”

“Oh, I couldn’t trouble you so!” She seemed genuinely surprised that Fluttershy offered.

“I insist.”

Macintosh pulled Fluttershy aside. “Just one moment,” he spoke politely to Daisy before slamming the door in her face.

“She’s one of hers. That ponies soul belongs to Midnight. It’s a trick.”

“Perhaps, I’m going to meet her sooner or later.”

“I won’t allow you to go to her home in the middle of the night.”

“The chivalrous thing would be for you to escort me.”

Macintosh’s four knees quivered at that suggestion. He was going to do it anyway, though before he could agree Fluttershy said, “I’ll just take Bruin-a”

“Yes Bruin-a, take Bruin-a, that’s an excellent suggestion.”

Daisy was considering leaving when they finally opened the door again. So it was that Fluttershy, along with Bruin-a, a six hundred pound grizzly bear who could somehow hold a lantern in it’s paws, escorted Daisy to Midnight Sparkles estate.

“So what do you do at the estate?” Fluttershy asked.

“I am one of three gardeners. We will be working all of the land on the estate.”

“Gardeners for all the land!” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “The property has 7.2 acres, and it hasn’t been farmed for 3 years, so you must need a handful stallions to get the land back in shape.”

“No, no Stallions, it’ll be just us mares.”

“I see.”

“It’s great land for corn.”

“We’re not really farmers.”

“Oh!”

“We grow our own food of course. It’s just that we do things a little differently. We wouldn’t try to make only one plant species cover a large area, they’re all meant to exist in ecosystems after-all.” She looked upward with pride. “When me, Lily, and Roseluck are finished, those 7.2 acres will be just like a miniature Everfree.”

Fluttershy was silent for a few moments. Wasn’t Everfree that fabled Forrest that was so wild ponies couldn’t tame it?

“Myself, I take care of animals. It’s not my job mind you, it’s more of a passion. I mostly care for injured woodland creatures who can’t return to the wild.”

“That sounds lovely.”

“Really, how good of you to say. Many ponies think it odd. Macintosh is very supportive. I feel sorry for relying on him so much; I used to work as a secretary on the side, but I could never do this on just a secretaries wages.”

“He must really love you.”

When they were about three quarters of the way to the estate, Fluttershy tried asking a different sort of question.

“So why were you heading home so late, and all by your lonesome.”

“Me and the girls were buying some tools in town. We didn’t bring our tools from home because it was too much to transport.”

“That makes sense. How did you get separated from your group?”

“There was this town pony flirting with us. He probably didn’t know which estate we belong to. Two of us had to take the supplies home, so we drew straws, and…”

“You went off alone with a male you only met this afternoon.”

Daisy giggled. She understood Fluttershy’s reaction, there was a point in her life where Daisy would have been more shocked then she now was.

“That’s so dangerous!”

“I suppose it did become dangerous.” Daisy giggled. “Maybe next time he’ll know better.”

Before Fluttershy could make sense of that statement, she saw a silhouette pass over the full moon in the sky above. She huddled closer to Bruin-a.

It was a flying broomstick. Fluttershy had only heard of those in pony-tales, her grandmare had told her, the ones that were supposed to be banned nowadays. The broomstick swung around and descended. A mare with a yellow coat, and a red mane flew upon it.

Soon Roseluck hovered just a few feet away from them, and Bruin-a growled at the sight of her.

“Hi Daisy, I’ve been looking for you. Who’re your friends?”

“These are…”

Before Daisy could finish her thought, Fluttershy noticed something alive, poking around inside Roselucks saddle bag.

Daisy looked at Roseluck sternly and pointed to the bag. “Rosie, what’s that?”

She gave an awkward laugh then opened it up for them to see. Roseluck lifted up the rabbit from the scruff of the neck. Though it was dark, Daisy could see the rabbit had one lame leg. It was unusually small. It figured that Rosie could only catch the lame ones.

“Angel!” Fluttersy screamed.

“What are you doing with Angel?”

“You know this rabbit.”

“That’s angel, I rescued him from a monster trap when he was only a tiny little bunny.” Fluttershy’s voice had a pleading quality too it, and she held her hooves together like she was praying.

Daisy stood on her hind legs, she crossed her other hooves and tapped her foot.

“Give it back, she told her.”

“It was just running wild.”

“Angel is willful he gets out often.” The bunny was squirming to escape Rosies grip, and maybe bite her.

“What are you doing with her?”

Without answering, Roseluck handed the rabbit back to Fluttershy. The mare looked the rabbit over for injuries, then petted him affectionately, cooing and whispering that all was okay.

Daisy was about to say something when Fluttershy cut her off.

“Since you found your friend, I suppose you can get home on your own now. It’s late so…” She gave a slight bow, “Good bye.”

Daisy motioned for her to wait, but Fluttershy rushed to get away with Angel. She needed to keep angel safe.

“Aw,” Roseluck crowed. “I really wanted to eat that rabbit. So who was that pony.”

She turned to see Daisy giving her a scornful and exasperated look.

Three days went by. Each morning there were gifts on the doorstep, and once the dragon came by as a messenger to ask if Midnight could stop over for tea. The gifts were put in the barn unopened, and Macintosh thankfully had a legitimate excuse to avoid the tea party.

One day, while walking to work, Macintosh noticed some posters hung about the city.

Midnight Sparkle was searching for three mares, the other three elements of harmony he supposed. The posters contained black and white photographs of what only he knew were their inter-dimensional counterparts. Just thinking that made him shake his head. Was their really another dimension with some happy friendly princess version of the fowl creature? Surely not, he hadn’t seen it; although, the photos were familiar.

There was one mare with a poofy tangle of curls. The poster read ‘possibly named: Pinkie Pie.’ Midnight wasn’t even certain about the name. Well, Macintosh didn’t recognize her at all.

Next was one with a rainbow mane. How could anyone not recognize her? Macintosh was a big sporting fan in his college days. Hard to believe that was only three years ago. He immediately recollected the face of Rainbow Dash. Although, he didn’t know what she had been doing since her career ending injury.

The last was the elegant Miss Rarity Belle. That was his cousins fiancé, they met during a family reunion. Knowing this troubled Macintosh deeply. If Midnight finds out that he knows Rarity, she might think he was keeping it secret from her.

Perhaps he could just tell her about Rarity. In fact, Maybe Midnight would leave town to chase after the unfortunate mare. Macintosh actually mused with the idea of leaving town while away from Midnights prying eyes. Escaping with this bride and his parents, and never seeing her again. Could he do that?

While Macintosh was at work, somepony came calling upon the Apple estate.

Fluttershy opened the door. From the doors peephole, Fluttershy did not see the bone saw that other pony was carrying.

“I’m here to fix your rabbit.” She spoke as though she meant to say the name of some household appliance, though Fluttershy distinctly heard ‘rabbit.’

“Excuse me!”

“I’m here to fix your rabbit.”

She said it again.

“Are you one of Midnight Sparkles ponies.”

“Very perceptive of you, I am her private physician,” Starlight Glimmer explained as she handed her a card. “My specialties are vivisection, pharmacology, and mechanical engineering.”

“Oh.”

Fluttershy tried to close the door, but the handle of her bone saw was wedged in the crack.

“What do you mean by fix?”

“We have a few options. Based on what Daisy told me you probably don’t want me to kill another rabbit for spare parts.”

“Certainly not!”

“Come with me, in my wagon I have something me and the girls have been working on.” She rummaged through the horse drawn cart. Fluttershy wondered why she followed her instead of running back to the front door and locking it shut.

“You seem like a smart pony. I’m sure you’ll understand, unlike those FOOLS in academia! The girls said I shouldn’t show you this part, or y’know I shouldn’t talk to you myself. Everyone loves sausage, but nopony wants to see how it’s made after all.”

“Ponies don’t eat meat.”

Starlight ignored that last comment, and pulled out a flower pot. Inside the pot was something rather unique.

It looked like some sort of flytrap, which was exotic enough in these parts. Protruding form the branches was something Fluttershy didn’t quite recognize. Fluttershy tried to take a closer look and the fruit of the branch tried to kick her.

Fluttershy jumped backward.

“Amazing isn’t it. We found some hairs in Roselucks Saddle bag. I converted the follicles to stem cells and grafted them onto the plant, then used triggered accelerated growth to make legs. Of course I needed the witches magic to do this. I’ve wanted to collaborate for years on a similar project to grow a ponies heart, it’s just so hard to motivate those three.”

“Rabbit legs from a plant.”

“Yes.”

“And you want to transplant one onto my angel bunny.”

“I want to replace hearts, this is just a stepping stone.”

“I see.”

“I’ll have to shave your rabbits underside and there will be scars. You won’t even see them once the hair grows back.”

“You want to transplant legs onto a bunny that were grown on a plant enchanted by witches.”

“I knew you’d understand.”

“This sounds like a big procedure.”

“It’s nothing. The legs are already rabbit legs biologically speaking. Try sewing wings onto a rat.”

“Do you have any testimonials.”

“Testimonials…” Her manic energy seemed to dissipate upon hearing the word. Starlight made an almost cartoonish exagerated show of sudden depression.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“It’s fine… it’s fine. So that’s where my career is right now. I need testimonials to work as a common vet.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. I’m sure I can drum one up somewhere.” She clearly wasn’t sure.

She handed the plant to Fluttershy. The flytrap started biting her hair, while tiny legs kicked her in the face.

“Water it twice a day. Don’t worry about food, it’ll catch its own flies.”

Starlight left, with her head hung awfully low.

She did turn back once to ask a question. “In the meantime, would you like me to attach steam powered exoskeletal legs to your rabbit.”

“No Thank You! You’ve…uh…gone to enough trouble already.”

The next day, Macintosh put a letter in Midnights mailbox with information about the whereabouts of Rarity Belle.

Later at his place of work he received orders to telegraph the Appleloosa office and have a house bought and ready for Midnight Sparkle in Appleloosa. Her only demand was that it be close to the home of Rarity Belle’s family, and price was no object. She did ask Macintosh to send her regards to Fluttershy, and apologize that they haven’t even had the pleasure of properly meeting yet. There was something passive aggressive about that last part.

Such a deal would greatly advance his real estate career, yet Macintosh paid it no mind. All that mattered to him was that they had the opportunity to leave town.

He went to the office to grab his hat. His revolving chair was turned backward. This was odd, he thought. The office was small and the chair was close to the wall. He usually tucked the chairs arms under the desk.

Not giving it too much mind, he pushed the chair back and spun it around.

Suddenly a waft of perfume squirted in his face. Sitting in a lotus position, was Lily Valley.

Macintosh had less then a moment to acknowledge what she saw, before he started onto a coughing fit. The perfume, it was doing something to him.

For the next little while, Fluttershy had a nagging suspicion that something was up with Macintosh. Most of the time he was fine. He talked favourably about his work; he helped Fluttershy feed, clean, and play with her many animals; he was even tender and affectionate when they were alone together. He was only odd when it came to the subject of Midnight Sparkle and her entourage. Whenever the subject arouse the usually verbose stallions conversation skills dwindled into a series of Eyup, and Nope to every question. When asked if they were still going to leave town, the answer was Nope, and that was the most she could get out of him. He did seem to listen well though. She wondered what was wrong.

This had gone on for three weeks and Fluttershy had had enough. One day, there was yet another knock on the door.

The pony at the door was a familiar face and the very sight of her pleased Fluttershy greatly.

She wore her hair in a pony tale, though it was coloured differently. She had modest business attire and reading glasses.

“Dot, is that you? Dot, I haven’t seen you since secretarial school.”

“Hello Fluttershy. I’ve missed you.”

“Well what are you doing here.”

Dotti unfurled her wing. It was the lame wing she was normally very shy about. It didn’t look lame, it looked strong, and she looked proud of it. Dot smiled and blushed in her usual shy manner.

“I came to give a testimonial for a very fine doctor.”

6 A Quaint Mining Outpost

The events of this chapter continue directly from chapter 3

In certain pagan villages, ponies once believed that thunder was the crack of Nightmare Moons whip, as she raced her chariot above the clouds. If ponies were to look up into the sky, on this particular night, they might believe that myth once again.

Spike wasn’t actually whipping anyone, at least not on purpose, rather he was fumbling with a broken rein. The chariot did race, in an attempt to beat a storm which was probably not his or Glimmer’s doing. Their destination was the old coal mine.

A bat like Pegasi yelped when the rein struck him right in the cutie mark.

“Sorry!” Spike yelled.

“I miss working for Nightmare Moon,” said Shade, the first flutterbat.

“Yes,” Icarus agreed. “Princess Luna is a sweetheart.”

The two were seasoned veterans of the royal guard, and had been personal chauffeurs for Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon so trusted these two, that they were even allowed to call her Luna. When Midnight Sparkle decided she would move to Olde Ponyville, the two were transferred to her employ, this was supposed to be a great honour for the pair. It’s a posting they regret ever accepting.

Thanks to their relationship with Nightmare Moon, these two bat Pegasi were privy to many first hoof stories about the rich history of their nation.

Long ago, a movement known as the enlightenment swept across the once united Equestria. Luna detested the ostracizing of the ‘unenlightened’ ponies.

Enlightenment was always less popular in the cold North, so Luna and her sister migrated that way. One of the two sisters always protected their home, while the other would go on missions to rescue the ‘heretics’ from the enlightened territories.

After Celestia was banished, Luna closed the Northern borders, and made the enlightened ponies too afraid to ever invade her territories. Though many Northern ponies turned to darker forms of magic, what many ponies don’t realize is that much of Luna’s fearfulness comes from over-the-top theatrics, and the two pegasi assumed the same would be true for her most faithful student Midnight Sparkle…they assumed.

Their reverie was broken when another strap snapped. Shade snapped his teeth, catching the rope before the whole chariot could become undone. Now holding the rope, he struggled, having to fly backwards. They failed to beat the storm, as torrents of rain crashed upon them.

Spike was thrown back as the chariot lunged into free fall. He fell upon what should have been those emergency devices Midnight Sparkle had purchased; parachutes he thought she called them.

“Ouch!” said the bag were the parachute ought to have been.

Spike turned. Was that you Glimmer? Despite them being in a fall, Glimmer’s expression was as steady as that of a porcelain doll.

“Was what me?” she asked as she tried to take out the parachutes.

“Hey, you’re pulling my hair,” is what glimmer heard as she reached into the bag.

Glimmer ripped open the burlap to reveal a pink pony they both knew from a night in a speakeasy.

“Pinkie!”

It just so happens that they did reach their destination, or at least the outskirts of which.

Ponies approached, roused by the noise of the crash. The flutterponies jumped into nearby trees, hidden yet ready to pounce if the mob turned violent. The wood of the chariot was too broken and splintered for Nightmare Moons crest to be recognized. Perhaps the villagers would actually help them.

“A chariot crashed.”

“Oh my!”

“Who would be coming here at this time of night.”

“We should get them to the doctor.”

Glimmer listened to the various murmurs of the crowd. So still was she that the villagers might assume she was in shock or rattled. She was just listening.

“We should take them to the clinic.”

“We have no doctor.”

Glimmer’s ear twitched at the words ‘no doctor.’

“The doctor is stricken with black lung. We have been waiting for the city to send a replacement by train.”

“We have so many injured. The mine takes more from us every day.”

“I will be your doctor!” Glimmer declared.

The voices of the town ponies became less distinct. They now spoke in whispers, and there were too many to pick out any single one. She did have a fairly good idea what they were talking about.

Spike awoke. The first sight he awoke to was Glimmer, looming over him, glaring with blood shot eyes, bone saw in hoof. He was used to this.

A moment later Pinkie was at his side, holding a tray of cupcakes. She wore a nurses outfit. By some odd trick of fate, it turned out that Pinkie actually was a nurse. She went through nurses college, and completed one year of a two year internship at her local filly’s hospital. The young ones loved her, though her teacher doctor felt she lacked the dignity and decorum befitting her profession. She was told, she would be unlikely to find work as a nurse, and so took up comedy.

While grabbing a cupcake, the dragon turned to face Glimmer. “Did you take out any of my organs.”

“Yes, but I put them back already.”

“Were am I? Are we in the mining outpost?”

“Yes, you are in my clinic.”

Spike looked around. There were 23 gurneys in the room, and 13 of them were occupied. Though it was hot, blankets covered most of the other patients. Spike suspected that Glimmer was hiding something.

Finally he turned to Pinkie. “And what about you, why are you here?”

Pinkie braced herself, taking in a large breath. “Well, after my set at Mrs Cake’s speak easy, I went outside for a smoke break. While outside I overheard you talking with your friends. I was standing on one side of the dumpster, and you were standing on the other, so you didn’t see me. I only caught the second half of your conversation, but I still got the gist. You two were coming here to get my sister Maudie out of the coal mine, while your other friends were sent to square things with the local burgermeister who sent Maudie here in the first place. I was gonna run around the dumpster and hug you guys, but no offence, you looked kinda scary, and I didn’t know why you were helping me. So instead I spied on you, and snuck aboard your chariot when you weren’t looking. Sorry about tossing out the parachutes… Did you get all that?”

“Okay, I think I got all that. You smoke?” The dragon shook his head. “Anyway, did you find Maudie.”

“Maudie is off surveying land with somepony named Mudbriar, but she comes back in two weeks, and I’m gonna see her, I thought I’d never see her again, and I’m Oh so happy, all thanks to you guys.”

“Great!”

“Don’t tell Maudie I smoke.”

“Okay.”

Against his ‘doctors’ advice, Spike leapt out of bed. There was a small pain in his stomach as his feet hit the ground. Glimmer likely wasn’t joking about his organs.

He made his way to the next nearest gurney, inspecting the patient.

“Have you been behaving yourself Glimmer.”

“Of Course I have.” She spoke in monotone.

“This pony has one leg that’s a different colour then the others.”

“Excuse me sir,” said the stallion with the mismatched leg, “thanks to this transplant, I can continue to support my family, and even play buck-ball with my son. The nurse asked my permission first, and I assure you I much prefer this to the alternative.” He grabbed his blanket back, clearly annoyed with Spike.

Spike made his way to the next patient, “Okay this one looks like a normal mare.”

“I have a pig valve in my heart.”

He turned to Glimmer, and gave her that look, it was the wordless look of one who was demanding an explanation.

“I’m short on pony parts.”

Spike tried one more bed. “So what did she do to you?” He asked.

Her voice was sweet and feminine, as the beautiful mare answered the question. “She helped me be the pony I knew I always was on the inside.”

Exasperated, he turned to Glimmer. “Do I want to know?”

Pinkie whispered something in his ear, and the dragon turned beet red.

Spike decided he couldn’t wait two weeks. It was only a matter of time before Glimmers curiosities and fascinations led her to do something unwholesome.

He began whistling. Spike whistled in a manner Midnight Sparkle taught him, a manner most beings could not hear.

Nothing happened.

He whistled again, and again.

“Are you having difficulty breathing,” Glimmer asked. She lifted her bone saw, ready to help.

“I’m trying to call Shade and Icarus.” When they looked confused Spike added, “Those are the flutterbats that brought us here! - Hold on, did they make it out of the crash okay?”

Glimmer shrugged.

“Oh those two,” said Pinkie. “They only work nights.”

Spike groaned. “I hope the flower ponies are having better luck then I am.

Daisy and Roseluck stared in horror. The fur on Daisy’s tail stood on end, she had broken out into a cold sweat. “Lily, how could you?”

The three flower ponies stood in the office of this towns chief representative. They stood above the chief representative, looking down upon his body.

The three witches had been told to persuade the burgermeister to allow Maudie freedom from her life sentence to the coal mines, they were not clear on the how. Daisy thought they could bribe the local official. Roseluck wanted to scare him. Without even hearing their idea’s, Lily just sprayed him with one of her perfume concoctions. The stallion suffered a coughing fit, then fell to the ground.

Daisy reached over to feel for a pulse. “He’s really dead.”

“Eww, you just touched a dead body.” Roseluck waved her hooves back and forth, standing on her forelegs, as though to say don’t touch me with those filthy hooves of yours.

Lily pulled a pocket watch from out of her victims suit.

“Are you robbing him now.”

“I’m timing it.”

“Timing what,” Daisy pleaded.

As if on cue, the burgermeister gasped for air. He was not dead, not for more than three minutes anyway.

Lily turned to her friends and smiled. She honestly expected them to be impressed. The two loved Lily like a sister, only right now they recoiled from her strange grin.

“It’s something me and Glimmer were working on. It slows a ponies metabolism until they look dead…or maybe they are.”

“Why use that on him? Was it us you were trying to scare?”

“I don’t need to scare anyone my dears. Right now his brain is activating. All through life, the heart and mind never fully stop; his did, and now they’re waking up, and I’m the first thing he sees.”

The burgermeister stared at Lily. Upon his face was the expression of a pony trying to make sense of life’s mysteries, those things so far beyond mortal comprehension. To him Lily was the greatest mystery of all.

She held out her hoof. “Lick it,” she said.

The Burgermeister did not even hesitate.

Spike was antsy. He didn’t think it would be a problem, but getting into another chariot, so soon after the incident, had terrified the dragon.

Holding no grudges over the rein incident, Shade and Icarus tried to fly more smoothly than usual, for the dragons sake.

They did not like flying during the day. Glimmer had rigged them polarized lenses, and they both had kind Daisy’s special sunscreen formula with them at all times, so it was not impossible for them. Since this was a tracking mission, Spike insisted that the light would actually help them. Even Midnight would never work the two this hard.

Maudie was apparently part of a survey mission that was checking six potential sites. They could be at any site, or anywhere in-between.

Spike would be relieved when this was all over. Surely Maudie, like any pony, would be happy to leave the dismal mining outpost.

As they approached the next site, the words of a waitress in a speakeasy flashed through the dragons mind, “she really seems to love it in the coal mines.”

Technically this, technically that, technically Maudie was in trouble.

She thought this would be fun. Looking for new veins, drawing topographic maps, examining core samples. Yes, Maudie knew that her senior had a crush on her, in the beginning she wanted to know him better as well; Mudbriar was just so annoying. It was technically this, and technically that, and it just got so on her nerves. When she finally told him to shut up, the tone of their whole excursion changed.

None-the-less, she asked herself, as she hid behind a boulder, how did it come to this.

Mudbriar searched for her, a pick axe was in his jowls. “Maudie,” he yelled. “Maudie come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Glimmer hoped Spike didn’t come back too soon. She just needed a few more parts, and a little more time.

While Pinkie was on her smoke break, she reached into her saddle bag and took out what appeared to be a brain, encased in some sort of preserving liquid.

“Soon old friend,” said she, “very soon.”

7 A Routine Procedure

She could just tell that her nurse was smiling under that surgical mask.

Her nurse! Glimmer just loved the sound of that. She tried not to smile to deeply herself, as she made the incision.

Pinkie’s calling, her destiny, was to make ponies smile. That was nice. Everypony loves to smile. Interesting though that she would choose nursing as a vehicle by which to do this. She’d heard once about another Pinkie Pie, one who baked pies, planned parties, and told jokes. That was also nice, if you’re into that sort of thing. Glimmer wondered what Pinkie would say if asked what she thought of this. It would probably be some schmultzy platitude like “Nurses get to bring smiles to ponies who need them the most.” Normally such things would make Glimmer gag, right now it felt nice.

She checked to make sure she hadn’t left the nitrous oxide tanks valve open again.

It occurred to Glimmer that in an odd way she and Pinkie were alike. Pinkie was driven from her profession, because some arrogant doctor thought she ‘lacked the dignity and decorum befitting her profession.’ She could just picture the type of snooty tone that doctor would speak in. As for Glimmer, her career was set back so many times, on account of the FOOLS in academia failing to recognize true genius!

She tried to resist cutting too deeply when anger made her teeth clench upon the handle of the scalpel.

Actually, in her recent mood, she could somewhat accept that in life she had made many mistakes, and done a few things that, though not mistakes necessarily, did leave people asking why anypony would do such things.

Glimmer created monsters, okay!

She looked up. Pinkie was still watching. She was interested, not appalled, not reluctantly doing what needed to be done, she was interested.

“Would you like to make the next cut.”

“Me!,” cried Pinkie. “I couldn’t, you’re the doctor.”

Glimmer looked away for a moment. “I’ve been thinking about that. The mine is very dangerous. Something bad could happen, then on a seemingly quiet day, I would suddenly have more patients then I could attend to. Perhaps you should be ready to go above and beyond the duties of a typical nurse.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, one little cut, I’ll even help you. If anything goes wrong, I’ll just fix it before the patient wakes up.”

She handed the scalpel to Pinkie, then she made her way behind the nurse, and guided her.

“That’s it, same depth all the way through for five inches. You’re a natural.”

As Pinkie lifted the scalpel away from the patient, Glimmer whispered one more thing into her ear. “Can I keep you?”

“Doctor please, don’t make me laugh while I’m holding the knife.”

Glimmer stepped back, having forgotten herself. “I was just…testing to see if you could remain composed for the patient. Good work!”

Outside the operating room, Midnight Sparkle tried to read a magazine left behind by the old doctor. She was actually nervous. These comical tales about two mares vying for the affections of a freckled ginger did not ease her worries in the least.

Rarity had finally promised to become one of her elements of harmony. It was her first real success. Unfortunately this was after bragging about how easily Glimmer could fix her friends wing. A few teleportation spells were needed to get everypony together at this time.

Perhaps it was generous of Rarity to say she would do anything to help her friend. And it was an element of generosity that Midnight needed after all. Do friendships usually start with some Faustian deal between the two parties. If she was aspiring to be the Princess of Friendship, then she would need to learn such things.

She just hoped Miss Dot was okay in there.

A fire was still smouldering. This was encouraging. If this was Maudie’s camp, then she had been here recently. Also, who leaves a fire smouldering! Don’t they know how dry the vegetation is this time of year?

Spike kicked some sand onto the branches, then turned to the flutterbats.

“Can you track them?”

Shade and Icarus looked to one another, then turned back to Spike. One gave an affirmative nod while the other gave a negative nod.

“Okay, so you can,” he pointed at Shade, “and you can’t” he pointed at Icarus.

They both nodded in the negative.

“Can you or can’t you Track Maudie?”

“We’re great trackers at night. At night living things shine like stars in the night sky.”

Spike checked his pocket watch. “It’s four in the afternoon. The sun doesn’t set until 9:52 p.m.”

“Sir, we’re also nocturnal and working these hours is a little weird for us.”

Icarus probably would have been more diligent if he had any reason to believe Maudie was in trouble, which at that moment she was.

Suddenly Shade’s ear twitched. He turned to the others. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what.”

His other ear twitched.

“There it is again.”

“You’re hearing things. We should get out of the sun.” Icarus complained.

“What are you hearing?” Spike asked.

“It’s a mare, calling for help.”

Shade grabbed Spike under the armpits, and flew him down a cliffside, until they were facing a cave. It was dark inside, which they saw as an improvement.

“Help!”

“I heard it too,” said Spike.

They flew inside.

When they exited the operating room, Glimmer wore her usual expression, which was none at all.

“Well!” demanded Midnight Sparkle.

“I used a tissue bonding agent instead of stitches. It’s the one me and Daisy created last month. She’ll have to lie on her stomach for one hour, also she might be loopy from the anesthetic.”

Midnight nodded in understanding.

“The wing is a little atrophied and imbalanced from lack of use. It’ll strengthen quickly, though it would take tremendous will power and pain tolerance to fly within the first month.”

“That’s still an excellent result.”

Midnight decided to enter the room, and checked on Miss Dot. She sat by the bedside. It seemed like somepony should be there when she wakes up. Pinkie figured the same, and only left for a short smoke break.

For a few minutes they awkwardly sat together in silence. Finally Midnight spoke. “Miss Pie, did doctor Glimmer explain my situation to you.”

“Your situation?”

“Did she tell you why I need you as a friend?”

“She told me. It sounded a little crazy.”

Midnight turned her head, annoyed.

“Oh, not crazy in a bad way, crazy like boy what a fun and wild time all that must them been.”

  “What did she say?”

“She said you used a magic mirror to visit another world. You met another version of yourself, and five ponies. They were all best friends, and together they could use these magic doohickeys called the Elements of Harmony to do great things….And that you want to do great things too.”

“Yes.”

“So how about it, will you be my friend.”

“Oh don’t worry about me Miss Sparkle. I try to be friends with every new pony I meet. Becoming some kinda fantasy heroine is just icing on the cake.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yes,” said Pinkie. “I’ll be your friend.”

“I’ll be your friend too,” Dotti declared.

They both giggled. She was loopy from the anesthetic, just like Glimmer said.

The two of them held hooves.

“So how is it going? Finding these bearers of the Elements of Harmony, I mean”

“I’m getting there. I have you and Rarity. I know where Fluttershy and Appleja… Applejewel are. I just have to find Dash.”

“Dash…” Dot slurred. “Dashes and Dots. You know my Mom was a telegraph operator. I used to help her work. Dots and Dashes. I thought that was so clever. No pony would guess, Dots and Dashes.”

Midnight leapt from her seat and ran to the foot of Dots bed. She looked closer. Midnight parted some of Dots black hair, checking the roots. There were at least seven colours. She examined the fur. It was a little grey, but she knew that coal dust could do that to a ponies coat.

“Rainbow Dash, Dot are you Rainbow Dash?”

“Dot, Dash, Dash, Dot.” She looked up and Midnight and smiled. “Hello friend.”

“Please you don’t have to do this!” Maudie pleaded. “Let’s just return to the town together, and I won’t say a single word.”

“Technically it’s an outpost, not a town.”

If Maudie wasn’t so terrified, she’d scream at him for saying ‘technically’ again.

“I despise that horrid outpost.”

“Then we don’t have to go back there, we can go somewhere else. We’ll run away together, you and me.” She hated the idea of going anywhere with him, yet she was desperate, and said whatever she thought might help her…

Mudbriar swung his pick axe. It hit the rock with a loud clang.

“Please don’t do that. You could knock loose a stalactite. It might fall and you could hurt yourself.”

“Technically it would hurt you. My location is safe. You my dear are directly above a large outcrop of stalactites.”

“Stop saying technically!” Maudie covered her muzzle.

Enraged, Mudbriar struck the rock again.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Do you know that I was sentenced to the mine. It happens quite often. Peasants get sent to the mine as punishment for various offences. Most of the outpost ponies are heretics, or complicit to heresy, which technically is the same as being a heretic. Me, I was sent here because of a lying Jezebel, a mare just like you.”

He struck the rock again. This time a few stalactites did fall, one dangerously close to where Maudie stood.

“I thought you were like me. I thought you were a pious soul who didn’t deserve to be in this horrid place. That story about helping your sister was a lie, wasn’t it? WASN’T IT! You’re just another lying heretic.”

As he lifted his pick axe, ready to swing yet again, something leapt towards him and bit into the meat nearest his shoulder blade. Mudbriar cried in terror.

In the darkness, Maudie could barely make out the terrifying creature that was attacking him. She braced herself to run, when she turned Maudie almost stepped on a small dragon. Maudie leapt backward in the other direction.

“Well,” said Spike, “that guy sure had it coming to him.” He turned to Maudie. “Don’t worry! Shade is just gonna take enough pints of blood to make him pass out, I think.” He held out a clawed hand, the gesture was kind and friendly. “You must be Maudie. Let’s take you to see your sister Pinkie, okay.”

A few days later. Midnight Still has not returned from Appleloosa or the coal mining outpost.

Lily tossed some papers to the ground and threw her front hooves up in exasperation. “Who knew running a town was so much work.”

“Everypony knows that.” Roseluck answered.

Lily wanted to retort, perhaps say something about the nepotism and corporate ties of all the candidates, though neither thing actually proved that they didn’t have a heavy work load.

The Burgermeister was doing a hooficure on Lily’s hind legs. He stopped for a second to pick up the papers.

“Why don’t you just tell him what policies to change, and let the Bergermeister do his job?” Daisy offered

“If only it were that simple Daisy, every document I read has something awful somewhere in the fine print. The worst part is figuring out what I even can change; determining where regional laws end and Federal laws begin is a nightmare. I’m thinking our whole society needs it’s laws rewritten.”

At that moment, Macintosh Appleton entered the room. It was awkward for him to get through the door, owing not only to his own girth, but because he was carrying another full sized stallion; said stallion was tied up and gagged.

“What are you doing?” Lily was flustered.

“He was spying on your estate. I found him in the bushes with binoculars.”

“How creepy!” As she looked away, one of Roselucks flytraps began chewing on her hair. She gave it a light slap.

Daisy was not used to seeing ponies bound and gagged in the home she lived and worked in. She should be by now. The mare rushed to his side and took off the gag.

He nearly bit her as Daisy tried to help. Dr Van Neighsayer then turned his neck as far as he could, trying to face Macintosh, who was still holding him in place. “Unhand me you brute.”

“Why were you watching our house?” Roseluck asked.

“Are you a pervert,” Daisy sounded almost excited at the prospect.

Lily took his saddlebag and dumped the contents upon a table. There was the usual: hammer, wooden stakes, rope, knife, binoculars, and a canteen; Lily sniffed the canteen, wondering if it was sacred water or just liquid courage. There was also a letter. The three crowded around, all trying to read the letter at once.

A Letter To Dr Van Neighsayer 
Monday, May 26th,

Doctor Van Neighsayer, we have reviewed the case and we concur with your findings.
Rarity Belle is somehow integral to whatever Midnight Sparkle is plotting.

You have our organizations permission to end her life. There will be no legal consequences for carrying out this task. Please perform the necessary duties post haste.
Though you have our full support, we prefer the matter be handled with anonymity if possible.

“No way!” Roseluck exclaimed. “So he’s not just a pervert.”

“Hey, check if there’s a return address.” Daisy suggested.

Lily approached Dr Van Neighsayer. She placed her muzzle uncomfortably close to his face. Though for all intents and purposes she appeared to be a pretty mare, Dr Van Neighsayer still recoiled backward from the sight of this convicted witch.

“This organization, could they be the pillars of the enlightenment.” She was referring to the secret society, which could be considered the true power in most of Equestria.

“I’ll tell you nothing witch.”

Lily giggled to herself, as she made her way to a cupboard, and searched for a certain perfume.

“Oh Lily, not that potion again!” Daisy was referring to the perfume she already used on Macintosh, and on the Burgermeister. “There’s something awfully wicked about that potion.”

“Yeah, couldn’t we just turn him into a rabbit and let the timber wolves chase him around a little bit. Y’know, like we used to do with intruders and assassins.”

“Though that does sound fun Rosie dear, I’m afraid we’re going to have to keep this particular pest around for a while. He’s going to lead us to the real seat of power in Equestria.”

“I’ll tell you nothing witch.” Van Neighsayer repeated himself.

“I think you’ll change your tune in about three minutes.” Lily squeezed a nozzle, sending a waft of perfume towards his face.

Author's Note

This was going to be part of the previous chapter. I felt I could pace it better by breaking them up.

8 Perplexed & Horrified

Fluttershy tried not to move, as the inexperienced seamstress made the finishing alterations to her finest dress. Needles flew in the air with magic as she sewed the hem.

Until now, the seamstress had only practiced on mannequins.

Rarity, the seamstress, did not move as confidently as she did with the mannequins. She was afraid of a needle puncturing the customers flesh. If she didn’t move a little faster, then the Appleton's would likely be late for their dinner engagement.

The dinner engagement in question was made on such short notice. Fluttershy was not the least bit surprised that she could not book her regular seamstress, Suri Polymare, and felt fortunate that Madame Polymare’s new apprentice was willing to make a house call.

Breaking one last thread with her teeth, Rarity at last, finished with the dress.

Fluttershy took a few steps back and forth, to test the feel of the garment, then nodded in approval, and smiled. When she smiled, an apprehensive Rarity sighed with relief.

Fluttershy wanted to see how it looked in the full length mirror. She had to push aside another pony. Applejewel was in front of the mirror, teasing her eyelashes and puffing up her mane; that pony was always fixing her hair. She too was invited to the dinner engagement.

“So who are we having dinner with darling?” Applejewel asked.

“It’s one of my husbands real-estate clients.”

“Yes I know that much of course. Who is the client?”

“I don’t know…!”

It was an odd hour for dinner, at least it was for the Appletons, who normally ate well before sunset. In the darkness a carriage arrived at the Appleton estate, it had no lights and no driver. Macintosh Appleton realized that it was just like the carriage which first brought him to a certain castle in the Everfree Forrest.

“The carriage,” Macintosh called, “time to go.”

“Sister,” said Applejewel in a hushed tone, “does my brother sound a little unexpressive to you?”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy realized right away what was going on. Macintosh Appleton was usually a very verbose stallion, yet when it came to a certain subject he said little, and spoke in monotone.

The two were ushered into the carriage by Macintosh. At one point Fluttershy tried to step aside, as a test. Macintosh stepped behind her and herded her like a lamb. He was gentle enough, though Fluttershy decided not to test him further.

Macintosh then turned to Rarity. “You come also.”

Rarity was greatly surprised. “Oh I couldn’t darling. My dress is too shabby for a formal soiree.” It was true, she was not supposed to outshine her clients, and so wore a basic brown dress with vertical stripes.

“Rarity come to dinner party!”

“Rarity will do no such thing!”

Macintosh moaned, he moaned as though confused by the whole situation. “Sir, are you all-right?” Rarity asked.

Before he could answer, a familiar muzzle poked itself out of the carriage and came into view.

Soon she was greeted by the face of her dear friend Rainbow Dash. To Rarity she was Rainbow Dash, though to all others she inexplicably still went by the name Dot. Her hair was tied back, she wore wide framed glasses, and a yellow neckerchief.

“It’s all right Rarity. I thought this might happen.”

Dot came out of the carriage, carrying a small box. She opened it up to reveal Rarity’s favourite dress.

“Oh but Dash!”

“Dot”

“Dash,” she said more firmly, “I can’t just go to a party with my clients. It’s unprofessional.”

“Rarity, those girls are your closest friends. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Do you mean…?”

“Yes.”

“Elements of harmony!” They both spoke in unison.

Rarity took the box, hoping nopony would mind her changing inside the carriage. Macintosh sat in what would be the drivers seat, presumably so as not to crowd anypony.

Once inside, they noticed yet another pony was with them.

Pinkie smiled, then pulled something out from her dress. “Do you girls mind if I smoke.” Three out of four ponies said yes they mind.

Though it was far from being a long trip, the ponies did have some time to talk on the way. They compared notes about who they were and how they were all connected.

Rarity, was a debutant from Appleloosa, who more-or-less ran away from home seeking her dream to be a dress maker. Back home, Midnight would sneak into her room, through the balcony. She would bring books, fabrics, and sewing supplies to help Rarity build her secret portfolio of designs. She had also bitten Rarity on the neck.

Dot, Dash if you prefer, was a former athlete who suffered a career ending injury. She had been working as a secretary to Dr Van Neighsayer, and met Midnight on a house call. Midnights doctor, Starlight Glimmer, claimed she could fix Dot’s broken wing. Dot was more then a little nervous when Midnight used arcane magic to transport her to a shady clinic in a coal mining outpost town, but the wing surgery was a complete success. She agreed, while on heavy pain killers, to be Midnights friend. The neckerchief she wore hid a bite mark on her neck.

Pinkie was the nurse in that shady coal mining outpost town. Midnights servant Spike helped reunite her with her sister, who had been through some rough experiences. She was currently on leave, at Midnights request. She also wore a neckerchief to hide a bite mark.

Fluttershy was an animal caretaker. Her fiancé was a real-estate agent who sold several properties to Midnight Sparkle, and recieved a promotion for doing so. Not long ago her fiancé was terrified of Miss Sparkle. Now, it’s unclear how he feels about her. I suppose the fact that he would put his fiancé and his sister in a carriage heading to her estate in the dead of the night says something. They had not had the pleasure of meeting yet.

Applejewel is a local schoolmarm, and sister to Macintosh Appleton. Even Fluttershy believes she is a pious pony. Unbeknownst to the Equestrian Education Association, she often uses her position to teach a history far different from the one in the curriculum. She has not met Midnight.

Eventually the carriage left the paved road and moved onto the cobblestone entryway to Midnight’s local estate. The path was littered with bumps and cracks. Applejewel wanted to complain to the driver, accept there wasn’t one. When the carriage finally reached the house, Lily and Roseluck came to help everypony out, and Daisy held the door for them.

The two held umbrellas, for it had started to rain. At one point a flash of lightening allowed Pinkie Pie a momentary glance at the house. She leapt upward, then ran in a circle, and hid behind Dot.

“Hurry in!” Roseluck practically pleaded.

Most of the ponies did hurry in. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, then felt Macintosh nudge her to move forward.

“Were you just sitting in the rain, on the carriage driver seat.”

Macintosh ignored her. He gave Lily a look as they passed at the door. This did not go unnoticed by Fluttershy.

Normally a house party would be lit with oil lamps at this hour, there were none. Instead, Midnight had a roaring fire for light. There was music. Off in the corner, Spike played a harpsichord.

The little dragon was always eager to impress, and so played the most welcoming song Midnight had ever taught him: Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

The dragon played very well, though Pinkie worried that it wasn’t really party music. Pinkie hopped over to the harpsichord, complimented Spike, then asked if he could try another piece. She pulled out a page of sheet music. It was something she was saving because Pinkie thought that Midnight might like it.

Spike examined the piece for a moment, then gave it a try.

Ba da da daa snap snap
Ba da da daa snap snap
Ba da da daa
Ba da da daa
Ba da da daa snap snap

Midnight laughed a little at the whimsical tune. “Come friends, join me by the fire.”

Most of the ponies did join her, even Applejewel was on her way when Fluttershy stopped her. “Miss Sparkle,” said Fluttershy, “this is the first time we have met, and I wouldn’t call us friends or speak so familiarly just yet.” Fluttershy turned up her nose. Off into the background, Macintosh let out a barely audible moan.

Midnight tossed up her cape and faced Fluttershy intensely. “Well - that is something I shall have to rectify my neighbour.” She walked over to her, her stride confident and deliberate, then to Fluttershy’s surprise she bowed. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the countess Midnight Sparkle. Please sit by my fire, so that we may come to know one another better.”

Reluctantly Fluttershy did as asked.

Once everypony was sitting, Midnight took out a list and checked an item. The next item was hor d’oeuvres. She clapped her hooves twice, and Roseluck approached with a tray.

“Could this be authentic northern cuisine?” Applejewel asked excitedly.

“I thought I should start with something familiar. I know the customs of my homeland are a little strange to you ponies. This is just a veggie platter.”

Fluttershy was relieved at how normal the food was. She reached for a celery stick, dipped it slightly, and took a bite.

“What’s this dip made with?”

“Ground anchovies, crab, and lemon juice.”

Without hesitation, Fluttershy spit into a napkin.

Midnight made a quick note. Fluttershy does not like lemon juice.

To everyponies surprise, Applejewel dipped a cucumber, and gave it a try.

“Eww!” went Pinkie, “So what’s it taste like?”

“I honestly don’t know what to compare it with. It’s savoury, and the texture is a little like mushroom dip.”

“People say crab’s a delicacy, but the anchovies have the real flavour.” Roseluck tried to help.

Lily pulled Roseluck away, though Midnight didn’t mind her being there.

“Okay, I’m gonna try one!” Pinkie announced bravely.

Every pony had a response. Half told her not to, while the others dared her to do it. She dipped a carrot, then inched it toward her mouth, closer, closer; at the last moment she pulled her arm away. “I can’t.” To everyponies surprise, Rarity bit into the carrot stick, with dip on it, right from Pinkies hoof.

Dot looked at her in surprise. She moved in close. “Rarity you actually ate it.”

Rarity turned, placing the muzzles a little too close together. “Care to try one.” She teased Dot with a husky voice.

Midnight noticed that Fluttershy was turned away from these other ponies, not pleased and somewhat appalled with their behaviour. The Countess attempted to place a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, but Fluttershy slapped it away.

When she did this, Midnight turned her face, though Dot caught a glimpse of her reaction. This angered Midnight, though she decided to swallow her pride.

Applejewel had many questions about the North. “What Nightmare Moon is really like? How did the batpony’s come to be? How do you heat your cities without burning coal?” She asked questions faster then Midnight could answer them. The art pieces of the manor were of particular interest to her, so Midnight decided to offer everypony a tour.

They all took off. “Are you coming Fluttershy?” Applejewel asked.

“I’m feeling a little anemic. Would you mind terribly if I just stay here for now.”

“Would you like to bite someone.” Midnight asked, sounding concerned.

“No!” Said Fluttershy, perplexed and horrified by the very question.

After they were gone, Fluttershy got up and creeping slowly, made her way towards Midnight Sparkles private study. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched.

The library was in desperate need of a good dusting, like most of the manor. In fact the cleanliness of the books gave Fluttershy a clue as to what had been read recently.

One book had a page bookmarked with a spell called inspiration manifestation, another was an encyclopedia with a bookmark on the page for the lost Alicorn Amulet. As she tried to pull out a book titled Enchiridion, another book fell to the floor, open to a page near the middle.

The book that fell was a photo album. What Fluttershy saw amazed her, and not because colour photographs did not exist in her world, it was a picture of herself and Midnight Sparkle. The picture was taken in the village of the Holtfields, according to the label on the photograph. It featured Fluttershy, and Midnight side by side, they were laughing together, and most shocking of all, they were stark naked.

“This is impossible.” Fluttershy gasped.

“No! It was taken in the other world.”

Fluttershy looked toward the entrance to the library. Standing in the door way was a mare she had not been properly introduced to. It was Lily Valley.

“The other world?” Fluttershy questioned.

“Didn’t anyone tell you yet. Midnight traveled to another world. She met another Midnight, though this one called herself Twilight.” Lily pointed to the photo-album. “Twilight duplicated some books as a gift to Midnight.”

Fluttershy flipped though the pages, seeing things that seemed impossible. She saw Dot crossing the finish line at a Wonderbolts competition, she saw Pinkie officiating a peace treaty with Yakyakistan, most implausible of all she saw Applejewel bucking apple trees like a common farm filly.

“You didn’t have to come in here,” Lily told her, “Midnight was planning to show you that very book later tonight.”

Lily was not imposing to look upon, at this moment she seemed very normal and gentle for somepony who caught a neighbour snooping in her masters private things. She placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, in a comforting gesture, so Fluttershy confided in her.

“My fiance has been odd as of late. Not long ago, he… wanted to leave the city. I didn’t want to, he did. Now he doesn’t.”

“Oh that!” Lily seemed to think for a moment. She knew very well, what Fluttershy was leaving out of her confession. Macintosh was an obstacle, keeping Midnight and Fluttershy apart. Lily saw this. She owed every to her mistress, and it hurt her deeply to see Midnight stress because she did not know how to resolve this misunderstanding.

“Look at those photos.”

Fluttershy looked.

“These mean so much to Midnight, and right now it’s only a possibility, it’s something she hopes for. I didn’t want to see her lose that hope.”

She looked again at how every pony was nude in most of the photographs. “Were we lovers?”

Lily broke out into laughter. Soon they were laughing together.

When they finally calmed down, Lily softly spoke. “Please don’t let your worries taint things between the two of you.”

Fluttershy held up the photo album. “Miss Lily, you say Midnight wants this more then anything. Would she have done something ruthless to try and bring it about?”

“I swear she did not.” Lily seemed insulted by the insinuation. It occurred to Fluttershy that most would say, ‘would not.’

She held out the book again. “If this is really what Midnight wants, if that’s true, then maybe I can persuade her to help me.”

“Help you?”

“If she’s not responsible, then maybe she can figure out what is going on.”

Lily sweated slightly. Midnight probably did have methods of divination that could solve the mystery. Lily didn’t know what those methods were exactly, though in her mind the mistress of the manor could do practically anything.

How ironic, their first friendly bonding experience could end up being a witch hunt. Lily had good reasons to dislike witch hunts. She imagined Midnight scolding her, vowing never to forgive her. The thought was terrifying. Whether it was fear, or just a hasty decision to cut her losses, Lily’s next words were:

“I can put him back the way he was.”

Fluttershy’s lifted her brows in surprise, then face reshaped itself, she took on the stern, disapproving, and oddly powerful look known as the stare.

This surprised Lily. She knew so many spells, and even had a bottle of perfume hidden less then three feet away. Lily should not have been the one to feel intimidated at this point.

“Listen, I’ll put him back the way he was, I promise. We can keep this between us. I’ve never lied to Midnight before, I just left out a few things. You’re supposed to be the element of kindness, right? Please be kind to me.”

Lily barley realized, but she was know on the ground, covering her eyes, cowering in an almost subservient position.

“Did you have any trouble getting time off Pinkie.”

“Nah, Glimmer found a way to make the mine a whole lot safer, so we don’t get many emergencies anymore, just regular daily business.”

“She made the mine safer, how did she do that?”

“Well, can you keep a secret? The miners are not the ones working anymore. The whole town is in on it. You see…”

Midnight noticed that the door was ajar to her library, the next stop on the tour. Missing, whatever Pinkie was about to say, she creaked the door fully open and looked inside.

Lily and Fluttershy were just leaving. Everything seemed fine. Fluttershy explained that she got lost looking for the Fillies room, and Lily found her.

Midnight eyed them both, a little suspiciously, then seemed to forget the whole thing.

“Ladies, there is something I have very much been wanting to show you.” Excited, Midnight reached for the shelf, and grabbed a photo album.

Macintosh Appleton, the town Burgermeister, and Dr Abraham von Neighsayer were all playing go-fish in the servants quarters. Lily burst through the door in a panic.

The all stopped playing and grabbed certain items off the table. The first grabbed a hooficure file, the second, a basket of grapes, and the third a paper fan.

“Not now,” she said.

Lily fumbled through her cabinet for a few moments, then took out a vial of green liquid. She hoofed the vial to Macintosh.

“Go home, take this, then go to bed.”

Macintosh took the vial and left, without asking any questions or putting on a coat for the torrential rains.

Daisy gave Lily the look. What will that do?” She asked.

“It’ll make him normal, and he won’t remember anything.” She meant that he wouldn’t remember anything since being doused with a perfume that turned him into a slave, and by some definitions a zombie.

“What about those two?” Daisy pointed to “Van Neighsayer, ad the Burgermeister.”

“Those two were never normal.”

“Does this mean you’re abandoning your plan?” Daisy sounded pleased with the idea.

“No!

Midnight needed Lily. The flower pony knew this in her heart. Their world was harsher then the one in the picture book, and she needed someone willing to do whatever sorts of deeds the Princess of Friendship would abstain from.

“Midnight will take those girls on their friendship quest soon. That will give us ample time.” She faced one of her zombies. “Won’t it Dr Van Neighsayer?”

9 Nightmare Moon

Six Years, Six Months, and Six Days Ago

“Why are you making me miss a class?” Starlight demanded.

Calm down Pumpkin. I have something important to tell you.

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Pumpkin, it’s about your friend, Patricia.”

Starlights father was searching for the correct way to explain. Patricia was Starlights dear friend, probably the only friend she ever made since what happened with Sunburst. Maybe that’s why Firelight ignored the signs.

“Patricia Lulamoon has been found guilty of witchcraft.”

“Witchcraft?”

“Yes, Dr. Van Neighsayer found evidence that she was planning to summon a chaos spirit into this world. According to her own journals she was going to approach you about joining the conspiracy.”

“I see. Can I see the journals?”

“You can’t see the journals,” her father told her.

“Can I meet with Patricia?”

“No, you can’t.”

Firelight Glimmer wondered what was going on in his daughters mind right now. She’d yet to show any outward emotion, which had been her way ever since the incident. He knew she must be hurting terribly.

Starlight Glimmer seemed lost in thought for a moment. Her father was prepared to be a shoulder to cry on. Though this came about in an awful manner, perhaps his little girl would finally open up to him.

“Do you need someone to perform the lethal injection.”

“Excuse me.”

“The punishment for witchcraft is death. Sometimes witches are tested first, but you said you had journals as proof. If you need someone to perform the lethal injection, I am qualified.”

“Patricia is to be hanged.”

“I see.”

“Daddy!”

“Yes Pumpkin, ask anything.”

“Please give me her brain.”

For much of her life, Rarity had believed, though she had not quite accepted, that she would never leave the small town from whence she came. Back home there was so much coal dust that every mane was two tones greyer than it rightly ought to have been. She really believed she would spend her days rearing foals under the same dreary skies with whatever Stallion her well meaning parents chose for her to wed. Now here she was, and she wondered how the others could possibly fail to see the grand majesty of what was before them.

The windows of the room they were in, overlooked the entire Crystal Empire.

Everywhere she looked evoked a sense of splendour. The homes were made of crystal, and streets, when viewed from above formed a gleaming star, there were trees everywhere. This was so far north. She thought for sure it would be barren, just like her temperate, but polluted home. Instead, she had never seen so many trees.

“So what is Princess Cadence like?” Rarity asked.

“She’s different,” Midnight answered. “When you see her, please don’t stare. She’s aware of how she looks, and drawing attention to it won’t be good for any-pony.”

Pinkie imagined what Midnight might have meant by that. Perhaps she should coach the others. One of her hobbies used to be putting on clown and magic acts at a foal hospital burn ward.

Dot and Applejewel gulped. Dot was just worried she might say the wrong thing, while Applejewel was just scared in general.

At that moment, the chamber doors opened. In walked a creature.

At least two ponies swallowed a gasp. They didn’t know for certain if the one who entered the room was actually a pony or not. She must have been the princess, otherwise she wouldn’t have been wearing a crown. Her horn was gnarled, like a misshappened tree branch. Her stringy hair was a sickly blue / green colour. She didn’t have a mane, rather her exterior resembled the chitin of an insect, and there were holes, yes holes in her legs.

Not wanting to appear rude, and without missing a beat, Rarity bowed before her, presenting the nape of her neck to this creature.

When the creature spoke, it sounded like her voice was echoing from somewhere else. “You honour us well by following our customs. I can’t take your blood, for I am not the Mistress of this Castle.”

“You’re not.”

“This is Queen Chrysalis.” Midnight cut in. “She is Cadence’s wife.”

“Wife?” 
“Yes,” Chrysalis replied, “I am her wife.”

“Though how my odd sister princess managed to attract so fetching a mate alludes me.” Midnight smiled in her slightly sinister way.

“Sparkle, can’t you compliment me without insulting my mate in the same breath.”

“I only called her odd. You can’t deny she’s an odd one.”

“Is that so?” a singsong voice came from the corridor.

In walked a pony unlike any of Twilight’s assembled five had ever seen before.

That’s not to say she was odd, mind you. Odd, is a term to describe that which is different, and stands out, yet radiant beauty is rarely depicted as being odd.

A pink mare with a mane of warmer pink, violet, and pale gold. She could only be described as the single most beautiful mare any of the assembled five had ever seen.

Rarity looked upon her visage, this time a bit uncertain.

“I am Cadence, queen of these lands.”

Rarity was stunned for a moment. Realizing she had forgotten her manners, she repeated her bow and again exposed the nape of her neck.

Cadence gave a warm smile. “I appreciate how much respect you’re showing for local customs. I know this behaviour is not normal where you come from. Honestly, I myself become a little light headed from the sight of blood. I suppose I am odd for a Northern Pony. We really don’t need to do this if you don’t want to.”

Though it was right in their territory, the Crystal Empire’s unique history made it so that the ponies remained culturally distinct from other northern ponies. Those differences were slowly fading.

“Midnight rolled her eyes.”

Rarity was a little unsure. She really didn’t want to lose favour with either princess. “From you princess, following this custom would be a great honour.”

Only one pony was expected to present herself, and Rarity had volunteered. Chrysalis presented herself to Twilight. Once both parties completed the formalities, they moved on towards the dinner table.

Cadence had the chefs prepare a variety of dishes. She didn’t know if they would be interested in trying local cuisine, or prefer sticking to the vegetarian diets they practiced back home. Midnight and Chrysalis were the only ones who had steak, though Midnight insisted that Rarity eat some meat to replenish herself. Midnight was so adamant that she actually tried to feed Rarity some of her steak. Rarity ate fillet of sole, just so her friend would stop worrying.

“So Cadence,” Applejewel asked, “you and Chrysalis seem very… different. How did the two of you get together?”

“The Crystal Empire, the kingdom we are in right now, was missing for centuries. When the Crystal empire reappeared, I came to investigate. I discovered an item called the Crystal Heart, which looked just like my own cutie mark. I realized that this kingdom was my destiny, and the ponies here made me their princess.”

They were all riveted by the story.

“An evil former king named Sombra, locked me in a tower, with an iron mask covering my face. Sombra didn’t have the power to take on Nightmare Moon directly, so he found Chrysalis to impersonate me. They were going to have a fake wedding, and make Sombra king again. It was Nightmare Moon he needed to fool. He planned to assassinate her at the wedding.”

“Wait,” Applejewel interrupted. “Chrysalis was going to impersonate you?”

Chrysalis transformed into the spitting image of Cadence before their eyes. They did not know she could do that. Cadence went on with her story.

“Chrysalis kept coming to my tower she kept making excuses like learning how to impersonate me better, or torturing me to locate were I hid the crystal heart. What can I say, we fell in love.”

“That’s nice,” Fluttershy was trying to be polite.

“So what happened to this Sombra pony.” Dot asked.

At that moment Midnight burped. She wasn’t trying to answer the question with her expulsion, but she basically did.

“Excuse me! By the way Cadence, I saw something interesting in that mirror universe I visited.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Your doppelgänger was married to my brother.”

“Don’t tease me Midnight.”

“It’s true, they even had a foal together.”

“You know,” Chrysalis spoke, “we have been looking for an ideal donor, in order to have children.”

“Please not you too Chrysalis.”

“You can’t deny her whole family has excellent genetics.”

Midnight reached for another steak from the platter.

“Tell me, what was the foal like.”

“Flurry Heart, amazing as it may sound, she was an Alicorn right from birth. She’s an odd child though, much in the same way Cadence is.”

Cadence seemed to think on that. “Please stop, both of you. Oh Midnight you know I’m terrified of your brother.

Eventually night fell upon them. This was significant, because it was their first night in the Northern Territory, even if it was just the Crystal Empire. The ‘enlightened’ parts of Equestria have certain protection, to ensure that Ponies dreams were safe from the invasions of Nightmare Moon. No such protections existed here.

Applejewel was in her classroom back home. It was after hours, and the only other pony in class was a student she asked to stay late.

She approached the pony with an authoritative demeanour.

“Do you know why you’ve been asked to stay after class?” Applejewel asked.

“No ma’am.”

“You’ve been asking questions. Your questions tell me that you doubt what I’m teaching you. Is that true?”

“No ma’am, of course not.”

She reached into a hidden compartment of her desk and pulled out a small box. “Well then, prepare to have your mind blown.”

Inside the box was all the materials she had gathered over the years. There wasn’t much. It was proof of their countries true history, the history that actually happened as opposed to the propaganda she taught in her curriculum.

Applejewel loved doing this. It was the one time she felt like a real teacher. She had to be careful though, she had to get to know her students, make sure they hungered for real truth, and yet could keep a secret.

Inside was proof that, at least in olden times, the princesses were not an evil oligarchy. There was hard information about how the pillars of the enlightenment had truly come into power, evidence that technology had actually been set back by the enlightenment, information about great mares, who held careers it was commonly believed females lacked the constitution for, essays on why Unicorns were really kept from learning any magic more potent then basic levitation.

After taking only the briefest look, the student turned his head up to the grinning Applejewel.

“You’re a heretic!” The student cried.

“No wait!”

“I have to tell everyone that you’re a heretic.”

“Please don’t.”

“You know what they do to heretics.”

“I do. Please listen, it’s all true.”

Now the student seemed larger than the teacher. Applejewel even felt small. She quivered beneath him. She wept. The student bellowed in a deeper voice. “Burn everything in this box, quit teaching, otherwise I’ll expose your secrets to everyone.

Applejewel looked at her cutie mark. It was apples, apple for the teacher. How could she do this? Why did Midnight ever think, even for a moment that she could be the element of honesty? She was a teacher who taught lies. Sure she gave the truth to whatever student she thought could handle it. Now she got caught. She had one chance to get out, she could even lie. She looked up towards the student.

Rarity was falling. Dot leapt after her. It was quite heroic, She caught her, she saved her, then it was happening again. Rarity was falling. Her body passed through a cloud, and Dot had to descend through the same cloud and chase her.

Doctor Glimmers words echoed in her ear. “Your wing is still healing. If you overstrain it, then it might not heal properly.”

He saved her again. This time the wing was tired and a tiny bit sore.

She remembered how proud her old self was, how boastful. There were loyals fans chanting Dash, Dash. then the accident happened. No pony screamed her name anymore. When they even spoke her name it was proceeded with ‘Whatever happened to…”

She caught Rarity again.

The next time, she had her greyish hair. She had her thick glasses, her wing was this ugly misshapen thing. It shouldn’t have been able to fly. Flying caused her so much pain.

Would she catch Rarity this time?

Fluttershy was in darkness. Some light appeared. The light came through cracks in the seems of a stone door. She didn’t know this, the light only appeared for a few moments every day, when the sun faced west.

In the corner of the room was another pony. She was in a wretched state. This pony had been here longer then Fluttershy. You see, the pony had been accused of witchcraft, and as a test she was locked in this mausoleum. If she survived thirty days, they’d no she was a witch and burn her. If she died, then all she could look forward to was being buried on hallowed ground. The funny part is, she wasn’t a witch, ’yet.’

“The horror-the horror.” She stuttered.

Fluttershy stepped forward to comfort her, only to get a better look at this pony.

This was Lily Valley. This was the actual witch that did something horrid to her mate. She had turned Machintosh Appleton, her husband, into a slave with no free will.

When he was set free, he recounted everything he had seen, all that she made him do.

Fluttershy had promised not to tell anyone. She managed to get a position of power over the witch for a few moments, and hide her own terror long enough to get the cure.

Since then, Fluttershy questioned her kindness. Could she be an element of kindness while harbouring such hate for this creature? It was true, she hated her. Perhaps forgiving her would even be a betrayal to her husband. There was a voice in her mind telling her to kick Lily while she was in this wretched state.

What would she do?

Pinkie chased the stage coach. They were taking her sister away. Her nursing career was gone, and now they were taking her sister, all because she told a joke that someone didn’t think was funny.

How could she ever tell a joke again?

Rarity was falling again, and again.

As she approached the ground, a thought occurred to her. She wondered what had ever been generous about her. She grew up in an upper class household, but there was poverty right outside her door. She never gave anything, instead her parents spoiled her. What did her parents get in return? Rarity knew the answer to that. They got to see her run away on some half cocked dream to be a dress maker.

Now Rainbow Dash, sorry Dot was wrecking her beautiful wing again, just to save her. The one good thing she did, her justification for all of this, was the deal to fix Dots wing.

She asked herself, how was she ever generous?

Applejewel told the student, “Go ahead, expose me. I’m just glad I’ll never have to tell a lie again.”

No matter how much her wing hurt, Dot kept rescuing Rarity over and over again.

Fluttershy hugged Lily like a sister. She told her that it wouldn’t always be like this.

Pinkie jumped on a chariot that was going where they had taken Maudie. A scary bat pony sneered at her. She just made a funny face.

Rarity had no way to prove her generosity at that moment. What was she going to do, tell Dot to let her fall? Dot would never do that. She decided to just wake up and make every-pony breakfast. That was generous, wasn’t it?”

After a hardy breakfast, they left for their mission. Midnight hated the sun, however this was the time that they were most likely to succeed. Past generations called this day the summer sun festival.

They met Chrysalis on the way out.

“You Southern ponies sure play some dangerous games.”

Rarity asked what she was talking about.

“Do you sleep walk or something? Last night you jumped out the castle window. You’re lucky Dot was there to catch you.”

They looked at each other, then kept going.

They made there way to an alter, that was used the last time the summer sun festival was celebrated.

Applejewel and Pinkie put down the case they were carrying. Inside were the elements of harmony, the ones native to this universe, which Midnight had retrieved from the castle of the two sisters.

Each put on their respective necklace or crown, and they all held hooves. Even Cadence and Chrysalis joined in.

‘The stars would aid in her escape,’ or so the legend went. Midnight took that to mean her own six star cutie mark.

A moment later a portal appeared, then a pony stepped out.

Her coat was pure white, her cutie mark a golden sun, her hair flowed like the milky way. Midnight grinned. It seemed she really was the princess of friendship now, though she hoped she didn’t do all of this for another Cadence.

Freed from her long imprisonment on the moon, Princess Celestia smiled a warm smile.

Elsewhere, Glimmer stood over a gurney.

This would have been so much easier if Midnight had not borrowed her nurse for the week.

She looked down at the creature before her. She was quite pleased with the form, for the first time ever she had her pick of spare parts to work with. It was the spitting image of her, as best as she remembered anyway. The skin had some stitches, though she was certain those wouldn’t even leave scars, she was also sure at least one of the two eyes was the right colour, and though this pony never had bat wings before, who wouldn’t appreciate a pair of those.

Still this would all be a failure if the creature before her did not live.

It opened it’s eyes.

“Good morning,” Starlight decided to try some of that bedside manner stuff Pinkie loved so much. “Could you please tell me your name. Do you remember.”

“Gre…”

This pony was unused to her own throat.

“Gre…”

“Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Starlight was pleased. She even rolled the R, just like she used to.

Again elsewhere, Lily sat upon her throne.

It might interest you to know that the ponies who fanned her and fed her grapes, and soaked her hooves were once known as the pillars of the enlightenment. They were just slaves now. She now knew that her slaves were aware, though completely incapable of defying her.

Daisy and Roseluck worried. Maybe they had bitten off more then they could chew again.